DRDO Successfully Tests SFDR Missile Technology

On 3rd February 2026, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully demonstrated the Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Odisha, marking a major milestone in India’s advanced missile propulsion capabilities.

Key Points

Successful Flight Test: The SFDR technology was flight-tested from the Integrated Test Range, off the Odisha coast, validating critical propulsion systems under real flight conditions.
Strategic Significance: The successful demonstration places India among a select group of nations possessing SFDR technology, which is vital for next-generation long-range air-to-air missiles.
Enhanced Missile Capability: SFDR propulsion enables higher range, sustained high speed and superior manoeuvrability, offering a significant tactical advantage to the Indian Armed Forces.
Subsystem Performance: All major subsystems, including the nozzle-less booster, solid fuel ducted ramjet motor and fuel flow controller, performed as per design expectations during the flight.
Ramjet Validation: After initial acceleration by a ground booster to the required Mach number, the ramjet system ignited and operated seamlessly, confirming the robustness of the propulsion design.
Flight Data and Tracking: System performance was verified using flight data from multiple tracking instruments deployed along the Bay of Bengal coast by the Chandipur test range.