The VSHORADS

Blog Credit: Trupti Thakur

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The Very Short Range Air Defence System- VSHORADS

The Very Short Range Air Defence System, or VSHORADS, is a fourth-generation, man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS) developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI), a research lab under Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), located in Hyderabad. Multiple DRDO laboratories along with Indian Industry Partners are participating in the project. It is designed for anti-aircraft warfare and neutralising low-altitude aerial threats at short ranges.

Adani Defence and Aerospace is the Development-cum-Production Partner (DcPP) for the manufacturing of the VSHORAD system.

Development

The Indian Army has been using Igla-M since the 1980s. The system today is not well suited for evolving modern threats. In the year 2018, Russia’s Rosoboronexport came out victorious and was believed to have supplied $1.3 billion Igla-S missile system to the Indian Army.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is now reviewing and delaying the 9K338 Igla-S (SA-24 Grinch) systems under the Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) procurement to limit arm imports and support Make In India. Nevertheless, the Indian Army has deployed a limited quantity of Igla-S systems that were purchased under emergency procurement from Russia

DRDO grabbed this opportunity and started working on its short-range air defence or VSHORADS program. VSHORADS is designed and developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and Indian industry partners.

Design

The missile is propelled by a dual-thrust rocket motor and is made to take out low-flying targets. The missile and launcher are designed for easy portability.

VSHORAD missile incorporates integrated avionics and a miniaturized Reaction Control System (RCS) to increase mid-air manoeuvrability. The missile uses a state-of-art uncooled infrared imaging seeker.

In Short

• DRDO successfully conducts two flight tests of VHORADS
• VSHORADS is a indegenous Man Portable Air Defence System
• Tests were conducted on February 28 and 29 off Odisha’s Chandipur

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted two flight tests of the Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missile from the Integrated Test Range off Odisha’s Chandipur on February 28 and 29.

In a statement, the defence ministry said, “These tests were carried out against high-speed unmanned aerial targets under different interception scenarios. During all the test flights, the targets were intercepted and destroyed by the missiles, meeting the mission objectives.”

The VSHORADS is propelled by a dual-thrust solid motor and would be used for neutralising low-altitude aerial threats at short ranges.

Testing

VSHORAD missile test from a ground-based portable launcher.

On 27 September 2022, DRDO conducted two successful test flights of the VSHORAD missile from a ground-based portable launcher from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha. A Ministry of Defence statement read

On 14 March 2023, DRDO again conducted two consecutive successful flight tests of the VSHORADS missile at the ITR, Chandipur. The flight tests were carried out against high-speed unmanned aerial targets, mimicking approaching and receding aircraft. The targets were successfully intercepted, meeting all mission objectives.

On 28 and 29 February 2024, the third and fourth tests were successfully conducted. Officials from the Indian Army witnessed the test.

 

 

 

Blog By: Trupti Thakur