BHUBANESWAR: Amidst heightened tension in Jammu and Kashmir region the DRDO on Sunday achieved another significant milestone on its ongoing strategic programme by successfully test firing indigenously developed Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) against live targets for the first time.
The high speed missile capable of deceiving enemy radars was flight tested twice in final operational configuration with radar mounted on a vehicle and weapons on the launcher. It destroyed British-made Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Banshee meeting all mission objectives.
Sources said the missiles were fired from launching complex-III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) off Odisha coast seconds after the polit-less target aircraft was flown as target from the launching complex-I.
"The missiles with many state-of-the-art technologies engaged two live targets at different ranges and altitudes. Though five development trials of the missile have been conducted from canister-based launcher so far, this is for the first time that it destroyed live targets," said a defence official
associated with the mission.
QRSAM is being developed for Indian Army with search and track on move capability in a very short reaction time. The entire mission was captured by various electro-optical tracking systems, radars and telemetry systems. "The precision strike missile achieved direct hit," the official told 'The New Indian
Express'.
Yet to get a formal name, QRSAM is India's first missile which has been developed in a short span of time as per the requirement of the army. While the project was sanctioned in July 2014 with a budget of Rs 476.43 crore, the missile was delivered within three years.
The missile can attain high frequency with maneuverability which will provide considerable advantage to the armed forces. It can destroy multiple targets 30 km away in less than one minute. Considered to be a unique system in its class, the missile is expected to supplement medium range surface-to-air missile Akash.
As the missile is considered a better system in terms of performance and lethality, India is more keen on developing high manoeuvrable and multi-role missiles, which will have 100 per cent kill probability in the short and medium ranges.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated Team DRDO and industries involved in the project for successful flight testing of the state-of-the-art QRSAM against live aerial targets and achieving the significant milestone. It is a significant advancement in India's missile programme, he tweeted.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik too has praised DRDO on the successful test firing of the all-weather and all-terrain surface-to-air missile. “The weapon system will further strengthen our nation’s defence capabilities,” he said.
Firepower
- Best missile in 30 km range
- Can destroy aerial targets, fighter aircraft, short-range and cruise missiles
- Can attain high frequency with manoeuvrability
- First missile developed within a span of three years
- Project with a budget of Rs 476.43 crore sanctioned in 2014
- First three tests of missile conducted in 2017
- Sixth test conducted against live targets