The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) showcased several of its path-breaking innovations aimed at strengthening national security during the 77th Republic Day Parade at Kartavya Path.
The display highlighted India’s growing indigenous defence capabilities, with a focus on advanced missile systems and cutting-edge naval technologies.
Among the key systems showcased were the Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile (LR-AShM) and the DRDO tableau themed ‘Naval Technologies for Combat Submarines’.
The LR-AShM, along with its launcher, was presented during the parade as a major milestone in India’s hypersonic weapons programme. The weapon system has been designed to meet the coastal battery requirements of the Indian Navy and significantly enhance maritime strike capabilities.
The LR-AShM is a hypersonic glide missile capable of engaging both static and moving targets. It is designed to carry multiple types of payloads and is described as a first-of-its-kind system incorporating fully indigenous avionics and high-accuracy sensor packages.
The missile follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory, achieving hypersonic speeds starting at Mach 10 and maintaining an average speed of Mach 5.0 through multiple skips during its flight.
Indigenously developed sensors enable the missile to accurately engage moving targets during the terminal phase. Due to its low-altitude flight profile, high speed and manoeuvrability, enemy ground-based and ship-borne radar systems are unable to detect the missile for most of its trajectory, making it a highly survivable and lethal weapon system.
The LR-AShM is configured with a two-stage solid propulsion rocket motor system that accelerates the missile to the required hypersonic velocity.
After the first stage is expended and separated, the second stage propels the missile further.
Following Stage-II burnout, the vehicle executes an unpowered glide while performing the necessary atmospheric manoeuvres before striking the target.
Alongside the missile system, the DRDO tableau at Bharat Parv 2026 on ‘Naval Technologies for Combat Submarines’ displayed a range of indigenously developed technologies that act as force multipliers for the Indian Navy’s conventional submarine fleet.
These included the Integrated Combat Suite (ICS), the Wire Guided Heavy Weight Torpedo (WGHWT) and the Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system, all of which are aimed at ensuring combat superiority in the underwater domain.
The Integrated Combat Suite is a next-generation submarine-based defence system that plays a critical role in underwater warfare and anti-submarine operations.
It functions as a system of systems, offering comprehensive situational awareness by generating a complete threat picture that supports tactical decision-making, including weapon selection, launch and guidance.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the ICS is the result of collaborative efforts by eight DRDO laboratories, with active participation from around 150 major industry partners and MSMEs across the country.
The Wire Guided Heavy Weight Torpedo is a modern submarine-launched weapon designed to counter contemporary surface ship and submarine threats in open ocean environments.
The Ministry of Defence described it as a highly lethal weapon in anti-submarine warfare scenarios and noted that it serves as the primary armament of submarines.
As the Indian Navy continues to expand its submarine fleet to maintain dominance in blue-water naval warfare and secure strategic advantage across vast oceanic regions, the requirement for indigenously developed, high-speed, and long-endurance submarine-launched anti-ship and anti-submarine torpedoes has become increasingly critical.
Highlighting the importance of the Air Independent Propulsion system, the Defence Ministry said, "The AIP is for long underwater endurance of submarines, thus enhancing the stealth. It is powered by a locally developed phosphoric acid fuel cell with a novel onboard hydrogen generator." It added that the system generates power by feeding hydrogen and oxygen into phosphoric acid fuel cells.
The statement further noted that the power generated by the fuel cell, after conditioning, is fed into the submarine’s power line, enabling the vessel to propel underwater silently without producing noise.
The technology is modular in nature and can be configured for future submarine platforms as well.
Several other DRDO-developed systems were also displayed as part of the Armed Forces contingents during the parade.
These included the Arjun Main Battle Tank, Nag Missile System (NAMIS-II), Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System, BrahMos missile, Akash air defence system, Battlefield Surveillance Radar and Anti-Tank Guided Missile.
The DRDO reiterated that it continues to function as a key design and development agency for the Armed Forces and remains committed to reinforcing the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
By partnering with academia, industry and the armed services, the organisation is working to deliver state-of-the-art defence systems.
The indigenous development of these advanced platforms, the DRDO said, marks a significant achievement in India’s pursuit of self-reliance in defence technologies and represents an important step forward towards building a strong and secure Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
