India has been going through a spate of ballistic missile defence (BMD) tests recently indicating that it is in the advanced stages of developing and deploying BMD. On 24 June 2024, India tested the second phase of its BMD system, with a reported range of 5,000 km. India also tested its S-400 system acquired from Russia on July 27, 2024. India has been developing a two-phased BMD system for years. It is imperative to assess the state of development of India’s BMD system and its strategic implications for Pakistan.
India’s Ballistic Missile Defence Systems
India has a two-tiered BMD system comprised of the Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) and Advanced Air Defence (AAD). The former is meant for high altitude or exo-atmospheric interception and the latter for endo-atmospheric interception. The PAD is for mid-course interception while AAD is meant to intercept missiles at the terminal stage. This is phase I of Indian BMD development aimed at intercepting missiles with up to 2000 km range. In 2012, the Chief of the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), V.K. Saraswat, said that phase I was complete: “The ballistic missile defence shield is now mature… We are ready to put phase-I in place….”[1] Saraswat claimed at the time that the system was ready to protect two cities.
