India Successfully Tests Indigenous Integrated Air Defence Weapon System
India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the maiden flight test of its new Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) off the coast of Odisha. The indigenously developed system is a multi-layered defence shield comprising Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missiles (QRSAM), Very Short Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORADS), and a high-power laser-based Directed Energy Weapon (DEW). The test establishes a significant advancement in India's capability to defend strategic assets against aerial threats.
Unpacked:
The IADWS offers a multi-layered, network-centric defence combining kinetic interceptors and directed-energy weapons. Its centralized command integrates sensors and real-time threat assessment, enabling rapid, coordinated responses to complex aerial threats, surpassing older systems in mobility, reaction speed, and ability to engage diverse targets including drones, cruise missiles, and aircraft.
QRSAM serves as the outer tier of the IADWS, intercepting fast-moving aircraft, helicopters, and missiles at ranges of 25–30 km and altitudes up to 10 km. It features active radar homing, high mobility, short reaction time, and can operate in all weather conditions, protecting advancing forces and critical assets.
Indigenous development strengthens India’s self-reliance in defence technology, reduces dependency on foreign suppliers, and supports the "Make in India" initiative. It boosts national security, enables rapid upgrades, and fosters domestic industrial growth, while replacing aging, imported systems with advanced, locally produced solutions.
The IADWS is designed to defend high-value military and national assets such as forward air bases, radar and missile sites, command-and-control nodes, nuclear facilities, space installations, power plants, and industrial hubs from enemy aerial threats.