New Delhi, June 15:
In a significant milestone for India’s defence preparedness, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Monday successfully conducted the flight test of the indigenously developed Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM), enhancing the country’s long-range precision strike capabilities.
The missile was launched from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, located off the coast of Odisha. According to the Defence Ministry, all mission objectives were successfully achieved during the test.
“All the test objectives were fully met, as per the data captured by various tracking instruments deployed by the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur,” the DRDO said in an official statement.
The successful flight test validated several critical technologies incorporated into the missile system and demonstrated India’s growing capability to develop advanced long-range precision strike weapons indigenously.
Senior officials from DRDO, along with representatives of the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, witnessed the launch. Defence Secretary and Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development, Rajesh Kumar Singh, who is also Chairman of DRDO, monitored the test and reviewed the mission’s performance.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO scientists, engineers and industry partners involved in the project. He lauded their efforts in successfully developing and testing the advanced missile system, describing it as another major achievement for India’s defence sector.
The LRLACM has been developed entirely within the country, with its various subsystems designed and produced by multiple DRDO laboratories and Indian industry partners. The Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru, served as the nodal laboratory for the project.
The successful test marks another important step towards achieving the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence manufacturing while strengthening India’s indigenous defence ecosystem.
The achievement comes close on the heels of three successful missile tests conducted by DRDO earlier this month, showcasing India’s advanced capabilities in ballistic missile defence and anti-ship warfare.
Following those tests, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had stated that India is moving towards joining an elite group of nations possessing advanced Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, including Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs).
He had also highlighted that the newly developed systems incorporate cutting-edge technologies to counter emerging missile threats and successfully demonstrated medium-range anti-ship warfare capabilities during the maiden flight test of the Naval Anti-Ship Missile-Medium Range system.
The latest success further reinforces India’s commitment to self-reliance in defence technology and strengthens the country’s strategic deterrence capabilities in an evolving security environment.
