India test-flies very short-range air-defence system

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) test-flies a very short-range air-defence system missile in Odisha on 14 March 2023. The missile has a length of 2 m, a diameter of 0.09 m, and a weight of 21 kg. (DRDO)

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has completed two flight tests of its very short-range air-defence system (VSHORADS) missiles, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

According to a press release by the MoD on 14 March, the tests were conducted from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur off India's northeastern coast in Odisha. A DRDO official told Janes on 15 March that the flight tests were development trials.

The MoD said that the flight tests were carried out from a ground-based manportable launcher against high-speed unmanned aerial targets, mimicking approaching and receding aircraft. “The targets were successfully intercepted, meeting all mission objectives,” the MoD added.

VSHORADS is a manportable air defence system (MANPADS) designed and developed indigenously by DRDO and Indian industry partners.

According to the DRDO, VSHORADS is a fourth-generation weapon system equipped with a dual-thrust rocket propulsion system and an imaging infrared seeker-based system. The missile has a length of 2 m, a diameter of 0.09 m, and a weight of 21 kg, and it incorporates technologies such as a miniaturised reaction control system (RCS) and integrated avionics.

The missile, capable of carrying a pre-fragmentation warhead of up to 2 kg, can strike a target within a range of 6 km in about 15−20 seconds and has a speed of Mach 1.5. It can be launched up to an altitude of 3.5 km and is equipped with a digitally controlled electromechanical actuator.