Operation Sindoor in 2025 highlighted the devastating impact of supersonic weapons such as the BrahMos cruise missile, which flies at nearly Mach 3 or 3,700 kmph, according to a
report by TOI.
At such speeds, a missile detected by radar at a distance of 15 kilometres would give defenders only 15 seconds to respond. This compressed decision cycle already makes supersonic systems extremely difficult to counter. Hypersonic weapons, travelling at speeds above Mach 5 or 6,100 kmph, reduce this window even further.
A surface-hugging missile at such velocity would cover the same distance in less than nine seconds, leaving virtually no time for defensive action.
The defining feature of hypersonic weapons lies in their speed and manoeuvrability. Most surface-to-air missiles fly below Mach 5, meaning few systems can intercept hypersonic threats from behind. Unlike ballistic missiles, which follow predictable arcs, hypersonic glide vehicles and cruise missiles can change course mid-flight, fly at lower altitudes, and exploit radar horizons.
This makes interception nearly impossible with current technology. Hypersonic warfare is therefore seen as the next major transformation in military technology, reshaping deterrence, escalation, and the survivability of strategic assets. Nations that master these systems will dictate the terms of deterrence, while those that lag will face strategic vulnerability.
Hypersonic weapons fall into two categories. Glide vehicles are boosted by rockets to high altitudes before gliding at hypersonic speeds while manoeuvring unpredictably. Cruise missiles, on the other hand, are powered by scramjet engines, sustaining hypersonic speeds within the atmosphere. Both types combine speed and manoeuvrability, making them virtually unstoppable. Yet, developing such systems is fraught with challenges.
At Mach 5 and above, vehicles face extreme thermal loads requiring advanced cooling systems. Scramjet combustion stability is notoriously difficult to sustain, as airflow must remain supersonic while fuel burns efficiently.
Guidance systems struggle with plasma interference, as ionised air disrupts communications and sensors. Materials must withstand immense stress and heat without structural failure, demanding breakthroughs in composites and alloys.
Flying at hypersonic speeds at lower altitudes presents further difficulties, as thicker air requires additional power. Testing infrastructure is limited and costly, with hypersonic wind tunnels and flight ranges available only to a handful of nations.
Compact designs are needed to integrate warheads and payloads that can survive hypersonic stresses. Launch platforms must also withstand enormous acceleration and aerodynamic forces. Despite these hurdles, India has made significant progress.
Operation Sindoor demonstrated the lethality of BrahMos supersonic missiles, proving that speed alone can overwhelm defences. Building on this, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) achieved a landmark by testing an actively cooled, full-scale scramjet combustor for 20 minutes, setting a global benchmark in thermal management. This breakthrough positioned India among the select nations with indigenous hypersonic capability.
India’s projects include the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle, which achieved Mach 6 flight, and the BrahMos-II, a planned hypersonic cruise missile expected to reach Mach 7 and extend India’s naval strike reach.
Other concepts include the Dhvani glide vehicle for long-range deterrence, the LR-AShM designed to neutralise enemy ships including aircraft carriers, and the ET-LDHCM, an extended trajectory hypersonic cruise missile for precision land attack. These efforts mark India’s steady transition from supersonic to hypersonic systems, ensuring its place in the elite hypersonic club.
The United States has invested heavily in hypersonic research, recognising the strategic threat posed by Russian and Chinese deployments. Programs include the AGM-183 Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon, a boost-glide system tested by the US Air Force; the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept, a scramjet-powered cruise missile tested under DARPA supervision; and the Conventional Prompt Strike programme, a hypersonic glide vehicle for the US Navy.
The US approach emphasises redundancy across air-breathing and boost-glide systems, ensuring multiple pathways to deployment. However, challenges remain in thermal management, guidance, and cost.
China has already fielded operational systems, notably the DF-17 missile equipped with the DF-ZF glide vehicle, capable of speeds between Mach 5 and 10. Demonstrated at the National Day Parade, this system is designed to penetrate US and allied defences in the Indo-Pacific.
China also conducted an orbital hypersonic test in 2021, shocking US analysts with its global reach. Beyond this, China is investing in scramjet research, hypersonic wind tunnels, and reusable spaceplanes, reflecting a comprehensive approach to hypersonic technology. Strategically, China views hypersonics as a means to offset US superiority.
Russia remains the pioneer in operational deployment. The Kinzhal missile, air-launched and capable of Mach 10, has been combat-tested in Ukraine. The Tsirkon cruise missile, ship-launched and capable of Mach 8, is designed for anti-ship and land-attack roles. Russia’s operational deployment demonstrates that hypersonic warfare is not a future concept but a present reality, reshaping deterrence and forcing adversaries to accept vulnerability.
Other nations are also entering the race. France is developing the V-MaX hypersonic glide vehicle to support its nuclear deterrence posture, with testing expected in the mid-2020s. Australia, in partnership with the United States, is pursuing the Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment, a scramjet programme targeting operational systems by the late 2020s. Japan’s Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile is designed to defend remote islands, with deployment planned by 2030. Even North Korea has announced hypersonic ambitions, underscoring the global nature of this arms race.
The deployment of hypersonic weapons is likely to trigger a new arms race and revolutionise air defence systems. Nations will increasingly rely on space-based assets to provide early warning beyond the radar horizon.
India is working on its own air and ballistic missile shield, the Sudarshan Chakra, announced by Prime Minister Modi during an Independence Day address. This system will also use space-based inputs, highlighting the evolving contest between offensive and defensive technologies.
India’s scramjet breakthrough and suite of indigenous projects mark its entry into the elite hypersonic club. With the United States, China, Russia, France, Australia, Japan, and others pursuing hypersonic weapons, the future battlefield will be dominated by unstoppable systems.
Developing these weapons requires mastery of aeronautics, propulsion, material science, and guidance technologies. The ultimate aim is to deploy an undefeatable weapon, a modern-day Brahmastra, ensuring peace through deterrence.
Agencies
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