The Indian Navy has flight-tested its vertical launch short-range surface-to-air missile (VL-SRSAM) at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur.
The service achieved the milestone on August 23 with the Indian Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO).
During the test, the VL-SRSAM was launched from an Indian Navy Ship and intercepted a high-speed unmanned aerial target.
The missile, equipped with a radio frequency seeker, reportedly launched from the vessel as expected and engaged the target with precision.
Analysts from the DRDO, Research Centre Imarat, and R&D Engineers monitored the VL-SRSAM’s flight path and performance via flight data captured by an electro-optical tracking system, radar, and telemetry systems courtesy of the test range.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised the achievement and teams involved, saying that the VL-SRSAM “will prove to be a force multiplier for the Indian Navy.”
The trial has shown “the effectiveness of the weapon system” and that the weapon system “will further strengthen the Indian Navy for neutralizing various aerial threats at close ranges including sea-skimming targets,” the defense minister added.
Last June, DRDO and the Indian Navy carried out the VL-SRSAM’s initial flight test to clear it for Indian naval ship integration.