A look at the Indian Ballistic Missile Defence programme

New Delhi: The Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme is an initiative to develop a multi-layered ballistic missile defense system to protect India from ballistic missile attacks. Since the early 90s, India has faced the threat of ballistic missile attacks from Pakistan against which it has fought multiple wars in the past and also from China thus development of an anti-ballistic missile system began in late 1999,suggesting that India initiated the program in light of Pakistan's eschewing of a nuclear No first use policy and heightened tensions during the Kargil war including a possibility of full scale nuclear war.It is a double-tiered system consisting of two interceptor missiles, namely the Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) missile for high altitude interception, and the Advanced Air Defence (AAD) Missile for lower altitude interception. PAD was tested in November 2006 and AAD was tested in December 2007. With the test of the PAD missile, India became the fourth country to have successfully developed an Anti-ballistic missile system, after United States, Russia and Israel. As the Development of the anti-ballistic missile system began in 1999. Around 40 public and private companies were involved in the development of the systems. They include Bharat Electronics Ltd andBharat 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) 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) provided the motors, jet vanes and structures for the AAD and PAD. High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) supplied the propellants for the missile.On 6 May 2012, Dr. V. K. Saraswat confirmed that the Phase-I of Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme have been completed and now India is running through the Phase II of its Ballistic Missile Programme that would be completed by 2016 to protect against missiles having range up to 5000 km.