New Delhi: Shaurya, a nuclear-capable surface-to-surface medium range missile, was test-fired from Chandipur-on-sea off the Orissa coast at 2.30 PM on Saturday. The missile with a maximum range of 750 km was test-fired from an underground silo at Integrated Test Range of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

Shaurya is being developed for use by both the Army and the Navy, and can carry a warhead of one tonne. The missile is a two stage, solid fueled weapon and can carry conventional as well as nuclear warheads.

Shaurya is 10 metre in length and about half-a-metre in width. It uses solid fuel that gives it a longer service-life and shorter launch time compared to the missiles which use liquid fuel.

As the missile has been canisterised for increased mobility and can be fired from silos, so its development gives India second-strike capability in keeping with the country’s states doctrine of no first-use of nuclear weapons.

The last test of Shaurya was conducted in November 2008.

All the people residing within 2 km radius of the testing range were temporarily shifted to a safer spot.