Very Short-Range Air Defence System | 07 Feb 2025
The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully completed three successive flight trials of the Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) off the Odisha coast.
- VSHORADS: It is a man-portable system developed by Research Center Imarat in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories.
- It is lightweight, and has a maximum range of 8 km and can engage targets at altitudes of up to 4.5 km.
- The system has the ability to neutralize aerial threats, including drones, flying at very low altitudes and high speeds.
- It is designed to meet the needs of all three branches of the Indian Armed Forces: the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
- The VSHORADS missile incorporates advanced technologies like the miniaturized Reaction Control System (RCS) (a system used for attitude control) and integrated avionics (missile control and navigation), successfully tested for neutralizing low-altitude aerial threats.
- Importance: The VSHORADS system is a critical air defence tool, offering close protection against aerial threats in battlefield scenarios.
- It is especially vital in combating the emerging threat of drones and other loitering munitions, which are increasingly used in modern warfare.