Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) of DRDO has achieved a path-breaking milestone in the development of hypersonic missiles by successfully conducting an extensive long-duration test of its Actively Cooled Full Scale Scramjet Combustor. A run-time of over 1,200 seconds was achieved at the state-of-the-art Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) Facility in Hyderabad on May 9, building upon the earlier successful test of over 700 seconds conducted in January this year.

The Combustor has been designed & developed by DRDL and realised by industry partners. This successful test positions India at the forefront of advanced aerospace capabilities and continuously emerging war technologies. The remarkable feat is achieved through cutting-edge supersonic air-breathing engine, which utilises indigenously developed liquid hydrocarbon endothermic fuel, High temperature Thermal Barrier coating & advanced manufacturing processes. The ground tests conducted at the SCPT facility have successfully validated the design of advanced active cooled scramjet combustor as well as the capabilities of state-of-art test facility.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh complimented DRDO, industry partners and academia on the successful ground-test. He described the achievement as a solid foundation for the nation’s hypersonic cruise missile development programme.