Indian Navy conducts flight trials of naval anti-ship missile

Defense Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy carried out successful flight-trials of the “first-of-its-kind” naval anti-ship missile (NASM-SR) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, on February 25, 2025.

As informed, the trials demonstrated the missile’s capability against ship targets while launched from an Indian naval seaking helicopter. According to the navy, the trials have proven the missile’s man-in-loop feature and scored a direct hit on a small ship target in sea-skimming mode at its maximum range. Specifically, the missile uses an indigenous imaging infra-red seeker for terminal guidance.

The mission has also demonstrated the high-bandwidth two-way datalink system, which is used to transmit the seeker’s live images back to the pilot for in-flight retargeting.

The missile was launched in bearing-only lock-on mode after launch mode, with several targets in close vicinity to select one among them. The missile initially locked on to a large target within a specified zone of search and during the terminal phase, the pilot selected a smaller hidden target resulting in its being hit with pinpoint accuracy, the navy noted.

The missile uses an indigenous fiber optic gyroscope-based INS and radio altimeter for its mid-course guidance, an Integrated avionics module, electro-mechanical actuators for aerodynamic and jet vane control, thermal batteries, and PCB warhead. It uses solid propulsion with an in-line ejectable booster and a long-burn sustainer.

The trials have met all the mission objectives, it was highlighted.

The missile is developed by different labs of DRDO including Research Centre Imarat, Defence Research and Development Laboratory, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, and Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory.

The missiles are currently being produced by Development cum Production Partners with the help of MSME’s, start-ups, and other production partners.

Recently, the Indian Navy celebrated the steel-cutting of the third in a series of five new fleet support ships.