The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy, on 22 April, successfully conducted a maiden flight trial of a sea-based endo-atmospheric interceptor missile off the coast of Odisha in the Bay of Bengal. According to a statement by the defense ministry, the purpose of the trial was to engage and neutralize a hostile ballistic missile threat, thereby elevating the country into the elite club of nations having Naval Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) capability.

“Prior to this, DRDO has successfully demonstrated land-based BMD system with capability to neutralize ballistic missile threats, emerging from adversaries,” the statement added.

Defense minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and Indian Navy for achieving the feat. DRDO chief Samir V Kamat also complimented the teams involved in the design and development of the missile. “He said that nation has achieved self-reliance in developing highly-complex network-centric anti-ballistic missile systems,” the statement said.

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