Defence Minister Rajnath Singh handed over the first Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) System to Indian Air Force (IAF) chief R.K.S. Bhadauria.
This SAM was developed in the APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex and present during the ceremony was Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) chairman G. Satheesh Reddy.
scientists at the Kalam Complex and Research Centre Imarat (RCI) housed inside, had worked on developing this advanced missile in association with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). “It is the true success of a synergistic effort put in by defence public sector and private sector units, respective scientists and technologists over the last dozen years with RCI being the nodal lab,” informed senior defence officials, wishing to remain anonymous, on Saturday.
Also, more than 100 medium, micro and small scale industries were involved in the project which cannot be named that has led to scaling up technologies and skills to global standards.
The APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex is spread across 4,000-acres of which the former President of India had envisioned and it also houses the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) and the Defence Research & Development Lab (DRDL). These two labs have played a very important role in the development of strategic missile development projects including avionics over the years.
The Indian Navy has already inducted its version of MRSAM but engineers and scientists had to make some changes for the IAF needs with a hat-trick of successful trials for “accuracy, reliability and efficacy” conducted five years ago at Balasore. “An Army version of the missile is in the advanced stage of development,” informed senior officials.
As of now, the IAF has contracted for 18 firing units with each unit consisting of 24 missiles each as the MRSAM system will now provide point and area air defence for ground assets against threats from fighter aircraft, UAVs, helicopters, guided and unguided munitions, subsonic and supersonic cruise missiles.
The new air defence system is also capable of engaging multiple targets at ranges up to 70 km and is powered by an indigenously developed rocket motor and control system for achieving high manoeuvrability.
Firing unit has Missiles, Combat Management System (CMS), Mobile Launcher Systems (MLS), Advanced Long Range Radar, Mobile Power System (MPS), Radar Power System (RPS), Reloading Vehicle (RV) and Field Service Vehicle (FSV).
“This has been a transformative project with major production units as well as ancillary units augmenting their line systems and manpower. It has helped foster special skills, technologies; setting the right template for development of next generation tactical missiles,” asserted senior defence officials. Incidentally, new RCI director U. Raja Babu has been programme director for MRSAM and P. Srihari is project director, they added.
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