Earlier this week, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out final development trials of the UAV-Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3, paving the way for its critical user trials by the armed forces. Here’s what to know about the tests, its evolution from the V1 to the V3 variant, and its strategic significance in modern warfare where drones have taken centre stage.The DRDO on Tuesday (May 19) completed the final deliverable configuration development trials of the ULPGM-V3 in both air-to-ground and air-to-air modes at DRDO’s National Open Area Range test range in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. The trials were carried out using an integrated ground control system (GCS) to command and control the ULPGM weapon system.The GCS features state-of-the-art technologies to automate readiness and launch operations. While the final development trials will be followed by user trials by the armed forces, the term “deliverable configuration” suggests that not much will change in the subsequent trials.Also in Explained | Fit it, fire it: How an attachable system can help air missiles fly longer, strike betterA DRDO scientist said that compared with the earlier ULPGM-V1 and V2 variants, the ULPGM-V3 represents a significant advancement in India’s indigenous drone-launched missile capability.The V1 was a basic free-fall precision missile and the V2 introduced propulsion, longer range, and mid-course target updates. The V3 adds the ability to engage both ground and aerial targets, including drones and helicopters. It also features more advanced target-seeking systems, improved day-and-night combat capability, and multiple warhead options for different battlefield roles, making it a far more versatile weapon for modern drone warfare.The ULPGM-V3 is fitted with a high-definition dual-channel seeker, an advanced guidance system using multiple sensors to accurately track targets — allowing it to strike a wide range of threats. The missile can be deployed in both plains and high-altitude regions and is capable of operating during both day and night. It is also equipped with a two-way data link, enabling operators to change or update the target even after the missile has been launched.The missile can be fitted with three different types of warheads depending on the mission. These include an anti-armour warhead designed to destroy heavily protected tanks and armoured vehicles — even those fitted with rolled homogeneous armour and explosive reactive armour which are special layers of protection used in modern battle tanks. It also has a penetration-cum-blast warhead meant to pierce and destroy bunkers and fortified structures, and a pre-fragmentation warhead that disperses high-speed metal fragments over a large area to maximise damage. The missile can engage both stationary and moving targets with precision in all-weather, day-and-night combat conditions.Production and developmentStory continues below this adDRDO has partnered with two production agencies — the public sector company Bharat Dynamics Limited and the private sector firm Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Limited — for the development and production of the missiles.The system has been integrated on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) developed by Newspace Research and Technologies, Bengaluru, for current trials. DRDO is actively pursuing integration of ULPGM weapons with long-range and high endurance UAVs from several other Indian companies.More in Explained | They hit different: Inside ‘salvo test’ of India’s new chopper-launched naval missileThe ULPGM missile has been developed by Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad as the nodal lab along with other DRDO laboratories, namely Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad; Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, Chandigarh; and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Pune.The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that the missile has been produced entirely through the Indian defence ecosystem, involving a large number of MSMEs and other industries. The trials confirmed a fully mature domestic supply chain, equipped for immediate serial mass production, the MoD said. Officials have said that the ULPGM-V3 has been developed primarily for the Army and with the air-to-ground mode for anti-tank role, and air-to-air modes for drone, helicopters, and other airborne targets.Drones take centre stage Story continues below this adA senior Army officer said systems line ULPGM-V3 are key, as drones are increasingly becoming central to modern warfare worldwide. From surveillance and precision strikes to counter-drone operations, drones are important for both conventional conflicts and asymmetric warfare involving smaller, highly mobile threats.The system also reflects the growing shift towards network-centric warfare, where drones, sensors, and command systems work together in real time to detect and strike targets with precision. The missile’s ability to receive target updates even after launch can help forces respond quickly to changing battlefield situations, especially in fast-moving combat environments involving drones and other airborne threats.Development of drone-launched weapons will be one of the DRDO’s focus areas. Drones will see an even greater role in coming days as they offer significantly reduced risk to human soldiers and pilots, persistent real-time surveillance and precision strike capability. They can also undergo rapid mass production and scalability compared with conventional manned weapon systems, officials said.