India accelerates process to give N-missile shield to Delhi; Mumbai next

New Delhi, April 5: The Centre has decided to give a nuclear missile shield to the national capital on lines of Beijing and Washington to prevent probable attacks. Two long-range missile-tracking radars have already been placed in the Nation Capital Region in this regard, according to an Economic Times report.

When completed, the shield will be able to intercept missiles fired from as far as 5,000 kilometres away, the report said. Senior government officials said the process was started with the placing of the radars and soon there will be missile cover for major Indian cities. The next city to get the cover is Mumbai.

Besides Washington and Beijing, major cities in the world like Paris, London and Tel Aviv also have missile shields.

The missile shield programme, however, is running behind time. The programme was launched in 2006 and the period between 2009-12 saw various tests. However, official sources said that 2013 and 2014 were dry years for the prgramme and last year, there was also a failed test.

The Narendra Modi government took a big interest in accelarting the missile shield programme after coming to power last May and placed the long-range radars Swordfish developed with Israeli assistance.

OneIndia News