India Unveils Hypersonic As China, Pakistan Push In Indian Ocean

2026-01-28 10:09:37

(MENAFN- Asia Times) India's decision to publicly unveil a long-range hypersonic anti-ship missile reflects a broader shift in its maritime strategy as it confronts mounting pressure from China's expanding navy and Pakistan's military modernization in the Indian Ocean.

This month, multiple media outlets reported that India publicly debuted its Long-Range Anti-Ship Hypersonic Missile (LR-AShM) during the 77th Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path, marking a significant advancement in the nation's maritime strike power.

Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the indigenous weapon is designed to reach targets at distances of approximately 1,500 kilometers.

Utilizing a two-stage solid propulsion system, the missile achieves a maximum velocity of Mach 10. It maintains an average speed of Mach 5 through a quasi-ballistic trajectory characterized by multiple atmospheric“skips.”

This low-altitude maneuverability is specifically engineered to evade traditional ship-based radar and compress adversary decision-making timelines.

A successful validation test conducted in November 2024 on Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island confirmed the missile's ability to execute terminal maneuvers against moving maritime targets. Strategically, the LR-AShM places India with the US, Russia, and China as one of the few states fielding hypersonic anti-ship systems.

Initially intended for coastal batteries, the LR-AShM is expected to enter full service within two to three years. It supports a shore-based launch doctrine using fixed or mobile launchers, including from Andaman island bases, to strike high-value targets like aircraft carriers before they pose a threat. India could use it in early salvos, coordinated with submarines and BrahMos-equipped ships for layered attacks.

In view of that, China's growing naval strength and presence in the Indian Ocean, along with Pakistan's naval modernization, pose a dual threat to India, threatening to choke off India's sea lanes of communication (SLOCs) and raising the possibility that land-based territorial disputes spill over to the maritime domain.

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