India, a nuclear-armed power, announced on Sunday that it had tested its first hypersonic missile. “India has achieved a significant milestone by successfully testing a long-range hypersonic missile,” Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said in a statement.
Hypersonic missiles fly lower and are more difficult to detect than ballistic missiles. They can reach targets faster and can be ordered to change targets in mid-flight. The United States, Russia, China and North Korea have all tested hypersonic missiles, and several other countries are developing the technology.
The country is making public its possession of this ultra-fast high-tech weapon, days after its Chinese rival presented its latest advances in military aviation. New Delhi’s announcement comes only days after China, India’s neighbor and rival, put its growing air capabilities in the spotlight at an air show, displaying the stealth fighter jet. J-35A and attack drones.
The Indian missile took off from Abdul Kalam Island on the east coast on Saturday. Footage released by India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) showed a thin missile exploding in the night sky, followed by a surge of flames.
New Delhi has strengthened its defense cooperation with Western countries in recent years, particularly within the Quad, an alliance that includes the United States, Japan and Australia. India is also buying Russian military equipment, including S-400 missile defense systems, despite the threat of US sanctions over the multibillion-dollar deal between the two countries.
