Indian Hypersonic Missile Nearly Ready : Says US Report
After successfully demonstration of an anti-satellite missile in 2019 by the DRDO, the Government of India also approved the development of the surface-to-surface “Shaurya” hypersonic missile last year. This was an ongoing natural step of development to keep abreast with other countries working in This field.
A US Congressional report now confirms that India would be among a small number of countries that will soon have hypersonic weapons.
In its latest report this week, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) said that in addition to China, the US and Russia, Australia, France, Germany, and Japan even India is also developing hypersonic weapons technology.
“Reportedly, India is developing an indigenous, dual-capable hypersonic cruise missile as part of its Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle programme and successfully tested a Mach 6 scramjet in June 2019 and September 2020,” the CRS said.
To their surprise India is quite far ahead in this field and second to none. The report also claims that India’s has a second hypersonic program underway which is in collaboration with Russia, and the missile is now scheduled to achieve initial operational capability between 2025 and 2028. No wonder the American administration is tearing its hair in frustration as to why India is unimpressed with the threat of CAATSA.
AS per the report India has 12 hypersonic wind tunnels that are being used to test speeds of up to Mach 13.
Indian media reported last year that the government had sanctioned the induction of a land version of the hypersonic missile into the Armed Forces, version of the submarine-launched BA-05, in the near future.
The hypersonic missile is capable of carrying warheads with a payload of up to one tonne, with a strike range of 750 km. It can travel at hypersonic speed – six times the speed of sound, and reach an altitude of 40 km.
On 7 September, 2020, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had said that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) using a domestically-developed scramjet propulsion system.
Earlier this week, the London-based Financial Times reported that China had conducted two tests of new hypersonic weapons in July and August this year. However, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it had only launched a spaceplane, and the test took place on 16 July.
