Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM)

Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM)

Subject – Science and Tech

Context – The Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) designed for Indian Naval warships was successfully flight tested earlier this week by India

Concept –

• VL-SRSAM has been designed and developed jointly by three facilities of the Defence Research and Development Organisation for deployment of Indian Naval warships.
• The missile has the capability of neutralising various aerial threats at close ranges including sea-skimming targets.
• The tactic of sea skimming is used by various anti-ship missiles and some fighter jets to avoid being detected by the radars onboard warships.
• For this, these assets fly as close as possible to sea surface and thus are difficult to detect and neutralise.
• RDO officials have said its design is based on Astra missile which is a Beyond Visual Range Air to Air missile.
• VL-SRSAM is a canisterised system, which means it is stored and operated from specially designed compartments.
  • In the canister, the inside environment is controlled, thus making its transport and storage easier and improving the shelf life of weapons