Hyderabad — In a landmark achievement poised to accelerate India’s Hypersonic Cruise Missile Development, the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully completed a long-duration ground test of its Active Cooled Scramjet Subscale Combustor. Conducted at the newly inaugurated Scramjet Connect Test Facility in Hyderabad, the combustor sustained supersonic combustion for over 1,000 seconds—setting a new benchmark in India’s strides toward advanced air-breathing propulsion systems.
The feat marks a critical transition from laboratory-scale experimentation to near flight-level readiness. Notably, this test builds on an earlier 120-second trial conducted in January 2025, demonstrating rapid progress in sustained scramjet operation. With this accomplishment, India edges closer to testing a full-scale, flight-worthy combustor—an essential step in the Hypersonic Cruise Missile Development program.
Scramjet engines, known for enabling speeds beyond Mach 5, are key to future long-range, high-speed missiles. These engines use atmospheric oxygen for combustion, reducing the weight of onboard oxidizers and enhancing fuel efficiency. The advanced combustor tested by DRDO integrates active cooling, a vital requirement for prolonged high-temperature operations in hypersonic flight regimes.
India takes a major leap in #HypersonicTech!
DRDL, a Hyderabad based lab under @DRDO_India, successfully completed 1000+ sec ground test of Active Cooled Scramjet Combustor at its new #Scramjet Connect Test Facility. This paves the way for flight-worthy #HypersonicCruiseMissile… pic.twitter.com/9NwvvheehD
— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) April 25, 2025
“This achievement reflects our unwavering commitment to realizing critical Hypersonic Weapon Technologies,” said Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, commending DRDO scientists, industry collaborators, and academic partners for their coordinated effort. He emphasized that the success signals India’s growing technological prowess in next-generation missile systems.
Dr. Samir V Kamat, Secretary of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, hailed the milestone as a testament to India’s research depth. He praised the leadership of Director General (Missiles & Strategic Systems) Shri U Raja Babu and Director DRDL Dr. GA Srinivasa Murthy for steering the complex testing process, which involved sophisticated thermal management and combustion technologies.
This ground test not only validates the scramjet combustor design but also establishes the newly built test infrastructure as a world-class facility for advanced propulsion research. As part of a broader roadmap, DRDO’s progress sets the stage for India to join an elite group of nations developing hypersonic capabilities—pivotal for strategic deterrence and long-range precision strike systems.
With the Hypersonic Cruise Missile Development advancing rapidly, the nation stands at the cusp of technological self-reliance in a domain once dominated by a select few.
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