Intelligence and Terrorism News

India successfully conducts missile interceptor test

Nov 27, 2006, 8:53 GMT

New Delhi - India on Monday successfully tested two surface-to-surface nuclear-capable Prithvi missiles against each other from separate military ranges on its eastern coast to evaluate their air defence capability, media reports said. While one missile was test-fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipore-on-sea in the eastern Orissa state, the second missile was launched a minute later from Wheeler's Island in the Bay of Bengal, the PTI news agency reported. The trajectory of both missiles was programmed to intercept each other in mid-air over the Bay of Bengal, officials said. 'The missiles successfully collided against each other. We are analysing the data,' ITR director AK Checker told IANS news agency. Checker said the tests were conducted under the 'Prithvi Air Defence Exercise' (PADE), which was conducted for the first time to validate the missile's operational effectiveness. 'While the missile from ITR was the attacker, the one from Wheeler Island was to act as the defender,' a defence ministry source told the agency. Defence experts told local TV channels that Monday's test was significant as the Prithvi missiles would be deployed to provide air defence cover for India's nuclear installations as well as metropolitan cities including New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Prithvi, which means 'earth' in the Hindi language, has a range of 150 to 250 kilometres and is capable of carrying a payload of between 500 kilos and one ton, including nuclear weapons. The missile takes 300 seconds to reach the target located at a distance of 150 kilometres. Two versions of the missile have already been deployed with India's army and air force. A third version with a longer range of 350 kilometres is currently under development. Prithvi is India's first indigenously built ballistic missile. It is one of the five missiles which are being developed under India's integrated missile development programme that includes the intermediate-range ballistic missile Agni, the surface-to-air missile Akash and the anti-tank missile Nag. The air defence exercise will be followed by a three-day conference on range technology at ITR from Tuesday, which will be attended by 15 renowned defence scientists from US, Germany, Britain, France and Denmark. © 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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BobNov 28th, 2006 - 23:21:29

On Monday night I was watching a telethon on Australian TV in aid of world hunger. One segment showed a mother with four children livivg on a traffic island in an Indian city. These children have lived on this traffic island all their lives. Today, I read what wonderful things the Indian government is doing in the area of rockets, bombs, and the instruments of war.

I don' understand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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IndianNov 30th, 2006 - 22:54:37

Good you dont understand. Do not just watch TV. Go to India to understand it better.

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poopyindianMar 14th, 2007 - 22:03:56

india should be investing in zoos and animal farms instead of wasting money of fireworks. see story about elephant attacking civilians:
2_killed_six_injured_in_elephant_attack_in_Orissa

@indian: youre indian, you go back to your selfish, backward country to fix it.

and get those cows off the road; hmmm, thats why india smells of methane so much - only.

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LRRPAug 13th, 2007 - 02:08:29

Good for India now there only 50 years behind the rest of the big 3..

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rohan ritoliaDec 18th, 2007 - 06:32:56

i would like to congratulate the scientists on this marvellous feat which has catapult india to a league of few countries, possesing air missile defence capabilities.
now for those who think that india should indeed invest in zoos and other stuff i must say that they are not just fools but also that they have no understanding of india's present day strategic situation and the hostile neighbours it has to deal with.
its better not to comment on matters where one doesn't have any first hand information.

regards
rohan ritolia

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rama chandra 4th jan,2008.Jan 4th, 2008 - 17:01:53

No country in the world would dare to attack Israel because of it's millitary and most advanced weapon systems which could totally eliminate the attacking nation within a couple of hours.A peace loving country like tibbet, lost it's sovereignty to China, since it had no weapons to defend it's territory.Afganistan and Iraq are latest examples, who have been attacked and devastated by a group of powerfull countries for the reasons known to all.Fortunately India has been blessed with erery thing for which a country should feel proud. We are fast emerging as a big economic power of the world and this status could not be maintained in absence of identical muscle power.We must have to forget the quantum of money we are spending on defence when our security matters most.

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