Bhubaneswar, June 2: In a major milestone for India's defence sector, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with the Indian Air Force (IAF), successfully conducted flight tests of the indigenously developed RudraM-II air-to-surface missile from an airborne platform.

The missile was tested under challenging release conditions, validating the performance and reliability of its critical subsystems. Following launch, the missile accurately navigated its designated trajectory and struck the predefined target with exceptional precision.

According to officials, all mission objectives were achieved successfully. The performance was verified through flight data collected by various tracking and monitoring systems deployed by the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur.

RudraM-II has been developed by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, the lead DRDO laboratory for the project, with support from several DRDO facilities, including the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), and ITR.

Several Development-cum-Production Partners (DcPPs), along with organisations such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the Regional Centre for Military Airworthiness (RCMA), the Missile System Quality Assurance Agency (MSQAA), and numerous industry partners, played a key role in the successful development and testing of the missile.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the IAF, Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), DcPPs and industry partners on the successful trials. He said the achievement reflects the growing strength and maturity of India's indigenous defence technologies and marks another significant step towards self-reliance in advanced weapon systems under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and DRDO Chairman also commended the teams involved, describing the successful test as a notable accomplishment in strengthening the nation's defence preparedness.