New Delhi, Aug 23 (Agency) The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy on Tuesday successfully flight tested a Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off the coast of Odisha. The test was carried out from an Indian naval ship against a high-speed unmanned aerial target for demonstration of vertical launch capability, the Defence Ministry said. The missiles, equipped with indigenous Radio Frequency seeker, intercepted the target with high accuracy. The VL-SRSAM system has been indigenously designed and developed by DRDO.
During the launch, the 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 and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad and R&D Engineers, Pune.Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has complimented the DRDO, the Indian 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 Indian Navy. The Secretary in the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO said it will further strengthen the Indian Navy for neutralising various aerial threats at close range including sea-skimming targets..