The new generation Rudram-1 anti-radiation missile has an attack range of 100 to 200 km depending on the altitude from which it is fired. The missile, with a launch speed of Mach 0.6 to 2 (twice the speed of sound), was tested from a Sukhoi jet against a target on Long Wheeler Island in front of the Odisha coast around 11.15 am.
The Rudram-1 missile, which has INS-GPS navigation with a passive homing head for the final attack, maneuvered towards the target based on the direction detected by the seeker and hit it with pinpoint precision. All mission objectives were successfully met, ”said a DRDO scientist.
DRDO has conducted a series of tests of different weapons systems in recent days amid the ongoing military clash in eastern Ladakh with China. They include the locally developed hypersonic technology demonstrator vehicle (HSTDV), the extended-range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile (400 km range), the nuclear-capable Shaurya ballistic missile (750-1,000 km), an anti-tank guided missile guided by lasers and the Supersonic Missile Assisted Launch (SMART) weapon system.
First Pixs of the #Rudram next generation anti-radiation missile tested today on a Sukhoi-30MKI fighter. It has an impact range of 100 to more than 200 km, depending on the altitude from which it is fired. Launch velocity of Mach 0.6 to 2 (twice the speed of sound)
The Rudram-1 missile’s passive return head can detect, classify, and strike targets over a wide frequency band as programmed. “The missile is a potent weapon for the IAF in conducting operations to destroy air defense configurations inside enemy territory, or suppressing enemy air defenses (SEAD), from great distances apart. This will ensure that IAF attack aircraft can carry out their missions unhindered, “said the scientist.
This is the first air-to-ground missile developed by DRDO to neutralize surveillance and guidance radars, communication towers, command and control centers and other radiation emitting targets.
“The missile, powered by two solid impulse rocket engines for improved range, can be launched from Sukhois from different altitudes, ranging from 500 meters to 15 km. It has “lock before launch (LOBL)” and “lock after launch (LOAL)” modes, he added.
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