-India on December 27, 2017, successfully test-fires its indigenously developed ‘Advanced Air Defence supersonic interceptor missile’ at Abdul Kalam island (earlier Wheeler Island) in Odisha.
-It is capable of destroying any incoming ballistic missile in low altitude.
-The target ‘Prithvi missile’ was launched from launch complex 3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur.
-This was the third supersonic interceptor test carried out in 2017 in which an incoming ballistic missile target was successfully intercepted, within 30 km altitude of the earth’s atmosphere by an interceptor.
-The earlier two tests were conducted on March 1 and February 11, 2017, as part of efforts to have a full-fledged multi-layer Ballistic Missile Defence system.
After getting signals by tracking radars, the interceptor AAD missile roared through its trajectory to destroy the hostile target missile in mid-air in an endo-atmospheric altitude.
The interceptor is a 7.5-meter long single stage solid rocket propelled guided missile equipped with a navigation system, a hi-tech computer and an electro-mechanical activator.
