India’s DRDO Tests Advanced Area Defence Interceptor Missile

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the successful launch of the interceptor missile Advanced Area Defence (AAD) on Thursday from Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha. 

Defence sources told Indian Express that the endo-atmospheric missile, capable of intercepting incoming targets at an altitude of 15 to 25 kilometres, successfully destroyed an incoming ballistic missile over the Bay of Bengal.

"The radar of the defense system detected the incoming missile, tracked it and provided the command to launch the interceptor missile. The mission was brilliant as the interceptor missile achieved a direct hit, paving the way for its early deployment in the armed forces" said a defense official.

"The Fibre Optic Gyro (FOG) based INS in the interceptor, onboard computers, guidance systems, actuation systems and the critical Radio Frequency (RF)  seekers used for the terminal phase all performed excellently. The launch has proved the BMD prowess of the country," the official added.

Indigenously developed by DRDO, the AAD interceptor is a single-stage missile powered by solid propellants. It is 7.5 metres tall and weighs around 1.2 tonnes. It had a diameter of less than 0.5 metre. The target missile was however fuelled by liquid propellants. It was 11 metres tall and weighs five tonnes and had a diameter of one metre.