Hypersonic missiles represent a category of weapons capable of achieving speeds exceeding Mach 5, which equates to more than five times the speed of sound or in excess of 6,100 kilometres per hour.
A number of countries, notably the US, Russia and China, are currently engaged in the development of hypersonic technology. These advanced weapons have the potential to bypass existing air defence systems and deliver rapid and high-impact strikes. Central to sustained hypersonic flight is the scramjet.
By maintaining stable combustion for more than 16 minutes under internal temperatures exceeding 1,800 degrees Celsius, DRDO has validated both the combustor’s active-cooling thermal-management system and the performance of the new test-bed infrastructure.
Fuel circulated through internal channels absorbs and removes extreme heat, enabling continuous operation, an achievement that many see as one of the toughest technical hurdles in hypersonics.
“A successful 1,000-second run paves a strong base for the nation’s Hypersonic Cruise Missile Development Programme,” the statement noted.
The milestone propels India’s objective to develop long-range, Mach 6-plus cruise missiles that can effectively bypass contemporary air-defence systems and achieve a greater range of hypersonic missiles compared to those presently in operation globally.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
