India’s defense scientists conducted an advanced air defense missile test, where an incoming hostile missile was successfully intercepted 15 km above the earth. This brings India one step closer to developing a full fledged missile defence system.
The test was conducted in the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Wheeler Island in the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of Orissa, around 1,500 km east of capital New Delhi.
The hostile ballistic missile was a modified version of India’s Prithvi missile and the interceptor was a new generation indigenous missile. The critical detection radar is a modified version of an Israeli system.
- The target missile was fired first from a mobile launcher at 11:00 AM from Chandipur-on-sea.
- Two minutes and 40 seconds later, the interceptor was fired from Wheeler’s Island, a 130 km away.
- The hostile missile was destroyed, according to defence jargon, in a ‘copy book fashion’ about 15 km above the Bay of Bengal.
With this success, India joins the select group of countries like USA, Russia and Israel, which have this technological capability.