India test-fires MRSAM off Odisha coast

Balasore (Odisha) Mar 27 (PTI) India on Sunday test-fired an Army version of the medium range surface to air missile (MRSAM) from Chandipur Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Odisha, DRDO said.

The missile was test-fired at 10.30 AM validating long-range parameters, it said. “MRSAM-Army missile system flight tested from ITR Balasore at around 1030 Hrs intercepting a high speed aerial target at long range. The target was destroyed by the missile in a direct hit,” Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) tweeted.

The flight tests were carried out as part of the live firing trials against high-speed aerial targets. The missiles intercepted the aerial targets and destroyed them completely, registering direct hits at both the ranges. The first launch was to intercept a medium altitude long range target and 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 Indian Army.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has congratulated DRDO, Indian Army and the Industry for the successful flight tests of MRSAM-Army. He said, both the successful tests established the capability of the weapon system in intercepting targets at critical ranges.

Secretary Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy complimented the teams involved in the successful flight trial of the Army version of MRSAM and stated that these tests are the major milestones for an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.

PTI /PIB