Country’s defence scientists successfully testing of an interceptor missile

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the country’s defence scientists for the successful testing of an interceptor missile, and said it was a proud movement for India.

“With this, India joins the select group of five nations with such capability, a proud moment for the entire country.

“The test launch was conducted in order to validate various parameters of the interceptor in flight mode,” a defence official said, adding that it was a low altitude trial.

India had on Wednesday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed supersonic interceptor missile capable of destroying any incoming enemy ballistic missile at low altitude. This the second time that the missile has been test-fired in less than a month and is part of an effort to put in place a multi-layer missile defence system.

The interceptor was engaged against a target which was a Prithvi missile launched from launch complex 3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near Balasore, taking up the trajectory of a hostile ballistic missile.

The target missile was launched at about 10.10 hours from Chandipur. After about four minutes the interceptor, Advanced Air Defence (AAD) missile positioned at Abdul Kalam Island in the Bay of Bengal, getting signals from tracking radars, roared through its trajectory to destroy the incoming hostile missile in mid-air, in an endo-atmospheric altitude.