- By Shubham Bajpai
- Tue, 10 Jun 2025 06:33 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a major step to bolster the nation's defensive and offensive capabilities, India is set to test an advanced hypersonic missile - the Extended Trajectory-Long Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile (ET-LDHCM).
It would be the most sophisticated hypersonic missile developed entirely in India using domestic technology by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in partnership with private Indian defence firms.
Mach 8 speed, highest so far
The missile has been developed under Project Vishnu. The missile will enhance India's capability to hit deep inside Pakistan and China with a maximum speed of Mach 8, which is about 11,000 km/hour. Mach 8 refers to a speed eight times that of sound.
A missile above Mach 5 is classified as hypersonic. At Mach 8, the ET-LDHCM will be able to dodge any radar and air defence systems
Once tested successfully and inducted into the armed forces' armoury, it will significantly bring a shift in the power balance in Asia and the subcontinent.
With a range of about 1,500 km, the ET-LDHCM can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads of up to 2,000 kg. As part of its indigenous technology, the missile is equipped with a scramjet engine, which draws air from the atmosphere for the combustion of fuel, thereby contributing to sustaining the hypersonic quality for a longer time.
The scramjet engine's 1,000-second ground test has already been completed by the DRDO.
Second hypersonic missile test within year
The missile will traverse at low altitude, another key feature that will help in deceiving radars, and will have the ability of in-flight manoeuvres. Its heat-resistant metal body raises its threshold to 2,000 degrees Celsius.
This remarkable feat will come within a year of India's first successful test of a long-range hypersonic missile in November 2024, putting it in a group of nations possessing the advanced technology. The missile has a range of over 1,500 km and a top speed exceeding Mach 5.