Sun Nov 17 04:06:03 UTC 2024: ## India Successfully Tests Indigenous Long-Range Hypersonic Missile

**New Delhi, Nov 17, 2024** – India has successfully conducted the maiden flight test of its indigenously developed long-range hypersonic missile, achieving a major technological milestone. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) announced the successful test, conducted late Saturday from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.

The missile, boasting a range exceeding 1500 km, is designed to carry various payloads for all branches of the Indian armed forces. DRDO confirmed the missile’s successful terminal maneuvers and accurate impact, data verified by multiple range systems.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lauded the achievement, stating on X (formerly Twitter) that this puts India among a select group of nations possessing such advanced military technology. The missile was developed by the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex in Hyderabad, in collaboration with other DRDO labs and industry partners.

Hypersonic weapons, capable of flying at least five times the speed of sound (Mach 5), are highly maneuverable and difficult to detect and intercept due to their speed and atmospheric flight path, unlike ballistic missiles. This successful test builds upon previous DRDO work on hypersonic technology, including successful scramjet engine tests in 2019 and 2020. A hypersonic version of the BrahMos missile is also under development. The achievement places India alongside nations like the US, Russia, and China in possessing advanced hypersonic weapon technology.

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