India’s Mach 10 “Carrier Killer” LR-AShM: The Hypersonic Missile That Changes Everything in 2025

India has changed the naval balance in the Indo-Pacific by successfully testing its Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LR-AShM). This test took place on December 1, 2025, and showed that the missile can fly at Mach 10 and hit targets more than 1,500 kilometres away. For many years, aircraft carriers have been the most powerful ships at sea. Now, with the LR-AShM, India sends a strong message to Beijing: the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is no longer a safe area for enemy carrier strike groups.

What is LR-AShM? India’s Mach 10 Hypersonic Glide Vehicle Explained

The Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LR-AShM) is India’s first operational hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) designed specifically to eliminate high-value naval targets, including aircraft carriers. Successfully tested on November 16, 2024, and again validated in December 2025, this missile represents a quantum leap from India’s existing BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.

LR-AShM Technical Specifications (2025)

Unlike ballistic missiles that follow predictable parabolic trajectories, the LR-AShM’s HGV payload “skips” along the atmosphere’s edge, performing evasive maneuvers that make interception nearly impossible for current air defense systems.

Why This Matters: The “Sea Denial” Shift

The LR-AShM is not just a faster missile; it is a strategic “access denial” weapon.

• The Threat: China’s PLAN (People’s Liberation Army Navy) has been rapidly expanding its carrier fleet (Liaoning, Shandong, and Fujian) to project power into the Indian Ocean.
• The Counter: Until now, India relied on the supersonic BrahMos (Mach 3, ~450-800 km range). While deadly, the BrahMos has a shorter reach than the defensive perimeter of a Chinese carrier group.
• The Solution: The LR-AShM breaches that perimeter. At 1,500 km+ range, it allows Indian forces to strike hostile carriers from the safety of the Indian mainland or island territories like the Andamans, long before the enemy gets within striking distance.

Why LR-AShM is a Game-Changer for India’s Naval Strategy

India’s current naval strike workhorse, the BrahMos, cruises at Mach 3 with a maximum range of 800 km in its extended-range variant. While formidable, BrahMos lacks the reach to threaten Chinese carrier groups operating 1,000+ km from India’s coastline.​

LR-AShM changes this equation completely:

• 3x the speed of BrahMos (Mach 10 vs Mach 3)
• Nearly 2x the range (1,500 km vs 800 km)
• Unpredictable flight path vs BrahMos’s predictable cruise trajectory

The “Sea Denial” Strategy

The LR-AShM enables India to enforce a 1,500 km maritime exclusion zone around its territory. This means Chinese carriers entering the Bay of Bengal or Arabian Sea would be vulnerable the moment they pass critical chokepoints like the Malacca Strait.

Strategic Outcome: China must now operate its carriers further from India’s coast, reducing their combat effectiveness and forcing them to allocate more resources to self-defense rather than power projection.

LR-AShM vs Global Hypersonic Missiles

India’s Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LR-AShM) is now capable of flying at hypersonic speeds, which means it can travel faster than Mach 10. It uses advanced boost-glide technology, making it a strong competitor against established global missile systems. The missile’s ability to change direction while flying helps it overcome traditional defense systems.

Performance Analysis

1. LR-AShM (India) vs DF-21D (China)

• Speed Tie: Both claim Mach 10 capability​
• Range Advantage China: DF-21D has 1,800 km range vs LR-AShM’s 1,500 km
• Maneuverability: LR-AShM’s HGV design offers superior terminal maneuvering compared to DF-21D’s ballistic reentry vehicle​
• Seeker Technology: LR-AShM’s active RF seeker is specifically designed for hypersonic environments, potentially more advanced than China’s aging DF-21D seeker​

2. LR-AShM vs Tsirkon (Russia)

• Speed Advantage India: LR-AShM’s Mach 10 exceeds Tsirkon’s Mach 9
• Range Advantage India: 1,500 km vs Tsirkon’s ~1,000 km
• Technology: Both use HGVs, but LR-AShM benefits from 2020s-era computing and materials science

Key Takeaway: While China and Russia fielded hypersonic missiles first, LR-AShM matches or exceeds their performance in key metrics, representing India’s leapfrogging into the elite hypersonic club.

How LR-AShM Specifically Threatens Chinese Aircraft Carriers

China currently operates three aircraft carriers:​

• Liaoning (Type 001): 60,000 tons, ski-jump ramp, limited J-15 fighter range
• Shandong (Type 002): 60,000 tons, similar to Liaoning, more operational experience
• Fujian (Type 003): 80,000 tons, electromagnetic catapults, still in sea trials

The Kill Chain

Phase 1: Detection (500-1,500 km)

• Indian Navy’s P-8I Neptune aircraft track carrier group movements
• Satellite surveillance (RISAT series) provides targeting data
• Underwater sensors (SOSUS-style arrays) detect carrier acoustic signatures

Phase 2: Launch (0-500 km from Indian coast)

• LR-AShM launches from mobile TELs or island bases (Andaman & Nicobar)
• Booster accelerates HGV to Mach 10 at 40-50 km altitude​

Phase 3: Glide (500-1,500 km)

• HGV detaches, performing evasive maneuvers at hypersonic speed
• Radar cross-section minimized, plasma sheath makes tracking difficult

Phase 4: Terminal Attack (0-50 km)

• Active RF seeker locks onto carrier’s radar signature
• High-speed dive from 40 km altitude at Mach 10
• Impact velocity ensures catastrophic damage even without warhead detonation​

Why Carriers Can’t Defend

Current carrier defense systems (like China’s HQ-9 or US SM-6) are designed for Mach 3-4 threats. Against a Mach 10 maneuvering target, reaction time is measured in seconds, not minutes. The LR-AShM’s ability to change course mid-flight means point-defense systems cannot compute an intercept solution before impact.

Deployment Timeline: When Will India Get the LR-AShM?

2025-2027: Critical Phases

Integrated Rocket Force Integration

The LR-AShM is not just a Navy weapon. It’s slated for India’s future Integrated Rocket Force, a tri-service command similar to China’s Rocket Force. This means:

• Army: Land-attack variant for deep strikes into Tibet/autonomous regions
• Air Force: Air-launched version for extended range
• Navy: Primary anti-ship role in IORwikipedia+1​

Strategic Impact on Indian Ocean Region (IOR)

The LR-AShM fundamentally alters the naval balance in the Indo-Pacific:

For India:

• Deterrence: credible threat to Chinese carrier operations within 1,500 km of Indian coast
• Cost-Effectiveness: One LR-AShM (~$15M) can mission-kill a $6B aircraft carrier
• Technology Leadership: Joins elite hypersonic club alongside US, Russia, China

For China:

• Operating Costs: Must keep carriers further from India, reducing combat radius
• Escalation Risk: Any carrier deployment near India becomes a high-risk gamble
• Force Allocation: Requires more escort ships for missile defense, stretching PLAN resources thin

For Regional Powers:

• Japan, Australia, Vietnam: Watch closely as potential export customers
• Pakistan: Concerned about technology transfer to conventional ballistic missiles​

The “Carrier Killer” Arms Race

India’s LR-AShM development mirrors China’s DF-21D/DF-17 and Russia’s Tsirkon. This signals a global shift from traditional naval aviation to hypersonic sea denial. The question is no longer “who has carriers” but “who can kill carriers from 1,500 km away”.

FAQs | India’s Mach 10 “Carrier Killer” LR-AShM

The Dawn of Hypersonic Naval Warfare

The LR-AShM is not just another missile—it’s India’s declaration of technological parity in the hypersonic era. Achieving Mach 10 speed with a 1,500 km range positions India as a formidable maritime power capable of denying access to even the most advanced naval forces.​

For Chinese carriers Liaoning, Shandong, and Fujian, the message is clear: the Indian Ocean is no longer safe operational waters. For India’s Navy, it’s a force multiplier that punches far above its weight. And for global naval strategy, it signals that the age of the hypersonic carrier killer has arrived.

Next Steps: Watch for the 2026 seeker tests and the 2027 operational deployment. The hypersonic arms race is accelerating, and India is now running at the front of the pack.

NOTE: All data sourced from DRDO announcements, Ministry of Defence press releases, and defense analysis from NSDB, IDRW, IDRAW, Naval News, and Defence.in. 
Imgaes Credit: NDA Study & Partner Platforms