The Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has achieved a major milestone in hypersonic missile development by conducting a long-duration test of an actively cooled full-scale scramjet combustor at the Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) facility in Hyderabad on the ninth of May 2026. The combustor achieved a run time of over 1,200 seconds, building on an earlier ground test of over 700 seconds conducted in January.

The combustor was designed and developed by the laboratory and realised in collaboration with industry partners. The test validated the operation of a supersonic air-breathing engine that uses an indigenously developed liquid hydrocarbon endothermic fuel together with high-temperature thermal barrier coating and advanced manufacturing processes. Engineers reported that the ground campaign demonstrated sustained combustion and effective active cooling at operating conditions representative of hypersonic cruise regimes.

The ground tests at the state-of-the-art SCPT facility also verified the design of the active cooled scramjet combustor and the capabilities of the test infrastructure. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh complimented the laboratory, industry partners and academia and characterised the result as a solid foundation for the nation's hypersonic cruise missile development programme, while the Secretary and Chairman of DRDO, Dr Samir V Kamat, conveyed congratulations to the teams involved.

The achievement consolidates technical advances in thermal management, materials and propulsion integration that are central to hypersonic flight. The ability to sustain combustion for extended durations on a full-scale device addresses a key challenge for air-breathing hypersonic systems and reduces risk for subsequent flight demonstrations. The test, therefore represents a significant step in maturing technologies required for future integrated systems.

The successful campaign underscores the role of coordinated effort between defence research laboratories, industry and academia in developing advanced aerospace capabilities. The validated performance of the actively cooled combustor and the demonstrated facility operations will inform next-stage development and test planning.