Tuesday, the Indian Navy conducted a successful MRSAM (Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile) firing from INS Visakhapatnam, validating its capacity to engage ‘Anti-Ship Missiles’ According to the Indian Navy, MRSAM was jointly developed by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) at Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) as part of a commitment to ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’
#IndianNavy successfully undertook MRSAM firing from #INSVisakhapatnam validating capability to engage Anti Ship Missiles.
MRSAM jointly developed by @DRDO_India & #IAI, & produced at #BDL reflects #IndianNavy's commitment to #AatmaNirbharBharat.@DefenceMinIndia @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/I8LwCV2WWH— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) March 7, 2023
Indian Navy shared images of MRSAM on Twitter and wrote, “IndianNavy effectively conducted MRSAM firing from #INSVisakhapatnam validating the capability to engage Anti-Ship Missiles.”
According to a report , the army issued a press release in February stating, “The MRSAM weapon system, also known as the ‘Abhra’ Weapon System, is a state-of-the-art medium-range air defence weapon system that is a joint venture between DRDO and Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) with active participation from Indian public and private defence industry partners, including MSMEs.”
What is MRSAM?
The Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile, an air defence system developed by DRDO and IAI, requires active participation from private-sector actors and small- and medium-sized enterprises. The Indian Air Force received the first Launching Unit of the MRSAM System on September 9, 2021.In December 2020, the DRDO launched the Army Variant of the MRSAM system off the coast of Odisha from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur.
The cutting-edge missile system can strike multiple targets at a range of 70 kilometres in extreme saturation scenarios. The missile system is comprised of the Combat Management System (CMS), the Mobile Launcher Systems (MLS), the Advanced Long Range Radar, the Mobile Power System (MPS), the Radar Power System (RPS), the Reloader Vehicle (RV), and the Field Service Vehicle. The missile system is powered by a rocket motor and control system that was developed domestically (FSV).
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India and Israel have collaborated closely on the development of the MRSAM system. The partnership has been instrumental in strengthening the defence industries of both nations.