India has announced what it is describing as its first successful test of a long-range hypersonic missile, which occurred Saturday night. India’s defense ministry said it was launched from Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of the eastern state of Odisha. “The flight data obtained from down range ship stations confirmed the successful terminal maneuvers and impact with high degree of accuracy,” a statement said. “India has achieved a major milestone by successfully conducting flight trial of long range hypersonic missile,” Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh said, hailing it as historic. For decades, India has feared a multi-front war with China and Pakistan. By modernizing its military, along with investments in nuclear weapons and hypersonic missiles, New Delhi could be on a pathway to deter or manage conflict with either one of its nuclear-armed neighbors.  What is clear is that with this long-range, hypersonic test, India joins a small group of nations who possess and are capable of successfully deploying such advanced missiles.  Click here to read more