By A Correspondent
New Delhi: India’s defence technology agency has achieved a path-breaking milestone in the development of hypersonic missiles with the successful long-duration test of an indigenous scramjet combuster
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) announced on May 9, 2026, that one of its laboratories had carried out the extensive trials of the Actively Cooled Full-Scale Scramjet Combustor.
The DRDO’s Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) conducted a run-time of over 1,200 seconds of the scramjet combustor at the state-of-the-art Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) facility in Hyderabad.
The test was conducted, building upon the earlier successful test of over 700 seconds on the scramjet combuster held in January 2026, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
The DRDL designed and developed the combustor, with able contribution from private industry partners, it said, adding that the successful test positioned India at the forefront of advanced aerospace capabilities and continuously emerging warfare technologies.
“The remarkable feat is achieved through a cutting-edge supersonic air-breathing engine, which utilises indigenously developed liquid hydrocarbon endothermic fuel, high-temperature thermal barrier coating, and advanced manufacturing processes,” the statement said.
“The ground tests conducted at the SCPT facility have successfully validated the design of an advanced active cooled scramjet combustor as well as the capabilities of a state-of-the-art test facility,” it added.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented the DRDO, the industry partners, and the academia on the successful ground-test of the scramjet combuster, describing the “achievement” as a “solid foundation” for India’s hypersonic cruise missile development programme.
DRDO Chairman and Department of Defence Research and Development Secretary Dr. Samir V. Kamat also congratulated the test teams.
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