With the announcement of its most recent developments in hypersonic technology, India has achieved a major milestone in its military capabilities. As part of the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LR-ASHM) program, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) demonstrated a Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) and a Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV).
Together with countries like the US, China, and Russia, which have already made notable advancements in this area, this development places India as a hypersonic power.
The ability of hypersonic missiles to move faster than Mach 5 (about 3,800 mph or 6,100 km/h) is a major development in military technology. These missiles pose a serious threat to defence systems around the world because of their unparalleled advantages in speed, accuracy, and manoeuvrability. Hypersonic missiles can alter their trajectory in mid-flight, giving foes less time to respond and making them more difficult to identify and intercept than conventional ballistic missiles, which have predictable trajectories.
The Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV) is essential to India’s defence capabilities, especially in the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LR-ASHM) system.
The success of the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV), which reached Mach 6 in 2020, is built upon by this technology. India now has a very powerful platform for carrying out long-range, precise attacks thanks to the HGV’s combination with the Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL). This adaptable and mobile technology provides a strong missile deployment capability, strengthening India’s defence position.
With recent developments in hypersonic technology, India is now one of just a few countries with this vital capability, along with the US, Russia, and China. India’s hypersonic missile capabilities have advanced thanks in large part to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which has hit important milestones in recent years.
Growing geopolitical tensions, especially with China, are the driving force behind India’s resolve to improve its hypersonic missile capabilities. India has accelerated its defence efforts in response to China’s growing naval presence and quick development of hypersonic missile weapons.
With its hypersonic capabilities, the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LR-ASHM) program aims to give India a powerful naval deterrent in the Indo-Pacific area. India and China’s maritime conflicts have escalated in this region, therefore the country’s development of its own hypersonic missile technology is essential to fending off possible attacks from highly skilled enemies.
As part of its larger plan to become self-sufficient in military technology, India is working on hypersonic technology under the name “Atmanirbhar Bharat.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for the nation is centred on this objective, highlighting
With the development of hypersonic missiles, India joins a select group of countries that have comparable cutting-edge technologies, such as the US, China, and Russia. Due to their unparalleled speed, accuracy, and manoeuvrability, these missiles are challenging to identify and intercept. Maintaining deterrence and defensive supremacy, particularly in areas where strategic rivalries are escalating, requires this technical advantage.
Pakistan might become involved in the India-China hypersonic arms competition if it gets more intense because it might look to China for technological help in order to create its own hypersonic capabilities. Given that hypersonic proliferation raises questions about possible escalation risks and challenges to the nuclear balance in South Asia, this might further complicate regional stability.
India’s increasing technological proficiency in advanced missile development is demonstrated by the successful test of its long-range hypersonic missile, which can carry both conventional and nuclear payloads at distances surpassing 1,500 km. In addition to improving India’s security, this development raises its stature in the international defence community.
The HGV offers unparalleled benefits in speed, accuracy, and manoeuvrability because it is built to move at speeds higher than Mach 5. It may alter its trajectory in midair, which makes it more challenging to identify and stop than conventional missiles. This capacity presents a serious challenge to defence systems around the world by significantly lowering opponents’ reaction times.
On November 16, 2024, India successfully tested its first long-range hypersonic missile, proving that it could transport a variety of payloads over more than 1,500 kilometres with
India’s successful development of these systems highlights the strategic significance of technological self-sufficiency by strengthening its defence capabilities and improving its deterrence posture. This is especially important in light of India’s larger defence strategy, called “Atmanirbhar Bharat,” which seeks to invest in domestic R&D and lessen reliance on foreign defence systems.
In the Indo-Pacific area, where maritime tensions with China have intensified, the LR-ASHM program is intended to give India a substantial naval deterrent.
India’s developments in hypersonic technology usher in a new era for its military modernisation as Indo-Pacific regional tensions continue to shift. This puts India in a stronger position to protect its maritime interests and keep up its competitive advantage in the international defence market. The incorporation of
