Boost to 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat': DRDO tests missile built to take down tanks, drones, helicopters

NEW DELHI: In a major boost to the country’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully completed the final deliverable configuration development trials of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3 at the National Open Area Range near Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. The missile was tested in both Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground configurations.

The trials mark a significant milestone in India’s push towards self-reliance in advanced defence systems, with DRDO stating that the successful tests have confirmed a fully mature domestic supply chain ready for immediate serial mass production.



The trials were carried out using an integrated Ground Control System (GCS) to command and control the ULPGM weapon system. According to DRDO, the GCS incorporates advanced technologies to automate readiness and launch operations.


Developed entirely through India’s defence ecosystem involving PSUs, private firms, MSMEs and research laboratories, the ULPGM-V3 is designed as a versatile precision weapon capable of engaging both ground and aerial threats. In its Air-to-Ground role, the missile is configured for anti-tank missions, while in Air-to-Air mode, it can target drones, helicopters and other airborne threats.


Key specifications of ULPGM-V3


Equipped with a high-definition, dual-channel seeker that allows it to precisely strike a wide variety of targets.


Features full day-and-night capability, ensuring operational readiness under any visibility conditions.


Designed to be successfully fired in both plain (flat) terrains and high-altitude areas.


Supports real-time, two-way data transmission, enabling post-launch target updates and mid-flight aim-point corrections.


The missile can also be configured with three mission-specific warheads:


Anti-Armour Warhead: Specifically engineered to destroy modern-age armored vehicles protected by both Rolled Homogeneous Armour (RHA) and Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA).


Penetration-cum-Blast Warhead: Optimized for anti-bunker applications to breach and destroy fortified enemy structures.


Pre-Fragmentation Warhead: Designed to create a high-lethality zone, maximising damage against soft targets and personnel.

The missile has been developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, the nodal DRDO lab for the project, along with contributions from Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad; Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh; and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune.
For production, DRDO has partnered with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Hyderabad, and Adani Defence Systems & Technologies Limited, Hyderabad. The missile system was integrated onto UAVs developed by Newspace Research and Technologies, Bengaluru, for the current trials.