DRDO Successfully Completes First Development Trials of Project Kusha Long-Range Air Defence Shield

India has made a significant leap towards military self-reliance following the successful completion of the first development trials for Project Kusha, the nation's indigenous long-range air defence system.

According to recent reports, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and its key industry partner, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), have successfully wrapped up ground validations, including critical trials for the dual-pulse rocket motor.

This progress means the programme has moved beyond preliminary design and is now preparing for crucial integrated flight tests expected in 2026.

Officially designated as the Extended Range Air Defence System (ERADS), Project Kusha is designed to be India's homegrown equivalent to advanced systems like the Russian S-400 and S-500.

Approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security with a budget of approximately ₹21,700 crore, the initiative aims to build a robust, multi-layered shield over vital military assets and cities.

It is engineered to detect and neutralise a wide array of aerial threats, ranging from stealth jets and drones to cruise missiles.

By offering overlapping layers of protection, the system will allow armed forces commanders to heavily restrict enemy movement in Indian airspace.

At the heart of this new defence architecture are three distinct interceptor missiles, which will share a common kill vehicle but feature different booster stages to tackle threats at varying distances.

The primary missile, known as the M1, is built to intercept targets up to 150 kilometres away, effectively neutralising tactical fighters and precision weapons. DRDO has already fabricated this variant and verified its subsystems, setting the stage for its maiden flight test.

The second layer of the shield relies on the M2 interceptor, which extends the protective radius to approximately 250 kilometres.

This mid-tier variant bridges the gap between medium- and long-range capabilities, maintaining high accuracy through advanced tracking technologies like Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) seekers.

Ongoing development continues in tandem, focusing on enhancing propulsion systems to ensure it can effectively hunt down highly agile and evasive targets.

Serving as the outermost barrier, the M3 variant is designed to strike high-value enemy assets—such as airborne early warning aircraft, mid-air refuellers, and certain ballistic missiles—at distances exceeding 350 to 400 kilometres.

By developing these three complementary interceptors, DRDO is creating a highly survivable defence grid where each tier reinforces the others.

With initial ground validations complete, the immediate focus is on conducting integrated flight evaluations for the M1 missile.

Following these tests, progressive trials for the M2 and M3 variants will occur sequentially.

The Indian Air Force has already shown immense confidence in the project by securing an Acceptance of Necessity for multiple squadrons.

While early components of the system are anticipated to be operational by 2028, full deployment of all three layers is firmly targeted for 2030.

From a broader strategic perspective, Project Kusha is a cornerstone of 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra,' an ambitious plan to establish a comprehensive, nationwide air and missile defence grid by 2035.

Working in tandem with other homegrown systems such as the Akash-NG and Ballistic Missile Defence network, Kusha will heavily reduce India's reliance on foreign platforms.

This unified approach is expected to not only deter regional adversaries but also open future avenues for India to export cutting-edge military technology.

 

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[R. Singh]

When enemy fire missiles in hundreds this system fails ! Better we send military satellites in outer space that attain 24 hour power from sun, send high power energy beams to neutralize hundreds of missiles, drones !

 

[SandeepGupta]

1100Kms Hit to Kill seeker material science technology already given.

 

[gordon]

When enemy fire missiles in hundreds this system fails ! Better we send military satellites in outer space that attain 24 hour power from sun, send high power energy beams to neutralize hundreds of missiles, drones !

Iron man suit bana lete hain much better

 

[bks78]

All overhyped air defence systems like US patriot, THAAD and Israel iron dome etc are miserably failed to neutralize suicidal drones, hypersonic missiles and cluster bomb. We should work to neutralize these threats.

 

[netram]

When enemy fire missiles in hundreds this system fails ! Better we send military satellites in outer space that attain 24 hour power from sun, send high power energy beams to neutralize hundreds of missiles, drones !

The technology doesn't exist. Unless you have billions of dollars or atleast a willingness to spend on multidecade long programs, reform, restructure and centralize existing research industrial entities create new research and testing facilities create entirely new organisations to lead national basic and applied science research initiatives, all of what you are suggesting is comical, embarrassing and stupid.
India doesn't even have the capacity to field enough assets let alone create products from leading edge research that other nations haven't even materialized.
As usual, you like most Indians are unaware of the length of our impotence.
The subject won't come up until after we thoroughly lose a war.
Only a shameful defeat will teach Indians the necessity of cruel and necessary reforms as opposed to cosmetic and aesthetic PR campaigns that our people are so obnoxiously fond of. I wish it wasn't the case, but.

 

[netram]

All overhyped air defence systems like US patriot, THAAD and Israel iron dome etc are miserably failed to neutralize suicidal drones, hypersonic missiles and cluster bomb. We should work to neutralize these threats.

Ok dumb fc.
Let me sum it up. Intercepting an rc plane using a missile that costs as much or more than a Mercedes Benz G class isn't sound economic strategy to win any conflict.
Every system youve mentioned has only gotten more capable with time, that's how iterative development works. Except for the cost factor which has only gotten worse with each new iteration(unless you have Chinese level scales+ civil military industrial and research fusion). Cost is what makes swarming attacks possible. High volume low cost one way attack drones are cheaper to build and operate than a single interceptor missile that can take a few of them down. Even if the targeting systems get a lock(these bogeys are relatively slow moving so thats the easy part) there aren't enough interceptors and the ones that are there will be guarding facilities of the utmost sensitivity, you'd be wasting precious arms if you use it elsewhere.

Now for hyper sonic missiles, speed is of the critical factor. Supersonic missiles are hard to intercept, Chinese AA systems couldn't intercept Brahmos(We struck them in Pak, I don't know if they were active but suffice to say a loss is a loss) for this very reason. American systems couldn't neuter Russian Supersonics(Can't remember the name starts with an P i think ? Could be wrong), their so called hypersonics meanwhile would slow down in the terminal phase allowing for interception.
Vice versa American supersonic ballistics like ATACMS regularly overcome the perimeter set by S400s.

Cluster bombs function in a similar format to owa drones. Dispersed area denial attack dirt cheap costs.
FPVs are exponentially more capable of precision targeting but Area denial is a cluster bomb speciality.
If you read up anything beyond the name of these systems you mentioned you'd know the answer to your own questions.

 

[vaibhav94512]

The technology doesn't exist. Unless you have billions of dollars or atleast a willingness to spend on multidecade long programs, reform, restructure and centralize existing research industrial entities create new research and testing facilities create entirely new organisations to lead national basic and applied science research initiatives, all of what you are suggesting is comical, embarrassing and stupid.
India doesn't even have the capacity to field enough assets let alone create products from leading edge research that other nations haven't even materialized.
As usual, you like most Indians are unaware of the length of our impotence.
The subject won't come up until after we thoroughly lose a war.
Only a shameful defeat will teach Indians the necessity of cruel and necessary reforms as opposed to cosmetic and aesthetic PR campaigns that our people are so obnoxiously fond of. I wish it wasn't the case, but.

That’s not “hard realism,” it’s defeatism dressed up as intelligence.
India doesn’t lack capability it lacks patience for its own progress. A country that built a space program from near scratch, runs one of the world’s largest digital infrastructures, and produces top-tier engineers and scientists globally is not “impotent.” It’s evolving, unevenly but undeniably.
Yes, deep tech leadership takes decades, money, and institutional reform. That’s true for every nation that has achieved it. But claiming “the technology doesn’t exist” or that progress is impossible without total collapse is just intellectual laziness. Nations don’t need humiliation to improve they need direction, accountability, and sustained effort.
Also, this obsession with waiting for a “shameful defeat” says more about your mindset than the country’s reality. Strong countries build through iteration, not self-loathing. Criticism is useful but only when it’s grounded, constructive, and aimed at solutions, not when it spirals into exaggerated despair.
If you want reform, argue for it. If you want progress, contribute to it. But don’t confuse cynicism with clarity.

 

[ronnnnn]

When enemy fire missiles in hundreds this system fails ! Better we send military satellites in outer space that attain 24 hour power from sun, send high power energy beams to neutralize hundreds of missiles, drones !

They were successful during operation sindoor, why won't they be later ? Although the military satellite is good thing. But first before that, new navic gps satellites have to be launched. The last one has ticked off, se we are hunged now, back again dependency on the us gps or the Israeli or russian. There are more things to do first.

 

[Reformer]

That’s not “hard realism,” it’s defeatism dressed up as intelligence.
India doesn’t lack capability it lacks patience for its own progress. A country that built a space program from near scratch, runs one of the world’s largest digital infrastructures, and produces top-tier engineers and scientists globally is not “impotent.” It’s evolving, unevenly but undeniably.
Yes, deep tech leadership takes decades, money, and institutional reform. That’s true for every nation that has achieved it. But claiming “the technology doesn’t exist” or that progress is impossible without total collapse is just intellectual laziness. Nations don’t need humiliation to improve they need direction, accountability, and sustained effort.
Also, this obsession with waiting for a “shameful defeat” says more about your mindset than the country’s reality. Strong countries build through iteration, not self-loathing. Criticism is useful but only when it’s grounded, constructive, and aimed at solutions, not when it spirals into exaggerated despair.
If you want reform, argue for it. If you want progress, contribute to it. But don’t confuse cynicism with clarity.

For India to make progress you need to first get rid of the IAS from PMO, technical and finance ministries. They manipulate the system, put up artificial road blocks ( meetings after more meetings ) to get an excuse for themselves to travel abroad for their family’s shopping trips.
( an IIT grad who left India at 21 after getting disgusted w/ DRDO )