A missile that outruns defences - What’s India really building?
India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has quietly stepped into the hypersonic elite with its new Extended Trajectory‑Long Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile (ET‑LDHCM), tested recently under “Project Vishnu.”
This scramjet-powered weapon achieved sustained flight at Mach 8 for over 1,500 km, with a payload capacity between 1,000–2,000 kg and the ability to perform mid-course manoeuvres, capabilities thought to overwhelm even Israel’s Iron Dome and Russia’s feared S‑500 missile system.
Unlike medium‑range interceptors like Iron Dome (range: 4–70 km) or unproven high-end rivals, the ET‑LDHCM’s high-speed, low-altitude cruise profile makes it extremely difficult to detect or intercept.
It is also platform-agnostic, launchable from land, sea, or air, which expands its strategic versatility across the Indo-Pacific theatre.
India now joins the exclusive club of nations with indigenous hypersonic missile tech alongside the U.S., China, and Russia.
With a possible nuclear or conventional payload, long strike range, and flexible launch options, the ET‑LDHCM could shift Asia’s military powers.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
