DRDO successfully conducts flight-test of indigenously developed Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile

Why in News?

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the flight test of the indigenously developed Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM) on 15 June 2026 from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island. The test met all mission objectives, validating critical technologies and showcasing India’s growing long-range precision strike capability.

About LRLACM

The Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM) is an indigenously developed, surface-launched, subsonic cruise missile designed to strike high-value land targets with high precision over long distances. Developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation in collaboration with Indian industry partners, it represents a significant step towards self-reliance in advanced missile technologies.

Key Features

• The missile is powered by a turbofan or turbojet engine, enabling sustained flight over long distances. It employs an Inertial Navigation System (INS) integrated with satellite navigation for accurate mid-course guidance, while a terminal seeker or Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM) system ensures precise target engagement during the final phase of flight.

• The LRLACM is designed to fly at low altitudes by following the terrain, making it difficult for enemy radar systems to detect and intercept. It carries a conventional warhead and is intended to destroy strategic land targets such as command centres, military installations, airbases and logistics hubs.

About Cruise Missile

• A cruise missile is an unmanned, self-propelled guided weapon that remains within the Earth’s atmosphere throughout its flight and sustains flight primarily through aerodynamic lift generated by its wings. Its primary mission is to accurately deliver a warhead or other payload to a designated target.

• Cruise missiles can be launched from land, aircraft, surface warships and submarines, making them highly versatile weapons for modern armed forces.

Cruise Missile vs Ballistic Missile

• Cruise missiles differ fundamentally from ballistic missiles in their flight profile. While cruise missiles fly at low altitudes within the Earth’s atmosphere using jet engines throughout most of their journey, ballistic missiles are powered by rockets only during the initial phase and then follow a high, ballistic trajectory, often travelling outside the atmosphere before re-entering towards the target.

• Because cruise missiles fly close to the ground and can manoeuvre during flight, they are generally harder to detect and intercept, whereas ballistic missiles travel much faster but are more easily tracked due to their high-altitude trajectory.

Sources: PIB, ToI & Others