India on Thursday conducted the maiden test of the locally made Kusha long-range surface-to-air missile system designed to intercept aerial threats at distances up to 350 km, a significant capability that will strengthen the country’s air defence network once the weapon is inducted into service, officials aware of the development said.
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The missile system is capable of engaging threats across the 150-350 km range band, and is expected to be deployed in three to four years, the officials said asking not to be named.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the test against an electronic target simulating a high-speed, high-altitude aerial threat which the missile system successfully intercepted, the defence ministry said. It was tested from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.
The Kusha missile system is designed to neutralise a raft of aerial threats, including fighter jets, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and large enemy aircraft, across a wide range and altitude envelope. “All weapon system elements, including the missiles, radars, and command and control centre, have been developed by various DRDO laboratories and industry partners,” the ministry said.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh said Kusha’s successful flight test marked an important milestone and highlighted the country’s prowess in developing a long range surface-to-air missile system, possessed only by a handful of nations. “This will also eliminate the import dependency for such systems and signifies a giant leap in air defence capability of the nation,” Singh said.
Defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, who holds the additional charge of DRDO, monitored all activities during the launch and congratulated the team members involved in the flight test.
India’s air defence arsenal includes the S-400 system imported from Russia. The country ordered five S-400 units from Russia for ₹39,000 crore in October 2018 under a government-to-government deal. The IAF has already deployed three units of the air defence system, a fourth arrived in June, and Russia is expected to deliver the fifth squadron by the year-end.
In March, the defence acquisition council (DAC) approved a military capability boost worth ₹2.38 lakh crore to equip the country’s armed forces with more S-400 air defence systems, remotely piloted strike aircraft, transport planes, artillery guns and tank ammunition.
The proposed acquisition of five more S-400 missile units, which targeted Pakistani assets during Operation Sindoor in May 2025, will significantly boost the Indian Air Force’s ability to detect, identify, track and engage hostile fighters, missiles and drones.
Other air defence systems operated by the Indian forces include Akash, Samar (surface-to-air missile for assured retaliation), Israeli SpyDer, Soviet-origin systems such as Pechora, OSA-AK, Tunguska, Strela and Shilka, Zu-23-2B anti-aircraft guns, upgraded L-70 anti-aircraft guns (a legacy weapon manufactured by Swedish arms firm Bofors AB), and the Igla MANPADS (man-portable air defence system).
