Page 49 - article

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

missile, positioned at Abdul Kalam
Island – previously known as Wheeler
Island— in the Bay of Bengal, roared
through its trajectory to destroy the
India Test-fires hostile target missile in mid-air in an
endo-atmospheric altitude.
KEY FEATURES
Indigenous Supersonic This home-grown high-speed weapon
system can eliminate incoming enemy
Interceptor Missile ballistic missiles at an altitude of 30
kilometre. This Advanced Air Defence
interceptor missile is critical to protect
Israel, Russia, and the United States are the only three countries to have the country from the long range
successfully developed and built an indigenous ballistic missile defense system ballistic missiles proliferating in the
—By Subhashis Mittra neighbourhood. DRDO expects to
have shield ready for deployment by
2022. The interceptor is a 7.5-meter
Validating the reliability of its two- mid-air in about two minutes. The
layered Ballistic Missile Defence, the earlier two tests were conducted on long single stage solid rocket propelled
Defence Research and Development March 1 and February 11, 2017, as part guided missile equipped with a
Organisation (DRDO) recently of efforts to have a full-fledged multi- navigation system, a hi-tech computer
successfully test-fired indigenously layer Ballistic Missile Defence system. and an electro-mechanical activator.
developed Advanced Air Defence “It was a direct hit and grand The state-of-the-art interceptor
(AAD) supersonic interceptor missile, success,” a Defence spokesman said missile has its own mobile launcher,
which is capable of destroying any after the test launch. “The test was secure data link for interception,
incoming ballistic missile at low independent tracking and homing
altitude. capabilities and sophisticated radars.
THE HISTORIC AAD MISSILE In Brief The powerful ballistic missile defence
With this effective anti-ballistic missile  DRDO successfully test-fired system provides a two-layered shield
system, India has become the fourth indigenously developed – ‘exo’ and ‘endo’. This means that this
country in the world to have a ballistic AAD supersonic interceptor system provides protection against
missile defence programme. Other missile. both – ballistic missiles that are outside
countries which have developed such  The interceptor missile was (exo) as well as inside (endo) the
a ballistic missile defence system are fired at a target in the form of earth’s atmosphere. In an earlier test,
the United States, Russia and Israel. the endo-atmospheric missile, capable
The AAD missile was test fired from a Prithvi missile. of intercepting incoming targets at an
Balasore (Odisha) test range on  Other countries than India altitude of 15 to 25 km successfully
December 28, making it the third which have developed such destroyed the incoming missile.
supersonic interceptor test carried out defence system are the US, In its March 1st test, the interceptor
in 2017 in which an incoming ballistic Russia and Israel. missile was fired at a target in the form
missile target was successfully  India has been working since of a Prithvi missile (which played the
intercepted, within 30 km altitude of 1999 on a two-tiered ballistic role of a hostile missile) launched from
the earth’s atmosphere by an missile defense system with the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at
interceptor. the PAD. Chandipur. The first test for the missile
The indigenously developed  The interceptor is a 7.5-meter was conducted in February. The last
supersonic interceptor missile is long single stage solid rocket successful AAD interception test took
capable of destroying any incoming place in May 2016. During the test, the
enemy ballistic missile at low altitude. propelled guided missile. Heat Shield ejected and the IR Seeker
The interceptor was engaged against dome opened to look at the Target
a Prithvi missile launched from conducted to validate various location as designated by the Mission
Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in parameters of the interceptor in flight Computer. With the help of Inertial
Odisha. The interceptor positioned at mode and it was all success,” the Guidance and IR Seeker, the missile
Abdul Kalam Island — home to the spokesman said. The target missile — moved for interception. All events
Indian military’s principle missile test a Prithvi missile — was launched from were monitored in real-time by the
facility — off Odisha coast roared launch complex 3 of the Integrated Test Telemetry/Range Stations, at various
through its trajectory after getting Range (ITR) at Chandipur near other locations.
signals from tracking radar and Balasore. After getting signals by
destroyed the incoming hostile missile tracking radars, the interceptor AAD (Contd on page 74)

72 Competition Wizard March 2018