The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy achieved a significant milestone on Friday, with their Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VLSRSAM). The successful test launch, conducted from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha, marks the second consecutive success for the missile. It successfully intercepted a high-speed aerial target flying at a very low altitude, simulating a sea-skimming threat.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised the DRDO, the Indian Navy, and the associated teams for their continued success with the VL-SRSAM. He highlighted that this missile, equipped with advanced technologies, will further bolster the capabilities of the Armed Forces. The Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of the DRDO also extended congratulations to all teams involved in the flight tests for their back-to-back achievements with the VLSRSAM system.

The ministry said the test aimed to validate multiple updated elements of the weapon system, including the proximity fuse and seeker.

"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," the ministry said in a statement.