India Successfully Test-Fires Nuclear-Capable K-4 Submarine-Launched Missile Off Andhra Coast

India on Sunday successfully test-fired 3,500 km strike range nuclear capable submarine-launched K-4 ballistic missile off Andhra Pradesh coast. The missile under development by DRDO will be equipped on indigenous INS Arihant-class nuclear-powered submarines of Navy, news agency ANI quoted government sources.

K-4 is a nuclear capable intermediate-range submarine-launched ballistic missile. It is being development by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and will be equipped on the Arihant-class submarines. The missile has a maximum range of about 3500 km.

Earlier in December last year, India had also successfully conducted a night trial of its indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-2 missile as part of a user trial for the armed forces from a test range in Odisha coast.

The flight test of the surface-to-surface missile was carried out barely a fortnight after two back-to-back trials of the Prithvi-2 were conducted successfully at night from the same base on November 20.

Prithvi-2 is capable of carrying 500-1,000 kilograms of warheads and is powered by liquid propulsion twin engines. The state-of-the-art missile uses an advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory to hit its target, the source said.