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India successfully tests first hypersonic missile

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 17 Nov 2024 09:33
3 Min Read

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh describes the test as a "historic moment" that places India among a select group of countries with this cutting-edge technology.

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  • Indian Army Akash missile launcher drives through the ceremonial Kartavya Path boulevard during India's Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi, India, Thursday, January 26, 2023 (AP)
    Indian Army Akash missile launcher drives through the ceremonial Kartavya Path boulevard during India's Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi, India, Thursday, January 26, 2023 (AP)

India has successfully tested its first hypersonic missile, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh announced on Sunday, marking a milestone for the nuclear-armed country as it seeks to bolster its military capabilities.

The test follows neighboring China's recent display of aviation technology, including its J-35A stealth fighter jet and HQ-19 surface-to-air missile system.

"India has achieved a major milestone by successfully conducting a flight trial of a long-range hypersonic missile," Singh said, describing it as a "historic moment" that places India among a select group of countries with this cutting-edge technology.

Hypersonic missiles represent a new generation of weapons, as they fly at lower altitudes, evade radar detection more effectively than ballistic missiles, reach targets at extreme speeds, and can be redirected mid-flight.

Only a few countries — including the United States, Russia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea — have successfully tested hypersonic weapons, with other nations racing to develop similar capabilities.

The missile test took place on Saturday off India's east coast at Abdul Kalam Island. Video footage from India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) showed a sleek missile launching into the night sky, leaving a trail of flames behind.

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However, India's defense ministry has not disclosed additional specifics about the missile's range, speed, or operational capabilities.

India has strengthened military ties with Western allies, notably through the Quad alliance alongside the United States, Japan, and Australia. Additionally, the nation remains a significant purchaser of Russian military equipment, including the S-400 missile defense system, despite the risk of US sanctions tied to the deal.

Hypersonic world stage

Hypersonic weapons travel at Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound - well over 3,000 miles per hour - and, unlike ballistic missiles, are maneuverable, making them nearly hard to intercept in flight. They also create extremely high temperatures, necessitating the use of sophisticated ceramics and other difficult-to-design and build exotic materials.

The National Interest highlighted in 2023 the weakness of the US in developing offensive hypersonic weapons, as well as in confronting them.

According to the outlet, the United States urgently needs to develop and deploy both offensive and defensive hypersonic weapons capabilities, because it is falling behind as China and Russia have both tested and deployed hypersonic missiles.

However, the US has not deployed any hypersonic weapons to date, and the existing US missile defense systems are not yet capable of shooting down adversaries' hypersonic weapons, leaving the US highly vulnerable at this time, NI wrote.

It is noteworthy that Washington conducted three “failed” hypersonic missile tests in 2021, according to Defense News.

In a 2023 study, the US Congressional Budget Office admitted that numerous test failures in recent years had slowed the country's progress toward producing new weapons.

  • India
  • Hypersonic Missile
  • Russia
  • China
  • Democratic People's Republic of Korea

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