DRDO Successfully Tests India’s Integrated Air Defence Weapon System

India on Saturday conducted the maiden flight tests of its indigenously developed Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS), marking a major step in bolstering the country’s defence preparedness, officials said. The tests were carried out off the coast of Odisha at around 12:30 pm on August 23, 2025.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the achievement in a post on X, congratulating the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the armed forces and industry partners for the “successful development of IADWS.”

DRDO also released a video of the test, noting that the system integrates three indigenous technologies: 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).

Designed as a multi-layered shield, IADWS can neutralise diverse aerial threats — from low-flying drones to high-speed aircraft and missiles. Officials described the successful trial as a landmark in India’s quest for self-reliance in defence technology. Singh said the system would “strengthen area defence for important facilities against enemy aerial threats.”