Overview
- DRDO chief Samir V Kamat, speaking Thursday at ANI’s National Security Summit, said the agency can start the Agni‑VI program as soon as the government authorizes it.
- India’s Long-Range Anti-Ship hypersonic glide missile is in an advanced phase with first trials expected soon, and it is intended for coastal batteries to target moving ships at long range.
- Kamat said India is developing two hypersonic lines, with the glide vehicle ahead of a cruise missile that would use a scramjet engine for powered hypersonic flight.
- He outlined a proposed conventional missile force that would mix short-, medium-, and up to 2,000‑km ballistic missiles with cruise and hypersonic systems, and he said the Pralay short‑range ballistic missile is in final testing before induction.
- These steps build on prior milestones that proved key technologies, including the 2020 hypersonic demo, a long‑range hypersonic flight in November 2024, and a 12‑minute scramjet ground test in January 2026.