Key Points
- Successful Test: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully flight-tested its new UAV Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3.
- Advanced Capabilities: The missile is equipped with a state-of-the-art Imaging Infrared (IIR) seeker and dual-thrust propulsion, enabling it to hit targets with pinpoint accuracy from a safe distance.
- Strategic Advantage: This enhances India’s unmanned strike capabilities, allowing for precision attacks in high-risk zones without endangering military personnel, a crucial requirement in modern warfare.
- Aatmanirbhar Victory: The successful trial is a major milestone for India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) initiative, demonstrating the nation’s growing prowess in developing complex, next-generation weapon systems.
New Delhi: In a significant stride for India’s defence self-reliance, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted flight trials of its new UAV Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3. The test, carried out at the National Open Area Range (NOAR) in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, validates a critical next-generation weapon system designed to give India’s armed forces a decisive edge in unmanned combat.
The ULPGM-V3 is a “fire-and-forget” missile launched from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), or drone. It is engineered to seek and destroy specific targets with exceptional accuracy, a capability that is essential for modern, network-centric battlefields. This allows for surgical strikes on enemy assets in difficult or heavily defended terrain without risking the lives of pilots or soldiers.
From V2 to V3: A Leap in Technology
The ULPGM-V3 is a significant advancement over its predecessor, the ULPGM-V2, developed by DRDO’s Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL). While the V2 focused on versatile warhead configurations, the V3 incorporates cutting-edge upgrades revealed during Aero India 2025, including:
- Imaging Infrared (IIR) Seeker: This advanced guidance system allows the missile to lock onto a target’s heat signature, providing pinpoint accuracy even against moving targets.
- Dual-Thrust Propulsion: This technology gives the missile extended range and improved velocity, allowing it to engage targets from a greater standoff distance.
- Lightweight Design: Its construction ensures compatibility with a wide range of drones, including India’s indigenous platforms like the TAPAS BH-201.
This combination of features gives commanders immense strategic flexibility, enabling them to neutralize threats with high precision while keeping personnel out of harm’s way.
NOAR: India’s Premier Hub for Advanced Weapon Trials
The choice of the National Open Area Range (NOAR) in Kurnool for this crucial test highlights the facility’s growing importance as a hub for testing India’s most advanced weapon systems. NOAR has previously hosted successful trials of Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) and sophisticated anti-drone systems, making it the ideal location to validate the performance of the ULPGM-V3 under realistic conditions.
A Milestone for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’
Beyond the technical achievement, the successful test of the ULPGM-V3 is a powerful symbol of the success of the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative in the defence sector. This complex project showcases the maturation of India’s domestic defence-industrial ecosystem, involving close collaboration between DRDO labs, private sector companies, MSMEs, and startups.
As India continues its push to reduce import dependency and equip its armed forces with indigenously produced, world-class technology, the ULPGM-V3 stands out as a testament to the nation’s growing capabilities in designing and developing the weapons of the future.
