DRDO Successfully Tests VSHORAD System To Boost Air Defence Capabilities
DRDO conducts three consecutive successful user validation trials of the indigenous VSHORADS at Chandipur, marking a major boost to India’s short-range air defence capability. Image courtesy: RNA
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Friday (February 27, 2026) announced that it has successfully tested the indigenous VSHORADS for the three Indian armed forces to boost their air defence capabilities.
The Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) flight trials were held three times in succession, and all three tests were successful, a DRDO statement issued by the Press Information Bureau said.
The tests were conducted from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off the Odisha coast to revalidate the VSHORADS capability in neutralising high-speed threats flying at varying speeds, range, and altitude.
During the flight tests, the missiles intercepted and destroyed high-speed aerial targets mimicking enemy aircraft in various threat scenarios, meeting all extreme engagement points.
“The tests were carried out in the final deployment configuration, where field operators acquired targets and fired the missiles,” the statement said.
“The flight data captured by various range instruments like Telemetry, Electro-Optical Tracking System, and Radars deployed by ITR, Chandipur, validated the effectiveness of VSHORADS against a wide range of aerial threats,” it said.
These user validation flight trials were done in the presence of the representatives of Joint Forces, along with senior officials from DRDO and development-cum-production partners.
VSHORADS is a Man-Portable Air Defence System designed and developed indigenously by Research Centre Imarat in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and development-cum-production partners. The indigenously developed VSHORADS are suitable air defence weapons for the army, navy, and air force.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and DRDO Chairman and Department of Defence Research and Development Secretary Dr. Samir V. Kamat congratulated DRDO, the armed forces, and private industry for their achievement.
Rajnath Singh noted that the three consecutive successful flight trials of VSHORADS are a great success. He said the system can soon be inducted into the armed forces.
