Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tests Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology

Key facts

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully demonstrated the Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha on February 3, 2026.
• The SFDR was developed by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad, in collaboration with the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, and the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune.
• The SFDR is an advanced air-breathing propulsion system where a solid fuel gas generator produces fuel-rich gases that mix with incoming air and burn in a ramjet combustor.
• Unlike conventional rockets, the SFDR does not carry an oxidiser, making the system lighter and more efficient while providing sustained thrust and thrust modulation during flight.
• The flight test validated several subsystems including a nozzle-less booster, SFDR motor, and fuel flow controller after the system was initially propelled by a ground booster motor to the desired Mach number.
• The technology is critical for the development of long-range air-to-air missiles capable of intercepting aerial threats at supersonic speeds over very long ranges.
• The use of solid fuel instead of liquid fuel in the SFDR system makes it simpler, safer, and easier to store and transport.