Boosting defence against aerial threats: VSHORADS successfully tested in 3 flight trials; know key features
India on Saturday successfully conducted three consecutive flight trials of the Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) from Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha.
FollowNew Delhi: India on Saturday successfully conducted three consecutive flight trials of the Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) from Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha.
The tests, carried out by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), were attended by senior officials from the armed forces as well as the system’s development and production partners.
“These tests were carried out against high-speed targets flying at very low altitude,” an official said.
During all the three flight-tests, “the missiles intercepted and completely destroyed the targets having reduced thermal signature mimicking low flying drones at different flying conditions.”
The flight tests were conducted in the final deployment configuration, where two field operators were responsible for weapon readiness, target acquisition, and missile firing.
Flight data collected through various range instruments, including Telemetry, Electro-Optical Tracking System, and Radar from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, confirmed the missile's "pinpoint accuracy" and demonstrated the unique capability of the VSHORADS system in neutralizing drones as well as other types of aerial threats.
All about VSHORADS: Key features decoded
VSHORADS is an indigenously developed Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPADS) created by the Research Center Imarat in collaboration with various DRDO laboratories and development partners. The system is designed to meet the air defence requirements of all three branches of the Indian Armed Forces: the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
In October 2024, DRDO successfully conducted three flight tests of the advanced, miniaturized 4th-generation VSHORADS at the Pokhran Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan. The missile system’s development is now complete, and two production agencies have been engaged in its production under the Development cum Production Partner (DcPP) model.
The Indian Army, which has been looking to replace the Russian-origin Igla systems, had faced challenges in this regard. As a result, the Army had to procure small volumes of the Igla-S through emergency procurement.
VSHORADS, powered by a dual-thrust solid motor, boasts a range of up to 6 km. Its lightweight, man-portable design makes it ideal for rapid deployment in challenging terrains, such as the mountainous regions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, particularly in countering air threats from China.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, along with Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, congratulated DRDO scientists, the Armed Forces, and industry partners on the successful flight tests, calling it a significant achievement.
subscribe to Asianet Newsable WhatsApp channel by clicking here.- Arunachal Pradesh
- Chandipur
- China
- DRDO
- DRDO scientists
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
- Defence Research & Development Organisation
- Dr. Samir V. Kamat
- Electro-Optical Tracking System
- Igla systems
- India
- Indian Army
- Line of Actual Control
- Odisha
- Radar
- Research Center Imarat
- Telemetry
- VSHORADS
- aerial threats
- dual-thrust solid motor
- eastern Ladakh
- field operators
- flight trials
- high-speed targets
- low altitude
- low flying drones
- man-portable air defence system
- missile
- missile firing
- pinpoint accuracy
- range of 6 km
- successful flight tests
- target acquisition
- thermal signature
