India to Begin Testing New Long-Range Interceptor Missiles for Defence Shield Next Year

By siliconindia | Wednesday, 27 August 2025, 05:02 Hrs

India to test new interceptor missiles under Project Kusha starting 2026.
M1, M2, and M3 missiles will have ranges of 150 km, 250 km, and 350 km respectively.
Aims to build a multi-layered air and missile defence shield similar to Iron Dome and Golden Dome.

India is set to commence testing new interceptor missiles next year as part of its indigenous air and missile defence shield under Project Kusha, a critical component of the ambitious Mission Sudarshan Chakra (MSC) announced Prime Minister Modi. The project aims to provide security cover to strategic and vital civilian areas across the country by 2035.

The plan is to test the M1 missile, with an interception range of 150 km against incoming enemy aircraft, stealth fighters, cruise missiles, drones, and precision-guided munitions, in 2026. It will be followed by the M2 missile (250 km range) in 2027 and the M3 missile (350 km range) in 2028. These long-range surface-to-air missiles (LR-SAMs) are being developed the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to create a missile-based layered defence system.

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The goal is to complete the development of these three LR-SAMs and related systems under Project Kusha by 2028, paving the way for their induction from 2030 onwards. This fully automated LR-SAM system is expected to rival the expensive Russian-origin S-400 Triumf air defence system deployed by the Indian Air Force in limited numbers.

The MSC plan aims to build a multi-layered integrated air and missile defence shield around key locations, similar to the proposed Golden Dome missile defence initiative of the United States or the deployed Israeli Iron Dome.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan expressed confidence that India could build its own "Iron or Golden Dome" under the MSC at an affordable cost with a whole-of-nation approach. He emphasized that the defence shield will not only thwart aerial threats but also launch counter-strikes to hit adversaries "many times more."