India's Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LR-AShM) hypersonic glide missile programme is approaching the stage of initial trials, according to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman Samir V Kamat.

He spoke on Thursday at the Asian News International National Security Summit 2.0, highlighting ongoing advances in India's next-generation strike capabilities.

The LR-AShM, designed for the Indian Navy’s coastal defence requirements, is a hypersonic glide missile capable of engaging both static and moving targets. It can carry various payloads and employs indigenous avionics and high-accuracy sensor packages. The missile follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory, reaching speeds of up to Mach 10 and maintaining an average speed near Mach 5 with multiple skips. Equipped with indigenous sensors, it can engage moving targets during its terminal phase.

Due to its low-altitude flight, high speed, and manoeuvrability, enemy ground and ship-based radars find it difficult to detect the missile for most of its trajectory. The LR-AShM is powered by a two-stage solid propulsion rocket motor. After the first stage burnout and separation, the second stage propels the missile to hypersonic speeds. Subsequently, it enters an unpowered glide phase characterised by manoeuvres before impact.

Kamat explained that India is developing both hypersonic glide and hypersonic cruise missile systems, with the glide missile currently at a more advanced stage. “With respect to the hypersonic, we are working on two programs, the Hypersonic Glide Missile and the Hypersonic Cruise Missile,” he stated. He distinguished the two, saying, “The hypersonic cruise missile has a scramjet engine and it is powered during its flight. The hypersonic glide missile uses a booster to give it initial velocity and then it just glides without any powering.” He added that the glide missile's first trials are anticipated soon.

Regarding a prospective conventional missile force, Kamat said the structure remains under consideration. He suggested it would require a mix of systems serving different ranges and tactical roles. “So with respect to the conventional missile force, as the defence secretary mentioned, the structure has not yet been formed, but what I consider would be required in a conventional missile force would be ballistic missiles for short ranges, medium ranges, and ranges maybe up to 2000 kilometres,” he said.

Kamat emphasised the need for a variety of missiles to provide tactical flexibility at differing distances. “So you would need ballistic missiles of these three types and you would also need cruise missiles, you would need hypersonic missiles… it would consist of a variety of missiles which give you the capability of striking at different ranges for tactical application,” he added.

On current preparedness, Kamat noted that short-range systems are nearing induction. “For short-range ballistic missiles, the Pralay which is now in the final stages of testing, that should be ready,” he said. He also mentioned adaptability of existing systems: “Then we have some of our strategic missiles which can be converted to tactical usage for the medium range and the higher ranges.”