The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and the Indian Navy on Tuesday successfully test-fired the Vertical Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM).
The missile was test-fired from an Indian Navy ship off Odisha’s Chandipur coast. DRDO Radio officials have provided information in this regard. The VL-SRSAM missile is indigenously designed and developed for the Indian Air Force. According to DRDO officials, the missile has a range of about 15 kilometers.
The missile has the capability to engage various airspace threats at different ranges, including sea-skimming targets. The strategy of maritime skimming is used by various anti-ship missiles and some fighter jets to avoid being detected by radar on warships. Such missiles fly very close to the sea surface. All of these are difficult to detect and fail to target. The design of the VL-SRSAM is based on the Astra missile. It is a visual range air-to-air missile.
The two main features of this missile are the cruciform wing and thrust vectoring. Cruciform wings are four small wings arranged in a cross on all four sides, giving the projectile a stable position. Thrust vectoring helps to change the angular velocity and direction of the thruster controlling the missile from its engine.
A former Navy officer said that the Navy has to use various defense systems to protect ships from anti-ship missiles and anti-aircraft missiles. One of the older methods is chaffs. It is a countermeasures technique used around the world to protect naval vessels from enemy radar and radio frequency (RF) missiles.
Another way is to deploy missiles to counter anti-ship missiles. These systems should have fast detection systems, fast response, high speed and high maneuverability. VL-SRSAM missile has all these features.
