The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) accomplished a significant achievement in boosting defence capabilities as they obtained successful results from scramjet combustor ground tests that lasted for over 1,000 seconds. The DRDO conducted this extended test at their state-of-the-art Scramjet Connect Test Facility in Hyderabad which represents a major step forward in hypersonic cruise missile system development.

The Ministry of Defence made the announcement on Friday, calling the achievement a "significant milestone" in India’s quest for high-speed, long-range missile technologies. The scramjet test is the longest of its kind conducted by the organisation and represents a giant leap in propulsion technology that could enable missiles to fly at speeds greater than Mach 5.

India takes a major leap in #HypersonicTech!

DRDL, a Hyderabad based lab under @DRDO_India, successfully completed 1000+ sec ground test of Active Cooled Scramjet Combustor at its new #Scramjet Connect Test Facility. This paves the way for flight-worthy #HypersonicCruiseMissile… pic.twitter.com/9NwvvheehD

— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) April 25, 2025

The official statement confirmed, "long-duration active cooled scramjet subscale combustor ground testing for more than 1,000 seconds at the newly built state-of-the-art Scramjet Connect Test Facility at Hyderabad", was successfully completed.

"With the successful test, the system will be soon ready for full scale flight worthy combustor testing," the ministry added, signalling that the transition from lab-scale experiments to real-world, in-flight demonstrations is well underway.

The design structure of Scramjet engines sets it apart from other engines. The capability of operating with atmospheric oxygen while maintaining supersonic combustion at high speeds makes these engines both efficient and weight-efficient. On-demand high-speed cruise operations are essential for future warfare conditions because of these critical systems in place.

DRDO has firmly established a pathway for the fielding of hypersonic cruise missiles with the long-duration combustor design test. These missiles will provide significant advantages with ultra-high speeds and long-range and thus significantly shorten the required response time in tactical applications.

The Ministry of Defence also emphasized the collaborative aspect of this achievement, attributing this success to defense laboratories, academia, and private industry for the successful outcome. "This test validates the design of long-duration scramjet combustor as well as test facility. It is an outcome of an integrated effort put by the DRDO labs along with industry and academia and paves a strong base for the nation's Hypersonic Cruise Missile Development Programme," it said.

This recent test follows up on an earlier success in January when the DRDO successfully tested a 120-second scramjet combustor ground test, the country's first demonstration of an actively cooled scramjet system. With the recent 1,000-second run, India now stands at the forefront of a select group of countries pursuing air-breathing hypersonic propulsion.

Hypersonic cruise missiles are able to carry out persistent flight at rates faster than 6,100 kilometers per hour and are meant to transform strategic defense with their superior speed, distance, and power to stay hidden from state-of-the-art interdiction devices.

With this achievement, DRDO has significantly advanced India's journey toward operationalizing hypersonic technologies—ushering in a new era of aerospace capability.