India test fires ballistic missile off east coast

India tested a nuclear-capable ship-based ballistic missile on December 13 off its eastern coast, according to a defense official.

The Dhanush ("Bow") missile was fired at 11.31 a.m. local time (06:01 GMT) from naval ship INS Shubhadra off the Chandipur coast in Orissa state, S. P. Dash, the director of the test range, told Reuters.

The surface-to-surface missile, which was developed by the Defense Research and Development Organisation, is a naval variant of the Prithvi ("Earth") missile built as a part of India's integrated guided missile development programme.

Dhanush has a strike range up to 350 km and a payload of up to one ton.