Long-range desi missile: Marching forward on the path of make-in-India, India is boosting its self-reliance in the defence sector by developing three-layered long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM). It could be able to hit enemy aircraft at around 400 km ranges.

The development of three-layered long-range surface-to-air missile system is now at its advanced stage of completion. It is also expected that the defence ministry is in the process of getting clearance soon, as per the sources. The over $2.5 billion project will help India to be part of an elite group of militaries with indigenous capabilities to shoot down enemy assets in the air from such ranges, sources said.

The missile system can hit targets from different ranges as it has three layers of surface-to-air missiles.

It is also noted that India worked with Israel to develop the medium-range surface-to-air missile system MRSAM which can hit aerial targets at 70 plus kms.

The surface-to-air missile system development work has been taking place as The Indian system, sources said, would be capable and would certainly be in the class of the S-400 air defence system already acquired from Russia and deployed along the China and Pakistan border.

LRSAM project

After the LRSAM project was taken up by the DRDO, the Indian Navy changed the name of its indigenous LRSAM system to MRSAM.

The Army and the IAF already had named a similar indigenous system as MRSAM.

The Indian defence forces already have the S-400 air defence systems, which can hit targets at 400 Km maximum distance and also have the capability to take out targets at shorter ranges too.

Three squadrons of the S-400 have already arrived in India and operationalised but the delivery schedule of the remaining two units is unclear.

The system is used by the Chinese military as well, which has deployed it along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India. The Chinese also have their indigenous air defence systems but they are less capable than the S-400.

The project lead for the LRSAM project would be the Indian Air Force which is keen on promoting indigenisation in defence hardware.