They hit different: Inside 'salvo test' of India's new chopper-launched naval missile
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📌 Summary:
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DRDO and Indian Navy conducted the first successful salvo firing trial of NASM-SR (Naval Anti-Ship Missile — Short Range) on April 29, 2026, off the Odisha coast
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Salvo test involved launching two NASM-SR missiles in rapid succession from the same helicopter, designed to overwhelm enemy point-defense systems
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NASM-SR is lighter than the aging Sea Eagle anti-ship missile (~580 kg), engineered for deployment from ship-borne helicopters at stand-off range
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"Man-in-loop" feature: a two-way data link allows the operator to update the target mid-flight, improving precision against evasive targets and reducing collateral damage risk — unlike fire-and-forget Sea Eagles
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"Waterline hit" capability: missile strikes the hull at the waterline level, maximizing structural damage and flooding of the vessel
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Developed by DRDO labs: Research Centre Imarat (Hyderabad), DRDL, HEMRL (Pune), TBRL (Chandigarh); produced by private sector MSMEs and start-ups
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First flight test of NASM-SR was in May 2022; salvo test validates simultaneous multi-missile launch capability — advancing Atmanirbhar Bharat in naval systems
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