India tests new Rudram-II air-launched missile

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation tested the Rudram-II air-to-surface missile on 29 May. The Indian MoD said the missile was fired from an Indian Air Force Su-30MKI fighter aircraft. (Indian MoD)

India's state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has flight tested a new version of its Rudram air-launched missile, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced.

Rudram-II was successfully fired on 29 May from an Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft off the coast of India's eastern state of Odisha, the MoD said.

“The flight test met all the trial objectives, validating the propulsion system and control and guidance algorithm,” said the MoD.

It added that the performance of Rudram-II was validated through flight data captured by tracking instruments, including electro-optical systems, radar, and telemetry stations based at DRDO's Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha.

The MoD described Rudram-II as an “indigenously developed, solid-propelled, air-launched missile system” intended for an air-to-surface role to “neutralise many types of enemy assets”.

It added, “Indigenous technologies developed by various DRDO laboratories have been incorporated into the missile system”.

Rudram-II was unveiled at the Defexpo 2022 exhibition in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The missile completed its captive carry tests in 2022.

Two variants of the missile are being developed by DRDO: an anti-radiation missile (ARM) and a ground-attack missile. The missiles are intended to be operated from the IAF's Su-30MKI and Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft.

The missile, which has a range of 300 km, is powered by a solid-propellant rocket motor and uses inertial and satellite navigation for mid-course guidance. The dimensions and weight of Rudram-II are unknown.