India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out two test fires of the country’s advanced Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM).
Conducted at an integrated test range off the coast of Odisha, the exercise was part of Indian efforts to produce a high-powered weapon system to neutralize high-speed aerial targets.
The MRSAM air defense system scored direct hits on two aerial targets during the test.
According to the DRDO, the first missile launch intercepted a medium-altitude, long-range target, while the second took down a low-altitude, short-range target.
“The system is part of the Indian Army,” DRDO officials explained. “In the test, the missile secured a direct hit at the target at a very far off distance.”
Features, Capabilities
Developed jointly by the DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries, the MRSAM air defense system comprises one command and control system, one tracking radar, missiles, and mobile launcher systems.
It is also equipped with a bidirectional data link for relaying midcourse guidance and target information to the missile and an advanced active radar radio frequency seeker that can detect moving targets in all weather conditions.
The system reportedly provides ground assets with point and area air defense against various threats, including fighter aircraft, drones, helicopters, guided and unguided munitions, and supersonic cruise missiles.
Powered by an indigenous rocket engine, the MRSAM can engage multiple targets at a distance of 70 kilometers (43.4 miles).
The MRSAM is a land-based variant of the country’s Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) or Barak-8 naval air defense system.
‘Major Milestone’
Indian defense minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the country’s armed forces and the DRDO for successfully conducting the tests.
He stated that the event established the missile’s capability to intercept targets “at critical ranges.”
For DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy, Sunday’s exercises were a “major milestone” in India’s vision of becoming a self-reliant nation.