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BALASORE: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is slated to test fire its patriot Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile from a defence base off the Odisha coast against an incoming ballistic missile to assess the home-grown weapon’s ‘killing' capability. Reliable sources told The New Indian Express while the preparation was going on in full swing at the Abdul Kalam Island (formerly known as Wheeler Island), the test is likely to be conducted either on Sunday or Monday. More than one hundred scientists and technical officials are camping at the test facility for the crucial launching of the complex weapon system.
As per the coordinated programme, the incoming missile mimicking an enemy missile will be launched from a warship anchored in the Bay of Bengal and a few minutes later the indigenously developed interceptor missile would lift off from the launching complex-IV of the Kalam Island after getting requisite command from the tracking radar.
Though on November 22, the missile had intercepted an electronic target; all eyes are on the real test in which the interceptor would actually destroy the incoming high speed ballistic missile over Bay of Bengal. On April 6, last year the missile nosedived within a couple of seconds after it took off from the mobile launcher. A defence official said the missile integration is finished and the preparation for the test is near complete. ‘Final round check ups are on.’
'The scientists are leaving no stone unturned to make the mission successful', he said. India has a Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system capable of tracking and destroying hostile missiles both inside (endo) and outside (exo) the earth's atmosphere. The success of the AAD test will boost India join the very exclusive BMD club of US, Russia and Israel.
In a bid to protect major Indian cities, the DRDO in the first phase has developed two-layered BMD system while the research and development is on to develop Phase-II anti-ballistic missile defence system, capable of destroying enemy inter-continental ballistic missiles fired from 5,000 km away. The first phase two-layered BMD system capable of killing enemy missiles fired from 2,000 km away is expected to be inducted in the armed forces soon.
It will be 12th test of the missile, third in last ten months. Earlier of the 11 tests, 8 in endo-atmospheric region (below the altitude of 40 km) and three in exo-atmosphere (above an altitude of 80 km), nine tests have been successful.
The test is aimed at observing the operational effectiveness of the low altitude interceptor missile which is considered as similar to the American PAC-3 system in terms of range and altitude of interception.
Developed by DRDO, the 7.5 metre tall AAD interceptor is a single stage solid rocket propelled guided missile equipped with an inertial navigation system, a hi-tech computer and an electro-mechanical activator totally under command by the data up-linked from the ground based radar. It has the capability to destroy the enemy missiles fired from 1,000 km away.
