Medium-range India-Israel missile test-fired for third time

India on Friday test-fired its medium range surface-to-air missile, jointly developed with Israel, off the Odisha coast for the third time in two days.

"The missile (MR-SAM) was fired from Launch Pad 3 of Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur at 10.26 a.m.," defence sources said.

On Thursday, the missile was test-fired twice from Chandipur.

"A hat-trick by the DRDO with the 3rd consecutive successful launch of #MRSAM weapon system at ITR Chandipur today at 1020 hrs," tweeted India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

President Pranab Mukherjee congratulated the DRDO on the successful test-firing of the surface-to-air missile.

"I extend hearty congratulations to all those associated with the successful test-firing of the Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM), developed jointly with Israel," the President said in a message to Dr S. Christopher, Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development, and Director General of DRDO.

Mukherjee said: "The nation is proud of the DRDO achievement and looks upon it to make even greater efforts to boost India's indigenous defence capabilities in technologically challenging areas."

"I congratulate @DRDO_India, IAI, Air Force and Industries for the hat-trick success of the MRSAM weapon system hitting the targets," tweeted Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

The missile, having a strike range of 70 km, is designed to defend against any airborne threat, apart from aircraft and helicopters, and can also intercept supersonic aircraft and missiles.

The missile has been jointly developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Israel Aerospace Industries and Israel's Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure.

An official statement on Thursday said: "The MRSAM system provides reliable air defence at medium ranges."

The missile is guided by a radar system and on-board avionics which can successfully hit a pilotless target aircraft.

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

It is being developed for the Indian Air Force.

Many Indian industries like Bharat Electronics Limited, Larsen & Toubro Limited, Bharat Dynamics Limited, Tata Group of companies besides other private industries contributed to the development of a number of sub-systems used in the flight test.

--IANS

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