NEW DELHI: Delhi and Mumbai, the two most vital cities of India, have been chosen for Ballistic Missile Defence system of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) that can be put in place at short notice.

A detailed proposal is being prepared for final clearance by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

Work on installing the BMD system in the two cities has already begun and the final proposal will be put before the government after detailed analysis of the project, sources have told PTI.

The sites for installing radars to track enemy missiles and storing counter-attack projectiles would be determined during the planning stage, they said, adding that the locations must have adequate stealth feature and protection against enemy sabotage.

To ensure maximum protection against airborne threats, the DRDO will put a mix of counter-attack missiles which will be able to shoot down enemy missiles both within the Earth’s atmosphere (endo-atmospheric) and outside it (exo-atmospheric).

The BMD system would require minimum human intervention due to the complete automation of tracking devices and counter-measures. Human intervention would be required only to abort the mission, the sources said.

After successful implementation in Delhi and Mumbai, the system would be used to cover other major cities in the country, they added.

The shield, developed by the DRDO, has undergone a series of successful tests. It can destroy an incoming ballistic missile with the range of up to 2,000km.

During the test stage, DRDO used variants of Prithvi missiles as simulated targets and successfully intercepted them in mid-air.

All the necessary elements such as long-range radars and tracking devices, real-time data-link and mission control system required for installing the BMD missile system have also been successfully tested by the DRDO.

By arrangement with the Times of India