NEW DELHI: India has successfully conducted three consecutive flight-tests on June 10 and 11 (Wednesday and Thursday) to demonstrate its multi-layered ballistic missile defence system (BMD) capability to intercept long and medium-range missiles.The tests have put the country in the elite group of nations having BMD capability to engage up to Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), the defence ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Currently, only a very few countries, including the US, Russia, China and Israel, are known to have such capabilities.To give shape to India’s own Iron Dome, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested two advanced interceptor missiles designed for Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) defence from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur. These interceptor systems are capable of detecting, tracking and destroying hostile aircraft and ballistic missiles with ranges between 2,000 km and 5,000 km.Separately, a maiden flight-test of the Naval Anti-Ship Missile-Medium Range (NASM-MR) was carried out successfully. The missile demonstrated pinpoint navigation, low-level sea-skimming flight and terminal accuracy against maritime targets.Congratulating DRDO, defence minister Rajnath Singh, in a post on X on Saturday, said, “Multi-layered BMD capability was successfully demonstrated. These tests have put India in the elite group of nations having ballistic missile defence capabilities to engage ballistic missiles up to ICBMs.”These tests demonstrate multiple crucial technologies to bolster the country’s defence capabilities against different types of enemy threats.A BMD system is an advanced network of radars, command centers, and interceptor missiles designed to detect, track, and destroy incoming ballistic missiles. They are critical components of modern national security, providing defensive deterrence by intercepting threats either within the atmosphere (endo-atmospheric) or in space (exo-atmospheric). The endo-atmospheric missiles are the ones that operate within the earth’s atmosphere that covers an altitude below 100 km. The exo-atmospheric missiles are capable of completing missions in the upper-most region of the earth’s atmosphere.Defence secretary and DRDO chairman Rajesh Kumar Singh closely monitored the trials and applauded the combined efforts of defence scientists and industry.