DRDO showcases Long Range Anti-Ship Missile, a hypersonic glide missile, at Republic Day parade
DRDO displayed its Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LR-AShM) with launcher at the 77th Republic Day parade; the hypersonic glide missile is designed for the Indian Navy's coastal battery requirements.
Summary
At the 77th Republic Day parade, DRDO showcased the LR-AShM with its launcher. It is a hypersonic glide missile designed to meet the coastal battery requirements of the Indian Navy and can engage static and moving targets with various payloads. It follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory, starting at about Mach 10 and maintaining an average of Mach 5 with multiple skips, using indigenous sensors for terminal-phase targeting. It has a two-stage solid propulsion system; after the second stage burns out, the vehicle performs an unpowered glide.
Key facts
- System
- Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LR-AShM)
- Developer
- DRDO
- Type
- Hypersonic glide missile
- Role
- Indian Navy coastal battery requirements
- Speed
- Starts at ~Mach 10, average Mach 5 with multiple skips
- Propulsion
- Two-stage solid rocket motor, then unpowered glide
Practice MCQs 2 questions
The LR-AShM showcased by DRDO at the 2026 Republic Day parade is best described as:
Show answer
Correct answer: D — A hypersonic glide missile for the Indian Navy's coastal batteries
PIB (Defence): LR-AShM is a hypersonic glide missile designed to meet the coastal battery requirements of the Indian Navy.
According to DRDO, the LR-AShM begins at about Mach 10. What average speed does it maintain with multiple skips?
Show answer
Correct answer: C — Mach 5
PIB (Defence): hypersonic speeds starting at Mach 10 and maintaining average Mach 5.0 with multiple skips.