Balasore(Odisha): Indigenously developed Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) was successfully tested off the coast of Odisha on Wednesday at 11:27 AM. The test was conducted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Production Secretary Ajay Kumar.
The HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet demonstration vehicle which can cruise up to a speed of mach 6 (meaning 6 times the speed of sound) and can elevate 32 kilometres in 20 seconds. The missile is expected to help the DRDO in developing technologies in future. The successful testing brought India to an elite club of nations including the US, Russia and China but it has to be perfected with many more tests.
It has a range of uses, including missiles for the future and energy-efficient, low cost and reusable satellite-launch vehicle. “A hypersonic missile is a “quick reaction missile” which makes it invaluable in offensive as well as defensive uses,” said W. Selvamurthy, a former DRDO scientist. “In case of defence, it can be used to intercept incoming missiles in the outer atmosphere or in the inner atmosphere. It will help add to India’s ballistic missile defence capabilities,” he said.
The missile was launched using an Agni-series vehicle which elevated it off the ground and separated from the main missile after reaching an altitude. “The missile was launched successfully. Various sensors have been placed on the missile, through which a large number of data has been gathered for various missile subsystems. That data will be analysed to validate the critical technologies for the purpose the said vehicle was launched,” sources from DRDO said.
This test comes under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme by which India is producing a range of cruise and ballistic missile. Missiles like Agni, Prithvi, Brahmos(which was produced in collaboration with Russia) and anti-tank Nag , surface to air Akash come under this programme. In March, India successfully carried out an anti-satellite missile test to protect its satellites and space assets.
The Defence Minister addressed the team of scientists after the test.
