A flight test was conducted against a fast unmanned aerial target from an Indian naval ship

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

According to information provided by the Ministry of Defence, a flight test was conducted from an Indian Naval Ship against a fast unmanned aerial target to demonstrate the vertical launch capability. The missiles accurately intercepted the target thanks to their built-in radio frequency (RF) seeker. The DRDO developed and designed the VL-SRSAM system entirely on its own.

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 (EOTS) 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 congratulated the DRDO, the Indian Navy, and associated teams for the successful VL-SRSAM's flight test and said that the missile will help the Indian Navy become more powerful.

Secretary of Defence R&D and the Chairman of DRDO stated that the experiment had demonstrated the weapon system's efficacy. It will further strengthen the Indian Navy for neutralising various aerial threats at close ranges including sea-skimming targets, he added.