NEW DELHI, Dec 7: India on Tuesday successfully flight tested the indigenously developed new Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VLSRSAM), Defence Research and Defence Organisation (DRDO) officials said.
The quick reaction surface-to-air-missile developed by DRDO was test launched from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur on the Odisha coast at about 3.08 pm from a vertical launcher against an electronic target at a very low altitude.
The flight path of the missile along with its health parameters were monitored using a number of tracking instruments deployed by ITR, Chandipur. All the sub-systems performed as per expectation and the test launch was monitored by senior DRDO and Indian Navy officials, the DRDO said. The missile has an operational range of 50 to 60 km and features mid-course inertial guidance through fiber optic gyroscope and active radar homing in terminal phase, it said.
The launch was conducted to validate integrated operation of all weapon system components including the vertical launcher unit with controller, canisterised flight vehicle, weapon control system and others required for future launches of the missile from Indian Naval ships. The first trial was conducted on February 22, 2021 and Tuesday’s fight test was a confirmatory trial to prove the consistent performance of the configuration and integrated operation, it said.
“RM Shri @rajnathsigh has congratulated @DRDO_India, @indianavy and industry for the successful flight test of Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile. He said that this system would further enhance defence capability of Indian naval Ships against aerial threats,” RMO (defence ministry) India said in its official twitter post.
Secretary to the department of defence research and development and DRDO chairman G Satheesh Reddy complimented the teams involved in the successful flight test and said this had paved the way for integration of the weapon system onboard Indian Naval Ships.
The Balasore district administration as a safety measure temporarily shifted more than 4,500 people residing within 2.5 km radius of the launch pad No 3 of the ITR from where the weapon with a dummy pay load was positioned and launched.
(Manas Dasgupta)