India on Friday successfully test-fired “Rudram” anti-radiation missile onto a radiation target located on Wheeler Island off the coast of Odisha. The missile was launched from Sukhoi SU-30 MKI fighter aircraft.
In a statement, the Centre said “Rudram”, which is the country’s first indigenous anti-radiation missile, hit the radiation target with pinpoint accuracy. The missile was developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation.
“The missile is integrated on SU-30 MKI fighter aircraft as the launch platform, having capability of varying ranges based on launch conditions,” the Centre said. “It has INS-GPS [Inertial Navigation System] navigation with Passive Homing Head for the final attack.”
The Passive Homing Head can detect, classify and engage targets over a wide band of frequencies as programmed, making the missile “a potent weapon for Indian Air Force for Suppression of Enemy Air Defence effectively from large stand-off ranges”, the statement added.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the Defence Research and Development Organisation and other stakeholders for the successful launch.
“The New Generation Anti-Radiation Missile (Rudram-1) which is India’s first indigenous anti-radiation missile developed by DRDO for Indian Air Force was tested successfully today at ITR, Balasore,” he tweeted. “Congratulations to DRDO and other stakeholders for this remarkable achievement.”
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