India successfully test fires exo-atmospheric missile interceptor

Bhubaneswa: India Sunday successfully test-fired an exo-atmospheric missile interceptor for the first time at a defence base in Odisha as part of its efforts to create a shield against incoming enemy missiles, a senior defence official said.

The indigenous Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile was fired from Wheeler Island off the coast near Dhamra port in Bhadrak district, about 170 km from here.

It successfully intercepted an incoming ballistic missile, a modified variant of the Prithvi fired from a ship off the coast near the integrated test range at Chandipur-on-sea in Balasore district, about 70 km from Wheeler Island.

"The test was successful," test range director M.V.K.V. Prasad told. "It is for the first time that we have successfully conducted the test of an exo-atmospheric interceptor," he said.