Balasore

India on Tuesday successfully carried out a demonstration of solid fuel ducted ramjet (SFDR) technology from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, off the Odisha coast, marking a key milestone in advanced missile propulsion systems, a defence statement said.

The SFDR system is a critical propulsion technology required for the development of long-range air-to-air missiles being designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Experts said the technology can also be adapted for use in surface-to-air missile platforms.

According to the statement, the successful test places India among a select group of countries that possess SFDR capability, which provides enhanced range, speed and manoeuvrability, offering a significant tactical advantage over adversaries.

The demonstration was conducted by DRDO, during which all major subsystems performed as intended. These included the nozzle-less booster, the solid fuel ducted ramjet motor and the fuel flow controller.

The system was initially accelerated to the required Mach number using a ground booster motor, following which the ramjet propulsion took over, the statement said.

Performance parameters were validated through flight data collected by multiple tracking instruments deployed by ITR along the Bay of Bengal coastline.

The test was closely monitored by senior scientists from several DRDO laboratories, including the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Research Centre Imarat and the Integrated Test Range.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and the domestic defence industry for the successful demonstration, describing it as a major technological achievement.

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DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat also lauded the teams involved for the successful flight test and the collaborative effort behind the programme.