India's interceptor missile test failed

A test of India's ballistic missile defense shield has failed to shoot down an incoming missile.

This handout released by the Indian  Defence Research and Development  Organisation shows the K-15 "Shourya" nuclear-capable missile during a test launch in 2008. India's homegrown  interceptor defence shield developed to detect and destroy incoming ballistic missiles failed during a test on Monday, military officials said.(AFP/HO/File/Ho)

During the testing, the interceptor missile, the ADD interceptor, failed to take off as its target missile, a medium-range and nuclear-capable Prithvi-II surface-to-surface missile, was test-fired from a mobile launcher at Chandipur-on the-Sea. Analysts attributed the failure to some coordination problems.

Defence sources admitted that the interceptor missile trial did not go smoothly. Preliminary analysis suggested that the target missile might have deviated from its stipulated trajectory leading to a lack of proper coordination. India has carried out three successful tests, starting in 2006.