https://sputniknews.in/20250128/indias-hypersonic-leap-marks-new-era-in-missile-development-8709030.html
India's Hypersonic Leap Marks New Era in Missile Development
India's Hypersonic Leap Marks New Era in Missile Development
Sputnik India
Russia's successful demonstration of the Oreshnik missile on the battlefield in Ukraine last year has heightened the buzz around hypersonic technology. Sputnik... 28.01.2025, Sputnik India
2025-01-28T13:26+0530
2025-01-28T13:26+0530
2025-01-28T13:54+0530
sputnik opinion
storm shadow missile
hypersonic missile
missiles
brahmos supersonic cruise missile
us
russia
india
china
oreshnik ballistic missile
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.in/img/07e8/0b/1d/8472992_0:135:1440:945_1920x0_80_0_0_be7a09f4b3b915abc17934b4264ac7bc.png
Currently, Russia is the leader in hypersonic technology, with China following close behind, while India is pushing hard to keep up pace with its larger Asian rival. In contrast, the US lags behind these nations in this crucial military domain, experts have said.Russia, India, China, and the US are the major countries working on hypersonic tech in a big way. However, Russia has already mastered this technology, considering it is the only nation that has successfully demonstrated the use of a hypersonic missile (Oreshnik) with a speed of Mach 10 on the battlefield in Ukraine, according to Air Marshal (retd.) M. Matheswaran.China has also made rapid strides in this area. In fact, they are quite mature in their hypersonic technology development and that way, Beijing poses a significant threat to nations who may antagonise them, he added.India, on its part, has already field tested a hypersonic missile, and currently there are a wide variety of homegrown projectiles, including the joint Indo-Russian BrahMos venture, which will have a hypersonic variant soon, the former Indian Air Force (IAF) veteran pointed out.Meanwhile, Rahul Yelwe, senior research fellow at the Department of Security Studies, School of National Security Studies, Central University of Gujarat, stated that China claims to have operationalised the DF-17 hypersonic glide vehicles.On the other hand, Group Captain (retd.) Uttam Kumar Devnath emphasised that silicon dioxide (SiO2) and ceramic composites are two vital ingredients for making hypersonic missiles. While ceramic material shields the missile's scramjet engine from extreme temperatures, SiO2 is applied on coaxial cables in these weapons.Notably, it is in this area where the US lags behind, as both China and Russia have used ceramic components in their hypersonic missiles. This is the main reason behind America is lagging behind Russia and China in the race for hypersonic technology, he emphasised.Meanwhile, China claims it has developed a hypersonic missile that can reach as far as Guam when fired from the Chinese mainland. Another Asian powerhouse, India, is trying to match its neighbour in this department, with the induction of long-range hypersonic missiles in its military expected to begin from 2030 onwards, the military pundit suggested.Last week, India successfully completed a ground run for an active-cooled scramjet combustor.For hypersonic missiles, scramjets are critical because they need engines that can work at higher temperatures to sustain the velocity of the speed at which they fly. Also, scramjet is the main mode of propulsion in rocketry at much higher speeds and heavy payload capabilities, particularly when one wants to take a missile into outer space, Matheswaran explains.Yelwe expresses that the recent successful 120-second engine run of the active-cooled scramjet combustor represents a promising step forward in India's journey toward self-reliance in defence.Scramjet engines, which generate significantly more power than ramjet engines, have the potential to achieve impressive speeds of Mach 15 to 20. This achievement highlights India's growing expertise in designing and developing advanced missile technology, he observes.Moreover, the thermal barrier coating provides superior heat resistance compared to steel, thus improving the overall effectiveness of propulsion. Yelwe clarified that the thermal barrier coating can significantly contribute to India's ambitions to develop an indigenous jet engine.Theoretically, all contemporary ballistic missiles reach hypersonic speeds during their terminal phase, although they lack manoeuvrability and can be easily intercepted by ground-based anti-ballistic missile defence systems, he mentioned.In contrast, hypersonic systems, such as glide vehicles, follow a similar trajectory to ballistic missiles. Nonetheless, during the mid-course phase, these glide vehicles manoeuver at high speeds, maintaining their velocity and making them considerably harder to intercept. This capability positions hypersonic glide vehicles as a formidable threat to mobile targets like aircraft carriers and cruisers, the observer asserted.
https://sputniknews.in/20240612/hypersonic-variant-of-brahmos-in-the-pipeline-ceo-7597184.html
us
russia
india
china
ukraine
Sputnik India
feedback.hindi@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
2025
Pawan Atri
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.in/img/07e6/0c/13/139630_147:0:831:684_100x100_80_0_0_8fa2b25903e7787fe6a2698552c167df.png
Pawan Atri
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.in/img/07e6/0c/13/139630_147:0:831:684_100x100_80_0_0_8fa2b25903e7787fe6a2698552c167df.png
News
en_IN
Sputnik India
feedback.hindi@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
Sputnik India
feedback.hindi@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
Pawan Atri
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.in/img/07e6/0c/13/139630_147:0:831:684_100x100_80_0_0_8fa2b25903e7787fe6a2698552c167df.png
storm shadow missile, hypersonic missile, missiles, brahmos supersonic cruise missile, us, russia, india, china, oreshnik ballistic missile, ukraine
storm shadow missile, hypersonic missile, missiles, brahmos supersonic cruise missile, us, russia, india, china, oreshnik ballistic missile, ukraine
India's Hypersonic Leap Marks New Era in Missile Development
13:26 28.01.2025 (Updated: 13:54 28.01.2025) Russia's successful demonstration of the Oreshnik missile on the battlefield in Ukraine last year has heightened the buzz around hypersonic technology. Sputnik India examines the major powers that currently lead the race in this segment of new-age military platforms.
Currently, Russia is the leader in hypersonic technology, with China following close behind, while India is pushing hard to keep up pace with its larger Asian rival. In contrast, the US lags behind these nations in this crucial military domain, experts have said.
Russia, India, China, and the US are the major countries working on hypersonic tech in a big way. However, Russia has already mastered this technology, considering it is the only nation that has successfully demonstrated the use of a hypersonic missile (Oreshnik) with a speed of Mach 10 on the battlefield in Ukraine, according to Air Marshal (retd.) M. Matheswaran.
China has also made rapid strides in this area. In fact, they are quite mature in their hypersonic technology development and that way, Beijing poses a
significant threat to nations who may antagonise them, he added.
"Unlike China and Russia, the US hasn't fielded a hypersonic missile. While the Americans have carried out trials, they are yet to showcase this technology to the world, which its main geopolitical competitors, Russia and China, have demonstrated with elan", Matheswaran told Sputnik India.
India, on its part, has already field tested a hypersonic missile, and currently there are a wide variety of homegrown projectiles, including the joint Indo-Russian BrahMos venture, which will have a hypersonic variant soon, the former Indian Air Force (IAF) veteran pointed out.
Meanwhile, Rahul Yelwe, senior research fellow at the Department of Security Studies, School of National Security Studies, Central University of Gujarat, stated that China claims to have operationalised the DF-17 hypersonic glide vehicles.
"There are three types of hypersonic missiles: ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and glide vehicles. Among these, hypersonic cruise missiles are the most complex. Currently, Russia has all types of production-ready and operational hypersonic missiles in its arsenal", Yelwe said in a conversation with Sputnik India.
On the other hand,
Group Captain (retd.) Uttam Kumar Devnath emphasised that
silicon dioxide (SiO2) and ceramic composites are two vital ingredients for making hypersonic missiles. While ceramic material shields the missile's scramjet engine
from extreme temperatures, SiO2 is applied on coaxial cables in these weapons.
Notably, it is in this area where the US lags behind, as both China and Russia have used ceramic components in their hypersonic missiles. This is the main reason behind America is lagging behind Russia and China in the race for hypersonic technology, he emphasised.
"To sum up, Russia leads the hypersonic technology race hands down after having shown its might in Ukraine. It is important to note that since Russia deployed the Oreshnik, Ukraine's usage of long-range NATO missiles like the Storm Shadow deep inside Russian territory has come down drastically, signalling the threat this magnificent military system poses to Kiev and its Western allies", Devnath underlined in his interview with Sputnik India.
Meanwhile, China claims it has developed a hypersonic missile that can reach as far as Guam when fired from the Chinese mainland. Another Asian powerhouse, India, is trying to match its neighbour in this department, with the induction of long-range hypersonic missiles in its military expected to begin from 2030 onwards, the military pundit suggested.
Last week, India successfully completed a ground run for an active-cooled scramjet combustor.
For hypersonic missiles, scramjets are critical because they need engines that can work at higher temperatures to sustain the velocity of the
speed at which they fly. Also, scramjet is the main mode of propulsion in rocketry at much higher speeds and heavy payload capabilities, particularly when one wants to take a missile into outer space, Matheswaran explains.
Yelwe expresses that the recent successful 120-second engine run of the active-cooled scramjet combustor represents a promising step forward in India's journey toward self-reliance in defence.
Scramjet engines, which generate significantly more power than ramjet engines, have the potential to achieve impressive speeds of Mach 15 to 20. This achievement highlights India's growing expertise in designing and developing advanced missile technology, he observes.
"The engine features indigenously created endothermic fuel and a thermal barrier coating. At hypersonic speeds, missile temperatures can soar to between 1,500 and 2,000 degrees Celsius. The innovative endothermic fuel functions effectively as a coolant, enhancing missile performance through its heat-absorbing capabilities", the analyst underscored.
Moreover, the thermal barrier coating provides superior heat resistance compared to steel, thus improving the overall effectiveness of propulsion. Yelwe clarified that the thermal barrier coating can significantly contribute to India's ambitions to develop an indigenous jet engine.
Theoretically, all contemporary ballistic missiles reach hypersonic speeds during their terminal phase, although they lack manoeuvrability and can be easily intercepted by ground-based anti-ballistic missile defence systems, he mentioned.
In contrast, hypersonic systems, such as glide vehicles, follow a similar trajectory to ballistic missiles. Nonetheless, during the mid-course phase, these glide vehicles manoeuver at high speeds, maintaining their velocity and making them considerably
harder to intercept. This capability positions hypersonic glide vehicles as a formidable threat to mobile targets like aircraft carriers and cruisers, the observer asserted.
"Notably, in November 2024, India successfully tested an anti-ship hypersonic missile with a range of 1,500 km. This anti-ship missile test marks just the beginning of India's hypersonic program. Since, India is actively pursuing the development of a hypersonic cruise missile as well, and the recent ground run of the active-cooled scramjet combustor stands as an important milestone in this journey", Yelwe concluded.
