NEW DELHI: The Army and DRDO conducted four successful flight tests of the medium-range surface-to-air missile (MR-SAM) systems, which have been developed jointly with Israel to have a 70-km interception range, on Thursday and Friday.
The four operational flight-trials, conducted from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast, were carried out against high-speed aerial targets. The MR-SAM weapon systems are designed to destroy hostile aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and drones at a range of 70-km.
“The missiles intercepted the aerial targets and destroyed them, registering direct hits. The trials were carried out to intercept four targets at long-range, short-range, high-altitude and low-altitude to prove the MR-SAM’s operational capability,” a defence ministry official said.
Carried out by the Army’s Eastern and Southern Commands under DRDO’s guidance, the trials validated the MR-SAM’s performance through flight data captured by range instruments like radars and electro-optical tracking systems deployed by the integrated test range at Chandipur.
“These trials have proven the operational capability of both the Army commands and paved the way for operationalisation of these weapon systems in two regiments,” the official said.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh , on his part, said the successful flight-tests “have re-established the capability of the weapon system in intercepting targets at critical ranges”.
The Army, Navy and IAF have all inducted the MR-SAM systems, also called the next-generation Barak-8, under the three joint projects inked between DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries at an initial cost of over Rs 30,000 crore several years ago.
The Army in Feb 2023 had operationalized its first `Abhra’ MR-SAM regiment in the 33 Corps, which defends the frontier with China in Sikkim and the Siliguri Corridor. The weapon system for the Army includes multi-function radar, command post, mobile launcher system and other vehicles.
In the Navy, the MR-SAM systems are deployed on aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, the three Kolkata-class destroyers and the four Visakhapatnam-class destroyers, among others. In Jan, the defence ministry had inked a Rs 2,960 crore contract with state-owned Bharat Dynamics Ltd for the supply of over 70 additional MR-SAMs for frontline warships.
“The MR-SAM system provides point and area air defence against a wide range of threats including fighters, UAVs, helicopters, guided and unguided munitions, subsonic and supersonic cruise missiles,” an officer said.
“It is capable of engaging multiple targets at ranges up to 70 km in severe saturation scenarios. The missile is powered by an indigenously developed rocket motor and control system for achieving high manoeuvrability during the terminal phase,” he added.
The four operational flight-trials, conducted from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast, were carried out against high-speed aerial targets. The MR-SAM weapon systems are designed to destroy hostile aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and drones at a range of 70-km.
“The missiles intercepted the aerial targets and destroyed them, registering direct hits. The trials were carried out to intercept four targets at long-range, short-range, high-altitude and low-altitude to prove the MR-SAM’s operational capability,” a defence ministry official said.
Carried out by the Army’s Eastern and Southern Commands under DRDO’s guidance, the trials validated the MR-SAM’s performance through flight data captured by range instruments like radars and electro-optical tracking systems deployed by the integrated test range at Chandipur.
“These trials have proven the operational capability of both the Army commands and paved the way for operationalisation of these weapon systems in two regiments,” the official said.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh , on his part, said the successful flight-tests “have re-established the capability of the weapon system in intercepting targets at critical ranges”.
The Army, Navy and IAF have all inducted the MR-SAM systems, also called the next-generation Barak-8, under the three joint projects inked between DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries at an initial cost of over Rs 30,000 crore several years ago.
The Army in Feb 2023 had operationalized its first `Abhra’ MR-SAM regiment in the 33 Corps, which defends the frontier with China in Sikkim and the Siliguri Corridor. The weapon system for the Army includes multi-function radar, command post, mobile launcher system and other vehicles.
In the Navy, the MR-SAM systems are deployed on aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, the three Kolkata-class destroyers and the four Visakhapatnam-class destroyers, among others. In Jan, the defence ministry had inked a Rs 2,960 crore contract with state-owned Bharat Dynamics Ltd for the supply of over 70 additional MR-SAMs for frontline warships.
“The MR-SAM system provides point and area air defence against a wide range of threats including fighters, UAVs, helicopters, guided and unguided munitions, subsonic and supersonic cruise missiles,” an officer said.
“It is capable of engaging multiple targets at ranges up to 70 km in severe saturation scenarios. The missile is powered by an indigenously developed rocket motor and control system for achieving high manoeuvrability during the terminal phase,” he added.
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