India Achieves Major Milestone: VSHORADS Flight Trials Succeed in Odisha
DRDO's VSHORADS intercepts high-speed targets in three successful trials off Odisha.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted three successive flight trials of the Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) off the coast of Chandipur.
The trials, announced by the Ministry of Defence on Friday, were designed to revalidate the missile system's capability to neutralise high-speed aerial threats at varying speeds, ranges, and altitudes. In each test, the missiles intercepted and destroyed high-speed aerial targets simulating enemy aircraft under diverse threat scenarios, achieving all critical engagement parameters. The tests were performed in the final deployment configuration, with target acquisition and missile firing handled by field operators.
The VSHORADS is an indigenously developed man-portable air defence system, designed and produced by DRDO's Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and Indian industry partners. It serves as a fourth-generation, shoulder-launched weapon aimed at providing troops with effective protection against low-flying aerial threats such as drones, helicopters, and fighter jets in close-quarters combat.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO team, armed forces personnel, and industry collaborators on the achievement via social media. He described the successful trials as a significant milestone, noting that the system is poised for early induction into the armed forces, enhancing India's layered air defence capabilities amid evolving regional security challenges.
These trials build on previous developmental tests of the VSHORADS and underscore India's push for self-reliance in defence technology through the "Make in India" initiative. The Integrated Test Range at Chandipur remains a key facility for validating missile systems, with performance data captured through advanced radars and electro-optical tracking instruments. The successful outcomes are expected to accelerate the system's operational deployment, strengthening ground-based air defence for the Indian Army.
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