Indian Defence Review

Arjun Tank

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is a Mission Mode Organisation, which is primarily engaged in design and development of strategic, complex and security sensitive systems for the Armed Forces. DRDO has developed number of systems/products/ technologies, a large number of which have already been productionised.

The value of systems/products/technologies developed by DRDO and inducted into Services or in the process of induction stands at over Rs. 1,90,000 Crore.  These include combat vehicles; missiles;  multi-barrel rocket launcher; unmanned aerial vehicles; radars; electronic warfare systems; sonars; torpedos; bridging systems; combat aircraft; sensors; NBC technologies; parachutes; combat free fall systems; propellants and explosives; detonators; communication systems; armaments systems; cyber systems, etc.  These are helpful in the long run for the country to achieve self-reliance in defence sector.  

Significant achievements of DRDO: 

Some of the major products/systems developed by DRDO and accepted/inducted by Armed Forces are:

Platforms:

• Light Combat Aircraft  ‘Tejas’
• Remotely Piloted Vehicle  ‘Nishant’
• Pilotless Target Aircraft  ‘Lakshya-I’
• Main Battle Tank ‘Arjun Mk-I’
• Armoured Amphibious Dozer Mk-I
• Armoured Engineer Recce Vehicle
• NBC Recce Vehicle
• Bridging Systems  ‘Sarvatra’

Sensors:

• Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C)
• Integrated Sonar System for EKM Submarine.
• Hull Mounted Sonar.
• Short Range Battle Field Surveillance Radar
• Weapon Locating Radar  ‘Swathi’
• 3D Low Level Light Weight Radar ‘Aslesha’ Mk-I
• 3D Surveillance Radar ‘Revathi’
• Electronic Warfare System for Navy ‘Sangraha’
• Electronic Warfare System for Army ‘Samyukta’
• Electronic Warfare System ‘Divya Drishti’
• Electronic Support Measure ‘Varuna’
• Commander’s Thermal Imager Mk-II for T-72, T-90 and BMP tanks
• Holographic Sights for Small Weapons 

Weapon Systems:

• Akash Weapon System
• Prithvi Missile for Army and  Air Force
• Supersonic Cruise Missile ‘BrahMos’
• Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher System ‘Pinaka’ Mk-I
• Torpedo Advanced Light
• Heavy Weight Ship Launched Torpedo ‘Varunastra’

Soldier Support Systems:

• Computerised Pilot Selection System for Indian Air Force
• Telemedicine System for Navy
• Submarine Escape Suit
• Flame Retardant Gloves
• NBC products 

DRDO has been making all possible efforts to increase indigenous content in DRDO products.  The percentage of import content in some of the major DRDO systems are given below: