India successfully tested its long-range hypersonic missile from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha on November 16. This missile is designed to carry various payloads with a range of up to 1,500 km for various wings of the Indian Armed Forces. During the flight, the missile was tracked by several ranging systems and flight data received from shorter-range ship stations confirmed the missile’s successful terminal maneuver and impact with high precision.
India joins select countries of the world
This hypersonic missile is completely based on indigenous technology, developed by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex, Hyderabad, along with other DRDO laboratories and industry partners. Senior scientists from DRDO and Indian Armed Forces were also present in this successful flight test. With this achievement, India joins a select group of countries that have advanced hypersonic missile technology, which also reflects the country’s growing self-reliance and commitment to the ‘Make in India’ programme.
India has achieved a major milestone by successfully conducting a flight test of a long-range hypersonic missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha. This is a historic moment and this significant achievement has put our country in the group of select nations… pic.twitter.com/jZzdTwIF6w
—Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) November 17, 2024
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO team, armed forces and industry partners for this historic achievement. Describing it as “a historic moment for the country”, he said, “India has achieved a major achievement by successfully testing a long-range hypersonic missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island. “It strengthens our military capacity and places us in the exclusive group of countries that have cutting-edge technology.”
Characteristics of the hypersonic missile.
The key feature of hypersonic missiles is that they travel at speeds of Mach 5 (6,174 km/h) or more, making them extremely difficult to detect and intercept. The successful test of this missile not only reflects India’s advanced military technology but also reinforces the country’s growing strength and strategic deterrence in the field of national security.
