DRDO Successfully Tests Long-Duration Scramjet Combustor, Boosting India’s Hypersonic Missile Programme

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully carried out an extensive long-duration ground test of its Actively Cooled Full-Scale Scramjet Combustor at a facility in Hyderabad.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the test achieved a run-time of over 1,200 seconds, exceeding the previous milestone of 700 seconds recorded in January this year. The achievement marks a major step forward in India’s advanced aerospace and hypersonic weapon technology capabilities.

The successful trial validates both the combustor design and the performance of the advanced testing infrastructure, providing a significant boost to India’s Hypersonic Cruise Missile Development Programme.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO scientists, industry partners and academic institutions for the achievement, describing it as a strong foundation for the country’s hypersonic cruise missile programme.

The Ministry stated that the combustor was developed by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), a Hyderabad-based laboratory under Defence Research and Development Organisation, with support from industry collaborators. The system uses indigenously developed liquid hydrocarbon fuel, advanced thermal barrier coatings and modern manufacturing technologies.