India successfully flight tests Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) booster off Odisha coast

Source : Republic

Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) File Photo

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Friday successfully flight tested the Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) booster at the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur off the coast of Odisha. As informed by the Ministry of Defence, the flight test successfully demonstrated the reliable functioning of all critical components involved in the complex missile system and further met all the mission objectives as ascertained. 

Notably, the flight test of the SFDR booster was conducted around 8:30 a.m on Friday. With this successful trial, India now joins a handful number of countries having such technology in the world. Earlier in March 2021, DRDO had carried out a successful flight demonstration based on Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet technology. The demonstration further provided the DRDO with an advantage enabling it to develop long-range air-to-air missiles, informed the Defence Ministry after the test. 

Meanwhile, following a successful trial of SFDR on Friday, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO calling it an "important milestone" towards the development of critical missile technologies in the country. On the other hand, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy complimented the teams involved in the designing, development, and testing of the Ramjet booster adding that the successful trial will help to enhance the range of air-to-air-missiles.  

Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) successfully flight tested from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha @rajnathsingh @SpokespersonMoD https://t.co/OLHPlE9PIy pic.twitter.com/l8BRcvsA7O

— DRDO (@DRDO_India) April 8, 2022

More about Ramjet booster

The Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) is a missile propulsion system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation of India (DRDO). The project was initiated to develop critical technologies required in the propulsion systems of future Indian long-range air-to-air missiles. 

Furthermore, the SFDR-based propulsion enables the missile to intercept aerial threats at very long range at supersonic speeds. The performance of the system has been confirmed from the data captured by a number of range instruments like Telemetry, Radar, and Electro-Optical Tracking Systems (EOTS) deployed by ITR. 

Notably, the SFDR has been developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories such as Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad, and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Pune.