The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), through its Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) based in Hyderabad, has reached a significant milestone in the development of hypersonic missiles.
On January 9, 2026, DRDL successfully conducted an extensive long-duration ground test of its Actively Cooled Full-Scale Scramjet Combustor, achieving a runtime of over 12 minutes at its state-of-the-art Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) Facility.
This remarkable achievement builds on an earlier subscale test conducted on April 25, 2025, which focused on long-duration performance. This progress is a crucial step forward in the development of hypersonic missiles. Both the combustor and the testing facility were designed and developed by DRDL with the support of industry partners. This successful test positions India at the forefront of advanced aerospace capabilities.
The hypersonic cruise missile is designed to exceed speeds of over five times the speed of sound (more than 6,100 km/h) for extended periods. This impressive capability is made possible by an advanced air-breathing engine that employs supersonic combustion to sustain long-duration flight. The ground tests conducted at the SCPT facility have successfully validated the design of the advanced scramjet combustor, as well as the functionality of the cutting-edge test facility.
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh praised the DRDO, its industry partners, and academia for the successful ground test of the Full-Scale Actively Cooled Long-Duration Scramjet Engine. He noted that this achievement provides a solid foundation for the nation’s hypersonic cruise missile development program.
Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence Research and Development and Chairman of DRDO, congratulated the teams involved in the test for their commendable achievement.
