The Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), based in Hyderabad and part of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has led the development of long-duration Supersonic Combustion Ramjet (Scramjet) powered Hypersonic technology. DRDL recently achieved a significant breakthrough by demonstrating the first-ever ground test of an Active Cooled Scramjet Combustor for 120 seconds in India. This successful test represents a critical milestone in the development of next-generation hypersonic missiles.
Hypersonic missiles are a type of advanced weaponry that travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5, which is five times the speed of sound, or over 5,400 km/h. These sophisticated weapons have the ability to evade current air defense systems and deliver fast, high-impact strikes. Countries such as the USA, Russia, India, and China are all actively developing hypersonic technology. The core technology behind hypersonic vehicles is Scramjets, air-breathing engines that can sustain combustion at supersonic speeds without the need for any moving parts.
The ground test of the scramjet combustor demonstrated several significant achievements, highlighting its potential for operational use in hypersonic vehicles, including successful ignition and stable combustion. Achieving ignition in a scramjet engine is akin to “keeping a candle lit in a hurricane.” The scramjet combustor features an innovative flame stabilization technique that maintains a continuous flame inside the combustor at air speeds exceeding 1.5 km/s. Numerous new and promising ignition and flame-holding techniques were explored through various ground tests to finalize the scramjet engine configuration. Advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation tools were used for evaluating and predicting performance.
A major breakthrough in this development is the indigenous creation of endothermic scramjet fuel, developed for the first time in India by DRDL in collaboration with industry. This fuel offers significant cooling improvements and enhances ignition ease. A special manufacturing process was developed to meet DRDL’s stringent fuel requirements at an industrial scale.
Another key achievement is the creation of a state-of-the-art Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC) designed to endure the extreme temperatures experienced during hypersonic flight. This new, advanced ceramic TBC, capable of operating at temperatures beyond the melting point of steel, was developed jointly by DRDL and the Department of Science & Technology (DST) Laboratory. The coating is applied inside the scramjet engine using specialized deposition methods to improve performance and durability. With demonstrated stable combustion, enhanced performance, and advanced thermal management, this breakthrough paves the way for next-generation hypersonic missiles.
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh praised DRDO and the industry for the successful scramjet engine ground test, calling it a vital milestone in the development of next-generation hypersonic missiles.
Dr. Samir V Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, congratulated the DRDL team and industry for demonstrating capabilities in stable combustion, enhanced performance, and advanced thermal management.