The second flight test of the long-range hypersonic anti-ship missile (LR-AShM), developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), was conducted off the Odisha coast.
While the defence ministry or the DRDO did not offer any details about such a testing, the social media handle of the BJP claimed that India’s “hypersonic edge just got sharper.”
"DRDO’s LR-AShM Phase-II test off the Odisha coast signals a new era.
Reflecting the vision of PM Modi for a self-reliant, future-ready India, it marks a powerful leap in indigenous defence innovation" the tweet by BJP read.
LR-AShM is a hypersonic glide weapon designed to strike both stationary and moving targets, while being capable of carrying a range of payloads. It is a first-of-its-kind system featuring indigenous avionics and advanced, high-precision sensor packages.
The missile follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory with hypersonic speeds starting at Mach 10 and maintaining an average Mach 5.0 with multiple skips.
Equipped with indigenously developed sensors for terminal-phase engagement of moving targets, LR-AShM combines low-altitude flight, high speed, and exceptional manoeuvrability, making it difficult for enemy ground- and ship-based radar systems to detect the missile through most of its flight path.
The two-stage solid propulsion rocket motor system boosts the missile to the required hypersonic velocities. Stage-1 of the vehicle is separated after it is spent. After Stage-II burnout, the vehicle performs an unpowered glide with required manoeuvres in the atmosphere before engaging the target.
