India tightens shield, tests crucial air defence system

India has successfully tested a new integrated air defence system consisting of a variety of weapons that shot down three targets at different altitudes and ranges off the coast of Odisha, the defence ministry said on Sunday.

- Rahul Singh

The development comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the creation of a formidable military capability to defend India's military and civilian installations against aerial attacks and set a 10-year deadline for developing an indigenous air defence shield integrated with offensive weapons under Mission Sudarshan Chakra.

The maiden test of the integrated air defence weapon system (IADWS), which is expected to be a part of the bigger national security shield announced by the PM, was conducted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Saturday.

The IADWS is a multilayered air defence system consisting of quick reaction surface-to-air missiles (QRSAM), very short range air defence system (VSHORADS) and a laser-based directed energy weapon.

"During the flight-tests, three different targets including two high-speed fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicle targets and a multi-copter drone were simultaneously engaged and destroyed completely by the QRSAM, VSHORADS and the high-energy laser weapon system at different ranges and altitudes," the defence ministry said.