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India Successfully Tests Long-Range Hypersonic Anti-Ship Missile with Mach 10 Speed

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India conducted the second successful flight test of its Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LR-AShM), developed by DRDO, off the Odisha coast in May 2026. This missile has a strike range of over 1,500 km and can travel at speeds up to Mach 10, making it one of the fastest weapons in India’s naval arsenal. Featuring a two-stage solid rocket propulsion and an advanced hypersonic glide vehicle design, the LR-AShM enables India to target both stationary and moving naval vessels, including aircraft carriers, with high precision using indigenous sensor technology. The missile’s low-altitude, skipping flight trajectories and unpredictable maneuvers help evade radar and interception, significantly boosting India’s maritime deterrence capabilities and strategic reach in the Indian Ocean region.

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Key Facts

  • Missile Name: Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LR-AShM)
  • Developer: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
  • Test Location: Off Odisha coast, India
  • Range: Over 1,500 kilometres
  • Speed: Up to Mach 10; average Mach 5 during glide phase
  • Design: Two-stage solid rocket propulsion with hypersonic glide vehicle
  • Capabilities: Engage stationary and moving naval targets, including aircraft carriers
  • Precision: Indigenous sensors for terminal guidance
  • Date of Second Successful Test: Early May 2026

Background & Context

The LR-AShM is a critical advancement in India's maritime defense, positioned to enhance strategic reach and anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region. Developed by DRDO laboratories under the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex in Hyderabad along with industry partners, it complements India’s existing missile arsenal by bridging the operational gap between supersonic cruise missiles like BrahMos and strategic ballistic missile systems.

Its design follows a low-altitude, quasi-ballistic trajectory with multiple skipping maneuvers, making detection and interception by adversaries’ radar and missile defense systems highly challenging. The missile’s indigenous terminal guidance systems allow precise targeting of both stationary and moving naval vessels, including high-value assets like aircraft carriers. The successful tests mark a milestone in India’s quest for self-reliance in advanced defense technologies.

Why This Matters for Exams / Exam Relevance

This development is significant for understanding India’s defense modernization and strategic capabilities, topics frequently covered in competitive exams and current affairs sections. Candidates should focus on the missile’s specifications (range, speed, propulsion, guidance), its strategic role in maritime security, and its relevance vis-à-vis India’s regional security challenges involving China and Pakistan. This missile represents India’s technological progress and indigenous innovation in hypersonic weaponry.

Points to Remember

  • LR-AShM stands for Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile.
  • Developed by DRDO, tested successfully off Odisha coast in May 2026.
  • Has a strike range of over 1,500 km and speeds up to Mach 10.
  • Features two-stage solid rocket propulsion and hypersonic glide vehicle design.
  • Capable of hitting both static and moving naval targets including aircraft carriers.
  • Uses indigenous advanced sensors for terminal guidance to ensure precision.
  • Employs low-altitude, skipping trajectories that help evade radar and interception.
  • Enhances India’s maritime deterrence and area denial capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region.
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