- Overview: India has formally entered the elite tier of hypersonic powers by successfully flight-testing a next-generation Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV) powered by an indigenous scramjet engine from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.
- Key Points:
- Mach 6+ Speeds: The vehicle achieved sustained atmospheric flight at speeds exceeding Mach 6, making it virtually immune to modern anti-missile defense shields.
- Scramjet Propulsion: Validated the complex scramjet propulsion technology which uses atmospheric oxygen during supersonic flight, drastically reducing missile payload weight.
- Strategic Deterrence: Provides a credible, uninterceptable conventional and strategic strike capability, neutralizing the Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) bubbles in the Indo-Pacific.
- Dual-Use Potential: The technology forms the foundational bedrock for future low-cost satellite launch vehicles and reusable aerospace planes.
- Defense Exam Relevance: Highly critical for CDS/NDA (Missile Technology) and UPSC GS-III (Defense Indigenization & Space Technology).
Source Link: DRDO Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle
- Q1. Consider the following statements regarding ‘Scramjet’ technology:
- Unlike ramjets, scramjets operate efficiently at hypersonic speeds (Mach 5 and above).
- Scramjet engines carry their own liquid oxygen oxidizer to sustain combustion in space.
- A) 1 only
- B) 2 only
- C) Both 1 and 2
- D) Neither 1 nor 2
