The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy have successfully conducted the maiden salvo launch of the Naval Anti-ship Missile-Short Range (NASM-SR) from a Navy helicopter platform off the coast of the Bay of Bengal in Odisha.
During the trial, two missiles were launched in quick succession from the same helicopter, marking the first-ever salvo launch of an advanced air-launched anti-ship missile system.
The Ministry of Defence, in a statement, said, “All test objectives were fully met as per the data captured using various range tracking instruments like radar, electro-optical system, and telemetry deployed by the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur.”
It added that, along with proving the salvo-launch capability, the missiles demonstrated the waterline hit capability, meaning that the missile can precisely strike a target ship at the waterline, where the hull meets the water, maximising structural damage and the likelihood of sinking the vessel.
The test launches were witnessed by senior scientists from DRDO, Users’ representatives from the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, and Development-cum-Production Partners (DcPP).
The NASM-SR uses a solid propulsion booster and long-burn sustainer, the statement added.
Its critical subsystems, including the seeker, integrated avionics module, advanced navigation and guidance using a fibre-optic gyroscope-based Inertial Navigation System, radio-altimeter, advanced control and guidance algorithm, high-bandwidth two-way data link, and jet-vane control, have all been developed indigenously by DRDO laboratories and Indian industries.
The missile system has been developed by Hyderabad-based Research Center Imarat in collaboration with the Defence Research & Development Laboratory, Hyderabad; High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Pune; Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, Chandigarh; and ITR Chandipur.
The missiles are currently being produced by DcPP with support from other Indian industries and start-ups.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the Indian Navy, the Indian Air Force and the industry, including DcPP partners, on the successful maiden salvo launch, stating that the development of the missile system would further enhance the capabilities of the defence forces to a great extent.
Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO, Dr Samir V Kamat, also congratulated the teams associated with the successful salvo launches.