India successfully test fires supersonic Interceptor Missile

AMN

India today successfully test-fired the supersonic interceptor missile from the Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast at 10.15 AM. After receiving commands from the radars on the incoming missile, the interceptor missile Prithvi detected and tracked the enemy’s ballistic missile, which was fired from Interim Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha at 10.10 AM.

The weapon, dubbed as advanced air defence interceptor is part of the country’s credible ballistic missile defence programme. With this test India has become the fourth country in the world to have a ballistic missile defence programme. Other countries which have developed a ballistic missile defence system include the US, Russia and Israel.

Today’s successful test of the missile holds significance as the weapon system, which has been test fired at least eight times successfully, is likely to be inducted in the armed forces and deployed at strategic locations to protect the country’s cities and important installations from hostile attacks.

Defence sources said though the ballistic missile defence programme is triggered by growing arsenal of the neighbouring countries, India has been maintaining a no-first-use principle. DRDO on 11th of last month had carried out a test of Prithvi Defence Vehicle interceptor missile, capable of killing incoming missiles at an altitude of more than 100 kilometre at exo-atmospheric zone from the same test range.

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