DRDO Lab Successfully Conducts Ground Test for Scramjet Engine
According to the defense ministry, the Defence Research and Development Organization has accomplished a "significant" milestone in the realm of hypersonic missile technology after conducting scramjet combustor ground testing for over 1,000 seconds.
The DRDO's Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), located in Hyderabad, has taken the lead in creating a hypersonic technology propelled by a scramjet or long-duration supersonic combustion ramjet.
According to a statement from the defense ministry, DRDL carried out "long-duration active cooled scramjet subscale combustor ground testing for more than 1,000 seconds at the newly built state-of-the-art Scramjet Connect Test Facility at Hyderabad."
"With the successful test, the system will be soon ready for full scale flight worthy combustor testing," it said.
In January, the ministry announced that the DRDL had developed these technologies and conducted a state-of-the-art active cooled scramjet combustor ground test for this duration for the first time in India.
This ground test is a continuation of the previous test, which was reported for 120 seconds.
A hypersonic cruise missile is a type of weapon that uses an air breathing engine to go more than Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound (more than 6,100 kmph), for an extended period of time.
According to the ministry's statement on Friday, air breathing propulsion systems—which have supersonic combustion—are essential for long-duration cruising circumstances.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented the DRDO, industry partners and academia for the "remarkable achievement".
He described it as a sign of the government's steadfast dedication to developing vital hypersonic weaponry for the country.
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It said that Director General (Missiles & Strategic Systems) U Raja Babu, DRDL Director G A Srinivasa Murthy, and the entire team were commended for "demonstrating the supersonic combustion for more than 1,000 seconds involving cutting-edge technologies" by Department of Defense R&D Secretary and DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat.