India successfully test-fires two MRSAMs off Odisha coast
India on Sunday successfully test-fired two
Indian Army-version Medium Range Surface to Air Missiles (MRSAMs) from the
Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha.
The flight tests were carried out as part of live-firing trials
against high-speed aerial targets, sources in the Defence Research Development
Organisation (DRDO) said, adding that the missiles intercepted the targets and
destroyed those completely, registering direct hits at both the ranges.
The first missile hit a medium-altitude long-range target and the
second a low-altitude short-range one.
This MRSAM version is a Surface-to-Air Missile developed jointly
by DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) 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.
"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," DRDO tweeted.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO, Indian Army
and the defence industry for the successful flight tests of MRSAM-Army. He said
that both the successful tests establish the capability of the weapon system in
intercepting targets at critical ranges.
DRDO chairman G Satheesh Reddy complimented the teams involved in
the flight trial.
As a precautionary measure, the Balasore district administration
had temporarily shifted around 7,000 people from three villages close to the
ITR to safety.
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