BharatNotes What is Hypersonic Missiles?
A hypersonic missile is a weapon capable of sustained flight and significant manoeuvring within the atmosphere at speeds above Mach 5 — roughly 6,100 km/h or more. What sets it apart from a conventional ballistic missile is not raw speed alone (ICBMs also re-enter at hypersonic velocity) but the use of aerodynamic lift to manoeuvre under guided flight, making its path unpredictable. This blend of speed, manoeuvrability and a relatively low flight altitude collapses an adversary's detection-to-response window.
Key Types and Features
Hypersonic weapons fall into two principal categories:
| Type | How it works | Typical flight altitude |
|---|---|---|
| Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV) | Boosted by a rocket along a ballistic arc, then released to glide unpowered to target, manoeuvring via aerodynamics and gravity | ~40–100 km |
| Hypersonic Cruise Missile (HCM) | Rocket-boosted to supersonic speed, then a scramjet (supersonic-combustion ramjet) sustains powered hypersonic flight | ~20–30 km |
A defining engineering challenge is the plasma sheath: at hypersonic speed, compressed and ionised air forms a plasma layer around the missile that can block radio and radar signals, causing communication "blackouts" and complicating guidance. Sustained scramjet propulsion and thermal management at such speeds remain the hardest technical hurdles.
Why They Matter
Hypersonic weapons are difficult to detect, track and intercept because they fly fast, manoeuvre mid-course, and travel at altitudes that fall between the coverage zones of most existing ground-based radars. An HGV can alter its trajectory to skirt known defence sensors, undermining traditional ballistic missile defence. This compression of warning time has strategic-stability implications and has triggered a global race in both offensive systems and counter-hypersonic interceptors.
Globally, Russia has deployed the Avangard (an HGV on an ICBM), the air-launched Kinzhal, and the Tsirkon (Zircon) cruise missile; China fielded the DF-17 HGV with its Rocket Force around 2020; and the United States has been advancing systems through testing.
Current Status in India
India crossed a major threshold when DRDO conducted a successful flight-trial of the country's first long-range hypersonic missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha on the night of 16 November 2024 (PIB, 17-Nov-2024). The missile is designed to carry various payloads to ranges greater than 1,500 km, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh termed it a "historic" achievement placing India among a select group of nations.
This builds on the HSTDV (Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle), which validated scramjet propulsion in September 2020. DRDO has since reported sustained scramjet combustor tests of long duration in 2025–2026, advancing toward systems such as the BrahMos-II hypersonic cruise missile and related programmes. These efforts align with the Atmanirbhar Bharat push for indigenous defence capability.
UPSC Angle
For Mains GS3, frame hypersonic technology around indigenisation, strategic deterrence and the technical challenges (scramjet, thermal/plasma issues). For Prelims, track DRDO test current affairs and clearly separate HGVs from HCMs.
