• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted the first flight-tests of the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS).
• This advanced multi-layered system integrates three critical components, the Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM), the advanced Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS), and a high-power laser-based Directed Energy Weapon (DEW).
• Developed by DRDO’s premier facilities in Hyderabad, including the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS), and Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), the IADWS is designed to counter diverse aerial threats ranging from fighter aircraft to unmanned aerial vehicles and drone swarms.
• The system’s QRSAM provides protection for mobile armoured formations with a strike range of 3–30 km, while VSHORADS offers a man-portable fourth-generation defence solution for all three services.
• The DEW component, demonstrated earlier this year, successfully neutralised UAVs and drone swarms, marking India’s entry into the select group of nations with directed energy capability.
• The entire system functions under a Centralised Command and Control Centre, ensuring integrated and automated air defence operations.