Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 3

The indigenously-developed ship-borne weapon system, Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM), was successfully flight tested by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy off the Chandipur coast in Odisha 

• The VL-SRSAM system has been designed to strike high-speed airborne targets at the range of 40 to 50 km and at an altitude of around 15 km. 
• Its design is based on the Astra missile, which is a Beyond Visual Range Air to Air missile.
• It is a quick reaction surface-to-air-missile indigenously designed and developed by DRDO for the Indian Navy, is meant for neutralizing various aerial threats at close ranges, including sea-skimming targets.
• Sea skimming is a technique many anti-ship missiles and some fighter or strike aircraft use to avoid radar and infrared detection.

Two key features of the VL-SRSAM are cruciform wings and thrust vectoring. 

• The cruciform wings are four small wings arranged like a cross on four sides and give the projective a stable aerodynamic posture. 
• The thrust vectoring is an ability to change the direction of the thrust from its engine control the angular velocity and the attitude of the missile.
• VL-SRSAM is a canisterised system, which means it is stored and operated from specially designed compartments. 
• In the canister, the inside environment is controlled thus making its transport and storage easier and improving the shelf life of weapons.