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According to Dr Avinash Chander, the country’s
top scientist who heads the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO), the step by step
powering of the onboard nuclear reactor to 100
per cent is carefully being done as the safety
parameters are of top priority. The process is
monitored 24 x 7 “as there is no compromise”
on the safe operations of a nuclear reactor.
The reactor is powered in phases in well-established
procedures, and once the nuclear scientists are
satisfied, Arihant would move to the sea from
its naval base in Vishakhapatnam.
Arihant’s reactor was activated –
made critical in nuclear physics – in August
and the vessel has cleared all Harbour Acceptance
Trials (HATS).
In an interview with India Strategic, Dr Chander
disclosed that the onboard weapons and nuclear
missiles for Arihant were also ready, there would
be firing tests with dummy warheads in due course.
“All the weapons are ready.”
As the country’s premier defence research
and development organization, and appropriately
named so, DRDO efforts in building tactical and
strategic missiles are already regarded as a big
success.
From hand grenades to aircraft, missiles and
Electronic Warfare systems, DRDO has many moments
and miles already achieved to be proud of, and
of course many moments and miles yet to look ahead.
Dr Avinash Chander acknowledged that it has
often taken time to develop some items but pointed
out that India does not manufacture every thing
and there have been restrictions on supplies from
abroad due to the missile and nuclear technology
control regimes. Within India also, the decision-making
processes are elaborate and time consuming.
But he shared another good news: two Airborne
Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft
developed by DRDO should be delivered to the Indian
Air Force (IAF) within six months, or mid-2014.
DRDO developed its own phased array radar, and
has put in on board three Brazilian Embraer 145
aircraft. Two will be supplied to IAF, and one
is being retained by it for further development
of various systems.
“The aircraft has completed various flight
evaluation trials, and the communication relays
had been fully established and made operational.”
The aircraft are now under radar evaluation
in the final tests, and should be ready for delivery
in four to six months.
As for the delays, he pointed out that occasionally,
DRDO scientists have had to fabricate components
in-house, test them, and then install them in
the desired system. That takes time.
But with the recent encouragement to the private
sector, the country’s defence industrial
infrastructure was set to grow rapidly and with
that, the time-frame for development of various
systems would also reduce. Then there are many
off the shelf components available form international
markets, and DRDO uses them both because they
are not made in India and easily available.
Every country today has to import something
from another country due to the globalization
of the economy.
In any case, DRDO is only a development agency.
Once this is done, the product is handed over
to the industry which has then to give it the
finishing touches and manufacture it.
Mr HK Dua, MP and Member of Parliament's Defence
Consultative Commiittee, observed that the country
should be proud of the achievements of DRDO. There
have been availability and technology constraints
but DRDO has some tremendous milestones to its
credit, not only in missiles but several other
systems. The fact that the Indian armed forces
use DRDO-developed technologies on a routine basis,
speaks volumes about the success of the DRDO equipment.
Dr Chander said that DRDO is now working on
a spectrum of armed forces requirements from nuclear
submarines to AEW (Airborned Early Warning) and
AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control Systems) aircraft,
UAVs, highly critical micro electronics used in
all the high-end systems, special alloys, aircraft
engines and their crystal blade technology, corner
shot rifle, basic hand grenades, and even foods
for difficult desert and mountainous terrain.
He emphasized that in the long history of DRDO
since its inception in 1958, there have been many
moments of both pride and frustration. But that
is part of the process, particularly while developing
military technologies.
DRDO now has 5000 scientists 25,000 scientific
and support personnel, 50 laboratories engaged
in aeronautics, armaments, electronics, combat
vehicles, engineering systems, instrumentation,
missiles, advanced computing and simulation, special
materials, naval systems, life sciences, training,
information systems and agriculture.
Self reliance to the extent possible is the
keyword in defence preparedness. That is what
the Government wants and that is what needs to
be done. Wars should not happen but they do. In
case a war is thrust upon India, the public and
private industry has to ensure continuous flow
of various systems.
Dr Chander favoured FDI (Foreign Direct Investment)
as it brings not only money but also several soft
skills like quality assurance, quality management,
efficient production processes and manufacturing
technologies. He cited the example of Maruti cars
and the automobile revolution in India in this
perspective.
He also said India would welcome Indian scientists
settled abroad to return home and work with the
industry here to their choice. That would indeed
help.
Dr Chander pointed out that in high volume basic
requirements, some 80 percent of the requirements
of the Indian defence forces are already met by
systems developed by DRDO. And some 65 per cent
of Electronic Warfare systems manufactured by
the state-run BEL (Bharat Electronics Ltd.) are
based on DRDO designed technologies.
He disclosed that the special steel used on
India’s nuclear submarine Arihant and the
first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier, now named Vikrant,
was developed by DRDO. Earlier, this type of steel
was imported in bulk from Russia. Special steels
and alloys are a fundamental requirement in manufacturing
many items, guns, rocket launchers and armoured
vehicles included.
The hull of Vikrant has already been made and
the ship has been launched into sea. But integration
of various systems and internal fittings continues
and the 40,000 tonne vessel will be commissioned
in 2017.
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