DRDO flight test of ‘Kusha’ takes off
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the maiden flight test of the indigenous long-range surface-to-air missile system 'Kusha' from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
The test involved intercepting an electronic target simulating a high-speed, high-altitude aerial threat, which was successfully neutralised.
All elements of the weapon system — missiles, radars, and the command-and-control centre — have been developed indigenously by DRDO laboratories in partnership with Indian industry.
The successful test is described as a milestone that places India among a small group of nations capable of developing long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems indigenously.
Project Kusha — India's Long-Range Air Defence Programme
Project Kusha is DRDO's indigenous long-range surface-to-air missile programme intended to give India a layered, self-reliant air defence shield comparable to systems such as Russia's S-400, reducing dependence on imported systems for area air defence.
Key Details
- Approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in May 2022, with a sanctioned outlay of approximately ₹21,700 crore.
- Designed to equip the Indian Air Force with multiple squadrons of long-range air defence systems.
- Envisages multiple interceptor variants for different range bands — shorter-range interceptors (around 150 km) up to long-range interceptors (around 350-400 km) — allowing engagement of threats at varying distances and altitudes, including fighter aircraft, cruise missiles, and other aerial threats.
- Developed jointly by DRDO laboratories with production support from Indian defence industry partners (public and private).
The flight test reported is the first live intercept trial under Project Kusha, validating the missile, radar, and command-and-control chain developed under this CCS-approved programme before it moves toward user trials and induction.
Layered Air Defence and Comparison with Existing Systems
India currently operates a mix of indigenous and imported air defence systems at different range bands — the indigenous Akash missile system (short-to-medium range, developed by DRDO and inducted into the Army and Air Force) and the Russian S-400 Triumf (long-range, inducted from 2021-22 under a 2018 inter-governmental agreement). Kusha is aimed at the long-range tier currently filled mainly by the imported S-400.
Key Details
- Akash: indigenous short/medium-range SAM system (range roughly 25-30 km class), already operational with the Army and IAF; an upgraded Akash-NG variant has also been developed.
- S-400 Triumf: Russian long-range air defence system, contracted in 2018, with deliveries to the IAF ongoing; capable of engaging targets at very long ranges and multiple altitude bands.
- Kusha is intended to progressively substitute the long-range tier with an indigenous system, supporting India's defence self-reliance ("Atmanirbhar Bharat") objectives.
By testing a long-range interceptor domestically, DRDO is working toward reducing India's dependence on imported systems like the S-400 for its outermost air defence layer.
Defence Indigenisation Framework
Indigenous development of strategic weapon systems like Kusha is guided by India's defence procurement and self-reliance framework, under which the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) and associated procedures categorise acquisitions to prioritise indigenous design and manufacture.
Key Details
- The Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 prioritises categories such as "Buy (Indian-IDDM)" — Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured — over import-based categories.
- DRDO-led programmes like Kusha, once successfully tested, typically transition to production involving Indian public sector undertakings (e.g., Bharat Electronics Limited) and private defence manufacturers.
- Successful indigenous development of long-range SAM technology reduces foreign-exchange outflow on defence imports and strengthens strategic autonomy in a sensitive dual-use technology area.
The Kusha test is presented as evidence of DRDO's growing capability in a technology domain — long-range SAM systems — that only a handful of countries possess, aligning with the broader defence indigenisation push.
- Kusha's maiden flight test was conducted from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off the coast of Odisha.
- Project Kusha was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in May 2022 with an outlay of approximately ₹21,700 crore.
- The programme envisages interceptor variants covering approximately 150 km up to 350-400 km range bands.
- Kusha is being benchmarked against Russia's S-400 Triumf, currently India's principal long-range air defence system.
- All major sub-systems (missile, radar, command-and-control) were developed indigenously by DRDO laboratories with industry partners.