Hypersonic Missile Technology to be developed in India
Recently the Defense Minister has urged to develop hypersonic missile technology in India.
It is expected that India will be able to have a hypersonic weapon system with medium to long range strike capabilities within four years.
The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) had successfully test-fired a Hypersonic Technology Demonstrated Vehicle (HSTDV) in September 2020. It also demonstrated its hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology.
The importance of technology development is related to the background of developments made by China, Russia and the US in this area.
About hypersonic technology
- Hypersonic defines a speed of approximately Mach 5 or at least 1.6 km/s.
- The Mach number describes the speed of an aircraft in comparison with the speed of sound in air.
- Although they are slower than ballistic missiles, they are difficult to intercept and have fast maneuvering capabilities.
- They use scramjet technology, which is a type of air respiration based propulsion system.
There are two types of hypersonic platforms:
Hypersonic cruise missile: It uses rocket or jet propellant during its flight. It is considered as a faster version of the existing cruise missiles.
Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV): These missiles first go into the atmosphere on a conventional rocket before being launched towards their target.
Exclusive: In related headlines, DRDO has successfully test-fired the ‘Agni Prime’ missile from APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
The ‘Agni Prime’ missile is the sixth missile of the Agni series. It is a new generation nuclear-capable ballistic missile. It has a range of 1,000–2,000 km and can be launched by rail or road. It can be stored for a long time and is also easy to transport.
Source – The Hindu
