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 this advanced technology.

The global push for hypersonic weapons figures in the efforts of some countries, such as India, which is striving to develop advanced long-range missiles, along with China, Russia and the United States.

Pakistan has expressed significant concerns regarding India's recent advancements in hypersonic missile technology, particularly following India's successful test of a long-range hypersonic missile on November 16, 2024. This development places India among a select group of nations with such capabilities, alongside the U.S., China, and Russia.

Pakistani defence analysts, including Prof. Dr. Zafar Nawaz Jaspal from Quaid-i-Azam University, have warned that India's focus on next-generation defence technologies, including hypersonic missiles and artificial intelligence (AI), could escalate security tensions in the region. Jaspal emphasized that these advancements might shift the strategic balance and provoke an arms race, as neighbouring countries feel compelled to enhance their military capabilities in response.

The advanced hypersonic missile tested by India is capable of reaching speeds exceeding Mach 5 and can carry payloads over distances greater than 1,500 kilometers. This capability poses a formidable challenge to conventional missile defence systems, as hypersonic missiles can manoeuvre unpredictably during flight, making them difficult to intercept.

Analysts in Pakistan are particularly concerned about India's development of Multiple Independently Targetable Re-Entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology and its ballistic missile defence systems. These technologies could enhance India's nuclear deterrent and complicate defence strategies for Pakistan and other regional rivals.

Knowing that India has hypersonic weapons could make Pakistan feel trapped in a “use them or lose them” mindset regarding its nuclear weapons, remarked a US base defence analyst.

India’s Strategic Position

India's successful test is seen as a historic milestone that strengthens its defence capabilities and asserts its position as a technological power in the global arena. Indian officials have framed these advancements as necessary for national security amidst rising military tensions in the region. The integration of AI into military applications further enhances India's operational capabilities, potentially revolutionizing its approach to warfare through improved decision-making and autonomous systems.

Pakistan's apprehensions regarding India's hypersonic missile tests underlines broader concerns about regional stability and the potential for an arms race in South Asia as both countries continue to modernize their military capabilities. However, unlike India, Pakistan has no industrial or scientific know-how to develop advanced weapons system, the only option left with Pakistan is to buy off-the-shelf missiles and weapons from either China, Turkey or North Korea.