The Hindu Business Line : DRDO looking at integrated air defence system by June 2008

Looking ahead
DRDO plans few more trials before having homegrown air defence system.
Will include ability to engage aircrafts beyond a 100-km range.
Making the ballistic missile defence system to cost
Rs 2,000 crore.

Our Bureau

Hyderabad, Dec. 10 In seven years and after spending Rs 2,000 crore, India has taken a major step in putting in place a ballistic missile defence system.

Defence Scientists and industry collaborated in successfully testing the system last week, with the trial hit of an incoming missile by an interceptor, in the launch test conducted by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) from Wheeler Island off the coast of Orissa.

The US, a major power in this field, in contrast, has been spending an average, annual budget of $2 billion in the development of ballistic missiles defence systems, said Dr V.K. Saraswat, Chief Controller (R&D), Strategic missiles and Air Defence of the DRDO.

MISSILE lans

The success has encouraged the DRDO to set its eye on developing and demonstrating an integrated air defence system before June 2008, which will also include capabilities of engaging aircrafts beyond a 100-km range and donning the role of a tactical missile, he explained to newspersons here.

India has joined the US, Russia, France and Israel, countries which have air defence systems in place and are continuously trying to upgrade. “Our demonstrated ability now is to meet any challenge posed by incoming missiles with a range of 2,000 km,” Dr Saraswat said.

The DRDO is planning a few more trials before it can have a fully homegrown air defence system that is effective in warding off missile attacks on most key installations within the country from hostile countries, he said.

Industry efforts

The Indian industry, both major and small and medium enterprises, have played a key role in the entire effort, Dr Saraswat acknowledged. HAL, BEL, Sameer, Keltech, SEC Industries, and Vem Tech are some of the names he recollected in response to queries.

Directors of the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Mr Venugopalan; Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Mr Avinash Chander; and Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Mr S.K. Ray explained the collaborative role that went into the design, development and testing of the air defence system.

These labs constitute the country’s missile complex in Hyderabad.

Except for the radar systems, which were from Israel and France, the entire air defence system was indigenously built.