India achieves key scramjet breakthrough in hypersonic weapons programme
India has achieved a significant breakthrough in **hypersonic weapons** development with successful advancement in **scramjet engine** technology, placing it among a small group of countries including the US, China, and Russia pursuing such systems.[1] The development is part of India’s broader long‑range precision strike and next‑generation missile programme, led primarily by DRDO and associated defence labs.[1] Hypersonic weapons travel at speeds greater than Mach 5 and are designed to be highly manoeuvrable, making them difficult to detect and intercept with existing air defence systems.[1] The latest success strengthens India’s strategic deterrence posture and is expected to feed into future hypersonic cruise missiles and boost‑glide vehicles.[1] Analysts note that technological mastery over high-temperature materials, advanced guidance, and sustained scramjet combustion at hypersonic speeds are key challenges that India is now progressively overcoming.[1] The development is likely to spur further testing, user trials with the armed forces, and potential export‑control debates in multilateral regimes. It also contributes to regional power balance dynamics, especially in the Indo‑Pacific security environment.[1] For competitive exams, understanding hypersonic technology, scramjet engines, DRDO’s role, and comparison with ballistic/cruise missiles becomes important.
Try the question
Hypersonic weapons are generally defined as systems that operate at speeds greater than which of the following?
Answer: (c) Mach 5
The correct answer is (c) Mach 5.