NEW DELHI: In a step towards developing next-generation hypersonic missiles, DRDO has conducted the successful test of an active cooled combustor of a scramjet engine on the ground for 120 seconds for the first time in the country.
Hypersonic missiles, which fly at speeds greater than Mach 5 or five times the speed of sound, have become a major focus area for major military powers, given their capability to defeat existing missile and air defence systems due to super-fast speeds, high-manoeuvrability and low altitudes of flight.
DRDO lab Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) recently demonstrated the active cooled scramjet combustor on the ground for 120 seconds. “The achievement marks a crucial milestone in the development of next-generation hypersonic missiles,” defence minister Rajnath Singh said.
A DRDO official said, “Several nations including the US, Russia, China and India are actively pursuing hypersonic technology. The key is scramjets, which are air-breathing engines capable of sustaining combustion at supersonic speeds without using any moving parts.” “The ground test showcased several notable achievements, demonstrating its potential for operational use in hypersonic vehicles, like successful ignition and stable combustion. Ignition in a scramjet engine is like ‘keeping a candle lit in a hurricane’,” he added.
The indigenous development of endothermic scramjet fuel, jointly by DRDL and the industry, is central to this breakthrough. The fuel offers dual benefits of significant cooling improvement and ease of ignition.