ISRO Successfully Conducts Hypersonic Vehicle Trials

A hypersonic vehicle is a vehicle that travels at least five times faster than the speed-of-sound, or greater than Mach 5.

An artist's conception of NASA's X-43A hypersonic experimental vehicle

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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Headquarters, Integrated Defence Staff on Friday jointly conducted hypersonic vehicle trials. "The trials achieved all required parameters and demonstrated hypersonic vehicle capability," ISRO said in a statement.

A hypersonic vehicle is a vehicle that travels at least five times faster than the speed-of-sound, or greater than Mach 5. A hypersonic vehicle can be an airplane, missile, or spacecraft.

Hypersonic technology is considered to be the latest cutting-edge technology. Many countries, including China, India, Russia and the US, are engaged in further advancement of hypersonic weapons.

India has been working on hypersonic technology for the last couple of years. According to a report presented in the US Congress, India is engaged in making hypersonic missiles in collaboration with Russia. 

This year, Russia reportedly used its hypersonic missile Kinjal in the Ukraine war.

India is also developing an indigenous, dual-capable hypersonic cruise missile as part of its Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle programme. The missile that will be capable of firing nuclear weapons along with conventional weapons.

India has tested such technology earlier in 2019 and September 2020. During this test, the speed of Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) equipped with scramjet engine was measured at 7500 km per hour.

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HSTDV is not a weapon itself but and is being developed as a carrier vehicle for hypersonic and long-range cruise missiles.

According to the US report, India has built 12 such hypersonic wind tunnels where it can test missiles at a speed of 13 times the speed of sound.

The speed and maneuverability enable hypersonic missiles to penetrate most missile defenses. Due to its high speed, most radars will not be able to detect it early enough to intercept it.