D-Propulse demonstrates India's first indigenous 5 kN air-breathing detonation engine

Defence propulsion startup D-Propulse on Tuesday announced the successful demonstration of India's first indigenously developed 5 kN air-breathing Rotating Detonation Engine (RDE) integrated with an aerospike nozzle, marking a milestone in the country's advanced propulsion capabilities.

The hot-fire demonstration, conducted at a DRDO test facility, achieved stable 5 kN thrust, validating the technology at Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-5, which indicates validation in a relevant operational environment.