Indo-Israeli medium range missile test fired

India on Thursday successfully test fired an Indo-Israeli Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile off the coast of Odisha, officials said.

The ballistic missile was fired from launch pad 3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Balasore district at 8.16 a.m.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar congratulated the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

"I congratulate DRDO India and industry teams for the successful flight test of MRSAM (Medium Range Surface to Air Missile) weapon system," he tweeted.

The missile had been jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, DRDO and Israel's Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure, said defence ministry officials.

According to informed sources, it is a version of Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) Barak-8 and is yet to get a name.

It is a nuclear capable ballistic missile, weighing around 2.7 tonne, 4.5 meters long and can carry a payload of 60 kg, official sources said.

The missile is designed to defend any type of airborne threat including aircraft and helicopters.

The system also includes a multi-functional surveillance and threat alert radar for tracking, detection and guidance of the missile.

As a precaution, ITR authorities evacuated villagers in a one to 2.5 km radius around the launch complex.

--IANS

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