DRDO successfully tests Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet tech from ITR in Odisha

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Tuesday successfully demonstrated Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, off the Odisha coast.

The test was conducted at around 10.45 am on February 3, 2026. With this achievement, India joins a select group of countries that possess SFDR technology, which is critical for the development of long-range air-to-air missiles and provides a significant tactical advantage.

During the demonstration, all major subsystems—including the nozzle-less booster, the solid fuel ducted ramjet engine, and the fuel flow controller–performed as expected. The system was initially accelerated to the required Mach number using a ground booster before the ramjet took over.

DRDO said the performance was validated through flight data collected by multiple tracking systems deployed along the Bay of Bengal coast. Senior scientists from various DRDO laboratories, including the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Research Centre Imarat, and ITR, monitored the launch.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO and industry partners for the successful demonstration, while DRDO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, Dr Samir V Kamat, also praised the teams involved in the test.