Un-interceptable hypersonic missiles will guarantee India's assured second-strike and retaliation capabilities: DRDO Chief

India's top defence scientist has affirmed that the development of hypersonic weapons will provide the nation with an unstoppable capability for retaliation, fundamentally strengthening its strategic deterrence.

Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), highlighted that the extreme velocity of these missiles makes them immune to interception by any existing air defence system.

Dr. Kamat explained that hypersonic missiles, which travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5—or more than five times the speed of sound (over 6,100 km/h)—possess the ability to breach even the most sophisticated missile defence shields.

He stated that because of this high-speed, non-interceptable nature, these weapons ensure that India can launch a counter-attack even if an adversary possesses a formidable air defence network.

This capability is central to India's "second-strike" doctrine, which guarantees a devastating response to a first strike, thereby discouraging potential aggressors.

The DRDO is pursuing two distinct types of hypersonic weapon systems to achieve this strategic goal.

The first is the Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV), which is launched to a high altitude by a ballistic missile before detaching and gliding towards its target.

These unpowered vehicles can perform unpredictable manoeuvres within the atmosphere, making them exceptionally difficult to track and destroy. DRDO anticipates completing the development of HGVs within the next two to three years.

The second system is the Hypersonic Cruise Missile (HCM), which is powered throughout its flight by an advanced air-breathing scramjet engine.

Unlike a glide vehicle, a cruise missile flies at lower altitudes and maintains its hypersonic speed for the entire journey. DRDO has set a development timeline of approximately five years for this more complex technology.

India has already made significant progress in this area, having successfully tested its Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) in September 2020, which proved the viability of its indigenous scramjet engine technology.

India's push into the hypersonic domain is a critical response to a global arms race in this next-generation technology.

Regional rival China has already deployed its DF-17 HGV, while Russia has fielded the Avangard HGV and the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile. The United States is also aggressively developing several hypersonic weapon programs.

By developing its own indigenous systems, India aims to maintain the strategic balance in the region and ensure the long-term credibility of its national defence posture.

 

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[Madhav Prathapa]

While developing out own Hypersonic missiles is necessary, I hope the Government is planning to procure from Russia or any other foreign vendor in the interim.

 

[Flanker]

Great. We need these missiles against China.

 

[Hari Sud]

When and how soon is key question?

 

[Somnath Sinhababu]

5 years...it's too much...If Russia has already offered help, then why is it taking so much time? China has already achieved it. Russia has mastered this technology, so why do our agencies take that much time? Fast-track it.

 

[Online Class]

5 years...it's too much...If Russia has already offered help, then why is it taking so much time? China has already achieved it. Russia has mastered this technology, so why do our agencies take that much time? Fast-track it.

China has a hypersonic glide vehicle, the DF-17, not a hypersonic cruise missile.

 

[Rinku Pandey]

Under the leadership of Kamat Sir, our hypersonic weapon development is galloping at breakneck speed. That's why the Government has given him his second extension after retirement. Every project under the DRDO has been completed in record time.

 

[Rinku Pandey]

China has a hypersonic glide vehicle, the DF-17, not a hypersonic cruise missile.

Only Russia has hypersonic cruise missiles, namely the Zircon, and hypersonic glide vehicles, namely the Avangard. China has three hypersonic glide missiles with ranges up to 8000km.

 

[Rinku Pandey]

When and how soon is key question?

Had private sector been developing it, maybe in couple of years ago.

 

[Abhishek Nag]

That doesn't confirm if the et-ldhcm test actually happened. It means it was fake news as the government hasn't approved funding yet. I'm not sure what the government is waiting for despite a 1000-second scramjet engine test that's the best in the world.

 

[Mayank Jadav]

Had private sector been developing it, maybe in couple of years ago.

Seriously, bro 😂 😂 😂 it's a hypersonic missile; even the USA is struggling in that domain.

 

[siva saba]

When and how soon is key question?

5 years is a normal time for a developmental trial, and field trials and end-user trials are necessary.

 

[Python]

That doesn't confirm if the et-ldhcm test actually happened. It means it was fake news as the government hasn't approved funding yet. I'm not sure what the government is waiting for despite a 1000-second scramjet engine test that's the best in the world.

No, it has been tested. DRDO uses other available funds or through covert defence fundings to make critical weapons like the LDHCM.

 

[Ankit Singhal]

India needs everything. Now, China is not our enemy; our enemy is America. We need a minimum of 1000 strategic nukes with hypersonic capabilities. We need a blue navy that can go and attack America. We need technology for defence trade and export too.

 

[Rational Guy]

Seriously, bro 😂 😂 😂 it's a hypersonic missile; even the USA is struggling in that domain.

Oh Hello, India already tested HGV LRHASM twice 🤣. Deployment by 2030.

 

[Common sense]

Seriously, bro 😂 😂 😂 it's a hypersonic missile; even the USA is struggling in that domain.

If the USA struggles, it does not mean India will also. India has things which even the USA does not have or currently has in development, like India's AI combat cloud systems, such as the Akashteer system, which India has currently operational. Also, the USA does not have any good equivalent to the Indian anti-drone D4 system. The same is true with Russia...

Don't underestimate our DRDO and Indian-made capability. India's hypersonic glide vehicles have already been tested and are still undergoing testing.

 

[Common sense]

That doesn't confirm if the et-ldhcm test actually happened. It means it was fake news as the government hasn't approved funding yet. I'm not sure what the government is waiting for despite a 1000-second scramjet engine test that's the best in the world.

No, the Government or DRDO won't be celebrating a small test or spreading news as you think. These things work under the table and come out when they are near induction or needed.

Don't expect a rally or celebration for a missile test with pictures and others. Let's be a little sensible and use some common sense.

 

[Mayank393]

Oh Hello, India already tested HGV LRHASM

Oh Hello, India already tested HGV LRHASM twice 🤣. Deployment by 2030.

I am not laughing at DRDO, bro, I am laughing at your comment about our private industry. They are not yet capable enough to develop a hypersonic missile 😂

 

[Sandeep]

These two are very important and critical missiles that we need to 100% indigenously design, develop and manufacture very quickly. We need the capability to launch hypersonic missiles from our jets, drones, helicopters, naval ships, submarine so that we are ready to launch them from whatever and wherever they are. We should also do everything that we can to reduce the development timeline as soon as possible as our threats are only going to increase.

 

[Vishwanath Vijay Thomre]

It is not that India does not have hypersonic missiles. We have already successfully tested ET-LDHCM under project Vishnu. This missile has reached speeds of Mach8. We also have K series missiles which are developed and inducted successfully. The K6 series missile is undergoing continuous development for increase in speeds and range.

The variants probably to what DRDO referring to are the different versions of these hypersonic missiles where these are the variants to be used from different platforms. In particular the HCM cruise missile same like the BrahMos, probably the A2G strike capable version.

We know that BrahMos and its advanced cruise missile versions are already in joint development with Russia. DRDO may be developing another option like BrahMos which might be more cost effective.

Having truck load of arsenal in kitty is absolutely important. No doubt that India and DRDO are taking giant strides and fruits will be seen in coming years.​