Prithvi-II is a short-range, liquid-fuelled surface-to-surface ballistic missile and the second variant of India’s pioneering Prithvi missile family, the country’s first indigenously developed guided missile. Though now considered ageing technology by DRDO’s own more modern standards, Prithvi-II remains in service and continues to be periodically test-fired even as the Indian Army plans a full phase-out of the Prithvi family in favour of more modern short-range systems.[1]
The Prithvi missile family originated as the first missile developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), conceived by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and managed by DRDO. Development began in 1983, and the first flight test of the baseline Prithvi-I took place on 25 February 1988, successfully following its predicted trajectory — a landmark early achievement for India’s then-nascent indigenous missile industry.[2]
Prithvi missiles are single-stage, liquid-fuelled systems measuring approximately 9.5 metres in length and 1 metre in diameter, weighing around 1,500 kg dry and roughly 4,600 kg when fully fuelled, powered by two liquid-fuel engines each producing up to three tons of thrust — an engineering approach that was considered a significant achievement for India’s missile programme at the time, though it has since been superseded by the faster-to-launch, longer-storable solid-fuel designs used in later Indian missiles.[3]
Following successful trials beginning in 1993 and Army user trials from June 1994, the Prithvi family was formally inducted into Indian service in 1996. Prithvi-II, an Air Force-oriented variant with improved range and payload flexibility relative to the original Army-focused Prithvi-I, subsequently became the most widely deployed and tested variant of the family.[2]
Despite DRDO having developed multiple more modern successor systems, Prithvi-II continues to be periodically test-fired as part of routine training and validation exercises; India conducted a test-firing of nuclear-capable Prithvi-II alongside Agni-I from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, off the Odisha coast, in July 2025, underscoring that the missile remains part of the active operational inventory even as its eventual retirement is planned.[4]
The Indian Army and Strategic Forces Command have planned a complete phase-out of the Prithvi-I and Prithvi-II short-range ballistic missiles by around 2030, to be replaced primarily by Pralay, India’s first tactical quasi-ballistic missile, which offers a range of roughly 150-500 km, solid-fuel propulsion for simpler logistics and faster launch readiness, and greater accuracy and operational flexibility than the ageing liquid-fuelled Prithvi design.[5] Pralay underwent a salvo test of two missiles fired in rapid succession from the Odisha coast in December 2025 as part of ongoing user evaluation trials ahead of full induction.[6]
Separately from Pralay, DRDO has begun work on a dedicated next-generation missile intended to fully replace the entire Prithvi family, aiming to preserve the operational advantages that led to Prithvi’s original deployment while eliminating the technical drawbacks associated with its now-dated liquid-fuel design, including longer launch-preparation times and more demanding logistics and storage requirements.[7]
As India’s first indigenous guided missile, the Prithvi family — and Prithvi-II in particular — holds a foundational place in Indian missile history, having proven the country’s ability to design, build, and operationally field a ballistic missile independent of foreign supply, a capability that directly enabled the subsequent development of the entire Agni missile family and India’s broader strategic deterrent.[1]
| Type | Short-Range Ballistic Missile (Liquid-Fuelled) |
| Country | India |
| Manufacturer | DRDO |
| Length | ~9.5 m |
| Weight (fuelled) | ~4,600 kg |
| First Test | 25 February 1988 (Prithvi-I) |
| Inducted | 1996 |
| Planned Phase-Out | ~2030 (replaced by Pralay) |
| Operator | Strategic Forces Command / Indian Air Force |