DRDO successfully conducts maiden flight test of Kusha long-range air defence missile

New Delhi, July 24. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on July 23 successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the indigenously developed ‘Kusha’ Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR-SAM) system from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the missile was tested against an electronic target designed to simulate a high-speed, high-altitude aerial threat. The target was successfully intercepted by the missile system during the test.

The Kusha system is designed to counter a wide spectrum of aerial threats, including fighter aircraft, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and large enemy aircraft, across a broad range of altitudes and engagement distances.

The complete weapon system, including the missiles, radars and command-and-control centre, has been developed indigenously by various DRDO laboratories in collaboration with industry partners.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the successful maiden flight test as a significant milestone for India’s defence research and development capabilities. He said the development of a long-range surface-to-air missile system, a capability possessed by only a limited number of countries, would mark a major advancement in India’s air defence preparedness.

Singh also said the indigenous system would help reduce India’s dependence on imports for long-range air defence systems and represent a major leap forward in the country’s air defence capabilities.

Defence Secretary, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and DRDO Chairman Rajesh Kumar Singh monitored the launch activities and congratulated the teams involved in the successful flight test.