India successfully conducted the flight test of the Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur off the coast of Odisha state on Thursday.

The flight test conducted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy was carried out from a land-based vertical launcher, targeting a high-speed aerial target flying at a low altitude. The missile system successfully tracked and engaged the target, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

This test aimed to validate multiple updated elements of the weapon system; it said adding the performance of the system was meticulously tracked and confirmed by various instruments, such as the Radar Electro-Optical Tracking System and telemetry deployed at ITR Chandipur.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commended the teams from DRDO and the Indian Navy for their achievement, stating that this test reaffirms the reliability and effectiveness of the VL-SRSAM weapon system.

Samir V Kamat, Chairman, DRDO, and Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development, said the weapon system will significantly enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Navy and serve as a force multiplier.