SOURCE: IDRW.ORG
In a significant revelation, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has confirmed that its Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRAShM), a hypersonic glide weapon tested in November 2024, achieved a speed of Mach 10—far exceeding the Mach 6-7 range speculated by many defence analysts post-trial.
The LRAShM, successfully flight-tested on November 16, 2024, from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha, was initially hailed as India’s first long-range hypersonic missile, with a reported range exceeding 1,500 kilometers. Developed indigenously by DRDO’s Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex in Hyderabad, in collaboration with other DRDO labs and industry partners, the missile combines the blistering speed of a ballistic missile with the maneuverability of a cruise missile. During the trial, tracked by multiple range systems across domains, the missile demonstrated terminal maneuvers and pinpoint accuracy, striking its target with devastating effect.
Initial assessments by defence analysts pegged the LRAShM’s speed at Mach 6 to 7, based on the performance of its predecessor, the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV), which achieved Mach 6 in 2020. The HSTDV, a scramjet-powered testbed, had laid the groundwork for India’s hypersonic ambitions, but the LRAShM’s Mach 10 milestone marks a quantum leap. DRDO’s confirmation—reportedly from an official statement to a media outlet—silences skepticism and highlights the weapon’s advanced engineering.
A speed of Mach 10—approximately 12,144 kilometers per hour or 3.37 kilometers per second—places the LRAShM among the fastest hypersonic systems globally, rivaling Russia’s Kinzhal (Mach 10) and China’s DF-ZF (Mach 10-12). Unlike traditional ballistic missiles, which follow a predictable arc, hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) like the LRAShM are launched atop a rocket, reach the edge of space, and then glide unpredictably through the atmosphere to their target. This combination of speed and maneuverability renders them nearly impossible to intercept with current air defense systems.
Defence analysts had underestimated the LRAShM’s potential, partly due to the secrecy surrounding its development and the incremental progress seen in earlier DRDO hypersonic tests. The Mach 6-7 speculation aligned with HSTDV data and conservative estimates of India’s scramjet and glide technology. However, the Mach 10 confirmation suggests breakthroughs in propulsion, thermal management, and materials—likely involving advanced ceramic thermal barrier coatings and composite structures capable of withstanding extreme heat and stress at such velocities.
The LRAShM’s capabilities extend beyond its speed. Designed as a multi-role weapon, it can carry various payloads—conventional or nuclear—and target both naval and land-based assets. Its primary role as an anti-ship missile, with a range exceeding 1,500 kilometers, gives the Indian Navy a formidable tool to dominate the Indian Ocean Region, countering threats from adversarial navies, including China’s expanding carrier fleet. The missile’s RF seeker, functioning effectively at hypersonic speeds, ensures precision strikes against moving targets like warships, a feat few weapons can achieve.
For India, locked in a strategic rivalry with China and Pakistan, the LRAShM enhances deterrence. China’s hypersonic arsenal, including the DF-17 (Mach 10-12) and a new air-to-air hypersonic missile tested in 2025 with a 1,000-kilometer range, poses a growing threat. Pakistan’s pursuit of 5th-generation fighters and missile systems further complicates the regional equation. The LRAShM’s Mach 10 speed and extended reach—some analysts hint it may exceed the publicized 1,500 kilometers—provide India with a first-strike capability to neutralize enemy assets deep within hostile territory before countermeasures can be deployed.
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