New Delhi (Sputnik) — India has successfully test-fired its own Advanced Air Defense (AAD) supersonic interceptor missile, designed to destroy incoming low-altitude ballistic missiles at a range of 15-25 kilometers. DRDO scientists, in the presence of Indian Army officials, successfully executed the trial mission in which the AAD accurately shot down a simulated target, a defense official told the media.
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"This was the first time when the AAD missile was fired against multiple targets simulated electronically by the mission team. The missile attacked one after choosing it from a bunch of targets," the defense official said.
The missile was flight tested from Abdul Kalam Island, home to the Indian military's principal missile test facility, off the coast of Odisha in the Bay of Bengal at about 11.25 am (Indian Standard Time).
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The missile is 24.6 feet long and is equipped with a state-of-the-art navigation system. It is a single-stage, solid fuel, rocket-propelled guided missile that can track its target independently.
Nirmala Sitharaman, India's Defense Minister, congratulated the defense scientists for this successful test-mission.
