D-Propulse demonstrates India's first indigenous 5 kN air-breathing rotating detonation engine

Exam-focused facts from the 26 August 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

D-Propulse successfully demonstrated India's first indigenous 5 kN air-breathing rotating detonation engine (RDE) integrated with an aerospike nozzle.
The hot-fire demonstration was conducted at a DRDO test facility and achieved stable 5 kN thrust, validating the technology at Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-5.
The engine uses pressure-gain combustion, offering 15–25% higher thermodynamic efficiency than conventional air-breathing propulsion and can be manufactured via precision machining.
D-Propulse, incubated at IIT Madras, aims to make the engine flight-ready by December 2027, with applications in cruise missiles, target drones, and high-speed UAVs.