DRDO completes final trials of UAV-launched precision guided missile

India's Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully completed the final trials of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3 in air-to-ground and air-to-air modes.

In a major boost to India's defence capabilities, the DRDO has successfully completed the final development trials of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3 in both air-to-ground and air-to-air modes, officials said on Tuesday.

The trials were conducted at a DRDO test range near Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh using an integrated ground control system (GCS) to command and control the ULPGM weapon system, the defence ministry said.

The GCS features state-of-the-art technologies to automate readiness and launch operations, it said.

''The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully completed the final deliverable configuration development trials of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3 in air-to-ground and air-to-air modes,'' the ministry said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO, PSUs, defence-cum-production partners and industry stakeholders for the successful development trials of the ULPGM-V3 in air-to-ground mode for anti-tank role and air-to-air mode for drone, helicopter and other airborne targets.

He termed it a strategic milestone achieved towards 'aatmanirbharta' in defence. According to officials, the DRDO partnered with two production agencies -- Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad and Adani Defence Systems & Technologies Limited, Hyderabad, for the development and production of the missiles.

The system has been integrated with UAVs developed by Newspace Research and Technologies, Bengaluru, for current trials.

The trials confirmed a fully mature domestic supply chain, equipped for immediate serial mass production, the ministry said.

The ULPGM-V3 has been developed by Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad, as the nodal lab, in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories, including Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad; Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh; and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune, it said.

The missile has been produced entirely through the Indian defence ecosystem involving a large number of MSMEs and other industries, the ministry said.

Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat congratulated all teams associated with the successful trials, it said.