India's Ballistic Missile Defence Shield : A Strategic Analysis.

The Ballistic Missile Defence shield prepared by India's DRDO involves India's extensively funded works in defence fields and Top class scientists involved. It is one of the most ambitious projects of DRDO. India is the 4th country to develop a Ballistic Missile Defence Shield. Development of BMDS in India began in 1999 as after the Kargil conflict India realised that it's cities need to be protected from Nuclear Tipped Ballistic missiles of Pakistan and China. India's worst fears are that their will be a radical change of Power in Pakistan that would throw Pakistan's Nukes in the hands of Insurgents. Practically a Democratic Pakistan never had any war with Democratic India (except kargil). War has happened only when Pakistan had been under Military Dictatorship. Right now Democracy is in strong phase in Pakistan but The future is always uncertain. Seeing the strategic depth of this matter Indians want a permanent solution to counter the Nuclear threat. Definitely BMDS then becomes a strategic weapon.

Practically a Democratic Pakistan never had any war with Democratic India (except kargil). War has happened only when Pakistan had been under Military Dictatorship. Right now Democracy is in strong phase in Pakistan but The future is always uncertain.

Around 40 public and private companies in India are involved in development of this system. They are.........


Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Ltd, Astra Microwave, ASL, Larsen & Toubro, Vem Technologies Private Limited and KelTech. Development of the LRTR and MFCR (Multi-function Fire Control Radar) was led by Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE).


Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL)


They developed the mission control software for the AAD missile. Research Centre, Imarat (RCI) developed navigation, electromechanical actuation systems and the active radar seeker.


Advanced System Laboratory (ASL)


They provided the motors, jet vanes and structures for the AAD and PAD.


High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL)


They have supplied the propellants for the missile.

Program Overview

The System consists of two phases. Endo-Atomspheric and Exo-Atmospheric. The Endo Atmospheric phase of program consists of two tired protection. The two tiers are AAD and PAD. While the Exo Atmospheric phase's two tiers are AD1 and AD2. The PAD Prithvi Air Defence is for high altitude interception upto 80km. While AAD Advanced Air Defence is for mid range interception altitude upto 30km. The missiles AD1 and AD2 are futuristic and would be used for interception of enemy missiles which have beyond 2000km range. It is believed to be capable of intercepting satellites. The missiles in system are guided by Swordfish Long Range Tracking Radar (LRTR). The system consists of four parts

1Launch vehicles (PAD and AAD)
2 Radars (LRTR and MFCR)
3 Launch Control Centers (LCC)
4 Mission Control Center (MCC).


All these are geographically distributed and connected by a secure communication network.

Phase One

The phase one system consists of PAD and AAD. The DRDO former chief V.K. Saraswat has said that the PAD can be developed into a long range SAM system named Pradyumn. While the AAD can be developed into a mid range SAM system named Ashwin.

Prithvi Air Defence ~

The Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) is an anti-ballistic missile developed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles of the range up to 2000km . Based on the Prithvi Ballistic Missile's core, PAD is a two stage missile with a maximum interception altitude of 80 km. The first stage is a liquid fuelled motor while the second stage is solid fuelled. It has manoeuvre thrusters which can generate a lateral acceleration of more than 5 Gs at 50 km altitude. Guidance is provided by an inertial navigation system with mid-course updates from LRTR and active radar homing in the terminal phase. PAD has capability to engage the 300 to 2,000 km class of ballistic missiles at a speed of Mach 5.

In 2009, reports emerged of a new missile named the PDV. The PDV is said to be a two solid stage hypersonic anti-ballistic missile similar in class to the THAAD. The PDV is intended to replace the existing PAD in the PAD/AAD combination. The PAD-1 missile is now being replaced with the PDV missile, which does away with the liquid fuel first stage and has two solid fuel stages. The PDV will armed with a 'kill vehicle' which destroys the enemy missile and equipped with a innovative system to allow the missile to manoeuvre at altitudes approaching 30km, where the air is thinner.


The improved missile will utilise a gimbaled directional warhead, a technology that until now has only been used by the US and Russia. This technology allows for a smaller warhead to destroy the target missile.

The improved missile will utilise a gimbaled directional warhead, a technology that until now has only been used by the US and Russia. This technology allows for a smaller warhead to destroy the target missile.

Test Launches

On March 6, 2006 a PAD missile successfully intercepted a modified Dhanush surface-to-surface missile fired from INS Rajput anchored inside the Bay of Bengal, towards Wheeler Island, simulating a target enemy missile with a range of 1,500 km.


On November 27, 2006 a PAD missile intercepted a Prithvi ballistic missile at 48 km altitude as a live test intercept.

Advanced Air Defence ~

Advanced Air Defence (AAD) is an anti-ballistic missile designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles in the endo-atmosphere at an altitude of 30 km. AAD is single stage, solid fuelled missile. Guidance is similar to that of PAD: it has an inertial navigation system, midcourse updates from ground based radar and active radar homing in the terminal phase. It is 7.5 m tall, weighs around 1.2 tons and a diameter of less than 0.5 metres.


The AAD is quite different than any normal missile. For high level manoeuvring at low altitudes the missile has got 3D thrust vectoring capability. This capability enables the missile to turn its direction very swiftly and move even in those directions where its nose isn't pointing.

P-Charge Interceptor Warhead of AAD is a unique feature​. The AAD interceptor is equipped with a P-charge [projectile charge] warhead that can penetrate thick steel and cause damage with a high hit [repeat hit] density. "That means the number of holes you create per unit area is very high," a DROD official told the press in October, 2009.


The endo-atmospheric interceptor AAD is a 7.5m long, single stage solid fueled missile, equipped with a ring laser gyro based inertial navigation system, a hi-tech computer and an electro- mechanical actuators totally under command by the data up-linked from the sophisticated ground based radars to the interceptor.

P-Charge Interceptor Warhead of AAD is a unique feature​. The AAD interceptor is equipped with a P-charge [projectile charge] warhead that can penetrate thick steel and cause damage with a high hit [repeat hit] density. "That means the number of holes you create per unit area is very high," a DROD official told the press in October, 2009.

Test Launches

In December 2007 an AAD missile intercepted a target missile at an altitude of 15kms. The interceptor used a 'gimbaled directional warhead' or a warhead only one side of which explodes close to an incoming ballistic missile, shattering it.

A test of the AAD missile on March 15, 2010 at 10010 was aborted after the modified Prithvi (Dhanush) missile launched to simulate the target deviated from its flight path.

A Prithvi target missile lifts off during a BMD test on July 26, 2010. A test of the AAD interceptor missile was conducted on Monday, July 26. The test was partially successful as the missile failed to score a direct hit.

AAD Interceptor missile test on Sunday, March 6, 2011. An AAD interceptor missile armed with a P-charge directional warhead was successfully tested on Sunday, March 6, 2011.

The SwordFish Long Range Tracking Radar ~

LRTR is the target acquisition and fire control radar for the PAD missile. It is an active phased array radar having capability to track 200 targets at a range of 600 km. 'Swordfish' Long Range Tracking Radar (LRTR). The Swordfish LRTR has been developed jointly by India and Israel. It is based on the Israeli Green Pine early warning and fire control radar imported by India from Israel in 2001-2002

Mission Control Centre ~

The MCC is the software intensive system of the ballistic missile defence system. It receives information from various sources such as radars and satellites which is then processed by ten computers which run simultaneously.

The MCC is connected to all other elements of the defence through a WAN. MCC performs target classification, target assignment and kill assessment. It also acts as a decision support system for the commander.

It can also decide the number of interceptors required for the target for an assured kill probability. After performing all these functions, the MCC assigns the target to the LCC of a launch battery.

Launch Control Centre ~

The LCC starts computing the time to launch the interceptor based upon information received from a radar based on the speed, altitude and flight path of the target. LCC prepares the missile for launch in real time and carries out ground guidance computation.


After the interceptor is launched, it is provided target information from the radar through a datalink. When the interceptors close onto the target missile, it activates the radar seeker to search for the target missile and guides itself to intercept the target. Multiple PAD and AAD interceptors can be launched against a target for high kill probability.

Phase Two

The phase two system consist of two missiles AD1 and AD2. These are hypersonic missiles. The Phase 2 missile defence system will be based on the AD-1 and AD-2 interceptor missile that are currently under development. Phase 2 interceptors will have speeds of 6-7 Mach and they will be hypersonic. Missiles will have lesser time to intercept. Guidance systems is far more energetic and quick responsive.


A floating test range is being developed for developing the Phase 2 system. Scientists have started designing the ship and associated systems such as radar, mission control centre, launch control centre, communication network and many other equipment needed for phase-II trials, Sarsawat told the press.

A floating test range is being developed for developing the Phase 2 system. Scientists have started designing the ship and associated systems such as radar, mission control centre, launch control centre, communication network and many other equipment needed for phase-II trials, Sarsawat told the press.

Missiles AD1 and AD2 ~

India's future plans include two new anti ballistic missiles that can intercept Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) namely Advanced Defence (AD-1 and AD-2) which would be capable of intercepting and destroying a missile at a range around 5,000 km.These interceptors would be capable of shooting down missiles that have ranges greater than 5,000 km, which follow a distinctly different trajectory than a missile with a range of 2,000 km or less. During their final phase, ICBMs hurtle towards their targets at speeds twice those of intermediate range missiles.

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