MINISTRY OF DEFENCE (DRDO) - YEAR END REVIEW 2023

 DEFENCE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION

 

• Akash-NG: Flight trial of new generation Surface-to-Air Missile Akash-NG was conducted against a Banshee target from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha. It is meant for use by Indian Air Force with an aim of intercepting high manoeuvring low RCS aerial threats. The system has been developed with better deployability compared to other similar systems with canisterised launcher and much smaller ground system footprint.
• ITCM Missile: Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile is a new generation ‘Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile’ being developed for land and sea platforms. Flight trial was conducted on 21st Feb 2023 form the Integrated Test Range, Balasore, Odisha.
• Maiden test of ASTRA BVRAAM Missile on LCA Tejas: ASTRA is a state-of-the-art BVR ‘Air-to-Air missile’ to engage and destroy highly manoeuvring supersonic aerial targets. Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, successfully fired the ASTRA indigenous Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile.
• Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile: MPATGM is a 3rd generation ATGM with ‘Fire & Forget’ and ‘Top Attack’ capabilities with day and night operational capability. Flight Trials of MPATGM was conducted for a range of 2.5 Km at NOAR, Kurnool.
• Very Short Range Air Defence System: VSHORADS is a 4th generation Man Portable Air Defence System system, it employing state of art uncooled imaging infrared seeker. The missile was flight tested against high speed unmanned aerial targets, simulating approaching and receding aircraft from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha.
• Medium Range Surface to Air Missile for Indian Navy: MRSAM for the Indian Navy is a joint development programme of DRDO and Israeli Aero Space Industries, Israel. The weapon system provides a point and area defence for P15A ships of the Indian Navy against a vast variety of aerial threats including fighter aircrafts, subsonic and supersonic missiles, etc. The Indian Navy successfully flight tested MRSAM from Visakhapatnam.
• Heavy Weight Torpedo: Indigenously Designed and Developed Heavy Weight Torpedo ‘Varunastra’ was successfully test fired with a live warhead against an undersea target by Indian Navy. ‘Varunastra’ is a ship-launched anti-submarine torpedo having low drift navigational systems, acoustic homing, advanced acoustic counter measure features, autonomous guidance algorithms, insensitive munitions warhead and a GPS based recovery aid for practice torpedo.
• Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile: VL-SRSAM is a vertical launch short range surface to air missile having a strike range upto 80 km for Fighters aircraft, helicopter, UAVs etc. The missile has been developed for the Indian Navy for neutralizing various aerial threats at close ranges including sea-skimming targets. The missile was flight tested from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur.
• BrahMos: BrahMos is a two stage precision strike supersonic cruise missile, operating on fire and forget principle, which can be launched from multiple platforms (at air, sea and ground) against land and sea targets. Indian Army test-fired land attack version of extended range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. Indian Navy with DRDO test-fired two consecutive Sea attack version of extended range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.
• Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet Technology for Air Launched Tactical Missiles: The state-of-the-art air-to-air missile powered with ‘SFDR’ propulsion enables the missile to intercept aerial threats at very long range at supersonic speeds and is configured with nozzle-less booster, thrust modulation system and sustainer to deliver specific impulse in ramjet mode. The missile was flight tested this year.
• Long Range – Anti Ship Missile: DRDO is engaged in development of technologies required for Long Range Anti-Ship Missile weapon systems capable of engaging a warship with a long range. The missile was flight tested from Integrated Test Range.
• Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator: DRDO has successfully carried out a flight trial of Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator, an indigenous high-speed flying-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) from the Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga in Karnataka. The successful flying demonstration of this autonomous stealth UAV is a testimony to maturity in the technology readiness levels in the country. With this flight in the tailless configuration, India has joined the elite club of countries to have mastered the controls for the flying wing technology. he aircraft prototype, with a complex arrowhead wing platform, is designed and manufactured with light-weight carbon prepreg composite material developed indigenously. Also, the composite structure, impregnated with fibre interrogators for health monitoring, is a showcase of ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in the aerospace technology.
• Integrated Life Support System: Indigenously designed and developed ILSS for pilot of LCA Tejas was flight-tested twice in February. The successful testing is an initial step to mark the country’s presence in elite club of four nations possessing the complex ILSS technology.
• Indigenous Power Take off Shaft: Maiden successful flight test of Power Take Off (PTO) Shaft was conducted on LCA Tejas in Bengaluru. The PTO shaft is indigenously designed and developed by Combat Vehicle Research & Development Establishment, Chennai of DRDO. The PTO shaft, which is a critical component in the aircraft, will support the requirements of future fighter aircraft & their variants and offers competitive cost & reduced lead time.
• Military Combat Parachute System: A successful live parachute jump trial was conducted in April and September from 10,000 ft was successfully conducted at Drop Zone  Malpura, on indigenously-designed Military Combat Parachute System ‘HANS’ (High Altitude parachute with Navigation & advanced Sub-assemblies)’ to meet the military operational requirements of Indian Armed Forces. HANS enables Special Forces to undertake para jump along with all necessary combat sub-assemblies and will replace all existing systems for free fall operations and give fillip to the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
• Air Droppable Container: DRDO has designed and developed Air Droppable Container (ADC-150) with a pay load capacity of 150kg to enhance the naval operational logistic capabilities. ADC-150 will provide quick response to meet the requirement of critical engineering stores of ships under distress & far away from the coast. DRDO & Indian navy conducted the successful maiden test of ADC-150 dropped from IL38DF aircraft.
• Crew Module Parachute System for Gaganyaan Programme: CMPS was successfully demonstrated In-flight Abort Demonstration of Crew Escape System with the newly developed Test Vehicle followed by Crew Module Separation & safe recovery using parachute system developed by DRDO.
• Naval Anti-Ship Missile – Short Range: NASM-SR missile is powered by two stage solid propulsion system with an in-line ejectable booster and a long-burn sustainer. DRDO successfully flight tested the missile from ITR in November. The missile was tested for a range of 35 km, using an indigenous IR Seeker for its Terminal Guidance in ‘Lock-on after Launch’ mode.
• Aero India 2023: DRDO displayed a wide range of indigenously-developed products, technologies and systems during the 14th Aero India held in Bengaluru in February. It showcased numerous exhibits, flight displays and seminars, besides displaying its flagship products at the India Pavilion. The display showcased the recent advancements made by DRDO that contribute towards Aatmanirbharta in Defence. The DRDO Pavilion showcased over 330 products categorised into 12 zones namely Combat Aircraft & UAVs, Missiles & Strategic Systems, Engine & Propulsion Systems, Airborne Surveillance Systems, Sensors Electronic Warfare & Communication Systems, Parachute & Drop Systems, Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning & Cyber Systems, Materials, Land Systems & Munitions, Life Support Services, and Industry & Academia Outreach.

• Corporate Initiatives: DRDO has Grants-in-Aid Scheme for S&T projects under Extramural Research and under Research Boards. It also supports Exhibitions besides paid apprenticeship scheme, internship to B.Tech/ M.Tech/ M.Sc Students. These have been initiated by DRDO to generate interest in defence technologies among school and college students.
• Technology Development Fund: The TDF scheme encourages participation of public/private industries especially MSMEs and start-ups, so as to create an eco-system for enhancing cutting edge technology capability for defence application. Further, the Scheme funds industries up to an amount of Rs 50 crore per project for innovation, R&D of defence technologies in the field of defence and Aerospace.
• TOTs: DRDO has carried out more than 1,600 ToTs to Indian Industry including both Private and public. ToT is being carried out as per the policy and procedure approved by   RM. DcPP/PA/DP of DRDO are given Technology free of cost i.e at “Nil ToT Fee”. 
• DRDO Patents: DRDO has a Policy for Free Access of DRDO Patents by Indian industries. This is likely to increase the technological capabilities of industries and enhance their competitiveness in global supply chain. 1,700 IPRs have been opened to Indian Industries.
• Dare to Dream Innovation Contest: It aims to promote innovators and start-ups are being conducted. Three versions of contests have been concluded. Dare to Dream 4.0 was also launched in January for individual and Start-ups to unearth disruptive ideas and concepts in emerging technologies identified by DRDO for enhancing defence capabilities. Development cum Production Partner/Production Agency identified for more than 105 systems.
• Partnership with industries: DRDO has been partnering with industry for the realization of its systems. Collaborating with DRDO in the development of major weapon systems, the Indian industry has matured to a stage where they can develop systems on their own. Indian industry has progressed from a ‘build to print’ partner to ‘build to specification’ partner. DRDO test facilities have been opened to the industries for utilisation. Segments like Missiles, Bombs etc. have been opened to private industries for development.
• Academia: DRDO provides support to academia to carry out Directed Research in the identified research areas related to Defence application through DRDO Industry Academia - Centres of Excellence to undertake translational  projects by providing direction, technical interactions and project funding. So far, 15 DIA-CoEs have been established. They are at IIT BHU, IIT Jodhpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Roorkee, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Hyderabad, Gujarat University, IISC Bengaluru, Jammu University, Mizoram University, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, University of Hyderabad and  Bharathiar University.

• Fuel Cell-based Air Independent Propulsion system: The system of DRDO’s Naval Materials Research Laboratory will soon be fitted onboard INS Kalvari. An agreement was signed between senior officials of NMRL and Naval Group France to extend cooperation to enter into the detailed design phase for integration of indigenous AIP in the Kalvari class submarines. As part of the agreement, Naval Group France will certify the AIP design for integration in the submarines. The AIP has a force multiplier effect on lethality of a diesel electric submarine as it enhances the submerged endurance by several folds.

• Special Campaign 3.0: DRDO is committed to reduce pendency in terms of MP references, Public Grievances, PMO references during the SCDPM 3.0. The Campaign was held in October. Some of the major initiatives include:

(i)         Constitution of standing committee for prompt action on receipt of public

grievances.

(ii)        Reviewing and Weeding out of Records.

(iii)       Microfilming & Digitization of Category A, B and C records.

(iv)       Disposal of Scraps.

PIB  (Release ID: 1989502)