IIT Madras Tests Ramjet-Assisted Artillery Shells, Extends Gun Range By Nearly 50%

Last Updated:January 12, 2026, 8:59 PM IST

The indigenous IIT Madras project boosts the range of existing Army guns by nearly 50 percent by upgrading ammunition rather than platforms.

An IIT Madras-led effort demonstrates how India can extend artillery range using indigenous, tested ammunition technology outside DRDO. (IMAGE: IIT Madras/X)

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras has announced a major defence-technology milestone with the successful development and testing of ramjet-assisted artillery shells that can extend the range of existing Indian Army guns by nearly 50 percent, without requiring new platforms or missile systems.

In a post shared on X, IIT Madras said the innovation embeds a compact ramjet engine inside a standard 155 mm artillery shell, replacing the conventional base-bleed unit.

Unlike traditional shells that rely solely on the initial force of firing, the ramjet design allows the projectile to continue generating thrust after it exits the gun barrel, significantly increasing its range while retaining lethality.

Trials conducted across multiple artillery platforms showed substantial gains. The Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) recorded an increase from about 40 km to nearly 70 km, the K9 Vajra self-propelled gun from 36 km to around 62 km, and the Dhanush gun from roughly 30 km to about 55 km.

The project, launched in 2020, was carried out in collaboration with the Indian Army and involved extensive gun and field trials at Deolali and Pokhran. IIT Madras said these tests validated clean gun exit, stable flight, and reliable ignition of the ramjet system under real firing conditions.

A ramjet-assisted shell works by switching on a small air-breathing engine after the shell has been fired. While a conventional artillery round receives all its energy at launch, a ramjet shell continues to push itself forward mid-flight by drawing in air and burning fuel. This added propulsion allows the shell to travel much farther, without turning it into a missile or changing how the gun operates.

Defence experts note that artillery remains central to conventional land warfare, and longer range allows guns to strike deeper targets while staying farther from enemy counter-fire. Crucially, the IIT Madras system upgrades ammunition rather than the gun itself.

The breakthrough is distinct from parallel efforts by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, which has been working on more advanced, guided ramjet-class shells with projected ranges exceeding 80 km, but on a longer development timeline.

The project is led by Prof. P. A. Ramakrishna of IIT Madras and includes a team of serving and retired military officers and researchers, among them Lt Gen P. R. Shankar (retd), Lt Gen Hari Mohan Iyer (retd), Prof. H. S. N. Murthy, Prof. G. Rajesh, Prof. M. Ramakrishna, Prof. Murugaiyan, Prof. Lazar C, and Dr Yogesh Kumar Velari. Launched in 2020 in collaboration with the Indian Army, the effort has since undergone extensive gun and field trials at Deolali and Pokhran, successfully validating clean gun exit, stable flight, and reliable ramjet ignition under operational conditions.

IIT Madras said the work highlights the goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat by showing how indigenous research, when paired with military collaboration, can deliver survivable, scalable, and battlefield-ready capability upgrades without costly new acquisitions.

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