The Defence Research and Development Organisation has achieved a major milestone in India’s hypersonic missile development programme by successfully conducting an extensive long-duration test of an Actively Cooled Full Scale Scramjet Combustor.
The test was conducted by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, a DRDO laboratory, at the state-of-the-art Scramjet Connect Pipe Test Facility in Hyderabad on 9 May 2026.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Defence, the scramjet combustor achieved a run-time of over 1,200 seconds during the latest test. The test builds on an earlier successful run of over 700 seconds conducted in January this year.
The actively cooled full-scale scramjet combustor has been designed and developed by DRDL and realised by industry partners.
The Ministry said the successful test marks a path-breaking milestone in the development of hypersonic missiles and places India at the forefront of advanced aerospace capabilities and emerging war technologies.
The achievement was made possible through a cutting-edge supersonic air-breathing engine.
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The system uses indigenously developed liquid hydrocarbon endothermic fuel, high-temperature thermal barrier coating and advanced manufacturing processes.
The ground tests at the Scramjet Connect Pipe Test Facility have successfully validated the design of the advanced actively cooled scramjet combustor. They have also validated the capabilities of the state-of-the-art test facility.
Scramjet technology is considered critical for hypersonic cruise missile development because it allows sustained combustion at supersonic airflow speeds.
The latest long-duration test is therefore an important step in strengthening India’s indigenous hypersonic propulsion capabilities.
The test image shared with the release shows the full-scale ground-test setup at the Hyderabad facility, with the scramjet system operating under high-temperature conditions during the trial.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented DRDO, industry partners and academia on the successful ground test of the Full Scale Actively Cooled Long Duration Scramjet Engine.
He described the achievement as a solid foundation for the nation’s Hypersonic Cruise Missile Development Program.
Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat also congratulated the teams associated with the test.
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