India successfully tests SFDR technology, enters elite club of advanced missile powers
New Delhi, February 3. India has taken a major step forward in advanced missile propulsion with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully demonstrating Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology on February 3. The test was conducted from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, off the Odisha coast, at around 10:45 am.
The successful flight trial places India among a select group of nations that possess SFDR technology, a critical capability for the development of long-range air-to-air missiles that can provide a significant tactical advantage in combat scenarios.
During the test, all key subsystems – including the nozzle-less booster, the solid fuel ducted ramjet motor, and the fuel flow controller – performed as designed. After initial acceleration by a ground-based booster to the required Mach number, the SFDR system functioned seamlessly. Its performance was validated using flight data captured by multiple tracking instruments deployed along the Bay of Bengal coastline by ITR, Chandipur.
The launch was closely monitored by senior scientists from several DRDO laboratories, including the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Research Centre Imarat (RCI), and ITR.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and industry partners for the successful demonstration, while Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat also lauded the teams involved for the achievement.
