Hyderabad: The Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), a Hyderabad-based laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has achieved a significant milestone with the successful ground test of India's most complex supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) engine.
DRDL recently developed these technologies and demonstrated a cutting-edge active-cooled Scramjet Combustor ground test flawlessly for 120 seconds, marking the first successful test of its kind in India. The successful ground test has been hailed a crucial step in advancing India's next-generation hypersonic missile capabilities.
Hypersonic missiles are a class of advanced weaponry which can travel at speeds greater than Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound or more than 5400 km/h), represent the future of strategic defence systems.
DRDO's Scramjet Engine Ground Test Successful (ETV Bharat) These advanced weapons have the potential to bypass existing Air Defence Systems and deliver rapid and high-impact strikes. Several nations including the US, Russia, India and China are actively pursuing Hypersonic technology. The key to hypersonic vehicles is Scramjets, which are air breathing engines capable of sustaining combustion at supersonic speeds without using any moving parts.
Industries worked closely with the DRDO scientists in developing this highly intricate engine technology and complete the project.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and DRDO Chairman Sameer V Kamath congratulated the DRDO team and its industry partners after the successful Scramjet Engine Ground Test. “The achievement marks a crucial milestone in the development of next-generation hypersonic missiles,” the Defence Minister said.
DRDO Chairman Kamat also congratulated the DRDL team and partner firms for demonstrating capabilities in stable combustion, enhanced performance, and advanced thermal management test.
