Ground Version of the Barak -8 Successfully Tested in India

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India today successfully test-fired a new surface-to-air missile developed jointly with Israel, from a defence base off Odisha coast.

The medium range missile, which will fulfill a huge Indian army requirement, was fired from a mobile launcher in the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur around 8.15 am, said an official of the Defence Research and Development Organisation or DRDO.

“The test launch was a grand success and it met all the targets,” he said.

The test was conducted by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), in collaboration with the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Indian Air Force in India.

The Medium Range Surface Air Missile is an advanced air and missile defense system, with land and naval configurations, providing ultimate protection against a variety of aerial platforms.

The current tests validated all components of the weapon system to the satisfaction of the customer in the Indian test range.

This most advanced missile, a variant of Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) Barak-8, has been developed by India in a joint collaboration with Israel. The DRDO is yet to give a specific name to the missile.

While the Barak-8 is ship based and installed on Indian navy ships the LRSAM is launched from the ground.

Defence sources said the weapon system having a strike range of around 70 km was test fired in full operational configuration from the launching complex

The missile was fired against an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Banshee, a British target drone.

The 4.5-meter long nuclear capable ballistic missile weighs around 2.7 tonne and can carry a payload of 60 kg.