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Next-Gen Air Combat: DRDO Unleashes Deadly Homegrown ULPGM-V3 Missile for Hunter-Killer Drones
Summary: The rules of modern warfare just changed. DRDO has unleashed the ULPGM-V3 - a lethal, dual-role drone missile that hunts down enemy tanks and hostile quadcopters simultaneously. This is the 100% indigenous "killer app" the Indian military has been waiting for.
The landscape of modern warfare is shifting toward unmanned systems, and India has just staked its claim at the high table of military technology.
In a historic milestone, the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully executed the final deliverable configuration development trials of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3.
The flawless live-fire trials were conducted at the DRDO test range in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, demonstrating absolute lethality in both Air-to-Ground and Air-to-Air combat envelopes.
Controlled entirely via an intelligent, highly automated Ground Control System (GCS), the ULPGM-V3 is now primed to transform India’s indigenous drone fleets into lethal hunter-killer assets.
Anatomy of a Game-Changer: Dual-Mode Lethality
What makes the ULPGM-V3 a generational leap for the Indian Armed Forces is its dual-mode versatility. Rather than deploying separate missile systems for different threats, a single drone platform can now engage two vastly different target spectrums:
1. Air-to-Ground Mode (The Tank Buster)
In this configuration, the missile functions as a high-precision anti-tank weapon. Launched from high altitudes, it uses advanced guidance to strike moving or fortified enemy armored columns, obliterating heavy main battle tanks (MBTs) with pinpoint accuracy.
2. Air-to-Air Mode (The Drone Hunter)
Addressing the critical vulnerability of drone-on-drone warfare, the ULPGM-V3 can lock onto and destroy airborne threats. It is specifically engineered to neutralize hostile swarm drones, loitering munitions, combat helicopters, and low-flying surveillance assets.
- Tech Highlight: The integrated Ground Control System (GCS) features state-of-the-art automation technologies. This minimizes human error by automating missile readiness diagnostics, target acquisition, and launch sequencing.
Technical Specifications & Ecosystem At A Glance
The development of the ULPGM-V3 represents a masterclass in cross-institutional collaboration within the Indian defense framework.
| Feature / Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Nodal Development Lab | Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad |
| Supporting DRDO Labs | DRDL (Hyderabad), TBRL (Chandigarh), HEMRL (Pune) |
| UAV Integration Partner | Newspace Research and Technologies, Bengaluru |
| Primary Target Types | Armored Tanks, Hostile Drones, Military Helicopters |
| Production Agencies | Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) & Adani Defence Systems |
The Power of the Indian Defense Ecosystem
This success is not just a win for the military; it is a massive validation of India's domestic manufacturing capabilities. The missile was designed, developed, and produced entirely through the domestic defense ecosystem.
- Public-Private Synergy: By partnering public-sector undertaking BDL with private-sector leader Adani Defence & Technologies, DRDO has bridged the gap between state research and industrial efficiency.
- MSME Empowerment: A vast network of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) manufactured critical sub-systems for the missile.
- Mass Production Ready: DRDO confirmed that the trials verified a fully mature domestic supply chain, cleared for immediate, high-volume serial mass production.
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh lauded the achievement, calling it a "strategic milestone achieved towards Aatmanirbharta in Defence." Echoing his pride, Dr. Samir V Kamat, Chairman of DRDO, congratulated the joint team for executing a flawless test matrix.
FAQ
Q1: What unique capability does the ULPGM-V3 bring to India's military?
A: The ULPGM-V3 gives Indian drones a dual-punch capability. It allows a single unmanned platform to switch seamlessly between destroying heavy tanks on the ground and shooting down enemy drones or helicopters in mid-air.
Q2: Which drone was used to test the ULPGM-V3 missile?
A: For these final configuration trials, the weapon system was successfully integrated and fired from advanced Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) developed by Bengaluru-based defense-tech firm Newspace Research and Technologies.
Q3: Is the ULPGM-V3 ready for immediate deployment?
A: Yes. With the final configuration trials successfully concluded, DRDO has stated that the production ecosystem—led by BDL and Adani Defence—is fully mature and optimized for immediate serial mass production.
Source-PIB
#DRDO#AatmanirbharBharat#DroneWarfareIndia#MakeInIndiaDefence#MilitaryTech
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