The Indian Navy's latest indigenous guided missile destroyer, INS Surat, successfully destroyed a sea-skimming target in a precision cooperative engagement exercise conducted in the Arabian Sea.

This achievement marks a significant milestone in strengthening India's naval defence capabilities and underscores the nation's commitment to self-reliance in defence manufacturing under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

INS Surat, the fourth and final ship of the P15B Guided Missile Destroyer Project, is among the largest and most sophisticated destroyers globally, with 75% indigenous content and equipped with state-of-the-art weapon-sensor packages and advanced network-centric capabilities.

The precision cooperative engagement exercise involves the sharing of unfiltered sensor measurement data among combat systems with rapid timing and high precision, allowing battlegroup units to operate as a cohesive entity.

This capability enhances the Navy's operational effectiveness by enabling coordinated targeting and engagement of threats, such as sea-skimming missiles, which fly close to the sea surface to avoid detection.

The missile used in this test was the Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MR-SAM), jointly developed with Israel, which has an interception range of approximately 70 kilometers and is highly effective against aerial threats including surface-to-surface missiles.

The successful test firing of this missile by INS Surat demonstrates India's growing prowess in indigenous warship design, development, and operational readiness.

Precision cooperative engagement refers to allowing combat systems to share unfiltered sensor measurements data associated with tracks with rapid timing and precision to enable battlegroup units to operate as a cohesive unit.

This naval exercise was conducted just two days after a deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam region, which resulted in the deaths of 25 Indian and one Nepali tourist. The timing of the exercise sends a strong strategic message amid heightened tensions with Pakistan, which has been linked to the terrorist attack.

The Indian Navy's demonstration of advanced missile capabilities and cooperative engagement reflects a robust response to regional security challenges and signals India's resolve to safeguard its maritime interests and national security.

Agencies