New Delhi: India tested an indigenously developed hypersonic technology demonstrator vehicle powered by a scramjet engine, which will serve as critical building block for the next generation hypersonic cruise missiles capable of flying at speeds above mach 5.

The HSTDV conducted on Monday from the Dr. Abul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast at 11. 03 am to demonstrate the autonomous flight of a scramjet integrated vehicle, propelled India right into an extremely exclusive hypersonic club consisting of the US, Russia and China. Besides the velocity of over five times the speed of sound (mach 5), the maneuvering capability of hypersonic missiles makes them very effective, offensive weapons capable of defeating enemy missile defence and tracking systems. The US, Russia and China are leagues ahead in the race to develop aerodynamically maneuverable hypersonic weapons.

China flaunted its DF-17 missile with a hypersonic glide vehicle at its military parade last year. In the test on Monday, the hypersonic cruise vehicle sustained its scramjet powered flight path at a velocity of six times the speed of sound (mach 6 or 2 Km/ sec) for 22 – 24 seconds. The hypersonic cruise vehicle auto ignited to fly on its own after separating from the launch vehicle, which took it to an altitude of 30Kms. The launch vehicle, inturn, was powered by the proven solid-propellant rocket motor of an Agni Ballistic Missile.

It’s a major technological breakthrough. The air breathing scramjet engine was successfully flight tested at hypersonic speed within the atmosphere, meeting all the technical parameters. The test paves the way for the development of many more critical technologies, materials and hypersonic vehicles, said DRDO Chairman Dr. G. Satish Reddy.