DRDO successfully test-fired India’s first ‘Long-range Hypersonic Missile’ off Odisha coast

Posted 18 Nov 2024

2 min read

The hypersonic missile has a range of over 1500 kms. Only US, Russia and China had this technology earlier.

Technologies demonstrated during test

Aerodynamic configuration for hypersonic manoeuvres for stability and control.
Use of scramjet propulsion for ignition and sustained combustion at hypersonic flow.
- A scramjet is a form of air-breathing jet engine that uses the vehicle’s forward motion to compress incoming air for combustion and operates at hypersonic speeds.
Thermo-structural characterisation to withstand extreme aerothermal environments during flights.
Separation mechanism at hypersonic velocities.

These missiles can fly at speeds of at least Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound).
- The speed of sound is Mach 1, and speeds between Mach 1 and Mach 5 are supersonic and speeds above Mach 5 are hypersonic.
Hypersonic weapons can manoeuvre midway which when combined with their high speeds makes their detection and interception extremely difficult.

Inducted: AKASH (Surface to Air Missile Systems), BRAHMOS (Long Range Supersonic Cruise Missile), etc.
Advanced stage of induction: NAG (Anti-Tank Guided Missiles), ASTRA (Air-to-Air Missiles), Agni (Long Range Ballistic Missile) etc.

Formed in 1958, it is the R&D wing of the Ministry of Defence for developing cutting-edge defence technologies and achieving self-reliance in defence.
DRDO constitutes a network of around 41 laboratories for aeronautics, electronics, combat vehicles, missiles, advanced computing and simulation, etc.