DRDO Successfully Conducts Maiden Flight Tests of Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) off Odisha Coast.
Science and Technology
In August 2025, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) achieved a major milestone by successfully conducting the maiden flight tests of the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) off the coast of Odisha. The tests validated India’s multi-layered air defence capability against diverse aerial threats.
- The Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) comprises a combination of advanced missile and futuristic weapon technologies. It includes the Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM) for medium-range interception, the Advanced Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) for close-range engagement, and the Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) for futuristic interception capabilities.
- The QRSAM (Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile) was developed by DRDO in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). This medium-range missile system provides rapid-response interception of aerial threats, ensuring layered protection in the integrated air defence network.
- The VSHORADS (Very Short Range Air Defence System) was developed by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad. It is designed for close-range defence and targets low-flying aerial threats, offering a vital shield in protecting critical military and strategic assets.
Main Point :- (i) The Directed Energy Weapon (DEW), developed by DRDO’s Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS), marks a futuristic leap in India’s defence capabilities. This high-power laser-based system provides advanced interception against modern aerial targets such as drones and other unmanned platforms.
(ii) The Centralised Command and Control Centre (CCC), developed by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad, managed the coordinated operations of all weapon systems. The maiden test, validated at the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Odisha, engaged three different types of aerial targets including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and multi-copter drones, with all targets successfully neutralised.
(iii) The successful test holds strategic significance as it strengthens India’s air defence capability and supports the “Sudershan Chakra” mission, recently announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Independence Day 2025 (15 August 2025). This mission aims to establish India’s robust multi-layered defence shield against evolving aerial threats.
About DRDO
Chairman: Sameer V. Kamat
Headquarters: New Delhi
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