Long Range – Anti Ship Missile (India)

Long Range – Anti Ship Missile (LRAShM)
The LRAShM missile during the second test launch in November 2024
Type	Hypersonic glide vehicle Anti-ship missile
Place of origin	India
Service history
In service	Limited production
Used by	Integrated Rocket Force, Indian Navy (intended)
Production history
Designer	Advanced Systems Laboratory
Manufacturer	Bharat Dynamics Limited
Specifications
Mass	12 tonnes (26,000 lb)[1]
Length	13 metres (43 ft)[1]
Diameter	1.4 metres (4 ft 7 in)[1]
Warhead	Conventional, multiple configurations[1]
Engine	Two-stage rocket motor
Propellant	Solid fuel
Operational range	>1,500 kilometres (930 mi)[2][3]
Maximum speed	Mach 10[4]
Guidance system	Mid-course: INS + multi-GNSS Terminal: ARH[5]
Launch platform	Truck-based Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL)

The Long Range – Anti Ship Missile (LRAShM) is a boost-glide hypersonic missile being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation for the Indian Navy.^[6][5] The missile can be fired from a shore-based transporter erector launcher (TEL) and is currently undergoing developmental trials.^[7] It is the first hypersonic weapon platform that has been developed and deployed by the Indian Armed Forces, with a stated objectives of coastal defence and long-range maritime strike roles with the Indian Navy.^[8][9]

Former Prsedent of India and head of the DRDO, Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, stated at the Defence Research and Development Organization Directors Conference on February 21, 2007 that India would require a modern defence system involving hypersonic weaponary, that he proposed to be developed by the nation in a span of fifteen years.^[10] Two missiles were introduced to meet these operational needs,with thiere development being publically announced at 2023 Year End Review of the Ministry of Defence as the Long Range – Anti Ship Missile and BM-04 respectively.^[11][12][13]

Official work on a hypersonic vehicle propelled by scramjet engine started on a small scale in early 2008 with conceptual studies and design.Large-scale testing and system engineering was done in a phased manner instead of all-up testing as on India's other strategic platforms due to low levels of funding. During the development process, DRDO made notable advancements in the field of computational fluid dynamics, which are essential for building hypersonic vehicles.^[14] By 2015, the development of a conventionally armed missile with a range of more than 1,500 km (930 mi) was deemed necessary by the Indian Armed Forces in order to counter ship-based threats in the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, and Arabian Sea, as well as land-based threats from China,beyond the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the provinces of Xinjiang, Tibet, and Yunnan.Therefore, Advanced Systems Laboratory began full-scale work on the project from 2017.^[15][5] A preliminary flight test of HSTDV in 2020 validated aerodynamic configuration of vehicle, ignition and sustained combustion of scramjet engine at hypersonic flow, separation mechanisms and characterised thermo-structural materials.^[16][17]

The Defence Research and Development Laboratory requested funding from the Indian Government to build a Hypersonic Wind Tunnel to aid in design and development of future hypersonic missiles.The facility was initially put into service in October 2019.On 19 December 2020, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh formally inaugurated the fully built Hypersonic Wind Tunnel (HWT) test facility at the Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Missile Complex. With a nozzle exit diameter of one meter and the ability to replicate speeds between Mach 5 to 12, the HWT facility is an enclosed free jet facility powered by pressure and vacuum. It was built at a cost of ₹400 crore (equivalent to ₹471 crore or US$56 million in 2023).^[18][19] Following China's two hypersonic weapons tests in the summer of 2021, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stressed the need for hypersonic weapon development during a lecture held at DRDO on December 14, 2021.^[20][21] India has since then built 12 hypersonic wind tunnels that can test speeds of up to Mach 13, according to the October 2021 Congressional Research Service Report.^[22][23]

In February 2024, IIT Kanpur built and evaluated the Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel Test Facility, referred to as S2, in the Department of Aerospace Engineering's Hypersonic Experimental Aerodynamics Laboratory (HEAL).The S2 facility can simulate flight speeds between Mach 8 to 29 and aid in the development of Ballistic missiles,ramjet and, scramjet engines. It is anticipated that the facility will support multiple programs,ranging from spaceflight applications under ISRO's Gaganyaan and RLV-TD programmes and DRDO's Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle,ET-LDHCM and LR-AShM.^[24][25] The initial variant of the missile was showcased publically for the first time at the Delhi Republic Day parade in 2026.^[26]

The LRAShM missile is being developed at the Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Missile Complex in Hyderabad with other DRDO laboratories and industry partners.^[27][28] The Vehicle Research and Development Establishment assigned the responsibility for developing the dummy article to simulate load and force on the vehicle during trials to Sterling Techno-Systems, a private sector business based in Pune.^[29] The aerodynamic characterization research was conducted at the 1.2m Trisonic Wind Tunnel Facility of the National Aerospace Laboratories.^[30] The programme is being led by Project Director A Prasad Goud.^[1]

The first test was conducted on an unspecified date in 2023 as per the 2023 Year End Review of the Ministry of Defence.^[11]The missile was again tested on 16 November 2024 from the Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha. The missile was tracked by optical sensors. The test was successful and terminal maneuvers and accuracy of the missile met the development team's expectations.^[28][31] Given that the missile and canister were designated "LR-02," it's possible that this was India's second test.^[32] Earlier, a report had suggested the test launch of a similar anti-ship ballistic missile that could target warships and aircraft carriers at long distances of over 1,000 km (620 mi).^[33]

Though the Indian Navy is intended to be the primary user of the missile, the Indian Army and the Air Force might employ the weapon system as well. A ship-launched variant is also expected to be developed. As of January 2026, a third test of the missile is likely to occur this year as a media outlet released an image of a third prototype on the assembly jig at a DRDO facility. Three further hypersonic weapon projects are underway. These include Project Vishnu, a hypersonic cruise missile; Project Dhvani, a winged glide body vehicle and anti-hypersonic missiles.^[1]

The missile features a delta-wing hypersonic glide vehicle mounted on a two stage solid propulsion rocket motor system which sends launch it partially into orbit at a hypersonic speed.^[4] The HGV can perform terminal maneuvers and follow highly complex and adaptive flight paths. It has a demonstrated range of at least 1,500 km (930 mi). The missile will have several warhead configurations for use in various roles by all the branches of the Indian Armed Forces.^[7][27][34]

By dimensions, the missile has a length of 13 m (43 ft), diameter of 1.4 metres (4 ft 7 in) and weighs 12 tonnes (26,000 lb). The radome, covered by a carbon-silicon carbide heat shield, includes a radio frequency seeker with a range of 50 km (31 mi).^[1]

LRAShM is cold-launched from a hermetically sealed container. Before the first-stage solid rocket motor ignites, it fires attitude control thrusters twice. Beginning around 8 seconds after lift-off, the missile's trajectory shifts from vertical to horizontal in about 6 seconds. A booster stage and a hypersonic sustainer engine make up the two solid propellant rocket stages of the LRAShM. The mid-body of the rocket has cruciform, short span, and long chord aerodynamic surfaces, while the aft body has four small triangular fins. Fins give flight stability, whereas mid-body aerodynamic surfaces give lift, flight path control, and maneuverability. The cruciform design lowers aerodynamic drag at high speed.^[35] According to official sources, the missile reaches Mach 10 during launch phase.^[36] In the mid-course, the missile maintains an average of Mach 5 and follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory during which it can perform manoeuvers within the atmosphere.^[36] In the terminal phase, the missile sensors can engage moving targets.^[4][1]

During acceleration, the composite structure and thermal shielding can sustain temperatures above 2,000 °C (3,630 °F; 2,270 K) without compromising stability. At hypersonic flight, the onboard computing systems manage electronic counter-countermeasures, and real-time trajectory adjustment.^[5] The missile's radio frequency seeker is an X-band synthetic-aperture radar with monopulse homing capabilities. It was developed by Electronics Corporation of India Limited and is based on a similar seeker that was designed for the BrahMos.^[37] The solid rocket booster stage of Sagarika served as the model for the LRAShM's propulsion system. The DRDO team accelerated the production process and reduced the development time by leveraging technologies developed for the Sagarika and Agni missiles.^[38][27][39]

Dr. Anil Kumar, the director of Advanced Systems Laboratory, revealed in October 2025 that LRAShM is entering limited serial production after completing all necessary design reviews and flight validation milestones. Before a full-scale induction, the missile would be manufactured in small quantities for DRDO and the Indian military to undergo operational evaluation trials.^[40][41][5]

By 2029, the Indian Navy and DRDO aim to have the initial version of the missile operational. Initially, the missile system is anticipated to be deployed from surface platforms; future integration on air and even underwater platforms is being assessed.^[6][42] A ship-launched variant is also expected to be developed following the missile's entry into service.^[1][7] Further land-based land attack variants, and air launched variants of the missile will also be developed for use by the Integrated Rocket Force, and the Indian Air Force.^[43]It is anticipated that future iterations of the missile will have a maximum range of 3,500 km (2,200 mi).^[44] There are talks about modifying LRAShM for use by the Indian Army which would entail various launch choices and payloads.^[36]

According to Tom Karako, a missile defense specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, India's LRAShM test is an element of a larger worldwide pattern towards the design, development, testing, and procurement of several different, extremely fast, maneuverable missiles.

According to Ankit Panda, Stanton Senior Fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the most recent LRAShM test is a part of the evolving Indian defense posture, which will rely on the Indian government's approval of hypersonic weapons and how it leads to an affordable acquisition of the platform for the Indian Armed Forces. Due to China's rapidly evolving mid-course defense capabilities against the current generation of missiles, the Indian strategic community considers LRAShM to be a viable choice in any future conflict with China.^[45][46]

• List of Indian military missiles – a list of missiles used by or under development for Indian Armed Forces.
• NASM-MR – Indian naval medium-range anti-ship missile
• NASM-SR – Indian naval short-range anti-ship missile
• DF-ZF – a Chinese hypersonic glide vehicle
• Avangard – a Russian hypersonic glide vehicle
• Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 – an American hypersonic glide vehicle programme
• Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon – an American hypersonic ballistic missile programme
• 3M22 Zircon – a Russian hypersonic missile
• Kh-47M2 Kinzhal – a Russian hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile
• Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile – an American hypersonic cruise missile programme