Ship-propelled Weapon System VL-SRSAM successfully flight tested off Odisha coast
Indigenously developed ship-borne weapon system, Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) was successfully flight test fired by Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Indian Navy off the coast of Chandipur in Odisha on Friday.
The VL-SRSAM system is designed to attack high-speed air targets at a range of 40 km to 50 km and an altitude of about 15 km.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and Indian Navy on the success of the mission. “Congratulations to DRDO, Indian Navy and Industry for the successful flight test of Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile off the coast of Chandipur, Odisha. This success will further enhance the defense capability of Indian Navy ships against aerial threats,” he tweeted.
Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and DRDO Chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy lauded the teams involved in the successful flight test.
DRDO officials have said that its design is based on the Astra missile, which is a Beyond Visual Range air-to-air missile. The two key features of VL-SRSAM are cruciform wings and thrust vectoring.
The major DRDO facilities that contributed to the development of the system are the Defense Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) and Research Center Imaran (RCI), both from Hyderabad, and the Research and Development Establishment (Engineer) located in Pune. VL-SRSAM is a canisterized system, which means it is stored and operated from specially designed compartments. In the canister, the environment inside is controlled, thus easing its transportation and storage and improving the shelf life of weapons.