The Hindu : National : Interceptor missile to be tested in December

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Wednesday, Nov 28, 2007
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Interceptor missile to be tested in December

It will provide the capability to develop a Ballistic Missile Defence shield

HYDERABAD: A landmark interceptor missile test that is expected to give India the capability of developing a full-fledged Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) shield and enable it to join an elite group of nations will take place in the first week of December.

As part of the on-going programme and to eventually establish a two-layered BMD system (exo-atmosphere and endo-atmosphere) to intercept and destroy an incoming missile, the high-speed interceptor missile, AAD (Advanced Air Defence) will take off and engage “a specially-developed target missile, a derivative of Prithvi,” at an altitude of less than 30 km in the endo-atmosphere.

Exactly a year ago on November 27, 2006, missile interception at exo-atmosphere (above 50 km altitude) was successfully tested when a PAD (Prithvi Air Defence), a modified version of Prithvi, was fired to destroy an incoming “target missile.”

“The AAD is a totally designed and developed by DRDO, exclusively for this role. It is a new missile and not a derivative or an update of any existing missile,” V. K. Saraswat, Chief Controller, DRDO R&D (Missiles and Strategic Systems) told The Hindu here on Tuesday.

The target missile would be launched from Chandipur, off Orissa coast, and the interceptor would take off from the Wheeler Island, he said.

As the interceptor’s flight would be in the denser atmosphere and the missile would manoeuvre during the terminal phase, the technologies required to achieve very low mid-distance were far more complex compared to the exo-atmospheric interceptor.

He said the AAD was a single-stage solid propellant powered missile. It was equipped with an inertial navigation system, electro-mechanical activators, jet vanes to control the early phase of the flight and a radio-frequency seeker homing guidance during the endgame.

Better than PAC-3

In performance, the system was slightly better than PAC-3 (Patriot Advanced Capability) of the U.S. in terms of interception, altitude and range against incoming ballistic missiles.

When the interceptor reached within the proximity of the target missile, it would detonate the warhead for the latter’s destruction. The target missile was a derivative of Prithvi and “will simulate the terminal flight conditions of missiles of 300 km to 2,000 km class.”

It was planned to execute a number of launches to cover the complete flight envelop of interception and to cater to different manoeuvres of incoming missiles. “It will take three to four years to complete the flight evaluation programme,” Dr. Saraswat said. The BMD shield was a logical imperative in the wake of the country’s no-first use policy. “If you are not using a strategic system, it is essential we have a potent defence against all kinds of ballistic missiles”.

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