Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM)

Context

• The maiden test of the Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) was successfully conducted.

What is MRSAM?

• MRSAM is jointly developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI).
• The missile is designed to provide the armed forces with air defence capability against a variety of aerial threats at medium ranges.

Key-features of the Missile

• The mobile launcher is used to transport, emplace and launch up to eight canisterised missiles in two stacks. It can fire the missiles in single or ripple firing modes from the vertical firing position.
• The Army variant of the MRSAM system comprises a command post, a multi-function radar and mobile launcher system.
• MRSAM is a land-based configuration of the long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) or Barak-8 naval air defence system, which is designed to operate from naval vessels.
• MRSAM surface-to-air missile is powered by a dual-pulse solid propulsion system developed by DRDO.
• The propulsion system, coupled with a thrust vector control system, allows the missile to move at a maximum speed of Mach 2.
• The weapon has the ability to engage multiple targets simultaneously at ranges of 70km.