India is now in the upper echelons of defense technology, competing with China and Russia after its revolutionary hypersonic missile test!
Yesterday, India’s first hypersonic missile was successfully tested by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). India’s military capabilities advanced with the test, which was conducted on Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
The velocity of a hypersonic missile is five times the speed of sound or faster. Additionally, these missiles are more agile, making it easier for them to get past air defense systems. China and the United States have been racing to develop this technology for the past few years.
Lt. Gen. (Retd) P R Shankar spoke with India Today Global to discuss the test’s ramifications. Currently affiliated with the Aerospace Department at IIT Madras, Lt. Gen. Shankar was the Director-General of Artillery in the Indian Army. He participated in India’s Agni and Prithvi missile programs as a young officer.
According to Lt. Gen. Shankar, there are several important reasons why the successful hypersonic missile test is significant. In the first place, it places India among the select few nations that can produce these missiles domestically. With this accomplishment, India joins a small number of countries that have advanced hypersonic technology, including the US, Russia, and China.
Second, the test is significant when considering India’s strategic environment in its larger context. China has become one of Asia’s major military powers and has advanced the development of hypersonic missiles significantly. China and Pakistan will be effectively deterred by India’s development of hypersonic missiles.
