New Delhi: Indian defence would get a major boost within five to six years as the nation’s first hypersonic missile would be part of the country’s arsenal, said BrahMos Aerospace CEO and MD Atul Rane.

“BrahMos Aerospace is capable of making hypersonic missiles. In five to six years, we will be able to have our first hypersonic missile by BrahMos,” he said at an event to launch the ‘Silver Jubilee Year’ celebration (1998-2023) to mark the incredible journey of BrahMos military partnership programmes producing cruise missile BRAHMOS.

The ‘Silver Jubilee Year’ celebrations would began on June 12 and would end on February 12, 2023, on ‘BrahMos Raising Day.’ The celebrations will include several key events, meets, and competitions at the national level.

India successfully tested Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) in September last year by integrating scramjet engine technology. The HSTDV technology will be assisting the country to develop futuristic space assets like long-range missile systems and aerial platforms. The HSTDV is capable of powering missiles to attain a speed of around Mach 6 or six times the speed of sound. Very few countries like the US, Russia and China have such a capability.

India not only has armed the three services with the BRAHMOS Missiles but has also started exporting it. As per the initial deal, The Philippines will get three missile batteries of missile system which has a range of 290 kilometres and a speed of 2.8 Mach (thrice the speed of sound). India has been in talks with Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand and few other nations that have shown interest in the system.

The work is already on to extend the range of BRAHMOS missiles which can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land.