DRDO, PSU and Private Defence Sector News

BEL Developing Advanced, Software Driven Communication Radios for Indian Armed Forces

The Bharat Electronics Limited is developing a light-weight, cost-effective software-driven communication radio that can operate on any frequency band. The software-defined radio, as this device is called, can operate on Very High Frequency, Ultra High Frequency, High Frequency and L-band, which otherwise need different radios.

The radio can also work with any legacy radio. "It (software-defined radio) will change the way communication is managed in a battlefield situation", said I V Sarma, Director (R&D) of the defence electronics company under the Ministry of Defence.

In these radios, hardware blocks would be replaced by software ones. So, a software will do the job of a hardware Circuit Board. "A software today can generate a waveform which is equivalent to a modulated signal," Sarma said, adding, "Every hardware element in the radio is getting replaced by a piece of software".

"Entire radio can be designed using quite a lot of software", he said, adding, there will only be hardware to run the software and to amplify power.

BEL, which has supplied close to two lakh radios (earlier versions) to the Defence Forces till date, expects to demonstrate the Army-version of the software-defined radio in March and come out with the ones for Air Force and Navy within a year from then.




http://www.india-defence.com/reports-4814

DRDO to invest Rs1,000 crore in three key projects

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will be investing around Rs1,000 crore over the next five years in three key programmes at its facility here.

Investment will be made in three sanctioned programmes of the premier defence research agency, director general of DRDO, VK Saraswat said.

"Around Rs600 to Rs650 crore will be spent on missile manufacturing augmentation, Rs300-Rs350 crore will be spent on hypersonic wind tunnel programme for testing scramjet engine, which will be six times faster than sound velocity, and the remaining will be invested on RF (radio frequency) testing centre," he said.

Saraswat was speaking to the media on the sidelines of announcement of 'Aviation Conclave' to be held from tomorrow.

The missile augmentation programme had been taken up in collaboration with another defence establishment, Bharat Dynamics Ltd, he said.

To a question on the Regional Transport Aircraft (RTA-70) programme, he said the project report will be completed by 2011.

"This will a public-private-partnership and international aviation giants like Bombardier and GE Aviation have also evinced interest in the project."

India's ambitious civil aviation programme RTA-70 is aimed at building planes for carrying 70-100 passengers on short-haul flights.
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_drdo-to-invest-rs1000-crore-in-three-key-projects_1468281

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/e...posure-being-researched-drdo-experts/712712/0

Early detection of radioactive exposure being researched: DRDO experts

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is carrying out research for early biomarker signature for dose assessment and decision making during casualty caused by radioactive exposure. This would address the increasing danger of radioactive exposure and its detection not only at the time of civilian but as well as military casualties.


Toxic radiological material has both short term and long term health effects on living organisms. On an urgent response to any radiation emergency, the identification and evaluation of early biomarker is an important and decision making step. Biomarkers had been used by epidemiologists, physiologists and pathologists as the gold standard to study and treat the human diseases. However, less attention has been paid on discovery and validation of radiation responsive biomarker can be used for triage for occupational worker, civilian population and emergency responder.


This was shared by Dr Rakesh Sharma, Scientist G and Additional Director, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) who was in the Panjab University to present his research at the ongoing national conference on Biotechnology 'Biotechnica Chandigarh-2010' on Thursday. Dr Sharma who has seven patents and 230 publications to his credit has decades of technomanegerial and scientific experience. He has also carried out the preliminary studies on the Mayapuri incident where use of radioactive sources was suspended in Delhi University after an exposure to radioactive material Cobalt-60 in the scrap market of Mayapuri led to death of one person and injuries to ten others in April this year.


He further added that the effects of radiations that denote cellular, chemical, bio-chemical or molecular alterations, that can be measured at different levels of organisation of living organism like bio fluids (blood, urine, etc, cell and tissues, etc). Recently this process has been elaborated and response of pathogenesis, pharmacology, progression, regression and final outcome of the toxicants has been evaluated.


Biotechnica at PU


A series of plenary lecture delivered by the eminent scientists marked the second day of Biotechnica Chandigarh-2010 conference at Panjab University on Wednesday.


Dr Rajiv Bhat from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi threw light on the issues and challenges on protein stability, folding and diseases in the era of proteomics and DNA technology. Prof Paramvir Singh Ahuja, Director, IHBT, Palampur delivered a lecture on the salient achievements made by IHBT in the field of biotechnology. He emphasized on the commercialization of production of steviol glycosides from Stevia rebaudiana as the key achievement of the year in his talk. Professor Deepak Pental, ex vice-chancellor, University of Delhi, elaborated upon the relevance of crop breeding in India and enlightened the delegate's with his rich experience in this field. Dr Sita Ram Kumar Magadi, Vice-President, Panacea Biotec Limited highlighted the miraculous role of antibiotics in the field of medicine.

Aerostat stuck in Bangalore hangar

An indigenous attempt to develop an aerostat, which may be deployed in anti-Naxal and other security applications, is stuck inside a Bangalore hangar for the last two years in the absence of a flight testing range where this gigantic balloon can be flown.


An eye to hover on the horizon, the aerostat – Chakshu – has been developed by the National Aerospace Laboratories. It can float in air for six hours to beam pictures.
The aerostat can be tethered to the ground or flown with remote control.

"The flight range in Kolar cannot be used as it falls within the path of flights taking off or landing at the Bangalore airport. The proposed range in Chitradurga is not yet ready. We cannot test our aerostat and fine-tune the technology," S Selvarajan, a NAL scientist associated with the project told Deccan Herald here.

Incidentally, a bigger and better-quality non-military aerostat – brought from abroad spending more than Rs 30 crore – enthralled the audience at the inauguration of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi last month.

The home-made Chakshu has been developed under a three-year-old collaboration between NAL under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Defence Research and Development Organisation. The scientists hope to carry out a field trial after the DRDO flight testing range in Chitradurga is ready in 2011.

Cameras mounted on the 320-cubic metre helium-filled balloon can see the enemy from a distance of 30 km. At the moment, it has one camera, but is capable of carrying two more for sending pictures continuously from different angles.

Vulnerability factor

In its existing configuration, Chakshu can climb up to a maximum altitude of 1,500 mt. Asked about the risks from ground firing, Selvarajan said it was a little vulnerable at 1,500 metres. But a bigger aerostat that could climb up to 3,000 mt would be safe because at such an altitude it will look like a "speck in the sky" said Selvarajan.

Surveillance of Afganistan capital Kabul is being done by a similar aerostat. However, the bigger one will not materialise unless the smaller one is evaluated in flight tests.
Currently, all aerostat balloons being used in India are imported from Israel for military purposes. They are much bigger compared to what NAL has developed. The first two aerostats were deployed in Punjab and Kutch to watch the Pakistan border.

Defence ministry plans to buy more aerostats for deploying along the coast to plug critical gaps in border surveillance. Meanwhile, the DRDO has taken one step to realise the first Indian aerostat for military applications. The balloon is christened as Divya Chakshu.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=5068992&c=AIR&s=TOP

India To Boost Missile, Avionics Research at Hyderabad

NEW DELHI - India's future hub for missiles and avionics will be Hyderabad, the capital of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and home of the current minister of state for defense, M.M. Pallam Raju.

India's defense research agency, the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), has embarked on a program to greatly expand aviation and missile research, including an advanced hypersonic wind tunnel facility for testing missiles, said a senior Defence Ministry official.

This is part of an overall investment of more than $400 million in Hyderabad to boost missile and aviation research and development.

V.K. Saraswat, scientific adviser to the defense minister and the director-general of DRDO, has announced, "Hyderabad is going to be an aviation hub in the days to come."

Hyderabad currently houses India's sole missile production complex, Bharat Dynamics, and the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, which is helping to develop India's future anti-ballistic missile defense program. The hypersonic test facility is part of that program, which aims to develop a system to shoot down incoming enemy missiles at a height of more than 100 kilometers using hypersonic missiles.

Currently, there are no facilities to test missiles that are faster than Mach 5, which fall into the category of hypersonic.

http://www.business-standard.com/in...700-cr-order-for-coastal-surveillance/415382/

BEL expects Rs700 cr order for coastal surveillance

Bangalore-based Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), the public sector defence behemoth, expects to secure contract for the first phase of the coastal surveillance system for Rs700-800 crore from the Coast Guard by next month, a top company official said.

"We are going ahead with the initiative, which we have taken on our own using internal funds, because this is very very crucial project for the country's security," Ashwani Kumar Datt, chairman and managing director, BEL said.

Talking to reporters here on the sidelines of CII's National Quality Summit 2010, he said the company would be making a capital expenditure of Rs250-300 crore by end of the current fiscal on the project.

"Our order book position is good and it is at about Rs11,700 crore presently," Datt said.

"We have done some preliminary work on instrumentation of power plants. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) is yet to finalise the power plants with so many foreign players. When the contracts get signed, we should be doing some portion of nuclear power instrumentation. This is a new area with lot of things the company has to demonstrate beyond doubt of the reasons of safety. We have put some people there. It will take time but we are ready," he said.

Datt said, as far as homeland security is concerned, the company was ready to do work at the higher end. The company was executing orders in the Supreme Court, Parliament, Reserve Bank of India and the Cabinet Secretariat among others. "We are also trying to do some research and development on making certain products and software, which basically will enable the country to have much more value addition to homeland security," he said.

He said the BEL board recently cleared certain research and development projects. "We are trying to do technology development on certain modules for radars —both ground-based and airborne. We are trying to develop electronic warfare systems for certain specific additional abilities," he added.

In the next few months, BEL will deliver what it has promised to its customers, the defence forces. The next order for Akash Missile System, order for Shilka, the main battle tank, which is a new initiative are expected. The company is also trying to complete the last trials for weapon locating radar and pick up an order for that, he said.

BEL expects to secure orders for Akash Missile System from the Indian Air Force (IAF) for additional six squadrons valued at Rs3,500 crore by March 2011, he said. The deliveries would be done by December 2011 for the first order and after that the company would begin work on the second order, which will be completed over a period of 36 months, Datt added.

Most exciting job over the remaining months of the current fiscal would be to achieve the stated target of Rs5,500 crore sales this year and also hopefully pick up another Rs5,000 crore worth of orders, he said.

DRDO Steps Up New Measures to Stop Exodus

ndia Defence Online, New Delhi — With the private sector gaining more ground in attracting prospective as well as experienced scientists in the country, the state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is applying a fresh approach to attract and retain its scientists.

As per the current trend, the private corporate sector is constantly head hunting potential scientists and even luring experienced scientists in government organisations into the corporate world with better remuneration and incentives. Sources revealed that the DRDO has lost over 1,500 scientists to, undoubtedly, the private sector in the last four years. Apparently, these scientists first gain experience in state-run research organisations like the DRDO and move on to more lucrative jobs in the private sector.

Having realised this trend, the DRDO is now trying to adopt fresh methods to incite and recruit scientists. The DRDO intends to pursue aggressive campaigning to make potential candidates aware of the benefits of the government organisation. The DRDO is implementing direct campus recruitments at premier educational institutes like Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT). The modus operandi will be that senior scientists give lectures prior to the placements. The idea will be to reveal the facts and comparisons about the facilities and incentives in the DRDO and the private sector.

Amongst other options to encourage scientists, the DRDO is seeking financial incentives for scientists who obtain patents and whose research work gets published in journals. The DRDO is trying to finalise the modalities of a new system to secure patents. In addition, the DRDO also demanded that the government must share the royalty earned from commercialising a technology with its inventor. This move has been suggested as a crucial incentive to attract and entice scientists into the DRDO.

In addition, the Indian Defence Ministry has given a go-ahead signal for contractual appointments to attract bright minds from across the country. In other words, expert scientists will be hired in various fields of service on contract basis to avoid delays and cost-overruns in various DRDO projects.

Indian defence news and strategic intelligence






http://indiadefenceonline.com/2309/drdo-steps-up-new-measures-to-stop-exodus/

India and United States to Carry Out Joint Defence R&D

India Defence Online, New Delhi – The recent visit by the US President to India has paved the way for greater defence cooperation and is expected to boost military ties to a high level. With greater freedom in technology exchange and defence import/export and relaxation on controls, it is likely that Indo-US co-development of high tech weaponry will reach the maximum possible level.

Due to US sanctions and other US government restrictions, the Indian Defence Ministry and its Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has never joined hands with the US defence industry to produce critical weaponry or big-ticket projects.

On the other hand, India is doing joint development contracts like the $12 billion Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) project with Russia which will be signed next month and there is the $2-billion partnership between the DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to co-develop an anti-aircraft missile. The US has not come close to any projects of such magnitude because of government policies and sanctions.

Despite the Indo-US Defence Policy group in place, it is the US legal limitations and its framework of governmental policies that stifle the co-development of critical projects in defence. DRDO Chief Dr. V.K. Saraswat has indicated that many areas have been earmarked for Indo-US collaboration but the US legal framework requires permissions and legal issues pertaining to dual-use technology creates the stumbles. Added to this is the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). The US technology regimes have permitted cooperation in fundamental research but not in developing specific technologies or military systems.

However, the DRDO feels that the current US Presidential visit to India and its promise of relaxing controls on technology can lead to the Indian defence Ministry along with the DRDO co-developing defence projects with the global leader of high-tech defence, the US defence industry. The DRDO feels that there will be major joint collaboration between the US and DRDO and this may happen in the field of aeronautics or critical radar among others.

India is renowned for its excellent base in Information and technology, especially computer simulation, virtual reality, and robotics while software has become mandatory for any military platform. The US will soon perceive that India's capabilities and strengths can be harnessed by complimenting them with American technologies and by building the best military systems in the world with the cheapest price-tags. The DRDO has shown its virtuosity in fields like missiles, aerospace, electronic warfare systems and command networks. The DRDO feels that by 2020, the Indian and US defence industry will be working together on mega defence projects and greater interaction between the two defence giants is inevitable as long as US technology regimes don't come in the way.







http://indiadefenceonline.com/2312/india-and-united-states-to-carry-out-joint-defence-rd/

DRDO to train doctors to handle victims of chemical, nuclear strikes

BY: indianexpress.com

In the wake of chemical and nuclear threats, the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is strengthening its chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) defence by extending training programmes to private and government institutes, health organisations and paramilitary forces. This would also include health institutes such as PGIMER where doctors and nurses are to be provided similar training in order to prepare them on how to deal with CBRN casualties.

Talking about the gravity of CBRN threats and the ignorance among sections of military and para-military forces as well as the public, Dr Rakesh Sharma, Scientist 'G', Additional Director and Head, Division of CBRN Defence, INMAS said, "Today, more than the CBRN threat from other countries, it is the threat of proliferation of such highly devastating agents into the hands of terrorist organisations across the globe. Also, there could be incidents where the disaster is a natural one, as was the recent case of Delhi University Cobalt-60 disaster. In contrast to the high intensity of threats, the awareness is very low among professionals and public. Keeping this in mind, for the first time INMAS would have a CBRN training institute where paramilitary, employees at government orgainsations, health institutes and civilians would be trained to prepare them for any CBRN mass casualty." Keeping the importance of hospitals and health research institutes in mind, INMAS had already published a 250-page book on medical management on CBRN casualties and distributed in hospitals including PGIMER. "We have already trained a section of doctors, nurses, and other health professionals on how to treat a patient exposed to radioactive agent prior to the Commonwealth Games at Delhi. Talking about the health institute-PGIMER-which caters to patients from various states including Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, etc, it is pertinent to train doctors and nurses for such casualties. Thus, it would also be roped into these training programmes," stated Dr Sharma.

The training will be premised on the existing defence technique of NBC currently being used in military. This would be modified as per the requirements of the civil sector. For instance, the technology used in military tanks to counter NBC attacks would be modified and simplified for the use of personal vehicles. At present, 62 NBC defence tools are produced by DRDO and already inducted in defence which would be modified for the civil use and accordingly provided training on how to use them.

Dr Sharma further added, "The training is a four step programme where the most important element is protection-of both individual and collective, second is detection followed by decontamination and medical counter measures."






http://idrw.org/?p=1467

Electronic warfare system experts to gather in Bangalore

Bangalore, Nov 22 (PTI) Association of Old Crows (AOC) India is organising the first AOC India National Electronic Warfare (EW) Workshop (EWWI-2010) here on November 24 and 25.
Dr Prahlada, Chief Controller of Research & Development, Defense Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), would inaugurate the event.
AOC India Chapter was established under the presidentship of Dr U K Revankar, Director, Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE), DRDO, during the first international EW conference in India (EWCI-2010) in February this year.
As a part of the parent Association AOC, located in USA, the India chapter promotes the role of advocating EW between professionals of various organisations under Government, Ministry of Defence and industries.
At present, the AOC India Chapter is actively supported by DRDO scientists and industry professionals who have a common goal on the development of EW systems for Armed Forces.
"The workshop would enable close interaction among the EW professionals and explore the technologies, which our Armed Forces should adopt to counter current & futuristic battle scenario", according to DRDO.






http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NEWS/newsrf.php?newsid=13810

FDAJB Invited Talk: BEL to double R&D investment

| By Anantha Krishnan M. | AVIATION WEEK |
Bangalore | India | November 16, 2010 |

India's state-run Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) has announced that it will double its investment in research and development (R&D) activities. The company, which until last year invested 4-5% of its turnover in R&D, is expected to devote 8-10% in the next two years.
BEL's R&D director, I.V. Sarma, told Aviation Week on Nov. 16 that the additional investment would be made available for critical areas like radars, command and control systems, and electro-optics.

"To oversee the R&D activities, we are planning a technology planning division which would map the available resources in the country," Sarma added.
He said the change in R&D philosophy focuses on three main aspects: identifying the gap in research, identifying and commissioning product development to match the future requirements of clients with an emphasis on meeting international standards, and boosting India's technology ownership. To this effect, BEL will also develop a technology ownership program.

BEL's software defined radio (SDR) prototype by Aero India 2011

By Anantha Krishnan M. | AVIATION WEEK |
Hyderabad | India | November 22, 2010 |

India's state-run Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) is developing a software-driven radio (SDR) set for India's armed forces. Able to function at any frequency, the SDR is lightweight, easy to operate and cost-effective, the company says.
Different radio sets are now being used, depending on very high-frequency, ultra-high-frequency, high-frequency and L-band needs. BEL says the SDR would revolutionize communications on the battlefield.

4 new DRDO facilities coming up in Hyderabad; O-Range and Hypersonic Wind Tunnel among the best in the world

By Anantha Krishnan M. | AVIATION WEEK |
Hyderabad | India | November 19, 2010 |

India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) plans to establish four new state-of-the-art facilities in and near Hyderabad.
DRDO chief, V.K. Saraswat, told Aviation Week during the Aviation Conclave 2010 here that the facilities will further Hyderbad's mission to become an Indian aerospace hub. DRDO will provide more than Rs 1,000 crore ($220.1 million) for all the projects over the next five years, Saraswat says.

A facility called O-Range (open range) will be set up in Dundigal outside Hyderabad. It will measure the radio frequency and radar cross-section of small, medium and large missiles, as well as aircraft and electronic warfare systems. All the equipment is in place for this facility, which will become operational in 2011.

Good times ahead: Strong industrial growth makes DRDO run missile programs on new philosophy





ASL Director Avinash Chander says that with the help of Indian industries, DRDO is confident of propelling India's missile programs to greater heights. Photos: Copyright@Tarmak007


India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has adapted a new philosophy for its missile programs, with the objective of combating time and cost overruns. The "Model Change" is expected to reduce cycle time from 15 years to around 6-7 years.
Avinash Chander, the director of DRDO's Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), told Aviation Week in Hyderabad that the new emphasis is the result of a collective reassessment conducted by top missile scientists and engineers.
"Today the industrial base associated with India's missile programs have grown and they are showing immense confidence to support more complex technologies," Chander said. "We also felt the need to move away from the conventional sequential development plan to a concurrent mode."
The shift is expected to have a positive effect on India's Agni-5 and Agni-II Plus missile programs. With 80% of India's Agni missile program currently supported by various industries, DRDO now hopes to leverage increased risk-taking and risk-sharing.




http://tarmak007.blogspot.com/2010/11/good-times-ahead-indian-industrial.html

Aerostat stuck in Bangalore hangar

An indigenous attempt to develop an aerostat, which may be deployed in anti-Naxal and other security applications, is stuck inside a Bangalore hangar for the last two years in the absence of a flight testing range where this gigantic balloon can be flown.

An eye to hover on the horizon, the aerostat – Chakshu – has been developed by the National Aerospace Laboratories. It can float in air for six hours to beam pictures.
The aerostat can be tethered to the ground or flown with remote control.

"The flight range in Kolar cannot be used as it falls within the path of flights taking off or landing at the Bangalore airport. The proposed range in Chitradurga is not yet ready. We cannot test our aerostat and fine-tune the technology," S Selvarajan, a NAL scientist associated with the project told Deccan Herald here.

Incidentally, a bigger and better-quality non-military aerostat – brought from abroad spending more than Rs 30 crore – enthralled the audience at the inauguration of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi last month.

The home-made Chakshu has been developed under a three-year-old collaboration between NAL under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Defence Research and Development Organisation. The scientists hope to carry out a field trial after the DRDO flight testing range in Chitradurga is ready in 2011.

Cameras mounted on the 320-cubic metre helium-filled balloon can see the enemy from a distance of 30 km. At the moment, it has one camera, but is capable of carrying two more for sending pictures continuously from different angles.

Vulnerability factor

In its existing configuration, Chakshu can climb up to a maximum altitude of 1,500 mt. Asked about the risks from ground firing, Selvarajan said it was a little vulnerable at 1,500 metres. But a bigger aerostat that could climb up to 3,000 mt would be safe because at such an altitude it will look like a "speck in the sky" said Selvarajan.

Surveillance of Afganistan capital Kabul is being done by a similar aerostat. However, the bigger one will not materialise unless the smaller one is evaluated in flight tests.
Currently, all aerostat balloons being used in India are imported from Israel for military purposes. They are much bigger compared to what NAL has developed. The first two aerostats were deployed in Punjab and Kutch to watch the Pakistan border.

Defence ministry plans to buy more aerostats for deploying along the coast to plug critical gaps in border surveillance. Meanwhile, the DRDO has taken one step to realise the first Indian aerostat for military applications. The balloon is christened as Divya Chakshu.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/114060/aerostat-stuck-bangalore-hangar.html

India to built two test ranges of electronic warfare systems

Press Trust of India / Bangalore November 24, 2010, 14:43 IST

India would build two ranges for testing radar-based electronic warfare systems as it seeks to strengthen its capability in the field, seen to be vital in war scenarios.

One range would come up in Chitradurga in Karnataka and another in Tandur in Andhra Pradesh, which would test "non-communication" and "communication" EW systems, respectively, a key defence official said today.

These two would be part of the 4,000-acre aeronautical test range in Chitradurga, some 200 km from here, and the 8,000-acre one in Tandur, some 135 km from Hyderabad. At present, EW systems are tested in the IAF range in Gwalior in a limited way.

Once the two new testing ranges (in Chitradurga and Tandur) are operational in 2012-13, experimental and R&D tests can be conducted, said Prahlada, Chief Controller, R&D (Ae & SI), Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Speaking at the India National Electronic Warfare Workshop (EWWI-2010), he said an investment of Rs 200 crore each is expected in the two test ranges.

"Electronic Warfare is becoming a very important area because... You may have all weapons but if somebody jams you (the weapons), you are as good as useless. Before firing the missile, you are already decimated," he said.

"Without electronic warfare, you cannot win a war. Once you have it (EW capability), you have to test it, you can't wait for a war to test it," Prahlada said.

He said the present EW systems have been integrated with MiG-27 fighters and operational flights are slated next year. They would be integrated with MiG-29 fighters and the light combat aircraft next year.

In 2012, Prahlada said India would fly a fourth-generational EW system, which is being developed by Defence Avionics Research Establishment and Defence Electronics Research Laboratory.

He also said the flight-testing of the long-range surface-to-air missile, being jointly developed by India and Israel, would start next year. Ground-testing has just been completed.

Prahlada said DRDO was completely off the US entities list and it is a "big relief". Now US industries were free to do business with India, he said.

DRDO now can source raw materials, software packages, testing equipment, components and manufacturing process machinery, which was a difficult exercise when sanctions were in place.

During times of sanctions, it was also difficult to source such items from even countries such as UK and Germany because they were "aligned" with the US, resulting in some of the DRDO projects being delayed.

Prahlada also said DRDO was expecting a budget of Rs 9,000 crore in 2011-12 in the area of strategic systems and tactical defence.

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre to set up unit in Chitradurga

Chitradurga: With the announcement that the prestigious Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) will set up its unit in Chitradurga, the district seems all set to add another feather to its cap.Two other big names have also planned to set up their divisions in Chitradurga. They are the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) and the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

After the IISc. and the DRDO, BARC too has found land for its unit, which proposes to be spread across 1,800 acres at Challakere taluk .

The guidance value of the dry land is around Rs. 35,000 an acre.

While IISc. has acquired 1,500 acres of land, DRDO has taken 290 acres at Challakere taluk.

As part of its expansion plan, BARC is setting up a Special Material Enrichment Facility in the district.

Survey

To see this project through, project directors and a few eminent scientists of the centre conducted a survey of land at Ullarti and Kudapur kaval areas of Challakere taluk recently.

"They found the area suitable for the project, but, however, were insistent on adequate and uninterrupted supply of water and electricity to the facility," Deputy Commissioner Amlan Aditya Biswas told The Hindu.

The centre will need 45 MLD of water when fully commissioned, but in the initial stage, it will require only five MLD of water.

Power

The centre will require 5 MW in the beginning, but in future it will need around 25 KW. "To meet the water demand, a separate pipeline will be laid from Challakere. However, to channel bigger quantities, which will be required at a later stage, an exclusive supply line will be laid to the project site from the Tunga backwaters," Mr. Biswas said.

About electricity, the Deputy Commissioner said the Karnataka Power Transmission Company Ltd. would be roped for infrastructure.

Chitradurga on watch

If you type "Chitradurga" on any Internet search engine, you may see several websites that give comprehensive details about the district. But don't be surprised if the name of the district figures in the website: http://www.***********/ forums/india-defence/28361-700- million-new-iisc- branch-chitradurga.html.

Well, this is actually a defence website of Pakistan. Most probably, Indians at large may not have even heard of Chitradurga, but this is certainly not the case with our neighbour. Through various news articles, the Pakistani defence website does make a mention of Chitradurga district, where the prestigious DRDO and IISc. projects are to come up.

The appearance of information about such critical projects by the Government on a Pakistani defence website, only goes to show that our neighbour is regularly keeping an eye on what we do .

Click to expand...

http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/12/stories/2010071250720300.htm

India Self-Reliant In Crucial Valve Technology

India has made huge inroads in developing electro-hydraulic servo valves (EHSVs), a critical component in space, aircraft and weapon platforms.




Today, the Centre for Aerospace Products (CAP), Hyderabad, is probably the lone facility that supports India's ambitious aerospace programs. Not often discussed in detail due to its sensitive nature, India's Defense Research and Development Oragnization (DRDO) achieved this breakthrough following the technology sanctions imposed on Indian in the late 1990s. DRDO initially invested Rs 40 crore (US$8 million) for this project.

CAP sources tell Aviation Week that India has now become completely self-reliant in producing EHSVs in huge numbers. "The EHSV facility is probably the only DRDO production facility in India for high-precision aerospace products. DRDO had to get on with establishing this limited production facility, due to the non-availability of high-precision installations and investment among private industries," one CAP source says.

The lab official refuses to reveal the specific programs that have benefitted from these home-grown EHSVs. "We are producing three types of EHSVs that are backing some of our national programs," he says. Among the key technologies that are established as part the lab are: sub-micron-level machining, micro joining, micro drilling and precision machining and joining.

EHSVs are used in all hydraulics systems, which act as an interface between mechanical and electronic systems. The non-availability of high-precision industry in India forced DRDO for the first time to launch the GOCO (Government-owned company operated) concept. The EHSV facility today is run under the GOCO banner, for the production of aerospace quality valves.

DRDO sources said that many international firms, considered leaders in EHSVs, have conducted enquiries with India regarding joint efforts. "It's ironic that these firms had quoted or charged a fortune for each servo valves prior to the sanctions. Today, when we [have] achieved self-reliance, these firms are willing to come down on their pricing and even want partnerships with us," one source says.

Photo: DRDO






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