Scramjet Engine : DRDO
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully carried out a cutting-edge Active Cooled Scramjet Combustor ground test for 120 seconds for the first time.
- It is an upgraded version of the Ramjet and generates thrust through supersonic air flow and combustion.
- It moves at hypersonic speed and performs best at high speeds, greater than Mach 5.
- Hypersonic missiles are a class of advanced weaponry that travel at speeds greater than Mach 5 i.e., five times the speed of sound or more than 5,400 km/hr.
- These advanced weapons have the potential to bypass existing Air Defence Systems and deliver rapid and high-impact strikes.
- Several nations including USA, Russia, India and China are actively pursuing Hypersonic technology.
- The key to hypersonic vehicles is Scramjets, which are air breathing engines capable of sustaining combustion at supersonic speeds without using any moving parts.
