India Must Develop Hypersonic Cruise Missiles For Minimum Credible Deterrence: Rajnath Singh

Recently, a US Congressional report said India was among a select few countries developing hypersonic weapons.

Rajnath Singh was addressing an event of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Delhi (File)

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stressed on the need for hypersonic cruise missiles to maintain minimum credible deterrence against its enemies, PTI reported.

Addressing an event of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Delhi, Rajnath Singh said, "In order to maintain a minimum credible deterrence, we have to immediately think about hypersonic cruise missile development. It will be a revolutionary step in our defence sector and we all have to put our efforts into it."

Recently, a US Congressional report said India was among a select few countries developing hypersonic weapons. The report said India had collaborated with Russia on the development of BrahMos II, a Mach 7 hypersonic cruise missile.

Hypersonic missiles can travel much faster than current nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles at low altitudes. They can switch direction in flight and do not follow a predetermined, arched trajectory like conventional missiles, making them much harder to track and intercept.

Hypersonic means any speed faster than five times that of sound, meaning these weapons can travel at least 3,800 miles per hour. 

In October, Financial Times said in a report that China had tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile that circled the globe before missing its target.

Singh said it should be ensured that India was a leader when it came to defence technologies.

"The countries that have done defence innovation are the ones who have bested their enemies and made their mark on history," he said. "We have to obtain those technologies too that are with just a few countries right now," the Defence Minister asserted.

Rajnath Singh stressed that in the present scenario, there was a new warrior called 'technology' in the battlefield.

"As the time is changing, our defence requirements are changing accordingly. The way technology's role has increased in the battlefield, it is amazing and unprecedented. In such a time, defence technologies with India will have to catch up with the future," Singh said.

Singh said the modernisation and the integration of the armed forces were being carried out on priority.

"The integration and modernisation is not just happening by the efforts of the government. This is also happening because of the meeting of minds of our armed forces," he said.

"When we talk of making the country a net defence exporter, the path goes through the collaboration between entities such as the DRDO, armed forces, private industries and academia," he further said.