We have mastered anti-satellite capability, can hit them at long ranges: DRDO chief

Commenting on India's feat of successfully testing an A-SAT (Anti-satellite) missile, Chairman of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Dr G. Satheesh Reddy said that with today's feat India has demonstrated its capabilities to hit threatening satellites positioned at a long range.

"We have mastered anti-satellite capability and we have today shown that we can hit satellites at long ranges with a few centimeters accuracy," DRDO chairman G. Satheesh Reddy told ANI.

According to government sources, the satellite which was hit on Wednesday morning during the test was a microsatellite launched by the ISRO on January 24 this year and was decommissioned at present.

Following the achievement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up the entire team of DRDO scientists who worked on the A-SAT programme and congratulated them for their hard work.

In a major defence achievement, India had successfully tested an anti-satellite missile by shooting down its own decommissioned satellite that was on a 'Low Earth Orbit' at a height of 300 KM from the earth's surface.

Making the announcement about the test, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India's feat is only for its own defence needs and not for use against any country. He also reiterated that Indi was against the arms race in outer space.