DRDO Conducts 3 Flight-Trials Of Very Short-Range Air Defence System Off Odisha Coast

Bhubaneswar: Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted three successive flight-trials of Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) off Chandipur coast in Odisha’s Balasore district.

The Ministry of Defence, in a press release on Saturday, said these tests were carried out against high-speed targets flying at very low altitude. 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 carried out in final deployment configuration where in two field operators carried out weapon readiness, target acquisition and missile firing. The flight data captured by various range instruments like Telemetry, Electro-Optical Tracking System and Radar deployed by Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, confirmed the pin-point accuracy and established the unique capability of VSHORADS missile system in neutralising drones along with other classes of aerial threats.

The flight-tests were witnessed by senior officials of DRDO, Armed Forces and development and production partners.

VSHORADS is a Man Portable Air Defence system designed and developed indigenously by Research Centre Imarat in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and Development-cum-Production Partners. The missile system has the capability to meet the needs of all the three branches of the Armed Forces.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, Armed Forces and the industries for the successful flight tests, terming it as a great success, the release stated.