New Delhi | A drone-launched precision guided missile has been successfully test-fired by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at a test range in Andhra Pradesh.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday that the flight trials were carried out in Kurnool.

"In a major boost to India's defence capabilities, @DRDO_India has successfully carried out flight trials of UAV Launched Precision Guided Missile (ULPGM)-V3 in the National Open Area Range (NOAR), test range in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh," Singh said in a social media post.

The missile is an enhanced version of the ULPGM-V2 missile developed and delivered by the DRDO earlier.

The ULPGM-V3 is equipped with a high definition dual-channel seeker that can strike a wide variety of targets.

It can be fired in plain and high-altitude areas.

The missile has day-and-night capability and two-way data link to support post-launch target update, according to the defence ministry.

The missile is equipped with three modular warhead options: anti-armour to destroy modern age armoured vehicles equipped with rolled homogeneous armour, the ministry said.

The weapon also has a "penetration-cum-blast" warhead with anti bunker application, it added.

The missile was released from an unmanned aerial vehicle, which is indigenously developed by an Indian start-up -- Newspace Research Technologies, Bengaluru.

The DRDO is actively pursuing integration of ULPGM weapons with long-range and high endurance UAVs from several other Indian companies. The ministry said Adani Defence, Bharat Dynamics Limited, and 30 MSMEs and start-ups contributed to making the project a success.