India successfully test-fires land-based variant of its Barak 8 air defense missile system 22009161.

Though the result of the test was immediately not known, another test of the missile has been planned from the same test facility in the afternoon. The advanced missile, jointly designed and developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), includes a Multi-Functional Surveillance and Threat Alert Radar (MF STAR) for detection, tracking and guiding the weapon system.

The missile with strike ranges from 70 to 90 km can fill the gap that India has in its armoury at present and will provide the users with the capability to neutralise any aerial threats. It can carry a payload of 60 kg and flies at a speed of Mach 2.

The weapon system which weighs around 2.7 tonne will provide aerial protection to sensitive defence installations and crowded metropolitan cities of the country. After successful experimental tests, the missile will be inducted in the armed forces.

Sources say that the Indian Air Force will be equipped with 450 missiles while Indian Army could also order land version of MRSAM including 14 firing units. The Indian Army will replace Russian-made Kvadrat and OSA-AKM systems bought in the 70’s and 80’s.

(Source: The New Indian Express)