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 (LR-SAM) from APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.
The missile was tested against an electronic target simulating a high-speed, high-altitude aerial threat and successfully intercepted it, the Defence Ministry said.
According to the ministry, the ‘Kusha’ missile system is designed to neutralise a wide range of aerial threats, including fighter aircraft, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and large enemy aircraft across a broad range and altitude envelope. The entire weapon system, including the missile, radars and command-and-control centre, has been developed by various DRDO laboratories in collaboration with industry partners.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the successful maiden flight as a major milestone for India’s defence research and development programme, saying it demonstrated the country’s capability to develop an advanced long-range surface-to-air missile system—a capability possessed by only a handful of nations.
He said the indigenous system would significantly reduce India’s dependence on imports for such air defence platforms and mark a major boost to the country’s air defence capability. Defence Secretary and DRDO Chairman Rajesh Kumar Singh monitored the launch and congratulated the scientists, engineers and industry partners involved in the successful flight test.
