Phased Development and Deployment
DRDO Chief V.K. Saraswat told the press on March 21, 2010, that the Ballistic Missile System is being developed in two phases under a capability based deployment plan.
In the first phase, which is currently underway, DRDO will develop and deploy a system for defense against missiles with less than 2,000 km range like Pakistan's Ghauri and Shaheen missiles and China's solid-fuel Dongfeng-21 (NATO designation: CSS-5).
In the second phase, system capability will be upgraded to defend against missiles with ranges greater than 2,000 km that can additionally deploy decoys or maneuver.
The Phase 2 system will require longer range radars (Detection range of 1,500km as opposed to 600 km for Phase 1 radars), and new hypersonic interceptor missiles flying at Mach 6-7 (As opposed to Mach 4-5 for Phase 1 missiles) with agility and the capability to discriminate against ballistic missile defence counter measures.
"Our effort is to have interception at very high altitudes, and the entire system will be able to handle multiple, simultaneous attacks," Saraswat said.
Deployment Timeline
In August, 2011, Dr Avinash Chander, DRDO's Chief Controller for Missiles and Strategic Systems, told the Business Standard, "We can deploy an effective ABM system for a single city within 3 years from now. We can definitely ensure the safety of one city in that time frame. After that, the [ABM shield for] other cities will follow."
DRDO Chief V.K. Saraswat had told the press on March 21, 2010 that Phase 1 could be deplyed in two years and Phase 2 by 2016.