India achieved a significant 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 state-of-the-art missile, designed to carry multiple payloads, boasts a range of over 1,500 kilometres and is intended for use by all branches of the Indian Armed Forces.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the achievement as a “historic moment,” underscoring its importance in positioning India among an elite group of nations capable of developing such advanced military technologies.
“This significant achievement has placed our country in the group of select nations with the ability to develop such critical and advanced military technologies,” Singh said.
The @DRDO_India has successfully conducted a flight trial of its long range hypersonic missile on 16th Nov 2024 from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, off-the-coast of Odisha.
Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh has congratulated DRDO, Armed Forces and the Industry for successful flight… pic.twitter.com/wq7yM2YS9f
— रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) November 17, 2024
The missile’s test was monitored using a range of tracking systems deployed across multiple domains. According to a statement from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), flight data obtained from ship-based tracking stations confirmed the missile’s successful terminal manoeuvres and impact with a high degree of accuracy.
The hypersonic missile has been indigenously developed by laboratories under the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex in Hyderabad in collaboration with other DRDO facilities and industry partners. The flight trial was conducted in the presence of senior DRDO scientists and representatives of the Armed Forces.
Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO congratulated the team for their relentless efforts in achieving this breakthrough. “This success reflects the dedication and technical prowess of Team DRDO,” he said.
India’s advancement in hypersonic technology reaffirms its growing prowess in the defence sector and its commitment to self-reliance in critical military capabilities.
Team BharatShakti
