DRDO conducts maiden flight-tests of Integrated Air Defence Weapon System

New Delhi, Aug 24: India on Saturday showcased its growing self-reliance in advanced defence technology with the successful maiden flight-tests of the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS), conducted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) off the Odisha coast.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the achievement as a milestone, saying the demonstration has firmly established the country’s multi-layered air-defence capability and will bolster protection of critical infrastructure against enemy aerial threats.

The indigenously developed IADWS combines Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missiles (QRSAM), Advanced Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missiles, and a high-power laser-based Directed Energy Weapon (DEW), all linked through a Centralised Command and Control Centre. During the test, three aerial targets — two high-speed unmanned aerial vehicles and a multi-copter drone — were engaged simultaneously at varying ranges and altitudes. Each was successfully destroyed by different layers of the system, validating its integration of missiles, radars, communication, and drone-detection technologies. The flight-tests, monitored by range instruments at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, were witnessed by senior DRDO scientists and armed forces representatives. DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat congratulated the teams, noting that the achievement strengthens India’s position in developing next-generation air-defence systems.