Hypersonic Missiles : A successful test by India

Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam who is known as The Missile Man of India worked on the development of ballistic missiles and launched the vehicle technology. He also played a big role in launch vehicle technology. He also played a pivotal organisational, technical, and political role in India's Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998, the first since the original nuclear test by India in 1974. He always wants to see India ahead in terms of technology so he wrote a book named India Vision 2020 in 1998. 

HSTDV

From 1998 till present-day, India has achieved so much success in technology. On September 7, 2020 India joined the exclusive group of countries that possess hypersonic technology by testing HSTDV, first Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle. The test comes under government push and Atmanirbhar Bharat and heightened tensions between India and China. India becomes the 4th country in the world after the US, China and Russia to develop a scramjet engine and enter the coveted club. Apart from these four countries Australia, France and Germany are currently developing hypersonic weapons technology.

The missile made in India was the first indigenous unmanned scramjet propulsion system test-fired from Abdul Kalam island off the coast of Odisha.

WHAT IS HYPERSONIC TECHNOLOGY?

The aerodynamics ratio of the speed of aircraft to the speed of sound determines if it is supersonic, subsonic or hypersonic.

1. Subsonic M<1

2. Supersonic 1<M<3

3. Hypersonic M>5

Where M denotes Mach number

Missile Comparison

TYPES OF HYPERSONIC DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY

There are two types of hypersonic defence technology

1. Hypersonic cruise missiles (HCM)

2. Hypersonic glide vehicles (HGV)

 

Hypersonic glide vehicles (HGV)

HGVs are launched from the rocket before gliding to a target. They can fly for long distances and speed greater than 5 Mach (M>5) at a lower altitude i.e. above 100,000 feet. They can follow either ballistic or cruise trajectory. Due to high-speed interception by current Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) the systems are highly unlikely. Possibility of high manoeuvring brings in warhead and destination ambiguities.

 

Hypersonic cruise missiles (HCM)

HCMs are powered by high-speed "scramjets" after acquiring the target. Engine operations, pressure and temperature constraints limit flight altitudes to be between 70,000 and 100,000 feet. They are capable of sustained, powered and manoeuvre hypersonic missiles.

HCM vs HCV

HYPERSONIC VS BALLISTIC MISSILES

Hypersonic weapons do not follow a ballistic trajectory. Whereas ballistic missiles are launched towards a predetermined target by directly injecting it to the atmosphere. A handful of countries including the hypersonic club are also known to possess Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs).

 

HOW DO HYPERSONIC WEAPONS WORK?

Hypersonic weapons use kinetic energy to destroy the unestablished or underground target. Hypersonic missiles travel at speeds faster than 3,800 miles or 6,155 km per hour. Hypersonic weapons incorporate the speed of a ballistic missile with the manoeuvring capabilities of a cruise missile. As a pentagon report stated, "While the designed speed of the hypersonic missile is faster than that of sound, its advantage lies in its enhanced manoeuvrability and smooth flight path, which is much harder to track than that of traditional missiles". Hypersonic missile technology is the key to rapid and accurate delivery. The most important part of any weapon is payload. Hypersonic weapons can deliver two types of payloads either conventional or nuclear essentially anywhere in the world within seconds.

Delivery of Hypersonic Missiles :

1. Fired from the last stages of intercontinental or Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles to skip along the top of the atmosphere using specialized jet engines
2. Launched independently or released from a bomber similar to cruise missiles before accelerating ultra-high speed.

Behind this impressively dangerous hypersonic technology is something called a supersonic combustion ramjet, otherwise referred to as a scramjet system.

 

HSTDV Model

The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) with the HSTDV mission demonstrates capabilities for highly complex technology. It serves as a building block for next-gen hypersonic vehicles.

According to a report India will make its first hypersonic missile in the next five years. It will travel 6 times faster than the speed of the sound or Mach 6 that is over 2 kilometres per second. These missiles have multiple other features like:

1. Air Defence.

2. Surveillance.

3. Long-range cruise missiles.

4. Development of reusable satellite launch vehicles.

The HSTDV cruise vehicle is mounted on the solid rocket motor, the hypersonic cruise vehicle which propelled it at altitude over 30 kilometres. The aerodynamic heat shields (a protective layer) separated at hypersonic speeds. The cruise vehicle separates from the launched vehicle after attaining a certain Mach number of speed then continues on its desired flight path at a velocity 6 times the speed of sound. The scramjet engine is ignited automatically.

Ramjet, Scaramjet and Dual Mode Ramjet (DMRJ) are three concepts of air-breathing engines which are being developed by various space agencies including ISRO.

Ramjet powered vehicles require an assisted takeoff. A Supersonic Combustion Ramjet or Scramjet engine is an improvement over the ramjet engine.

 

EFFECT OF SUPERSONIC MISSILES ON CHINA

India vs China

China is reportedly increasing its naval capabilities. India has taken a big step in the hypersonic missiles and can give it sleepless nights. The missiles are hard to track compared to the traditional once because of its speed. So a land-based radar cannot detect hypersonic missiles. Several countries are developing hypersonic weapons with the speed of at least 5 Mach that is 5 times the speed of sound but none are using it in their operational military forces yet. In March, the United States successfully tested an unarmed prototype of a hypersonic missile but seeing the current test, India will also conduct more tests in the future to foolproof the technology.

 

CONCLUSION

Every country in the world wants to become more and more powerful than others in terms of defence technology. So hypersonic technology is the future of all missile systems. India becomes the 4th country in the world to develop its hypersonic missile technology. The technology is developing in India under the ‘Make in India’ movement so this is a proud moment for us. Hope you like the concept of hypersonic technology if so then, please give valuable comments.

THANK YOU!