DRDO's Kusha Missile Intercepts High-Speed Aerial Threat in Maiden Flight Test

DRDO has successfully conducted the maiden flight test of its Kusha Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR-SAM) system, marking a significant milestone in India's efforts to strengthen its indigenous air-defence capabilities.

The test was carried out on July 23 from APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha. During the trial, the Kusha missile system successfully intercepted an electronic target simulating a high-speed, high-altitude aerial threat, the Defence Ministry said.

The Kusha missile system has been 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 of altitudes and distances.

The system's key elements, including the missiles, radars and command-and-control centre, have been developed by various DRDO laboratories in collaboration with Indian industry partners.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the successful maiden flight test as a "giant leap" in India's air-defence capability. He said the achievement demonstrated the country's growing ability to develop advanced long-range surface-to-air missile systems, a capability currently possessed by only a handful of nations.

The successful development of Kusha is also expected to help reduce India's dependence on imports for advanced long-range air-defence systems, strengthening the country's push for self-reliance in defence technology.

Defence Secretary and DRDO Chairman Rajesh Kumar Singh monitored the activities during the launch and congratulated the teams involved in the successful flight test.