On Thursday, the Ministry of Defence finalised a contract worth Rs 2,960 crore with the state-owned Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) to procure over 70 additional Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (MR-SAMs). These missiles, jointly developed with Israel, are intended for deployment on the Indian Navy's frontline warships.

According to a ministry official, the agreement, signed in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, was described as a "critical milestone" in advancing India’s defence capabilities and promoting the indigenisation of cutting-edge military technology.

“The MR-SAM system is now a standard fit onboard multiple Indian warships and is planned to be fitted on the majority of the future platforms planned for acquisition,” he further said.

The MR-SAM systems, also referred to as the next-generation Barak-8, have been adopted by the Navy, Indian Air Force (IAF) and Army through three collaborative projects between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries. These projects were initially launched several years ago with a combined cost exceeding Rs 30,000 crore.

Designed to counter various aerial threats, including hostile aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and drones, the MR-SAMs have an operational range of 70 kilometres. In the Navy, the missiles are currently deployed on several key platforms, such as the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, the three Kolkata-class destroyers, and the four Visakhapatnam-class destroyers, including the recently commissioned INS Surat.

Beyond the Navy, the Indian Army operationalised its first ‘Abhra’ MR-SAM regiment in February 2023. This regiment is stationed with the 33 Corps, tasked with defending the border with China in the Sikkim region and the strategically important Siliguri Corridor.

“The MR-SAM system provides point and area air defence against a wide range of threats including fighters, UAVs, helicopters, guided and unguided munitions, subsonic and supersonic cruise missiles,” an officer stated.

“It is capable of engaging multiple targets at ranges up to 70 km in severe saturation scenarios. The missile is powered by an indigenously developed rocket motor and control system for achieving high manoeuvrability during the terminal phase,” the office further added.