India successfully test-fires Barak-8 missile

India on Tuesday successfully test-fired the Barak-8 long-range surface-to-air nuclear-capable ballistic missile, jointly developed with Israel, from a defence test facility off the Odisha coast.

The missile was successfully launched at around 10.15 a.m. from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) launch pad at Chandipur in Balasore district, said a defence official.

President Pranab Mukherjee congratulated the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the successful launch.

"Congratulations DRDO on the successful test-firing of Indo-Israeli surface-to-air missile Barak-8 from Odisha today (Tuesday)," a tweet on his official Twitter handle said.

The DRDO is planning some more tests shortly, the official said.

The advanced missile has been designed and developed by the DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries and Israel's Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure.

The Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR-SAM) has the ability to hit targets within radii of 70 km to 90 km. It is designed to defend against any airborne threat, apart from aircraft and helicopters, and can also intercept supersonic aircraft and missiles.

The missile weighs around 2.7 tonnes and is 4.5 metres in length.

The district administration had temporarily shifted over 3,500 people living within a 2.5 km radius of the test facility.

Barak-8 is based on the original Barak-1 missile but has a more advanced target-seeker.

The radar system provides 360-degree coverage and the missile can take down an incoming missile as close as 500 meters away from a ship.

Each Barak system, which includes missile container, radar, computers and installation, costs about $24 million.

--IANS

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