DRDO successfully tests Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle, Rajnath Singh says ‘India is proud’

New Delhi: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully tested the indigenously developed Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) at 1103 hours today from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Launch Complex at Wheeler Island, off the coast of Odisha.

Taking it to Twitter, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO for successful flight testing.

“The @DRDO_India has today successfully flight tested the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle using the indigenously developed scramjet propulsion system. With this success, all critical technologies are now established to progress to the next phase,” he tweeted. “I congratulate to DRDO on this landmark achievement towards realising the Prime Minister’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. I spoke to the scientists associated with the project and congratulated them on this great achievement. India is proud of them,” the Defence Minister said in another tweet.

The HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet demonstration aircraft for hypersonic speed flight. It can cruise at a speed of Mach 6 and an altitude of 32.5 kilometres.

#WATCH DRDO‘s successful demonstration of the Hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology with the flight test of Hypersonic Technology Demonstration Vehicle, at 1103 hours today from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Launch Complex at Wheeler Island, off the coast of Odisha pic.twitter.com/aC1phjusDH

— ANI (@ANI) September 7, 2020

After the launch, DRDO Chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy said, “It’s a major technological breakthrough in country. This testing paves the way for development of more critical technologies, materials & hypersonic vehicles. This puts India in a selected club of nations who have demonstrated this technology.”