The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully carried out a high‑speed rocket‑sled test of a fighter aircraft escape system at a controlled velocity. The test was conducted at the Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility of the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh, and validated key elements such as canopy severance, ejection sequencing and complete aircrew recovery.
The trial was conducted in collaboration with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). With this achievement, India joins an elite group of nations with advanced, indigenous capability for dynamic escape-system testing. Dynamic ejection trials—substantially more complex than static tests like Net tests or Zero-Zero tests—serve as a critical benchmark for assessing ejection seat performance and the effectiveness of canopy severance mechanisms.
During the test, a dual-sled system integrated with the forebody of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) was propelled to precisely calibrated velocities through phased firing of multiple solid-propellant rocket motors. An instrumented Anthropomorphic Test Dummy (ATD) was used to simulate the pilot, capturing essential data including loads, moments and accelerations experienced during the ejection process. The entire sequence was recorded through onboard and ground-based imaging systems.
Officials from the Indian Air Force (IAF), the Institute of Aerospace Medicine and certification bodies witnessed the test.
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the IAF, ADA, HAL and industry partners on the successful demonstration. He described the achievement as a significant milestone in strengthening India’s indigenous defence capabilities and advancing the nation’s vision of self-reliance in critical aerospace technologies.
