Interceptor Missile Hits & Destroys Incoming Missile into Fragments

Interceptor Missile’s direct hit on the target incoming Missile at an altitude of about 15 kilometres and destroying it into fragments on Thursday 28 December 2017 at around 09:45 AM after launch from Dr Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha is a spectacular success scored by the Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) System of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) that puts India in the league of a very few select nations world over in the arena of critical defence technology. This indigenously developed Advanced Air Defence (AAD) Supersonic Interceptor Missile is capable of destroying any incoming ballistic missile in low altitude. The indigenous missile shield along with the Russian S-400 air defence systems are likely to provide protection from enemy missile attacks.

• Incoming ballistic missile was launched from Launching Complex-III complex of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) based on Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Island, which followed the exact path of intended ballistic missile.
• Radars located at different stations far-off, acquired the target, tracked them and passed on to the Master Control Centre (MCC),
• MCC generated the expected trajectory of the target and alerted the interceptor missile.
• Interceptor was launched from Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Island also at appropriate time for interception, which was initially guided by the Inertial Navigational System and the radars.
• Later, the seeker took over after a proper lock on to the target and guided the missile towards the target.
• All the radars, Electro Optical and Telemetry Stations tracked both the missiles and recorded the final interception.

The test is significant for one more reason: it is the first time that a woman scientist, Dr Shashikala Sinha, also known as the ‘new missile woman’, conducted the highly complicated test successfully for the country.

• The indigenous BMD is a two-layer missile defence system which can intercept enemy ballistic missile, both in space and in Earth’s atmosphere.
• AAD interceptor is a 7.5-meter long single stage missile powered by solid propellants.
• Interceptor is equipped with a navigation system, a hi-tech computer and an electro-mechanical activator.
• The state-of-the-art interceptor missile has its own mobile launcher, secure data link for interception, independent tracking and homing capabilities and sophisticated radars.

DRDO has developed both high-altitude and low altitude anti-ballistic missiles. While the first phase seeks to destroy the incoming enemy missiles in the exo-atmospheric region, i.e. outside the atmosphere, the second phase envisages killing enemy missiles of more than 2,000 km range within the endo-atmospheric, i.e. inside the atmosphere region. Under Thursday’s test, the missile was intercepted in the endo-atmospheric region.