Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 23 (ANI): The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully executed the inaugural flight test of the ‘Kusha’ Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island near Odisha’s coastline on Thursday.
The Ministry of Defence reported that this initial test targeted an electronic simulation of a high-speed and high-altitude aerial threat, which the missile system successfully intercepted.
The ‘Kusha’ missile is designed to counter a range of aerial threats, such as fighter jets, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and large enemy aircraft, across various ranges and altitudes. All components of the weapon system, including missiles, radars, and command and control centers, have been developed by multiple DRDO laboratories and industry partners.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh remarked that the successful flight test of the ‘Kusha’ represents a pivotal achievement in India’s defense research and development, underscoring the nation’s capability to create a long-range surface-to-air missile system that is only available to a select few countries. He added that this progress will reduce reliance on imports and significantly enhance the nation’s air defense capabilities.
In a post on X, Singh stated, “The @DRDO_India 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. 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.”
Singh extended his congratulations to the DRDO team, saying, “Today’s successful test flight of Kusha marks an important milestone in Indian defence R&D. The capability in developing long-range surface-to-air missile systems is possessed only by a handful of nations. This will also eliminate the import dependency for such systems and signifies a giant leap in air defense capability of the nation. I congratulate DRDO and other stakeholders for this achievement.”
According to the Ministry, Defence Secretary and Chairman of DRDO, Rajesh Kumar Singh, oversaw all operations during the launch and commended the team members who contributed to the successful flight test.
