The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted the ground test of a full-scale actively cooled long duration scramjet engine for its hypersonic missile programme on Friday.“The Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad, has achieved a path-breaking milestone in the development of hypersonic missiles,” an official statement said. The combustor test, carried out at its state-of-the-art Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) Facility, achieved a run time of over 12 minutes.This achievement builds upon the earlier subscale test conducted on April 25, 2025, for long duration, marking a crucial step forward in hypersonic missiles development. The combustor and test facility were designed and developed by the DRDL and realised by industry partners. “The successful test positions India at the forefront of advanced aerospace capabilities,” DRDO said.A hypersonic cruise missile is capable of exceeding five times the speed of sound, that is over 6,100 kmph for extended periods. The remarkable feat is achieved through cutting-edge air-breathing engine, which utilises supersonic combustion to sustain long-duration flight.DRDO is developing several advanced hypersonic vehicles, notably the Extended Trajectory Long Duration Hypersonic Cruise Missile under Project Vishnu that envisions, a Mach 8 speed missile with a range of about 1,500 km, the Dhwani hypersonic glide vehicle that performs unpredictable glides making interception difficult, and a hypersonic technology demonstrator vehicle.The ground-tests conducted at SCPT facility have successfully validated the design of advanced scramjet combustor, as well as the capabilities of state-of-art test facility.The Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh has complimented DRDO, industry partners and academia on the successful ground test. He said that the achievement is a solid foundation for the nation’s hypersonic cruise missile development programme.Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development, and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat also congratulated the teams associated with the test for the commendable achievement.
