DRDO Conducts 1,200-Second Scramjet Test

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation achieved a significant milestone in hypersonic propulsion technology on Saturday, conducting a 1,200-second ground test of its actively cooled full-scale scramjet combustor at the Scramjet Connect Pipe Test facility in Hyderabad.

The test, performed by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, lasted nearly 20 minutes and surpassed a previous trial of over 700 seconds conducted in January. Officials described the result as validation of the combustor's design and the facility's capabilities. The scramjet, an air-breathing engine that enables sustained flight faster than Mach 5, or about 6,100 kilometers per hour, incorporates active cooling to manage extreme temperatures exceeding steel's melting point.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commended the DRDO, industry partners, and academia, calling the achievement "a solid foundation for the nation’s Hypersonic Cruise Missile Development Programme." Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence Research and Development and DRDO Chairman, also congratulated the teams involved.

The combustor relies on indigenously developed liquid hydrocarbon endothermic fuel,...