Tanmay Kulkarni 🇮🇳 Profile picture
Jan 6, 2022 10 tweets 9 min read Read on X
Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) is developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and is based on hypersonic propulsion technologies,This Vehicle was designed to test the vehicle performance of a scramjet engine.
The vehicle also was intended to test the associated technologies such as aerodynamic design and aero-thermal design, materials, and hot structures at those insane speeds. The HSTDV has an air-breathing scramjet engine which means that it uses atmospheric Oxygen for propulsion.
The HSTDV cruise vehicle is mounted on a solid rocket motor, which takes it to a required altitude. Once it attains certain Mach numbers for speed, the cruise vehicle is ejected out of the launch vehicle. After that, the scramjet engine is ignited automatically.
What is scramjet engine?
A scramjet engine is an improvement over the ramjet engine because the former operates efficiently at hypersonic speeds and allows supersonic combustion. Ramjets,operate well at supersonic speeds around Mach 3 but their efficiency drops at hyprsonic speed
Scramjet engines do not work from the stall condition and these vehicles need to be carried to supersonic speeds to make them work. The air entering the vehicle needs to be supersonic.
How fast is HSTDV ?

HSTDV can cruise at a speed of Mach 6 and rise up to an altitude of 32.5km in just 20 seconds. When DRDO tested the HSDTV with the help of Agni missile boosters, it successfully achieved an altitude of over 30,000 ft in just 22 seconds at a speed of Mach 6.
The speed and maneuverability enable hypersonic missiles to penetrate most missile defenses.
The only countries in the world which have hypersonic technology are the United States of America, Russia, China and India.
This hypersonic technology provides us with a massive strategic impact and improves the strike capabilities of Indian armed forces In addition to war applications,India will also use HSTDV for multiple civilian applications including the launching of small satellites at low cost

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More from @Tanmaycoolkarni

Aug 13, 2025
India's #ProjectKusha enters critical phase as DRDO prepares for M1 interceptor test in September 2025.

This indigenous Long Range Air Defence System promises to match Russia's S-500 and surpasses S-400 in some key capabilities.

🧵 Thread on what makes this a Game-Changer ⬇️ Image
What is #ProjectKusha ?

• Extended Range Air Defence System (ERADS)
• Bridges capability gap between MR-SAM(80 km) & S-400 (400 km)
• Designed to counter stealth aircraft, UAVs, cruise missiles & ASBMs
• Fully indigenous, cost-effective solution under Atmanirbhar Bharat Image
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Why Now ?

The Project Kusha has gained attention after the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict (#OperationSindoor), where air defence systems proved vital against drones and cruise missiles, underscoring the need for indigenous capabilities like Kusha.

#ProjectKusha #OpSindoor Image
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Read 18 tweets
Feb 6, 2024
The 🇮🇳 #IndianAirForce is all set to receive its first batch of ✈️ Tejas Mk1A fighters this month, a superior version of the indigenous LCA Tejas.

What's new in ✈️ Tejas Mk1A ??

43 Improvements across Avionics, Weapons & Maintenance!

Small #Thread 🧵 #TejasMk1A

(1/11) Image
Some of the improvements are as following :

🔸Radar : Tejas Mk1A will have state-of-the-art AESA radar, superior to 🇮🇱Israeli EL/M-2032 radar of Tejas Mk1.

The first batch will have 🇮🇱Israeli EL/M-2052 AESA radar, while the rest will have indigenous "Uttam" AESA radar.

(2/11)


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🔸Self Protection Jammer :

Tejas Mk1A will overcome the limitation of Tejas Mk1, which lacked a Self Protection Jammer to counter enemy missiles.

Tejas Mk1A will carry the 🇮🇱Israeli ELL-8222 jammer pod, which will disrupt the radar signals of BVR or SAM missiles.

(3/11)

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Read 12 tweets
Jul 10, 2023
𝐓𝐨𝐤𝐲𝐨'𝐬 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐓𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥: 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬

With cities across the country grappling with flooding issues, perhaps Tokyo's flood tunnel could hold the key to a solution.

🧵𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝

(1/9)
Flooding wreaks havoc in many Indian cities like Delhi and Mumbai. As we search for effective solutions,The Tokyo flood tunnel,officially known as the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel(MAOUDC) offers valuable inspiration for tackling these challenges.

(2/9)





Tokyo is one of the world's most densely populated cities, receives an average annual rainfall of 1600mm. Tokyo's Flood Tunnel is a massive underground system designed to mitigate flooding during heavy rains.

(3/9)

Read 10 tweets
Mar 4, 2023
India’s 1st supersonic fighter jet #MiG21 completes 60 years in @IAF_MCC Service.

Small #Thread🧵
In March 1963, the first batch of MiG-21 arrived in India. Over the past 60 years,the aircraft, including all variants flown by the IAF, have been part of various operations, including the 1971 Indo-Pak War, 1999 Kargil war and the most recent air duel after the Balakot airstrike
The Indian Air Force force has operated about 872 MiG-21 fighters since the time they were first inducted in the 1963.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited licence-produced 657 of these jets. Over the years, avionics, missiles and radars were upgraded with newer versions.
Read 7 tweets
Nov 23, 2022
𝗟𝗼𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 : 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲

Loitering munitions have become the tip of the spear in the future of warfare, challenging all conventional assumptions in war-fighting doctrine.

Small #Thread
1/14 Image
Several countries, most notably US & Israel are actively working to developing small, short-range drones that could operate in swarms. In the event of a war, these drones would utilize Artificial Intelligence to work together to attack targets.
2/14 ImageImage
These Portable loitering munitions aka Kamikaze drones would be packed with explosives and used as suicide drones. Upon approaching their targets,these drones would explode destroying or disabling their targets.They are already changing warfare in Armenia, Ukraine and Syria.
3/14 ImageImage
Read 15 tweets
Jan 4, 2022
𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐮 𝐉-𝟏𝟎𝐂 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐑𝐚𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐞?

Pakistan has confirmed the acquisition of Full Squadron of 25 FC-20E fighter jets, export variant of J-10C from China in Response to India's Rafale fighter jets Image
As Pakistan’s fifth-generation fighter jet program, Project Azm, hangs in balance and its present fleet of JF-17 does not look competitive enough to challenge Indian Rafales, the J-10C (FC-20E) becomes an obvious choice for Pakistan... ImageImageImage
According reports, a Pakistani lawmaker Dr.Afnan Ullah Khan questioned the move to acquire the J-10C,saying that does not match upto Rafale jets made by French Dassault Aviation. Pakistan, which is struggling to sustain its economy, continues to procure defence equipment... ImageImage
Read 17 tweets

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