India successfully test-fires Advanced Air Defence interceptor missile off Odisha coast

Balasore (Orissa): India today successfully test-fired sophisticated advanced air defence (AAD) interceptor missile from the Wheeler Island off Odisha coast. The interceptor missile also destroyed Prithvi missile fired from Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipore in Balasore in the Bay of Bengal. The test was conducted to observe the operational effectiveness of the indigenously developed high-speed interceptor missile.Defence sources said, the Prithvi missile was test-fired at 9.35 this morning, while the interceptor was fired about 3 minutes later. India has a Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system capable of tracking and destroying hostile missiles both inside and outside the earth’s atmosphere. The success of the AAD test will boost India’s chances of joining the US, Russia and Israel in the very exclusive BMD club. Indigenously developed by DRDO, the 7.5 metres long AAD is a single stage anti-ballistic solid propellant powered missile. Defence sources said, the DRDO will have two phases of the BMD systems. The phase-I interceptor missiles, capable of neutralising 2000-km range missiles will be ready for deployment by 2012. The phase-II missiles which will look to thwart threats from missiles with ranges of up to 5000 km, are expected to be ready within next five years.