Context: Recently, the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted three successive flight trials of Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) from Chandipur, Odisha.
About VSHORADS
- It is a fourth-generation, man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) designed and developed indigenously by Research Centre Imarat (RCI), a research lab under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
- It is propelled by a dual-thrust solid motor and is meant for neutralizing anti-aircraft warfare and low-altitude aerial threats at short ranges.
- Its design, including the launcher, has been highly optimized to ensure easy mobility.
- It can meet the needs of all three branches of the armed forces — the Army, Navy and the Air Force.
Features:
| Specification | Details |
| Mass | 20.5 kg (45 lb) |
| Length | 2.00 metres (6 ft 7 in) |
| Diameter | 90 mm (3.5 in) |
| Wingspan | 32 cm (13 in) |
| Warhead | 2.0 kg (4.4 lb) |
| Operational Range | 250 m (820 ft) – 6 km (20,000 ft) |
| Flight Altitude | 3,500 m (11,500 ft) |
| Maximum Speed | Mach 1.5 (1,852 km/h) |
| Launch Platform | Shoulder-launched, Tripod weapon system |