Hypersonic missile, torpedoes: India to flaunt naval tech might on R-Day

India will on Monday showcase its new anti-ship hypersonic missile at the 77th Republic Day Parade in the national capital, alongside three other key naval technologies.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will present its Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile (LR-AShM) and launch system at the parade, following the weapon’s first successful flight test in November 2024. The test put India among a select group of nations, including China, Russia and the United States, to have achieved such capability.

“This weapon system is designed to meet the coastal battery requirements of the Indian Navy,” said a government press statement. “The LR-AShM is a hypersonic glide missile capable of engaging static and moving targets and is designed to carry various payloads.”

Equipped with indigenous avionics systems and high-accuracy sensors, the missile (described as a “first of its kind” for the country) follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory. It can reach hypersonic speeds starting from Mach 10, or ten times the speed of sound, and maintain an average Mach 5.0 across multiple phases of its flight.

At the time of its first test, a defence ministry statement had said the missile was designed to carry a range of payloads over distances exceeding 1,500 kilometres.

“Indigenously developed sensors are provided for engaging the moving targets in the terminal phase,” said the new statement. The reference to “moving targets” suggests that, if paired with the requisite surveillance and positioning, navigation and timing capabilities, the missile could be used to hold high-value assets — such as aircraft carriers — at risk.

The missile can fly at low altitudes with high speed and manoeuvrability, reducing the likelihood of detection by enemy ground and ship radars for much of its trajectory.

“The LR-AShM is configured with a two-stage solid propulsion rocket motor system. These propulsion systems boost 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,” said the statement.

DRDO’s parade tableau, themed “Naval Technologies for Combat Submarines”, will also showcase indigenously developed technologies and systems designed to act as a “force multiplier” for the Navy’s conventional submarines.

These include the Integrated Combat Suite (ICS), the Wire Guided Heavy Weight Torpedo, and Air Independent Propulsion (AIP).

The ICS is a new-generation, submarine-based defence system for underwater warfare and anti-submarine operations. “It is a system of systems that gives unparalleled situational awareness by providing the threat picture to make tactical decisions and actions like weapon selection, launch and guidance.”

The AIP system will enhance the underwater endurance and stealth capabilities of the Navy’s submarines. “It is powered by a locally developed phosphoric acid fuel cell with a novel onboard hydrogen generator,” said the statement, adding that the technology is modular and can be configured for future submarines.