In a major step to bolster the nation's defensive and offensive capabilities, India is set to test an advanced hypersonic missile - the Extended Trajectory-Long Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile (ET-LDHCM).
It would be the most sophisticated hypersonic missile developed entirely in India using domestic technology by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in partnership with private Indian defence firms.
Mach 8 speed, highest so far
The missile has been developed under Project Vishnu. The missile will enhance India's capability to hit deep inside Pakistan and China with a maximum speed of Mach 8, which is about 11,000 km/hour. Mach 8 refers to a speed eight times that of sound.
A missile above Mach 5 is classified as hypersonic. At Mach 8, the ET-LDHCM will be able to dodge any radar and air defence systems
Once tested successfully and inducted into the armed forces' armoury, it will significantly bring a shift in the power balance in Asia and the subcontinent.
With a range of about 1,500 km, the ET-LDHCM can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads of up to 2,000 kg. As part of its indigenous technology, the missile is equipped with a scramjet engine, which draws air from the atmosphere for the combustion of fuel, thereby contributing to sustaining the hypersonic quality for a longer time.