Bhubaneswar: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Thursday successfully conducted the maiden flight-test of the indigenous ‘Kusha’ Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range at APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha, marking a significant milestone in India’s air defence capability.
The maiden test was carried out against an electronic target simulating a high-speed, high-altitude aerial threat. According to the Ministry of Defence, the missile successfully intercepted and neutralised the target, demonstrating the effectiveness of the newly developed air defence system.
The ‘Kusha’ missile system has been designed to engage a wide range of aerial threats, including fighter aircraft, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and large enemy aircraft across an extended range and altitude envelope. The complete weapon system, including the missile, radar, command and control centre, has been developed indigenously by various DRDO laboratories in collaboration with industry partners.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO and industry partners on the successful maiden test, describing it as a major milestone in India’s defence research and development programme. He said the achievement demonstrates India’s capability to develop advanced long-range surface-to-air missile systems, a technology currently possessed by only a handful of nations. He added that the system would significantly reduce the country’s dependence on imports while strengthening its air defence capabilities.
Defence Secretary and Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, Rajesh Kumar Singh, who monitored the launch activities, also congratulated the scientists, engineers and all personnel associated with the successful flight-test.
The successful maiden trial represents another major step towards self-reliance in advanced defence technologies under India’s indigenous defence development programme and is expected to bolster the country’s multi-layered air defence architecture.
