VSHORADS during one of its three test-firings. (Photo: DRDO)
New Delhi: India has achieved a significant milestone in its defence capabilities with three consecutive successful flight trials of its very short-range air-defence system (VSHORADS) conducted at Chandipur, Odisha, on Saturday.
The Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) orchestrated the trials, which were observed by senior military officials and key development partners. The tests specifically targeted high-velocity objects travelling at extremely low altitudes, which demonstrated the system’s effectiveness against modern aerial threats.
During each trial, the missiles successfully intercepted and neutralized targets specifically designed to simulate low-flying drones with minimal thermal signatures. The tests were conducted under realistic deployment scenarios, with two field operators managing the entire sequence from weapon preparation to target acquisition and missile launch.
Various sophisticated monitoring systems, including telemetry equipment, electro-optical tracking systems, and radar installations at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, confirmed the system’s exceptional precision. The data collected validated VSHORADS’s unique capability to counter both drone threats and conventional aerial targets.
Technical Specifications and Development
VSHORADS, an indigenously developed man-portable air-defence system, as India Sentinels had reported before, represents a collaborative effort between Research Center Imarat and other DRDO laboratories, alongside development and production partners. The versatile system has been engineered to serve all three military branches – the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.
The system’s development phase has concluded, with two production agencies now engaged under the development-cum-production partner framework. Powered by a dual-thrust solid motor, VSHORADS boasts an operational range of six kilometres.
The system’s lightweight, portable design makes it particularly suitable for rapid deployment in mountainous terrain, specifically along the line of actual control (LAC) with China in eastern Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. This development is particularly significant as the Army seeks to phase out its ageing Russian-made Igla systems, having previously secured limited quantities of Igla-S through emergency procurement channels.
Previous successful trials of this fourth-generation, technically sophisticated system were conducted at the Pokhran Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan in October 2024, as India Sentinels had reported.
The defence minister, Rajnath Singh, and the DRDO chairman, Dr Samir V Kamat, lauded the achievement, highlighting its importance for India’s defence capabilities. The successful trials mark a significant advancement in India’s indigenous defence technology programme.
