DRDO successfully conducts high-speed rocket-sledge test for fighter jet escape system
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully carried out a high-speed rocket-sledge test of an indigenous fighter aircraft escape system, marking a major leap in India’s in-house dynamic testing capabilities. With this achievement, India has entered the select group of nations capable of performing advanced escape-system trials at controlled high velocities. The test was jointly executed with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at the Rail Track Rocket Sledge (RTRS) facility of the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory in Chandigarh. Officials from the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Institute of Aerospace Medicine were present during the evaluation. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, IAF, ADA, HAL and industry partners, calling the milestone a “significant boost to India’s defence self-reliance.” Dynamic ejection trials such as this are far more challenging than standard tests like Net or Zero-Zero trials. They offer a realistic assessment of ejection seat reliability and the canopy severance mechanism’s efficiency. For this test, a dual-sledge system carrying the forebody of an LCA aircraft was accelerated to an exact velocity through sequential firing of multiple solid-fuel rocket motors. Key performance indicators — including canopy break pattern, ejection timing, and full aircrew recovery — were assessed using a fully instrumented Anthropomorphic Test Dummy, designed to replicate the physiological responses of a human pilot. The test captured detailed data on forces, acceleration, and motion loads that an ejected aircrew member would endure. The entire sequence was recorded through onboard sensors and ground-based imaging systems. Source: newsonair
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