India achieved a significant milestone on Tuesday with the successful test of a new version of a medium-range ballistic missile. The Defence Ministry, in a statement, underscored the importance of the user launch, which not only demonstrated the missile’s operational capability but also validated the use of new technologies. The test firing was conducted under the aegis of the strategic forces command, marking a crucial advancement in India’s defence capabilities.
“A successful launch of the new variant of a medium-range ballistic missile was carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command on April 23,” the Ministry said.
“The user launch has proven the operational capability of the Command and validated new technologies,” it said in a brief statement. It is learnt that the missile is not from the ‘Agni’ family of weapons systems.
The missile was successfully test-fired by a Su-30 MKI fighter jet at a test range in the island’s territory in the Andamans. As per ANI reports, the test firing was conducted in the area falling under the tri-services Andaman and Nicobar Command by the Indian Air Force.
On April 18, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted a test flight of an Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha. During the test, all subsystems performed as expected. The missile performance was monitored by several Range Sensors, such as Radar, Electro-Optical Tracking System (EOTS), and Telemetry, deployed by ITR at different locations to ensure complete coverage of the flight path.
According to a Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report, India was the fourth largest military spender worldwide in 2023, with an expenditure of $83.6 billion after the United States, China, and Russia. New Delhi’s spending was 4.2% higher than that in the previous year.
Team BharatShakti
