The Indian Navy has carried out a successful test-firing of a Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) and a ship-launched version of BrahMos missile.
What is it?
The MRSAM (IAF) is an advanced network centric combat Air Defence System developed jointly by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in collaboration with the Indian industry comprising of private and public sectors including MSMEs.
Significance –
- The MRSAM system provides point and area air defence for ground assets against a wide range of threats including fighter aircraft, UAVs, helicopters, guided and unguided munitions, sub-sonic & supersonic cruise missiles etc.
- MRSAM weapon system which is also called the ‘Abhra’ Weapon System is capable of engaging multiple targets at ranges up to 70 kms in severe saturation scenarios.
- The missile is powered by indigenously developed rocket motor and control system for achieving high manoeuvrability during the terminal phase.
About BrahMos –
- A combination of the names of Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers, BrahMos missiles are designed, developed and produced by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture company set up by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Mashinostroyenia of Russia.
- Various versions of the BrahMos, including those which can be fired from land, warships, submarines and Sukhoi-30 fighter jets have already been developed and successfully tested in the past. The earliest versions of the ship launched BrahMos and land-based system are in service of the Indian Navy and the Indian Army since 2005 and 2007 respectively.
- BrahMos is a two-stage missile with solid propellant booster as first stage and liquid ramjet as the second stage. The cruise missiles like BrahMos are a type of systems known as the ‘standoff range weapons’ which are fired from a range sufficient to allow the attacker to evade defensive fire from the adversary. These weapons are in the arsenal of most major militaries in the world.
- The versions of the BrahMos that are being tested have an extended range of around 450 kilometers (planned to be extended to 600 kilometres), as compared to its initial range of 290 kilometers (before signing of MTCR), with more versions of higher ranges currently under development.
- Brahmos is one of the fastest cruise missile currently operationally deployed with speed of Mach 2.8, which is 3 times more than the speed of sound. It operates on the “Fire and Forgets” principle i.e it does not require further guidance after launch.
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