DRDL Achieves Breakthrough in Hypersonic Missile Engine Tests
AVIATION & AIRPORTS

DRDL Achieves Breakthrough in Hypersonic Missile Engine Tests

The Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), a Hyderabad-based laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has recently achieved a major milestone in the development of hypersonic missile technology. The laboratory successfully conducted a long-duration ground test of its Actively Cooled Scramjet Full Scale Combustor, recording a run time of over 12 minutes at the Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) Facility on 9 January 2026.
This achievement builds on an earlier successful subscale long-duration test carried out in April 2025 and represents a significant advancement in India’s hypersonic cruise missile programme. The combustor and the associated test facility were designed and developed by DRDL and realised with support from industry partners.
A hypersonic cruise missile is capable of travelling at speeds exceeding Mach 5, or more than 6,100 km per hour, for sustained durations. This capability is enabled by an advanced air-breathing scramjet engine that uses supersonic combustion. The recent ground tests at the SCPT facility validated both the design of the full-scale scramjet combustor and the performance of the state-of-the-art testing infrastructure.
Rajnath Singh, Raksha Mantri, congratulated DRDO, its industry partners and academia on the successful test, describing it as a strong foundation for the nation’s hypersonic cruise missile development programme.
Samir V Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, also commended the teams involved for the achievement, highlighting its importance in strengthening India’s advanced aerospace and defence capabilities.

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The Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), a Hyderabad-based laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has recently achieved a major milestone in the development of hypersonic missile technology. The laboratory successfully conducted a long-duration ground test of its Actively Cooled Scramjet Full Scale Combustor, recording a run time of over 12 minutes at the Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) Facility on 9 January 2026.This achievement builds on an earlier successful subscale long-duration test carried out in April 2025 and represents a significant advancement in India’s hypersonic cruise missile programme. The combustor and the associated test facility were designed and developed by DRDL and realised with support from industry partners.A hypersonic cruise missile is capable of travelling at speeds exceeding Mach 5, or more than 6,100 km per hour, for sustained durations. This capability is enabled by an advanced air-breathing scramjet engine that uses supersonic combustion. The recent ground tests at the SCPT facility validated both the design of the full-scale scramjet combustor and the performance of the state-of-the-art testing infrastructure.Rajnath Singh, Raksha Mantri, congratulated DRDO, its industry partners and academia on the successful test, describing it as a strong foundation for the nation’s hypersonic cruise missile development programme.Samir V Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, also commended the teams involved for the achievement, highlighting its importance in strengthening India’s advanced aerospace and defence capabilities.

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