NEW DELHI: The defense ministry on Thursday signed a Rs 2,960 crore contract with state-owned companies. Bharat Dynamics Ltd for the supply of more than 70 additional medium-range surface-to-air missiles (MR-SAM), jointly developed with Israel, for the Navy’s frontline warships.
The contract, signed in the presence of Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, marks “a critical milestone” in ongoing efforts to bolster India’s defense capabilities and indigenousize advanced military technology, a defense ministry official said. .
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“The MR-SAM system is now a standard on board multiple Indian warships and is planned to be installed on most of the future platforms planned for procurement,” he added.
The Navy, IAF and Army have incorporated MR-SAM systems, also called next generation. Barak-8under three joint projects signed between DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries at an initial cost of over Rs 30,000 crore several years ago.
MR-SAMs are designed to destroy hostile aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and drones at a range of 70 km. In the Navy, the systems are deployed on the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, the three Kolkata-class destroyers and the four Visakhapatnam-class destroyers, including the INS Surat that entered service on Wednesday, among others.
After the Navy and IAF, in February 2023 the Army also operationalized its first MR-SAM ‘Abhra’ regiment in 33 Corps, which defends the border with China in Sikkim and the Siliguri Corridor.
“The MR-SAM system provides point and area air defense against a wide range of threats, including fighters, unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, guided and unguided munitions, subsonic and supersonic cruise missiles,” an official said.
“It is capable of engaging multiple targets at ranges of up to 70 kilometers in severe saturation scenarios. The missile is powered by a locally developed rocket motor and control system to achieve high maneuverability during the terminal phase,” he said.