DRDO Achieves Milestone with LRLACM Flight Test

A significant milestone has been reached by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It carried out the Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile's (LRLACM) initial flight test on November 12, 2024. This missile was fired from a mobile articulated launcher at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha, and has a 1,000 km range. Numerous enhancements are there in this latest Nirbhay LRLACM edition.

LRLACM Project Overview

• Was cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council in July 2020 and was meant to develop a cruise missile for performing long-range attacks.
• It serves to improve the capabilities of India’s conventional force intimidation and offer deeper hitting capacity against ground targets.

Flight-Test Details

• Accomplished first mission goals, which encompassed the performance of all sub-systems.
• Missile flight range sensing measured and recorded missile performance in addition to providing broad coverage of all aspects of flight paths.

Navigation and performance

• Established waypoint navigation and some kinds of movements at various heights and velocities.
• High avionics and software for achieving effective strikes as required by the modern wars.

Launch Configuration

• Primarily for multiple launch sites with an emphasis on ground mobile systems and frontline naval ships.

Strategic Importance

• Offers armed forces a capability that is long-range standoff, akin to the United States’ Tomahawk cruise missile.
• Its low-altitude flight reduces susceptibility to effortless enemy radar interception.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh appreciated the successful tested A1 launch by dubbing the way for future indigenous cruise missile development.

Exam Point:

• LRLACM: Improves standoff strike capacity against land targets in India.
• DRDO: Responsible for designing and developing defense technologies in India.
• Aeronautical Development Establishment: The Integrated Team Head for LRLACM and works closely with DRDO for enhancing the missile technologies.