The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) was flight tested against a medium-range & medium-altitude target scoring a direct hit. A British made Banshee Pilotless target aircraft was used as the target. A similar test of the DRDO QRSAM was conducted back in December 2019, but there was no mention of a direct hit. “The missile was flight-tested with the full configuration in deployment mode intercepting the target mid-air,” said the 2019 release.
The missile launch on 13 November 2020 took place from the Intreme Test Range (ITR) Chandipur at 1550 hrs off the Odisha Coast. The QRSAM has a single-stage solid-propellant rocket motor and uses India developed subsystems. The Missile is carried in canisters for transportation and launch using a mobile launcher capable of carrying 6 canisterised missiles.
“The radar tracked the Banshee target from farthest range and missile was launched when the target was within kill zone and achieved the direct hit with terminal active homing by RF Seeker guidance. All QRSAM weapon system elements like Battery Multifunction Radar, Battery Surveillance Radar, Battery Command Post Vehicle and Mobile Launcher were deployed in the flight test. The system is capable of detecting and tracking targets on the move and engaging target with short halts. The system is designed to give air defence coverage against strike columns of Indian Army,” said the Ministry of Defence release.
The DRDO labs involved in the test were the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Research Center Imarat (RCI), Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), Research & Development Establishment (Engrs.) (R&DE(E), Instruments Research and Development Establishment (IRDE), Interim Test Range (ITR) have participated in the test. DRDL and RCI work on the missiles and subsystems. LRDE works on the radars. R&DE(E) works on mobility. IRDE works on the instrumentation. ITR is the place for testing the missiles.
QRSAM system is produced by Defence Public Sector Units (PSU) Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and private industry Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T). The missile system is fully indigenous with active RF Seekers, Electro-Mechanical Actuation (EMA) systems sourced from various industries. The Radar is a four-walled Active Phased Array Radar. All range Tracking stations, Radar, EOTs & Telemetry Stations monitored the flight parameters.
The DRDO QRSAM weapon system consists of a fully automated Command and Control System, Active Array Battery Surveillance Radar, Active Array Battery Multifunction Radar and Launcher. Both radars are four-walled having 360-degree coverage with a search on move and track on move capability. The system is compact with a minimum number of vehicles for a firing unit. The single-stage solid propelled missile has a midcourse inertial navigation system with two-way data link and terminal active seeker developed indigenously by DRDO. QRSAM relaces the obsolete Soviet-era Osa-AK and Kvadrat missile systems in the Indian Army.