Black Arrow (hypersonic missile)
| Black Arrow | |
|---|---|
| Type | Hypersonic Cruise Missile. |
| Place of origin | A&L and Khalistan. |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2025 |
| Used by | A&L, Khalistan, Bataviae. |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Royal Arsenal + Bharat Dynamics. |
| Unit cost | 4 million |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 1,800kg |
| Length | 5.5m |
| Height | 480mm |
| Diameter | 625mm |
| Warhead | 300kg to 450kg |
| Engine | Dual mode ramjet (DMR). |
Operational range | 1,600km |
| Flight ceiling | 40km |
| Speed | Mach 3 - 9 |
Guidance system | GPS/INS, mmW, I3R. |
Launch platform | Submarines, surface ships, aircraft, land based launchers. |
The Black Arrow is a hypersonic cruise missile jointly developed by the countries of A&L and Khalistan. The program of Black Arrow started in 1995 by Royal Arsenal; development of the missile continued up until 2008, nearly being cancelled as costs began to spiral out of control. Bharat Dynamics joined the project in 2009 to help fund the development of Black Arrow, with live firing tests starting in 2012.
The missile has a reported range of up to 1,600 km and has a maximum speed of Mach 9. In 2018, the Black Arrow entered low-rate production and achieved initial operational capability in 2024. During the aftermath of the One Month War, the Ministry of Defence of both A&L and Khalistan accelerated procurement of the Black Arrow, and the missile entered widespread service in 2025.
Development
In the 1990s, Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) began the Hypersonic-Flight-Research-Vehicle (HFRV) program for hypersonic propulsion. The purpose of the program was to investigate and accelerate the development of hypersonic aerospace technologies and eventually create a hypersonic missile that could be deployed as an operational weapon for long ranged strike.