Parliamentary Committee Reveals VL-SRSAM Missile Range Double Previous Estimates, Reaching 80 km

A recent report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has revealed that the Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) boasts a significantly longer range than previously estimated.

Contrary to earlier claims by the DRDO of a 30-40 km range, the committee's report confirms that the missile can actually strike targets up to 80 km away.

Developed specifically for the Indian Navy, the VL-SRSAM is a critical component of its air defence strategy. It is designed to neutralize a variety of aerial threats, including fighter aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), particularly challenging low-altitude sea-skimming targets. The missile system utilizes vertical launch technology, enabling rapid and effective response capabilities against incoming threats.

The VL-SRSAM underwent a successful flight test on August 23, 2022, at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, off the Odisha coast. During this test, the missile was launched against a high-speed unmanned aerial target, successfully demonstrating its vertical launch capabilities and accuracy.

The revelation of the missile's extended range is a significant development for the Indian Navy, substantially enhancing its air defence capabilities. The ability to engage threats at greater distances provides increased protection for naval assets and offers a potential strategic advantage in maritime operations.

This clarification by the parliamentary committee highlights the importance of transparency and accuracy in reporting the capabilities of defence projects. It also raises questions about the initial underestimation of the missile's range, which could have implications for strategic planning, budget allocations, and international perceptions of Indian defence technology.

 

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[Anant]

Extended range and all is good, but deployment is still some time away, it seems. In the meantime, our larger surface warships are equipped with a frankly insultingly low number of self-defence SAMs.

Right now, we need to seriously consider the following things when it comes to SAMs for warships:

1. Get the VL-SRSAM done quickly, and start integrating it on the warships. A good goal might be to have 64 MRSAMs (such as the VL-SRSAM or Barak 8) on our destroyers plus 16 or so of the planned LRSAMs (for BMD duties). The frigates could go for a 64 MRSAMs and skip the LRSAMs entirely. The larger corvettes and OPVs need to be fitted with 32 SRSAMs or MRSAMs quickly.
2. If the range of the VL-SRSAM is now as high as 80 km, it would also be more expensive. Therefore, we would need some new system to replace the Barak 1 and be a cheaper, shorter-ranged (say, up to 35-40 km) SAM.
3. For point defence, we need to get the VSHORAD done, and then integrate it into a multi-rocket launch platform like the US RIM-116 system. Such systems are normally deck-level systems with one deck penetration at most, so we could add such a system in numbers on our fleet to complement the AK-630M.

 

[R. Singh]

DRDO should also develop catheterized AKASH NG with 80-100 KM range !

 

[abhinav srivastava]

80 km is a good range.

 

[Baiju Bhaskaran]

The parliamentary panel should focus on pressuring the Defense PSU's in increasing production and not the scientific establishment and military in disclosing classified informations in the name of transparency.