India test-fires Barak-8 long range missile
Iran Press TV
Wed Dec 30, 2015 6:40PM
India has successfully test-fired a new long-range surface-to-air missile (LR SAM), which New Delhi says, is capable of countering aerial threats at extended ranges.
Indian Defense Ministry said in a statement that the Barak-8 missile system, jointly developed by India and Israel, was blasted off from the country's warship INS Kolkata on Wednesday.
The system includes a radar for detection, tracking and missile guidance.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is pushing to enhance the country's military capabilities.
India is the world's biggest purchaser of defense equipment. It is likely to spend USD 250 billion over the next decade to upgrade its military.
India has routinely carried out missile tests since it demonstrated nuclear weapons capability in 1998. India has been also engaged in an arms race with Pakistan since the partition of Pakistan from India in 1947.
In November, New Delhi test-fired a new version of its domestically-developed supersonic long-range cruise missile dubbed BrahMos.
The radar-evading missile, with a range of 290 kilometers, has the capability to take on surface-based targets by flying a combined high-low trajectory.
In addition to BrahMos missile, India has in its arsenal the nuclear-capable Agni-V ballistic missile with a range of more than 5,000 kilometers (over 3,100 miles).
India and its neighboring rival Pakistan have been steadily boosting their military might over the past years.
The two nuclear armed nations have tested numerous ballistic missiles and engaged in three conventional wars two of which were over the disputed Kashmir region.
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