How DRDO's 8×2 Truck-Mounted System for VL-SRSAM will Boost IAF's Defence Against Low Altitude Aerial Threats

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has achieved a significant milestone in bolstering India's air defence capabilities with the successful fabrication of an 8×2 truck-mounted system for the Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VL-SRSAM).

Initially conceived for the Indian Navy, this versatile system is now being adapted for deployment by the Indian Air Force (IAF), promising to significantly enhance their defence against low-altitude aerial threats.

The VL-SRSAM is a quick-reaction, low-level surface-to-air missile system designed to counter a wide array of airborne threats, including aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones, and precision-guided munitions. Its proficiency in engaging targets at low altitudes makes it an invaluable asset in today's complex air defence landscape.

While originally developed for the Indian Navy to replace the aging Barak 1 surface-to-air missile system on frontline warships, the VL-SRSAM's adaptability has paved the way for its integration into the IAF's defence strategy. For the Navy, it acts as a robust inner air defence shield, significantly improving the survivability of naval vessels in hostile environments.

The IAF intends to leverage the Air Force variant of the VL-SRSAM to provide crucial protection for frontline air bases and other vital fixed assets. Working in tandem with the Akash-Mk1 Air Defence system, the VL-SRSAM will create a layered and formidable defence network, capable of countering a wide spectrum of aerial threats.

 

[beencensured]

So, Sixteen missiles mounted on a Truck base gives more missiles then Akash se per truck. CIWS are also necessary with laser/dews to protect against drones/ projectiles which many are generally too cheap to use missiles.
The airforce version vlsrsam might become formidable weapons system. It being canister based is better.

 

[sanket]

VL-SR SAM with Akash-NG will b good combination for for IAF .

 

[Frank]

We need QRSAM to complete...

QRSAM dead line was 2018...now it's 2024...

So frustrating....

Plus we Need CIWS and lasers based anti drone system..
Plus we EW system...
Why can't Ambani, adani tata mahindra not produce these??

 

[Satya Dev]

Per Wiki it's operational range is 80kms - so why call it SR (Short Range)?

 

[Sunny]

So where dose this leave the QRSAM, will only Army induct it? Also is QRSAM superior to the VL-SRSAM. If not then it's better to standardize on VL-SRSAM and abandon QRSAM as both seem to fill the same role.

 

[Superpower Bharat]

So where dose this leave the QRSAM, will only Army induct it? Also is QRSAM superior to the VL-SRSAM. If not then it's better to standardize on VL-SRSAM and abandon QRSAM as both seem to fill the same role.

QRSAM can be fired on the move. It's reaction time is much low than VLSRSAM. Army needs it for protection of forward moving army. And again like nowadays nature we export it before our army inducted...

 

[Sunny]

QRSAM can be fired on the move. It's reaction time is much low than VLSRSAM. Army needs it for protection of forward moving army. And again like nowadays nature we export it before our army inducted...

Maybe it can be fired on the move, but I doubt about the reaction time. The VLSAM is designed for the Navy where reaction time is critical to defend against AShM.

 

[Superpower Bharat]

Maybe it can be fired on the move, but I doubt about the reaction time. The VLSAM is designed for the Navy where reaction time is critical to defend against AShM.

A naval ship can see AShM atleast from 20 km away... But in hills u see a missile coming towards u depends on the landscape infront of you... So reaction time will be much less than a ship..

 

[Sunny]

A naval ship can see AShM atleast from 20 km away... But in hills u see a missile coming towards u depends on the landscape infront of you... So reaction time will be much less than a ship..

VLSAM is designed to engage supersonic AShM. Even if seen from 20km a supersonic AShM will reach it's target quicker than any subsonic drone or loitering munition.

But till DRDO releases any actual specifications we cannot get a correct answer.

 

[Praveen]

Per Wiki it's operational range is 80kms - so why call it SR (Short Range)?

In fact it is designed as short range system but when testing it has gone upto 50km and 20km in altitude, so it is a medium range sam. The 80km range shown on the wiki is the range of astra mk1 missile on head on chase. Nobody cares about that.

 

[Praveen]

We need QRSAM to complete...

QRSAM dead line was 2018...now it's 2024...

So frustrating....

Plus we Need CIWS and lasers based anti drone system..
Plus we EW system...
Why can't Ambani, adani tata mahindra not produce these??

The reason is - testing. The army will test a system till eternity until the drdo gets frustrated and drop the project altogether. Then it will select a foreign version - iron dome system from israel.

 

[Frank]

The reason is - testing. The army will test a system till eternity until the drdo gets frustrated and drop the project altogether. Then it will select a foreign version - iron dome system from israel.

Possible Or DRDO can't make a decent product

Nag ATGM is 30 years late... 30 fukking years...

Who is to blame for this??

 

[Superpower Bharat]

VLSAM is designed to engage supersonic AShM. Even if seen from 20km a supersonic AShM will reach it's target quicker than any subsonic drone or loitering munition.

But till DRDO releases any actual specifications we cannot get a correct answer.

So you mean for our land target our enemy will use only subsonic projectiles... 🤣🤣🤣 No MLRS or air launch missiles... Very good analysis..

 

[Sunny]

So you mean for our land target our enemy will use only subsonic projectiles... 🤣🤣🤣 No MLRS or air launch missiles... Very good analysis..

QRSAM is not designed to intercept MLRS. Only Israeli Iron Dome has that capability. There are supersonic missiles but their effectiveness will depend on the landscape and the reaction time provided to QRSAM.

Like I said DRDO has not released any actual engagement specifications, so how did you do your exceptional analysis.

 

[abhinav srivastava]

VL-SR SAM with Akash-NG will b good combination for for IAF .

Aren't its specs better than Akash?. Why would forces need Akash once they have VL-SRSAM?. Is it costlier than Akash?.

 

[Dredd]

Aren't its specs better than Akash?. Why would forces need Akash once they have VL-SRSAM?. Is it costlier than Akash?.

each Astra missile costs more than $1million , Akash costs 1/3rd of that.

 

[Sridhar]

shooting down helicopters , low flying fighter jet ok. But using against IAV is an expensive affair. Instead design and develop ba new SPAAG with 30 MM cannons.

 

[Praveen]

Possible Or DRDO can't make a decent product

Nag ATGM is 30 years late... 30 fukking years...

Who is to blame for this??

Don't get frustrated bro. Almost every system developed in domestic gets rejected for one lousy reason after another. The main reason is Import Army And Import Airforce never selects any domestic products at all. They only prefer foreign things. When it comes to SAM system most of the missiles are s-125 from Russia, very old and bad , they don't think about replacing it for newer powerful systems. They think it's okay as long as they can get few s-400 and akash to protect some important assets. Then they gets comfortable with it. VL-SRSAM is solely developed for Navy and funded by Navy too. They needed it very badly because buying the garbage Barak 1 is too pricey, even barak 8 is not good enough. So they think of replacing it altogether well atleast barak 1. They even sent a retired ship to drdo so that they can modify the ship to fit the vertical launcher and test them. But such support is not given by army and airforce. Army even thinks of going to frontline with tractors and ATGMs. If one does not accept something, no matter how much effort you put in , it will go waste. You should also know only if the products are mass produced in large quantities can the cost be kept down but the guys do the opposite. Only with HAL and Navy is always be disagreement going on.

Bro QRSAM's development is complete. It's Radar, missile, Launcher, command unit , etc . Everything has been completed and testing is also done from drdo side too. Now it's the testing of army and airforce. But from the way I see airforce is also disappointed with the delay from army side, so they switched to VL-SRSAM.
infact there was a post about making the launcher lighter before 2 to 3 months in this same website. The speed of progress of this project is very quick. Don't expect any response from the army anymore they are a complete disappointment. Army is always giving some unreasonable requirements for no reason. Take the FMBT project as an example, they need an autoloader, and at the same time manual loading is also needed. The tank should have maximum protection even better than the current kanchan armour, so on and forth taken from the capabilities of every MBTs currently available and the ongoing projects worldwide. After having all that the tank should also have only a weight of 50 tons. They won't give enough funding for the project, they will give you bunch of ridiculous requirements even halfway, at the end reject them outright, who will work with them. The way they are doing currently, they are consuming the patience of Private companies also. After some more of such fiasco even private companies will also be afraid of working with them.

Just the NAMICA is redesigned many times and even it's prototypes are done many times but still getting rejected. Nag testing is done more than decade ago. If army is not accepting it , then what can drdo do. It can't form an separate army and sell it to them.

 

[The_rED_dEVIL]

VL-SR SAM with Akash-NG will b good combination for for IAF .

And maybe... Akash NG (>40 km) and VL SRSAM (80 km) may imply Alvida to the troubled QR SAM (30 km) of IA