SSC
India's short-range ballistic missile Prithvi-II is usually test-fired from:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ā¾Hide ā“
Answer: Option D ā Chandipur (Odisha)
Detailed Solution
Chandipur, in the Balasore district of Odisha, on the coast of the Bay of Bengal, is home to the Integrated Test Range (ITR) of the DRDO. Many of India's missiles, such as Prithvi, Akash, BrahMos and Astra, have been tested here. The sea in front of Chandipur is unusual because it recedes by up to about 5 kilometres during low tide.
Prithvi was the first missile developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), launched in 1983. It is a surface-to-surface, short-range ballistic missile. Its first test flight was on 25 February 1988 from Sriharikota, and it was later tested regularly at Chandipur.
The Prithvi family includes:
Prithvi-I: used by the Army, with a range of about 150 kilometres.
Prithvi-II: originally developed for the Air Force, with a range of about 250-350 kilometres. It can carry a warhead of 500-1,000 kilograms and both conventional and nuclear warheads. It is powered by twin liquid-propellant engines.
Prithvi-III / Dhanush: a naval version launched from ships.
Prithvi-II is part of India's Strategic Forces Command and is regularly test-fired as a "user trial" to check its readiness.
Another important missile test site in Odisha is Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Island (formerly Wheeler Island), off the coast near Dhamra in the Bhadrak district. Long-range missiles, such as the Agni series and K-4, are usually tested from there.
Why not the other options?
- āSriharikota, in Andhra Pradesh, is home to ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre, from where satellites are launched.
- āThumba, in Kerala, is the site of India's first rocket launching station (1963).
- āPokhran, in Rajasthan, is where India's nuclear tests were carried out in 1974 and 1998.
Quick tip
Remember: Chandipur = Integrated Test Range for Prithvi, Akash and BrahMos; Abdul Kalam Island (Wheeler) = Agni tests; Sriharikota = satellites; Pokhran = nuclear tests.
š¬ Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt āŗStill stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students ā answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Defence Technology & Missiles Questions
View all āŗ- Q1.Which Indian missile is a short-to-medium-range surface-to-air missile system?
- Q2.Which is India's first indigenously designed and developed long-range subsonic cruise missile?
- Q3.BrahMos, a supersonic cruise missile, has been developed jointly by the DRDO and:
- Q4.Pinaka, a multi-barrel rocket launcher system used by the Indian Army, was developed by:
- Q5.National Technology Day is observed in India on:
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Defence Technology & Missiles ā Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Defence Technology & Missiles, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's defence technology: the missiles developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme and later, their types and ranges, DRDO, defence equipment such as aircraft, tanks, submarines and warships, and military exercises with other countries. Common questions ask what type a missile is (Prithvi is surface-to-surface, Akash is surface-to-air, and Nag is anti-tank), which missile was developed with Russia (BrahMos), and which countries take part in a joint exercise. Lists of exercises and newly inducted equipment change often, so check current affairs as well. Practise the defence technology and missiles questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.