DRDO successfully flight tests Army version of Medium Range Surface to Air Missile off Odisha coast

New Delhi, March 27, 2022

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted two successful flight tests of the Indian Army version of the Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha today.

The flight tests were carried out as part of the live firing trials against high-speed aerial targets, an official press release said.

The missiles intercepted the aerial targets and destroyed them completely, registering direct hits at both the 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 tests were conducted in the presence of senior officials from DRDO and Indian Army.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, Indian Army and the industry for the successful flight tests of MRSAM-Army. He said, both the successful tests established 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 major milestones for an "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" (Self-reliant India).

NNN