{"id":104887,"date":"2026-05-25T11:27:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T05:57:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=104887"},"modified":"2026-05-25T11:27:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T05:57:41","slug":"ulpgm-v3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/ulpgm-v3\/","title":{"rendered":"ULPGM-V3: DRDO\u2019s New Drone-Launched Missile Strengthens Precision Warfare"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>ULPGM-V3 Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully completed the final development trials of the <\/span><b>UAV-Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The trials were conducted in both air-to-ground and air-to-air modes, paving the way for critical user trials by the armed forces.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The term &#8220;deliverable configuration&#8221; used by DRDO suggests that not much will change in subsequent trials \u2014 signalling near-readiness for induction.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Evolution of ULPGM \u2014 From V1 to V3<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ULPGM has undergone significant technological evolution across three generations:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">V1 &#8211; Basic free-fall precision missile<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">V2- Added propulsion, longer range, and mid-course target updates<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">V3 &#8211; Air-to-ground AND air-to-air capability, advanced seekers, multiple warheads, day-night combat<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The V3 represents a generational leap \u2014 transforming the ULPGM from a basic drone-launched weapon into a highly versatile, multi-role precision missile suited for modern drone warfare.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Key Technical Features of ULPGM-V3<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fitted with a high-definition dual-channel seeker \u2014 an advanced guidance system using multiple sensors to accurately track both ground and aerial targets.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Equipped with a two-way data link \u2014 enabling operators to change or update the target even after the missile has been launched \u2014 a critical capability in fast-moving combat environments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can engage both stationary and moving targets with precision in all-weather, day-and-night conditions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Operational Versatility<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can be deployed in both plains and high-altitude regions \u2014 making it suitable for diverse Indian operational theatres including the Himalayan frontier.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Capable of engaging a wide range of targets \u2014 tanks, armoured vehicles, bunkers, fortified structures, drones, helicopters, and other airborne threats.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Three Warhead Options<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The missile can be fitted with three different warheads depending on mission requirements:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Anti-Armour Warhead<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 Designed to destroy heavily protected tanks and armoured vehicles, including those fitted with Rolled Homogeneous Armour (RHA) and Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) \u2014 special protection layers used in modern battle tanks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Penetration-cum-Blast Warhead<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 Designed to pierce and destroy bunkers and fortified structures \u2014 critical for counter-insurgency and conventional warfare against entrenched positions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Pre-Fragmentation Warhead<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 Disperses high-speed metal fragments over a large area to maximise damage \u2014 effective against personnel and light vehicles.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Production and Development Ecosystem<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ULPGM-V3 has been developed and produced entirely within India&#8217;s defence ecosystem \u2014 a strong demonstration of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nodal Development Lab \u2014 Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>UAV Integration<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 Currently integrated on UAVs developed by Newspace Research and Technologies, Bengaluru. DRDO is actively pursuing integration with long-range and high-endurance UAVs from several other Indian companies.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Strategic Significance \u2014 Drones in Modern Warfare<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>The Drone Revolution<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experts described systems like ULPGM-V3 as critical given that drones are increasingly becoming central to modern warfare worldwide.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ongoing conflicts \u2014 from Ukraine to West Asia \u2014 have demonstrated that drones now play decisive roles in surveillance, precision strikes, and counter-drone operations \u2014 in both conventional conflicts and asymmetric warfare.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Network-Centric Warfare<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ULPGM-V3 reflects the growing shift toward network-centric warfare \u2014 where drones, sensors, and command systems work together in real time to detect and strike targets with precision.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The missile&#8217;s post-launch target update capability is particularly valuable in fast-moving drone combat environments where targets change rapidly.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b style=\"font-size: inherit;\">Why Drones Are the Future<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Significantly reduced risk to human soldiers and pilots.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Persistent real-time surveillance and precision strike capability.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rapid mass production and scalability compared to conventional manned weapon systems.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DRDO has identified drone-launched weapon development as one of its key focus areas going forward.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/drdo-ulpgm-v3-drone-launched-missile-10703365\/#:~:text=The%20ULPGM%2DV3%20is%20fitted,during%20both%20day%20and%20night.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ULPGM-V3 enhances India\u2019s drone warfare capability with precision strikes, anti-drone combat features, and indigenous defence technology advancement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":104935,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,7707,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-104887","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-mains-articles","9":"tag-ulpgm-v3","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs-tag","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104887"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":104913,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104887\/revisions\/104913"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}