India successfully tests interceptor missile

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

India successfully tests interceptor missile
The Associated Press
Sunday, March 6, 2011; 4:06 AM

NEW DELHI -- A defense ministry official says India has successfully shot down a missile in a test of a homegrown missile interception system.

Sitanshu Kar says the interceptor missile destroyed a medium-range missile over the Bay of Bengal on Sunday. The missile had been fired from a test site in the eastern state of Orissa.

A test of the system last March was unsuccessful, with the interceptor missile failing to take off.

The system is aimed at providing a shield against incoming missiles.




Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/06/AR2011030600491.html

[JI7]

1. if only they would put as much effort into getting people out of poverty

[Selatius]

2. As it stands, India is locked in a nuclear arms race with Pakistan.

It is a losing proposition for both sides. The amount of financial resources invested in preparing for war or outright waging war would probably be enough to clothe and feed all of India and Pakistan's hungry children. It represents money not spent on the education of the people. It represents money not spent on fighting poverty and providing opportunities for all people to find a good living. It represents money not spent on building medical facilities or providing medical care to all who need it. It represents lots of lost opportunities that would make the world just a little less miserable to live in.

But no, we choose war, and it's destruction we're choosing, and we're going to damn ourselves to hell if we don't change.

[LawnKorn]

3. Anti-Ballistic Missile tests are nothing but a show.

These tests are put on as if there is some capability to shoot down an incoming missile, but the truth is they are all staged for political effect.

They own both missiles, and know everything about the incoming missile. They even have a transponder on the incoming missile to track its location, which eases the task of acquisition and targeting. A real missile would be fired unexpectedly from an unknown location and travel over an unknown path to an unknown target. The spectra of attacking missiles presenting counter measures such as decoys or mid course maneuvers is beyond current technology to deal with.

The United States has been working on ABM for over 50 years, and we still can't make it work.

[hack89]

7. The US went nine for nine during the invasion of Iraq

it is easy to shot down short range tactical missile - they are relatively slow. Shooting down ICBMs is a different matter - they are much much faster.

Here is a summary of Patriot performance in Iraq:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/ops/oif-patriot.htm

[Vehl]

13. not really

These tests are put on as if there is some capability to shoot down an incoming missile, but the truth is they are all staged for political effect.

I see. In other words, India is a country like Iran which has to "stage" such sensational events for "political effect". ok we get it.

They own both missiles, and know everything about the incoming missile. They even have a transponder on the incoming missile to track its location, which eases the task of acquisition and targeting.

And you know this how? FYI there was no transponder in the incoming missile. And yes the incoming missile was of Indian make as well. But then again, its the same story the world over. America cannot test its ABM systems against a real Russian Topol missile..nor can the Russians test their ABM against a real American Minuteman. So how exactly is India's testing of its ABM system against a missile of its own make it any different from the rest of the world?

As for the acquisition and the tracking of the missile, it was done by the Indian swordfish Long Range Tracking radar with a range of around 800km. a further development of the Israeli Super-green-pine Radar used in the Israeli Arrow-2 ABM missile system. It uses Indian T/R (transmit receive)modules and has a far longer range than its Israeli counterpart.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swordfish_Long_Range_Tracking_RADAR
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EL/M-2080_Green_Pine

A real missile would be fired unexpectedly from an unknown location and travel over an unknown path to an unknown target.

Duh!
As I said before, This applies to every country that tests ABM systems. Do the Americans and the Russians somehow have a random-missile-launch generator :D to circumvent this issue?

As for unknown location...even a cursory glance of Pakistan/India map would clear any doubt. Unlike the US and USSR, India does not have to worry about missile-launch detection...as even the part of Pakistan that is the furthest away from India is still only 600 kms away...well within the range of India's LRTR. The "unknown" path is a moot point in the Indo-pakistan-China theater as the missiles will be tracked from the moment of launch.

The spectra of attacking missiles presenting counter measures such as decoys or mid course maneuvers is beyond current technology to deal with.

Pakistan does not have any missiles with this ability. However, the recent test did simulate a Pakistani missile performing evasive maneuvers (incoming BM's cannot exactly do "evasive" maneuvers..at most they can jink a bit). Keep in mind that India does not have to worry about developing an ICBM ABM system for the time being. They are only concentrating in the developement of SRBM , MRBM and IRBM. In other words....they are only concerned about missile threat from Pakistan and China.

Furthermore, the current tests are not the last ones, as the system itself is still under testing (however some units have been deployed, as a stop-gap measure). Its envisioned as a multi-layered system with a dedicated missile for each phase of interception.

As of now the Indian ABM system has two missiles.

The AAD(Advanced Air Defense) missile which is an Endoatmospheric Anti-ballistic missile with a ceiling of 30kms and a KKV(kinetic kill vehicle) warhead.

and the

PAD (Prithvi Air Defense ) missile which is an Exo-atmospheric Anti-ballistic missile with a ceiling of 80kms and a gimballed directional warhead.
This missile will be replaced in a couple of years with the PDV missile with a ceiling of 150km.

more info here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Ballistic_Missile_Defense_Program

Video of an intercept carried out in 2009.Both missile, and sensor footage, for those who still harbor doubts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6UlFqk7MkA



On a related note. It should not be automatically assumed that just because America does not have a technology, other nations should not have as well. Remember the Russian supercavitating Torpedos?

The same could be said about the Brahmos Anti Ship missile (Russian, Indian)
and the k-15 Shaurya quasi-Ballistic missile.(India)

America does not have missiles which are equivalent to these

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaurya_%28missile%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BrahMos

[The Magistrate]

17. Few Here Take U.S. 'Tests' Of An ICBM Interceptor Seriously, Either, Sir

Even the reported performance of theater interceptors in combat are seriously exaggerated.

[samsingh]

20. thanks for this excellent research

funny, if the US spent on education, healthcare instead of on wars that it starts, so much good could be done.

when India shows defensive capability, so many people complain about it.

India spends $40billion or so on defense, with a population over 1 billion. the US spends over $500 billion with 1/4 of the population.

[fasttense]

4. We got mangoes for giving them this technology

It was free market trade that the bushes arranged. In exchange for US missile interception technology, the US got MANGOES.

[cosmicone]

6. Yes, of course.

Inferior people like the Indians are not capable of coming up with this technology on their own. :sarcasm:

[Vehl]

10. exactly!

Don't you know that the Yindoos are not capable of developing such things? how dare you question this well established fact!

Then again...the same pesky Yindoos also developed the numerals, the zero and a bunch of algebraic/mathematical concepts the world uses...amongst other things...but hey..hey...it must be an exception that proves the rule..right?...right?

[ChromeFoundry]

12. It's actually a derivation of Israeli technology

...from the Swordfish LRTR tech, which came from Green Pine (S-Green Pine and Great Pine) and the several offshoots... all from the US dating back to the '40s. To be honest, some of tech was Soviet which the US "borrowed".

Not saying Indians are inferior at all (as I certain you will take it), but all tech is borrowed and expanded from existing tech.

[Vehl]

14. The LRTR is an acknowledged developement of the Green-Pine, not the missiles though

I just noticed your post after making mine. I have said the same in my post(#13) as well.

However the PAD and the AAD missiles are of Indian design and manufacture and are not based on the arrow 2 missile of Israel.

Ironically it was America's refusal to sell the Arrow-2 missile system to India(cos America had tech input in the Israeli Arrow-2 system, thus they had a say) that led to India's development of its own ABM capability.

Anyways...as you stated..the origins of missiles go back to Germany. Both the US and USSR benefited immensely due to the infusion of German tech/experts post ww2.Wernher von Braun comes to mind.

[OhioChick]

8. Yep, we can thank Junior for that....

"Bush's mangos for nukes deal with India is another step in the president's plan to save us from nuclear weapons by ditching the nonproliferation framework.

Last month, amid great fanfare, he announced his latest move: a new agreement with India that would not only increase trade and investment between the United States and the world's largest democracy -- American markets will now be open to Indian mangos for the first time -- but will also provide India with U.S. nuclear technology and fuel for its civilian nuclear energy program."

http://www.alternet.org/world/34936/

[Vehl]

9. Wow..I never knew that civilian nuclear tech can be ported to make ABM systems!

Claiming that the nuke deal Bush made enabled them to develop ABM is akin to claiming that water desalination tech enables one to build satellites.

but sure...keep believing that no other country apart from the US could develop such technology.

[cosmicone]

15. Wait a little and see that every story about India

becomes an indictment on outsourcing/H1B etc.

[ChromeFoundry]

21. LOL...or the balkanization of Pakistan? n/t

[cosmicone]

22. I said Indian story. Not Pakistani story. n/t

[OhioChick]

23. [phone] n/t

[Vehl]

11. lol

The us gave them ____________________ technology for mangos

pls fill in the blanks. Rinse and repeat.

[cosmicone]

5. Yet, we in the US, keep the arms race alive

by giving billions of dollars to Pakistan.

If Pakistan stands down and gives up its dreams of making India an Islamic country, the race would stop. However, Pakistan blackmails the US into getting billions of dollars.

[Downwinder]

16. Did they stop it from impacting the earth?

[formercia]

18. Over the Bay of Bengal

which leads me to suspect it impacted Water.

[johnroshan]

19. LOL... People get very defensive around here.. don't they?

India, I'm afraid does lag behind in high tech development. Brain drain was and still is a major problem that Indian tech industry is facing with most of the top graduates fleeing to US. The US has been very lucky in that it attracted top talent from all countries. Low pay even in defense establishments in India doesn't help either.

Actually, the current view about Indians being incompetent isn't completely uncalled for. Earlier, only people with great talent and experience used to get a chance to go to US. Thats certainly not the case now. Even a part time computer education can get you a job in US through a consultancy. Many seriously under-qualified individuals have displaced US workers because they were willing to work for far less. the explosion of such software consultancies in US has compromised the image of the Indian talent pool.

I think the mangoes thing is a recurring joke... You break it out when you hear the word India. Theres no need to get so defensive over it.

John.