In a significant technological leap, India has marked a major milestone in the global hypersonic race. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted a long-duration ground test of its advanced scramjet combustor, achieving a continuous run time of over 12 minutes.
A Landmark Test in Hyderabad
The critical test was carried out on Friday at the sophisticated Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) facility. The execution was led by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad, the premier DRDO facility dedicated to designing and developing cutting-edge missile systems. This achievement builds directly upon a subscale test conducted on April 25 last year, which ran for more than 1000 seconds, and an earlier two-minute demonstration in January 2025.
Inside the Hypersonic Breakthrough
The Actively Cooled Scramjet Full Scale Combustor is a core component of air-breathing engines that power hypersonic cruise missiles. These missiles are capable of sustaining speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound (Mach 5), or over 6,100 kilometres per hour, for extended periods. Unlike traditional rockets, a scramjet engine uses supersonic combustion of atmospheric air, making it highly efficient for long-range, high-speed flight.
The Ministry of Defence stated that the ground tests have successfully validated the combustor's design and the capabilities of the state-of-the-art test facility. The combustor and the test infrastructure were designed and developed by DRDL and brought to life by Indian industry partners.
Positioning India on the Global Stage
This successful 12-minute test represents a path-breaking advancement. "The successful test positions India at the forefront of advanced aerospace capabilities," affirmed a ministry release. The development comes at a time of intense global competition to master and deploy reliable hypersonic technologies, which are seen as a game-changer for defence and strategic deterrence.
The progress from a 120-second test to one lasting over 720 seconds within a year underscores the rapid strides made by Indian scientists and engineers in this complex domain. This achievement solidifies India's indigenous capabilities in developing futuristic hypersonic cruise missile systems.
