NEW DELHI: India has successfully test-fired a long-range hypersonic anti-ship missile (LR-AShM) off the Odisha coast. The missile, developed by DRDO, accurately struck a designated target at a range of 1,500 km, marking a major milestone in extending the country’s defensive reach at sea. The missile is designed to hit targets at speeds exceeding Mach 5 (it can reach speed of Mach 10).The test validated the precision of its advanced terminal guidance systems, completing all mission objectives from launch to final impact, including mid-course maneuvers and sustained high-velocity flight. Though DRDO is yet to release an official statement, BJP has posted a video of test on DRDO’s LR-AShM Phase-II test off the Odisha coast signals a new era. Reflecting the vision of PM Modi for a self-reliant, future-ready India, it marks a powerful leap in indigenous defense innovation.”The LR-AShM is an indigenous Indian, two-stage solid-propelled hypersonic glide weapon, developed for the Indian Navy. It is a potent, first-of-its-kind weapon that enhances India’s anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region. The missile operates in the hypersonic regime, reaching speeds starting at Mach 10 and maintaining an average speed of around Mach 5.0 during its trajectory. It is a hypersonic glide missile that follows a low-altitude, quasi-ballistic trajectory with multiple skips, allowing it to evade radar detection for most of its flight. It can engage both static and moving targets (such as aircraft carriers) using indigenously developed sensors for high precision in the terminal phase.The missile is a major achievement toward self-reliance in advanced defense technologies, developed by DRDO’s Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) and various industry partners.
