India on Saturday test-fired its interceptor missile off the Odisha coast, achieving a ‘significant milestone’ in the direction of developing a two-layered ballistic missile defence system, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.
The news agency said that the interceptor was launched from the Abdul Kalam Island at about 7.45am. “This mission is for engaging the targets in the exo-atmosphere region at an altitude above 50km of earth’s atmosphere,” the agency quoted unidentified defence officials as saying.
The officials said that both – the interceptor and the two stage target missile – were successfully engaged. The target was developed for mimicking a hostile ballistic missile approaching from more than 2000km away was launched from a ship anchored in the Bay of Bengal.
In an automated operation, the radar-based detection and tracking system detected and tracked the enemy’s ballistic missile. The computer network with the help of the data received from the radars predicted the trajectory of the incoming ballistic missile, it said.
Reacting with serious concerns, Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz already said that Pakistan would take all necessary measures to defend its borders. “Pakistan is not oblivious to its defence needs and will have to upgrade its defensive capabilities through suitable technologies,” he had said.