Why in News?

•  India successfully conducted an interceptor missile test off the Odisha coast on Sunday night, achieving a major milestone in developing a two-layer Ballistic Missile Defence

Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) Mission:

• This PDV mission is for engaging the targets in the exo-atmosphere region at an altitude above 50 km of the earth’s atmosphere.
• Both the PDV interceptor and the target missile were successfully engaged.
•  In an automated operation, radar-based detection and tracking system detected and tracked the enemy’s ballistic missile.
• The computer network with the help of data received from radars predicted the trajectory of the incoming ballistic missile.
• The interceptor guided by high-accuracy Inertial Navigation System (INS) supported by a Redundant Micro Navigation System moved towards the estimated point of the interception.
• Once the missile crossed the atmosphere, the Heat Shield ejected and the IR Seeker dome opened to look at the target location as designated by the mission computer.
• With the help of Inertial Guidance and IR Seeker the missile moved for interception.
• All events were monitored in real-time by the Telemetry/Range Stations, at various other locations.