A competitor to the American Tomahawk: India tests new long-range cruise missile LRLACM
India's DRDO has tested a new long-range cruise missile, the LRLACM.
Here's What We Know
The LRLACM cruise missile, which is an analogue of the US Tomahawk missile, was successfully tested at the Indian missile test site in Chandipur.
The missile, developed by DRDO, is designed to strike at a distance of 1500 km. The test was conducted from a self-propelled launcher equipped with four missiles, and all subsystems showed the expected results.
The maiden flight-test of the Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM) was conducted today from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha. During the test, all sub-systems performed as per expectation and met the primary mission objectives pic.twitter.com/JnJAA4Fy7n
- DRDO (@DRDO_India) 12 November 2024
The LRLACM is based on the previous version of the Nirbhay cruise missile, which began testing in 2013. Between 2020 and 2023, an upgraded version of the ITCM was tested, followed by the SLCM, and now the LRLACM, the fourteenth missile in the series.
During the flight, the LRLACM's performance was monitored using radar, electro-optical systems and telemetry, which ensured accurate monitoring of its effectiveness. The missile weighs 1,500 kg and is 6 metres long and can carry a nuclear or high explosive warhead weighing up to 300 kg.
The missile is guided by an inertial system, GPS, and at the final stage, an active homing head in combination with an infrared seeker, which increases the accuracy of the kill.
Source: X
