recent achievements of DRDO

[PRACTICAL PATRIOT]

Low Altitude Digital Lakshya-2 Successfully Flight Tested
2010-12-22 The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) yesterday successfully conducted the flight test of Lakshya-2, the Pilot-less Target Aircraft (PTA), at very low altitudes.

The users have indicated their requirement of flying the PTA at 15 to 25 meters above sea level to simulate trajectory of low-level cruise missiles. Accordingly Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bangalore prepared Lakshya-2 with necessary hardware and software for meeting the user requirements. The flight test was of 32 minutes duration controlled by Ground Control Station and the low altitude flight was proved over 10km range. The flight was stable and well controlled. Mobile launcher to launch the PTA from anywhere and GPS to locate for recovery were used successfully.

The pilot-less aircraft also demonstrated its maneuvering capability simultaneously simulating maneuvering attacking air crafts. The system has been designed so that two Lakshya targets can be flown and controlled by the Common Ground Control Station.

Low Altitude Digital Lakshya-2 Successfully Flight Tested | India Defence

2010-12-14 An American firm has shown keen interest in the Explosive Detection Kit (EDK) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). An agreement on Transfer of Technology is likely to be signed soon between the two sides.

The EDK, developed by the DRDO's High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) in Pune, comes packed in a box the size of a vanity case which contains four reagents capable of detecting explosives even in trace quantities. It can be used to identify a range of explosives such as PETN, Black Powder, Dynamite, NC, NG, CE, Inorganic Mitrates, TNT, RDX and HMX based plastic explosives.

The EDK kit can be easily carried to the spot and is found useful both before and after the blast. When the explosive substance is mixed with the different chemical reagents given in the kit, the drop turns into specific colour as given out in the instruction leaflet. Verification can normally follow using the Raman spectrometric test.

Costing about Rupees 5,000 apiece, the EDK is being commercially made by Noida-based Vantage Integrated Security Solutions Pvt Ltd under a Transfer of Technology pact with the DRDO. It is being widely used by the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squads of the Army, Paramilitary and state Police Forces in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

The American firm is soon to enter into an MoU with the DRDO, which has patented its EDK. "The Americans have their own EDK kits but the foreign technology has certain drawbacks, for example they lack confirmatory test," said Reny Roy, a scientist at the HEMRL. "Since they use a test paper instead of liquid drops, that's another disadvantage as the test paper is not long lasting and gets torn," she added.

Following the success of the EDK, scientists at HEMRL, Pune have now developed an aerosol based EDK kit that costs around the same price as the conventional EDK kit and has the advantage of being more portable, convenient and trendy. Another Use-and-Throw kit with reagents packed in the kind of medicinal injection bottles has also been produced, the cost of which works out around Rs.1,800 for each set. "I got the idea for making an EDK kit in pellets form when I saw my daughter working with her colour palette," says a blushing Roy.

American Firm Interested in Explosive Detection Kit Developed by DRDO | India Defence

 

[PRACTICAL PATRIOT]

DRDO Laboratory Develops Powerful, Light, Compact CL-20 Explosive
2010-11-30 Move over RDX! That's passe for the needs of the Indian Armed Forces. The DRDO is developing a powerful explosive -- the CL-20, that can substantially reduce the weight and size of the warhead while packing much more punch. In fact, the RDX is not the standard explosive in use with the Indian Armed Forces; the warheads are mostly packed with HMX, FOX-7 or amorphous Boron.

Scientists at the Pune-based High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) have already synthesised adequate quantity of CL-20 in the laboratory. "It is the most powerful non-nuclear explosive yet known to man," says Dr. AK Sikder, Joint Director, HEMRL, who heads the High Energy Materials Division. The compound, 'Indian CL-20' or ICL-20, was indigenously synthesised in the HEMRL laboratory using inverse technology, he added. "The HEMRL has taken India to an elite club of countries with advanced capabilities in the field of Energetic Materials," said Shri Manish Bhardwaj, a senior Scientist with the HEMRL. In fact, the CL-20 is such a fascination for the HEMRL that a larger-than-life size model of the compound occupies the pride of place as one enters the portals of the main building of the DRDO's premier lab in Pune.

CL-20, so named after the China Lake facility of the Naval Air Weapons Station in California, US, was first synthesized by Dr. Arnold Nielson in 1987. CL-20, or Octa-Nitro-Cubane, is a Nitramine class of explosive 15 times as powerful as HMX, His/Her Majesty Explosive or High Melting Explosive or Octogen. The HMX itself is more than four times as potent as the Research Developed Explosive or Royal Demolition Explosive or Cyclonite or Hexogen, commonly known as RDX.

"CL-20 offers the only option within the next 10-15 years to meet the requirements of the Indian Armed Forces for Futuristic Weapons," said Dr. Sikder. "CL-20 -based Shaped Charges significantly improve the penetration over armours," he said, adding that it could be used in the bomb for the 120-mm main gun mounted on the MBT-Arjun. "But the costs of mass production of ICL-20 are still prohibitive," said Dr. Sikder. Compared to Rs.750 per kilogram it takes to produce RDX in the factory today, the HMX is worth about Rs.6,000 per kg while a kilogram of CL-20 costs a whopping Rs.70,000 per kg.

"We have a tie up with industry partner for intermediate commercial exploitation of ICL-20," said Dr. A. Subhananda Rao, Director, HEMRL. About 100 kgs of ICL-20 has been produced by HEMRL in collaboration with the Premier Explosives Limited (PEL). The CL-20, which looks like limestone or grainy talcum powder, is being manufactured by the PEL factory at Peddakanlukur village in Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh. The Rs.60 crores Hyderabad-based company bagged the DRDO's Defence Technology Absorption Award, 2007 worth Rs.Ten Lakhs, presented by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on May 12, 2008, their most prestigious award, claimed company sources.

"The advantage with the CL-20 is its Reduced Sensitivity," said Dr. Sikder, enabling easy handling and transportation of the lethal weaponry. In fact, the HEMRL is concentrating on the Reduced Shock Sensitivity (RSS) explosives, such as RSS-RDX, which costs about Rs.1,500-2,000 per kg, and RSS-HMX. "There is a whole array of low sensitivity material or Insensitive Munitions we are working on," said Dr. Rao. "The world around there is a lot of R&D being pumped into what are called the Green Explosives, as also the advanced Insensitive Munitions (IM) and RSS explosives," added Dr. Sikder, which reduces the chances of mishap and loss to M4 -- Men, Money, Materials and Machines.