The Defence Research and Development Organisation has successfully tested the long-range air defence missile system known as Kusha, Times of India reported.

This marks a significant milestone for India’s defence sector and sets a benchmark for indigenous missile development.

The system is being developed in three variants and is often described as India’s answer to Russia’s S-400, which proved its effectiveness during Operation Sindoor.

Recent conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine, along with the lessons of Operation Sindoor, have highlighted the importance of robust air defence networks. These networks must be capable of tackling threats ranging from small drones to ballistic missiles.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced during his Independence Day address last year that a system called Sudarshan Chakra would be developed domestically to defend both strategic and civilian areas by 2035.

The aim is to build a credible ballistic missile defence shield. The test of Kusha is only the first step in this complex journey. DRDO has already demonstrated its ability to design and validate systems capable of intercepting hostile ballistic missiles in both endo-atmospheric and Exo-atmospheric domains. This initiative began well before Iran’s missile attacks on its neighbours, which exposed the limitations of traditional systems.

Iran’s strikes on Saudi Arabia and the UAE revealed vulnerabilities in advanced systems such as the US Patriot and THAAD. Despite heavy investment, these countries struggled to protect critical infrastructure. This underscores the need for layered, integrated air defence systems with redundancy. India has absorbed these lessons as it advances mission Sudarshan Chakra.

Under Project Kusha, India plans to field three long-range surface-to-air missiles: M1 with a range of 150 km, M2 with 250 km, and M3 with 350 km. Together, these will form the backbone of a layered defence system capable of engaging aircraft, stealth fighters, cruise missiles, and drones.

Defence against ballistic missiles will rely on the dedicated BMD shield, separate from Kusha. The system is envisioned as fully automated and integrated, rivalling the S-400 but designed to be scalable and part of a broader national shield.

The concept is ambitious, comparable to the US’s proposed “Golden Dome” or Israel’s “Iron Dome.” India’s challenge is unique, as it must defend a vast landmass with multiple high-value targets spread across thousands of kilometres.

This requires not only interceptor missiles but also large-scale integration of sensors, radars, and command centres, along with advanced weapons such as directed energy systems. Building such a shield demands a whole-of-nation approach involving industry and research institutions.

India already has building blocks in place. It has developed quick reaction SAMs, very short-range air defence systems, and tested a 30-kilowatt laser-based directed energy weapon. Phase-I of the indigenous BMD system, capable of intercepting missiles in the 2,000-km class, has been validated.

More recently, Phase-II interceptors designed to neutralise threats in the 5,000-km class have been tested. These achievements demonstrate capability, but the challenge lies in integration—creating a seamless network that can detect, track, and neutralise threats.

The test of Kusha’s interceptor missile shows that New Delhi is serious about building a layered defence against both ballistic and aerial threats.

However, this is only the beginning. To secure its skies, India must invest in integration, redundancy, and innovation. Past conflicts have shown that even the best systems can fail under saturation attacks. India’s challenge will be to build resilience into its air defence umbrella.

Agencies