Page 10 - ADT JULY - AUGUST 2022 Online Magazine

such as US, Russia and China. [ COVER STORY ]
The HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet (allowing
supersonic combustion) demonstration vehicle
that can cruise up to a speed of Mach 6 and
rise up to an altitude of 32. km in 20 seconds.
It has a range of uses, including missiles of
the future, and energy-efficient, low cost and
reusable satellite-launch vehicle. The HSTDV
cruise vehicle is mounted on a solid rocket
motor, which will take it to a required altitude,
and once it attains certain mach numbers for
speed, the cruise vehicle will be ejected out of
the launch vehicle. The scramjet engine gets
ignited automatically later. Besides its utility
for long-range cruise missiles of the future, the
dual-use technology will have multiple civilian
flat trajectory could complicate interception attempts. Traditional applications too. For instance, it can be used
ballistic missiles such as the DF-15 and DF-16 arc higher than the for launching satellites.
DF-17 does, making them easier to destroy mid-flight. China first
tested the DF-17 in 2013 and rushed the weapon into service. According to a official at the Defence Research
and Development (DRDO), the state-owned
defence agency has started work to produce
Inida Too Goes Hyper a hypersonic weapon with speed exceeding
India also is actively pursuing hypersonics development programs. Mach 5. A wind tunnel to test and fine tune
India has been developing a range of cruise missiles and ballistic the technology will be operational soon, the
missiles to meet its security challenges under the Integrated Guided official added. The India-Russia defence Joint
Missile Development Programme. These include the Prithvi and Venture BrahMos Aerospace is also capable
Agni missiles as well as the anti-tank Nag and surface to air Akash. of making hypersonic missiles and claims to
India in collaboration with Russia has developed the Brahmos cruise have its first such missile in five to six years.
missile. India in mid-2019 conducted a successful first test flight of "BrahMos Aerospace is capable of making
the indigenously developed Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator hypersonic missiles. In five to six years, we will
Vehicle (HSTDV), a technology so far developed only by countries be able to have our first hypersonic missile

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