vi ▁Air ▁Def ence ▁( P AD ), ▁an ▁ex o - at mos pher ic ▁( out side ▁the ▁atmosphere ) ▁inter ceptor ▁system , ▁intercept ed ▁a ▁Pr ith vi - II ▁ball istic ▁miss ile . ▁The ▁P AD ▁miss ile ▁has ▁the ▁secondary ▁stage ▁of ▁the ▁Pr ith vi ▁miss ile ▁and ▁can ▁reach ▁alt itude ▁of ▁. ▁During ▁the ▁test , ▁the ▁target ▁miss ile ▁was ▁intercept ed ▁at ▁a ▁ ▁alt itude . ▁India ▁became ▁the ▁fourth ▁nation ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁after ▁United ▁States , ▁Russia , ▁and ▁Israel ▁to ▁ac quire ▁such ▁a ▁cap ability ▁and ▁the ▁third ▁nation ▁to ▁ac quire ▁it ▁using ▁in - house ▁research ▁and ▁development . ▁On ▁ 6 ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁the ▁Advanced ▁Air ▁Def ence ▁( A AD ) ▁miss ile ▁system ▁was ▁tested ▁successfully . ▁This ▁miss ile ▁is ▁an ▁End o - at mos pher ic ▁inter ceptor ▁with ▁an ▁alt itude ▁of ▁. ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁reports ▁emer ged ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁miss ile ▁named ▁the ▁P D V . ▁The ▁DR DO ▁is ▁developing ▁a ▁new ▁Pr ith vi ▁inter ceptor ▁miss ile ▁code - named ▁P D V . ▁The ▁P D V ▁is ▁designed ▁to ▁take ▁out ▁the ▁target ▁miss ile ▁at ▁alt itudes ▁above ▁. ▁The ▁first ▁P D V ▁was ▁successfully ▁test ▁fired ▁on ▁ 2 7 ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁According ▁to ▁scient ist ▁V ▁K ▁Sar as w