India boosted its strategic deterrence, with successful testing of a long-range hypersonic missile, on Saturday, 16 November 2024. With speeds of Mach 5 and a range of over 1,500 KM, these missiles are difficult to intercept by the current air-defence systems. So far, only Russia, the US and China have demonstrated long-range hypersonic missile capability.
The new long-range hypersonic missile – likely to be used in a non-nuclear role and expected to have anti-ship and land versions – could join India’s new tri-services rocket force. In the naval role, the missile is likely to be based on the island territories, in strategic deterrent and sea-denial roles, to secure the Indian Ocean, reports ET.
India’s Defence research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a number of missiles, including long-range, nuclear capable Agni-V missile (range up to 7,000 KM), and its variants, Prithvi-III (350 KM) and its variants, Akash (surface-to-air missile with a range of 25-30 KM and capable of engaging multiple targets), third generation anti-tank Nag missile as well as BrahMos supersonic cruise missile (in collaboration with NPOM, Russia) with range of 500 KM (anti-ship and land-attack versions).
India is in a geopolitically sensitive neighborhood with nuclear armed neighbors to its West and North. The Indo-Pacific region is also becoming a zone of superpower contestation.
The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is critical for global commerce with an estimated 46% of global trade passing through its lanes. This includes nearly 80% of global oil & gas shipments and one-third of the world’s bulk cargo.
India is already considered a major space power having landed its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft successfully on Moon’s unexplored south pole on 23 August 2023.
What will be the implications of this development? Will it lead to deterrence and peace or lead to an arms race in the region? Expert views would be welcome.