India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully conducted a test flight of the first long-range hypersonic missile from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off the coast of Odisha, on the night of November 16, 2024. This hypersonic missile is designed to carry various payloads at distances in excess of 1,500 km, flying at more than five times the speed of sound (Mach 5).
The hypersonic missile was tracked by several telemetry systems, deployed in multiple areas. Flight data obtained from ship stations located in the trajectory confirmed the successful terminal maneuvers and the impact with a high degree of accuracy.
This missile has been developed by the laboratories of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex, Hyderabad, along with other DRDO laboratories and industrial partners. The test flight was conducted in the presence of senior DRDO scientists and Armed Forces officers.
In a post on social networking site X (formerly known as Twitter), India’s defense minister Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh called the test flight a historic achievement that has put India in the select group of nations that have such critical and advanced military technology capabilities. He further expressed his congratulations to the DRDO, Armed Forces and industry for the success achieved in this test.
The @DRDO_India has successfully conducted a flight trial of its long range hypersonic missile on 16th Nov 2024 from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off-the-coast of Odisha.
Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh has congratulated DRDO, Armed Forces and the Industry for successful flight… pic.twitter.com/wq7yM2YS9f
— रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) November 17, 2024
As seen in the image, the Indian missile does not appear to be of the HGV (hypersonic glide vehicle) or HCM (hypersonic cruise missile powered by a scramjet engine) type. Instead, it would reach hypersonic speeds thanks to the thrust of solid-state rocket engines. According to the Indian press, it is planned to be developed in two variants: one designed to attack land targets and the other for naval targets, both capable of launching from both land vehicles and warships.
See also: China develops innovative Hypersonic Glide Vehicle capable of launching guided submunitions
