Extended Trajectory-Long Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile (ET-LDHCM)

Extended Trajectory-Long Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile Latest News

India is preparing to test its most advanced indigenously developed hypersonic missile—the Extended Trajectory-Long Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile (ET-LDHCM).

About Extended Trajectory-Long Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile

• It is a long-range hypersonic cruise missile.
• It is indigenously developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under a classified initiative known as ‘Project Vishnu’.
• Designed for launch from land, sea, or air, the missile enhances India’s flexibility across strike platforms and mission types.
• Once operational, it will place India among the handful of nations, including the US, China, and Russia, to field hypersonic weapon systems.

Extended Trajectory-Long Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile Features

• The ET-LDHCM system reportedly reaches speeds up to Mach 8, or about 11,000 kmph.
• Designed for both conventional and nuclear missions, the missile can carry warheads weighing between 1,000 and 2,000 kg over a range of approximately 1,500 km.
• Unlike ballistic missiles, the ET-LDHCM flies at low altitudes and is capable of course correction mid-flight.
• Its speed, altitude-hugging flight profile, and mid-air manoeuvrability are designed to evade modern radar and air defence systems, enabling deep strikes into adversary territory.
• Powered by a scramjet engine that uses atmospheric oxygen to sustain high speeds, the missile marks a major propulsion breakthrough.
• Built with heat- and oxidation-resistant materials, it can withstand extreme temperatures exceeding 2,000 degree celsius.

Source: INDIA

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