DRDO successfully flight-tests India’s first long-range hypersonic missile
| 2024-11-17
DRDO conducts a successful flight-trial of India’s first long-range hypersonic missile on November 16, 2024.
This puts India in a group of select nations having capabilities of such critical and advanced military technologies, says Rajnath Singh
In a major boost to the country's quest to add cutting-edge weapon systems to its arsenal, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful flight-trial of India’s first long-range hypersonic missile late on Saturday (November 16, 2024). This hypersonic missile is designed to carry various payloads for ranges greater than 1,500 kms for the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Sunday (November 17, 2024).
Describing it as a major milestone and a historic moment, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said this achievement had put India in a group of select nations having capabilities of such critical and advanced military technologies.
“India has achieved a major milestone by successfully conducting flight trial of long range hypersonic missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off-the-coast of Odisha. This is a historic moment and this significant achievement has put our country in the group of select nations having capabilities of such critical and advanced military technologies. I congratulate Team @DRDO_India, our Armed Forces and the Industry for stupendous achievement,” he said on social media platform X.
The trial of the hypersonic missile, which can travel at five times the speed of sound (330 metres/second) or more (Mach 5 or faster), was conducted from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha in the presence of senior scientists of DRDO and officers of the Armed Forces.
Providing information about the successful flight tests, the MoD said the missile was tracked by various range systems, deployed in multiple domains. The flight data obtained from down-range ship stations confirmed the successful terminal manoeuvre and impact with high degree of accuracy. This missile has been indigenously developed by the laboratories of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile complex, Hyderabad along with various other DRDO laboratories and Industry Partners.
Development of the long-range hypersonic cruise missile will add a critical layer to India’s warfare capabilities due to its manoeuvrability which allows it to change course mid-air. This makes a hypersonic missile extremely difficult to detect and track.
The successful flight-test of the long-range hypersonic missile coms days after the DRDO conducted the maiden flight-test of the Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM). The test was conducted from a mobile articulated launcher at the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha on November 12, 2024.
The LRLACM is configured to launch from ground using a mobile articulated launcher and also from frontline ships using the universal vertical launch module system.
Describing it as a major milestone and a historic moment, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said this achievement had put India in a group of select nations having capabilities of such critical and advanced military technologies.
“India has achieved a major milestone by successfully conducting flight trial of long range hypersonic missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off-the-coast of Odisha. This is a historic moment and this significant achievement has put our country in the group of select nations having capabilities of such critical and advanced military technologies. I congratulate Team @DRDO_India, our Armed Forces and the Industry for stupendous achievement,” he said on social media platform X.
The trial of the hypersonic missile, which can travel at five times the speed of sound (330 metres/second) or more (Mach 5 or faster), was conducted from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha in the presence of senior scientists of DRDO and officers of the Armed Forces.
Providing information about the successful flight tests, the MoD said the missile was tracked by various range systems, deployed in multiple domains. The flight data obtained from down-range ship stations confirmed the successful terminal manoeuvre and impact with high degree of accuracy. This missile has been indigenously developed by the laboratories of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile complex, Hyderabad along with various other DRDO laboratories and Industry Partners.
Development of the long-range hypersonic cruise missile will add a critical layer to India’s warfare capabilities due to its manoeuvrability which allows it to change course mid-air. This makes a hypersonic missile extremely difficult to detect and track.
The successful flight-test of the long-range hypersonic missile coms days after the DRDO conducted the maiden flight-test of the Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM). The test was conducted from a mobile articulated launcher at the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha on November 12, 2024.
The LRLACM is configured to launch from ground using a mobile articulated launcher and also from frontline ships using the universal vertical launch module system.
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