NEW DELHI -- India successfully test-fired a short-range nuclear-capable missile Thursday, a defense ministry official said.
The surface-to-surface Prithvi missile was fired from India's missile-testing range in Chandipur in the eastern state of Orissa, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
India's missiles are mostly intended for any confrontation with neighboring rival Pakistan, but Thursday's test was unlikely to aggravate tensions between the two as both countries routinely conduct missile tests.
The countries normally inform each other before carrying out long-distance missile tests. It was not immediately clear whether Pakistan had been informed about Thursday's exercise.
The Prithvi missile, which has a range of 220 miles (350 kilometers) and is capable of carrying a warhead of between 1,100 and 2,200 pounds (500 and 1,000 kilograms), is already in use by the Indian army.
India is developing a range of other missiles to strengthen its defense capability, including the medium-range Agni and Akash missiles, the anti-tank Nag, the ship-launched Dhanush missile and the supersonic Brahmos missile, designed jointly with Russia.
Earlier this week, a global think tank said India and Pakistan are continuing to develop new ballistic and cruise missile systems capable of delivering nuclear weapons. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said the South Asian neighbors have added 20-30 nuclear warheads apiece to their arsenals in the past year.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since their independence from Britain in 1947, including two over control of the Himalayan region of Kashmir.
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