New Delhi: In a boost to India’s self-reliance in defence, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully completed the final deliverable configuration development trials of unmanned aerial vehicle launched precision guided missile (ULPGM)-V3 in air-to-ground and air-to-air modes at the DRDO test range near Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh. The trials were carried out using an integrated ground control system (GCS) to command and control the ULPGM weapon system. The GCS features state-of-the-art technologies to automate readiness and launch operations.The ULPGM missile has been developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI) Hyderabad as the nodal lab along with other DRDO labs like Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) Hyderabad, Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune.DRDO has partnered with two production agencies — Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad and Adani Defence Systems & Technologies Limited, Hyderabad — for the development and production of the missiles. The system has been integrated on UAVs developed by Newspace Research and Technologies, Bengaluru, for current trials. The missile has been produced entirely through the Indian defence ecosystem involving a large number of MSMEs and other industries.

The trials confirmed a fully mature domestic supply chain, equipped for immediate serial mass production. Defence minister Rajnath Singh and DRDO chief Samir V Kamat have complimented DRDO, PSUs, production partners and industry for the successful development trials of ULPGM-V3.