Bhubaneswar, Aug 23 (IANS): The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy successfully flight tested the vertical launch short range surface-to-air missile (VL-SRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha on Tuesday.

The flight test was carried out from an Indian Naval Ship against a high-speed unmanned aerial target for demonstration of vertical launch capability. The missiles, equipped with indigenous Radio Frequency (RF) seeker, intercepted the target with high accuracy, the defence ministry said in a statement.

The VL-SRSAM system has been indigenously designed and developed by DRDO.

During the test launch, flight path and vehicle performance parameters were monitored using flight data, captured by various range instruments such as radar, electro-optical tracking system (EOTS) and telemetry systems deployed by ITR, Chandipur, it said.

The launch was monitored by senior scientists from various DRDO labs involved in the design and development of the system such as Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad and R&D Engineers, Pune.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented the DRDO, Indian Navy and associated teams on the successful flight trial of VL-SRSAM and said that the missile will prove to be a force multiplier for the Indian Navy.

DRDO chairman G. Satheesh Reddy also congratulated the teams involved in the successful flight test and said that the trial has proved the effectiveness of the weapon system. It will further strengthen the Indian Navy for neutralising various aerial threats at close ranges, including sea-skimming targets, he added.