India successfully test-fires 2 more surface-to-air missiles off Odisha coast.
Highlights
- India on Mar 30 flight-tested 2 more rounds of MRSAMs off the Odisha coast
- MRSAMs were test-fired from Integrated Test Range launch pad-III at Chandipur near Balasore
- District administration of Balasore shifted people residing nearby to a camp ahead of the test
India on Wednesday (March 30) flight-tested two more rounds of Medium Range Surface to Air Missiles off the Odisha coast, DRDO sources said.
The MRSAMs were test-fired from the Integrated Test Range launch pad-III at Chandipur near Balasore before noon, they said.
Both the tests were successful, the sources said.
The district administration of Balasore shifted people residing nearby to a camp ahead of the test.
On Sunday, too, two Army-version MRSAMs were test-fired from the ITR.
As per a press release from the Ministry of Defence, 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.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," added the release from the ministry.Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has congratulated DRDO, Indian Army and industry for the successful flight tests of MRSAM-Army.
He said, both the successful tests establish 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' (self-reliant India).
(With agencies inputs)
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