DRDO successfully test-fires Surface to Air Missile

New Delhi: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has conducted two successful flight tests of the Indian Army version of Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) at Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha. The flight tests were carried out as part of the live firing trials against high-speed aerial targets.

The Ministry of Defence said in a statement that the missiles intercepted the aerial targets and destroyed them completely, registering direct hits at both ranges. The first launch was to intercept a medium-altitude long-range target and the second launch was for proving the capability of a low altitude short-range target.

This MRSAM version is a Surface-to-Air Missile developed jointly by DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Israel for use by the Indian Army. The MRSAM Army weapon system comprises multi-function radar, mobile launcher system and other vehicles. The flight tests were carried out with the weapon system in deliverable configuration.

The performance of the weapon system was validated through the flight data captured by range instruments like radars, electro-optical tracking systems and telemetry deployed by ITR, Chandipur. The flight tests were carried out in the presence of senior officials from DRDO and the Indian Army.

(Defence Watch– India's Defence Business News centre that places the spotlight on Defence Manufacturing, Defence Technology, Strategy and Military affairs is on Twitter. Follow us here and stay updated.)