Defence Research and Development Laboratory

Child agency of DRDO

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Defence Research and Development LaboratoryEstablished| June 1961

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Address| Kanchanbagh
Hyderabad
500058

Operating agency

| Defence Research and Development Organization

Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) is an Indian missile development laboratory, part of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). Their charter is centered on the design, development, and flight evaluation of various types of missile systems for the Indian armed forces.

## History

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In 1958, the Indian government constituted a team of engineers, mostly from the Indian Ordnance Factories Service \- called the Special Weapons Development Team \- to research guided missile weapons development. It was founded by S. P. Chakravarti, the father of Electronics and Telecommunication engineering in India, who also founded the DLRL and the Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE).[1] This team was later expanded into DRDL, a full-fledged laboratory, in June 1961, at the campus of Defence Science Centre, Delhi.[2][3] It later shifted to Hyderabad after the state government granted them the former Nizam's army barracks. This was the genesis of the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL),[4] under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

### Vision and mission

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Being a design and development house for missile-based weapon systems needed for tactical applications across multiple platforms is the organization's objective. Its aim is to create the cutting-edge technology and infrastructure needed for various class of missiles. Give the production agency the required technology for the guided missiles manufacturing.[5]

The DRDO launched Project Devil and Project Valiant to reverse engineer Soviet-origin guided missiles and create intercontinental ballistic missiles, respectively, which prompted the DRDL to begin developing missile guidance systems. Although both initiatives were abandoned before they were successful, the work completed aided DRDL in increasing its capacity. Afterwards, this assisted DRDL in leading the Integrated Guided Missiles Development Program (IGMDP). By 2011, India started producing cutting-edge components in-house and was fully independent in end-to-end missile development.[3]

## Products

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Weapon systems developed by DRDL include:-[6]

* Akash surface-to-air missile
* Astra air-to-air missile
* Nag anti-tank guided missile
* QRSAM surface-to-air missile

### Hypersonic technology

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Active Cooled Scramjet Subscale Combustor ground testing in April 2025

A 120-second ground test of an Active Cooled Scramjet Subscale Combustor for next-generation missiles was conducted by the DRDL at Scramjet Connect Test Facility at Hyderabad on 21 January 2025.[7][8] The test showed stable combustion and successful ignition. Together with the Department of Science and Technology and the private sector, DRDL has taken the lead in developing an improved ceramic thermal barrier coating (TBC), endothermic scramjet fuel, and a long-duration scramjet engine. A novel flame stabilization method was added to the scramjet combustor, which maintains a constant flame inside the combustor at air speeds greater than 1.5 km/s. In addition to improving cooling, the endothermic fuel shortens ignition times. With its excellent temperature resistance, the cutting-edge ceramic TBC can function above the melting point of steel.[9][10]

Another ground test of the scramjet was conducted on 25 April 2025, for a longer duration of over 1,000 seconds in the Hyderabad facility. With this, the system would be ready for full scale flight testing.[11]

## References

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1. ^ Mitra, S.N. (August 1982). "Prof. S.P. Chakravarti (1904–1981)". IETE Journal of Research. 28 (8): 385–390\. doi:10.1080/03772063.1982.11452762.[permanent dead link]
2. ^ "Historical Background". Defence Research and Development Laboratory. Archived from the original on 10 February 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
3. ^ a b Siddiqui, Huma (15 August 2022). "From Agni to BrahMos: A look at India's deadly missile arsenal". Financialexpress. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
4. ^ "Missile shield". Archived from the original on 7 February 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
5. ^ "DRDL - Homepage | Defence Research & Development Laboratory DRDO DRDO". drdo.gov.in. Archived from the original on 11 November 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
6. ^ "Products | Defence Research and Development Organisation - DRDO, Ministry of Defence, Government of India". www.drdo.gov.in. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
7. ^ "DRDO conducts Scramjet Engine Ground Test". Press Information Bureau. Ministry of Defence, Government of India. 21 January 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
8. ^ Philip, Snehesh Alex (21 January 2025). "Boost for India as DRDO successfully conducts scramjet engine ground test for hypersonic missiles". ThePrint. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
9. ^ Ray, Kalyan (21 January 2025). "DRDO achieves milestone on scramjet engines needed for hypersonic missiles". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
10. ^ Sharma, Shivani; Negi, Manjeet (21 January 2025). "India achieves milestone in hypersonic technology with 1st scramjet test success". India Today. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
11. ^ "DRDO achieves significant milestone in Scramjet Engine Development". Press Information Bureau. Ministry of Defence, Government of India. 25 April 2025. Retrieved 25 April 2025.

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* United States