India successfully test-fires new nuclear capable hypersonic missile Shaurya

The missile capable of deceiving enemy radar is aimed at giving India more options to hit back, in case it is attacked with nuclear weapons
The missile can be used by both the Navy and the Army
The missile can be used by both the Navy and the Army

BHUBANESWAR: India successfully test-fired an advanced version of nuclear capable hypersonic missile Shaurya from a defence facility off the Odisha coast on Saturday.

The surface-to-surface medium range hybrid missile blasted off from a hermetically canister in ground launch mode from the Abdul Kalam Island test range at about 12.10 pm.

Developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the project code-named B-05, the newer version of the missile has a strike range of 750 km to 1800 km depending on the payload.

Defence sources said the missile equipped with multiple advanced computing technology, very high accuracy navigation, efficient propulsion, sophisticated control and guidance systems followed the trajectory as expected before zeroing in on the target in the Bay of Bengal.

“The missile equipped with multiple advanced computing technology, very high accuracy navigation, efficient propulsion, sophisticated control and guidance systems followed the trajectory exactly to the predefined target in Bay of Bengal. The mission was a copy book success,” informed a defence official from New Delhi.

The indigenously developed missile that took off vertically was tracked and monitored through an integrated system of sophisticated radars, electro-optical tracking instruments and a chain of telemetry stations positioned in different points along the east coast. Ships located near the target also tracked and witnessed the final event.

"This was maiden test of the land version of the missile, which will supplement the earlier version Shaurya. Having several new features, the easy to operate missile is faster, lighter and stealthier. It will have a new name and will be inducted in the armed forces after a few more tests in coming years," the
official informed.

The missile capable of deceiving enemy radar is aimed at giving India more options to hit back, in case it is attacked with nuclear weapons. Capable of performing various roles, it can be used by both the Navy and the Army. Both the earlier versions of the missile are now under serial production.

The two-staged solid propelled missile is about 10 metre long and its diameter is 0.7 meter. Its launch weight is around six tonne and can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads up to 1000 kg.

It was latest in the ongoing series of weapon tests by the DRDO amidst the heightened tension along the border following confrontation with China. The launch came three days after the successful flight testing of the extended range BrahMos missile and last month's test of hypersonic technology demonstrator vehicle.

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The New Indian Express
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