India has successfully conducted three consecutive flight-trials of its indigenous Very Short-Range Air Defence Missile System, marking a significant step towards strengthening close-range air defence capabilities and advancing indigenous missile development.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation carried out the trials at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha, where the missile system was tested against high-speed aerial targets under varied operational conditions.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the missiles successfully intercepted and destroyed aerial targets simulating enemy aircraft across different threat scenarios. The trials were conducted in the system’s final deployment configuration, with field operators performing target acquisition and missile launches, demonstrating readiness for operational use.
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Flight data collected through telemetry, electro-optical tracking systems, and radar instruments validated the system’s effectiveness against a wide spectrum of aerial threats. The user validation trials were conducted in the presence of representatives from the armed forces, along with DRDO officials and industry partners involved in development and production.
The Very Short-Range Air Defence Missile System is a man-portable air defence system developed indigenously by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and industry partners. It is designed to meet operational requirements across the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, enhancing short-range air defence coverage against hostile aircraft and aerial threats.
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the armed forces, and industry partners on the successful trials, stating that the achievement brings the system closer to induction into service. DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat also commended the teams involved in the missile’s design and development.
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