DRDO, PSU and Private Defence Sector News

[nitesh]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...r-grenades-for-forces/articleshow/6096663.cms

CHANDIGARH:The defence services will soon be equipped with slimmer, lighter, safer and modulated grenades, which don't explode before time.

Deciding to gradually phase out the existing M-36 hand grenades, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) recently placed an order for 10 lakh newly-developed hand grenades for the Ordnance factory board. Developed by the Terminal Ballistic Research Lab of DRDO in Chandigarh, the multimode hand grenades would be replacing the archaic ones of the World War II vintage.
According to scientists, the advantage of these hand explosives would be that unlike the existing ones, which can accidentally explode without even the safety pin being removed, these have detachable parts and cannot go off on their own.

"The new design will overcome the safety defect in existing explosives, which explode much before time. Unlike the older version, this weapon can also be airdropped with precision," said Dr Satish Kumar, director of TBRL.

The missile, which has been tested in temperatures ranging between minus 20 degree Celsius and 55 degree Celsius during trials conducted at Kargil and Tangdhar and in hot dry conditions of Pokhran in Rajasthan, have been now approved for largescale manufacture. "Its modular and lightweight design translates into better operational preparedness as the soldier can carry more of these, use them according to combat conditions and airdrop them precisely on the enemy," Dr Kumar pointed out.

Another significant aspect of this new product is that the time delay for the explosion — time taken to go off after the pin is pulled out to activate —, is a mere three seconds. "The time factor has seldom been this precise in earlier designs, and led to explosions occurring much before time, resulting in casualities. The multimode overcomes this limitation," the director added.

"We are half-way to coming up with another version which has an electronic fuse and is lighter," he said.
A similar model of grenades for paramilitary forces is also in the pipeline.

 

[EagleOne]

DRDO medicine to counter side effects of radiation therapy

New Delhi: Cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy will now be able to escape its side effects with the Defence Research and Development Organisation claiming that it has developed a medicine to counter them.

After a 15-year research, the DRDO has developed the medicine -- 2-Deoxy-D-glucose. The new drug has got clearance from the Drug Controller General of India.

"The product is slated to hit the markets in the next three months," DRDO scientist and chief controller, Life Sciences, Dr W Selvamurthy said.

The harmful effects of radiation treatment can be in the form of loss of hair, appetite, fatigue, mouth and throat inflammation, skin problems, memory loss, lower sexual desire or poor tolerance for cold weather, nausea, changes in vision and permanent loss of sperm production -- all depending on the area of treatment.

"We have developed a medicine 2-Deoxy-D-glucose which will relieve the cancer patients from the burden of side effects of radiation therapy. We are finally getting this after a research of 15 years," Selvamurthy said.

"This medicine will help reduce the dosage of radiation to be given to the cancer patient, since it ensures that only the cancer cells are destroyed and the normal one's are protected during therapy, which ultimately relieves the patients from the side effects of the therapy," Selvamurty said

http://www.zeenews.com/news636996.html
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[EagleOne]

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/drdo-policy-gaffes-attract-international-flak/399015/

response from drdo

Letters: Defensive military strategy Business Standard | 2010-06-30 01:31:00

This refers to "DRDO policy gaffes attract international flak" by Ajai Shukla (June 22). It needs to be reiterated that DRDO has not announced any road map for military space programme. Also, it has no programme to develop anti-satellite weapons;(. Moreover, the document "Technology perspective and capability road map" has not been published by DRDO.

DRDO's programmes are in tune with India's no-first-use policy in terms of nuclear weapons and are aimed at providing effective deterrence, credible second strike capability and reliable defence against weapons aimed at undermining India's security and integrity. Such defensive programmes are developed with a view to ensuring neutralisation of the enemy's assets targeted at India.

Ravi Kumar Gupta, director of public interface, DRDO

 

[EagleOne]

 

[EagleOne]

An innovation device Can any one guess what is it?

 

[sayareakd]

An innovation device Can any one guess what is it?

where did you get this pic, some thing which become hot quickly and it can be rotate manually.

 

[EagleOne]

where did you get this pic, some thing which become hot quickly and it can be rotate manually.

keep guessing i think u are not right look there are fans which act as coolers ..

 

[sayareakd]

keep guessing i think u are not right look there are fans which act as coolers ..

these fans are sending air inside.

 

[nitesh]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article498514.ece
DRDO develops UAV 'Netra' to aid anti-terrorist operations

India's defence research agency DRDO has developed an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) specifically for anti-terrorist and counter insurgency operations, which will be inducted into the armed forces by the year-end.

The 1.5 kg UAV, called 'Netra', is a collaborative development project between ideaForge, a company formed by a group of Indian Institute of Technology, Powai, alumni and one of Defence Research and Development Organisation's Pune-based labs, Research and Development Establishment (Engineers) (R&DE) Pune.

DRDO scientist Dr Alok Mukherjee, who demonstrated the UAV, here yesterday said Netra would be ready for induction into the services within the next six months after it is subjected to some more trial tests.

"The UAV is capable of operating in all the conflict theatres, including urban quarters, in a situation similar to that of the 26/11 terror attacks.", he told reporters here yesterday.

Dr. Mukerjee said the estimated cost of Netra is Rs 20 lakhs, but the price could vary if additional components like thermal camera are added as per the requirements of the security agencies concerned and their use.

IdeaForge, vice-president (Marketing and Operations Unmanned Systems) Amardeep Singh said the UAV has been designed to carry out surveillance in an area of 1.5 KM Line of Sight (LOS) and has an endurance capacity of 30 minutes of battery charge.

Apart from that, Netra is equipped with a resolution CCD camera with a pan/tilt and zoom to facilitate wider surveillance. It can also be fitted with thermal cameras to carry out night operations.

Singh said the operational altitude of the UAV is 200 meters maximum, having a vertical take-off and landing capacity (VTOL) and is equipped with a wireless transmitter.

In addition to that, the in-built fail-safe features allows Netra to return to base on loss of communication or low battery.

Asked if the UAV could function in all-weather condition, Singh said the machine cannot be operated in rainy conditions but research is being carried out to make Netra function even during monsoon.

 

[plugwater]

 

[Oracle]

/\/\/\ Looks good. It can be used for information gathering in terrorist operations in J&K and NE India too, once the rain thing is sorted out.

 

[nitesh]

DRDO does this too

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/green-toilets-trains-soon-577
Green toilets on trains soon

June 23: All long-distance trains of the country will soon have safe and environment-friendly 'green' toilets designed and developed by scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The major attraction of this toilet will be its cozy nature. "This is a toilet that people would like to enjoy," a senior DRDO scientist told Deccan Chronicle.

The green toilet is based on bio-digester technology. "We will deploy a consortium of bacteria from Antarctica which have been brought down to India by our team of scientists. These bacteria, known as inoculums, are bio-digesters which eat up all pathogenic bacteria in the faecal material. They will also neutralise the organisms causing the smell," said Dr G. Ilavazhagan, director, Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, New Delhi.

According to Dr Ilavazhagan, the inoculum-treated material would not cause any harm to human beings or the environment. "The treated material could be discharged into the track itself. Once the pathogenic bacteria are destroyed, there is nothing to fear," he said.

At the moment, more than 200 coaches in different trains plying across the country have green toilets. According to a higher official of Southern Railway mechanical department, two trains, Chennai-Alleppey express and Chennai-Trivandrum express, have one green toilet each installed on a trial basis. "The toilets were installed on May 17 and have been functioning without any problems," the official said.

 

[nandu]

Meeting Schedules Critical, Union Minister Says

India's union minister of state for defense, M.M. Pallam Raju, says he has confidence in the ongoing projects being handled by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL).

HAL and BEL are public sector undertakings (PSUs) managed by the Indian defense ministry. Speaking exclusively to AVIATION WEEK, Pallam says that during visits to HAL and BEL he was updated on the product lines of critical ongoing programs.

"There's definitely an improvement from the past and a greater focus now," Pallam says. "PSUs are more aware [of] what the armed forces want, and the real challenge for them is in sticking to the timelines. After my visit to various facilities, I am very clear that we have good people and facilities which are assiduously built over time. It is the question of management, and that's where the PSUs will have to get their act together."

After a review, Pallam said HAL's Dhruv helicopter is excellent, with few noteworthy shortcomings.

"I think HAL is taking care of making it a much more stable platform," Pallam says. "It is a proven platform and has been delivered. Improvements and closing of gaps are [an] ongoing process for any developmental project. But the rate at which these issues are addressed and [the] pace at which the rectifications are done and incorporated into the subsequent versions again is an issue of management."

Describing BEL as an organization on the move, Pallam said it is evolving with the needs and requirements of the armed forces.

"It's keeping pace and positioning itself appropriately. It is a very critical and important PSU, maintaining standards and good quality," he said. "It is very proactive in anticipating the needs of the armed forces and coming up with solutions. I find the management here pretty focused and clear about the objectives of each of its strategic business units."

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gene...eting Schedules Critical, Union Minister Says

 

[EagleOne]

wide range of eyesafe laser rangefinders and transmitters..What it is ?can any one throw some light on it

 

[plugwater]

wide range of eyesafe laser rangefinders and transmitters..What it is ?can any one throw some light on it

Looks like a new sniper rifle and scope or M40 sniper rifle with new scope? I am not so sure though!

 

[youngindian]

India develops better UAV landing software

July 8, 2010

PUNE, India, July 8 (UPI) -- Indian scientists the Army Institute of Technology said they developed a software program that improves landing precision of unmanned aerial vehicles without operator intervention.

AIT said their MATrix LABoratory software program increases landing precision of UAVs by up to 97 percent without the need for an operator with a hand-held remote control.

Software project lead scientist Mahesh Khadtare said the development would greatly circumvent difficulties in the present landing systems of UAVs.

"The landing of the UAV will be controlled by the microprocessor, which will recognize previously collected images of the landing space and accordingly guide the UAV in for landing," he said.

"There will be no additional increase in the equipment to be fitted, except the conversion of MATLAB software into an equivalent assembling program for the UAV."

AIT has been working the national defense laboratory Armament Research and Development Establishment, a division of the Defense Research and Development Organization, the country's main armaments development and procurement group.

The next step is to have the software tested on a UAV, AIT said.

Earlier this month DRDO said it had developed a UAV called Netra specifically to aid anti-terror and counter-insurgency operations.

Netra will be inducted into the armed forces by the end of the year, DRDO said, and could help security forces in situations such as the November 2008 terrorist attacks in central Mumbai that left more than 100 people dead.

The 3.5-pound Netra is a collaborative project between ideaForge, a company formed by a group from the Indian Institute of Technology and Defense Research and Development Organization's Pune labs, Research and Development Establishment Engineers in Pune.

DRDO scientist Alok Mukherjee, who demonstrated the UAV in Pune, said Netra is undergoing trials.

"The UAV is capable of operating in all conflict theaters, including urban quarters, in a situation similar to that of the 26/11 terror attacks," he said.

The cost of a Netra would be the equivalent of nearly $43,000 and comes with a resolution charge coupled device image sensor camera with a pan-tilt and zoom to facilitate wider surveillance.

But the price would vary depending on what surveillance components are fitted, Mukherjee said. The unit price would jump if a thermal-imaging camera for night operations were added, as would be in the case of India's security agencies who are interested in the UAV.

IdeaForge Vice President of Marketing for UAVs Amardeep Singh said Netra can carry out surveillance in an area of just less than 1 mile line-of-sight and operate for up to 30 minutes on a single battery charge. A fail-safe feature notifies Netra to return to base on loss of communication or a low battery.

Netra has a vertical take-off and landing capacity and a maximum operational altitude of nearly 660 feet.

Singh acknowledged that Netra can't operate in rainy conditions but research is being done to ensure it will function even during a monsoon downpour.

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Se...tter-UAV-landing-software/UPI-81681278596941/

 

[EagleOne]

Rangefinders provide an exact distance to targets located beyond the distance of point-blank shooting to snipers and artillery. They can also be used for military reconciliation and engineering.

Handheld military rangefinders operate at ranges of 2 km up to 25 km and are combined with binoculars or monoculars. When the rangefinder is equipped with a digital magnetic compass (DMC) and inclinometer it is capable of providing magnetic azimuth, inclination, and height (length) of targets. Some rangefinders can also measure a target's speed in relation to the observer. Some rangefinders have cable or wireless interfaces to enable them to transfer their measurement(s) data to other equipment like fire control computers. Some models also offer the possibility to use add-on night vision modules. Most handheld rangefinders use standard or rechargeable batteries.

The more powerful models of rangefinders measure distance up to 25 km and are normally installed either on a tripod or directly on a vehicle or gun platform. In the latter case the rangefinder module is integrated with on-board thermal, night vision and daytime observation equipment. The most advanced military rangefinders can be integrated with computers.

To make laser rangefinders and laser-guided weapons less useful against military targets, various military arms may have developed laser-absorbing paint for their vehicles. Regardless, some objects don't reflect laser light very well and using a laser rangefinder on them is difficult

 

[anoop_mig25]

good but can any one tell what progress has DRDO done in night vision/ night goggles for your soldiers. i had read that Indian army is only 20% night enabled while chinse is 100%

 

[EagleOne]

CCS Nod for Biological, Chemical, N-Defence Project

The Cabinet Committee on Security has cleared a Rs 285 crore Defence Ministry project for developing systems and equipment for protection against nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) weapons and leakages.

"Under the project for NBC defence, DRDO has been tasked to develop quick and fast detection systems in case of an NBC attack on our vital installations and cities or leakage in any of the installations dealing with these materials," Defence Ministry officials told PTI here.

"In case on any attack or leakages, such detection systems will help in finding the exact sources of contamination and the authorities concerned would be able to react in a much more effective manner," they added.

The DRDO is also working on developing and increasing the number of systems for providing individual protection for soldiers in NBC environment.

Sources said to protect human beings from getting exposed to NBC radiation, "unmanned Ground Vehicles and robots are also being developed to go to the contaminated zones. We are also looking at the medical management in times of such incidents."

Inflatable structures are also being developed in which people can take shelter during any such incident, they added.

Till now, the focus was on building underground shelters while preparing for such eventualities.

The project got the CCS nod in a recently held meeting chaired by the Prime Minister and work on developing the systems has already started as different labs have already been told about the systems to be developed.

With the increasing threat of use of NBC weapons by state and non-state actors, Indian armed forces have been preparing themselves by deploying protection suites for their personnel.

http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?687209

 

[nitesh]

good article about small arms:

Arming the Forces