Interceptor test - a direct hit on target missile‎

DRDO today conducted a successful test launch of the interceptor missile. DRDO’s Air Defence Missile AAD-05 has successfully hit the ballistic missile and destroyed it at a height of 15 kms off the Coast of Orissa near the Wheelers Island. A modified Prithvi missile mimicking the ballistic missile was launched at 1010 hrs from ITR Chandipur. Radars located at different locations tracked the incoming ballistic missile. Interceptor missile was ready to take-off at Wheelers Island. Guidance computers continuously computed the trajectory of the ballistic missile and launched AAD-05 Interceptor Missile at a precisely calculated time. With the target trajectory continuously updated by the radar, the onboard guidance computer guided the AAD-05 Interceptor Missile towards the target missile. The onboard radio frequency seeker identified the target missile, guided the AAD-05 Interceptor Missile close to the target missile, hit the target missile directly and destroyed it. Warhead also exploded and destroyed the target missile into pieces.
Radar and Electro Optic Tracking Systems (EOTS) have tracked the missile and also recorded the fragments of target missile falling into the Bay of Bengal. It is one of the finest missions where the interceptor has hit the incoming ballistic missile directly and destroyed it at a 15 kms altitude. The mission was carried out in the final deliverable user configuration mode.
India is the fifth nation to have these ballistic missile defence capabilities in the world.

Agni-IV among the world's best : VK Saraswat

The Agni-IV, India's latest strategic nuclear-capable missile, is among the world's best and better than Pakistan's missiles, VK Saraswat head of its developer, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), said here on Wednesday.

"I have no doubt that Agni-IV compares with what is available in its class of missiles like the Pershing (US medium range ballistic missile)," Saraswat said at a press conference when asked if India can now say its missile technology is superior to that of Pakistan.

"If I am comparing Agni-IV with Pershing-I or Pershing-II missiles in terms of technology...I am talking in terms of technology, not in terms of range, as Pershing missiles have higher range...it meets global standards," he said, to stress the point.

"Whether our missiles vis-a-vis our adversaries, it meets the Pershing standards or not, that you have to find out," he said in response to a comparison with Pakistan's ballistic missile programme.

"As far as I am concerned, we have state-of-the-art ballistic missiles," he added.

The test-flight of Agni-IV, India's most advanced long-range missile was “a stupendous success” on Tuesday, with the missile covering a range of more than 3,000 km in 20 minutes of fluent flight.