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• DRDO successfully conducted first flight tests of the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS), a multi-layered air defence system designed to protect Indian armed forces from aerial threats.

About Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS)

• Purpose: Multi-layered defence to protect against aerial attacks, combining missile and directed energy technologies.

• Components:

  1. Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missiles (QRSAM) – Developed by DRDO

  2. Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) – Developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad

  3. Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) – Laser-based system developed by Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS), Hyderabad

• Control: Centralised Command and Control Centre developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad.

Components in Detail

• QRSAM:

  • Short-range Surface to Air Missile system.

  • Designed to shield moving Army armored columns from enemy air attacks.

  • Highly mobile, with search-and-track capabilities while on the move.

  • Range: 3 to 30 kilometers.

  • Equipped with two radars (Battery Surveillance Radar & Battery Multifunction Radar) offering 360-degree coverage.

• VSHORADS:

  • Fourth-generation, miniaturized Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPAD).

  • Usable by Army, Navy, and Air Force.

• Directed Energy Weapon (DEW):

  • Laser-based weapon system with a range of less than 3 kilometers.

  • Recently demonstrated successfully by CHESS.

  • Effective against fixed-wing UAVs and swarm drones by damaging their structure and disabling sensors.

  • Puts India among a select group of nations possessing such advanced DEW technology.

Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS)

Syllabus subtopic: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Prelims and Mains focus: about the India-US weapon deal; about IADWS

News: The U.S. Department of State has approved the potential sale of a $1.867 billion Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) to India.

About the weapon system

• The Integrated Air Defence Weapon System, also known as the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS), provides integrated air missile defence and is currently deployed around Washington, DC.

• The IADWS system includes radar, launchers, targeting, and guidance systems, advanced medium-range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) and Stinger missiles, and related equipment and support.

About the deal

• The potential sale, which is being processed via the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route, is now before the U.S. Congress for consideration, with a 30-day window for Congress to raise any objections to the sale.

• The Indian government had asked to buy an IADWS comprised of five AN/MPQ-64Fl Sentinel radar systems; 118 AMRAAM AIM-120C-7/C-8 missiles; three AMRAAM Guidance Sections; four AMRAAM Control Sections and 134 Stinger FIM-92L missiles.

• Also included are 32 M4A1 rifles; 40,320 M855 5.56mm cartridges; Fire Distribution Centres (FDC); Handheld Remote Terminals; Electrical Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Sensor Systems; AMRAAM Non-Developmental Item-Airborne Instrumentation Units (NDI-AIU); Multi-spectral Targeting System-Model A (MTS-A); Canister Launchers (CN); High Mobility Launchers (HML); Dual Mount Stinger (DMS) Air Defence Systems; Vehicle Mounted Stinger Rapid Ranger Air Defence Systems, the statement said.

• Communications equipment, testing and training equipment and documentation and technical and logistics support are also part of the package.

Significance

• India intends to use these defence articles and services to modernize its armed forces and expand its existing air defence architecture to counter threats posed by air attacks.

• This will contribute to India's military goal to update its capability while further enhancing greater interoperability between India, the US, and other allies.