 "How India's long-range hypersonic missile is a ‘Brahmastra’ against China")
The long-range hypersonic missile test on November 16 by India marks a major milestone in its strategic defence capabilities and its credible deterrence, particularly against China. This breakthrough places India in an elite group of nations, including the United States, Russia, and China, having capabilities of such critical and advanced military technologies and the capability to deliver precision variable payloads at targets over a 1500 km range. It also highlights the achievement of The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in self-reliance and homegrown defence technology prowess.
The flight test conducted in the presence of senior DRDO scientists and members of the Armed Forces demonstrated the missile’s advanced technology features, allowing it to perform terminal manoeuvres and strike its target with pinpoint accuracy at over 1500 km. The performance was verified by systems deployed across multiple domains, with data collected from ship stations downrange to validate its successful, accurate terminal impact. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated, “This significant achievement has put our country in the group of select nations having capabilities of such critical and advanced military technologies.”
The development of a hypersonic missile is an exceptional technology challenge, requiring expertise and integration in aerodynamics, advanced materials, high-temperature resistance, and precision targeting technology. The credit for indigenous development goes to the APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex in Hyderabad, with collaboration from other DRDO labs and industry partners.
After the failed flight trial of June 2019 and the successful tests in September 2020 and January 2023, this test marks a major landmark in defence capability. It underscores India’s growing self-reliance in defence technologies and commitment to innovation and self-sufficiency highlighted by this project. It paves the path of Suraksit Bharat and Viksit Bharat.
What are hypersonic missiles?
Hypersonic missiles refer to missiles capable of travelling at a speed at least five times the speed of sound (Mach-5). This comes down to around 1.7 km per second or roughly 6,125 km/h. Another key feature of such missiles is manoeuvrability and low-altitude flight, setting them apart from a ballistic missile that follows a set course or trajectory. This makes its detection, interception, and countermeasures even more difficult.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe two main types of hypersonic weapons are cruise missiles powered by scramjets during their entire flight and glide vehicles that are launched atop ballistic missiles before gliding to their target. Both these missiles are integral to modern military strategy, offering unmatched speed, precision, and versatility. These missiles can be armed with either a conventional or a nuclear warhead.
Historically, ballistic missiles had a more or less deterministic, parabolic flight path, launched into space and then re-entering the atmosphere at hypersonic speed to hit the target with precision. These missiles, while being capable of having hypersonic speeds during the descent, are not manoeuvrable once they have been launched. However, the new generation of hypersonic weapons employ “boost-glide” technology. They are launched by a rocket booster, re-enter the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds, and thereafter are guided towards their target using aerodynamic lift. Unlike ballistic missiles, boost-glide vehicles can also make course adjustments during the flight, which makes the present missile defence systems complex to detect, track, and counter effectively with current missile defence systems.
The creation of hypersonic missiles has complex challenges due to the extreme conditions during flight. The high speeds generate intense heat due to atmospheric friction, requiring advanced materials capable of withstanding these temperatures. In addition, propulsion system challenges at high velocity and advanced inertial navigation for precision targeting are major challenges. The use of artificial intelligence adjusts the missile’s course in real time.
Why hypersonic missiles have an edge
Hypersonic missiles operate at altitudes and velocities that current radar cannot detect or track. Their manoeuvrability adds to the complexities. Thus developing countermeasures is a technological challenge for missile defence systems. More importantly, current missile defence systems are ill-suited to counter hypersonic projectiles, particularly due to their unpredictable trajectories and reduced response times. The successful test of the missiles showcases India’s technological advancement and innovation, but also its rising defence stature.
Sleek hypersonic missiles are changing the dynamics of global defence systems all over the globe because of their unmatched qualities. The speed range and manoeuvrability afford the following several strategic advantages: the ability to strike targets faster than that of the conventional missile is a major boon to nations for pre-emptive and retaliatory strikes.
Hypersonic missiles are redefining the defence arena as they provide strategic advantages of the ability to strike targets faster than traditional missiles with impunity, facilitating pre-emptive and retaliatory strikes. In addition, hypersonic missiles’ agility and unpredictability make them harder to intercept, ensuring a higher success probability. They can perform multi-domain operations by striking high-value targets and delivering payloads across land, sea, and air.
India’s place in the hypersonic club
The Indigenous development of hypersonic missiles marks India’s entry into the elite group of limited nations with such advanced technology. This achievement is particularly significant given the current strategic security environment, particularly with a belligerent China, where hypersonic capabilities add to the strategic deterrence. The others are the United States, Russia, and China, deploying both hypersonic glide vehicles and cruise missiles to maintain strategic superiority.
India’s hypersonic missile technology not only boosts its defence capabilities but also negates Pakistan’s nuclear sabre-rattling and China’s flexing of its hypersonic superiority. This missile can strike critical assets, including their strategic centres, deep inside enemy territory with impunity. It provides the nation with strategic autonomy and military might.
Way ahead
The ability to engage and neutralise high-value assets, whether on land or at sea, gives India an asymmetric advantage. Moving forward, India must focus on operational deployment by accelerating the integration of hypersonic missiles into its armed forces, be it ground launch or serial launch, to bolster strategic deterrence. In addition, keeping in mind Chinese capability, the focus must also be on developing advanced radar and interception systems as part of the anti-ballistic missile (ABM) capability. Integrating it with the joint C5ISR systems will ensure tri-service seamless coordination and strike readiness from land to the oceans. There must be constant funding support not only for research and development but also for operationalising such strategic assets.
Conclusion
As hypersonic technology continues to redefine modern warfare, India’s advancements showcase its determination to lead the charge in developing transformative military systems. It sends a clear strategic message of its defence capabilities. This success is not only a triumph for the nation’s scientists and armed forces but also a beacon of its technological aspirations on the world stage. The next stage lies in operationalising the technology for the armed forces and simultaneously developing advanced ABM capability.
The author is former Director General, Mechanised Forces. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.
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