Context: 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 DRDO test range near Kurnool, 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.
- 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 ULPGM missile has been developed by Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad as the nodal lab along with other DRDO laboratories namely Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) Hyderabad, Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune.
- The missile has been produced entirely through the Indian defence ecosystem involving a large number of MSMEs and other industries. The trials confirmed fully mature domestic supply chain, equipped for immediate serial mass production.
Features of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Launched Precision Guided Missile-V3
- The ULPGM-V3 is equipped with a high definition dual-channel seeker that can strike a wide variety of targets.
- It can be fired in plain and high-altitude areas.
- It has day-and-night capability and two-way data link to support post-launch target/aim-point update.
- Air-to-Ground mode is designed for anti-tank operations, while the Air-to-Air mode can engage drones, helicopters and other airborne targets.
- It is equipped with three modular warhead options
- Anti-armour to destroy modern age armoured vehicles equipped with Rolled Homogeneous Armour (RHA) with Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA); Penetration-cum-Blast warhead with Anti Bunker application and Pre-fragmentation warhead with a high lethality zone.
- The ULPGM-V3 can be carried and operated by individual soldiers in remote and mountainous regions.
- Range: It can achieve a maximum range of 4 km during the day and 2.5 km at night.
- Weight: 12.5 kg which enables integration with lightweight drones.