While talk of India developing a ballistic missile defence system or a Ballistic Missile Shield have been doing the rounds since 1997 or so, it was only recently that the top brass of Defence Research and Development Organisation went public claiming that a two-layered missile shield has been successfully developed and ready for deployment in its Phase-I, drawing much flak. While insiders are claiming that the tests have been conducted under laboratory or controlled experimental conditions with “mimic enemy missiles”, DRDO officials, while speaking to this newspaper, said that there was no point in wasting time and money on proper missiles.
Sources revealed that tests were conducted with a mimic enemy missile which was a slow-moving Prithvi and was launched just 70 km from the Odisha coast. Meanwhile, DRDO said that the missile had the same terminal velocity as a 2,000 km-range missile when it was intercepted by an “interceptor missile” of the BMD system. “Six of our seven tests have been successful,” said a DRDO official. Sources, however, refuted the claims stating that the tests have been conducted under controlled conditions with liquid-propelled missile deriva-tes or simulated models of slow-moving Prithvi, contrary to the actual requi-rement of testing the system against fast moving Theatre and Intermediate Range Ballistic missiles using solid propellants, which behave differently during their boost and terminal phase.
In fact, China’s tests involving exo-atmospheric interception and destruction of target missile have been confirmed by the United States as well. DRDO officials are, meanwhile, comparing the two-layered missile shield system with US Patriot 3 Air Defence Missile System comprising of exo-atmospheric and endo-atmospheric interceptors capable of intercepting and destroying enemy missiles outside the atmosphere and up to 30 km altitude in its different phases.
DRDO has been claiming that the shield capable of intercepting a ballistic missile fired from 2,000 km in its first phase would be installed at two cities with Delhi definitely being one of these.
The phase-II involves interception of ballistic missile with 5,000 km range. The first successful test was carried out in November 2006.