India's First Long-Range Hypersonic Missile, Key Details After DRDO's Successful Test
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised India's achievement as DRDO's successful test of its first long-range hypersonic missile places the nation among global leaders in advanced defence technology.
India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted a flight test of a long-range hypersonic missile on November 17, off the coast of Odisha.
India Tests Long-Range Hypersonic Missile Successfully
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lauded the achievement, calling it a "historic moment" that places India among a select group of nations with advanced hypersonic missile capabilities. The indigenous missile, designed by DRDO labs and industry partners, can carry a variety of payloads over ranges surpassing 1,500 kilometers, upgrading the strategic arsenal of the Armed Forces.
What are hypersonic missiles?
Hypersonic missiles travel at speeds at least five times the speed of sound (Mach-5), equivalent to a mile per second. Unlike ballistic missiles, which follow a set trajectory, hypersonic missiles are highly maneuverable, making them harder to detect and intercept.
There are two main types of hypersonic weapons systems:
1. Hypersonic Glide Vehicles (HGVs): Launched from a rocket, they glide towards their target.
2. Hypersonic Cruise Missiles (HCMs): Hypersonic Cruise Missiles are powered by air-breathing high-speed engines, or scramjets, for sustained high-speed flight.
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Benefits of Hypersonic Missiles
The hypersonic weapons promise tremendous speed with accuracy, enabling long-range strikes against distant time-sensitive targets such as mobile missile launchers, against which the conventional forces are likely to be denied. Their trajectory is much lower than that of ballistic missiles, making it challenging to detect them using conventional radar systems. Their kinetic energy can even destroy underground facilities without explosives.
Development Challenges
Engineering, whereby hypersonic missiles pose serious challenges. Friction and air resistance introduce temperatures; otherwise, a missile will lose structural integrity. Precision maneuverability at this speed ensures very accurate targeting, therefore requiring sophisticated technological avenues in the system. Thus, the success test can be seen as one giant leap for India's defense force, making it one of the world's leaders in advanced military technologies.
