DRDO is developing the K-6 hypersonic missile for submarine launch, with trials expected soon.
DRDO Develops K-6 Hypersonic Missile For Indian Navy
DRDO is developing the K-6 hypersonic missile for submarine launch, with trials expected soon. The K-6 hypersonic ballistic missile, a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), is poised to enhance India’s naval arsenal. The hypersonic missile, which can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads, will be a formidable asset for the Indian Navy.
K-6 SLBM can be launched from submarines and can target enemies at a speed of 7.5 Mach (approximately 9,261 kilometres per hour). K-6 missile boasts an impressive range of 8,000 kilometres, covering the entirety of Pakistan. India has previously tested the K-3 (1,000 to 2,000 km range), K-4 (3,500 km range), and K-5 (5,000 to 6,000 km range) SLBMs, with the K-4 and K-5 already inducted into the Navy.
The K-6 SLBM is being developed at DRDO’s Advanced Naval Systems Laboratory in Hyderabad.
Other features of India’s hypersonic missile
The K-6 missile features Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle technology. This will enable a single missile to strike multiple targets with precision, thus providing it with enhanced effectiveness in both offensive and deterrent capacities. When K-6 missile becomes operational, India will be joining an elite list of countries that possess or are developing advanced hypersonic and MIRV-equipped missile systems. These countries are United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom.
K-6 will be a valuable addition to India’s strategic deterrence amid increasing regional tensions, particularly with Pakistan, and in the Indo-Pacific with China.
