DRDO to Showcase Mach 10 Hypersonic Missile & Stealth Sub Tech at R-Day Parade

The theme of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) tableau is 'Naval Technologies for Combat Submarines', said a Defence Ministry official.

The Organisation's display will focus on indigenously developed technologies/systems which act as a force multiplier for conventional submarines of the Indian Navy. These systems are Integrated Combat Suite (ICS), Wire Guided Heavy Weight Torpedo (WGHWT) and Air Independent Propulsion, which will ensure combat supremacy in the underwater domain.

The DRDO will showcase LR-AShM with a launcher during the parade. This weapon system is designed to meet the coastal battery requirements of the Indian Navy. The LR-AShM is a Hypersonic Glide Missile capable of engaging static and moving targets and is designed to carry various payloads, said an official statement.

The missile is a first-of-its-kind with indigenous avionics systems and high-accuracy sensor packages, it said.

This hypersonic missile follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory with hypersonic speeds starting at Mach 10 and maintaining an average Mach 5.0 with multiple skips. Indigenously developed sensors are provided for engaging the moving targets in the terminal phase, it said.

As this missile flies at low altitude with high speed and manoeuvrability, enemy ground and ship-based radars cannot detect this missile during most of its trajectory, said the Ministry.

The LR-AShM is configured with a two-stage solid propulsion rocket motor system. These propulsion systems boost the missile to the required hypersonic velocities. Stage-1 of the vehicle is separated after it is spent. After Stage-II burnout, the vehicle performs an unpowered glide with required manoeuvres in the atmosphere before engaging the target.

This year, the DRDO tableau will be showcased at Bharat Parv at Red Fort from January 26 to 31, 2026.

The ICS is the new generation submarine-based defence system vital for underwater warfare and anti-submarine operations. It is a system of systems that gives unparalleled situational awareness by providing the threat picture to make tactical decisions and actions like weapon selection, launch and guidance.

The ICS is a collaborative effort from eight DRDO laboratories with active involvement of about 150 major industry partners and MSMEs across India.

The WGHWT is a state-of-the-art submarine-launched torpedo to counter contemporary ship & submarine threats in oceanic waters

The AIP is for long underwater endurance of submarines, thus enhancing the stealth. It is powered by a locally developed phosphoric acid fuel cell with a novel onboard hydrogen generator.

The AIP system generates power using the phosphoric acid fuel cells by feeding hydrogen and oxygen, said the statement.

- IANS