New Delhi: The Indian Navy successfully carried out the maiden test firing of the first indigenously developed naval anti-ship missile from a Seaking helicopter on Wednesday, officials told news agency PTI. The test was conducted at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Odisha's Balasore.
“This firing is a significant step towards achieving self-reliance in niche missile technology and reaffirms the Indian Navy's commitment to indigenisation,” a senior Naval official was quoted as saying by PTI.
The test was carried out by the Indian Navy in association with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The video of the missile fire from a Seaking 42 B helicopter was also shared by the Indian Navy on Twitter.
The test-firing of the new missile came over a month after an anti-ship version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired. The mission was carried out jointly by the Indian navy and the Andaman and Nicobar Command.
According to PTI, the Indian Navy has been steadily enhancing its overall combat capability to protect India’s maritime security interests, particularly in the Indian Ocean region.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched two frontline warships of the Indian Navy on Tuesday.
The ships -- INS Surat and INS Udaygiri -- were launched at the Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.
INS Surat is the fourth guided-missile destroyer of the P15B class, while INS Udaygiri is the second stealth frigate of the P17A class.