In a major success for its in-house design and development efforts, the Indian Air Force has successfully test fired its SAMAR air defence missile system.

‘SAMAR’ Air Defence Missile System

In a major success for its in-house design and development efforts, the Indian Air Force has successfully test fired its SAMAR air defence missile system. The IAF has developed the Surface to Air Missile for Assured Retaliation (SAMAR) air defence missile system by using its old Russian-origin air-to-air missile systems.

The missile system participated for the first time in the exercise to test its surface-to-air weapon systems and carry out their operational field trials.

The missile system successfully achieved firing trial objectives in different engagement scenarios, they said. SAMAR is a quick reaction surface-to-air missile system, ingeniously crafted by the IAF’s 7 Base Repair Depot and 11 BRD, in collaboration with Simran Flowtech Industries and Yamazuki Denki. Notably, the system repurposes old Russian-origin Vympel R-73 and R-27 air-to-air missiles, demonstrating an innovative approach to maximize existing resources.

The system can engage aerial threats with missiles operating at a speed range of 2 to 2.5 Mach. The SAMAR system consists of a twin-turret launch platform with the capability of launching two missiles in single and salvo mode, depending on the threat scenario, the IAF officials said.

Repurposing Vympel R-73E Missiles

The IAF, faced with an inventory of thousands of Vympel R-73E missiles that had reached the end of their flight shelf life for fighter jets, ingeniously repurposed them for the SAMAR system. This strategic move not only extends the utility of these missiles but also contributes to sustainable defense practices.