New Delhi: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully completed the final development trials of the unmanned aerial vehicle-launched precision-guided missile (ULPGM)-V3, testing the weapon system in both air-to-ground and air-to-air combat modes at its test range near Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh.
The trials mark the final deliverable configuration testing of the missile system, a critical step that clears the path for serial production of what is entirely a domestically developed weapon.
Dual-mode strike capability
The ULPGM-V3 demonstrated anti-tank strike capability in air-to-ground mode and was also validated against drones, helicopters, and other airborne targets in air-to-air mode – making it one of the few indigenous missile systems in India’s inventory designed for both ground and aerial engagement from an unmanned platform.
The trials were conducted using an integrated Ground Control System (GCS), which employs automated technologies for readiness and launch operations to command and control the ULPGM weapon platform.
Indigenous ecosystem
The ULPGM-V3 was integrated onto UAV platforms developed by Newspace Research and Technologies, a Bengaluru-based firm, for the current trials. DRDO partnered with Bharat Dynamics Limited and Adani Defence Systems & Technologies Limited for the development and production of the missiles.
The missile was developed by Research Centre Imarat as the nodal laboratory, with contributions from the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, and the High-Energy Materials Research Laboratory. The entire production was carried out through India’s domestic defence ecosystem, involving micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and private industries.
DRDO said the successful trials confirmed a “fully mature domestic supply chain” capable of supporting immediate serial mass production.
Indigenization push gathers pace
The development comes at a time when India is sharply accelerating the indigenization of its weapons inventory. India’s defence budget for 2026–27 has been raised 15 per cent to ₹7.85 lakh crore, with the highest capital allocations earmarked for aircraft and aero-engines.
The government has reserved 75 per cent of the capital acquisition budget for procurement from domestic industries.
The ULPGM-V3, designed to arm combat UAVs with precision strike capability, fits directly into that push. Armed drones have proven decisive in recent conflicts – from Ukraine to the Middle East – and India’s military has been pressing to field its own credible drone-launched munitions to address gaps in its current inventory.
Reactions
The defence minister, Rajnath Singh, congratulated DRDO, public sector units, defence production partners, industry stakeholders, MSMEs, and start-ups involved in the programme. He described the achievement as “a strategic milestone achieved towards Atmanirbhar (self-reliance) in defence.”
The DRDO chairman and secretary of the department of defence R&D, Samir V Kamat, also congratulated the teams associated with the trials for the successful achievement.
