India Becomes a Nation with Advanced Escape System Capability

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully completed a high-speed rocket-sled test of the escape system developed for fighter aircraft. The Ministry of Defence announced on December 2 that with this achievement, India has joined the list of select nations possessing the capability to fully test an advanced in-house escape system.

A senior official explained that during the rocket-sled test, the system is mounted on two rails and propelled at high speeds using rocket propulsion to simulate the conditions of an aircraft in motion.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the Indian Air Force, the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on this success. He described it as a major milestone in India's journey toward self-reliance and indigenous defence capability.

According to a post from the Defence Minister’s Office on X, “DRDO successfully conducted the high-speed rocket-sled test of the fighter aircraft escape system at a precisely controlled speed of 800 km/h at the Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility of the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL) in Chandigarh. The test effectively validated canopy severance, ejection sequencing, and the complete aircrew recovery process.”

The Ministry further stated that the test was successfully carried out in collaboration with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). During the test, the forward section of the LCA aircraft was integrated with a dual-sled system, which was propelled at a controlled speed through the sequential ignition of multiple solid-propellant rocket motors. Officers from the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Institute of Aerospace Medicine and Certification observed the test.