Bad news for Pakistan, China as India is developing three deadly air defence systems; range to be…, to be inducted in…

In order to boost India’s air defence against missile and projectile threats, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is working on three different versions of a new air defence system called ‘Kusha’. According to the report by Financial Express, these systems are being developed in India with more than 90% of the parts made locally. They are likely to be ready for use by the Indian armed forces by 2030.

The ambitious ‘Kusha’ project aims to develop a multi-layered air defence system to counter the entire range of modern aerial threats from drones, loitering munitions, to cruise missiles and modern fighter jets. To achieve the different combat requirements, the DRDO is working on three variants of the system, each with a defined combat role, reported Financial Express.

The Kusha M1 variant is being specifically developed for the Indian military to replace obsolete L70 and ZU-23-2B anti-aircraft guns. The gun will be used primarily for critical infrastructure defence, while addressing new-age threats associated with UAVs, drones, and loitering munitions.

The Kusha M2: Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) is under development as the medium-range variant of the system, aiming to replace outdated Pechora missile systems. It will be a better-performing, longer-reaching system that will engage a variety of aerial threats with more precision and reliability.

The Kusha M3 is the long-range variant intended to provide wide-area air defence protection. It will operate together with India’s existing high-value systems, which include the Russian S-400 Triumf, India’s Akash missile system, and the Barak 8 MRSAM developed by India and Israel. According to the Hindu Businessline cited sources stated that the Kusha M3 will have the capability to intercept aerial threats at ranges of 400 km.

According to the report by Financial Express, Sources in the defence sector report that developmental trials for the Kusha air defence systems are anticipated to commence within the next three to four years and see full induction into the armed forces by 2030. Kusha M1 variant trials are expected to commence in September 2025. It is likely to be inducted by the Armed Forces by 2028, while the Kusha M2 is expected to reach the testing stage next year and Kusha M3 LRADS trials for the testing phase are expected to kick off by 2027.

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