India conducts MRSAM flight trials

India conducted four flight tests of the MRSAM developed by DRDO and IAI, produced by BDL. (PIB)

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Army have conducted flight trials of the army variant of Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) ahead of its induction into front-line regiments.

The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said four flight trials were conducted on 3 and 4 April from a ground-based mobile launcher system at DRDO's Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha, on India's east coast.

The tests were likely carried out as part of the weapon's full operational capability milestone, but Janes has not been able to verify this.

The MoD said the flight trials were conducted against “high-speed” aerial targets.

“The missiles intercepted the aerial targets and destroyed them, registering direct hits,” the MoD said. “The trials were carried out to intercept four targets at long range, short range, high altitude, and low altitude, proving the operational capability.”

According to the MoD, MRSAM's performance was validated through flight data captured by tracking instruments including electro-optical systems and radars based at the ITR.

The MoD said that the eastern and southern commands of the Indian Army carried out the flight tests, under the guidance of DRDO. “These trials have proven the operational capability of both army commands and paved the way for operationalisation of weapon systems in two regiments,” the MoD added.

In April 2017 the MoD signed a contract worth USD1.6 billion with Israel to procure land-based MRSAMs for the Indian Army.

Subsequently, Janes reported that the Indian Army had inducted the MRSAM systems at the northeastern and northwestern borders in 2023.