DRDO conducts successful flight test of Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet missile in Odisha’s Chandipur

The DRDO said it successfully carried out a flight test of its solid fuel-ducted ramjet (SFDR) missile propulsion system on Friday morning at the Chandipur test range in Odisha.

New Delhi: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful flight test of its solid fuel-ducted ramjet (SFDR) missile propulsion system on Friday (March 5, 2021) morning at Odisha's Chandipur test range.

In a press release issued by government-run DRDO it said: "All the subsystems, including the booster motor and nozzle-less motor, performed as expected (during the flight test)."

DRDO successfully conducted flight test of Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) Technology today at around 1030 hrs from ITR Chandipur. All the subsystems including the ground booster motor performed as per expectation. #AtmaNirbharBharat@SpokespersonMoD @adgpi @rajnathsingh pic.twitter.com/japob7kI8t — DRDO (@DRDO_India) March 5, 2021

"During the test, air launch scenario was simulated using a booster motor. Subsequently, the nozzle-less booster accelerated it to the required Mach number (speed) for Ramjet operation," it said.

Successful demonstration of SFDR technology has provided DRDO with a technological advantage which will enable it to develop long range air-to-air missiles, it added.

The statement informed that presently, the SFDR missile propulsion technology is available only with a handful of countries in the world.

Last month, the indigenously-designed and developed Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) was successfully launched by the DRDO.

The VL-SRSAM is capable of neutralising various aerial threats at close ranges.