After three consecutive successes, the fourth trial of India’s Prithvi Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) conducted to demonstrate interception of tactical missiles inside earth’s atmospheric region, failed due to a technical malfunction. The ‘target missile’ mimicking an incoming hostile missile was fired from the integrated test range (ITR), Chandipur. Twenty seconds later, the missile deviated from its intended path. The mission control centre computer did not allow the interceptor missile to engage the target missile, as the latter was not in the ‘threat scenario’. The DRDO has begun an investigation into the failure.1

• 1. Government of India, Press Information Bureau, ‘Interceptor missile test aborted, probe launched into target missile malfunction,’ Ministry of Defence Press Release, March 15, 2010 at http://www.pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=59655&kwd=