New Delhi: India’s very own long-range air defence system with a range of up to 350 km. That’s what India’s top military research organisation — the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) — is working on.
At the heart of ‘Project Kusha’ is the development of India’s very own Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (LR-SAM) that, according to reports, is comparable to Russia’s S-400 Triumf air defence system. Jointly developed with Israel Aerospace Industries, Israel’s major aerospace and aviation manufacturers, Kusha was greenlit by the Cabinet Committee for Security in May 2022, and accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) — the first step toward procurement of any military equipment and hardware — by the defence ministry last month for procuring five of its squadrons for the IAF for Rs 21,700 crore.
Speaking at a press conference he held on 3 October, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal V. R. Chaudhari spoke about challenges in the delivery of Russia’s S-400. While Moscow’s already delivered three systems, the delivery of two others is still pending, he said. He also listed the other “new generation weapon systems” that India planning to procure.
“Medium-Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM), Akash New Generation missile defence systems, Air Defence System Kusha, Ballistic Missile Systems Pralay are all the contracts we are expecting to sign sometime in the coming year,” he said at the briefing.
According to a report in the Times of India Tuesday, India aims to deploy the indigenous LR-SAM system, which is capable of detecting and destroying incoming stealth fighters, aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, and precision-guided munitions at ranges up to 350 km, 2028-2029.
Here’s everything you want to know about Project Kusha, the Indian military’s very own Long Range Surface-to-Air Missiles.
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‘Reliable area air defence’
According to the Times of India report, the mobile LR-SAM, with its long-range surveillance and fire control radars would have different types of interceptor missiles designed to hit hostile targets at 150 km, 250 km, and 350 km ranges.
Meant to provide comprehensive air defence cover to strategic and tactical vulnerable areas, the system can take out “fighter-sized” targets at a range of up to 250 km and larger aircraft at 350 km, the report said.
It is also capable of “reliable area air defence” with a single-shot kill probability of not less than 80 percent for a single missile launch and not less than 90 percent for salvo launch, the report said quoting sources.
Although it has been compared favourably to the S400, there’s a significant difference — in a report on 16 October, the Moscow-based news agency Sputnik said that while the latter can take down long, medium, and short-range threats, Project Kusha aims at the development of only long-range air defence.
The LR-SAM system will be also made capable of interacting with an integrated command and control system (IACCS), according to the Times of India.
The IACCS is an automated air defence command and control centre that the Indian Air Force uses for controlling and monitoring air operations.
But LR-SAM isn’t the only project India is developing with Israel. India’s Kalyani Strategic Systems has already entered a joint venture with Israel’s Rafael Advanced Systems Ltd for indigenous production of MRSAM, some of which have already been procured by the IAF.
The IAF has already inducted some MRSAM.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
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