DRDO Test-Fires Drone-Launched Guided Missile – V3 In Kurnool
DRDO has successfully carried out flight trials of UAV Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3 in the National Open Area Range (NOAR), test range in Kurnool
New Delhi, Hyderabad: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested the latest version of a missile which can be fired from a drone, giving India the capability to accurately hit targets deep inside hostile territories. The test, held at its range near Kurnool, AP, was in the anti-armour configuration and was developed by a slew of Hyderabad-based defence organisations.
DRDO said it had successfully carried out flight trials of the unmanned aerial vehicle-launched precision guided missile (ULPGM)-V3 at the National Open Area Range (NOAR) test range near Kurnool. The missile is an enhanced version of the ULPGM-V2 missile developed and delivered by DRDO earlier.
The missile was released from a UAV, which is indigenously developed by an Indian start-up — Newspace Research Technologies, Bengaluru. The DRDO is actively pursuing integration of ULPGM weapons with long-range and high endurance UAVs from several other Indian companies.
The ULPGM-V3 is equipped with a high definition dual-channel seeker that can strike a wide variety of targets. It can be fired in plain and high-altitude areas. It has day-and-night capability and two-way data link to support post-launch target/aim-point update.
The missile is equipped with three modular warhead options: Anti-armour to destroy modern age armoured vehicles equipped with rolled homogeneous armour (RHA) with explosive reactive armour (ERA); Penetration-cum-blast warhead with anti-bunker application and pre-fragmentation warhead with a high lethality zone.
The missile is jointly developed by DRDO laboratories: Research Centre Imarat, Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Defence Electronics Research Laboratory, all in Hyderabad, Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory of Chandigarh and the High-Energy Materials Research Laboratory in Pune.
Development-cum-production partners Adani Defence and Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad, and 30 MSMEs/start-ups contributed to making this unique project a grand success, said DRDO.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and the industry partners, DcPPs, MSMEs and start-ups for the development and successful trials of the ULPGM-V3 system. He termed the success as proof that the Indian industry is now ready to absorb and produce critical defence technologies.
