India launched an upgraded version of its interceptor missile against an electronically simulated target missile over the Bay of Bengal, according to a report published on The Hindu website.

The anti-ballistic missile also called as AAD (Advanced Air Defence), was launched from the A P J Abdul Kalam Island, formerly known as Wheeler Island.

The launch of the target missile were simulated electronically and upon receiving its coordinates, the interceptor missile, travelling at supersonic speed, engaged and destroyed the virtual target mid-flight in the endo-atmospheric — inside the Earth's atmosphere or below 40 kiometres.

India plans to deploy the Ballistic Missile Defence system to protect important cities and from incoming attacks. Among the two phases, first phase seeks to destroy incoming missiles of 2,000 km range, while the second phase envisages killing incoming missiles of more than 2,000 km.

Read: India test-fires interceptor missile

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Sunday said it had conducted 11 interceptor missile tests. Eight missions were in endo-atmosphere, the remaining were in exo-atmosphere. Nine of the missions had been successful.