Published 12:22 IST, September 8th 2020
India becomes 4th nation to successfully test hypersonic missile after China, Russia, & US
On September 7, India becomes the fourth country after China, Russia, and the US to successfully test an indigenous hypersonic missile with a scramjet engine.
After India on Monday successfully tested the indigenously-developed hypersonic missile technology demonstrator vehicle (HSTDV), it became the fourth country after the US, Russia and China to develop indigenous hypersonic missile technology. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted that HSTDV has used the indigenously developed scramjet engine. According to the officials, HSTDV will empower futuristic long-range missile and aerial platforms. This HSTDV, based on Hypersonic propulsion technologies, has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Union Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday lauded the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for successfully flight testing indigenously developed Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV). India's successfully testing HSTDV vehicle is seen as a big step towards realising the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
India joins elite league
After the successful test of HSTDV on September 7, Monday, India has joined the elite league nations have already test-fired the indigenous hypersonic missile technology successfully. The US, China, and Russia are the other three nations who have the hypersonic missile technology. The first hypersonic missile will be made in the next five years.
DRDO Chairman G. Satheesh Reddy said, "It’s a major technological breakthrough in the country. This testing paves the way for the development of more critical technologies, materials and hypersonic vehicles. This puts India in a select club of nations that have demonstrated this technology.”
About Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle
The HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet demonstration aircraft for hypersonic speed flight, which can fly at a speed of Mach 6 and move up to an altitude of 32.5 km in 20 seconds. Besides its utility for long-range air missiles, the technology will have multiple civilian applications too. As per the government, it can also be used for launching satellites at low cost.
With the HSTDV, India will enter a select club of nations that have developed such Hypersonic technology. The vehicle is mounted on a solid rocket motor, which will take it to a required altitude, and once it attains certain Mach numbers for speed, it will be ejected out of the launch vehicle. Subsequently, the scramjet engine will be ignited automatically.
With this new made in India hypersonic missile, India has paved the way for missiles to travel at six times the speed of sound. As per the top sources in the defence and security establishment, the test was done from APJ Abdul Kalam testing range (Wheeler Island) in Odisha's Balasore.
Updated 12:23 IST, September 8th 2020