Sea-skimming salvo: NASM-SR is India's own deadly naval spear

The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) along with the Indian Navy has achieved a remarkable milestone by successfully conducting the first-ever salvo launch of the Naval Anti-ship Missile-Short Range (NASM-SR) from a Navy helicopter near the Bay of Bengal coast in Odisha.

A salvo launch simply means firing two missiles one after another in quick succession from the same platform. This is the first time such an advanced air-launched anti-ship missile system has been tested in this manner, making it a proud moment for India's defence sector.

The NASM-SR is India's first fully home-built missile that can be launched from an aircraft or helicopter to attack enemy warships. What makes it truly special is its sea-skimming ability, meaning it flies extremely close to the sea surface to escape enemy radar detection.

Imagine a missile gliding just above the waves, almost invisible to the enemy's eyes -- that is exactly how this missile travels. It can strike targets up to 55 km away and works on a "fire-and-forget" system. Once launched, the missile uses its own intelligence to locate and destroy the target without any further guidance from the pilot. It is built to operate in any weather, day or night, making it dependable in real war situations.

All the test goals were successfully accomplished, with data collected through radar, electro-optical systems, and telemetry at the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur. Apart from proving its salvo launch capability, the missiles also showed they can strike a ship at the waterline -- the spot where the ship meets the sea. Hitting this weak point can cause maximum damage and sink the ship much faster.

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The test was witnessed by senior DRDO scientists, officers from the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, and Development-cum-Production Partners (DcPP), who play a crucial role in manufacturing.

The missile uses a solid booster for its initial push at launch and a long-burn engine to keep it flying for a longer time. Inside, it carries several smart systems -- a seeker to find the target, an integrated avionics module which works like the missile's brain, and an advanced navigation system using a fibre-optic gyroscope-based Inertial Navigation System and radio-altimeter.

These help the missile know its exact position, direction, and height above the sea. It also has a high-speed two-way data link to share information during flight and jet-vane control to steer accurately. The most exciting part is that all these advanced parts have been developed entirely within India by DRDO labs and Indian industries, making it a true symbol of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' or self-reliant India.

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The missile has been developed by the Research Center Imarat in Hyderabad in partnership with other DRDO laboratories -- Defence Research & Development Laboratory (Hyderabad), High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (Pune), Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (Chandigarh), and ITR Chandipur.

The actual manufacturing is being done by Development-cum-Production Partners (DcPP) along with Indian industries and start-ups, giving a big boost to the local defence ecosystem.

The NASM missile will serve as India's own cost-effective option in place of expensive foreign missiles like Naval Strike, Marte ER, and Sea Venom. Buying these from other countries costs a lot of money, but with NASM-SR, India saves crores of rupees while also developing its own technology.

According to DRDO, the missile weighs around 380 kg and will first be deployed on Indian Navy Sea King helicopters, replacing the older Sea Eagle missiles. Since Sea King helicopters are aging and nearing retirement, this new indigenous missile is expected to be fitted on future Navy helicopters too, giving India a long-term strategic advantage.

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This successful test is more than just a missile launch -- it is proof that India is steadily becoming a powerful and self-reliant nation in defence technology. With every such achievement, the country moves closer to standing tall among the world's top military powers, while also inspiring upcoming generations to dream big in science and innovation.