An Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile was successfully launched from the Abdul Kalam Island, Dhamra in Bhadrak district on Sunday as part of developing India’s full-fledged multi-layer ballistic missile defence system.
The upgraded version of the interceptor missile was launched against an electronically-simulated target missile over the Bay of Bengal.
The target missile from Baleswar was simulated, and after receiving its coordinates, the interceptor missile travelling at supersonic speed destroyed the incoming missile, the virtual one, midair, in an endo-atmospheric altitude in the midflight after getting signals from the tracking radars.
The interceptor is a 7.5-meter-long single stage solid rocket-propelled guided missile equipped with a navigation system,
The AAD is under development out of 11 tests, including three of exo-atmospheric variety, conducted by the DRDO. Except one, all tests have been successful.