India plans to operationally deploy by
2028-2029 its own long-range air defence system, which can detect and destroy incoming stealth fighters, aircraft, drones, cruise missiles and precision-guided munitions at ranges up to 350-km. The "interception capabilities" of the indigenous long-range surface-to-air missile (LR-SAM) system, being developed by DRDO under the ambitious Project Kusha, will be "comparable" to the formidable Russian S-400 Triumf air defence svstem recently inducted by the IAF, sources told TOl on Sunday.
After the Cabinet Committee on Security in May 2022 cleared development of the LR-SAM system as a "mission-mode" project, the defence ministry last month accorded the acceptance of necessity (oN) for procurement of five of its squadrons for the IAF at a cost of Rs 21,700 crore.
2028-2029 its own long-range air defence system, which can detect and destroy incoming stealth fighters, aircraft, drones, cruise missiles and precision-guided munitions at ranges up to 350-km. The "interception capabilities" of the indigenous long-range surface-to-air missile (LR-SAM) system, being developed by DRDO under the ambitious Project Kusha, will be "comparable" to the formidable Russian S-400 Triumf air defence svstem recently inducted by the IAF, sources told TOl on Sunday.
After the Cabinet Committee on Security in May 2022 cleared development of the LR-SAM system as a "mission-mode" project, the defence ministry last month accorded the acceptance of necessity (oN) for procurement of five of its squadrons for the IAF at a cost of Rs 21,700 crore.