India successfully testfires surface-to-air Barak-8 missile

India on Tuesday successfully test-fired its most advanced long range, surface-to-air, nuclear-capable ballistic missile Barak-8, jointly developed with Israel, from a military base off the coast of the eastern state of Odisha, a senior defense official said.

"The missile was fired from a mobile launcher at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur in the state's Balasore district. The test-firing was successful as the missile intercepted a moving aerial target over the Bay of Bengal," he said on condition of anonymity.

More tests will be carried out Wednesday, the official said, adding that earlier tests in June and July were also successful.

The Barak 8 has a length of about 4.5 metres, a diametre of 0.225 at missile body, and 0.54 metres at the booster stage, a wingspan of 0.94 metres and weighs 275 kgs, including a 60 kg warhead which detonates at proximity.

The missile has maximum speed of Mach 2 with a maximum operational range of 70 km. The system also includes a multi-functional surveillance and threat alert radar for detection, tracking and guidance of the missile. Endit