India reportedly tests new ET-LDHCM hypersonic missile that flies at Mach 8 speed to bypass enemy air defense systems.

According to The Economic Times on July 14, 2025, India has conducted a successful test of the Extended Trajectory Long Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile (ET-LDHCM), a system developed indigenously by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the classified Project Vishnu.
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The project builds on earlier successes like the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV), which in 2020 proved India’s ability to sustain Mach 5+ flight using a scramjet engine. (Picture source: Army Recognition based on visual shared by IDRW)

The missile reportedly reached speeds of Mach 8, equivalent to around 11,000 kilometers per hour, and hit its target after being launched from a test site on India’s eastern coast on July 14, 2025. The ET-LDHCM combines multiple advancements in propulsion, guidance, structural materials, and survivability under extreme thermal conditions. According to official and media sources, the missile can strike targets at a distance of 1,500 kilometers, with some reports indicating a potential range of 2,500 kilometers in certain configurations. This marks India’s entry into the group of countries with indigenous hypersonic cruise missile technology, alongside the United States, Russia, and China.

The ET-LDHCM uses an air-breathing scramjet engine that draws oxygen from the atmosphere for combustion. This enables sustained hypersonic speed and eliminates the need for onboard oxidizers, contributing to fuel efficiency and long-duration flight capability. In November 2024, DRDO conducted a 1,000-second ground test of the scramjet engine, validating its ability to function under hypersonic conditions and withstand temperatures exceeding 2,000 degrees Celsius. The missile’s body is constructed with heat- and oxidation-resistant materials and includes advanced thermal coatings co-developed with the Department of Science and Technology. These features are intended to ensure performance stability at high speeds, reduce structural degradation during atmospheric reentry, and allow usage in environments with high thermal and corrosive stress, such as maritime deployments.

Designed to deliver payloads of 1,000 to 2,000 kilograms, the ET-LDHCM is compatible with both conventional and nuclear warheads. It is equipped with inertial navigation systems that may be enhanced with satellite correction via India’s NavIC or GPS. The missile’s design includes low-altitude flight profiles and mid-flight maneuverability, which make its trajectory less predictable and harder to intercept with current air defense systems. During high-speed travel, ionization of air around the missile can produce plasma effects that absorb radar waves, contributing to radar cross-section reduction. These characteristics, combined with precision targeting capability, allow the missile to engage fixed and mobile targets such as command centers, radar sites, naval vessels, and hardened military structures. The ET-LDHCM can be deployed from land-based launchers, naval platforms, or aircraft including the Su-30MKI and Rafale, supporting multi-domain operational flexibility.

The missile was developed under DRDO’s Project Vishnu, which aims to create a family of twelve hypersonic systems for both strike and interceptor roles. The initiative builds on earlier Indian efforts in hypersonic research, including the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV), which proved sustained hypersonic flight using a scramjet engine. While India previously fielded systems such as the BrahMos (Mach 3) and the Agni-5 ballistic missile, the ET-LDHCM introduces a new capability based on air-breathing propulsion and non-ballistic, guided trajectories. The missile was designed and manufactured at the Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Missile Complex with the support of Indian private defense companies and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), consistent with national policy goals to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and expand the domestic defense-industrial base.

The development and testing of ET-LDHCM come at a time of elevated regional tensions. Relations between India and Pakistan remain tense, with Pakistan deepening its cooperation with Turkey. China continues to expand its military footprint across the Indo-Pacific and advances its own hypersonic programs, including the DF-21D and DF-26. The ET-LDHCM is intended to strengthen India’s deterrence posture and reinforce the credible minimum deterrence doctrine by enhancing deep-strike options and survivability in contested environments. The missile’s high velocity, low radar visibility, and maneuverability are designed to defeat missile defense systems such as Israel’s Iron Dome, the U.S. THAAD, and Russia’s S-500. By incorporating these attributes into its missile forces, India seeks to address growing security challenges through the deployment of advanced systems that can reach strategic targets before adversary responses can be initiated.

In addition to its military utility, ET-LDHCM development contributes to broader technological objectives. Advancements in propulsion, heat-resistant materials, and guidance systems may benefit civilian aerospace programs, particularly in satellite launches and high-speed transport. DRDO’s collaboration with industry and academic institutions is expected to support technology diffusion and workforce development. The project may also generate employment and offer opportunities for defense exports. According to Indian defense analysts, the missile has the potential to serve as a platform for future variants, including hypersonic glide vehicles, which DRDO plans to operationalize by 2027 or 2028. Further testing is anticipated to verify the missile’s resilience against electronic countermeasures, fine-tune its guidance accuracy, and assess integration with existing military platforms.

The successful test of ET-LDHCM is India’s second major milestone in hypersonic systems within a year, following a long-range test in late 2024 from Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Island. Unlike ballistic missiles, which follow predictable trajectories, the ET-LDHCM maintains a flatter flight path and can alter its course mid-flight, reducing the likelihood of early detection and interception. DRDO’s goal is to ensure that the missile can operate in diverse operational scenarios, including those involving naval assets, airborne launch platforms, and mobile ground systems. As part of Project Vishnu, the ET-LDHCM is expected to be operational before 2030, with ongoing refinements based on results from continued trials. Future testing phases will evaluate survivability in hostile electronic environments, improve range and accuracy, and support final certification for deployment across India's armed forces.

The Extended Trajectory Long Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile (ET-LDHCM) differs significantly from India’s previously developed missile. The BrahMos missile, developed in collaboration with Russia, uses ramjet propulsion and reaches a maximum speed of Mach 3, with its range extended from the original 290 kilometers to approximately 450 kilometers. In contrast, the ET-LDHCM uses a scramjet engine and reaches Mach 8, providing both a higher velocity and an extended range of up to 2,500 kilometers depending on launch configuration. The Agni-5 is an intercontinental ballistic missile designed for nuclear deterrence, with a range of over 5,000 kilometers and a high-arc trajectory, but lacks mid-course maneuvering and low-altitude penetration. The Shaurya missile is a hypersonic ballistic missile with speeds around Mach 7.5 and land-based silo deployment, but its trajectory remains relatively fixed. Submarine-launched missiles from the K-series, such as the K-4 and K-15 Sagarika, offer strategic second-strike capability but rely on solid-fuel propulsion and do not feature continuous atmospheric flight. Unlike these systems, the ET-LDHCM is air-breathing, allows for real-time flight path adjustments, and is designed for multi-platform launch, land, air, and naval, giving it expanded tactical and strategic use across diverse operational scenarios.

In comparison to foreign hypersonic systems, the ET-LDHCM aligns with certain design principles seen in U.S., Russian, and Chinese programs. Russia’s 3M22 Zircon is a sea-launched scramjet-powered missile that also claims Mach 8 speeds and is intended for both maritime and land-based targets, but its operational range is generally assessed as shorter than that of the ET-LDHCM. The United States’ Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), also known by the nickname “Dark Eagle,” uses a boost-glide system with a range of approximately 2,776 km and peak speeds reaching up to Mach 17, and is integrated into a networked strike architecture with satellite tracking and land- and sea-based deployment. However, India’s ET-LDHCM offers greater payload capacity (up to 2,000 kg), stealthier low-altitude cruise, and multi-platform launch flexibility, albeit with shorter range and later deployment timeline. China’s DF-ZF and DF-27 systems rely on boost-glide technology, where a ballistic missile propels a glide vehicle that re-enters the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds. These systems are designed for maneuverability during the terminal phase but lack sustained atmospheric propulsion. The ET-LDHCM remains in powered hypersonic flight during its trajectory, enabling longer maneuvering windows and increased control throughout flight. It also integrates plasma stealth effects generated by atmospheric ionization at high speeds, similar to other advanced systems, but combines this with active thermal protection and multi-platform compatibility. While all three countries emphasize deterrence and strike flexibility, India’s approach emphasizes sustained cruise flight at low altitude with in-flight evasive maneuvers and high-temperature endurance, achieved through indigenous scramjet development and materials engineering, placing the ET-LDHCM closer to U.S. and Russian scramjet-based cruise missile concepts than to China’s glide vehicle configurations.