Indian Navy's guided missile destroyer INS Mormugao carries out engagement of sea-skimming supersonic target

The Indian Navy successfully conducted an engagement with a sea-skimming supersonic target using its most recent indigenous guided missile destroyer INS Mormugao.

India's maritime force said that this maiden effort depicts the Navy's future-proof warfare readiness and commitment towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

"Indian Navy's latest indigenous guided missile destroyer INS Mormugao successfully carried out engagement of sea-skimming supersonic target. This maiden endeavour showcases IN's Future Proof Combat Readiness and commitment towards Aatma Nirbhar Bharat," the Indian Navy said in a statement.

Mormugao, which is named after the historic port city of Goa on the west coast, coincidentally launched its first sea attack on December 19, 2021. This was when Goa celebrated 60 years of independence from Portuguese rule.

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The Indian Navy said that the ship, which measures 163 m in length, and 17m in breadth with a displacement of 7,400 tonnes, can rightfully be considered one of the most powerful warships to have been constructed in India.

India performs maiden test of sea-based ballistic missile interceptor

Last month, India's ambitious ballistic missile defence system achieved success with the first flight test of an endo-atmospheric interceptor missile from a ship in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Odisha.

By engaging and neutralising a hostile ballistic missile threat, the sea-based missile's trial on Friday, according to the defence ministry, placed India into a select group of countries with such a capability.

AWACS (airborne warning and control systems) and other hostile aircraft, as well as approaching long-range nuclear missiles, can be intercepted by BMDs.

The Indian Navy and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) were commended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for the successful testing of the ship-based ballistic missile defence (BMD) system's capabilities.

"The DRDO and the Indian Navy successfully conducted a maiden flight trial of sea-based endo-atmospheric interceptor missile off the coast of Odisha in the Bay of Bengal on April 21," the ministry said in a statement.

India joins the elite club

India has been working to improve its ability to intercept enemy ballistic missiles both inside and outside of the atmosphere of the earth.

The endo-atmospheric missiles are those that function within the earth's atmosphere and have a range of less than 100 kilometres. According to specialists, exo-atmospheric missiles are capable of completing missions in the uppermost part of the earth's atmosphere.

India's phase-II ballistic missile defence interceptor AD-1, which can engage a wide variety of targets, successfully completed its first flight test in November.

Long-range ballistic missiles and planes can be intercepted by the AD-1 long-range interceptor missile in both "low exo-atmospheric" and "endo-atmospheric" settings.

(With inputs from agencies)

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