India on Monday successfully flight-tested the domestically-produced hypersonic technology demonstrator vehicle (HSTDV) powered by a scramjet engine, which will serve as the building block for next-generation hypersonic cruise missiles, the country's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) of the Defense Ministry said. The HSTDV is an unmanned aircraft that can be used for hypersonic speed flights. According to the Indian government, the vehicle is equipped with a scramjet engine, is capable of reaching six times the speed of sound and can move up to an altitude of 20 miles in just 20 seconds . The HSTDV can be used for firing long-range cruise missiles and for civilian purposes, mainly for launching satellites. "In a historic mission today, India successfully flight-tested Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV), a giant leap in indigenous defense technologies and a significant milestone towards a #sashaktbharat and #atmanirbharbharat (strong nation and self-reliant India visions)," the DRDO tweeted. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO scientists on the successful flight test, calling it a "landmark achievement" toward realizing the self-reliant India vision, which was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May to reduce India's dependence on imports and direct more investment toward domestic technology. — Agencies
