Tue Jan 21 15:32:04 UTC 2025: ## DRDO Achieves Major Breakthrough in Hypersonic Technology
**NEW DELHI, January 21, 2025** – India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted a groundbreaking 120-second ground test of an actively cooled scramjet combustor, marking a significant advancement in the nation’s hypersonic weapons program. This is the first time such a long-duration test has been achieved in India.
The scramjet, a key component of hypersonic vehicles, is an air-breathing engine capable of sustaining combustion at supersonic speeds without moving parts. The DRDO highlighted the successful ignition and stable combustion achieved during the test, conducted by the Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad.
Hypersonic missiles travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound, or over 5,400 km/hr). The development of this technology places India alongside nations like the U.S., Russia, and China in the pursuit of hypersonic capabilities.
The DRDO’s statement emphasized the challenges involved, describing scramjet ignition as akin to “keeping a candle lit in a hurricane.” The successful test relied on an innovative flame stabilization technique and the development of a novel endothermic scramjet fuel, a first for India, jointly developed by DRDL and an Indian industry partner. This fuel offers improved cooling and easier ignition.
Another key achievement is the development of a state-of-the-art Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC) by DRDL and the Department of Science and Technology (DST). This advanced ceramic TBC can withstand the extreme temperatures of hypersonic flight, exceeding the melting point of steel.
With stable combustion, enhanced performance, and advanced thermal management demonstrated, the DRDO believes this breakthrough paves the way for the next generation of hypersonic missions.
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