DRDO to Initiate Phase 3 of BMD Program with AD-AH and AD-AM Interceptors to Neutralize Hypersonic Glide Vehicles and Cruise Missiles

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is poised to take its Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) program to the next level with Phase 3, focusing on countering advanced hypersonic threats.

The development of two new interceptor missile systems, AD-AH and AD-AM, will place India among a select group of nations with the capability to neutralize hypersonic projectiles.

While details of the program remain classified, the introduction of these interceptors signifies India's ambition to counter the growing threat of hypersonic weapons.

Traveling at speeds exceeding Mach 5, these weapons pose a unique challenge due to their velocity, maneuverability, and ability to operate within the Earth's atmosphere, rendering traditional missile defence systems less effective.

• AD-AH: Designed to intercept hypersonic glide vehicles, which are known for their ability to change trajectory mid-flight, making them highly unpredictable targets.
• AD-AM: Tailored for engaging hypersonic cruise missiles, which maintain high speeds while flying within the atmosphere, often employing complex flight paths to evade detection and interception.

These interceptors are anticipated to be the first of their kind globally, possessing the necessary speed, heat resistance, and maneuverability to effectively engage hypersonic threats within the atmosphere.

This development underscores the strategic shift in missile defence, from countering ballistic missiles in exo-atmospheric regions to addressing the atmospheric maneuvering of hypersonic threats.

Traditional missile defence systems, primarily designed for intercepting ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere, are ill-suited for the dynamic and rapid nature of hypersonic projectiles.

As one defence analyst commented, "Such a weapon is needed because existing missile defence systems are ineffective against hypersonic glide vehicles and cruise missiles. This will be the first-ever interceptor with the speed, ability to withstand heat, and maneuverability required to intercept hypersonic threats in this environment."

The development of AD-AH and AD-AM signifies India's commitment to technological self-reliance in defence and its determination to stay ahead in the arms race, particularly in a region where hypersonic weapon development is accelerating.

These interceptors are expected to provide a significant deterrent capability, ensuring India can protect its airspace from one of the most challenging threats of modern warfare.

 

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[beencensured]

This is a very good proposal as it needs to be developed quickly.

 

[sanket]

Air defence system should contemporary, DRDO is Very Good in developing Missiles & Hypersonic touted as next Tech a a threat

 

[Sumon Roy]

That's amazing much needed project. I hope missile interceptor speed will be above 10-12++ Mach. Otherwise it will not able to intercept Hypersonic missile because of its high maneuverability.

 

[Ayush raj]

That's amazing much needed project. I hope missile interceptor speed will be above 10-12++ Mach. Otherwise it will not able to intercept Hypersonic missile because of its high maneuverability.

Even if we develop a interceptor with speeds of mach 8 or 9 then also it will be highly effective as the enemies missiles would be travelling towards us and the inteceptor missile fired would be heading towards the enemies missile so there is no need to match the speed of the incoming missile. In simple words we don't have to chase the missile instead we will have a head on collision.

 

[Ayush raj]

DRDO should integrate hypersonic technology in our air to air BVR and short range missiles. If they will travel at hypersonic speed then enemies fighter jets would have very very short amount of time to react and the chances of running using afterburner would become very low as aircrafts speed would be maximum 2 mach but if missile is travelling at mach 5 or 6 then it can easily chase and hunt down the targets leaving very small escape window for enemy aircrafts

 

[desigandu]

Good, but what is the plan for -

1. Space based continuous early warning sensors in an integrated starlink/ starshield type constellation…
2. Sea based interceptors and sensors via missile defense ships continuously deployed at sea; to have 4 such BMD destroyers we need 16+ P18s, but only about 8-12 are planned with earliest delivery starting 2035…
3. Above all sea, air, surface, and space based sensors in an integrated network for continuous tracking, mid course and terminal guidance of the interceptors;
4. Layered defense with enough interceptors to neutralize a saturation attack and long range discrimination radars that can identify decoys from MIRVs and MaRVs;

I am glad we are investing in this capability, but it needs to cover Bharat, threats from beyond the northern/western mountains and threats from the sea.

 

[Sandeep]

This is a critical project and we need to develop this very quickly. We can’t spend five or ten years on developing this technology and running endless tests with no progress. We need the capability to protect us against ballistic and hypersonic missiles.