DRDO's Hypersonic Missile Development

During the 77th Republic Day Parade, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) showcased the Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile (LR-AShM) for the first time. This missile is a significant advancement in India's hypersonic missile capabilities.

Features and Capabilities of LR-AShM

• Designed to meet the coastal battery requirements of the Indian Navy.
• Capable of engaging both static and moving targets with a range of around 1,500 kilometers.
• Follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory with starting speeds at Mach 10 and maintaining average Mach 5.
• Equipped with a two-stage solid propulsion rocket motor system for hypersonic velocities.
• High aerodynamic efficiency minimizes drag and generates effective lift for better accuracy and range.
• Undetectable by enemy radars due to low altitude, high speed, and maneuverability.

Strategic Significance

• Can cover 1,500 kilometers in 15 minutes, with future versions extending to 3,500 kilometers.
• Key for sea denial operations in the strategically significant Indian Ocean region.
• Potential for versions deployed by the Army, Air Force, and Navy.

Development and Testing

• Successful test on November 16, 2024, from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha.
• Integration of missile warhead and sensor mechanisms in progress for future induction.
• Incorporates components from Sagarika or K-15 ballistic missile and BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.

Other Hypersonic Cruise Missiles

• DRDO is developing hypersonic glide vehicles and hypersonic cruise missiles.
• Hypersonic cruise missiles use scramjet engines for sustained flight and maneuverability.
• Scramjets operate efficiently above Mach 5, are complex but perform better than ramjets.
• Recent ground tests of the Actively Cooled Scramjet Full Scale Combustor achieved over 12 minutes runtime.
• Successful demonstration of hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology in September 2020.