India conducts VSHORADS flight trials

The DRDO flight tested its VSHORADS in its final deployment configuration on 1 February, the Indian MoD said. (PIB)

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has conducted additional flight trials of its very-short-range air-defence system (VSHORADS) to finalise deployment configuration of the weapon.

The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said three VSHORADS flight trials were conducted on 1 February from a ground-based portable launcher at DRDO's Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha, on India's east coast.

The MoD also indicated that the trials were used to validate planned deployments of the system. “The flight tests were carried out in final deployment configuration wherein two field operators carried out weapon readiness, target acquisition, and missile firing [tests],” it said. Previous VSHORADS trials carried out by DRDO in 2022 and 2024 likely used test configurations.

“During all the three flight tests, the missiles intercepted and completely destroyed the targets, having reduced thermal signature mimicking low-flying drones [unmanned aerial vehicles] at different flying conditions,” the MoD added.

According to the MoD, VSHORADS' performance was validated through flight data captured by tracking instruments, including electro-optical systems, radar, and telemetry stations based at the ITR.

“[The tracking instruments] confirmed the pinpoint accuracy and established the unique capability of [the] VSHORADS missile system in neutralising drones along with other classes of aerial threats,” the MoD said, commenting on VSHORADS' performance in the tests.

In January 2023 India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved in principle the procurement of VSHORADS missiles for the Indian Army. The Indian Army also issued a tender to procure an unknown number of VSHORADSs in June 2024. The tender sought to procure two variations of the VSHORAD – a manportable version and a vehicle-mounted version.