Indian Navy test-fires air defence missile system in Arabian Sea from INS Surat

Two days after the brutal terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's scenic Baisaran Valley of Pahalgam, the INS Surat – the Indian Navy's warship – on Thursday carried out a successful test-firing of Medium range surface-to-air missile (MR-SAM) air defence missile system in the Arabian Sea, reported ANI.

The test reportedly took place ahead of the scheduled surface-to-surface missile testing by the Pakistan Navy in the Arabian Sea. The MR-SAM is highly effective against surface-to-surface missiles and other aerial targets.

"#IndianNavy's latest indigenous guided missile destroyer #INSSurat successfully carried out a precision cooperative engagement of a sea skimming target, marking another milestone in strengthening our defence capabilities," the Indian Navy wrote on X.

The MR-SAM air defence missile system test by INS Surat demonstrates the Indian Navy's growing prowess in indigenous warship design, development, and operations. The test also underscores India's commitment to self-reliance in defence manufacturing, according to the official statement.

About INS Surat

INS Surat is also the fourth and final ship of the P15B Guided Missile Destroyer Project. It ranks among the largest and most sophisticated destroyers in the world.

INS Surat has 75 per cent Indigenous content and is equipped with state-of-the-art weapon-sensor packages and advanced network-centric capabilities.

AIKEYME exercise

Earlier, the Indian Naval Ships INS Chennai and INS Kesari sailed from Dar es Salaam after successfully completing the maiden edition of the AIKEYME exercise. The ships departed on April 19, as announced by the Indian Navy in a statement.

Sharing the details in a post on X, the Indian Navy noted, “Marking the successful completion of the maiden edition of #AIKEYME exercise, the Indian Naval Ships #INSChennai and #INSKesari sailed from Dar es Salaam on #19Apr 25.”

It further added, “RAdm AR Hassan, Navy Commander #TPDF & Cmde Agyapal Singh, DA India along with TPDF personnel were present at the port attending the departure ceremony.”

With agency inputs.