India successfully test-fires MRSAM off Odisha coast

New Delhi: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted two successful flight tests of the Indian Army version of Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) at Integrated Test Range at Odisha's Chandipur off the coast on Sunday.

The defence ministry's official statement confirmed, "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 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.

The test-fires of the 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.

The defence minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and said, "The Indian Army and the industry for the successful flight tests of MRSAM-Army. Both the successful tests establish the capability of the weapon system in intercepting targets at critical ranges."

Secretary Department of Defence R&D and DRDO chief G Satheesh Reddy congratulated the teams involved in the successful flight trial of the Army version of MRSAM and mentioned, "These tests are the major milestones for an 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'."