DRDO, Navy successfully test new missile to tackle threats at sea

New Delhi, August 23

The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy successfully flight tested Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha on Tuesday.

The VL-SRSAM, once inducted, will help the Navy neutralising various aerial threats at close ranges including sea-skimming missiles.

A VL-SRSAM is designed to hit targets 40-45 kms away and it can travel at speed greater than speed of sound.

The flight test was carried out from a Naval Ship against a high-speed unmanned aerial target for demonstration of vertical launch capability. The missiles, equipped with indigenous Radio Frequency (RF) seeker, intercepted the target with high accuracy, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The VL-SRSAM system has been indigenously designed and developed by DRDO.

During the test launch, flight path and vehicle performance parameters were monitored using flight data, captured by various range instruments such as Radar, Electro-optical tracking system and Telemetry systems deployed by ITR, Chandipur. The launch was monitored by senior scientists from various DRDO labs involved in the design and development of the system such as Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad and R&D Engineers, Pune.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has complimented DRDO, Navy and associated teams on the successful flight trial of VL-SRSAM and stated that the missile will prove to be a force multiplier for the Navy.