India's ballistic missile defence

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested a ballistic missile interception from its missile range on March 7^th 2011.

India's Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) Interceptor missile was fired from Wheeler Island, which successfully intercepted an incoming hostile missile fired five minutes earlier. The 'hostile' missile was a specially modified Prithvi missile, fired from the Launch Complex III of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea in Balasore district, about 70km away from Wheeler Island across the sea.

The incoming ''enemy'' ballistic missile was intercepted at an altitude of 16 km and was destroyed through ''a direct kill”. The interceptor had a specially designed 'directional warhead'.

India's remote sensing satellites face threat from space debris created by China's anti-satellite test in 2007. India is strongly opposed to any attempt to place weapons in space or conducting any unconventional weapons tests in space as it would pose a perennial threat to all space systems regardless of their use for civilian or military purposes."

India's concerns regarding China are behind the revival of ballistic missile defence (BMD) discussions between India and the US. A possible acquisition of the Arrow from Israel or Patriot 3 from the US is also part of India's missile defence programme.