UAV Development & Drone Programs Military Aircraft Procurement Missile Systems & Strategic Weapons Defense Industry & Major Contractors Asia-Pacific (APAC)

DRDO’s ULPGM-V3 clears final trials for drone-launched precision in air-to-ground and air-to-air roles

India’s DRDO has completed final configuration development trials for its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM-V3), validating the weapon in both air-to-ground and air-to-air combat modes. Trials were conducted near Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, as New Delhi positions the system as an indigenous drone-warfare capability for precision engagements against ground and air targets.

Discovered 2026-05-19T20:25:00.946410-07:00 | 2026-05-19T20:25:00.946410-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

The ULPGM-V3 trial milestone moves India’s “UAV-launched precision” concept from development into a test-validated dual-role payload, sharpening how drone-employed forces can conduct both anti-tank and air-combat engagements.
The system’s demonstrated air-to-ground and air-to-air modes add to the growing trend of low-cost, precision-guided options designed to defeat one-way attack drones and other unmanned threats (see RAF puts APKWS on frontline Typhoon jets for counter-UAS in the Middle East).
For suppliers and primes, the announcement underscores the industrial and capability-building emphasis on indigenous drone warfare effects—at the same time Europe is scaling guided-weapons and drone output to replenish stocks (see France to ramp drone production 400% and boost guided-weapons output, POLITICO reports).

Reported By

stratpost.com FlightGlobal Economic Times indiastrategic.in India Defense News defence.in