New Delhi : The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted a flight trial of a long-range hypersonic missile off the coast of Odisha, marking a major milestone in India’s defense capabilities.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took to social media on Sunday to announce the achievement, stating that India has now joined a select group of nations possessing such advanced and critical military technologies.
The flight trial was conducted from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island, located off the coast of Odisha, in the presence of senior DRDO scientists and top military officials. According to the Ministry of Defence, the missile was tracked by various range systems across multiple domains. Data collected from down-range ship stations confirmed the missile’s successful terminal maneuvers and impact, with high precision.
Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the Indian Armed Forces, DRDO, and the defense industry for the successful launch, highlighting the strategic significance of the achievement. “India has achieved a major milestone by successfully conducting a flight trial of a long-range hypersonic missile from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off the coast of Odisha. This historic moment places our country among the select nations with capabilities in such advanced military technologies. I congratulate Team @DRDO_India, our Armed Forces, and the Industry for this stupendous achievement,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The hypersonic missile is designed to carry various payloads over a range greater than 1,500 km, making it a versatile asset for all wings of the Indian Armed Forces. It has been indigenously developed at the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex in Hyderabad, in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and industry partners.
Hypersonic missiles are known for their ability to travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5, making them highly difficult for adversaries to detect or intercept. This successful trial enhances India’s strategic deterrence and strengthens its national security framework.
Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence Research and Development and Chairman of DRDO, also congratulated the team that played an integral role in the mission’s success.
This successful test is the third in a series of recent milestones by DRDO. On November 14, the organization completed flight tests for the Guided Pinaka Weapon System, as part of the Provisional Staff Qualitative Requirements (PSQR) validation trials. Additionally, on November 12, India successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha.
The successful trials are a testament to India’s growing self-reliance in advanced defense technologies and its commitment to strengthening its military capabilities.
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