DRDO, PSU and Private Defence Sector News

[RPK]

DRDO Develops New 84mm Lightweight Anti-Tank System

LiveFist - The Best of Indian Defence: DRDO Develops New 84mm Lightweight Anti-Tank System

Developed by the Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune, new 84mm Lightweight Lancher (LWL) is a new recoilless manportable, shoulder-fired weapon for the infantry anti-armour profile. According to DRDO, the barrel of the weapon built using indigenously developed hybrid composites.

 

[RPK]

Hydrogen Cell Technology To Be Feasible For Defence In 5 Years, Says DRDO

Hydrogen Cell Technology will become a feasible alternative for defence purpose in five years, a top Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) official has said.

"It will be possible to use hydrogen cell technology for on-board and off board requirements in guns and other defence systems besides electricity requirements of the defence infrastructure," Dr V K Saraswat, Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister and DG, DRDO, said.

“While the cost of generation of electricity using hydrogen cell is around $3,000 per kilo watt, the cost using traditional fuels is just $30 per kilo watt," said Saraswat on the sidelines of International Symposium on Fuel Cell Technologies - Fucetech 2009.

However, the cost can be decreased by one tenth, when the generation of electricity using hydrogen cell takes place at a big level. The role of Research & Development must be employed to cut the cost of electricity using hydrogen cell.

Dr K Kasturirangan, Member Planning Commission has said that public-private partnership between the government research institutions and industry will help in bringing the technology to the market.

 

[Emperor]

Guys move this post if its not desired to be placed here.

Since my background is ECE,and my hobbies were more centred on electromagnetics.. I recently developed a palsmic thruster which lifted a half kg weight to a height of 6m, since my garage ceiling is limited. And my my thruster consumed almost 1KWh when applied a 33mA and 30kv
Since a amateur like me can lift a 500mg DRDO might venture to use the similar for its future UAV`s or UCV`s. Trust me,its '0' emission and no trace of infrared signatures. Only produces a bit of ozone and other molecules.The more air is forced into the thruster(i used a compressor on the side)the more lift it produces which means the more ionization and thereby more ions ejecting the thruster.
For fixed wing aircraft/cruise missiles to use this thruster,it either needs a booster or additional compressor at the intake. :dfi-1:

 

[nitesh]

have a look in to this, information regarding engine development for UAV and test facilities for HSDTV
DRDO Tech Focus Dec09

Rotatry Engine for UAVs

84 mm LWL System

Sanjeevani

DRDO Test Facilities
Scramjet Combustor Facility
Shock Test Facility

 

[Pintu]

Can India Built the anti Satellite weapon?

Hope this may solve your query :

http://www.defenceforum.in/forum/in...es/828-india-work-anti-satellite-weapons.html

http://www.defenceforum.in/forum/in...russia-building-anti-satellite-weapons-2.html

Regards

 

[Sridhar]

which is this one?

UAV crashes near Hosur - Bangalore - City - The Times of India

It looked like a Rustom when i watched it on tv. Also the R-1-1 mentioned in the article could mean Rustom-1-1.

When i googled got this news which confirms it should be a Rustom

DRDO’s Rustom UAV to take first flight this month

BY : THE HINDU

In a significant step that will give the Indian armed forces an indigenously designed and developed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a technological demonstrator (TD) of the Rustom will take to the Hosur skies this month.
Official sources at the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory that is spearheading the Rs.1,000-crore Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) Rustom UAV programme, told The?Hindu that with the high speed taxi trials of the TD almost over, the inaugural flight “could happen anytime soon.” The taxi trials are being conducted at the airstrip belonging to Taneja Aerospace at Hosur.
The Rustom, which will have capabilities equal to, or even better than contemporary UAVs such as the Israeli Heron (currently in use by the armed forces), is derived from the National Aerospace Laboratories’ Light Canard Research Aircraft (LCRA), an aircraft developed by a team under the leadership of late Professor Rustom B. Damania in the 1980s. The ADE have taken the LCRA airframe and structurally modified it for unmanned flights.
Officials said that the TD, which has the same configuration as that of a full-fledged Rustom UAV, but is smaller in size, will undertake around 10 flights — taxiing, taking off and landing like a conventional aeroplane, the only difference being that there will be no pilot aboard. But being smaller than the full-fledged production standard Rustom, the TD will have an endurance of only 12 to 15 hours, approximately half of what the Rustom is being designed for. The ADE are using the TD as a stepping stone to proving the technologies that will go into the Rustom. The initial flights of the TD are being restricted to an altitude of around 500 metres. All three defence services have shown interest in acquiring the Rustom.
The Rustom programme will also marks a first for the DRDO. Traditionally, the DRDO laboratories develop a product or system, build a prototype, prove it in field trials and then transfer the technology to a production agency.
In the case of the Rustom, the DRDO are moving to a regime of concurrent engineering practices where initial design efforts also take into consideration production issues, with the production agency participating in the development of the system right from the design stage, and concurrently developing the necessary infrastructure and expertise for the product and product support. This approach could become a trendsetter for future DRDO projects.
A DRDO technical evaluation committee is examining the proposals of Tatas, Larsen and Toubro, Godrej and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited-Bharat Electronics Limited (joint bid), one of whom will join the ADE as the production agency cum development partner (PADP). A price negotiating committee, headed by Defence Minister A.K. Antony, is looking into the commercial aspects of the proposals.
Both the PADP and the users (armed forces) will have a financial stake in the Rustom project.


DRDO’s Rustom UAV to take first flight this month IDRW.ORG

 

[Sridhar]

YouTube - UAV crashes near Hosur

 

[RPK]

DRDO downplays Rustom-I technology demonstrator UAV’s crash


The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) today played down the crash of Rustom-I technology demonstrator, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) being developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) during its first flight at a private airfield near Hosur in Karnataka yesterday.
The DRDO attributed the mishap to “misjudgement of the altitude of the flight”.
DRDO officials said due to wrong judgement of the altitude of the flight, the engine of the UAV was switched off by the ground command. This brought down the on-board thrust developed in the MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) UAV and it crashed. It, however, remained unclear whether the error was a manual one or lied with the gadgets being used by the ground command to control the UAV.
The ADE, part of the DRDO, is leading the Rs 1,000-crore Rustom programme.
The UAV is expected to have capabilities that will match contemporary UAVs such as the Israeli Heron currently in use by the armed forces. The ADE is using the technology demonstrator as a stepping stone to prove the technologies that will go into the Rustom UAV.
The technology demonstrator is smaller in size than the original but has the same configuration as that of a full-fledged Rustom UAV. It was to undertake around 10 flights to check out taxing, taking off and landing like a conventional airplane but devoid of a pilot. Being smaller than the full-fledged production standard, Rustom has endurance of only 12 to 15 hours, approximately half of what the Rustom is being designed for.
“The taxing and take-off of the UAV was exactly as planned. There are a lot of gains from the flight. The flight proved the functioning of number of systems such as aerodynamics, redundant flight control, engine, redundant data link, etc which go a long way towards development of complex UAVs”, the DRDO said in a statement. It added that it was the first flight of the UAV using a 700-kg airframe and sophisticated controls and hence “prone to development hazards”.
Rustom is being developed by the DRDO for the Army, the Navy and the IAF. It is proposed to supplement the Israeli UAVs in service with the Indian armed forces.
Rustom is proposed to see the enemy territory up to a distance of 250 km and carry a variety of cameras and radar for surveillance.

 

[nitesh]

good news kudos to DRDO:

DRDO develops H1N1 testing kit - Chandigarh - City - The Times of India

CHANDIGARH: With the advent of winter H1N1 cases are on the rise across the country. Keeping this and the high cost of the WHO testing kit in mind an indigenous rapid testing kit has been developed by the DRDO, which shall not only cut down the cost by one tenth of the existing WHO-approved kit, but also reduce the testing time from a day to 15-20 minutes. Moreover, it is not bulky and can be carried to the field or home for diagnosis.

Unlike the WHO kit, the DRDO one is based on real-time LAMP (Loop-mediated isothermal amplification) technique which reduces the testing time. Terming this development on a par with international kits as far as economy is concerned, Selvamurthy added, “The polymerase-based WHO kit makes the testing less specific which requires more sophisticated tools also. Moreover, the cost of the DRDO kit is Rs 1,000 while that of the WHO kit is Rs 10,000.

 

[nitesh]

This is interesting:

Baffle range opens at WC - Chandigarh - City - The Times of India

Experts said as against the traditional ranges that require huge manpower and extra caution, this one would minimize the logistical requirement. A highly improvized range, baffle has been developed by Chandigarh-based Terminal Ballistic Research Laboratory (TBRL) of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). Urbanization and shortage of space for training led to DRDO in designing this range, which would require only 50 acre. Traditional ranges need 500 acre to function properly.

Experts said baffle reduces the area required for operations. As compared to conventional range, it needs only two hectare and it also dispenses with the requirement of a danger area of approx 120 hectare. It is 22 m wide and caters for six fires at a time. Baffle walls are perpendicular to the line of fire, and the range has a growth potential for extension up to 500 m for 5.56 mm INSAS

 

[nitesh]

The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Nation

In the backdrop of nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) weapons being a major factor in the geo-political security environment, the DRDO is developing herbal protective measures to guard the fallout of the use of such weapons.

This is the first such project of its kind in the world where extracts from herbal plants are being used to produce agents to protect humans against radioactivity. Besides military applications, the spin-off of this project will also have spin-offs in civilian sectors like nuclear medicine and radiology.

“We are in advance stages of clinical trials of these products,” Dr W Selvamurthy, Chief Controller, DRDO, said here on Friday. “Clinical trials are expected to take about a year after which the products will be sent to the Drug Controller of India for ratification,” he added.

Dr Selvamurthy said at present there was only one chemical agent available to combat radioactivity, but that was very toxic and hence dangerous to handle. The herbal products would counter this drawback. Extracts of two plants, podophylum hexandrum and the well-known seabuckthorn, are being used in the project being undertaken by three different DRDO laboratories at Leh, Delhi and Gwalior.

The plants grow only in high altitude areas above 9000 feet and are native only to the Himalayas. Efforts are on to cultivate the plants in the DRDO laboratories to ascertain their characteristics and their ability to adapt to other geographical conditions for mass-scale production, Dr Selvamurthy said.

Some other herbal products developed by the DRDO for use by the armed forces include UV protection agents, high energy food items and insect repellants. The DRDO chief said so far NBC warfare and protection items worth about Rs 800 crore developed by the DRDO and manufactured by the industry had been supplied to the armed forces.

These include sensors, detection systems, individual and collective protection systems and medical equipment.

The DRDO has recently supplied about 25 underground shelters for protection of troops in an NBC environment. Each shelter can sustain about 30 men for four days.

Orders for another 100 such shelters have been received. Under the 11th Five-Year Plan, major research and development work is being undertaken in application of nanotechnology and lasers for bio-sensors and stand-off NBC detection systems. This includes “smart” protective clothing that automatically decontaminates itself.

 

[RPK]

Supply of Aluminium caskets and Body Bags
PIB Press Release

The Research and Development Establishment (R&DE) (Engineers), an establishment of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on its own initiative, developed Aluminium casket and Body Bag during 2004-05. The weight of the Casket was 42 kg and Body bag was 1.8 kg. The costs of R&DE(E) developed prototype Casket and Body Bag were Rs. 40,000/- and Rs. 2,500/-, respectively during 2004-2005.

No orders have been placed on R&DE(E). These two items have a great potential for civilian use for respectful transportation of the mortal remains. These may have applications in Hospitals, Disaster Management Cells, Police Departments, Paramilitary Organisations, etc.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Asaduddin Owaisi in Lok Sabha today.

 

[RPK]

Honeywell And HAL Celebrate 25 Years Of TPE331 Engine Production

Bangalore: Honeywell and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. are celebrating 25 years of aerospace collaboration, including production and support of the TPE331-5 turboprop engine. The relationship between Honeywell and HAL began in 1984 when Honeywell first licensed production of TPE331 engines.

"Around 300 engines were envisaged for production in 3 phases of manufacture from the beginning. Engines were built from completely knocked down kits, semi knocked down kits and complete raw material manufacture in phase 3 within a span of 5 years from commencement of the operation," said Ashok Nayak, Chairman, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
"As our partner in India, HAL has built more than 225 TPE331 engines for the Indian military services, including the national Coast Guard, Navy and Air Force. They provide full maintenance and service on the aircraft engines at their facilities in Bangalore," said Robert A. Wilson, President Business & General Aviation - Honeywell. HAL now has an order-book for 30 more of these engines, which are currently under manufacture.

As announced in 2008, HAL also supplies Honeywell with TPE331-12JR engine parts to meet global demand.

"A new MoU was signed for the -12 engine on the 17th of April 2007 followed by a contract for the manufacture of 600 engines in three phases, signed on 18th April 2008," Mr. Nayak said.

"This programme involves localization of 97 castings and forgings 587 Honeywell make and buy items to drive down the cost.Honeywell and HAL jointly took up vendor supply chain development. The programme has also helped upgrade our quality and manufacturing systems to meet global requirements and standards. Through this programme, engine division acquired NADCAP approval on 27 special processes. There has been a saga of growth. There is a huge Honeywell team located in the engine division in Bangalore with many more experts coming in every now and then. The first two kits of the - 12 programme are nearing completion; could be around 95 % complete. We hope to dispatch them in the next 6 weeks, hopefully by the end of December," he added.

"This is a very small beginning we will have to achieve the phase 2 and the phase 3 engines, when we will be assembling the engine over here from parts manufactured in HAL and testing the engine and delivering an end usable product from HAL. Right now in the phase one we are just delivering a kit of parts. Some parts are manufactured here. We buy the rest of the components. A full engine kit of parts is being delivered to Honeywell in the phase 1 and the phase 2," he said.

"We are excited about this milestone of completing 25 years of successful TPE331 collaboration with HAL," said Anil P. Gupta, President, Honeywell India. "This is another reinforcement of Honeywell’s commitment to our partners and to grow in the country, and to service our customers and stakeholders in India and the world. India continues to be an important part of Honeywell’s global growth strategy as a manufacturing location, export hub and center of engineering and R&D excellence."

HAL builds engine production capability in 3 phases with Honeywell's TPE331

HAL's licensed production of TPE331 engines since 1984

"In the process of implementation of the programme, the country's first indegenously developed aero-engine facility got designed, installed and commissioned by HAL. The test bed was completely designed and set up by the Engine Test Bed Research and Design Center in Bangalore. Also for the first time there were number of test rigs for the engine accessories including an airflow checking facility which was designed and installed with the help of Garret turbine engine company engineers. By using these facilities the production of the engine commenced in 1985 with the kits of parts in the phase one," said Mr. Nayak.

"All the critical parts of the engine was manufactured by HAL and it included localization of around 50 castings and forgings form the foundry and forge division of HAL in Bangalore. Various manufacturing technologies were introduced into HAL for this programme. Complex technologies for machining of gears and shafts, turbine wheels, casings and housings, 5 axis milling of impellers were absorbed by HAL personnel in the process of producitonization of this engine. Special treatment processes such as chromizing, amalgamizing, selectron plating and photo chemical machining were introduced with this project. HAL grew and contributed to development and process improvement in several cases. Silicon diffusion coating, chromatizing of magnesium alloys are a few examples. This facilitated higher percentage of localization of parts for this engine," he added.

 

[nitesh]

this is great news for kaveri program:

DRDO lab, Navy to dev Kaveri marine engine

Using the core of the Kaveri engine, GTRE plans to add low-pressure compressor and turbine as a gas generator to generate shaft power for maritime applications.

 

[nitesh]

now one more UAV here some conflicting reports:

DRDO pitches for Netra for anti-insurgency operations

It is called ‘Netra’. It’s a small eye zooming in the sky to gather real time intelligence on the ground. This unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), shaped like a spider and weighing less than 1.5 kg, is only a speck when flying at a height of 50 km but it can give real time inputs to the team that is controlling it on the ground.

What's the News: Vihang Netra Soars to New Heights

Vihang Netra is a unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by city based DEMA in association with Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) a DRDO laboratory. The plane has payload carrying capacity of 20 Kg which is mostly comprised of sensors and cameras. It can fly at 17,000 ft. altitude and has one way range of 10 Kms. Its maximum air speed is 100 Km/hour.
Dr. R. N. Sarwade, director, SASE informed Pune Mirror that the design of the next version of Vihang Netra is ready. Vihang Netra 2 will be able to fly at higher altitude and it will have more features in it.

 

[nitesh]

good news for dkash:

Versions of Daksh to be displayed at Defence Expo

A few months ago, the Indian Army placed orders for an Improvised Explosives Device (IED) handling robot - Daksh - a two feet tall remote controlled machine used for removing improvised explosive devises. It can handle the IED from a distance, scan it to see if it contains a bomb and then disrupt it using a on-board water jet disrupter.

Now, the DRDO is coming out with varying versions of Daksh, which will be show-cased at the Defence Expo to be held in Delhi on February.

It is trying to build a smaller, more compact version which could be used by local law enforcement agencies like the CRPF, or the National Security Guard.

The R & D wing of the Indian Army is also working on a Gun mounted Robot. Instead of an IED handler, the robot will have a rifle, an LMG and a grenade launcher. This is designed somewhat along the lines of the Talon, a US made robot; around 1000 Talons have already been deployed by the US in the Iraq, said Alok Mukherjee, DRDO scientist.

“This could be useful in hostage situations. Instead of posting personnel on each and every corner, a robot loaded with arms could be sent to save lives,” he said.

Another version of the Daksh is the disrupter-mounted robot. While the original arm of the Daksh is used in handing IEDs, the disrupter-mounted version has no such appendage, reducing its weight. While Daksh is useful in handling suspect explosive objects before they are defused, the disrupter-mounted robot is designed just to destroy the suspect IED from a distance.

“It is a more inexpensive method. Instead of handling it and then defusing the explosive, the disrupter mounted robot defuses the explosive directly,” said Alok Mukherjee, DRDO scientist.

While the Daksh has already gone through stringent military trials, if the varying versions of the Daksh are to be inducted into the Armed Forces, they would have to go through the entire procedure.

 

[nitesh]

for records only

DRDO aims for 6th sense

 

[RPK]

Exodus of Scientists from DRDO

Attrition of scientists from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has reduced in the last two years. Number of scientists, mainly at junior level, who have resigned from DRDO during 2006-2009 is as under:-

Year
Total No. of Resignations

2006
322

2007
273

2008
150

2009

(Till date)
61


Scientists, who had resigned, have indicated personal/domestic ground as the reasons for leaving DRDO. However, it is assumed that increased opportunities that was available in private sector industries is the main reason of such exodus.

Sixth Central Pay Commission has recommended a number of incentives for scientists, which have been accepted and implemented by the Government. DRDO has also made efforts to enhance their career by providing study leave for acquiring higher qualifications viz., PhD, MTech, etc, sponsoring scientists for attending conferences/seminars/symposia/ short and long term training courses in frontier areas of research within the country and abroad, mentoring of young scientists, creating better working environment and social life in living campuses, etc

 

[nitesh]

some excerpts:

Defence works to unmanned vehicle production, DEMA comes of age - Express India

By 2010, DEMA Mechatronics plans to build up the capacity to produce around 100 UAV’s and 2 lakh variable time fuses and around 50,000 proximity fuses per year. “We will initially manufacture around 2 lakh variable time fuses and gradually increase the number to 5 lakh per year,” said Kamlapurkar. “We are also venturing into indigenous production of proximity fuses.”

“The UAV will be an upgraded version of the Vihanga Netra, the first effort of the DEMA consortium using Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) funds,” said Yogendra Jagirdar of Jagirdar Aeroproducts, which is in charge of designing and making the UAV aircraft, its field-testing and operation. “This will be our second attempt at manufacturing UAVs after the Vihang Netras,” he added.

.
.
.
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There will be additional features like night vision compatibility, map overlays and the ability to lock on to a target. It will be a wheeled version, compact compared to the Vihang Netra, and weighing 25-40 kg. It will possess a range of 10 km, an altitude of 1.5 km and a speed of 100 km per hour.

Dema is planning the UAV for the civil sector as well. “The UAV can be used for non-defence forces as well, like the police or even paramilitary troops for surveillance,” said Kamlapurkar.

While fuses and UAVs are DEMA’s priority projects for full-fledged production right now, some of its members are also involved in producing moving targets and the association will gradually delve into the production of smart weapons.

“At present the Vihang Netra is being used as a moving target and we are planning to produce more targets for defence use. We also plan to produce smart mines, which are activated by remote, shoulder rocket launchers etc. The technology is already a part of some other products and we will just have to adapt them to develop the proposed products,” explained Kamlapurkar.

 

[RPK]

The LRDE develops for the armed forces sensors meant for surveillance, tracking and weapons control.

Revathi, a 3D, medium-range surveillance radar, mounted on a naval vessel.

THE Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) in Bangalore has been spearheading the development of radar systems and related technologies for the defence forces. A Ministry of Defence research laboratory under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the LRDE’s genealogy goes back to the Inspectorate of Scientific Stores set up in 1939 at Rawalpindi.

In 1946, it was re-designated as the Technical Development Establishment (Instruments and Electronics) and relocated in Dehradun. The electronics component was relocated to Bangalore in 1962 and the LRDE’s role was redefined to develop indigenous and state-of-the-art military radar and communication systems. Today the LRDE is a premier radar systems laboratory with a core competence to build advanced systems in the L to X bands.

According to S. Varadarajan, Director, LRDE, the laboratory develops a range of products from short- to long-range sensors for ground, air and sea surface surveillance, tracking, and weapons control. Besides this, the LRDE has developed advanced radar technologies, including transmit and receive (TR) modules, slotted waveguide array antenna, high-power transmitters, programmable signal and data processors, radar controllers and multi-beam antenna.

The LRDE was roundly criticised for not successfully developing, in collaboration with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the multi-mode radar for the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas. But the Israeli radar now being fitted on the Tejas has an antenna designed by the LRDE – the slotted waveguide array antenna. The LRDE is also undertaking the design and development of the active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology. The AESA technology allows ships and aircraft to broadcast powerful radar signals while they themselves remain under stealth. The AESA’s basic building block is the TR module, a self-contained, miniaturised transmitter and receiver that makes up one of the AESA antenna elements. In a bid to develop the AESA, the LRDE has developed L and S band TR modules.

According to B.V. Ramesh, project director of LRDE’s LSTAR programme, an LRDE-developed X-band AESA radar could be fitted on the Tejas by 2014. Two modules of the AESA radar have already been launched. Ramesh also disclosed that the LSTAR (Long-range Solid State Active Phase Array Radar), which is a sort of a forerunner to India’s Airborne Early Warning and Control System programme, has been approved by the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification, integrated and tested on ground-based systems, and qualified for airborne applications. And a production agency, Astra Microwave, has been identified for it.

Among the LRDE’s foremost products is Indra-1, a radar that works on the Doppler principle. It has a 50-km range and is integrated with the fire control radar. It is in deployment with the Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) as part of their air defence network. Indira-2, an improvement over Indira-1, was designed as per the needs of the IAF, which wanted a radar that can identify dense-formation targets, such as a group of aircraft flying wing tip to wing tip, and can be used even at high altitudes.

Bharani, a portable, short-range, light-weight radar. It provides 2D surveillance, mainly in mountainous terrain, against aerial targets.

The LRDE’s portable Battle Field Surveillance Radar (BFSR) - Short Range was developed after the Kargil conflict, when the inadequacies of binoculars were felt. An all-weather, automated detection of intrusions system was needed. Over 1,400 BFSRs are now being used by the Army against moving surface targets. A BFSR radar that offers foliage penetration is under development. The LRDE has also developed a coherent, electronically scanned C-Band Doppler Weapon Locating Radar for use by the Artillery Corps. Rohini is a 3D, medium-range, vehicle-mounted surveillance radar that offers 360 degree coverage and has a range of 150 to 180 km, and is used against low-, medium- and high-flying targets. It can measure the range, azimuth and the height of the target. It is designed for the IAF and will also be part of the Akash missile system. The LRDE is also developing the Revathi, a 3D, medium-range surveillance radar that will give the Navy cover against air and sea targets.

An off-shoot of the Rohini is the Aslesha, a 3D low-level, light-weight radar designed for use in mountainous terrain and against aerial targets. The LRDE developed this radar when the Army wanted a system that could be transported by animals. It has been evaluated at 15,000 feet (4,572 metres) and cleared for induction. The Bharani is another portable, short-range, low-level, light-weight radar. It provides 2D surveillance, mainly in mountainous terrain, against aerial targets such as unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft flying at low and medium altitudes.

The Rajendra, a multi-function, phased array radar, is the primary sensor at the battery level for the Akash weapon system, which is to be used for air defence by the IAF and the Army. It can perform extensive searches, track multiple targets and missiles, and command and guide multiple missiles concurrently. Says Varadarajan: “It can be mounted on a T-52 tank bed or as per the IAF’s requirements on a low-bed trailer.”

Having realised the importance of timelines and technology obsolescence in the development of radar systems, the LRDE has decided to “knit the user with the programme at the design stage itself”. Says Varadarajan: “An early association of the user helps fasten the programme. As for production, we want to be involved only with critical design and system engineering, capturing the user’s requirements. It is for industry to realise the prototype, prove the concept and also be the lead integrator.”