DRDO tests missile fired from drone

NEW DELHI: Flight-trials of an advanced precision guided missile launched from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), which can be fired in plain and high-altitude areas during day and night, have been successfully conducted by DRDO.

The UAV-launched precision guided missile or ULPGM-V3, which is an enhanced version of the ULPGM-V2 missile developed and delivered by DRDO earlier, was tested at the National Open Area Range at Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh.

"The ULPGM-V3 is equipped with a high-definition dual-channel seeker that can strike a wide variety of targets. It has a two-way data link to support post-launch target/aim-point update," an official said on Friday.

The missile is equipped with three modular warhead options, including an anti-armour one against modern tanks and infantry combat vehicles equipped with rolled homogeneous armour with explosive reactive armour.

The other two are a penetration-cum-blast warhead with bunker-bursting capabilities and a re-fragmentation warhead with "a high lethality zone". Calling it "a major boost" to India's defence capabilities, defence minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and its industry partners, MSMEs and start-ups for the development and successful trials of the ULPGM-V3 system. "This success proves that the Indian industry is now ready to absorb and produce critical defence technologies," he added.

The missile is jointly developed by the DRDO labs like the Research Centre Imarat, Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, High-Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Integrated Test Range and Defence Electronics Research Laboratory.

The UAV, in turn, has been indigenously developed by start-up Newspace Research Technologies, Bengaluru.

"DRDO is actively pursuing integration of ULPGM weapons with long-range and high endurance UAVs from several other Indian companies," the official said.