{"id":84283,"date":"2026-01-27T11:21:35","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T05:51:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=84283"},"modified":"2026-01-27T11:21:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T05:51:35","slug":"drdos-hypersonic-missile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/drdos-hypersonic-missile\/","title":{"rendered":"DRDO\u2019s Hypersonic Missile: India\u2019s Leap in Next-Gen Warfare"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Hypersonic Missile Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the 77th Republic Day Parade on Kartavya Path, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) unveiled the <\/span><b>Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (LR-AShM) for the first time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This draws attention to other hypersonic missile programmes under development, signalling India\u2019s growing focus on next-generation strategic and tactical weaponry.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>LR-AShM: India\u2019s Hypersonic Glide Missile<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) showcased the Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile (LR-AShM) along with its launcher.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The system is tailored to meet the Indian Navy\u2019s coastal battery requirements and can engage both static and moving targets at ranges of up to 1,500 km, carrying multiple payload options.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Quasi-Ballistic, Hypersonic Flight Profile<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The LR-AShM follows a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">quasi-ballistic trajectory<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, beginning like a ballistic missile but flying at lower altitudes and manoeuvring mid-course.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It reaches hypersonic speeds of <\/span><b>Mach 10<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> initially and sustains average speeds of Mach 5, using multiple atmospheric skips to evade interception.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Low Detectability and High Survivability<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flying at low altitude with extreme speed and manoeuvrability, the missile remains largely undetectable to enemy ground- and ship-based radars.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Its flight profile significantly reduces reaction time for adversary air-defence systems.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Two-Stage Propulsion and Glide Phase<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The missile uses a <\/span><b>two-stage<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> solid rocket motor.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stage I boosts the missile to hypersonic velocity and then separates.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After Stage II burnout, the vehicle enters an unpowered hypersonic glide phase, executing controlled manoeuvres within the atmosphere before striking the target.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>High Aerodynamic Efficiency<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to DRDO scientists, the LR-AShM has high aerodynamic efficiency, enabling it to generate effective lift with minimal drag.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This allows the missile to travel farther, faster, and more accurately using the same energy, enhancing its operational effectiveness.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Strategic Significance and Road Ahead of LR-AShM<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hypersonic speed of the LR-AShM makes detection and interception extremely difficult.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Travelling at such velocities, it can cover a <\/span><b>1,500 km range in about 15 minutes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, sharply reducing enemy reaction time.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Extended-range variants of up to <\/span><b>3,500 km<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are already under development.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Boost to Sea Denial Capabilities<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The missile can neutralise all classes of warships.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Current and future variants are expected to become a critical asset for sea denial operations, especially in the strategically vital Indian Ocean Region, limiting an adversary\u2019s military and commercial use of maritime spaces.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Multi-Service and Multi-Platform Potential<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond the Navy\u2019s coastal batteries, Army and Air Force versions are under consideration, along with ship-launched variants.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This versatility across platforms could firmly place India among a small group of nations with advanced hypersonic weapons capability.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Leveraging Proven Missile Technologies<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The LR-AShM draws on key technologies from India\u2019s existing missile programmes, including the <\/span><b><i>K-15<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Sagarika) from the K-missile family and the BrahMos Aerospace supersonic cruise missile.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This reflects a convergence of proven propulsion and guidance systems into a next-generation hypersonic platform.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>India\u2019s Other Hypersonic Cruise Missile Efforts<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amid intense global competition, the DRDO is pursuing two parallel hypersonic paths: <\/span><b>hypersonic glide<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>hypersonic cruise<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV) is launched via rocket into high altitudes, then detaches to glide and maneuver through the atmosphere at speeds exceeding Mach 5.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike glide vehicles, hypersonic cruise missiles <\/span><b>fly within the atmosphere<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at hypersonic speeds and rely on <\/span><b>scramjet engines<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for sustained, powered flight and high manoeuvrability.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The LR-AShM represents the glide vehicle track, showcasing major indigenous advances in materials and control systems for sustained hypersonic flight.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Ramjets vs Scramjets<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Ramjets<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">air-breathing engines<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that compress incoming air using forward motion; they need assisted take-off and work best around Mach 3, losing efficiency at hypersonic speeds.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Scramjets<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> keep airflow supersonic in the combustion chamber, enabling efficient operation above Mach 5, but are far more complex to design and operate.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Recent Breakthrough: Full-Scale Scramjet Testing<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Earlier this month, DRDO achieved a major milestone by conducting ground tests of an Actively Cooled Scramjet Full-Scale Combustor, recording a run time of over 12 minutes.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This built on a successful subscale test conducted on April 25 last year that ran for more than 1,000 seconds.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DRDO had earlier demonstrated hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology with the Hypersonic Technology Demonstration Vehicle flight test in September 2020 from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Launch Complex.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This marked a foundational step toward operational hypersonic cruise missiles.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/drdo-hypersonic-glide-missile-republic-day-parade-10495213\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DRDO\u2019s hypersonic missile LR-AShM boosts India\u2019s sea-denial and strike capability with Mach-10 speeds, long range, and low detectability, strengthening deterrence in the Indian Ocean.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":84311,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[4954,60,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-84283","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-hypersonic-missile","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84283"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84283\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}