21 September 2016

News Story: Second test of Indo-Israeli surface-to-air missile from Odisha test facility a hit

Indo-Israeli Barak-8 Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM)
By Hemant Kumar Rout

BHUBANESWAR: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the second test of long range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM), developed jointly with Israel, from a defence test facility off the Odisha coast, on Tuesday.

Defence sources said the missile was fired against a pilot-less target aircraft (PTA) to gauge the killing efficiency of the system and it achieved a direct hit. The missile with a dummy payload was launched from a mobile launcher at about 2.30 pm from the launching complex - III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea.

The missile's first test was carried out at about 10.15 am in a similar configuration. The missile then also had successfully intercepted an unmanned aerial vehicle, mimicking an incoming hostile aircraft.

Speaking to 'The New Indian Express' from the test range a senior defence official said both the missiles successfully destroyed the targets as coordinated. "It was a proud moment for the country," he felt elated.

Read the full story at The New Indian Express