News– At the 77th Republic Day Parade on Kartavya Path, DRDO showcased the Long Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile (LR-AShM) for the first time.
About Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LR-AShM)
- It is an indigenously developed hypersonic glide missile by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is designed primarily to meet the coastal battery and sea-denial requirements of the Indian Navy.
- Key Features
- Range: Capable of striking static and moving targets at a range of around 1,500 km, with future variants planned up to 3,500 km.
- Speed & Trajectory: Follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory, reaching speeds of Mach 10 initially and maintaining an average Mach 5.
- Stealth advantage: Its low-altitude flight, high speed, and manoeuvrability reduce detection by enemy ground- and ship-based radars.
- Propulsion & flight Profile
- Configured with a two-stage solid propulsion rocket motor system.
- Possesses high aerodynamic efficiency, enabling long-range, accurate strikes with minimal drag.
- Strategic significance
- Capable of neutralising all classes of warships, it is a major asset for sea denial operations, especially in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
- Army, Air Force, and ship-launched naval variants are under development or consideration, placing India firmly in the hypersonic weapons domain.
India’s Other Hypersonic Missile Programmes
- DRDO is developing two hypersonic weapon technologies—hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) and hypersonic cruise missiles.
- A Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV) is carried to high altitude by a rocket, after which it separates and glides through the atmosphere while manoeuvring at speeds above Mach 5.
- In contrast, hypersonic cruise missiles remain within the atmosphere and achieve hypersonic speeds using scramjet engines for sustained, powered flight and high manoeuvrability.
Ramjet vs Scramjet:
- Ramjets are air-breathing engines that compress incoming air using the missile’s forward motion and therefore require an assisted launch.They operate most efficiently around Mach 3 but lose efficiency at hypersonic speeds.
- Scramjets maintain supersonic airflow within the combustion chamber during operation.
This enables efficient flight beyond Mach 5, though scramjets are technologically more complex to design and operate.
