SAMAR Air Defence System explained

SAMAR Air Defence System
Type:Surface-to-air missile
Origin:India
Is Missile:yes<-- Service history -->
Used By:Indian Air force
Designer:7 Base Repair Depot Tughlakabad
11 Base Repair Depot Ojhar
Simran Flowtech Industries
Yamazuki Denki
Engine:Solid-propellant rocket
Detonation:Proximity fuze, contact fuze
Vehicle Range:
Speed:
  • SAMAR I : Mach 2 to 2.5
  • SAMAR II : Mach 4.5
Guidance:
Propellant:Solid fuel
Launch Platform:

The Surface to Air Missile for Assured Retaliation, or SAMAR is a short range, quick reaction surface-to-air missile system. The Indian Air Force (IAF) Maintenance Command's 7 Base Repair Depot Tughlakabad (BRD) and 11 Base Repair Depot Ojhar, in collaboration with Simran Flowtech Industries and Yamazuki Denki, two Indian private sector companies, created the SAMAR system.[3]

The SAMAR employs Vympel R-73 and Vympel R-27 air-to-air missiles, which are of Russian origin.[4]

Using reconditioned infrared homing Vympel R-73E, semi-active radar homing Vympel R-27 R1/ER-1, and infrared homing Vympel R-27 ET-1 variant of air-to-air missiles (AAMs) that have been further reprogrammed to be utilized as a short range, surface to air defense platform, Indian Air Force Base Repair Depot created the SAMAR system.

Following extensive test firing, the SAMAR system made its debut at Aero India 2023. The SAMAR-1 system has 12-kilometer range which allows it to take on low-flying aerial targets like fighter planes, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).[5]

The Indian Air Force has assigned the project to Maintenance Command for a road mobile short-range air defence system using thousands of Vympel R-73 and Vympel R-27 missiles that have reached the end of their flight shelf life and are no longer suitable for use from fighter jets.[6] [7]

Trials

On Aero India 2023, IAF confirmed that SAMAR-1 system completed 17 rounds of test firing before entering initial production.[8]

On 17 December 2023, IAF successfully test fired SAMAR in Exercise AstraShakti from Air Force Station Suryalanka. It achieved the firing objectives in different engagement scenarios. SAMAR is a twin-turret rail launch platform which can launch two missiles in single or salvo mode.[9] The missile operates in Mach 2 to 2.5 range.[10]

SAMAR air defence missile system was fired at the Exercise Vayushakti on 17 February 2024.[11]

In August 2024, reports confirmed that the SAMAR-2 variant (30 km range) is ready to be tested from December 2024. This was announced during Exercise Tarang Shakti where the SAMAR 1 system was showcased.[12]

Manufacturing

During Aero India 2023, Indian Air Force confirmed that SAMAR system development is complete and the weapon platform has entered the initial phase of manufacturing. Five production batches of SAMAR-1 are ready to be delivered to IAF's Air-Defence Missile Unit.

Concerns

Retired Indian Air Force pilot Squadron Leader Vijainder Thakur, a SEPECAT Jaguar pilot, questioned the efficacy of the arrangement, citing chiefly the lack of Vympel R-27 production in India. In addition, he also questioned its operational viability given its compromised combat capability and thought it was a waste of IAF funds. With experience of flying Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21s, Group Captain TP Srivastava emphasized the value of ground radar in determining the capability of surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems.

Having prior experience in English Electric Canberra bombers and Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25, Group Captain Johnson Chacko concluded that converting air-to-air missiles into surface-to-air missiles was not unfeasible, pointing to the jointly developed Norwegian/US NASAMS system as long as viable guidance system and acquisition issues were resolved.

Eventually, the SAMAR system will be used to eliminate a bigger stockpile of older, Soviet era air-to-air missiles in the Indian Air Force inventory in addition to taking down low-altitude targets.[13]

References

  1. Web site: Linganna . Girish . 18 December 2023 . Explained: How potent is SAMAR, the Made-in-India air defence system . 2023-12-19 . Asianet News Network . en.
  2. News: India Has Successfully Upgraded Air Defense to Use the R-27 And R-73 Missiles . 18 December 2023 . Defence Express . 16 February 2023.
  3. Web site: 2023-02-19 . SAMAR-1 SAM systems based on Vympel R-73E missiles are ready to be delivered to the Indian Air Force . 2023-12-18 . Frontier India . en-GB.
  4. News: Satam . Parth . Indian ‘Jugaad’! IAF Converts Obsolete Russian Air-To-Air Missiles Into Surface-To-Air Systems; Experts Perplexed . 18 December 2023 . The Eurasian Times . 23 October 2022.
  5. Web site: Linganna . Girish . 18 December 2023 . Explained: How potent is SAMAR, the Made-in-India air defence system . 2023-12-19 . Asianet News Network . en.
  6. News: 2023-12-18 . Indian Air Force successfully testfires 'SAMAR' air defence missile system at Exercise Astrashakti . The Economic Times . 2023-12-19 . 0013-0389.
  7. Web site: IAF's SAMAR Air Defence System . 2022-11-16.
  8. Web site: Udoshi . Rahul . 16 February 2023 . Aero India 2023: SAMAR air-defence system ready for induction into IAF service . 2023-12-18 . Janes.com . en.
  9. News: 2023-12-17 . Indian Air Force successfully testfires 'SAMAR' air defence missile system at Exercise Astrashakti . The Times of India . 2023-12-18 . 0971-8257.
  10. Web site: Negi . Manjeet . 17 December 2023 . Air Force carries out successful trials of SAMAR air defence missile system . 2023-12-19 . India Today . en.
  11. News: 2024-02-17 . Watch: India's SAMAR air defence missile system in action and here's all about it . 2024-02-18 . The Economic Times . 0013-0389.
  12. Web site: 2024-08-13 . India ready to test new SAMAR 2 air defence system . 2024-08-13 . Hindustan Times.
  13. News: India Has Successfully Upgraded Air Defense to Use the R-27 And R-73 Missiles . 18 December 2023 . Defence Express . 16 February 2023.