In a boost to its efforts to build an anti-missile system, India Monday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed interceptor, capable of destroying incoming hostile ballistic missile, from the Integrated Test Range off Orissa coast,PTI reported Describing the trial as a success, ITR Director S P Dash told PTI that the target missile was hit with "accuracy and precision" by the interceptor at an altitude of 15 km. The trial, carried out from two launch sites of ITR off the Orissa coast in eastern part of the country, was aimed at developing a full-fledged multi-layer Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system, defence sources said, adding, "The whole exercise is to achieve the desired result with precision". The target missile, a modified surface-to-surface 'Prithvi' was first lifted off from a mobile launcher at 10:05 am from ITR's launch complex-3 at Chandipur-on-sea, 15 km from here. A few minutes later, the interceptor Advanced Air Defence (AAD), positioned at Wheeler Island, about 70 km across sea from Chandipur, getting signals from radars tracked and intercepted it mid-air over the sea, the sources said. The test launch of both target and hit missiles was successful from their respective test sites besides the interception, said a defence scientist. Detailed results, mainly the 'kill' effect of the interceptor, was being studied through data analysis from multiple tracking sources, he said soon after both the missiles roared into the overcast sky.
