An important step in India's efforts to improve its air defense capabilities was reached on Wednesday when the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully carried out the first flight test of the domestic long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) Kusha from APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
Fighter aircraft, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and large adversary aircraft can all be neutralized by the Kusha missile system over a wide variety of altitudes and ranges.
The successful experiment was praised by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who said it was a significant turning point in India's defence research and development.Only a few countries are capable of creating a long-range surface-to-air missile system. This represents a significant advancement in the country's air defense capabilities and will also reduce reliance on imports for such systems," Singh wrote in a post on X.
By lowering reliance on imported long-range air defense systems and improving the nation's capacity to combat a variety of aerial threats, the successful first test is anticipated to strengthen India's domestic air defense program. The government's ongoing quest for defense manufacturing independence under the Atmanirbhar Bharat plan is also reflected in this progress.

As an indigenous long-range air defense system, Kusha is being developed to offer layered defense against various airborne threats over long distances and at different elevations. A major step toward its admission into the armed forces after more developmental trials is the successful first flight test.