The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has completed over 1,000 seconds of ground testing for an active cooled scramjet subscale combustor. The test, conducted by the Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) on April 25, 2025, took place at the newly established Scramjet Connect Test Facility in Hyderabad. It follows an earlier test of 120 seconds conducted in January 2025 and is part of the development of hypersonic weapon technologies.
The scramjet combustor is designed for air-breathing hypersonic cruise missiles, which are capable of traveling at speeds greater than five times the speed of sound (over 6,100 km/h) for extended periods. The recent ground test was intended to validate the combustor design for long-duration operations as well as to assess the capabilities of the test facility itself. According to the information released, the system is expected to move towards full-scale flight-worthy combustor testing following this milestone.
The testing program involved collaboration between DRDO laboratories, industry partners, and academic institutions. Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO, Samir V Kamat, stated, “Congratulations to Director General (Missiles & Strategic Systems) U Raja Babu, Director DRDL GA Srinivasa Murthy and the complete team for demonstrating the supersonic combustion for more than 1,000 seconds involving cutting edge technologies.”
DRDL, based in Hyderabad, operates under the DRDO and focuses on the design and development of missile systems and associated technologies. Its projects include propulsion systems, aerodynamics, and advanced weapons technologies.