Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully carried out test firings of the Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) Air and Missile Defense System.
During the missile tests, four successful interceptions were conducted in various scenarios at different ranges and angles. The trials were conducted at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, near the coast of the Indian state of Odisha in the presence of DRDO and IAI engineers.
As a part of the test, two interceptors were launched from a portable land-based system and two others from a naval-based system. The system’s radar successfully detected all four interceptors.
“This successful trial is another example of the strong connection and quality of the technological partnership between IAI and India,” President and CEO of IAI Boaz Levy said.
“The trial proved, once again, IAI’s advanced capabilities in air defense, which are leading the global industry,” Levy added.
The success of the trials is seen as a major source of relief for the Indian military, which has been engaged in a standoff with China at the northern border in the Himalayas for over two years now.
About MRSAM
The MRSAM resembles the Israeli Barak-8 missiles, but it has been incorporated with multiple changes and adaptations to cater to the local needs of India.
DRDO had successfully handed a customized version of the MRSAM to the Indian Air Force last year.
Capable of 360-degree defense against aerial threats, MRSAM is capable of shooting down fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles, and missiles.
The weapon system consists of a mobile launcher system, which can launch eight canisterized missiles, and a multi-function radar to track and monitor targets. The combat management system uses the information sent from the radar to calculate the distance of the target and launch an attack.
MRSAM has a range of up to 70 kilometers (43 miles) and a maximum speed of Mach 2 (1534 miles per hour).