DRDO Tests Scramjet Engine in Hyd, to Boost Hypersonic Weapons Plan
The test, conducted at DRDO’s newly commissioned Scramjet Connect Test Facility in Hyderabad
New Delhi: In a big boost for India’s hypersonic weapons programme, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Friday carried out a long-duration ground test of an active-cooled, subscale scramjet combustor for over 1,000 seconds.
The test, conducted at DRDO’s newly commissioned Scramjet Connect Test Facility in Hyderabad by the Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), validates both the combustor design and the high-pressure test infrastructure. It follows an earlier 120-second trial in January 2025.
Powered by an air-breathing supersonic combustion engine, the hypersonic cruise missile under development is designed to sustain speeds above Mach 5 (over 6,100 km/h) for extended flight profiles. According to the Ministry of Defence, “This achievement is the result of a coordinated effort by DRDO laboratories, industry partners and academia, and lays a strong foundation for full-scale, flight-worthy combustor testing.”
With this successful run, DRDO has cleared a major milestone en route to operationalising India’s homegrown hypersonic cruise missile.