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On May 18-19, 2026, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) completed the final deliverable-configuration trials of the indigenously developed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3 at the integrated test range near Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. The third-generation lightweight munition was fired in both air-to-ground (A2G) and air-to-air (A2A) modes — engaging stationary and moving ground targets with high precision and intercepting simulated aerial drones in counter-UAV roles. Press coverage of May 20-21, 2026 described the trials as the closing milestone before user-trial induction with the armed forces.
What is ULPGM-V3?
The ULPGM-V3 is a third-generation, dual-mode, UAV-launched precision-guided munition designed for integration onto indigenous medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) and tactical drones. Its defining characteristic is dual targeting capability — a single munition cleared for both surface attack and counter-air engagements, reducing the need for separate weapon stations on the launch platform.
Key Design Parameters
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Generation | Third-generation precision-guided munition |
| Mode | Dual-mode — Air-to-Ground (A2G) + Air-to-Air (A2A) |
| Class | Lightweight (estimated under 25 kg) |
| Guidance | Dual-mode seeker (electro-optical / image-recognition + millimetre-wave radar) |
| Role | Stationary and moving ground targets; counter-drone (single drone and swarm) |
| Launch platform | Indigenous UAVs — Tapas, Archer-NG, Drishti-10 class |
A2A Counter-Drone Significance
The A2A mode is the most novel element. With slow, low, small (SLS) aerial threats — quadcopters, FPV drones, loitering munitions — proliferating across modern battlefields, a UAV-launched air-to-air munition allows an Indian MALE drone to act as an airborne counter-drone picket without committing a manned fighter or surface-based air defence missile, both of which are cost-inefficient against sub-₹1-lakh quadcopter threats.
Developers and Production Partners
The ULPGM-V3 reflects the DRDO–Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU)–private industry triad that the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 seeks to deepen.
| Entity | Role |
|---|---|
| DRDO — DRDL Hyderabad / RCI Imarat | Lead missile system design and seeker development |
| Newspace Research & Technologies, Bengaluru | UAV airframe and weapon-platform integration |
| Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Hyderabad | DPSU production partner (warhead, motor, integration) |
| Adani Defence Systems & Technologies Ltd. | Private-sector production partner |
This four-way arrangement — government laboratory + drone OEM + DPSU + private prime — mirrors the Buy Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed, Manufactured) acquisition category, which sits at the top of the DAP 2020 priority hierarchy.
Operational Context — India’s Drone Doctrine Post-Operation Sindoor
The need for an indigenous UAV-launched precision munition is informed by three contemporary conflict lessons and one Indian operation.
Conflict Lessons Drawn
- Nagorno-Karabakh War (2020): Azerbaijan’s use of the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 with MAM-L munitions decisively defeated Armenian armoured columns and air defence — establishing the MALE-drone-with-precision-munition concept as a doctrinal mainstay.
- Russia–Ukraine War (2022– ): First-Person-View (FPV) drones and Lancet loitering munitions have generated a new economics of land-warfare attrition, where ₹50,000 quadcopters destroy ₹50-crore main battle tanks.
- Israel–Hamas operations: Persistent ISR-strike loops by Israeli MALE drones with Spike NLOS munitions have shaped Indian thinking on cross-border precision options.
Operation Sindoor and the Bhairav Drone Force
In May 2025, India’s Operation Sindoor — launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack — saw the operational employment of drone-strike packages and the consolidation of the Indian Army’s Bhairav Drone Force as a dedicated combined-arms unit. ULPGM-V3 is, in effect, the purpose-built munition for that force.
Drone-Export Ambition
The Drone Federation of India (DFI) has set an export target of USD 2 billion by 2030. Indigenous, qualified munitions like ULPGM-V3 are an essential complement: drones without certified weapon options have limited export attraction beyond the surveillance market.
Policy and Acquisition Framework
| Instrument | Year | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Drone Rules | 2021 | Liberalised airspace zoning (Green / Yellow / Red); single-window registration via DigitalSky |
| PLI Scheme for Drones | 2021 | ₹120 crore corpus over three years; incentive 20% of value addition |
| Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) | 2020 | “Buy Indian–IDDM” placed at apex of priority categories |
| Positive Indigenisation Lists (PIL) | 2020-24 | Successive lists (4th issued 2024) bar imports of listed items by phased dates |
| iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) | 2018 | Startup and MSME challenges; SPARK grants |
| Defence Production & Export Promotion Policy | 2020 | Targets defence exports of ₹35,000 crore by 2025 |
Global Comparators — UAV-Launched Precision Munitions
| Country | Munition | Mode | Launch Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | AGM-114 Hellfire | A2G | MQ-1 Predator, MQ-9 Reaper |
| United States | AGM-176 Griffin | A2G | MQ-9, AC-130 |
| United States | AGM-114R9X (Ninja blade) | A2G (kinetic, no warhead) | MQ-9 |
| Israel | Spike NLOS / Spike LR2 | A2G / dual | Heron, Hermes-class UAVs |
| Türkiye | MAM-L / MAM-C / Kemankes | A2G | Bayraktar TB2, Akinci |
| China | AR-1 / AR-2 | A2G | CH-4, Wing Loong |
| India | ULPGM-V3 | A2G + A2A | Tapas, Archer-NG, Drishti-10 |
The ULPGM-V3’s combined A2G + A2A clearance places it in a small global cohort that includes the latest Spike variants — a meaningful indicator of the seeker and guidance maturity reached by DRDL/RCI.
DRDO — Institutional Context
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1958 |
| Headquarters | New Delhi |
| Parent ministry | Department of Defence R&D (DDR&D), Ministry of Defence |
| Chairman & Secretary, DDR&D | Dr. Samir V. Kamat |
| Laboratory network | ~50 specialised laboratories |
| Key laboratories for ULPGM-V3 | DRDL (Hyderabad), RCI Imarat, ARDE (Pune), ADRDE (Agra) |
| Mandate | Self-reliance in critical defence technologies |
DRDO’s portfolio relevant to drone warfare also includes the Rustom-II / Tapas BH-201 MALE UAV, the SWiFT stealth UCAV demonstrator, and a family of anti-drone systems integrating laser DEW and radar-jammer kill chains.
UPSC Relevance
- GS Paper 3 — Defence and Security: Indigenisation of defence technology; Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence; emerging warfare domains (drones, autonomous systems); internal security implications of small UAV proliferation along borders.
- GS Paper 3 — Science & Technology: Achievements of Indians in science; awareness in the fields of IT, robotics, and defence technology; technology missions.
- GS Paper 3 — Economy: Defence manufacturing, exports, and the role of PSUs and the private sector; PLI schemes; investment models.
- Essay / Ethics linkage: Ethics of lethal autonomous weapons (LAWS); proportionality of drone strikes; sovereignty implications of cross-border armed-drone use.
Facts Corner
- ULPGM-V3: Third-generation, dual-mode (Air-to-Ground + Air-to-Air) UAV-launched precision-guided missile.
- Test dates: May 18-19, 2026.
- Test location: Integrated test range, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
- UAV integrator: Newspace Research & Technologies, Bengaluru.
- Production partners: Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Hyderabad + Adani Defence Systems & Technologies Ltd.
- Lead DRDO labs: DRDL Hyderabad and Research Centre Imarat (RCI).
- DRDO founded: 1958.
- DRDO Headquarters: New Delhi.
- DRDO Chairman & Secretary, DDR&D: Dr. Samir V. Kamat.
- DRDO laboratory count: ~50 specialised labs.
- Indigenous UAV platforms: Tapas BH-201, Archer-NG, Drishti-10 (Hermes-900 transfer of technology).
- Drone Rules: 2021.
- PLI Scheme for Drones: 2021 — ₹120 crore corpus.
- DAP 2020 highest priority category: Buy Indian–IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed, Manufactured).
- iDEX: Innovations for Defence Excellence, 2018.
- Operation Sindoor: May 2025 — saw operationalisation of the Indian Army’s Bhairav Drone Force.
- Drone export target: USD 2 billion by 2030 (Drone Federation of India).
- Global comparators: AGM-114 Hellfire (US), Spike NLOS (Israel), MAM-L (Türkiye), AR-1 (China).
Sources: Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Defence, DRDO
