A monthly house bulletin of Defence Research & Development Organisation ■ Vol. 35 No. 3 ■ March 2015 Canisterised launch of Agni 5: A giant leap in country’s deterrence capability DRDO products displayed in Republic Day 2015 Akash Missile System Weapon Locating Radar 35th year of Publication Editor-in-Chief ISSN: 0971-4391 ■ Vol. 35 No. 3 ■ March 2015 SK Jindal Associate Editor-in-Chief Ashok Kumar Inside the Issue Editor Manoj Kumar DRDO test-fires canisterised Agni 5 ICBM 4 Local Correspondents LCA Tejas achieves another Milestone 5 Ahmednagar: Lt Col. AK Singh, Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (VRDE); Ambernath: Shri P Sivaraman, Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL); Balasore/Chandipur: Shri PK Mohanty, Integrated Test Range (ITR); Dr AK Sannigrahi, Proof & Experimental Establishment (PXE); Bengaluru: Smt Bala V, Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE); Dr Y Purushottam, Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS); Smt Faheema AGJ, Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (CAIR); Ms Tripty Rani Bose, Centre for Military Airworthiness & Certification (CEMILAC); Smt Josephine Nirmala M, Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE); Shri Kiran G, Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE); Shri KM Veerabhadra, Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE); Dr Vishal Kesari, Microwave Tube Research & Development Centre (MTRDC); Chandigarh: Shri HS Gusain, Snow & Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE); Shri Niraj Srivastava, LASTEC develops Hand-held Explosive Detection 6 Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory; Chennai: Shri PD Jayaram, Combat System Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (CVRDE); Dehradun: Shri Abhai Mishra, Defence Electronics Application Laboratory (DEAL); Shri JP Singh, New Generation Electronic Warfare Equipment 6 Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE); Delhi: Dr Rajendra integrated on Tejas Singh, Centre for Fire, Explosive & Environment Safety (CFEES); Shri Shashwat Gaurav, Centre for Personnel Talent Management (CEPTAM); Dr KP Mishra, Workshop on Manufacture of Defence Equipment 7 Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Sciences (DIPAS); Shri Ram Prakash, organised by DRDO Defence Terrain Research Laboratory (DTRL); Dr Rajeev Vij, Institute of Nuclear Raising Day Celebrations 8 Medicine & Allied Science (INMAS); Dr Indu Gupta, Laser Science & Technology Centre (LASTEC);Shri Raj Kumar Jain, Recruitment & Assessment Centre (RAC); Smt Kamini Malhotra, Scientific Analysis Group (SAG); Dr Rakesh Kumar Chaubey, Solid State Physics Laboratory (SSPL); Gwalior: Shri RK Srivastava, Defence R&D Establishment (DRDE); Haldwani: Dr Atul Grover, Defence Institute of Bio-Energy Research (DIBER); Hyderabad: Shri Hemant Kumar, Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL); Shri JP Singh, Centre for High Energy Systems & Sciences (CHESS); Shri ARC Murthy, Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DLRL); Dr Manoj Kumar Jain, Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL); Dr K Nageswara Rao, Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL); Shri N Venkatesh, Research Centre Imarat (RCI); Jodhpur: Shri Ravindra Kumar, Defence Laboratory (DL); Kanpur: Shri Ashok Kumar Gautam, Defence Materials & Stores Research & Development Establishment (DMSRDE); Kochi: Shri S Radhakrishnan, Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL); Leh: Dr Somen Acharya, Defence Institute of High Altitude Manpower Development Activities 9 Research (DIHAR); Mussoorie: Shri Ashish Joshi, Institute of Technology Management (ITM); Pune: Dr (Mrs) JA Kanetkar, Armament Research CVRDE initiates Swachh Bharat Abhiyan 11 and Development Establishment (ARDE); Shri AM Devale, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL); Shri SS Arole, Research & Development Personnel News 12 Establishment (Engrs) [R&DE (E)]; : Dr Jayshree Das, Defence Research Tezpur Raksha Mantri visits ARDE 13 Laboratory (DRL); Visakhapatnam: Shri YSR Prasada Rao, Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL) NSTL displays advanced Defence Technologies 14 Assistant Editor in Pride of India Expo-2015 Geeta Sharma Design & Pre-press Anjan Kumar Das Multimedia RK Bhatnagar Printing SK Gupta; Hans Kumar Distribution RP Singh Website: http://www.drdo.gov.in/drdo-nl ISO 9001: 2008 Re-certification to HEMRL 14 E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Tel: 011-2390 2474; Fax: 011-2381 9151 Sports Round-up 15 Monograph Released 15 Cover: Agni 5 takes off majestically from confines of its canister Visitors to DRDO Labs/Estts 16 DRDO test-fires canisterised Agni 5 ICBM India’s Inter-Continental Committee and Chief of Air Staff, who Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Agni 5 witnessed the entire launch operations was successfully test fired from a from the control room, called it a great canister by DRDO on 31 January achievement. Lt Gen Amit Sharma 2015. It was a historic moment AVSM, VSM, Commander-in-Chief, when for the first time Agni 5, about Strategic Forces Command, who was 17 meters long and weighing over also present on the occasion, called 50 ton, majestically rose from the it a fantastic achievement. confines of its canister. Having Dr Avinash Chander, SA to RM, risen to about 20 meters, its first Secretary Department of Defence stage motor ignited lifting Agni 5 R&D, and Director General (DG) into the sky. The flight continued DRDO said, “This is a momentous on its predetermined path during occasion. It is India’s first ever ICBM which the second all composite launch from a canister and is a lightweight motor followed by the giant leap in country’s deterrence third innovatively designed conical capability”. SA to RM termed it a copy all composite rocket motor propelled book launch with entire command the missile into the space taking it to network functioning in loop. He a height of more than 600 kilometers. congratulated the DRDO community for the tremendous efforts put in by The missile, after reaching peak of its Agni 5 trajectory, turned towards the Earth to them in making the country self-reliant continue its journey, directed precisely by the advanced in the area of long-range missile systems. on-board computer and inertial navigation system, Announcing the success of the mission, Dr VG towards the intended target with an increased speed Sekaran, Distinguished Scientist (DS), DG Missiles and due to the Earth’s gravitational pull. Strategic Systems, DRDO and Mission Director said, “All mission objectives have been achieved. Down range As the missile entered the Earth’s atmosphere, with ships have confirmed final splashdown. The mission is temperature raised to beyond 4000 oC, the indigenously a great success and it is a momentous occasion”. A designed and developed carbon-carbon composite heat jubilant Dr Rajesh Kumar Gupta, Project Director, Agni shield protected the payload maintaining the inside 5, described the success as “historic achievement; a temperature below 50 oC. Finally, commanded by the dream fulfilled”. on-board computer with a support of highly accurate ring laser gyro-based inertial navigation system, the most The ships located in midrange and at the target point modern micro inertial navigation system (MINS), fully tracked the vehicle and witnessed the final event. All digital control system and advanced compact avionics, the radars and electro-optical systems along the path the missile hit the designated target accurately meeting monitored all the parameters of the missile displayed all mission objectives. in real time. The earlier successful two flights of Agni 5 were in open configuration and had already proved Shri Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor, the missile. The launch from a canister, integrated with congratulated Dr Avinash Chander and the Mission a mobile sophisticated launcher, was in its deliverable Team for the successful launch. configuration that enables launch of the missile within Congratulating team Agni, Air Chief Marshal Anup a very short time as compared to an open launch. Raha, PVSM, AVSM, VM, Chairman Chiefs of staff It also has advantages of higher reliability, longer 4 March 2015 shelf-life, less maintenance and enhanced mobility. Aircraft, and Director, Aeronautical Development Agency Dr Manas K Mandal, DS, DG Life Sciences, DRDO; Dr (ADA); Dr Manmohan Singh, OS, Director, Vehicles G Satish Reddy, DS, Director, Research Centre Imarat Research and Development Establishment (VRDE); (RCI); Shri GS Malik, Outstanding Scientist (OS), Shri Manjit Singh, Director, Terminal Ballistics Research Chief Controller R&D (HR), DRDO; Dr Tessy Thomas, Laboratory (TBRL) and Shri SK Patel, Director, Quality OS, Director, Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL); Reliability and Safety, DRDO HQ, were among other Dr PS Subramaniam, DS, Programme Director, Combat senior DRDO scientists present on the occasion. LCA Tejas achieves another Milestone Tejas being readied for test With three consecutive start-ups of its engine Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) and after overnight soak in extreme cold (around -15 ºC) Director General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance conditions of Laddakh winter, Tejas, the Indian Light (DGAQA) succeeded in achieving this. Combat Aircraft (LCA), has achieved yet another rare The engine starter has been developed indigenously distinction. Starting the fighter aircraft under such by the AERDC. Prior to aircraft tests, the Jet Fuel Starter extreme conditions without any external assistance or (JFS) was extensively tested on test rig to meet starting heating is a technological challenge. The requirements become further stringent when the starting is to be conditions