India successfully tests Kusha long-range surface-to-air missile

India said Thursday that it had successfully conducted the maiden flight test of Kusha, a long-range surface-to-air missile.

India’s Defense Research and Development Organization conducted the test from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of the eastern state of Odisha.

“Kusha missile system is capable of neutralizing wide variety of aerial threats including fighter jets, missiles, UAVs and large enemy aircrafts within a wide range and altitude envelope,” Defense Minister Rajnath Singh wrote on US social media company X.

He said today’s successful test flight “marks an important milestone in Indian defense Research and development.”

“The capability in developing a long range surface-to-air missile system is possessed only by a handful of nations,” he said.

Singh added, “this will also eliminate the import dependency for such systems and signifies a giant leap in air defense capability of the nation.