1) Introduction: India is entering a new era of advanced deterrence with Project Vishnu, a DRDO-led initiative to develop a long-range, scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise missile, formally known as ET-LDHCM (Extended-Range Long-Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile). As global powers race to develop hypersonic weapons—capable of travelling above Mach 5 with unpredictable manoeuvrability—India’s program signals strategic intent to safeguard national security, enhance deterrence, and achieve technological parity with China and other major military powers.
2) What Project Vishnu Is About
Project Vishnu builds on India’s Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) success of 2020, which validated scramjet combustion in supersonic airflow. Vishnu aims to create both conventional and nuclear-capable hypersonic missiles that can penetrate next-generation air-defence systems. The programme integrates expertise from aerodynamics, materials science, propulsion engineering, and indigenous defence manufacturing—aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat.
3) Development Status
Post-2020, DRDO accelerated work on high-temperature composites, computational fluid dynamics, and engine integration. By 2024, prototypes entered fabrication. In mid-2025, India conducted its first integrated hypersonic cruise flight trial from the eastern seaboard. S
Sign up free to read the full article
Access all current affairs, state notes, subject notes and more — completely free.