DRDO Achieves Breakthrough in Hypersonic Weapon Tech with Successful 1000-Second Scramjet Combustor Test.
Hyderabad:
In a landmark development for India’s defence and aerospace capabilities, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has achieved a significant milestone in hypersonic weapon technology. The Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), a premier Hyderabad-based lab under DRDO, successfully conducted a long-duration ground test of an Active Cooled Scramjet Subscale Combustor for over 1,000 seconds on April 25, 2025.
This critical test, conducted at DRDL’s newly established Scramjet Connect Test Facility in Hyderabad, is a follow-up to a previous 120-second test completed in January 2025. The latest milestone marks a giant leap in validating India’s capabilities in sustained supersonic combustion—an essential component in the development of hypersonic cruise missile systems.
Hypersonic cruise missiles are next-generation weapons capable of traveling at speeds exceeding Mach 5 (more than 6,100 km/h). These systems are powered by air-breathing scramjet engines that enable sustained flight at extremely high velocities and altitudes, posing serious strategic advantages in modern warfare.
The success of the 1,000-second ground test not only validates the combustor design and thermal management system using active cooling technology but also confirms the readiness of the advanced testing facility. The breakthrough is a result of an integrated and collaborative effort involving multiple DRDO laboratories, academic institutions, and industry partners.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh lauded the accomplishment and congratulated DRDO scientists and collaborating teams. He emphasized that this success reflects the Government’s unwavering focus on achieving self-reliance in critical defence technologies and propels India closer to operational hypersonic weapons capability.
Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, extended his congratulations to the entire DRDL team, including U Raja Babu, Director General (Missiles & Strategic Systems), and Dr. G.A. Srinivasa Murthy, Director of DRDL, for their leadership in this ambitious program.
The scramjet combustor test signifies a turning point in India’s defence landscape, paving the way for full-scale, flight-worthy hypersonic systems in the near future. It also strengthens India’s position among the few nations advancing in this highly complex and strategically crucial field.
