DRDO hands over 3 battlefield products to Indian Army

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has handed over three of its products, including weapon locating radar SWATHI, NBC recce vehicle and NBC drugs, for induction into the Indian Army.

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar handed over the products to the Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat on behalf of DRDO at a formal function in New Delhi on Friday.

Addressing the function, the defence minister congratulated DRDO for the series of recent trials, including the interceptor missiles. He complimented DRDO scientists for handing over equipment to the Indian Army.

Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat said with the DRDO achieving new milestone in their continuing success stories, he was optimistic that modernisation of Indian Army would move at a much faster pace.

Speaking at the function the DRDO chairman and secretary Department of Defence (R&D) S Christopher said, ''after Navy and Air Force, time has now come to hand over our products to the Army and it is a proud moment for all scientists in DRDO''. He stressed that the co-development approach of involving DRDO, user and the industry would speed up projects.

DRDO has been developing a number of products for the Indian Army in support of their field operations and welfare of soldiers on ground. Many of these products have been inducted and are presently operational in field units. In 2016, the Weapon Locating Radar, NBC Recce Vehicle and a set of NBC Drugs had been successfully tested after extensive evaluation by competent evaluation teams/bodies.

Weapon Locating Radar (WLR), SWATHI, developed by DRDO's Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), provides fast, automatic and accurate location of all enemy weapons like mortars, shells and rockets firing within in its effective zone of coverage and simultaneously handles multiple projectiles fired from different weapons at different locations. The system is capable of adjusting the fire of our own artillery weapon also. The weapon includes 81mm or higher calibre mortars, 105 mm or higher calibre shells and 120 mm or higher calibre free flying rockets. Thus WLR performs the roles of weapon location and direction of retaliatory artillery fire.

The NBC Recce Vehicle Mk-I, is developed by Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (VRDE) for carrying out post event recce of nuclear, biological and chemical contaminated areas. It is capable of collecting solid and liquid samples of biologically contaminated areas, mark the nuclear and chemical contamination zone and transfer the recce data speedily to support formations. On successful development of NBC RV Mk-I in association with DL, Jodhpur, the equipment was approved for induction into the Services.

DRDO's INMAS is actively engaged in research in the field of radio protectors, de-corporating agents and antidotes for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) emergencies, combat casualty care and other life saving drugs. INMAS has carried out extensive research and laboratory trials in the past two decades to develop formulations for use as antidotes and de-corporating agents for CBRN emergencies. Out of the several formulas developed by INMAS, 15 drugs have been identified for induction.