DRDO successfully conducted a fresh flight test of India’s Long-Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM) from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. The indigenous subsonic missile, capable of striking targets up to 1,000 km away, met all mission objectives. The missile is being developed for the Army, Air Force and Navy.
India’s defence research agency on Monday conducted a fresh flight test of its long-range land attack cruise missile (LRLACM) from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast, with all test objectives met, according to the defence ministry. New Delhi: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carried out the test of its long-range land attack cruise missile (LRLACM) on Monday, with performance data captured by tracking instruments deployed by the integrated test range at Chandipur.
Scroll to load tweet…
What Is LRLACM?
The LRLACM is a defence acquisition council-approved, mission mode project.
It can be launched from the ground using a mobile articulated launcher, and also from frontline warships through a universal vertical launch module system — the same launch infrastructure already in use for the BrahMos missile.
The subsonic cruise missile, developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) in Bengaluru, is capable of striking targets at a range of 1,000 km.
It uses waypoint navigation to follow a designated flight path, and is designed to perform manoeuvres across multiple altitudes and speeds.
Its terrain-hugging flight profile at subsonic speed makes it harder to detect and intercept, giving it a tactical edge against layered air defences.
The LRLACM traces its lineage to the Nirbhay long-range cruise missile, first tested in 2013, and draws on technologies developed under the indigenous technology cruise missile (ITCM) programme, including the domestically developed Manik turbofan engine.
While the BrahMos trades range for speed, the LRLACM is designed to travel considerably farther, enabling deeper penetration strikes.
Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Hyderabad, and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bengaluru, are the development-cum-production partners involved in the missile’s development and integration.
Both the Indian air force and the army have received acceptance of necessity for procurement of the missile.
Monday’s test was the second in the programme. The maiden flight test was carried out on November 12, 2024, also from Chandipur, using a mobile articulated launcher, when all sub-systems performed as expected and met primary mission objectives.
An air-launched variant of the LRLACM is currently in development, with integration work under way for launch from the Su-30MKI fighter aircraft, which will serve as the primary platform for initial trials.
The defence minister, Rajnath Singh, congratulated the DRDO and its industry partners on the test.
The DRDO chairman and defence secretary, Rajesh Kumar Singh, who monitored the launch, also extended his congratulations to the teams involved.