India on Monday, 7 September, successfully tested the hypersonic technology demonstrator vehicle (HSTDV) for the first time from the Dr Abdul Kalam Island, off the coast of Odisha, tweeted the office of the Defence Minister.
This makes India the fourth country to develop and test the technology after the US, China and Russia.
PM Modi took to Twitter to congratulate DRDO on the achievement.
“Congratulations to DRDO for successful flight of Hypersonic Test Demonstration Vehicle today. The scramjet engine developed by our scientists helped the flight achieve a speed 6 times the speed of sound! Very few countries have such capability today,” PM Modi tweeted.
WHAT’S THE HSTDV
The HSTDV, based on hypersonic propulsion technologies, has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which conducted the test fire.
The HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet demonstration aircraft for hypersonic speed flight. It can cruise at a speed of Mach 6, or six times the speed of sound, and rise up to an altitude of 32.5 km in 20 seconds, reported The Hindustan Times.
It can be used as an energy-efficient, low cost and reusable satellite-launch vehicle and long-range cruise missile. It can also be used to intercept missiles in the inner and outer atmosphere.
WISHES POUR IN
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu called it an important milestone in achieving self-reliance.
“Congratulations to @DRDO_India for successfully conducting test flight of Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle by using indigenous scramjet engine. This is an important milestone in our quest towards achieving self-reliance. #HSTDV”
"The DRDO has today 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," tweeted Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
“I congratulate to DRDO on this landmark achievement towards realising 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 added.
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala also congratulated DRDO.
“Congratulations India, especially #DRDO for great innovations, pioneering effort & upholding the high vision of Pt Nehru. This paves way for IN, making it the 4th country in world alike to US, RU & CH to have missiles that travel @ Mach 6 speeds! Clapping hands sign,” he said.
Niti Aayog Vice Chairperson Rajiv Kumar also took to Twitter to laud the testing.
“Congratulations @DRDO for successfully testing hypersonic technology (and becoming only the 4th country in the world to do so) and making a huge leap towards realising our PM's vision of #AatmanNirbharBharat,” he tweeted.
(With inputs from Hindustan Times)
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