The Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) programme being run by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is an unmanned scramjet demonstration aircraft for hypersonic speed flight. It is being developed as a carrier vehicle for hypersonic and long-range cruise missiles, and will have multiple civilian applications including the launching of small satellites at low cost.
HSTDV is intended to attain autonomous scramjet flight for 20 seconds, using a solid rocket launch booster. The research will also inform India’s interest in reusable launch vehicles. The eventual target is to reach Mach 6 at an altitude of 32.5 km.
A mock-up of the HSTDV was shown at the Aero India exhibition in Bengaluru in February 2023.
Israel has provided some assistance on the HSTDV program, including wind tunnel testing, as has Cranfield University of the U.K. According to a report, Russia has provided critical help in the project. India’s main defence-industrial partner is Russia, which has carried out considerable research into hypersonic propulsion.
In the 12 June 2019 test, the cruise vehicle was mounted on an Agni-I solid rocket motor to take it to the required altitude. After the required altitude was reached and the Mach was achieved, the cruise vehicle was ejected out of the launch vehicle. Mid-air the scramjet engine was auto-ignited, and propelled the cruise vehicle at Mach 6.
Hypersonic Glide Vehicle
DRDO is developing a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) as part of its Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP). The HGV is a vehicle that is carried to high altitude by a rocket booster and then glides to its target at hypersonic speeds.
The HGV is still in the development stage, but it has already achieved some significant milestones. In 2020, the DRDO successfully tested a scramjet engine that could be used to power the HGV. The engine was tested at speeds of up to Mach 5.
The DRDO is also developing a number of other technologies that will be needed for the HGV, including:
• A guidance system that will allow the HGV to hit its target with precision.
• A thermal protection system that will protect the HGV from the heat of hypersonic flight.
• A control system that will allow the HGV to manoeuvre during flight.
The DRDO expects to complete the development of the HGV in the next few years. Once the HGV is developed, it will be a major addition to India’s arsenal of strategic weapons.
The HGV is expected to have a range of up to 3,000 kilometers. It is expected to be able to fly at speeds of up to Mach 10 and be capable of carrying a conventional or nuclear warhead.
Scramjet Engine
The DRDO is developing an actively cooled scramjet engine for a long duration propulsion system for hypersonic vehicles.
The actively cooled scramjet engine is a significant improvement over conventional scramjet engines. It uses a system of internal and external cooling to prevent the engine from overheating at hypersonic speeds. This allows the engine to operate for longer periods of time, which is essential for long-range hypersonic weapons and vehicles.
The DRDO’s actively cooled scramjet engine is still in the development stage, but it has already achieved some significant milestones. In 2021, the engine successfully completed a series of ground tests at DRDL. The engine is expected to be flight tested in the near future.
The scramjet engine is being designed to operate at speeds of up to Mach 5. It is being cooled by a system of internal and external cooling channels. It is being made from high-temperature materials that can withstand the heat of hypersonic flight. The engine is being designed to be modular, so that it can be easily adapted to different hypersonic vehicles.
Scramjet Testing
On 7 September 2020 DRDO successfully tested the scramjet powered Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV). At 30 km altitude payload fairing separated, followed by separation of HSTDV cruise vehicle, air-intake opening, fuel injection and auto-ignition. After sustaining hypersonic combustion for 20 seconds, cruise vehicle achieved velocity of nearly 2 km per second. This test flight validated aerodynamic configuration of vehicle, ignition and sustained combustion of scramjet engine at hypersonic flow, separation mechanisms and characterised thermo-structural materials.
Fuels for Hypersonic Applications
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India is developing endothermic fuels for hypersonic applications. Endothermic fuels are those that absorb heat during combustion, which can help to improve the performance of hypersonic vehicles.
DRDO is working on a number of different endothermic fuel concepts, including:
Fuels that use metal hydrides as the fuel source. Metal hydrides are compounds that release hydrogen gas when they are heated, which can then be burned to provide thrust.
Fuels that use ammonia as the fuel source. Ammonia is a relatively safe and easy-to-handle fuel that can also be used in endothermic combustion.
Fuels that use a combination of metal hydrides and ammonia. This approach could offer the best of both worlds, combining the high energy density of metal hydrides with the safety and handling characteristics of ammonia.
DRDO is still in the early stages of developing endothermic fuels for hypersonic applications, but the organization has made significant progress in recent years. If successful, these fuels could revolutionize the design and performance of hypersonic vehicles.
The research is being conducted at the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad, India. The project is being led by Dr. K. Sivan, the former director of DRDL. It is expected to be completed in the next few years.
Endothermic fuels have the potential to offer a number of advantages over traditional hypersonic fuels, including:
• Increased specific impulse, which means that the vehicle can travel farther on a given amount of fuel.
• Reduced thermal management requirements, as the fuel absorbs heat during combustion.
• Improved safety, as endothermic fuels are less likely to explode than traditional fuels.
Comments
The DRDO’s hypersonic glide vehicle is a major technological achievement. If it is successful, it could revolutionize the way that India fights wars.
If the DRDO’s actively cooled scramjet engine is successful, it could have a major impact on the future of hypersonic weapons and vehicles. These engines could make hypersonic weapons more powerful and longer-range, and they could also make hypersonic vehicles safer and easier to operate.
The actively cooled scramjet engine could change the design and performance of hypersonic weapons and vehicles. Endothermic fuels for hypersonic applications could make hypersonic weapons more powerful and longer-range, and they could also make hypersonic vehicles safer and easier to operate.
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iDEX-DIO signs first contract under Mission DefSpace
Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the flagship initiative of Ministry of Defence, has reached a milestone with the signing of its 250th contract – first under Mission DefSpace – and 100th SPRINT (Navy) contract in New Delhi on May 15, 2023.
Mission DefSpace contract
The first iDEX contract of Mission DefSpace was exchanged between Additional Secretary (Defence Production) & CEO Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) Shri T Natarajan and CEO, InspeCity Shri Arindrajit Chowdhary, one of the winners of the challenge ‘Micropropulsion system for cubesats’. This challenge is being led by the Defence Space Agency.
Cubesats are a class of smallsats, which are modular; low-cost; easy to manufacture, integrate, and launch; and form a critical component for launch-on-demand capabilities. For imagery/Intelligence Surveillance & Reconnaissance/ communication purposes, cubesats need to be precisely aligned, hence there is a requirement of a compact micropropulsion system for precise manoeuvring and orbit correction. InspeCity is developing a gas-based system for this purpose. This technology, once developed, can be integrated with other satellites, including the cubesat swarm being developed under Mission DefSpace.
Recognising the strategic significance of the space domain, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had launched Mission DefSpace with 75 Defence Space Challenges to be addressed by the private sector during DefExpo at Gandhinagar in October 2022. It aims to nurture the Indian Private Space industry through challenges addressing every stage of a space mission – from mission planning to satellite data analytics.
100th SPRINT (Navy) contract
The 100th SPRINT (Navy) contract was exchanged between AS (DP) & CEO-DIO and CEO, Siliconia Technologies Pvt Ltd Shri Sushil Eknath Ghule. Siliconia Technologies Pvt Ltd is the winner of the Challenge which envisaged the development of a prototype that is a lightweight ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) based communication system using software defined antenna for Low Earth Orbit, Medium Earth Orbit and Geostationary satellite communication. The solution by Siliconia can provide multiple independent receiver/transmitter sources that are essential in phased-array radars, typically used in satellite tracking.
Under the ‘SPRINT’ initiative, a total of 75 Challenge statements for the Indian industry were unveiled by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) seminar ‘Swavlamban’ on July 18, 2022. The initiative aims at inducting at least 75 technologies/ products into the Indian Navy by August 2023 as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
The iDEX achieved the milestone of signing its 1st and 50th iDEX SPRINT contracts under DISC-7 in October 2022 and January 2023 respectively and within a few months the 100th SPRINT (Navy) contract was exchanged.
Till date, iDEX has received more than 7,500 applications from individual innovators, MSMEs and start-ups under various categories of challenges like DISC, Prime and Open Challenge. iDEX has also been able to generate thousands of jobs and attract India’s talent back to the country.
The iDEX is working at a path-breaking pace to ensure that its agreements with the start-ups and innovators reach logical conclusions timely, eventually opening a myriad of options for the budding, soon to be unicorns and at the same time addressing the requirement of Services.
The iDEX framework was launched by the Prime Minister in 2018 with the objective to provide the platform of co-creation & co-development in the defence sector. It aims to engage start-ups to contribute to the defence sector and develop defence and aerospace setup in the country. iDEX is being implemented by DIO, established under the Department of Defence Production, MoD.
