DRDO hands over 3 products to Indian Army

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on 2 March 2017 handed over three of its products for induction into the Indian Army at a function in New Delhi.

The Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who presided the function, handed over the products to the Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat on behalf of DRDO.

The three new products are  –

i. Weapon Locating Radar (WLR), SWATHI

ii. NBC Recce vehicle

iii. NBC Drugs

Indian Navy successfully test-fired Anti-Ship Missile from Kalvari Class Submarine

Features of Weapon Locating Radar (WLR), SWATHI

• It was developed by the DRDO’s Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE).

• The radar provides fast, automatic and accurate location of all enemy weapons like mortars, shells and rockets firing within in its effective zone of coverage.

• The SWATHI simultaneously handles multiple projectiles fired from different weapons at different locations.

• The system is capable of adjusting the fire of our own artillery weapon also.

• The weapon includes 81mm or higher calibre mortars, 105mm or higher calibre shells and 120mm or higher calibre free flying rockets.

• Thus WLR has two roles to perform - Weapon Location Mode for enemy artillery and Direction of Own artillery Fire (DOOAF) Mode for our own artillery.

Features of NBC Recce Vehicle Mk-I

• The NBC Recce Vehicle Mk-I was developed by Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (VRDE).

• It carries out post-event recce of nuclear, biological and chemical contaminated areas.

• It is capable of collecting solid and liquid samples of biologically contaminated areas, mark the nuclear and chemical contamination zone and transfer the recce data speedily to support formations.

Indian Coast Guard Ship ICGS AYUSH commissioned in Kochi

About NBC Drugs

• The drugs were developed by the DRDO’s Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS).

• INMAS has carried out extensive research and laboratory trials in the past two decades to develop formulations for use as antidotes and de-corporating agents for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) emergencies.

• Out of the several formulas developed by INMAS, 15 drugs have been identified for induction.