Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Off the coast of Odisha, India has successfully tested two variants of its very short-range air defence missile in flight. The examination days were Wednesday and Thursday.
“The DRDO conducted two successful flight tests of Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missiles on February 28 and 29 from a ground-based portable launcher off the coast of Odisha from integrated test range, Chandipur,” the defence ministry said.
The experiments were conducted under various interception scenarios against fast-moving unmanned aerial targets. According to the ministry, “the targets were intercepted and destroyed by the missiles during all the test flights, meeting the mission objectives.” The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) laboratories, Research Centre Imarat (RCI), and Indian industry partners collaborated to design and build VSHORADS, a man-portable air defense system.
The missile incorporates many novel technologies, including a miniaturised reaction control system (RCS) and integrated avionics, which have been successfully proven during the tests, the ministry said in a statement. “The missile is propelled by a dual-thrust solid motor and meant for neutralising low-altitude aerial threats at short ranges. The design of the missile including launcher has been highly optimised to ensure easy portability,” it added. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO and the Indian Army for the successful development trials and said the new missile, equipped with modern technologies, will give further technological boost to the armed forces.
