DRDO Achieves Major Breakthrough in Hypersonic Missile Technology with 1200-Second Scramjet Test
Long-Duration Scramjet Combustor Trial Strengthens India’s Hypersonic Cruise Missile Programme
The successful trial builds upon an earlier test of more than 700 seconds carried out in January this year, demonstrating significant progress in long-duration hypersonic propulsion technologies, the Defence Ministry said.
Hyderabad: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has achieved a significant milestone in India’s hypersonic missile development programme by successfully conducting a long-duration ground test of an actively cooled full-scale scramjet combustor developed by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL).
The test, conducted at the state-of-the-art Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) Facility in Hyderabad on Saturday, achieved a run-time of over 1,200 seconds, marking a major advancement in India’s supersonic air-breathing propulsion capabilities, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
The successful trial builds upon an earlier test of more than 700 seconds carried out in January this year, demonstrating significant progress in long-duration hypersonic propulsion technologies, it said.
According to DRDO, the combustor was designed and developed by DRDL in collaboration with industry partners and incorporates several advanced indigenous technologies, including liquid hydrocarbon endothermic fuel, high-temperature thermal barrier coatings, and advanced manufacturing processes.
The organisation said the ground tests successfully validated both the design of the actively cooled scramjet combustor and the operational capabilities of the SCPT facility.
The development is considered a major step toward strengthening India’s Hypersonic Cruise Missile Development Programme and places the country among a select group of nations working on advanced hypersonic propulsion systems.
Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO scientists, industry collaborators, and academic institutions associated with the programme, describing the achievement as a strong foundation for India’s future hypersonic cruise missile capabilities.
Samir V Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, also congratulated the teams involved in the successful test.
Scramjet technology is regarded as a critical component in hypersonic weapons systems, enabling sustained flight at speeds exceeding Mach 5 using atmospheric oxygen for combustion, thereby significantly enhancing missile speed, range, and manoeuvrability, it added.
