New Delhi: India is building a homegrown missile shield that may redefine its battlefield advantage. It has been named as Project Kusha. Designed to detect and destroy threats from drones, fighter jets, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles at ranges up to 350 km, this ambitious programme could give India a ‘Made-in-India’ answer to the Russian S-400 and a strong counter to both regional and global threats.
While India already operates the Russian-built S-400 missile defence system, the wars of the future demand more than just foreign imports. Countries now need constant readiness and technological independence. That is where Kusha steps in.
Back in May 2022, India gave the green light to a major defence initiative – one that is quietly reshaping the country’s air defence game. Known named as the Extended Range Air Defence System (ERADS), it is being developed by India’s DRDO in partnership with Israel Aerospace Industries.
Kusha is built around three layers of long-range surface-to-air missiles – which can take down enemy threats from as far as 150 km, 250 km and even 350 km away. These missiles come packed with cutting-edge features like dual-pulse motors and thrust vectoring that allow them to home in on targets with impressive precision – whether it is a hostile missile, a stealth drone or a fast-moving jet.
Reports suggest that it can take down fighter-sized targets at 250 km and large aircraft at 350 km. In single-shot scenarios, its success rate is projected to be no less than 80%, going up to 90% in salvo launches. That puts it firmly in the league of elite global air defence systems but with one difference – it is Made in India.
Expected to be ready by 2028 or 2029, the Kusha system is set to become India’s frontline shield in the sky. It is designed to protect the country from both traditional air attacks and emerging aerial threats like drones and cruise missiles. Once it is fully in place, India will join an elite club of nations, alongside the United States, Russia and China, that have built their own long-range air defence systems from the ground up.
But it will not work in isolation. It is designed to seamlessly integrate with India’s current air defence assets like the Akash, Barak-8 and even the S-400, forming a formidable and unified multi-layered air defence network.
The comparison with Israel’s vaunted Iron Dome is inevitable. While it can intercept short-range threats up to 70 km away, Kusha boasts a range five times greater. Even the American Patriot system, which maxes out at 110 km, falls short of Kusha’s reach. The system’s long-range tracking radar will spot threats 350 km away, giving Indian forces a decisive early warning and strike capability.
Another huge plus? It is entirely Indian-built – enhancing national security, reducing dependency on foreign suppliers and aligning with the government’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self reliant India) vision.
Project Kusha’s introduction may mark a paradigm shift in India’s military posture. At a time when aerial warfare is evolving rapidly and threats from hostile drones, stealth fighters and hypersonic missiles are becoming the norm, it promises to be India’s answer to the battlefield of tomorrow.
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