43 AIR POWER Journal Vol. 8 No. 4, wiNter 2013 (October-December) iNDia’s Ballistic Missile DefeNce Arjun SubrAmAniAn P according to a DrDO press statement on November 23, 2012, it successfully tested the indigenously developed Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system. 1 after the test DrDO officials claimed that the system will be ready for deployment by 2014. 2 already, india’s BMD project has created ripples in Pakistan. in response to india’s pursuit of missile defences, Pakistan has expanded its countermeasure efforts, primarily through development of manoeuvring re-entry vehicles. 3 the Pakistan army strategic force command, whi ch controls islamabad’s ball istic missiles, has since at least 2004 said it wanted to develop such warheads; analysts now believe these are in service. 4 Moreover, Pakistan continues to increase its inventory of nuclear weapons’ land vector by citing india’s BMD claims as a destabilising factor. 5 in addition to this, china has an advanced nuclear and ballistic missile programme. what is more worrisome is the clandestine nuclear and ballistic missile cooperation between china and Pakistan. against this backdrop, this paper attempts Arjun Subramanian P is a research associate at the centre for air Power studies, New Delhi. 1. air Defence interceptor Missile successfully Destroys Ballistic Missile, MoD, Press information Bureau, Govt. of india, November 23, 2013. available at: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease. aspx?relid=61315 2. rajat Pandit, “india tests missile shield, DrDO says it will be operational by 2014,” The Times of India, November 24, 2012. 3. Usman ansari, “Pakistan seeks to counter indian aBM Defences,” Defence News, March 21, 2011. 4. ibid. 5. Pravin sawhney, “india’s Ballistic Missile Defence capability is grossly exaggerated,” DNa, april 4, 2011.