Overview: Shattering previous speed records, the Indian Air Force and DRDO have successfully executed the maiden air-launched test of the highly classified BrahMos-II hypersonic cruise missile. The weapon flawlessly struck a decommissioned target ship in the Bay of Bengal at speeds exceeding Mach 6.
- Key Points:
- Unstoppable Velocity: Traveling at over six times the speed of sound, the BrahMos-II generates so much kinetic energy that it can rip through heavily armored warships even without a high-explosive warhead.
- Evading Interception: Its hypersonic glide trajectory makes it virtually invisible to modern Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) shields, giving India a first-strike, uninterceptable tactical advantage.
- Scramjet Maturation: The successful test validates India’s homegrown scramjet propulsion technology, which “breathes” atmospheric oxygen to sustain hypersonic combustion.
- Strategic Message: This sends a chilling deterrent signal across the Indo-Pacific, proving India can project lethal, instantaneous power deep into hostile maritime zones.
- Q1. In missile technology, a vehicle is classified as “Hypersonic” when it sustains flight at speeds of at least:
- Mach 1
- Mach 3
- Mach 5
- Mach 10
