DRDO Successfully Tests Hypersonic Missile Travelling at Mach 8

India Defence Research and Development Organisation successfully completed the maiden test flight of its Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle Phase 2, a scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise missile prototype that reached a sustained speed of Mach 8 — eight times the speed of sound — over a flight duration of seven minutes. The test was conducted from a launch pad at Abdul Kalam Island in the Bay of Bengal, with the vehicle reaching an altitude of 32 kilometres before executing a guided terminal approach. With this test, India joined an elite group of nations — the United States, Russia, and China — that have demonstrated hypersonic strike capability. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called the test a leap that fundamentally alters India strategic deterrence calculus. The missile is designed to defeat all current ballistic missile defence systems through its unpredictable flight trajectory.