Pune: India's defence system has received a significant enhancement as the Indian Air Force developed the second generation of the SAMAR missile system. Utilizing old Russian-origin R-27 air-to-air missile systems from its inventory, the IAF has developed the SAMAR-2 indigenously.

According to Air Marshal Vibhas Pande, SAMAR 2 represents the next iteration of the missile system. He highlights that the primary objective of this endeavour is to maximize the utility of expiring missiles by integrating them into an effective air defence system.

"This is just a demonstration of how we can integrate the R27 missile into the Samar system. This is a capability demonstration of the Indian Air Force that within its own intellect and capability, in association with the industry, we can develop a system in-house and in future, we will be able to integrate any other missile also for ensuring that our air defence system becomes stronger and stronger," Maintenance Command chief tol ANI.

SAMAR-2 is an air defense system developed by the Indian Air Force (IAF). It stands for "Surface to Air Missile for Assured Retaliation". The SAMAR-2 uses old Russian-origin R-27 air-to-air missile systems from the IAF's inventory.

The IAF's 7 Base Repair Depot Tughlakabad (BRD) developed the SAMAR system by repurposing old Russian-origin air-to-air missile systems. The IAF has carried out successful firing trials of the SAMAR system during the Astrashakti 2023 exercise at Suryalanka Air Force Station in Andhra Pradesh.