Context:
The DRDO unveiled the Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile (LR-AShM) at the 77th Republic Day Parade, marking a significant enhancement in India’s maritime strike capability.
Key Highlights:
- Missile Specifications
- Range: ~1,500 km.
- Speed: Hypersonic (Mach 5 and above).
- Designed for Indian Navy’s coastal battery requirements.
- Capable of targeting both static and moving naval assets.
- Testing & Development
- Successfully tested on November 16, 2024, off Odisha coast.
- Two-stage solid propulsion rocket motor system.
- Indigenous materials and advanced control systems.
- Operational Features
- Follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory.
- Flies at low altitude with high maneuverability.
- Designed to evade radar and missile defence systems.
- Future Developments
- Extended range variants up to 3,500 km under development.
- DRDO working on hypersonic cruise missiles with scramjet engines.
- Induction expected within 2–3 years after integration of warhead and sensors.
Relevant Prelims Points:
- Hypersonic Speed: Above Mach 5 (five times speed of sound).
- Quasi-Ballistic Trajectory: Combines ballistic path with mid-course maneuvers.
- Scramjet Engine: Supersonic combustion ramjet; enables sustained hypersonic flight.
- Hypersonic weapons are difficult to intercept due to:
- High speed
- Unpredictable flight path.
- India earlier tested Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV).
Relevant Mains Points:
GS Paper 3 – Science & Technology
- Indigenous hypersonic capability strengthens advanced defence technology base.
- Integration of propulsion, materials science, and guidance systems.
GS Paper 3 – Internal Security
- Enhances sea denial capability in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
- Acts as deterrent against hostile naval deployments.
- Improves coastal defence preparedness.
Strategic Significance
- Strengthens India’s maritime posture amid Indo-Pacific tensions.
- Counters anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities of adversaries.
- Aligns with vision of self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
Way Forward:
- Accelerate integration with naval platforms.
- Continue R&D in scramjet and hypersonic glide vehicles.
- Strengthen missile defence and early warning systems.
- Enhance maritime domain awareness in IOR.
UPSC Relevance:
- Hypersonic Technology & Defence Modernisation
• Maritime Security in Indo-Pacific
• Indigenous Defence Production
• Strategic Deterrence Capabilities