VL-SRSAM (Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile) is a quick-reaction, ship-launched surface-to-air missile developed by DRDO, based on the Astra Mk1 air-to-air missile airframe, intended to replace the ageing Barak-1 point-defence missile aboard Indian Navy warships and provide a shorter-range complement to the Barak-8/MRSAM system.[1]
VL-SRSAM uses a fibre-optic-gyroscope-based inertial guidance system for mid-course flight and active radar homing for the terminal phase, with both lock-on-before-launch (LOBL) and lock-on-after-launch (LOAL) modes, plus mid-course guidance updates via datalink. Derived from the Astra Mk1 airframe, it features four short-span, long-chord cruciform wings for aerodynamic stability, plus jet-vane-driven thrust-vector control that allows rapid manoeuvring immediately after a smokeless vertical launch.[1]
VL-SRSAM has a reported range of up to 80 km — exceeding the roughly 70 km range of the Barak-8/MRSAM system currently forming the Indian Navy’s primary area air-defence missile. Beyond its naval role, a truck-mounted, land-based variant is also being developed as a short-range air-defence system for the Indian Air Force.[1][2]
DRDO and the Indian Navy conducted a successful flight test of VL-SRSAM from a land-based vertical launcher in March 2025, engaging a high-speed, low-altitude aerial target at close range. Naval induction is expected to begin around 2030, progressively phasing out the legacy Barak-1 system across the fleet.[1]
| Type | Vertical-launch, ship-based short-range surface-to-air missile |
| Developer | DRDO |
| Airframe basis | Astra Mk1 air-to-air missile |
| Guidance | Fibre-optic-gyro INS (mid-course) + active radar homing (terminal); LOBL/LOAL |
| Range | Up to 80 km |
| Replacing | Barak-1 (naval); complements Barak-8/MRSAM |
| Land variant | Truck-mounted, for IAF short-range air defence |
| Planned induction | ~2030 |