India conducted a successful test of its new anti-ship missile on the night of November 16, 2024. This weapon, termed a hypersonic missile, places India among the elite group of nations possessing hypersonic technology. Initially, this capability was envisioned with the BrahMos-2 missile, but delays due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict led India to develop its own technology, creating a formidable weapon.
Missile speed and range explained...
This new missile achieves a speed of 11,113.2 km/hr, covering 3.087 kilometers per second. It has a range slightly more than 1500 km, meaning it can reach its target in about 8 minutes. With Delhi to Islamabad at 690 km, Karachi at 1100 km, Kolkata to Dhaka at 250 km, and Chittagong at 370 km, devastation is imminent within just a few minutes.
If launched from the Pakistan border, the entire country would be within its reach. Similarly, launching from the China border would cover nearly 45% of China. Positioned on the coastline, it could neutralize enemy ships in the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, or the Indian Ocean, significantly boosting India's defense stature in Asia after Russia and China.
Different capabilities with varied range...
The LRAShM, India's hypersonic long-range anti-ship missile, can carry various payloads over different ranges. A lighter payload extends its range beyond 1500 kilometers. It can be tracked by multiple range systems, ensuring strategic flexibility.
Source: aajtak
Tracking system for hypersonic missiles
India boasts a system to track hypersonic missiles, which many powerful nations lack. Despite their agility, these missiles can execute various terminal maneuvers, making them difficult for adversaries to intercept. They can adjust their speed, direction, and trajectory slightly, with exceptional accuracy.
India's strategic advantages
- 80% of the world's oil trade passes through the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), with numerous global ships navigating these waters. The Indian Navy could leverage this missile for the protection of these vessels. - Should China or Pakistan attempt any intrusion into this maritime zone, this missile can swiftly neutralize their spy ships or warships at sea. - Current air defense systems are unable to easily track this missile due to its phenomenal speed. It ensures destruction on enemy targets. - Deployment in regional maritime zones guarantees security from the Malacca Strait to the Persian Gulf, requiring strategic coastal placement.
Source: aajtak
Understanding hypersonic missiles
Hypersonic missiles are weapons that travel at least five times faster than the speed of sound, meaning a minimum Mach 5. They can be adjusted for speed and direction with remarkable accuracy, making them nearly impossible to track or destroy.
Can all missiles be hypersonic?
Cruise and ballistic missiles usually travel at high speeds, but they can be tracked due to their predictable paths. If they are engineered to travel at speeds five times that of sound and equipped with mechanisms to change direction autonomously, they become hypersonic weapons, virtually untrackable.
Types of hypersonic weapons
There are primarily two types. Glide vehicles that float in the air, and cruise missiles. Current focus is on glide vehicles, which are launched from a missile system. Once launched, they navigate towards their target with precision, benefiting from a scramjet engine that utilizes atmospheric oxygen to maintain high velocities and altitudes.
Countries with hypersonic missiles
Hypersonic missile capabilities are held by the US, Russia, and China. North Korea, too, reportedly developed such missiles, capable of precise strikes over vast distances, from Earth to space or across terrestrial targets.
