New Delhi: India Tuesday successfully carried out the maiden flight test of a Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM) from an integrated test range off Odisha coast. Defence Ministry said all sub-systems of the missile system performed as per expectation and met the primary mission objectives. It said the missile followed the desired path using waypoint navigation and demonstrated its capability to perform various manoeuvres while flying at various altitudes and speeds. The missile is also equipped with advanced avionics and software to ensure better and more reliable performance. “The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the maiden flight test of Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile from the integrated test range Chandipur off the coast of Odisha from a mobile articulated launcher,” the ministry said. It said the missile performance was monitored by several range sensors like radar, electro-optical tracking system and telemetry deployed at different locations to ensure complete coverage of the flight path. LRLACM has been developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment, Bangalore along with contribution from other DRDO laboratories and Indian industries. Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad and Bharat Electronics Limited, Bangalore are the two development-cum-production-partners for LRLACM and they are engaged in missile development and integration.
The test was witnessed by senior scientists from various DRDO laboratories along with the representatives from the three Services, the users of the system. LRLACM is a Defence Acquisition Council-approved mission mode project. It is configured to launch from the ground using a mobile articulated launcher and also from frontline ships using a universal vertical launch module system, officials said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented DRDO, armed forces, and the industry on the successful maiden flight test. It paves the way for future indigenous cruise missile development programmes, he said.