India tests exo-atmospheric ballistic missile interception

Mangalore Today News Network

Balasore, Feb 11, 2017: India on Saturday successfully test-fired its interceptor missile off the Odisha coast.

The interceptor was launched from Abdul Kalam Island (Wheeler Island) of ITR at about 7.45 am.

With this, India has achieved a significant milestone in the direction of developing a two-layered Ballistic Missile Defence system.

This mission, termed as "PDV mission” is “for engaging the targets in the exo-atmosphere region at an altitude above 50 km of earth’s atmosphere", said a Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) official.

"Both, the PDV interceptor and the two stage target missile, were successfully engaged," he said.

The target was developed for mimicking a hostile Ballistic Missile approaching from more than 2,000 km away and was launched from a ship anchored in the Bay of Bengal.

In an automated operation, radar-based detection and tracking system detected and tracked the enemy’s ballistic missile.

The computer network with the help of data received from radars predicted the trajectory of the incoming Ballistic Missile.

PDV, that was kept fully ready, took off once the computer system gave the necessary command for lift-off. The Interceptor guided by high accuracy Inertial Navigation System (INS) supported by a Redundant Micro Navigation System moved towards the estimated point of the interception.

Once the missile crossed the atmosphere, the Heat Shield ejected and the IR Seeker dome opened to look at the Target location as designated by the Mission Computer.

The interceptor is based on the nuclear-capable Prithvi Missile.

With the help of Inertial Guidance and IR Seeker the missile moved for the interception. All events were monitored in real-time by the Telemetry/Range Stations, at various other locations.