Floating test range

Floating test range for missile defence system

 India is building a unique floating testing range i.e. a huge ship to overcome the limitations imposed by the land mass for carrying out missile tests of varying ranges for the two-tier ballistic missile defence (BMD) system to protect important cities.

Floating testing range is a huge ship with a designated displacement equivalent to 10,000 tonnes.

OTHER DETAILS :- 

The state-of-the-art range would have many facilities such as a launch-pad, a launch control centre and a mission control centre.

It will pave the way for conducting trials for different trajectories, varying altitudes and also for higher ranges.

This system seeks to engage and destroy incoming enemy missiles at different altitudes in the endo- and exo atmospheres.

The first phase of the programme envisages development of interceptors to annihilate incoming missiles with a range of 2,000 km, while the second phase aims to build such weapons to destroy missiles with a longer range.

India has so far conducted 10 interceptor missile tests, eight of them successful.

Most of the trials were conducted in the endo-atmosphere, and a few in the exo-atmosphere.

WHY We Need FTR/Limitations of Current testing Range:-

Currently the missile testing range on Wheeler Island posed certain limitations as people needed to be evacuated from the villages every time a trial took place.

The range of the missile had to be confined to less than 300 km.

Different trajectories can not be tested.

With FTR live tests for longer ranges can also be carried out.