India Successfully Test-fires Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) System

India on Thursday conducted six successful fight-tests of Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) system from Integrated Test Range (ITR) Chandipur off the Odisha coast. The test was jointly conducted by the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Army as part of evaluation trials. The scenarios included long range medium altitude, short range, high altitude manoeuvring target, low radar signature with receding and crossing target and salvo launch with two missiles fired in quick succession. The flight-tests were carried out against high-speed aerial targets mimicking various types of threats to evaluate the capability of the weapon systems under different scenarios.

The system performance was also evaluated under night operation scenarios. These tests were conducted in the final deployment configuration consisting of all indigenously-developed sub-systems, including the missile with indigenous Radio Frequency (RF) seeker, mobile launcher, fully automated command and control system, surveillance and multi-function Radars. The system is now ready for induction into the Indian Army following the successful series of trials. Data captured by range instruments like telemetry, radar and Electro Optical Tracking Systems (EOTS) were used to confirm the system performance. It can operate on the move with search and track capability and fire on short halt.

Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM) is a missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Bharat Electronics Limited and Bharat Dynamics Limited for the Indian Army, meant for protecting moving armoured columns from aerial attacks. It’s a compact and highly mobile air defence system system mounted on Ashok Leyland Defence Systems 8×8 truck, designed to provide 360 degree defence coverage. QRSAM has a fully automated Command and Control System. The missile system possesses two four-walled radars both of which encompass a 360-degree coverage, namely, the Active Array Battery Surveillance Radar and the Active Array Battery Multifunction Radar, apart from the launcher while Laser proximity fuze ensures that missile can’t be jammed.

The QRSAM has a maximum range of 30 km (19 mi) and can intercept targets flying at 10 km (6.2 mi) altitude. Each launcher has 6 missiles and can target 6 different targets. The QRSAM has electronic counter-countermeasure capabilities to remain immune to jamming. The single-staged missile utilized by the system is propelled using solid propellants. The missile is equipped with a midcourse inertial navigation system with a two-way data link and a DRDO-developed terminal active radar seeker. The missile has laser proximity fuze developed by Instruments Research and Development Establishment, to increase accuracy and reduces its susceptibility to jamming.[16] The system has the capability to search and track targets while moving.