India Successfully Test-Fires MRSAM Air Defence System Off Balasore Coast, Missile Secures Direct Hit

India on Sunday successfully test-fired the Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) air defence system off the coast of Balasore, Odisha. The missile destroyed the target in a direct hit.

MRSAM Air Defence System | PTI Photo

New Delhi: India on Sunday successfully test-fired the Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) air defence system off the coast of Balasore, Odisha.  It is an Air and Missile Defence System developed by the DRDO in collaboration with the Israel Aerospace Industry (IAI). 

The system is part of the Indian Army. The missile secured a direct hit at the target at a very far off distance in the test, news agency ANI quoted Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) officials as saying. 

The system is part of the Indian Army. In the test, the missile secured a direct hit at the target at a very far off distance: DRDO officials

— ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2022

The MRSAM-Army missile flight was tested from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Balasore, Odisha, at around 10:30 am. The ITR is an Indian defence laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation which provides safe and reliable launch facilities for performance evaluation of rockets, missiles and air-borne weapon systems. 

The missile system intercepted a high-speed aerial target at long range, and destroyed the target in a direct hit, DRDO officials said. 

MRSAM-Army missile system flight tested from ITR Balasore, Odisha at around 1030 hours intercepting a high-speed aerial target at long range. The target was destroyed by the missile in a direct hit: DRDO officials pic.twitter.com/xCgtQosaIb

— ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2022

In December last year, India carried out the maiden launch of the Army version of the MRSAM.

The system is able to shoot down ballistic missiles, fighter jets, aircraft, drones, surveillance aircraft, and Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) aircraft, and attack helicopters from a long range of about 70 kilometres. 

The MRSAM is a land-based version of the long-range surface-to-air-missile (LRSAM) for the Indian Navy. Quoting a DRDO official, a PTI report had said that the MRSAM for Army's Air Defence is an advanced all weather, 360 degree mobile land based theatre air defence system capable of providing air defence to critical areas against a wide variety of threats in a combat zone. 

On Wednesday, the DRDO successfully test-fired the surface to surface BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, which is an extended range missile that can hit its target with pinpoint accuracy.