Project Kusha explained: Why India’s 'own S-400' is not designed to stop ballistic missiles
India's DRDO has successfully tested the 'Kusha' surface-to-air missile system, intended to bolster the nation's indigenous air defense capabilities. The project aims to create a layered defense shield against various aerial threats by 2035.
Why it matters
As regional conflicts highlight the vulnerability of traditional air defense systems, India's push for domestic military technology is critical for its strategic autonomy.
The successful first test of the Kusha Surface to Air Missile (SAM) has set a new benchmark for the country in general and the Defence Development and Development Organisation (DRDO) in particular. Project Kusha, which is being developed in three variants, is dubbed as the indigenously developed answer to the famed Russian S-400 system, that demonstrated its worth in last year's Operation Sindoor.Ongoing conflicts, such as the one in West Asia and Ukraine, as well as the active phase of Operation Sindoor, have demonstrated the importance of a robust air defence network, that can tacjle a variety of air-defence threats ranging from small drones at one end of the spectrum to ballistic missiles at the other end.
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