<i>In test, Indian Air Defence System is on target</i>

India's Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) system, which failed a test earlier this year, was more successful July 26: A PAD interceptor missile struck an incoming target missile at an altitude of 15 kilometres, according to a scientist from the government's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which is developing the missile defence program.
Fired from Wheeler Island off the Orissa coast near Dhamra, the interceptor "destroyed an incoming ballistic missile - a variant of the Prithvi II that lifted off from Launch Complex-III of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-Sea." about 70 kilometres away across the sea, the scientist said.
In March, the PAD had failed a similar endo-atmospheric test when the target missile, a short-range Prithvi ballistic missile fired from a mobile launcher, deviated from its trajectory after travelling about 11 kilometres and fell into the sea, the DRDO scientist said.
The hypersonic interceptor missile did not receive the required command for takeoff from Wheeler Island during the March test, Defence Ministry sources said. But the DRDO scientist claimed the March test was not a failure as the interceptor missile's capabilities were not to blame.
The PAD system has undergone exo-atmospheric and endo-atmospheric tests. Its original Israeli-built Green Pine radar has been replaced with an indigenous system.
PAD Phase-I, which can kill an incoming ballistic missile at a height of 80 kilometres, is expected to be inducted into service in 15 months.

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