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SR-UAV-W, also called the Basic Archer, has undergone flight demonstration and will undergo missile evaluation soon. An official from the DRDO said, “We have made two versions of Archer-one — a basic archer also called SR-UAV-W — and Archer-Next Generation (Archer-NG). The missile evaluation trials of basic Archer are left where we will arm the UAV with anti-tank missiles and hit a dummy target. We want to see how the weapon performs. If the trials are successful, the Army and the paramilitary forces could induct these. They have expressed a lot of interest in this.”

“While working on RUSTOM 1 (a short range remotely piloted aircraft system), we came up with the idea of Archer. Basic Archer can be used to cater to the requirement of intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, tracking and reconnaissance (ISTAR). It gathers real time and high quality imagery. It can operate up to a height of 22,000 feet with an endurance of up to 12 hours. It also carries Electro Optical and Infrared (EO/IR) payload,” the official said.

ADE is also working on finalising the air frames for Archer-NG. The airframe is the mechanical structure of the aircraft that includes wings, fuselage and undercarriage.

“Archer-NG can operate up to an altitude of 30,000 feet and can be used for ISTAR. The basic airframe structure will be ready in a couple of months. Archer-NG can also be used for battlefield post-strike assessment. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is our partner as far as avionics or electrical systems of Archer NG is concerned. The DRDO has introduced a policy on selection of the Development cum Production Partner (DcPP) for the DRDO developed systems, which ensures involvement of industries from the beginning of development cycle and lead to reduction in the time-frame of the development-to-induction cycle. So, Archer-NG’s realisation is also through DcPP,” he added.

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A fresh test of India’s indigenous technology cruise missile (ITCM) system ‘failed’, on 28 October, after its engine reportedly developed snags. The system, a technology demonstrator, was tested with indigenously developed small turbo fan engine (STFE) ‘Manik’ and an upgraded radio frequency seeker from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) off Odisha coast.

Defence sources said the engine developed technical glitches after the initial booster phase, and the missile system plunged into the sea within 30 seconds of the launch. The mission had assumed significance as the missile with indigenous STFE developed by Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) would pave the way for development of a long-range land attack cruise missile that the country has been expecting since long.

“The engine was supposed to start after the initial take-off from the specially designed mobile launcher. But it did not start, possibly owing to a snag. The system then fell down,” said a defence scientist associated with the mission. Since the engine did not start it would be difficult to say how it developed snags and whether any external factor was responsible for it. Issues, if any, with the design of the system will also be looked into, he added.

This was the second failure of the system in the last two years. Of the three tests of the ITCM conducted since 2020, two have failed and one achieved ‘partial success’. During the first trial on October 12, 2020, the system deviated from the pre-coordinated flight path prompting the mission team to kill the missile mid-air to prevent damages to human habitation as the same engine had failed to function. The second trial on August 11 last year though was ‘partially’ successful as the engine performed as expected but the missile system could not travel the desired range reportedly due to some issues with the control mechanism.

Developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) lab of DRDO, the ITCM technology demonstrator uses the sub-sonic cruise missile Nirbhay platform for validating the STFE of 450 KGF thrust class. The country’s first cruise missile Nirbhay was equipped with Russian origin NPO Saturn 36MT turbofan.

DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat did not respond to calls and messages from TNIE. ADE Director Y Dilip refused to comment. Both were present at the test range during the vital mission, sources said.

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A drone or a drone system references the broader ecosystem that involves the unmanned vehicle(s) along with a few other components. Such components include an autonomous or a human operated control system from the land, sea or air and a command-and-control system in order to link them together coupled with a maintenance and operating system. Drones as a segment require significant research and development efforts. Being a fast-evolving area, there are frequent technological upgradations both in capacity as well as capability. It is therefore imperative to have a focused approach towards R&D efforts in drones. With an ever-increasing utility matrix for drones, the application areas are gradually moving towards infinite. In India, while there are many private industry players also who are investing time and money in this segment, DRDO has been leading some of the most critical research efforts in this segment. With a focus on responsibility and accountability, DRDO has been pushing boundaries and now more than ever is poised to lead the country’s R&D efforts in this segment. R&D for development of robotic products and technologies associated with robotics & artificial intelligence interface are undergoing. In this regard, a national challenge was also initiated by DRDO to tap talent in robotics and artificial intelligence among students, academia and entrepreneurs /industry in the areas of robotics related to defence.

Over the past few years, drones have become central to the functions of various businesses and government organizations and have managed to pierce through areas where certain industries were either stagnant or lagging behind. From quick commercial deliveries at rush hour to scanning unreachable military bases, drones have proved and continue to be extremely beneficial in unreachable and low connectivity areas for timely and efficient deliveries.

A UAV for instance is a powered, aerial vehicle without a human pilot which uses aerodynamic forces to fly and fulfill “dull, dirty or dangerous” tasks. The applications of a UAV pan across sector and geography serving commercial, scientific and security requirements among others. With the ability to reach inaccessible areas, UAVs hold the potential to be omnipresent across sectors, ranging from military and civil, and are disrupting every workflow including data capturing, goods delivery, area mapping among others. Few of the more critical application areas of UAVs include surveillance and offensive operations as well as for assessing damage, deliver aid and locate victims at the time of natural disasters.

In addition, DRDO Young Scientist Laboratory for Asymmetric Technologies has been working on drone swarm technologies towards strengthening the asymmetric warfare capabilities. For UAV swarm-based applications to be most effective, a key component is the communication system shared by the drones as well as the base stations on the ground. In line with this requirement, DRDO last year demonstrated an operational decentralised swarm of 25 drones with minimal human intervention. This capability was demonstrated as part of a three-day function, linked to the ongoing celebrations marking the 75th year of independence, in Jhansi in November last year. The capabilities showcased included both communications, defensive as well offensive features including distributive sensing, decision making, reconfigurable path planning and autonomous attack. The algorithms with the drones are reported to have advanced features arming the swarm with niche capabilities, distinct from individual drones.

The Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), for instance, is a key aeronautical systems design lab of DRDO involved in the development of UAS and systems for manned aircraft including simulators. ADE’s areas of work include:

•  UAV aerodynamics, structures, propulsion systems, flight control.
•  Combat aircraft systems.
•  Micro air vehicles.
•  Flight simulation.
•  Air weapons integration and
•  Aerial image exploration.

The capabilities existing at the DRDO lab include among others prototype and manufacturing engineering facilities, electronics package facility and real time simulators. Similarly another DRDO lab, the Center for Airborne Systems (CABS), is also involved in development of key technologies and infrastructure including ground exploration systems, IFF capability as well as other systems and sub systems required to build efficient platforms for the purpose of surveillance.

DRDO has designed and developed drones for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition / tracking and image exploitation such as Nishant, Panchi, and Rustom II, a medium altitude long endurance UAV built for the Indian armed forces. In fact, the Netra mini quadcopter UAV, which has received orders from the Indian Army, was also jointly developed by DRDO and Idea Forge after which the latter took up production of the same.

DRDO has also worked towards design and development of target drones including Fluffy, Ulka, Lakshay-I & 2 and the latest Abhyas for autonomous flight with the help of an autopilot. ABHYAS – the High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) is a 75kg drone designed & developed by DRDO’s ADE, Bengaluru and can be used as an aerial target for testing and evaluation of various missile systems. The performance of Abhyas was monitored through telemetry and various tracking sensors including Radars and Electro Optical Tracking System (EOTS). Launched using twin underslung boosters which provide the initial acceleration to the vehicle, Abhyas is gas turbine powered which helps it in sustaining a long endurance flight at subsonic speed. Other technologies that Abhyas is equipped with include a MEMS based Inertial Navigation System (INS) for navigation, a Flight Control Computer (FCC) for guidance and control, a laptop-based Ground Control Station (GCS) to monitor and monitor navigation of the autonomous flight. Once equipped with better design, reliable sensors and other multifunctional abilities, the variants or upgrades of Abhyas could potentially have much more powerful utility and more high-end capability.

DRDO has also undertaken a wide array of technology enabled initiatives in coordination with Armed Forces, startups, MSMEs, private sector and academia. The anti-drone technology, including the capability elements of detection, tracking, surveillance and both hard kills (laser-based hard kill to destroy the drone) and soft kills (for jamming the communication links of drone), have been developed and transferred to industries for mass production. In fact, the defence forces have reportedly signed a contract with BEL Electronics1 last year for supply of DRDO technology based anti-drone system called the Drone Detect, Deter and Destroy System (D4S).

Drones are globally utilized across industries for varied uses with the perspective to either increase work efficiency, enhance work productivity, decrease workload, reduce production costs, improve accuracy or to resolve security issues on a large scale. Adoption of the drone technology across industries has exponentially increased in the last few years as more and more industries and businesses have realized the potential, scope and scale these systems bring to the table. Whether controlled by a remote or accessed via a smartphone app, drones are capable of reaching the most remote areas with little to no manual intervention and hence require the least amount of effort, time, and energy. This results in saving operational costs as well. This is a primary reason why these systems are being researched and developed for both military and commercial reasons. There are multiple areas where DRDO is researching in the unmanned space. With aerial unmanned platforms at advanced stages of development and or production, ground and underground unmanned vehicles are also being researched and developed upon. DRDO labs including the VRDE with their MUNTRA UGV (which is a BMP Class vehicle converted into an autonomous one) or DAKSH (battery operated autonomous robot primarily for bomb recovery) are involved in the design and development of such systems.

To summarize, the defence sector has seen many technological breakthroughs which have totally transformed the dynamics of the battlefield. There is significant design and development that is and will continue to be required if India is to stay ahead of the curve. It is important that the design and development capabilities in the country be continued to be enhanced organically or inorganically. This would require both the government and the industry working together. There is enough business case and opportunities in unmanned vehicles to justify an efficient R&D investment by both the government as well as the industry. This decade is very critical in many aspects, and it will be important for India to be able to lead the global developments in the unmanned space.

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The Test

The demonstrator vehicle was tested at the Aeronautical Test Range located at Chitradurga in Karnataka on Friday. While being operated in a completely autonomous mode, it exhibited a perfect flight, according to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The take-off of the vehicle, the automatic navigation tracing the designated points — waypoint navigation and a touchdown — were all executed with the desired precision.

“This flight marks a major milestone in terms of proving critical technologies towards the development of future unmanned aircraft and is a significant step towards self-reliance in such strategic defence technologies,” the Ministry of Defence said.

The demonstrator has been developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a Bengaluru-based facility of the DRDO working in the fields of unmanned aerial vehicles, flight simulators, pilotless target aircraft, plight control systems and air weapons. Congratulating the DRDO, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Rajnath Singh said that it is a major achievement towards autonomous aircraft and will pave the way for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in terms of critical military systems.

What is special about it?

DRDO officials highlighted the flying wing structure of the technology demonstrator, which refers to a tailless fixed-wing aircraft which houses its payload and fuel in its main wings and does not have a defined fuselage-like structure found in the conventional aircraft. The design, DRDO scientists say, has the potential to deliver high fuel efficiency and stealth, if executed with precision, as demonstrated by some of advanced bombers in the USA’s arsenal like B-2 bomber.

The officials added that the flying wing type of aircraft has a key operational advantage because it has low reflective cross sections resulting in low radar signature, making it a stealth machine. Because of the shape, the aircraft also has very low drag or air resistance. However, this unique design also comes with its issues related to stability and thus requires additional systems.

The airframe — the basic mechanical structure of the aircraft, the undercarriage — the landing gear used for take-off and landing and the entire flight control along with avionics systems used for the demonstrator have been developed indigenously. The vehicle is powered by a small turbofan engine which is an airbreathing type jet engine.

How will it help develop future combat drones?

DRDO scientists said that this technology demonstrator will further undergo tests for examining other technologies in the development of future combat drones. Tests would also be conducted on the scale and capability of the vehicle. Sources said that the Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator is precursor to an autonomous stealth Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) being developed by the DRDO, primarily for the Indian Air Force. A deck launched version for the Indian Navy is also said to be in the pipeline. The UCAV will be capable of launching missiles and precision-guided munitions.

The DRDO has in the past developed various drones, like Nishant, Rustom, Tapas and Lakshya among others, which have different capabilities and operational roles. In July last year, the DRDO also unveiled its anti-drone technology aimed at neutralising enemy attacks. The system has the capability of counter attacks, including detection, soft kill — for jamming the communication links of drone) and hard kill — and laser based hard kill to destroy the drone to neutralise the adversary drones.

Several scenarios in the recent past, both in India and abroad, have highlighted the strategic importance of having stealth combat drones in the arsenal. While the Indian armed forces currently operate a mix of indigenously developed and imported drones, a fully homegrown stealth combat machine is the need of the hour, experts said.

While some reports suggest that the UCAV will be titled Ghatak (deadly) or Autonomous Unmanned Research Aircraft, the agency has not officially released the details.

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“We will be working with the ADE and ADA for the development of critical subsystems of AMCA. BEL is engaged in this program. Digital Flight Control Computers (DFCC) will not be given to us by any country. The development of the AMCA will take some time. There will be several trials that will take place.

We cannot give any time frame for the completion of the development of the DFCC,” a highly placed official from BEL on the condition of anonymity said on 29 June.

AMCA is the indigenous fifth generation fighter and the specifications are in line with the Fifth Generation aircraft technology with features like stealth, internal weapons, super cruise, serpentine air intake etc. Development of AMCA will lead to a quantum jump in technological capabilities of India.

In March this year R Madhavan, chairman and managing director, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) said that AMCA program has completed the preliminary design stage and detailed design phase was commenced. The prototypes are planned to be manufactured through SPV model involving DRDO, HAL and private player(s).

Early this year a new Flight Control System (FCS) integration facility was constructed at ADE. The facility will support the Research & Development (R&D) activities for developing Avionics and FCS for the AMCA.

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Giving more details on the flight, the release further said, “Operating in a fully autonomous mode, the aircraft exhibited a perfect flight, including take-off, way point navigation and a smooth touchdown. This flight marks a major milestone in terms of proving critical technologies towards the development of future unmanned aircraft and is significant step towards self-reliance in such strategic defence technologies.”

Designed and developed by the Bengaluru-based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a premier research laboratory under the DRDO, the unmanned fighter aircraft is powered by a small, turbofan engine, the New Delhi-headquartered agency noted further.

The vehicle’s airframe, as well as its undercarriage, flight controls and avionics system, were developed indigenously, it added.

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Nature of Warfare

Over the past few decades, there have been many prophecies about how drones will transform the nature of warfare and how “drone swarms” could overwhelm enemies in combat. While there is no doubt that unmanned warfare is evolving fast, the “era of the drone” is yet to arrive because countries that use them often do not deploy enough of them, or are afraid to lose them in battle. Despite widespread employment, drones did not stop the Taliban in Afghanistan.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, it put a renewed spotlight on the use of armed drones in conventional wars. The world saw how armed drones might work when both countries have them — and both have air defences that can shoot them down.

Turkish Bayraktar drones showed they can change the “nature of warfare” in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. But contemplating air war based on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict or the Ukraine-Russia war needs closer analysis. In the latter, the success of the Bayraktar was unclear. Even kamikaze drones did not turn the tide in Ukraine. The limits of drone warfare appeared to be on display.

Any air war, more so in the context of the subcontinent, would involve an entire array of aerial operations and combat air support campaigns. To counter drones, the capabilities of the enemy drone assets need evaluation before countering them through anti-drone measures and other means.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

The stand-off at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China has accelerated the acquisition of more drones. Impressed with the performance of the two leased Sea Guardian drones, the Navy, Army and the Air Force are considering procurement of combat drones.

Military Applications of UAVs.

Some of the important uses include:

• Information, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR).
• Unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV).
• Radar and Communication Relay.
• Mapping Military Logistics.
• Nuclear Cloud Surveillance.

Armed Drones. ADE has completed the development of the Rustom-2 TAPAS (Tactical Airborne Platform for Aerial Surveillance) MALE UAV (a MQ-1 category drone). Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will soon start the production of first five units of TAPAS drones. The optimally armed drone has already met all its revised qualitative requirements. It can fly at an altitude of 28,000 feet and has an endurance of 18 hours.

In total 76 units of this UAV will be ordered by forces. There will be 60 drones for Indian Army, 12 for the Indian Air Force and 4 for the Indian Navy.

Drone Technology

What information technology was in the 90s, drone technology is today. Technologies that the nation needs to invest in, are:

• Powertrain Technology – Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) Motor.
• Powertrain Technology – Fuel-Run Motor
• Powertrain Technology – Electronics
• Flight Controller
• Battery Technology
• Datalink Technology
• Making Bandwidth Available For Civilian Use

Some emerging technologies have the potential to enhancing effectiveness of drones, viz,

Artificial Intelligence. AI can help machines perceive and learn from Big Data to mimic and improve upon human cognitive functions like learning and problem solving.

Internet of Things (IoT). A network of connected devices, robots and instruments, embedded with sensors can communicate with other objects to         exchange data and information over the internet. Drones can act as first responders to an accident site and transmit real-time information to rescue agencies.

Indian Air Force

A Combat Air Teaming System (CATS) is a planned unmanned and manned combat aircraft air teaming system being developed by HAL, which is of interest to the IAF. An armed stealth drone will team up and fight alongside IAF fighters to hit high-value enemy targets. It is designed to carry out MUM-T Operations.

The Unmanned Wingman will be connected to a heavily upgraded IAF Jaguar fighter bomber; pilots onboard which will assign specific tasks to each of the unmanned drones which fly alongside the fighter. The drone will also operate with other platforms.

HAL is designing & developing AI powered, stealthy autonomous swarm drones known as ALFA-S. Sheer numbers of the swarm would overwhelm enemy defences such as surface-to-air missile units to ensure a high probability of mission success. The drones are meant to be launched from any Indian Air Force aircraft – fighter jets and transports.

DRDO is developing the Ghatak which is an UCAV for the IAF. The Aura UCAV will be a tactical stealth aircraft capable of delivering laser-guided strike weapons.

Indian Army

The army’s existing unmanned systems’ fleet comprises Heron medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAVs, and the smaller Searcher Mark II tactical drones.

The Army plans to buy high-tech unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to strengthen its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities and improve the effectiveness of its military operations.

Indian Navy

The Indian Navy currently operates Israeli-origin Heron and Searcher Mk-II UAVs, but neither is shipborne. It also has Sea Guardian drones on lease.

The Indian Navy announced its plans, in June 2022, to acquire 40 Naval Unmanned Aerial Systems (NUAS) for more than 100 meters long warships. The NUAS would be used for surveillance activities, including signals intelligence (SIGINT), target acquisition, surveillance, and maritime domain awareness surrounding a naval task forc as well as Search-and-Rescue (SAR), anti-piracy, and anti-terrorist operations.

The Indian Navy once partially funded a joint effort by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to convert the Chetak helicopter into an autonomous drone platform due to its need for the capabilities over time. The project, named naval rotary UAV (NRUAV), failed due to technological difficulties.

Research & Development

DRDO tested, in early-July 2022, the Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator, which is a major step ahead of developing unmanned aerial combat vehicles (UCAV), primarily for the Indian Air Force. A deck launched version for the Indian Navy is also said to be in the pipeline. The UCAV will be capable of launching missiles and precision-guided munitions.

Countering Drones

Drones are hard to detect, do not have a significant visual, radar, infra-red or noise signature, and require minimal infrastructure to launch and control. Drones are best countered by effective jamming and laser systems.

DRDO’s D-4 anti-drone system can provide both “soft kill” (jamming of hostile drones) and “hard kill” (a laser-based destruction method) options to the military to tackle fast-emerging aerial threats. It has been used for VIP protection on National Days’ events.

Adani Defence & Aerospace has linked with DRDO and Israel’s Elbit Systems to begin deploying counter-UAS equipment in some of the country’s major airports.

UAV Industry

According to the Civil Aviation Minister, by 2026, the Indian drone industry will achieve a turnover of over Rs 15,000 crore. India is home to 270 startups in the drone technologies business. He has stated that the country will be a global leader in drones by 2030.

PLI Scheme. The government announced the Production-Linked Incentive scheme on 16 Sep 2021 which provides for funding 20 per cent of the “value addition” made by the company during the next three years. The value addition is calculated as the annual sales revenue from drones and drone components. 14 drone companies have already been selected as beneficiaries.

Joint Ventures. The first private UAV manufacturing complex has been set up at Adani Aerospace Park in Hyderabad to assemble unmanned aerial platforms including manufacturing of Hermes 900 Unmanned Aerial Platforms and marketing it to international customers.

Training

Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) signed a MoU, in July 2022, with a private drone service provider and training organisation, to set up a ‘Remote Pilot Training Centre’ (RPTC) to teach drone flying to defence/security forces personnel as well as citizens on a private partnership model near Gandhinagar. The RPTC will have DGCA certified drone trainers teaching the trainees regarding quadcopters with strict adherence to certification necessities.

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In an official communication ADE also confirmed the TAPAS drones to be armed. Work on this is progressing fast.

Most of the components required for the production of the drone is expected to go to private defence agencies, HAL’s role would be that of  a lead integrator. The avionics, electronics, sensors, and ground control systems is likely to be manufactured by the state-owned defence sector behemoth BEL. DRDO’s Defence Electronics Application Laboratory, Dehradun, is responsible for developing and integrating the data links for Rustom-II.

Unmanned, Rustom-II has an overall length of 9.5 m and a wingspan of 20.6 m. It is powered by two Saturn 36T turboprop engines, each rated at 74.57 kW (100 hp). Also known as TAPAS-BH-201 (Tactical Advanced Platform for Aerial Surveillance-Beyond Horizon-201), Rustom-II weighs 1,800 kg and has a cruising speed of 135 kt.

It is designed to carry payloads of up to 350 kg. The mission payloads are reportedly Israel-sourced and include electro-optic (EO) and infrared (IR) sensors, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and maritime patrol radars, communications relay, and electronic intelligence (ELINT) and communications intelligence (COMINT) packages.

In November 2021 the DRDO demonstrated Rustom-II’s ability to take off and land autonomously as well as its ability to utilise India’s satellite-based navigation system – GPS-aided GEO augmented navigation (GAGAN) – that has been jointly built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Airports Authority of India (AAI).

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Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in a statement said that successful tests of Pinaka Extended Range (Pinaka-ER), Area Denial Munitions (ADM) and indigenously developed fuzes have been carried out at various test ranges.

The system is jointly designed by laboratories of DRDO – Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune.

The DRDO, after establishing the performance efficacy of the enhanced range Pinaka, transferred the technology of the system to the industry.

The Industry Partner has manufactured enhanced Pinaka Mk-1 rockets with DRDO’s hand holding during the production and Quality Assurance.

In continuation of the Transfer of Technology absorption, rockets developed by the industry have undergone the performance evaluation and quality certification process.

The hand holding during the production, quality assurance and launch coordination for bulk production is being provided by the DRDO design team and quality assurance agencies nominated for the system.

The DRDO, along with the Army, conducted series of performance evaluation trials of these industry produced rockets at Field Firing Ranges in the last three days. In these trials, enhanced range Pinaka rockets were test fired at different ranges with various warhead capabilities.

All the trial objectives were met satisfactorily. A total of 24 rockets were fired for different ranges and warhead capabilities to meet the objectives of accuracy and consistency.

With this, the initial phase of technology absorption of Pinaka-ER by the Industry Partner has successfully been completed making the Industry Partner ready for series production of the rocket system.

The Pinaka-ER is the upgraded version of earlier Pinaka version which has been in service with the Indian Army for the last decade.

The system has been designed in the light of emerging requirements with advanced technologies enhancing the range.

The Area Denial Munition (ADM) variants of munition designed by the ARDE, Pune for Pinaka and manufactured by the industry partners under technology transfer were successfully carried out at Pokhran Field Firing Ranges. These trials are part of performance evaluation under technology absorption.

The indigenously-developed proximity fuzes for Pinaka rockets have also been tested. The ARDE, Pune has developed different fuzes for Pinaka rocket for different types of applications. After design validation trials, dynamic performance evaluation of these fuzes have been evaluated with flight testing. Consistency in performance of fuzes has been established in consecutive flight trials.
These have been developed through dedicated indigenous Research and Development efforts for the first time in the country. These indigenously developed fuzes will replace the imported fuzes and save foreign exchange.

The ARDE has also designed miniaturised fuzes for ADMs. Performance of dual-purpose Direct-Action Self Destruction (DASD) and Anti-Tank Munition (ATM) fuzes were evaluated during the current flight trials and the results were satisfactory.
All the mission objectives were successfully in all the above trials.

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