Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle - representative image Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday (19 December) inaugurated DRDO's advanced Hypersonic Wind Tunnel (HWT) test facility.
The state-of-the-art HWT Test facility is pressure vacuum driven enclosed free jet facility having nozzle exit diameter of 1 meter and will simulate Mach No 5 to 12 (Mach represents the multiplication factor to the speed of sound).
After USA and Russia, India is the third country to have such a large facility in terms of size and operating capability.
Designed and developed in India, the project saw a cooperation with Indian industries.
The facility has the capability to simulate hypersonic flow over a wide spectrum and will play a major role in the realisation of highly complex futuristic aerospace and defence systems.
DRDO also showcased two anti-drone technologies with capabilities including neutralising ground targets and anti-drone applications to counter stationery as well as high-speed moving targets.
Key features of the weapon system include secure communication link, effective recoil management system, high firing angular resolution and vision-based target detection and tracking.
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