Sandip Dighe | TNN | Updated: Oct 23, 2017,
PUNE: The chairman of defence research and development organisation (DRDO), S Christopher, sounded hopeful on Sunday about the Indian Army accepting the Arjun Mark-II tank after certain modifications recommended by the army were incorporated.
Speaking on the sidelines of a function at the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT), Christopher told TOI, “We have carried out certain modifications as recommended by the army. The tank will go through trials and there is every possibility that it will be accepted considering that the army has already agreed to induct the tank in two regiments.” 
The DRDO chief was on a visit to DIAT — a deemed university under the defence ministry — for the inauguration of the 21st batch of Post Induction Training School (POINTS), a programme for newly inducted DRDO scientists. He also held a meeting with senior scientists.
The army had recommended nearly 71 modifications to the tank and had asked the DRDO to redesign the hull and the turret structures and use new materials in order to reduce the weight. The weight of the Mark-I is 62 tonne while Arjun Mark-II is 68 tonne.
A senior army officer from the armoured corps, told TOI on Sunday, “The army has a major issue with the weight of Mark-II as it will not meet its operational requirements in the western sectors where the tank will be deployed in future. During the past trials, it had come to our notice that the tank is heavier than the existing culvert, thereby, making mobility a major issue. It was, therefore, paramount to recommend a reduction in weight of the tank from an operational point of view.”
A senior DRDO scientist closely associated with the project said, “The army had specified their operational requirement on three aspects — weight, missile firing capability and ammunition. We have addressed these issues. Besides, we have kept the agility and mobility of the tank at par with the existing one. We are confident that the tank will meet the army’s requirements in the trials.” The army has about 3,500 tanks mostly comprising the old T-72 and the improvised T-90 tanks.
Tag Archives: TOI
Senior woman scientist at DRDO unit in Doon files sexual harassment case against top-ranking official
Yogesh Kumar | TNN | Jun 29, 2016, 10.25 PM IST
DEHRADUN:
A senior woman scientist has filed a sexual harassment complaint against a top-ranking official of the Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE), a unit of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Dehradun. In her complaint to DRDO, the scientist has alleged that the accused official touched her inappropriately on the pretext of checking her I-card. A DRDO spokesperson confirmed they have received the complaint and added that “a fact-finding committee has also been formed.”
According to sources, the scientist had initially approached IRDE officials with her complaint but when she saw no action being taken, she went to the National Commission for Scheduled Caste (NCSC) in Delhi earlier this month. Jagjit Singh, a senior official of NCSC, told TOI, “The complainant had approached us with her problem. We have asked DRDO to look into her case and are now waiting for the response.”
Meanwhile, last week, IRDE officials were summoned by the DRDO top brass in connection with the scientist’s complaint. According to a DRDO spokesperson, “the next course of action will be decided after receiving the recommendations of the fact-finding-committee which has been constituted under a senior woman scientist.”
The case has jolted a number of people in the leafy campus of IRDE in the city where research is undertaken to devise cutting-edge gadgets like night vision cameras, thermal imagers as well as other electro-optical surveillance instruments for the defence forces.
Meanwhile, when TOI contacted the senior official against whom the allegations had been made, he said, “Nothing like what is being claimed by the woman has happened. I have come to know about the fact finding committee but I am yet to be called for giving any statement. I will present my version to them whenever called. 
DRDO develops CO filters for submarines
Snehlata Shrivastav,TNN | Sep 28, 2014, 04.46 AM IST
Nagpur: Like any automobile, submarines generate a lot of harmful gases like carbon-mono-oxide (CO). India was importing special room filters for submarines which could absorb CO as well as other gases. To ensure safety of the Naval staff, the Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) has not only developed its own CO filters called ‘CFKIII room filters’ but also room filters that can absorb over 40 different gases, at almost one fifth of the imported cost.
The information on CO filter is on display at the three-day AXIS technical festival organized by students of the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT). In fact, India is the first country to develop a CO filter which can work for indefinite period even in heavy moisture conditions as compared to the Russian filter costing about Rs1 lakh.
On inquiring about the filter, sources in DRDO headquarters told TOI that the organization has developed other types of room filters too which can prevent over 40 harmful gases including hydrogen sulphide, ammonia, stibine, hydrogen cyanide, acrolein. These filters need to be changed after 45 days and one ship needs at least 14 different filters.
DRDO Gwalior laboratory has developed many equipment and techniques which can detect, protect and decontaminate the chemical warfare agents Sarin, Soman and Tabun. A filter paper like strip attached to any human body part changes into various colours that help in detecting the type of chemical. This lab has also developed a toe-to-head carbon coated suit and a mask which filters everything else and allows only oxygen to go in.
Another DRDO lab, Centre for Fire Explosives and Environment Safety in Delhi, has recently developed a light weight ‘fire proximity suit’ which has five layers of protective material. It has also developed an Emergency Escape Chute (EEC) which can take a load up to 4 to 5 tonne and can be used effectively for evacuating people from high rise buildings, oil rig platforms and can be used together with auto-inflatable raft. The lab is yet to transfer the technology to a manufacturer.
The Solid State Physics Laboratory of DRDO in Delhi has made an indigenous alternative hand held equipment to highly expensive imported one. Since it can detect chemical warfare agents effectively, it is being called as e-nasika or-e-nose which can sniff any chemical. It uses ‘surface acoustic wave’ or SAW sensors. It will be manufactured by Bharat Electricals Limited in Pune. Against the imported version costing Rs20 lakh, this one costs just Rs5 lakh.
India-Israel joint venture to manufacture missiles fails to take off
Jatinder Kaur Tur, TNN Nov 14, 2013, 12.01PM IST
HYDERABAD: The joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Israeli Aerospace Industry to manufacture Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR SAM) and Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MR-SAM) has turned out to be a non-starter.
The long range missiles were to have been delivered to the Indian Navy by 2012 while the medium range missiles should be in the Indian Air Force weaponry by 2017. However, both the delivery schedules are way behind schedule and show no signs of meeting them even in the near future.DRDO officials are blaming the lack of progress in the joint venture due to lack of transparency and non-transfer of technology by their Israeli counterparts. And the recent trials that were conducted by the Indian defence organization failed to meet the standards of both the IAF and the Indian Navy. The entire cost of Rs 12,500 crore of the joint venture is being funded by India and the inordinate delay and lack of progress in the project has turned into a big cause of worry in the defence ministry.
According to sources, the LR-SAMs project was commissioned in 2006 and the delivery of the missiles to the Indian Navy should have happened by 2012. Similarly, the MR-SAM venture was signed in 2009 and the missiles are to be delivered to the Indian Air Force by 2017. Both both the projects are way behind schedule and show no signs of making progress.
“Frankly speaking, right now, not much is going on in the joint venture due to various issues between the two sides. Expecting Israel to share its technology with India is unfair. But such things should have been clarified before the joint venture was entered into,” said an official.
DRDO is maintaining that it is because of the lack of transfer of technology that the trials conducted so far have ended up as failures. “Industries are merely getting the drawings as to how to produce certain systems and such things are leading to deviations from the laid down specifications because the knowledge to develop the systems is not being imparted,” said sources.
DRDO officials are also attributing the delay to a complicated and long procedure involving shuttling between India and Israel for various stages of development of a system etc. The Hyderabad-based Indian defence organization also reportedly found itself helpless on problems in propulsion system and other related issues while a significant number of parts or systems are yet to be tested following a delay in manufacturing.
However, when quizzed on the issue, DRDO Director General Avinash Chander told the TOI that nothing was amiss. “Everything is going on as per the plan and development trials are on. We shall be able to deliver the MR-SAMs as per schedule. Right now, the contribution from India in the joint venture project is about 20% and would ultimately reach 80% in the final stages.” Regarding the already delayed LR-SAM, DRDO officials declined to come on record.
MR-SAM, one of the major demands of the forces, is to have a range of 70 kms or so, and the IAF is banking on replacing its ageing Soviet-made Pechora SAM missiles with the MR-SAMs. But nobody is sure how long the wait is going to be, and whether the delivery will take place at all.
Antony tells defence PSUs to get their act together
Antony tells defence PSUs to get their act together
TNN Feb 15, 2007, 01.36am IST
NEW DELHI: Perform or perish. defence minister A K Antony used the platform of an awards function on Wednesday to deliver this blunt message to defence PSUs, ordnance factories and, of course, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
In fact, the minister virtually asked DRDO — which is into making juices and mosquito repellents as well as tanks and missiles, as earlier reported by TOI — to concentrate only on “high-technology” areas of “strategic importance”.
“I am not satisfied with the work of some PSUs, ordnance factories and others. They must change. Otherwise, it will become difficult for them to survive in this era of competition,”said Antony, addressing an audience of chiefs and chairpersons of defence PSUs, shipyards and DRDO.
After handing over “awards for excellence”to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and Bharat Electronics Ltd, which are being conferred with the “navratna” status, Antony said defence organisations “must adapt and transform to the changing environment of the defence industry brought about by globalisation”.
‘DRDO must avoid delays in defence projects’
TNN Apr 12, 2008, 03.09am IST
NEW DELHI: Indicating that the Defence Research and Development Organization was in for a major revamp, defence minister A K Antony on Friday said cost and time overruns would no longer do in crucial defence projects.
“We are in the process of introducing several innovations to streamline and make more effective the entire defence product development and procurement process,” said Antony, while addressing the 32nd DRDO conference here.
“On the anvil are amendments to our procurement procedures, developing a healthy interface with the public and private industry through offsets and bringing about organizational improvements in DRDO,” he added.
This assumes significance in the backdrop of the recent report by the P Rama Rao committee, which has called for a drastic overhaul of DRDO to ensure it can supply cutting-edge weapon systems to armed forces without the prevailing huge time and cost overruns, as reported by TOI earlier.