DRDO hits key milestone in scramjet engine development with ground test

The Defence Research and Development Organisation on Friday conducted scramjet combustor ground testing for more than 1,000 seconds with the defence ministry saying the DRDO has achieved a "significant" milestone in the field of hypersonic weapon technology.

Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), a Hyderabad-based laboratory of the DRDO, has taken the initiative in developing a long-duration supersonic combustion ramjet or scramjet powered hypersonic technology.

DRDL conducted the "long-duration active cooled scramjet subscale combustor ground testing for more than 1,000 seconds at the newly built state-of-the-art Scramjet Connect Test Facility at Hyderabad", the defence ministry said in a statement.

"With the successful test, the system will be soon ready for full scale flight worthy combustor testing," it said.

The ground test is in continuation of the earlier test reported for 120 seconds in January, when the ministry had said that the DRDL had developed these technologies and demonstrated a cutting-edge active cooled scramjet combustor ground test for this duration for the first time in India.

The successful ground test had marked a "crucial milestone in developing next-generation hypersonic missiles", it had said.

A hypersonic cruise missile belongs to class of weapons that can travel more than Mach 5 or five times the speed of sound (over 6,100 kmph) for long duration and is powered by air breathing engine.

Air breathing propulsion systems, having supersonic combustion, plays a critical role for long-duration cruise conditions, the ministry said in its statement Friday.

"This test validates the design of long duration scramjet combustor as well as test facility. It is an outcome of an integrated effort put by the DRDO labs along with industry and academia and paves a strong base for the nation's Hypersonic Cruise Missile Development Programme," it added.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented the DRDO, industry partners and academia for the "remarkable achievement".

He termed it as a reflection of the government's strong commitment in realising critical hypersonic weapon technologies for the nation.

Department of Defence R&D Secretary and DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat congratulated Director General (Missiles & Strategic Systems) U Raja Babu, DRDL Director G A Srinivasa Murthy and the entire team for "demonstrating the supersonic combustion for more than 1,000 seconds involving cutting-edge technologies", it said.