One highly anticipated development is the creation of the Hypersonic Cruise Missile (HCM), which is expected to transform India’s strike capabilities and provide a powerful deterrent. With a range of 1,000 km, the HCM is slated for production by the late 2020s, according to DRDO's plans.
Quarterhorse --world's fastest aircraft (projected) credit: Hermeus
Everything you need to know about Hypersonic Missile Program
Hypersonic flight represents the envisioned future of human aviation, marking a remarkable advancement in the field. This innovation is propelling aviation into the hypersonic era.
Hypersonic speeds are classified as exceeding Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound), while supersonic speeds are anything above Mach 1. The push for hypersonic systems has now become a strategic priority, with aerospace companies delivering hypersonic weapons and combat jets to the military.
Why is this technology so crucial today? Hypersonic missiles are nearly impossible to intercept, as no effective anti-missile systems or technologies currently exist. Advanced radar can only detect hypersonic vehicles—like missiles—just before they strike their targets. In the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, Russia's deployment of its Kinzhal systems has demonstrated their capability. Hypersonic systems, with their unparalleled speed, outpace traditional defenses, rendering them unmatched within the Observe–Orient–Decide–Act (OODA) loop, where speed is now the ultimate form of stealth.
Groundbreaking advancements in hypersonic technology
The concept of air dominance has shifted, now emphasizing technological advancements such as subsonic speed, stealth, and beyond. This evolution places greater importance on next-generation technological integration over sheer numbers in terms of effectiveness and strategic roles.
For instance, the US Air Force’s SR-71 has remained a pinnacle of aviation speed for nearly 50 years. The pursuit of hypersonic platforms requires aerospace engineers to develop hybrid engines capable of operating across subsonic, supersonic, and hypersonic speeds.
However, the propulsion system must undergo significant recalibration between the supersonic and hypersonic phases, with air-breathing engines like ramjets gaining favor at higher speeds. Development in this field is already underway, primarily within the advanced aerospace sectors of nations such as the US, Russia, and China. Recent developments in China, particularly the launch of the Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS), have sparked debate over whether the US still holds dominance in hypersonic technology. This hypersonic glide vehicle, equipped with a warhead, was tested by orbiting the globe, re-entering the atmosphere, and striking its target.
The key to this progress lies in the seamless transition between turbojet and ramjet propulsion. In 2021, the US Air Force awarded Hermeus a $60 million contract to develop three unmanned aircraft concepts, including the hypersonic "Quarterhorse." In 2022, Hermeus achieved a major milestone by successfully firing its turbojet-ramjet hybrid engine, dubbed Chimera. The goal of Quarterhorse is to validate the Chimera engine in-flight and achieve speeds exceeding Mach 4, potentially breaking the SR-71’s long-standing airspeed record.
The most critical challenge is the complexity of transitioning rapidly between turbojet and ramjet modes. Ramjets, which pressurize air and fuel at high speeds within the combustion chamber, can propel aircraft to Mach 5 and beyond. The breakthroughs seen with Quarterhorse are paving the way for the next generation of hypersonic jets.
India's hypersonic initiatives
Since 2018, the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has been actively working on hypersonic missile technology. In 2020, DRDO conducted a successful test of the Hypersonic Technology Demonstration Vehicle (HSTDV), a scramjet-powered system for propulsion. According to a defence official, the HSTDV achieved a speed of Mach 6 for 23 seconds during the trial, marking a significant milestone in India's hypersonic capabilities.
Building on the recent Agni-5 missile test, which deviated from typical ballistic missile tests, the slower velocity suggests a quasi-ballistic function, characteristic of a Hypersonic Glide Vehicle rather than a conventional nuclear missile. The Agni-5 missile offers the potential to incorporate hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology, a possibility bolstered by DRDO's successful HSTDV flight tests.
The test has validated scramjet propulsion technology, demonstrating both the ignition and sustained combustion of atmospheric oxygen at hypersonic speeds, as well as the critical separation phase between the booster and hypersonic flight.
BrahMos Aerospace Corporation has also expressed interest in developing such a missile and is ready to move forward if the Government of India (GOI) grants approval. Reports suggest that the GOI aims to induct these advanced missiles into the armed forces within the next five years.
Hypersonic weapons have been under development since the 1950s, with intercontinental ballistic missiles achieving speeds of Mach 25. China has already prioritized hypersonic weapons as a major strategic initiative. For India, the time has arrived to overcome the hypersonic barriers for both current and future military systems and weaponry.
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