Context
DRDO successfully tested India’s first long-range hypersonic missile
India’s Hypersonic Missile
- Missile Range and Payload: 1,500 km
- Developed by the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex in Hyderabad, in collaboration with other DRDO labs and industry partners.
- What is a Hypersonic Missile?
- Speed: Hypersonic refers to speeds greater than Mach-5 (five times the speed of sound), or approximately one mile per second.
- Manoeuvrability: Hypersonic missiles are more maneuverable compared to ballistic missiles, which follow a fixed trajectory.
- Types of Hypersonic Weapons:
- Hypersonic Glide Vehicles (HGV): Launched from a rocket, then glide to their target.
- Hypersonic Cruise Missiles (HCM): Powered by air-breathing engines (scramjets) after target acquisition.
Advantages of Hypersonic Missiles:
- Responsive, Long-Range Strike: Hypersonic missiles can strike time-critical or defended threats when other forces are unavailable, offering long-range strike options.
- Speed and Evasion: They fly at lower altitudes than ballistic missiles, making them harder to track with some radar systems.
- Kinetic Energy: They use only kinetic energy to destroy targets, including underground facilities.
Challenges of Hypersonic Missiles:
- Engineering and Physics: Overcoming challenges like extreme heat generation due to friction and air resistance.
- Precise Manoeuvrability: Requires an incredible degree of precision for successful operation at such high speeds.
- Communication: Maintaining connectivity with operators and decision-makers during flight is a challenge.
- Cost: Hypersonic missiles are costlier to develop compared to traditional ballistic missiles.
Global Development of Hypersonic Missiles:
- Russia and China: Both countries are advanced in developing hypersonic weapons.
- USA: The US is also developing hypersonic systems, with Lockheed Martin receiving a contract for a ground-based hypersonic weapon system (Long Range Hypersonic Weapon, LRHW).
- Russia’s Use: In 2022, Russia used a hypersonic missile in the conflict with Ukraine
Source: IE
Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements:
1. Ballistic missiles are jet-propelled at subsonic speeds throughout their flights, while cruise missiles are rocket-powered only in the initial phase of flight.
2. Agni-V is a medium-range supersonic cruise missile, while BrahMos is a solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2023 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (d)
