India has successfully tested a domestically developed long-range hypersonic missile, it said on Sunday, attaining a key milestone in military development that puts it in a small group of nations possessing the advanced technology.

Russia's Zircon missile is also a hypersonic weapon, capable of travelling a range of 1,000 kilometres with speeds between 9,800 and 11,000 kilometres per hour. Russia has used this missile in the ongoing war with Ukraine.

Unlike ballistic missiles, which follow a fixed trajectory, hypersonic missiles fly at lower altitudes and can change course mid-flight, which makes t

India conducted its first successful test of a long-range hypersonic missile, bringing the country a step closer toward deploying a high-tech weapon that’s in the arsenal of only a handful of countries.

India successfully conducted flight tests of its first long-range hypersonic missile. The tests took place yesterday evening, November 16, according to the Indian Ministry of Defence website. The tests were conducted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).