BALLISTIC
MISSILE - DEFENCE AND SECURITY
News: DRDO carries out maiden test of Phase-II of ballistic missile defence
What's
in the news?
● The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the maiden flight-test of Phase-II of the Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) interceptor missile successfully.
Key
takeaways:
●
The AD-1 is a long-range interceptor missile designed for both low exo-atmospheric
and endo-atmospheric interception of long-range ballistic missiles as well as
aircraft.
●
It is propelled by a two-stage solid motor and equipped with an indigenously-developed
advanced control system, navigation and guidance algorithm to precisely guide
the vehicle to the target.
● The flight-test was carried out from APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha with participation of all BMD weapon system elements located at different geographical locations.
Ballistic
Missile Defence System:
●
India has a double-layered ballistic
missile defence (BMD) system capable of tracking and destroying hostile missiles both outside (exo) and inside (endo) the
earth’s atmosphere.
●
The BMD consists of two interceptor
missiles, Advanced Area Defence (AAD) missile for endo-atmosphere or lower
altitudes and Prithvi Defence Vehicle for exo-atmospheric ranges.
● The DRDO expects deployment of BMD shields by 2022. India will be the fourth country in the world after the US, Russia and Israel to successfully build an effective anti-ballistic missile system.
Phases
of BMD:
It is being developed in
two phases as follows.
●
Phase
I:
The first phase BMD system is capable of killing enemy missiles fired from
2,000 km away.
●
Phase
II:
The second phase BMD system is capable of destroying enemy missiles fired from
5,000 km away.