New Delhi: In a significant boost to India’s indigenous defence capabilities, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Thursday successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the indigenous Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) system under Project Kusha from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha. The successful test marks a major milestone in India’s pursuit of self-reliance in advanced air defence systems and is expected to strengthen the country’s multi-layered air defence architecture.
The maiden trial was carried out against an electronic target simulating a high-speed and high-altitude aerial threat. According to the Ministry of Defence, the missile successfully intercepted the target, demonstrating the effectiveness of the system’s advanced tracking, command, and interception capabilities. All major components of the weapon system, including the interceptor missile, radar, command and control centre, have been developed indigenously by various DRDO laboratories in collaboration with industry partners.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and all stakeholders involved in the project, describing the successful test as a landmark achievement for India’s defence research and development ecosystem. He said only a handful of countries possess the capability to develop long-range surface-to-air missile systems of this class, adding that Project Kusha would significantly reduce India’s dependence on imported air defence systems while providing a substantial enhancement to the nation’s defensive capabilities.
Project Kusha is set to become a crucial component of India’s proposed integrated air defence network, known as the Sudarshan Chakra. While the indigenous system is not intended to replace the Russian-origin S-400 Triumf air defence system currently in service with the Indian Air Force, it is designed to complement it by filling an important operational gap between existing Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) systems and the S-400.
Officials familiar with the programme have explained that the MRSAM system currently offers an interception range of approximately 70-80 kilometres, whereas the S-400 can engage aerial threats at distances of up to 400 kilometres. Project Kusha has been developed to bridge this capability gap and is expected to eventually achieve performance comparable to the S-400 in terms of long-range interception.
The project received approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security in May 2022. Subsequently, in September 2023, the Defence Ministry granted procurement approval worth Rs 21,700 crore for the acquisition of five squadrons of the missile system.
Project Kusha will feature three variants of interceptor missiles, designated M1, M2 and M3, with engagement ranges of 150 kilometres, 250 kilometres and 350-400 kilometres, respectively. The system is designed to neutralise a wide spectrum of aerial threats, including fighter aircraft, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and large airborne platforms across varying altitudes and operational scenarios.
Following the completion of the Indian Air Force variant, DRDO also plans to develop a naval version of the Kusha air defence system, further expanding its role in strengthening India’s indigenous defence capabilities across multiple domains.
