India test-fires long range surface-to-air missile developed with Israel

NEW DELHI: India successfully test-fired on Wednesday a new long range surface-to-air missile capable of countering aerial threats at extended ranges, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushes to enhance the country's military capabilities.

India, which shares borders with nuclear-armed China and Pakistan, is likely to spend $250 billion over the next decade to upgrade its military.

It is the world's biggest buyer of defense equipment but Modi is trying to build a defense industrial base in the country to cut overseas purchases.

The test-firing of the missile system, jointly developed by India and Israel, was carried out by warship INS Kolkata, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement said.

Defense industry told Reuters last year that the value of the Barak 8 project was $1.4 billion.

The aerial defense system includes a radar for detection, tracking and missile guidance.

Only a small club of countries including the United States, France, Britain and Israel possess such capability, a Defence Research and Development Organization spokesman said.

Israel is one of India's top three arms suppliers, delivering items such as missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

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