China far ahead in hypersonic platforms research: Why India needs to step up fast

End March 2022, Russia became the first country to use a hypersonic missile against targets in Ukraine operationally and thus heralding a new era of warfare of very high-speed lethality. The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missile reportedly destroyed an ammunition warehouse. Hypersonic weapons or platforms fly at speeds in excess of Mach 5 or five times the speed of sound. These weapons not only enjoy the kinetic energy imparted by speed, but are also manoeuvrable, and thus making them a very lethal and unpredictable weapon. To sustain hypersonic flight within the atmosphere was a challenge for mankind for long. It meant…