India Tests Ground Scramjet Engine for Hypersonic Missiles
India's DRDO reports a 12-minute ground test of a scramjet combustor, marking a major leap in hypersonic missile propulsion and aerospace tech.
Hyderabad-based DRDL of the DRDO announced the successful long-duration ground test of its Actively Cooled Scramjet Full-Scale Combustor at the Scramjet Connect Pipe Test facility, delivering a run time of over 12 minutes. This milestone validates the combustor design and the test infrastructure, both developed by DRDL and realised in partnership with industry collaborators.
The test follows an earlier subscale long-duration run conducted on April 25 last year, building confidence in the propulsion system that uses air-breathing scramjet technology to sustain high-speed flight. A hypersonic cruise missile can fly at speeds beyond five times the speed of sound — over 6,100 km/h — for extended durations, thanks to this advanced propulsion approach.
India's achievement places the country at the forefront of aerospace propulsion technologies and lays a solid foundation for the Hypersonic Cruise Missile Development Programme. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, industry partners and academia involved, while DRDO Chairman Samir V. Kamat commended the teams for the commendable work.
