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Project Kusha is a programme under the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), for developing the Extended Range Air Defence System (ERADS), also referred to as XRSAM or PGLRSAM. The goal is to design a transportable, long-range surface-to-air missile system. The missile system will consist of at least three types of interceptors and is expected to be deployed by the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy by 2028–2029.

It will supplement the Indo-Israeli Barak 8, Russian S-400 and Indian Ballistic Missile Defence System in the Indian armed forces.

Development

The missile system might used to bridge the gap between the MR-SAM (80 km) and S-400 (400 km). It is being developed as an area-defence system. The Indian Air Force (IAF) will be the lead agency for this air defence system.

The project was cleared for development by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in May 2022, and was granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in September 2023 for procuring five of its squadrons for the IAF for ₹21,700 crore (US$2.6 billion).

The naval version of the missile might be also developed to supplement the LR-SAM missile in the Indian Navy.

As of August 2024, DRDO is about to start the fabrication process of 5 M1 missiles (range of 150 km). DRDO has also placed order for 20 sets of airframes, 20 sets of rocket motors, 50 sets of kill vehicles (warhead), onboard & ground transceivers for telemetry. The missiles are expected to begin testing in early 2025.

Design

The missile system includes at least three types of interceptor missiles. The missiles will have ranges of 150 km, 250 km and 350 km. This system will also feature advanced long-range surveillance and fire control radars. The air defence system will be capable of detecting and destroying enemy assets like cruise missiles, stealth fighter jets, and drones at around 250 km range and larger aircraft like airborne early warning and control (AEW&CS) at a range of 350 km. The missiles may also possess short or medium range BMD capabilities. It will have a single-shot kill probability more than 80% and not less than 90% probability in salvo launch mode.

The missile batteries will be able to “interact” with the IAF’s integrated air command and control system (IACCS). It is a fully-automated air defence network operated by Indian Air Force which will be built to combine numerous military and civilian radars with each other in Indian airspace to make the Air Defence system more efficient and reliable.

According to a report, the naval variant exceeding 250 km-range missile will be capable of intercepting anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) with a speed of Mach 7.

Operators

 India

•  Indian Air Force — 5 Squadrons (on order).
•  Indian Navy — Planned

See also

Similar systems

• S-400 missile system – (Soviet Union, Russia)
• S-500 missile system – (Russia)
• HQ-9 – (China)
• Iron Dome – (Israel)
• MIM-104 Patriot – (United States)
• Terminal High Altitude Area Defence – (United States) (THAAD)

Related lists

• List of surface-to-air missiles
• List of anti-aircraft weapons

Notes

1. eXtra Long Range Surface to Air Missile
2. Precision Guided Long Range Surface to Air Missile

References

1. ^ "India aims to deploy indigenous long-range air defence system by 2028-2029". The Times of India. 31 October 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
2. ^ Deshpande, Smruti (31 October 2023). "'Desi' S-400: All about Project Kusha, India's very own long-range air defence system". ThePrint. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
3. "ERADS, Desi S-400 : IAF Not To Opt For Additional S-400, Instead Will Go For DRDO's Extended Range Air Defence System". India's growing Military power. 2 December 2022.
4. ^ Reddy, U Sudhakar (28 December 2019). "DRDO reveals 350km XRSAM missile details". The Times of India. TNN. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
5. ^ "S-400 Missile and Project Kusha". Drishti IAS. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
6. ^ "India's New Naval Missile: Intercepting Mach 7 Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles". Bharat Shakti. 20 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
7. ^ "India sets sight on Made in India S-400-like air defence system". India Today. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
8. "DRDO readies India's next generation XRSAM-long range air defence missile system" (PDF). Defence Research and Development Organization. 27 December 2019.
9. Karthikeyan, Varun (29 July 2023). "DRDO is procuring 20 sets of Airframe s ,20 sets of rocket motors , 50 sets of Kill Vehicles, onboard & ground Transceivers for Telemetry and other components for it's PGLRSAM(ERSAM/XRSAM)" (Tweet). Retrieved 1 September 2024 – via Twitter.
10. Karthikeyan, Varun (28 August 2023). "Fabrication of M1 Missile (5nos) of PGLRSAM is soon to start. Airframe sections are about to procure. Kill Vehicle, seeker housing, various adaptors are about to procure" (Tweet). Retrieved 1 September 2024 – via Twitter.

• Surface-to-air missiles of India
• Post–Cold War weapons of India
• Defence Research and Development Organisation
• Indian Air Force