India has recently successfully developed a new technology to increase the range of air-to-air missiles. The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) conducted the final test of Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) located in Chandipur, Odisha, which was completely successful. This indigenous technology will help India in developing long-range air-to-air missiles.
According to DRDO, the final experimental test of the SFDR propulsion based missile system was completed with all objectives being successfully met. In this test conducted at Chandipur, various advanced range instruments such as telemetry, radar and electro optical tracking systems verified the successful performance of the system. This technology has been developed by the Defense Research Laboratory, Hyderabad in collaboration with other research institutes, including the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Pune.
The development of the SFDR began in 2013 and ground-based testing began in 2017. India has also developed a hypersonic missile demonstrating a nozzle-less booster that can travel eight times faster than the speed of sound. This missile will play a vital role in enhancing the capabilities of the armed forces. India’s new technology is not only important from a strategic point of view, but it can also prove to be a game-changer in global defense technology.