India Successfully Test-Fires Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-To-Air Missile

 New Delhi: On Tuesday 7 December, the vertical launch short-range surface-to-air missile was successfully tested from an integrated test range at Chandipur off the coast of Odisha by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The Ministry of Defence informed that the launch was carried out from a vertical launcher against an electronic target which was placed at a very low altitude. 

The Defence Ministry said in a statement that the flight path of the vehicle, along with health parameters, were monitored using a number of tracking instruments that were deployed by ITR, Chandipur. It also added that all subsystems performed as per expectations.

Senior officials of the DRDO and the Indian Navy monitored this successful test launch. The first trial was conducted on February 22, 2021, and this is a confirmatory trial to prove the consistent performance of the configuration and integrated operation," said the defence ministry statement.

Defence Minister Rajanth Singh has congratulated the DRDO and the Indian Navy for the successful test launch and expressed his satisfaction. He also said that the integration of this weapons system will further boost the defence capability of Indian Warships against aerial threats.

Dr G Satheesh Reddy, the chairman of the DRDO has praised the teams involved in the successful flight test and also said that it has paved way for the integration of weapon systems onboard Indian naval ships. 

Of late, New Delhi has been increasing its stockpile of missiles and thereby improving its arsenal. On June 2, DRDO successfully test-fired the Prithvi - II missile, a tactical surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile at the integrated test range at Chandipur in Odisha. It has been indigenously built and is capable of delivering nuclear warheads of up to 1,000 kg.

Earlier, Agni -V, a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) having a range of around 5,000 to 8,000 km was also tested by the DRDO and successfully inducted into India's arsenal of missiles. 

However, India has not limited its nuclear arsenal to only ballistic missiles. It has also developed the BrahMos, a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land. It also happens to be one of the fastest supersonic cruise missiles in the world.

This is a part of PM Modi's efforts to strengthen India's overall defence capabilities and make it a global player. The PM also aspires to make India a self-reliant nation in defence. 

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