The hypersonic missile that the United States hasn't even figured out, India has not only announced a successful test, but is also preparing to mass-produce and put it into service?

Yes, this world is just so surreal.

On the 17th, India's "Defense Research and Development Organization" website announced that India's independently developed hypersonic anti-ship missile (LR-AShM) "has reached key performance benchmarks" and is now entering mass production.

Some people may not know what the Indian media refers to as this "hypersonic anti-ship missile". In fact, it's the same "hypersonic anti-ship missile" that India tested last year, which flew out with the launch canister cover on.

It even flew out with the launch canister cover on...

According to the Indian media, this hypersonic anti-ship missile was originally planned to complete full-scale testing in 2 to 3 years and be commissioned in 2027 or 2028. However, the "Defense Research and Development Organization", which is responsible for India's advanced weapons development, believes that given the missile's "sufficiently superior performance," the timeline for commissioning and mass production can be accelerated.

Yes, the Indian media's exact words were indeed like that: a missile that was just tested last year will be mass-produced in just one year — this is the "Indian speed" that the outside world finds hard to imagine.

In addition to the missile being produced in bulk ahead of schedule, the Indian media also released the parameters of India's hypersonic anti-ship missile: The missile uses cold launch, with a range exceeding 1,500 kilometers; maximum speed of 10 Mach, capable of flying 1,500 kilometers in just 7 to 8 minutes; the missile is equipped with a terminal radar guidance head that can work effectively at hypersonic speeds, capable of striking targets in the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, and Arabian Sea.

This is the YJ-20 shown during China's military parade this year.

The Indian media specifically pointed out China and Pakistan, claiming that the Indian version of the hypersonic missile will significantly enhance the Indian Navy's deterrence against China's growing aircraft carrier battle groups and Pakistan's submarines, and complement existing equipment such as the "Brahmos" missile.

This can only be said to reflect the incredible confidence of the Indians.

Regarding India's hypersonic anti-ship missile, we have analyzed before: It is more like an Indian version of the "Standard-6" missile than a true hypersonic missile.

"Standard-6" is an air defense missile of the US Navy, while India's hypersonic anti-ship missile has almost the same aerodynamic design as the "Standard-6", except that the US version is for air defense, while the Indian version is for anti-ship.

As everyone knows, the recognized standards for hypersonic missiles include a flight speed of at least 5 Mach, the ability to fly in the near space, and the capability to perform complex, non-ballistic maneuvers within the atmosphere.

Is this already in mass production?

The biggest controversy about the Indian hypersonic missile lies in its maneuverability and flight altitude: The Indian hypersonic missile may be able to achieve high speed through two-stage rocket boosters, but since it isn't even a double cone body, it's hard to believe that it can perform complex orbital changes.

If India's hypersonic missile can be called a hypersonic weapon, then the US military doesn't need to go through the trouble of pushing the "Dark Star" hypersonic project. They could just announce that they also have hypersonic missiles by using the "Standard-6".

That's not even mentioning that when India tested its hypersonic missile last year, the missile flew out with the launch canister cover on — knowing that the technology to open the front cover of the missile canister is not complicated, any country that has deeply studied missile technology would not make such a mistake.

Iran has at least made a double-cone hypersonic missile.

In contrast, India still hasn't clarified whether the "disc missile" from that time was just a simple mistake or a common occurrence in India's military industry — if the latter is true, then it can only be said that the quality control capability of India's military industry is quite abstract, and how much of the so-called "hypersonic anti-ship missile" is watered down is self-evident.

To sum up simply, don't be deceived by India's claim that its hypersonic missile has entered mass production. Its practical combat capabilities, and whether it meets the standard of a hypersonic weapon, are all questionable, and it might even be worse than Iran's, because Iran has actually demonstrated a double-cone hypersonic missile.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7562083992141382144/

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