DRDO achieves breakthrough in hypersonic missile development with long-duration scramjet test

Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), the Hyderabad-based laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has achieved a milestone in India’s hypersonic missile programme with the successful long-duration ground test of an actively-cooled scramjet full-scale combustor.

The Ministry of Defence said the test was conducted on Friday at DRDL’s state-of-the-art Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) Facility, where the combustor demonstrated sustained performance for over 12 minutes. This marks a significant advancement over the earlier long-duration subscale test carried out in April 2025, and represents a crucial step towards the development of operational hypersonic cruise missiles.

The full-scale combustor and the specialised test facility have been indigenously designed and developed by DRDL, with realisation support from Indian industry partners. The successful trial validates both the advanced scramjet combustor design and the capabilities of the SCPT facility, positioning India among the global leaders in advanced hypersonic and aerospace technologies, the Ministry further said.

Hypersonic cruise missiles are capable of flying at speeds exceeding Mach 5 — more than five times the speed of sound, or over 6,100 km per hour — for extended durations. Such performance is enabled by cutting-edge air-breathing scramjet engines that utilise supersonic combustion, allowing sustained hypersonic flight. The latest ground tests have conclusively demonstrated the robustness of this critical propulsion technology.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, industry partners and academia on the successful long-duration ground test of the full-scale actively cooled scramjet engine. He stated that the achievement provides a strong foundation for India’s Hypersonic Cruise Missile Development Programme.

Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development, and DRDO chairman Samir V. Kamat, also lauded the scientists and engineers involved in the ground test, terming the achievement a major step forward in strengthening India’s strategic and technological capabilities.