India progresses ramjet booster testing for air-to-air missile
India's Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet technology is intended to power the country's long-range Astra Mk III air-to-air missile. (DRDO)
India's Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has again test flown its Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology, which is to be integrated into the country's Astra Mk III long-range air-to-air missile programme.
The test flight was conducted at around 1045 h local time on 3 February 2026 from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off the coast of the Indian state of Odisha, according to the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The test shows that various subsystems, including the nozzle-less booster, the SFDR ramjet motor, and the fuel flow controller, performed “as per expectations”, the MoD said.
The system was “initially propelled by a ground booster motor to the desired Mach number”, the MoD added.
According to the ministry, tracking instruments deployed by ITR along the coast of the Bay of Bengal monitored the system along its flightpath.
The SFDR is intended to power India's domestically developed Astra Mk III (Gandiva) beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM). According to information previously presented by DRDO, the Astra Mk III aims to have a maximum range of 340 km at an operating altitude of 65,600 ft. Models of the Astra Mk III previously displayed by DRDO reveal the missile's resemblance to the MBDA Meteor BVRAAM, with two asymmetric ramjet motor air intakes mounted below the body.
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