Scramjet test another milestone in India’s hypersonic weapons development
“For the first time, DRDO [Defence Research and Development Organisation] has successfully tested a scramjet combustor with active cooling for a full 1,000 seconds,” Vijainder K. Thakur, a defense analyst and retired Indian Air Force fighter pilot, told FORUM. “This marks a major milestone, demonstrating India’s ability to engineer scramjet systems that can operate continuously for several minutes rather than just brief bursts.”
“The primary obstacle to building a functional hypersonic cruise missile isn’t the scramjet engine itself – it’s managing the extreme heat over time,” Thakur said. “What makes DRDL’s breakthrough particularly noteworthy is their solution to the intense heat generated by friction: a combination of active cooling and advanced thermal barrier coatings.”
“The DRDO scramjet eventually could replace imported technology on weapons platforms, he said. ‘This achievement opens the door for India to field a fully indigenous hypersonic cruise missile in the near future.’ ”