An upgraded version of the interceptor missile, named Advanced Air Defence (AAD), was successfully test-fired on Sunday from Abdul Kalam Wheeler Island in Odisha.
India's anti-ballistic weapon is a surface-to-air missile designed to counter ballistic missiles in the endo-atmosphere at an altitude of 30 km.
AAD was fired at 9:40 am following a command to destroy electronically simulated missile in the endo-atmosphere (below 40 km altitude), reported The Hindu.
An electronically simulated target missile was launched from Balasore and after receiving the command, AAD engaged and destroyed the "virtual target" mid-air.
India is looking forward to deploy a two-tiered Ballistic Missile Defence system to prevent attacks on important cities and vital installations. Of the two phases, one aims at destroying incoming enemy missiles of 2,000-km range and second phase will target those that are more than 2,000 km away.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation has so far conducted 11 interceptor missile tests, of which nine were successful.
