DRDO, Navy Successfully Conduct Trials Of Sea-Based Ballistic Interceptor Missile

The DRDO and Indian Navy successfully tested a sea-based endo-atmospheric interceptor missile off the coast of Odisha on Saturday.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy successfully conducted a sea-based endo-atmospheric interceptor missile maiden flight trial off the coast of Odisha in the Bay of Bengal on Saturday. The purpose of the trial, according to the defence ministry, was to engage and neutralise a hostile ballistic missile threat, thereby elevating India into the elite club of nations with Naval Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) capability.

Prior to this, the DRDO successfully demonstrated a land-based BMD system capable of neutralising ballistic missile threats from adversaries.

The nation has achieved self-reliance in the development of advanced network-centric anti-ballistic missile systems, according to DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat.

About Naval Ballistic Missile Defence: 

On November 2, India tested an interceptor missile for Phase II of its own two-tier ballistic missile defence (BMD) system. This system is capable of intercepting both slow-moving aircraft and long-range nuclear missiles.

Only a few countries, including the United States, Russia, Israel, and China, have fully operational BMD systems. These countries have a network of early-warning and tracking sensors, dependable command and control posts, and land and sea batteries of advanced interceptor missiles.

Since the late 1990s, India has been working on its BMD programme, and it tested its first interceptor missile in November 2006. More than a dozen tests of the BMD system have been performed since then, with a few of them failing. DRDO has previously stated that the combination of exo- and endo-interceptor missiles provides a "kill probability of 99.8%." The AD-1 is a new endo-interceptor missile with the ability to change shape.