The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the indigenous long-range surface-to-air missile (LR-SAM) Kusha from APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast on 23 July 2026. The test was carried out against an electronic target simulating a high-speed, high-altitude aerial threat, which the missile system successfully intercepted, the Ministry of Defence said. Kusha is being developed as a layered air-defence system able to engage multiple airborne threats at varying ranges and altitudes, with a planned reach of up to about 400 km. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called it a "giant leap" and a step towards the planned pan-India air-defence shield Sudarshan Chakra.
Know the Key Terms
DRDO is India's defence research agency.
It designs and builds the country's own missiles, weapons, radars and military technology so the armed forces don't have to rely on imports. It works under the Defence Ministry.
Key Facts & Details
9 points- 1DRDO conducted the maiden flight test of the Kusha long-range surface-to-air missile.
- 2The test took place from APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast on 23 July 2026.
- 3It was fired against an electronic target simulating a high-speed, high-altitude aerial threat.
- 4The target was successfully intercepted, the Ministry of Defence said.
- 5Kusha has a planned range of up to about 400 km and offers layered air defence.
- 6Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called it a "giant leap", tied to the Sudarshan Chakra air-defence shield.
Deep Dive
- +APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off Odisha, is India's principal missile test range.
- +A surface-to-air missile is fired from the ground to destroy aircraft, drones or incoming missiles.
- +Further developmental trials will follow before induction into the armed forces.
Exam Focus
From where did DRDO conduct the maiden flight test of the Kusha long-range surface-to-air missile?
Exam Relevance & Angle
Indigenous missile tests are among the most frequently asked defence GA items, and the missile name, test site and range class are all directly testable.
Target Exams
Background & Context
A surface-to-air missile (SAM) is launched from the ground to shoot down aircraft, drones or incoming missiles. Modern air defence is built in layers — short-range weapons handle close threats while long-range systems intercept aircraft and missiles hundreds of kilometres away, before they get near a city or base. Kusha is India's home-built entry into that long-range layer, a category currently filled largely by imported systems. Testing against an electronic target lets engineers simulate a fast, high-flying threat and check whether the radar, guidance and interception chain works before live trials.
Test Yourself
1 / 2DRDO's maiden flight test of the Kusha long-range surface-to-air missile was conducted from:
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