It
may be termed as a giant leap in indigenous Defense technologies and
significant milestone towards an Atmanirbhar Bharat, India on Monday
successfully flight tested Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV).
Defense Minister, Rajnath Singh, has
congratulated the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) for
successfully flight testing the indigenously developed Hypersonic Technology
Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV). Singh said that this technology is a landmark
achievement towards realizing PM’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. The Defense
Minister in his official tweet said, “The concerned DRDO authorities have on
Monday early hours successfully flight tested the Hypersonic Technology
Demonstrator Vehicle using the indigenously developed scramjet propulsion
system. With this success, all critical technologies are now established to
progress to the next phase”.
“I congratulate to DRDO on this landmark
achievement towards realizing PM’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. I spoke to the
scientists associated with the project and congratulated them on this great
achievement. India is proud of them”, he said in another tweet. With this
mission, the DRDO has demonstrated capabilities for highly complex technology
that will serve as the building block for NextGen Hypersonic vehicles in
partnership with industry.
The DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy also
congratulated all the Scientists, Researchers and other personnel related with
HSTDV mission for their resolute and unwavering efforts towards strengthening
Nation’s defense capabilities. The HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet demonstration
aircraft for hypersonic speed flight it can cruise at a speed of mach 6 and
move up to an altitude of 32.5 km (20 miles) in 20 seconds, according to the government.
Besides, its utility for long-range cruise missiles of the future, the dual-use
technology will have multiple civilian applications also. It can be used for
launching satellites at low cost too. The HSTDV can move up to an altitude of
32.5 km in 20 seconds and once it is achieved successfully. India will enter a
select club of countries that have such technology. The HSTDV cruise vehicle is
mounted on a solid rocket motor, which will take it to a required altitude, and
once it attains certain mach numbers for speed, the cruise vehicle will be
ejected out of the launch vehicle.