With a flying test of the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully exhibited hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology (HSTDV). The HSTDV is a hypersonic scramjet demonstration aircraft that is unmanned. It’s being constructed as a carrier vehicle for hypersonic and long-range cruise rockets. Still, it’ll also be used for various civilian purposes, including the low-cost launch of small satellites. The Defence Research and Development Organisation is in charge of the HSTDV programme. Soon, hypersonic cruise missiles and vehicles will be developed using this hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) 

DRDO is the agency that reports to the Defence Research and Development Organisation of the Department of Defence. Its main mission is research and development in the military field. It was established in 1958 by the merger of the Technology Development Facility and the Technology Development and Production Bureau of the  Ordnance Factory Board of India. 

This organisation is engaged in developing defence technologies such as aviation, electronics, land combat engineering, life sciences, materials, missiles and naval systems.

HSTDV

The HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet demonstration engine for hypersonic flight developed by DRDO in India. Although HSTDV itself is not a weapon, it has been developed as a carrier for hypersonic and long-range cruise missiles. 

The HSTDV cruiser is mounted on a solid rocket motor that propels to the required altitude. When a certain speed of Mach number is reached, the cruise ship will be released from the rocket. After that, the scramjet engine will be ignited automatically.

Air Breathing Engine 

The Air Breathing Engine uses oxygen in the atmosphere to burn fuel. These include turbojets, turboprops, ramjets, and pulse jets. This system is lighter, more efficient and cheaper than other systems in use. The world is working on the technological development of air-breathing engines for satellite launch vehicles.

Air Breathing Engine Types 

1. Ramjet: 

• A Ramjet is a type of air-breathing jet engine that utilises the reciprocating movement of the engine to compress incoming air without the need for an axial or centrifugal compressor
• A Ramjet-powered vehicle needs takeoff assistance such as rocket assistance to accelerate it to the speed at which it begins to generate thrust
• The Ramjets are most effective at supersonic speeds of around Mach 3 (2,300 mph; 3,700 km/h). This type of engine can operate at Mach 6 (4,600 mph; 7,400 km/h)

1. Scramjet: 

A scramjet (supersonic combustion jet) is a jet engine in which the airflow passing through the engine is still supersonic or faster than the speed of sound. Jet-powered vehicles are rated to be able to operate at speeds of at least Mach 15. The jet (supersonic combustion jet) is a variant of jet aircraft. Aggressive Scramjet relies on high vehicle speeds to forcefully compress air prior to combustion. 

Scramjet is made up of three basic components: 

• A converging Inlet, where the incoming air is compressed
• A combustion chamber where gaseous fuel is ignited with atmospheric oxygen to produce heat
• A diverging nozzle where heated air is accelerated to generate thrust

1. Dual-Mode Ramjet 

• A dual-mode jet (DMRJ) is a type of jet engine where the ramjet transforms into a scramjet over the Mach 48 range
• This means it can operate effectively in both subsonic and ultrasonic combustion modes

Advantages of hypersonic air breathing scramjet technology:

• Indigenous evolution of the technology will spur the development of systems built with hypersonic vehicles at its core 
• It can be developed as a long-range cruise missile carrier in the defence sector. This includes hostile and cautious hypersonic cruise missile systems 
• Because of its rapidity, most RADARs can not distinguish it. It can likewise infiltrate most missile defence systems
• This technology will be useful in the space sector to develop low-cost, high-performance reusable satellites