India successfully test fires Supersonic Interceptor Missile from Abdul Kalam Island
Supersonic Interceptor Missile
- India successfully test-fired the supersonic interceptor missile from the Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast on 01.03.2017. After receiving commands from the radars on the incoming missile, the interceptor missile Prithvi detected and tracked the enemy's ballistic missile, which was fired from Interim Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha at 10.10 AM.
- The successful test of the missile holds significance as the weapon system, which has been test fired at least eight times successfully, is likely to be inducted in the armed forces and deployed at strategic locations to protect the country’s cities and important installations from hostile attacks.
Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme
- The Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme is an initiative to develop and deploy a multi-layered ballistic missile defence system to protect from ballistic missile attacks.
- The weapon, dubbed as advanced air defence interceptor is part of the country’s credible ballistic missile defence programme. AIR correspondent reports that with this effective anti-ballistic missile system, India has become the fourth country in the world to have a ballistic missile defence programme. Other countries which have developed a ballistic missile defence system include the US, Russia and Israel.