June 24, 2009 :: News
March 7 marked India's latest test of its anti-ballistic missile system. The test was one of three successful consecutive tests in recent years, and indicates a promising future for an indigenous BMD system. India's first test demonstrated the system's ability to intercept an incoming Prithvi-II missile at an altitude of 48 km with a two-stage Pradyumna interceptor; the second test was a successful intercept of a Prithvi-II at 15km by a single-stage interceptor; the third and most recent test demonstrated the capability of a new and more sophisticated Pradyumna to destroy its target at an altitude of 75 km.
This high success rate is especially impressive considering the much higher failure rates associated with India's trials of its short and medium-range ballistic missiles. The Indian government's Defense Research and Development Organization didn't publicly acknowledge the existence of a missile defense program until 2006, although at the time it was admitted that the program had been underway for quite some time. Even including these few years of secret development, India's missile defense program is progressing rapidly, with VK Saraswat—the current head of missile development at the DRDO—claiming that India's missile defense weapon testing could be complete by 2010. This speed seriously outstrips India's development of an offensive ballistic missile force.
In addition to speed, India's program shows signs of significant sophistication, especially compared to her possible regional adversaries. A case in point is China. While China's offensive ballistic missile program is more advanced than India's, it does not possess a comparable BMD capability. China's surface-to-air missiles could intercept ballistic missiles, but only up to an altitude of 30km. Furthermore, it is thought that China's BMD program falls far behind India's in the area of research and development, particularly in the area of software development and programming, key and indispensable components of any functional missile defense system.
As regional powers such as China and North Korea proceed with vigorous ballistic missile programs, it will be interesting to watch the progress of India's development of a potentially robust indigenous ballistic missile defense system. (Article)
» Missile details: Prithvi-2
