Extended Trajectory-Long Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile (ET-LDHCM):
India is preparing to test its most advanced indigenously developed hypersonic missile—the Extended Trajectory-Long Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile (ET-LDHCM).
- Extended Trajectory-Long Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile (ET-LDHCM) is a long-range hypersonic cruise missile.
- It is indigenously developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under a classified initiative known as ‘Project Vishnu’.
- Designed for launch from land, sea, or air, the missile enhances India’s flexibility across strike platforms and mission types.
- Once operational, it will place India among the handful of nations, including the US, China, and Russia, to field hypersonic weapon systems.
- The ET-LDHCM system reportedly reaches speeds up to Mach 8, or about 11,000 kmph.
- Designed for both conventional and nuclear missions, the missile can carry warheads weighing between 1,000 and 2,000 kg over a range of approximately 1,500 km.
- Unlike ballistic missiles, the ET-LDHCM flies at low altitudes and is capable of course correction mid-flight.
- Its speed, altitude-hugging flight profile, and mid-air manoeuvrability are designed to evade modern radar and air defence systems, enabling deep strikes into adversary territory.
- Powered by a scramjet engine that uses atmospheric oxygen to sustain high speeds, the missile marks a major propulsion breakthrough.
- Built with heat- and oxidation-resistant materials, it can withstand extreme temperatures exceeding 2,000 degree celsius.
