India's air defence system achieves a hat-trick

Scoring a hat-trick, India today successfully test fired the new surface-to-air missile developed jointly with Israel from a defence base off Odisha coast in a third consecutive trial of the air defence system.
The missile with a strike range of 70 km was launched at 1020 hours from the Integrated Test Range(ITR) at Chandipur, a Defence statement said.
"With a third consecutive successful test firing today, the Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) air defence system has achieved a Hat trick," it said.
"The objective of today's mission was for maximum range and high manoeuvring target. The missile guided by armoured seeker system hit the last minute manoeuvring target," the Defence release said.

With this, MRSAM system has proved the air defence capability for three different boundary envelopes of the target, it said.
Defence Research and Development Organisation created history by conducting three consecutive successful trials of the missile for Indian Air Force, a DRDO official said.

The missile had been successfully test-fired twice yesterday from the ITR.
The missile, positioned at launch pad-3 of the ITR, swung into action after getting signal from the radars to intercept a pilotless target aircraft over the Bay of Bengal, DRDO officials said.
Apart from the missile, the system includes a Multi Functional Surveillance and Threat Alert Radar (MF STAR) for detection, tracking and guidance of the missile, they said.

"The missile along with MF-STAR will provide the users with the capability to neutralise any aerial threats," said a DRDO scientist.
President Pranab Mukherjee congratulated DRDO on the successful test-firings of the medium-range missile and said it should make greater efforts to boost India's indigenous defence capabilities.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar also congratulated the DRDO team, Air Force, IAI of Israel and associated industries for the Hat-trick success of MRSAM weapon system.