Why is it in the news?
→ DRDO showcased LR-AShM for the first time at the 77th Republic Day Parade.
→ Marks milestone in India’s hypersonic missile capability.
Category
Defence
Important Points
- Hypersonic glide missile with quasi-ballistic trajectory.
- Reaches Mach 10 initially; average Mach 5 with atmospheric skips.
- Range about 1,500 km; future variants up to 3,500 km.
- Can hit static and moving targets.
- Two-stage solid rocket motor with unpowered hypersonic glide phase.
- Low-altitude, manoeuvrable flight makes interception difficult.
- Designed for Indian Navy coastal defence and sea-denial role in IOR.
- Variants for Army, Air Force and ship-launched use under development; induction expected in 2–3 years.