DRDO awards for missile scientists

Hyderabad: Vijay Kumar Saraswat, distinguished scientist and chief controller (R&D), received DRDO's award for path-breaking research and outstanding technology development from prime minister Manmohan Singh at a function held in DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi on Saturday.

The award was conferred on Dr Saraswat and his team of scientists for developing the area defence system against ballistic missile attacks and for successfully intercepting an incoming missile with another missile in the exo-atmospheric region.

This singular achievement makes India only the second country, after the US, to have scored a direct hit in the exo-atmospheric region.

G Satheesh Reddy, director, Inertial Systems, at the Research Centre, Imarat, DRDO was another person to receive the 'Agni Award for excellence in self-reliance' from Dr. Singh.

It was conferred on him as a team leader for indigenous development of world class and highly accurate 'Ring Laser Gyro (RLG)-based Inertial navigation and Global Positioning System (RINS).' The system is first of its kind to be developed in the country with position accuracy of one nautical mile per hour.

An award for developing a "special armament system for a strategic programme of national importance" given to a team led by SK Vasudeva remains shrouded in secrecy so far but may soon be publicly unveiled. It is speculated that the award may have been given for work related to the Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM).