NTI: Global Security Newswire - India To Conduct "Crucial" Missile Defense Test
India is preparing for a test later this week of its ballistic missile defenses that will feature new upgrades of the country's Prithvi interceptor, the Hindu reported.
Defense Research and Development Organization officials said the "crucial test" would attempt to "establish a ballistic missile defense shield as part of the network-centric warfare."
The attempted missile interception is set to take place in the Bay of Bengal, off India's east coast. It would be the third test of the missile shield being developed by New Delhi.
In the test, an altered model of the surface-to-surface Dhanush missile would be launched from a naval vessel so as to mimic the last stage of the flight of a ballistic missile that has a traveling distance of about 932 miles. The Pakistani Ghauri missile would be an example of such a weapon.
A Prithvi Air Defense missile would then be fired from Wheeler Island and at a height of 43 to 50 miles attempt to target and destroy the approaching Dhanush missile in the last seconds of its incoming flight.
The Prithvi interceptor used in the test is to have "trajectory optimization" allowing it to engage missiles at both low altitudes of about 28 miles and at high altitudes of approximately 53 miles. The Prithvi can intercept missiles with a range of 186 miles to 932 miles. It would provide defense against Pakistani Hatf and Ghauri missiles, according to the newspaper (Mallikarjun/Subramanian, Hindu, March 4).
India is preparing for a test later this week of its ballistic missile defenses that will feature new upgrades of the country's Prithvi interceptor, the Hindu reported.
Defense Research and Development Organization officials said the "crucial test" would attempt to "establish a ballistic missile defense shield as part of the network-centric warfare."
The attempted missile interception is set to take place in the Bay of Bengal, off India's east coast. It would be the third test of the missile shield being developed by New Delhi.
In the test, an altered model of the surface-to-surface Dhanush missile would be launched from a naval vessel so as to mimic the last stage of the flight of a ballistic missile that has a traveling distance of about 932 miles. The Pakistani Ghauri missile would be an example of such a weapon.
A Prithvi Air Defense missile would then be fired from Wheeler Island and at a height of 43 to 50 miles attempt to target and destroy the approaching Dhanush missile in the last seconds of its incoming flight.
The Prithvi interceptor used in the test is to have "trajectory optimization" allowing it to engage missiles at both low altitudes of about 28 miles and at high altitudes of approximately 53 miles. The Prithvi can intercept missiles with a range of 186 miles to 932 miles. It would provide defense against Pakistani Hatf and Ghauri missiles, according to the newspaper (Mallikarjun/Subramanian, Hindu, March 4).
