CHANDIPUR, October 18 — The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully completed a developmental flight test of the indigenous Next-Generation Anti-Radiation Missile 'Rudram-II' launched from a frontline Indian Air Force Su-30MKI fighter off the Odisha coast on Sunday.
Following high-altitude release from the carrier aircraft, the solid-propellant missile accelerated to hypersonic terminal velocity, precisely locking onto and neutralizing a simulated enemy emitting radar installation situated over 300 kilometres away. The missile employs a state-of-the-art broad-band passive homing head (PHH) paired with an active millimeter-wave (MMW) terminal seeker, enabling accurate interception even if the adversarial radar shuts down emissions during flight.
DRDO leadership noted that the induction of Rudram-II endows the IAF with decisive Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD) and Destruction of Enemy Air Defences (DEAD) capability, enabling strike packages to penetrate contested adversarial airspace and blind early-warning radar arrays with high survivability.
The evolution of indigenous anti-radiation missile systems (Rudram-1, Rudram-II, and prospective Rudram-III), structural integration on IAF fighter fleets, key DRDO missile laboratories (DRDL, RCI Hyderabad), and the strategic role of SEAD doctrines in modern electronic air campaigns represent staple study themes in UPSC Civil Services and defence entrance exams.