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track hypersonic weapons, with L3Harris Technologies and Northrop ered ‘cruise vehicle’ fly for over 20 seconds at
Grumman Strategic Space Systems being the primary contractors. Mach 6 speed after separation from the launch
According to Derek Tournear, director of the Space Development vehicle at a 30km altitude.
Agency (SDA), the new satellites would enable the U.S. to detect
and track hypersonic missiles, predict where they are headed, and India is also developing a hypersonic missile,
provide data to friendly forces to launch interceptor missiles. The Brahmos II, the hypersonic version of its anti-
ship/land-attack Brahmos supersonic cruise
missile. A joint venture between Russia and India,
Brahmos II will have a speed of more than Mach
5 and will be powered by a supersonic com-
bustion ramjet, or “scramjet,” engine. Brahmos
II was projected to be operational by 2013, but
progress has been slow. According to Brahmos
Aerospace officials, it would take another few
years before the Brahmos missile reaches hyper-
sonic speeds.

Japan, which has significantly increased
defence funding, is accelerating research on
long-range hypersonic weapons. In July last
year, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
companies will produce prototype 14 satellites each for the Tranche 1 (JAXA) successfully conducted its first combus-
Tracking Layer, which will eventually consist of hundreds of satellites tion flight test using a device designed to gather
in a low-earth orbit (LEO) constellation. The launch of the satellites data for the development of a scramjet engine.
is scheduled to begin in 2025. The Defence Ministry has plans to develop
hypersonic missiles with an ultimate range of
Currently, U.S. space-based missile defence sensors rely on a large, 3,000 kilometers. Deployment is expected in
expensive satellites that stay in orbit for 15 or more years. The SDA the first half of the 2030s. Japan and the US are
intends to replace the existing system with a two-tiered system also cooperating on technological research to
operating in low-earth (LEO) orbit at 1,000 kilometers and medi- counter hypersonic weapons.
um-earth orbit (MEO) at 10,000 to 20,000 kilometers. Replacing the
expensive satellites will be cheaper ones that can be replaced every Other nations have not been sitting idle. The
five years. The change in strategy is because of China and Russia’s UK, as part of its efforts to accelerate the
advances in hypersonic and anti-satellite weapons. According to development of advanced hypersonic and
a study by the US Mitchell Institute in June this year, the current US counter-hypersonic capabilities, is keen on
space-based sensors lack defences against such threats. developing a weapon demonstrator capable
of operating at hypersonic speeds. The country
is also working with France to develop a new
Joining Hands missile as part of the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship
In April 2022, the United States, UK. and Australia announced that Weapon programme. The missile, which will
they would cooperate on hypersonic weapons and electronic war- be funded with money from France’s Direction
fare capabilities. Since 2020, the U.S. and Australia are working on générale de l’armement (DGA) and the U.K.’s
a hypersonic weapon programme called Southern Cross Integrated Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), will
Flight Research Experiment (SCIFiRE) to develop the Hypersonic be produced by European missile manufacturer
Attack Cruise Missile (HACM), an air-launched standoff weapon that MBDA. The stealthy, hypersonic missile will be
can hit high-value targets in contested environments and be fired powered by a ramjet motor, and be capable of
from beyond the reach of enemy air defences. In September 2022, being used in land attacks as well as in anti-ship
the U.S. Air Force awarded a US $985 million contract to Raytheon applications, both launched from the air or from
to develop and demonstrate scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise submarines.
missiles. The company will deliver two HACMs; the service is looking
to use the HACM in combat by 2027. In Europe, Spanish and German missile manu-
facturers have joined hands to develop a new
Activity Across Regions hypersonic defence interceptor as part of a
In January this year, India tested its own hypersonic technology project sponsored by the European Defence
demonstrator vehicle (HSTDV) powered by a scramjet engine. The Fund. The European Hypersonic Defence
indigenous HSTDV was tested, successfully for the second straight Interceptor (EU HYDEF) programme has Spain’s
time, from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. While Sener Aerospace & Defence coordinating the
the first test of the HSTDV in June 2019 did not yield the desired programme while Germany’s Diehl Defence is
results, the second one in September 2020 saw the scramjet-pow- the overall technical lead.
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