The latest (March 6, 2009) BMD test by India showcases India's technological and defense capabilities. The following is an excerpt from 'IBN Live' website:
"Balasore: India on Friday successfully conducted the test of an interceptor missile to establish a ballistic missile defence (BMD) shield as part of the network-centric warfare.
The test was carried out from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) from the Wheeler Island near Dhamra off Orissa coast.
ITR sources said the modified version of ''Dhanush'' missile, known as naval version of Prithvi, a surface-to-surface missile acting as an enemy missile was test fired from a naval ship INS Rajput anchored inside the Bay of Bengal at 1620 hours.
When it zeroed in on the wheeler island of Dhamara coast, a Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) missile, a ballistic missile with a range of 1,500 km, similar to Pakistan's Ghauri, test fired from the Wheeler Island intercepted the incoming missile at an altitude of 70-80 kms.
DRDO sources said the ''crucial test'' conducted for the third time proved the efficacy of a host of new technologies. The interceptor PAD missile has for the first time used the gimballed directional warhead which has so far been used only in the United States and Russia."
It is a definite shot in the arm for India. Pakistan has been blackmailing India for the past 10 years with their 'nuke bombs'. This test gives a deterrent against such threats. Of course, it will take a few more years to make the missile defense system available for operational service. But the very fact that India has been able to achieve this shows that she has both the ability and capacity to call the bluff on Pak's 'nuke threats' in future. Hopefully, it will enable India to put more direct military pressure on Pak to put an end to the terrorist havens operating in their soil.
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