In a major milestone for India’s indigenous defence programme, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully completed the final development trials of the advanced ULPGM-V3 missile system in both air-to-ground and air-to-air combat modes.
The successful tests mark a significant leap in India’s drone warfare and precision strike capabilities, strengthening the country’s push toward defence self-reliance under the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiative.
DRDO Conducts Successful Missile Trials In Andhra Pradesh
According to the Defence Ministry, the trials were conducted at a DRDO testing range near Kurnool using an integrated Ground Control System (GCS) for command and launch operations.
The missile system demonstrated successful engagement capabilities against both ground-based and airborne targets during the tests.
Officials confirmed that the trials validated the missile’s operational readiness and advanced targeting precision.
What Is The ULPGM-V3 Missile?
The ULPGM-V3, also called the ULM-ER (Extended Range), is an indigenous fire-and-forget precision-guided missile designed specifically for launch from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or combat drones.
The advanced missile system can neutralise:
- Enemy tanks
- Stationary military targets
- Moving tactical vehicles
- Helicopters
- Drones and airborne threats
The missile has been developed with extended-range strike capability and high-precision targeting technology.
Developed Fully Through India’s Defence Ecosystem
The ULPGM-V3 programme was led by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat in collaboration with several major defence laboratories, including:
- Defence Research and Development Laboratory
- Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory
- High Energy Materials Research Laboratory
The missile system has been manufactured entirely through India’s domestic defence ecosystem involving MSMEs, private industries and public sector defence companies.
Bharat Dynamics And Adani Defence Partner In Production
DRDO partnered with:
- Bharat Dynamics Limited
- Adani Defence Systems and Technologies
for development and production of the missile system.
The missile was integrated with UAV platforms developed by Newspace Research and Technologies during the latest trials.
Officials said the successful tests confirmed India now has a mature domestic supply chain capable of supporting serial mass production.
Rajnath Singh Calls It A Strategic Milestone
Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO scientists, defence PSUs, industry partners and research teams for the successful trials.
He described the achievement as a major strategic milestone toward self-reliance in advanced defence technology.
Meanwhile, DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat also praised the teams involved in the successful development and testing process.
Why The ULPGM-V3 Matters For India
The successful testing of the ULPGM-V3 significantly boosts India’s capabilities in:
- Drone warfare
- Precision-guided strikes
- Anti-tank operations
- Counter-drone combat
- Indigenous defence manufacturing
Military analysts believe such systems will play a key role in future warfare where UAV-based combat and precision strikes are becoming increasingly important.
