India Carries Out Successful Hypersonic Missile Test Off Odisha Coast, “Major Milestone”

NEW DELHI – India has successfully tested a long-range hypersonic missile off its Odisha coast, which the country’s Defense Minister says is a “major milestone” for India.

The successful testing of a hypersonic missile puts the country in a small group of countries capable of hypersonic technology.

Several countries, such as North Korea, Iran, and Yemeni Houthis claim to have carried out successful hypersonic missile tests, although the Israeli military says the Houthi missile tested was not hypersonic capable. Israel’s Arrow 3 or Hetz 3 is an exoatmospheric hypersonic anti-ballistic missile, jointly funded, developed and produced by Israel and the United States.

Countries that currently have, or claim to have the technology include:

United States (numerous tests)

China (numerous tests)

Russia (deployed in combat)

India (recent successful test)

Israel (Arrow 3)

Iran (Fattah-1)

Yemeni Houthis (claimed successful test contested by Israel)

North Korea (claimed hypersonic tests)

Other countries, such as Japan, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Britain are in hypersonic development phase, with Britain aiming to achieve the technology by 2030.

[SOURCE: DEFCON NEWS]