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India on Saturday achieved a major milestone in hypersonic missile technology after the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out a long-duration ground test of an actively cooled full-scale scramjet combustor at Hyderabad.
The test was conducted by the Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), a Hyderabad-based DRDO facility, and recorded a run time of more than 1,200 seconds at the Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) facility. Officials said the achievement builds on an earlier test of over 700 seconds conducted in January this year.
The successful trial is being seen as a significant advancement in India’s efforts to develop hypersonic cruise missile capabilities based on supersonic air-breathing propulsion systems.
According to DRDO, the test validated the design and performance of the advanced actively cooled scramjet combustor as well as the capabilities of the SCPT facility. The system uses an indigenously developed liquid hydrocarbon endothermic fuel and incorporates high-temperature thermal barrier coatings along with advanced manufacturing technologies.
Officials said the combustor was designed and developed by DRDL with support from industry partners.
Hypersonic systems, capable of travelling at speeds exceeding Mach 5, are considered among the most critical next-generation military technologies because of their speed, manoeuvrability and ability to evade conventional air defence systems.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, industry and academic partners associated with the project, describing the achievement as “a solid foundation” for India’s hypersonic cruise missile development programme.
DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat also commended the scientists and engineers involved in the programme.
Team BharatShakti
