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ISRO to armed forces, DRDO's Agra parachute lab makes a mark
ADRDE's HEAVY DROP SYSTEM DEVELOPED TO PARA-DROP MILITARY LOADS
ADRDE's HEAVY DROP SYSTEM DEVELOPED TO PARA-DROP MILITARY LOADS
AGRA: As the Indian Space Research Organization takes steps towards launching manned missions into space, the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment, DRDO's Agra-based lab, is playing a key role in providing state-of-the-art equipment for safe re-entry from space.
In an exclusive interview with TOI, ADRDE director S C Sati said drogue (funnel-shaped) parachutes designed by the Agra based laboratory safely landed GSLV mark-III crew module in atmosphere re-entry experiment on December 17 last year. "It's a big achievement as surviving and functioning under extreme conditions in outer space is not easy," he said.
ADRDE makes nearly 60 varieties of parachutes and is also the sole provider of such equipment to all three armed forces in the country.
Parachutes developed by the ADRDE are deployed in nine fighter and reconnaissance aircrafts of the Indian Air Force — Tejas, Sukhoi Su- 30 MKI, Mig -21, Mig-29, Dassault mirage 2000, Jaguar, BAE Hawk, Mig-27 — and very recently, helped two pilots eject safely during aircraft crashes.
The chutes have also successfully landed GSLV mark-V components on earth from outer space. Parachutes designed and developed by ADRDE are also exported to Indonesia, Malaysia and several other countries.
The ADRDE's repertoire includes parachutes for safe landing during re-entry of space capsule, paradropping men, braking of fighter aircraft and recovery of payloads pertaining to missiles.
Talking to TOI, ADRDE director S C Sati said, "Our indigenously designed and developed parachutes are state-of-the-art products, which not only can safely drop any kind of weapons, combat vehicles to a precise location, but have the capability to land space capsules and brake any fighter jet on the runway."
Sati said ADRDE is involved in cutting-edge research for materials used in making the parachutes to make them safer and more reliant. He added that the laboratory conducts research and develops new kinds of parachutes which are tested and once approval is received from the armed forces, the design is sent to a Kanpur-based ordinance factory for mass production.
Recalling the February 1 incident, in which a MIG-21 aircraft of IAF crashed in Jamnagar city, the ADRDE director said, "Advance ejection parachutes of ADRDE have saved many precious lives of IAF pilots." Even the newly inducted Tejas, fighter aircraft in IAF, has both ejection as well as braking parachutes developed by us, he said.
Project director of parachute development S P Singh said, "Our yearly turnover from the indigenous product is nearly Rs 200 crore and has demand from various countries which operate fighter aircrafts like Sukhoi Su-30."
Source:- ISRO to armed forces, DRDO's Agra parachute lab makes a mark - The Times of India