Context: Recently, Tthe DRDO successfully tested a new Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM) with a 1,000 km range from Odisha’s coast. It enhances India’s standoff strike capabilities, similar to the U.S. Tomahawk.

• Developed by: Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE)in Bengaluru, with contributions from several DRDO laboratories and Indian industries.

• Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) in Hyderabad and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) in Bengaluru were the Development-Cum-Production Partners involved in the missile’s development and integration.

• Mission Mode Project: LRLACM is a Defence Acquisition Council (DAC)-approvedproject, sanctioned under the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN)

• The project is considered a Mission Mode Project, which is typically used for critical defence capabilities requiring immediate operational readiness.

Long-Range Cruise Missile

• A long-range cruise missile is a guided missile designed for precise strikes on land or sea targets from a considerable distance, often exceeding hundreds of kilometres.

• It flies at a low altitude to avoid radar detection and has terrain-following capabilities.

• Powered by a jet engine, it maintains a constant speed, typically subsonic or supersonic.

• Cruise missiles are equipped with guidance systems such as GPS or inertial navigation to accurately hit targets.

• Unlike ballistic missiles, they follow a flat, controlled trajectory and can be launched from land, air, sea, or submarine platforms.

Key Features of LRLACM

• Launch Flexibility: The missile is designed to be launched from mobile ground-based systemsand frontline ships, offering enhanced operational flexibility. It uses a universal vertical launch module system, allowing for easy integration with different launch platforms.

• Missile Design: LRLACM is configured to be launched both from mobile articulated launchers on land and naval vessels, making it adaptable to various operational environments.