India test fires Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle

Bhubaneswar: India on Wednesday successfully test-fired Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) off Odisha coast.

It was test-fired from launch pad number-4 of Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Abdul Kalam Island in Balasore district at 11.22 a.m.

With scramjet engine, it can cruise at Mach 6 and have multiple civilian applications. It can be used for launching satellites at low cost and long-range cruise missile, said sources.

The trial was conducted in the presence of the senior scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Defence secretary Sanjay Mitra, sources added.

The HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet demonstration aircraft.