Overview
- India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation carried out a Phase-II flight of the LR-AShM off the Odisha coast that struck a designated target about 1,500 km away.
- Media reports say the trial met all mission goals with a direct impact after validating mid-course maneuvers and terminal guidance accuracy.
- The missile uses a two-stage solid booster to push a hypersonic glide vehicle, reaching up to Mach 10 before gliding near Mach 5 at low altitude with skip maneuvers to reduce detection.
- Indigenous avionics and sensors guide the weapon against both fixed and moving ships, a role previously described by the defence ministry as a potential carrier killer after the first test in November 2024.
- DRDO and the defence ministry have not issued detailed statements on this test, while the BJP posted a test video, and coverage frames the system as bolstering the Indian Navy’s long-range A2/AD posture in the Indian Ocean.