DRDO, Army test new missile system

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Army have conducted a series of four successful flight-tests of the Army version of the 70-km medium-range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.

The tests were done on Thursday and Friday. “The trials have paved the way for operationalisation of weapon systems in two regiments,” the Ministry of Defence said. Sources said each regiment had some 12 launchers.

The four operational flight-trials were carried out against high-speed aerial targets. The missiles intercepted the aerial targets and destroyed them, registering direct hits, the ministry said. The trials were carried out to intercept four targets at long-range, short-range, high altitude and low altitude, proving the operational capability. The flight-tests were carried out with the weapon system in operational condition. The performance of the weapon system was validated through the flight data captured by range instruments like radars and electro-optical tracking systems deployed by Integrated Test Range, Chandipur.

The missile is developed jointly by the DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries for use by the Army. The MRSAM Army weapon system comprises multi-function radar, command post, mobile launcher system and other vehicles.