The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has carried out flight trials of a drone-fired precision guided missile, defence minister Rajnath Singh announced Friday.
“In a major boost to India’s defence capabilities, @DRDO_India has successfully carried out flight trials of UAV Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3 in the National Open Area Range (NOAR), test range in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh,” Singh wrote on social media.
“Congratulations to DRDO and the industry partners, DcPPs, MSMEs and Start-ups for the development and successful trials of the ULPGM-V3 system. This success proves that the Indian industry is now ready to absorb and produce critical Defence Technologies,” he added.
The move comes amid learnings from the four-day conflict with Pakistan post Operation Sindoor, which underlined the changed nature of modern warfare.
India will launch a $234 million (Rs 20 billion) incentive programme for civil and military drone makers, Reuters had reported earlier this month, citing government sources.
The idea is to reduce reliance on imported components and counter Pakistan's programme built on support from China and Turkey.
The programme for three years will cover manufacture of drones, components, software, counter drone systems, and services. In 2021, India had in 2021 launched a production-linked incentive scheme for Rs 1.2 billion to promote drone start-ups, which were struggling to raise capital and invest in research.
