China Positions Itself as a Global Leader in Hypersonic Missile Technology, Outpacing the U.S. and Russia

The global competition for hypersonic munitions is rapidly escalating. On January 21, India achieved a significant milestone by successfully conducting a ground run for an active-cooled scramjet combustor. This development follows India’s earlier test of its first long-range, domestically produced hypersonic missile just a few months prior.

The test of this long-range hypersonic missile, capable of delivering various payloads over distances exceeding 1500 km, took place on November 16, 2024. This accomplishment by India’s Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) highlights the nation’s ability to develop an active-cooled scramjet combustor, which is crucial for the advancement of hypersonic vehicles.

Hypersonic technology enables nations to combine extreme speed, agility, and low-altitude flight, making these weapons more difficult to track and intercept. Unlike traditional ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons do not adhere to a predictable ballistic path and can maneuver towards their targets. Hypersonic cruise missiles can achieve speeds exceeding Mach 5, which is over five times the speed of sound, or more than 5,400 km/h.

Hypersonic weapons are primarily categorized into two types: Hypersonic glide vehicles, which are launched from rockets and glide to their targets, and Hypersonic cruise missiles, which are powered by high-speed, air-breathing engines known as ‘scramjets’ once they have acquired their targets.

Scramjets are innovative air-breathing engines that maintain combustion at supersonic speeds without the need for moving parts. According to DRDO, the ground test of the scramjet combustor demonstrated several significant achievements, including successful ignition and stable combustion, indicating its potential for operational deployment in hypersonic vehicles.

India and Russia formalized their collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding in 2009. The BrahMos-2 missile is designed to utilize hypersonic scramjet technology, primarily aimed at striking deeply entrenched enemy nuclear facilities and other heavily fortified sites.

Additionally, India has created an advanced ceramic Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC) that exhibits exceptional thermal resistance, capable of functioning at temperatures exceeding the melting point of steel.

In November 2024, India successfully tested its hypersonic missile, joining an exclusive group of nations that includes the United States, Russia, China, and North Korea. This missile test, along with the scramjet engine evaluation, followed China’s unveiling of the GDF-600 hypersonic glide vehicle at the prominent Zhuhai air show.

These developments are the culmination of extensive research efforts aimed at creating a hypersonic missile, a concept that originated in 2007 when the Indian Army adopted the BrahMos Missile system. At that time, then-President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam proposed that the Mark-II variant of BrahMos evolve into a hypersonic cruise missile.

Scramjet technology plays a crucial role in the development of hypersonic weapons. Unlike traditional subsonic or ramjet engines, scramjets utilize supersonic airflow, compressing air before it is mixed with hydrogen fuel, enabling the engine to reach speeds exceeding Mach 5. India initiated its scramjet technology testing in 2016, achieving a significant milestone on August 28 of that year when the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully tested two domestically developed scramjet engines.

To advance its scramjet capabilities, India conducted tests of a homegrown hypersonic technology demonstrator vehicle (HSTDV) in 2019 and 2020, powered by a scramjet engine. Although the 2019 test did not succeed, the subsequent test in 2020 was successful, with the scramjet-equipped HSTDV flying for approximately 22-23 seconds at a speed of Mach 6.

Conducting a ground run for a missile engine is essential, as it allows engineers to rigorously assess its performance prior to launch, helping to identify any potential issues related to functionality, combustion, thrust, and overall system integrity.

The ignition process in a scramjet engine has been likened to “keeping a candle lit in a hurricane,” according to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The DRDO further explained that the scramjet combustor employs an advanced flame stabilization technique that ensures a stable flame is maintained within the combustor at airspeeds exceeding 1.5 km/s.

Several innovative and promising ignition and flame-holding techniques were explored through various ground tests to develop the scramjet engine configuration. The DRDO highlighted that the indigenous creation of endothermic scramjet fuel, a first for India, was a key factor in this advancement, achieved collaboratively by DRDL and industry partners. This fuel provides significant cooling enhancements and facilitates ignition.

In the Global Race for Hypersonic Technology

The competition for hypersonic weaponry is intensifying worldwide, with China recognized by the US Department of Defense as the leading nation in hypersonic technology, outpacing both the US and Russia in the development of conventional and nuclear-capable hypersonic systems.

In 2023, the People’s Liberation Army successfully tested its DF-27 intermediate-range ballistic missile equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle, allowing it to easily penetrate missile defense systems, as revealed by a recent intelligence leak.

The DF-17 medium-range ballistic missile, armed with a hypersonic glide vehicle, is expected to significantly enhance the capabilities of the PLA’s missile arsenal, according to the 2023 China Military Power Report. While the DF-17 is capable of carrying nuclear warheads, it is primarily intended for conventional operations.

India’s aspirations are driven by the progress made in China’s hypersonic technology.

The United States is also striving to keep pace. On December 12, 2024, the US Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, in collaboration with the US Navy Strategic Systems Programs, successfully conducted an end-to-end flight test of a conventional hypersonic missile.

The Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), commonly referred to as Dark Eagle, represents the culmination of more than two years of efforts to operationalize the weapon from its trailer-based launcher. This missile is engineered to counter sophisticated “anti-access/area denial capabilities,” which are integral to China’s defensive posture in the Pacific, as noted by the Congressional Research Service.

In contrast to the hypersonic programs of China and Russia, the United States is developing hypersonic weapons that are intended to be conventionally armed. The US Congressional Report titled ‘Hypersonic Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress’ suggests that US hypersonic systems will likely demand higher precision and present more technical challenges compared to the nuclear-capable systems of China and Russia.

Russia has equipped its Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with the nuclear-capable Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) and is reported to have deployed its Zircon hypersonic missile in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

North Korean state media has announced a test of the Hwasong 16B hypersonic missile, which President Kim Jong Un has characterized as a “critical component of the nuclear deterrent.”

In this context, India’s pursuit of hypersonic weapons is viewed as a strategy to enhance its strategic capabilities. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has indicated that the missile can accommodate “various payloads,” suggesting the potential for both conventional and nuclear options.