Page 10 - ADT JANUARY 2021 Online Magazine

upgraded this radar to increase its range to 1500 km. This will be AD-2) are being developed to intercept ballis-
used along with upgraded variants of the PAD and AAD missiles. tic missiles with a range of around 5,000 km
(3,100 mi). “The Phase II interceptors will be
Tests and Trials hypersonic with speeds of Mach 6 to 7 hence
The first PAD exercise was conducted in November 2006, in which they will take lesser times to intercept.
a PAD missile successfully intercepted a modified Prithvi-II at an
altitude of 50 km. The Prithvi-II missile was modified successfully When the Phase II is completed and PDV is
to mimic the trajectory of rival Pakistan's M-11 missile. On March developed, the two anti-ballistic missiles can [ MISSILE SYSTEMS ]
6, 2009, DRDO carried out a second successful test of the PAD intercept targets from up to 5,000 km (3,100
interceptor missile. The target used was a ship-launched Dhanush mi) both at exo (outside atmosphere) and
missile, which followed the trajectory of a missile with a range of endo-atmospheric or inside the atmosphere
1500 km. The target was tracked by Swordfish LRTR radar and regions. During their final phase, ICBMs rush
destroyed by the PAD at 75 km altitude. With that test of the PAD towards their targets at speeds twice that of
missile, India became the fourth country to have successfully devel- IRBMs. The missiles will work in tandem to
oped an anti-ballistic missile system, after United States, Russia, ensure a hit probability of 99.8 per cent,” the
and Israel. DRDO official says.

The PDV is to eventually replace the older PAD/Pradyumna Ballistic Combined Defence
Missile Interceptor. Among other features, this new two-stage, The DRDO is also developing Barak-8, a long-
solid-fuelled PDV interceptor is fitted with an Imaging Infrared range anti-air and anti-missile naval defence
(IIR) seeker, developed by DRDO to distinguish between incoming system jointly with Israel Aerospace Industries
warheads and decoys. (IAI). The Indian Army is considering induc-
tion of a variant of Barak 8 missile to meet
The PDV was first tested in April 2014. The missile interceptor had its requirement for a medium-range surface-
a “near miss” at an altitude of 120 km. However, on 12 February to-air air defence missile. The naval version
2017, PDV was able to successfully destroy a ballistic missile target of this missile has the capability to intercept
launched from over 2000 km at an altitude of 97 km. incoming enemy cruise missiles and combat
On December 6, 2007, the first AAD successfully intercepted jets targeting its warships at sea. It would also
a modified Prithvi-II missile at an altitude of 15 km. Several tests be inducted into the Indian Air Force, followed
were conducted hence and on March 1, 2016, AAD missile was able by the Army.
to destroy the target missile, meeting all the mission objectives
successfully, according to the DRDO official. The DRDO is also hoping to soon induct its
short range Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air
The AAD system is a single- stage, solid-fuel missile named Ashvin, Missile (QRSAM) into the country’s military
designed to intercept incoming endo- atmospheric ballistic missiles after it has been tested successfully. The
at an altitude of 20-40 km. The interceptor is 7.5 m tall, weighs sophisticated all-weather and all-terrain missile
around 1.2 tonnes and has a diameter of less than 0.5 m. Guidance with a strike range of 25-30 km (16-31 mi.) has
is similar to that of PAD with an inertial navigation system, mid- been developed by the DRDO for the Indian
course updates from ground- based radar and active radar homing armed forces, with search and track on-the-
in the terminal phase. move capability, in a short reaction time.

More Power in Phase II The missile can be mounted atop a truck and
In the Phase II, two new anti-ballistic missiles that can intercept stored in a canister. It uses solid-fuel propel-
IRBMs are being developed. These high speed missiles (AD-1 and lant, and is equipped with electronic counter
measures against jamming by aircraft radars.
It is also equipped with indigenously-developed
phased array radar, inertial navigation system,
data link and RF seeker. The missile will give a
boost to the ballistic missile defence system.

Plans are also on the anvil to develop a laser
based weapon system as part of its defence to
intercept and destroy missiles soon after they
are launched towards the country.

The Indian military with all these, along with the
BMD, aim to secure the country from all kinds
of incoming missiles, including missiles carrying
nuclear warhead.

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