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India on Thursday successfully conducted the maiden flight test of its indigenous Project Kusha long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM), marking a major milestone in the country’s effort to build a multi-layered, self-reliant air defence network.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out the test from APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.
Announcing the successful trial, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the Kusha missile system is designed to counter a broad spectrum of aerial threats.
“The DRDO has successfully conducted the maiden flight test of Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile Kusha today from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.”
He said the missile can engage multiple categories of airborne targets across a wide range of distances and altitudes.
“Kusha missile system is capable of neutralising a wide variety of aerial threats including fighter jets, missiles, UAVs and large enemy aircraft within a wide range and altitude envelope.”
Project Kusha is DRDO’s indigenous long-range surface-to-air missile programme aimed at providing India with a layered air defence shield. The system comprises three interceptor variants with engagement ranges of 150 km, 250 km and 350-400 km, enabling it to counter diverse aerial threats at varying distances.
Describing the maiden test as a landmark achievement for India’s defence research ecosystem, Singh said only a handful of countries possess the capability to develop such advanced long-range air defence systems.
“Today’s successful test flight of Kusha marks an important milestone in Indian defence R&D. The capability in developing a long-range surface-to-air missile system is possessed only by a handful of nations.”
He added that the indigenous programme would significantly reduce India’s reliance on imported air defence systems while strengthening the country’s overall defensive capabilities.
“This will also eliminate the import dependency for such systems and signifies a giant leap in the air defence capability of the nation. I congratulate DRDO and other stakeholders for this achievement,” Singh said.
Team BharatShakti
