India touts new ballistic missile defense prowess after tests

NEW DELHI — India says recent trials have demonstrated the country’s ability to intercept ballistic missiles, placing it among a select group of countries with advanced capabilities to that effect.

In a statement over the weekend, the Ministry of Defense said it conducted three consecutive flight tests on June 10 and 11 to demonstrate “multi-layered defense” against long-range ballistic missile threats and an anti-ship capability at medium range.

“The interceptors successfully engaged their respective targets. The systems are designed and developed with latest technologies to address the emerging missile threats,” the statement said.“These tests have put the country in the elite group of nations having BMD (ballistic missile defense) capability to engage up to Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles.”

The statement did not specify the range of the targets engaged in the trials, which were carried out from in Chandipur in India’s eastern Orissa state.

Currently, only a handful of countries such as the United States, Russia, China and Israel have highly advanced missile defense systems.

In a post on X,India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said that “Multi-layered BMD capability was successfully demonstrated.”

Analysts said the tested technologies could potentially strengthen India’s missile deterrent capabilities as it faces missile threats from its two nuclear-armed neighbors, Pakistan and China -- unresolved border disputes have triggered military tensions with both countries in the past.

Pakistan fields a range of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, while China’s far larger and more sophisticated missile arsenal includes intercontinental ballistic missiles.

“The systems tested will be part of the country’s ballistic missile defense architecture, although it remains to be seen when they can be operationalized. But India requires a robust missile defense shield because China has a potent intercontinental ballistic missile capacity. We cannot depend on imported systems,” according to Ajay Lele, deputy director-general at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi.

Analysts say India’s existing ballistic missile defense architecture primarily defends against short- and medium-range ballistic missile threats, although its full operational capabilities have not been publicly disclosed.

The trials last week were conducted by India’s Defense Research and Development Organization, which is at the forefront of efforts to build indigenous air defense systems. Over the last decade, New Delhi has pushed to boost defense self-reliance through greater domestic manufacturing and technology development.

The technologies demonstrated during the recent trials could support an ambitious project India announced last August to develop a multi-layered air and missile defense network by 2035. The proposed system would defend against a range of threats, including ballistic and hypersonic missiles.

Pointing to the vital role that air defense systems played in the conflict zones of the Middle East during the U.S., Iran, and Israel hostilities, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said Friday that the country was committed to creating such a multi-level missile defense system.

“These recent tests could be a starting point for that project,” according to analyst Lele.

新德里——印度表示，最近的试验表明该国有能力拦截弹道导弹，使其跻身于少数几个拥有先进拦截能力的国家之列。

国防部在周末发表声明称，于6月10日和11日进行了三次连续飞行试验，以展示针对远程弹道导弹威胁的“多层防御”以及中程反舰能力。

声明称：“拦截器成功拦截了各自的目标。这些系统采用最新技术设计和研发，旨在应对不断涌现的导弹威胁。这些试验使我国跻身拥有弹道导弹防御能力、能够拦截洲际弹道导弹的精英国家之列。”

声明没有具体说明试验的目标范围，试验在印度东部奥里萨邦的昌迪普尔进行。

目前，只有美国、俄罗斯、中国和以色列等少数几个国家拥有高度先进的导弹防御系统。

印度国防部长拉杰纳特·辛格在X网站上发帖称，“多层弹道导弹防御能力已成功展示”。

分析人士表示，这些测试技术有可能增强印度的导弹威慑能力，因为印度正面临来自其两个拥有核武器的邻国巴基斯坦和中国的导弹威胁——过去，悬而未决的边界争端曾引发与这两个国家的军事紧张局势。

巴基斯坦拥有一系列短程和中程弹道导弹，而中国的导弹库规模更大、技术更先进，其中包括洲际弹道导弹。

“测试的系统将成为印度弹道导弹防御体系的一部分，但何时能够投入使用还有待观察。印度需要强大的导弹防御系统，因为中国拥有强大的洲际弹道导弹能力。我们不能依赖进口系统，”新德里马诺哈尔·帕里卡尔国防研究与分析研究所副所长阿杰·莱勒表示。

分析人士表示，印度现有的弹道导弹防御体系主要防御短程和中程弹道导弹威胁，但其全部作战能力尚未公开披露。

上周的试验由印度国防研究与发展组织（DRDO）进行，该组织在自主研发防空系统方面处于领先地位。过去十年，新德里一直致力于通过加强国内制造业和技术发展来提升国防自主能力。

最近的试验中展示的技术可以为印度去年8月宣布的一项雄心勃勃的计划提供支持，该计划旨在到2035年建成一个多层防空和导弹防御网络。拟议中的系统将防御包括弹道导弹和高超音速导弹在内的一系列威胁。

国防部长拉杰纳特·辛格周五指出，防空系统在美伊以冲突期间的中东地区发挥了至关重要的作用，并表示印度致力于建立这样一个多层次的导弹防御系统。

分析师乐乐表示：“这些最近的测试可能是该项目的起点。”