India Hits Hypersonic Milestone: DRDO Successfully Completes 1,200-Second Scramjet Engine Test

NEW DELHI, May 09, 2026 — India has achieved a historic breakthrough in advanced aerospace engineering as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully completed a 1,200-second long-duration flight test of its Actively Cooled Full Scale Scramjet Combustor at the Scramjet Connect Pipe Test (SCPT) Facility in Hyderabad.

This milestone, which extends a previous 700-second record set earlier this year, represents a critical leap for the nation’s Hypersonic Cruise Missile Development Program. Developed by the Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) in tandem with domestic industry partners, the system utilizes cutting-edge supersonic air-breathing technology powered by indigenously produced liquid hydrocarbon endothermic fuel. To withstand the extreme thermal environment associated with hypersonic speeds, the engine incorporates high-temperature thermal barrier coatings and innovative active cooling mechanisms.

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh and DRDO Chairman Dr. Samir V. Kamat lauded the achievement, noting that the successful validation of this complex propulsion system positions India at the global forefront of emerging defense technologies and high-speed flight capabilities.