Kusha Missile: India has made a fresh move in air defence. DRDO carried out the first flight-test of the Kusha Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile on July 23, 2026. The test was done from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha. The missile was fired at an electronic target that was made to look like a fast and high-flying enemy threat. It hit the target successfully. The Ministry of Defence said the mission goals were met, and Rajnath Singh called the test “marks an important milestone in Indian defence R&D” while saying it would help “eliminate the import dependency” for such systems.
This is a big moment because Kusha is being built as India’s own long-range air shield. The system is made by DRDO labs with help from industry partners. It is meant to deal with fighter jets, missiles, drones and large enemy aircraft. News reports also say the project is part of India’s wider push for a strong layered air defence network under Mission Sudarshan Chakra.
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How the Test was carried out?
The maiden test was done from Launch Complex IV at the APJ Abdul Kalam Island test site. During the trial, the missile was guided against a high-speed and high-altitude aerial target. The target was made to act like a modern threat in the sky. Official statements said the missile system worked as planned and the test proved the system elements were ready for this stage.
Reports on Project Kusha say the system is built in three layers. The first version, M1, is said to have a range of about 150 km. The second, M2, is said to reach about 250 km. The longest-range version, M3, is said to go around 350-400 km. The idea is simple. One system can handle different kinds of threats at different distances. Fighter jets, drones, cruise missiles and some ballistic missile threats are all meant to be part of the target set.
Where Kusha fits in India’s shield?
Kusha is not meant to stand alone. It is being planned as the outer layer of a much bigger air defence wall. Reports say it will work with systems like S-400, MRSAM, Akash-NG, QRSAM and point defence weapons. It is also expected to plug into the Indian Air Force’s Integrated Air Command and Control System, which connects many radars and command posts across the country. That makes it easier to spot a threat early and pass the data to the right weapon fast.
The main idea behind this kind of network is to make the enemy’s job harder. If one radar sees the threat and another launcher fires, the launcher may not need to switch on its own radar too early. That lowers the chance of being noticed. It also gives India more room to react before a strike reaches its target.
Kusha vs Other Air Defence Systems
| Feature / System | DRDO Kusha (India) | S-400 Triumf (Russia) | MIM-104 Patriot PAC-3 (USA) | THAAD (USA) | HQ-9B (China) | David’s Sling (Israel) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Interception Range | 150 / 250 / 400 km | 40 km (9M96E) to 400 km (40N6E) | 30 to 160 km (PAC-3 MSE) | 200 km | 250 km | 250 (Stunner) |
| Max Altitude | 30 km (100,000 ft) | 30 km | 24 km | 150 km (Exo-atmospheric) | 27 km | 15 km |
| Max Speed | Mach 5.5+ | Mach 4.8 to Mach 12 | Mach 4.1 | Mach 8.2 | Mach 4.2 | Mach 7.5 |
| Guidance / Seeker | Hybrid Active AESA RF + IR | Command + Semi-Active/Active RF | Active Millimetre Wave Radar | InSb Focal Plane Array IR | Active Radar Homing | Dual IR/CCDP + Active Radar |
| Target Engagement | Stealth Jets, AWACS, Hypersonic, Ballistic | Aircraft, Cruise, Tactical Ballistic | Ballistic Missiles, Stealth Jets, UAVs | Short/Medium Range Ballistic Missiles | Aircraft, Cruise, Ballistic Missiles | Cruise, Ballistic, Large Rockets |
| Radar Coverage | 360° AESA Multi-Function | 360° Panoramic Acquisition | 120° Phased Array (270° LTAMDS) | 120° Single-Face TPY-2 X-band | 360° Phased Array | 360° AESA (EL/M-2084) |
| Kill Mechanism | Directional Frag / Hit-to-Kill | Blast Fragmentation | Kinetic Hit-to-Kill | Pure Kinetic Hit-to-Kill | Pre-fragmented HE | Kinetic Hit-to-Kill |
| Squadron Cost (Est.) | ~$500 Million (Indigenous) | ~$600-700 Million | ~$1.1-1.5 Billion | ~$2.5-3.0 Billion | ~$400 Million (Internal) | ~$300 Million (Battery) |
Kusha vs S-400
The S-400 is one of the best-known long-range air defence systems in the world. CSIS says it can hit aerial targets at up to 250 km with one missile family and up to 400 km with the long-range 40N6 missile. That makes it a very strong system for wide-area defence. Kusha is being shaped in a similar long-range role, but with Indian design and Indian control over upgrades and maintenance.
The big difference is ownership and flexibility. S-400 is imported, so India has to deal with foreign supply chains and outside decisions. Kusha is meant to be built at home. That means India can change software, manage stock and support the system on its own terms. That is one of the biggest reasons the project matters.
Kusha vs Patriot
The Patriot PAC-3 MSE is another famous air defence weapon. The U.S. Army says it is a high-velocity hit-to-kill missile that can fight tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft and drones. But Patriot is mainly a shorter-range defensive system compared with a long-range shield like Kusha.
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Kusha vs THAAD
THAAD is different again. CSIS says THAAD is made to hit ballistic missiles in the terminal phase and can work inside or outside the atmosphere. It is a special upper-layer system, not a general air defence missile for fighters and cruise missiles. That means Kusha is closer in role to a long-range air defence umbrella, while THAAD is more of a missile defence specialist.
Kusha vs HQ-19
China’s HQ-19 is also a ballistic missile defence system. The U.S. Department of Defense said in its 2024 China military report that the HQ-19 has been tested against 3,000 km-class ballistic missiles. That puts it in a very different class from Kusha. Kusha is being built mainly to protect Indian airspace from aircraft, drones and cruise missiles, with some reported ballistic-threat coverage too.
