Surface-to-Air Missile Barak-8 test fired from ITR Chandipur

Medium range Surface-to-Air ballistic missile, Barak-8, was test fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off Odisha coast this morning. 

Barak-8, developed in collaboration with Israel, was test fired from launch pad no-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at 8:16 am. The four-meter long ballistic missile, which can hit the target within a range of 70 km, weighs 275 kg and can carry a payload of 60 kg.

The launch was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but was deferred at the last moment and postponed for today. According to reports, the test-firing of the missile was jointly carried out by Indian defence personnel, DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries. 

Earlier, Indian Navy had successfully test launched the long range surface-to-air missile (LR-SAM). The test had been undertaken on the Western Seaboard by INS Kolkata on December 30, 2015, officials said.

Such type of medium-range surface-to-air missiles having striking ranges from 50 to 70 km, can fill the gap of existing missiles that India has in its armoury, they said. As a safety measure, Balasore district administration in consultation with the defence officials had temporarily shifted 3,652 civilians residing within 2.5 km radius of the launch pad No.3 of the ITR at Chandipur to nearby shelter centres this morning to ensure a safe launch of the missile, a district revenue official said.

Fishermen engaged in sea fishing along the Bay of Bengal in three Odisha coastal districts namely Balasore, Bhadrakh and Kendrapada were asked not to venture into the sea during the time of the test launch.