India testfires interceptor missile

NEW DELHI—India on Sunday test-fired unnamed interceptor missile over Bay of Bengal. Media reports quoting defence sources said “a mock and solo test fire of the indigenously developed unnamed interceptor missile was conducted prior to the user’s trial.”
The missile was test fired from a mobile launcher at 10.44 am from the integrated test range (ITR) launch pad at Wheeler’s Island near Orissa in the south. Labelled as Axo (atmospheric intercept system) in Indian Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), the missile has its own mobile launcher, secured data link for interception, independent tracking and homing capability, and its own radar.
The sources further said the data of today’s mock trial would be analysed and final trial of two missiles — one target and another interceptor launched from two different locations would be analysed by the end of this week. A similar trial was conducted on December 27 last year, the sources said.—Agencies