DRDO chief says several defence systems in 'final stages' of user evaluation or development trials; highlights achievements

During an event held at the DRDO Bhawan, DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat outlined the organisation's significant achievements over the past year. He also paid floral tributes to former President and 'Missile Man of India,' A P J Abdul Kalam, to honour his legacy.

The occasion saw the release of several important DRDO documents, including a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on Product Development and a compilation of various SoPs and Guidelines related to DRDO personnel, as stated by the defence ministry.

The chairman noted that DRDO had handed over systems worth Rs 1.10 lakh crore in 2024 or received Acceptance of Necessity.

These systems include the Air Defence Tactical Control Radar (ADTCR), Air Defence Fire Control Radar (ADFCR), Medium Range Anti-ship Missile (MRAshM), Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile System (LR-LACM), SIGINT and COMJAM Aircraft (SCA), Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft (MRMR) for the Navy, and Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft (MMMA) for the Coast Guard.

Other systems highlighted in the statement were the Joint Venture Protective Carbine (JVPC), Area Denial Munition Type-2 and Type-3 for the 'Pinaka' Rocket System, 155 mm Nubless Projectile (Bourrelet), Indigenous EW Suite Yodha and Anidra for the Su-30 MKI, Software Defined Radio – Tactical, Electro Optical Fire Control System, and the CBRN Water Purification System Mk-II.

Kamat expressed satisfaction over the Cabinet Committee on Security’s approval of two flagship programmes: the Full-Scale Engineering Development (FSED) of Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) and the establishment of a Missile Test Range at Nagayalanka, Andhra Pradesh.

He also noted the creation of key infrastructure, such as the Defence Technology & Test Centre (DTTC) in Uttar Pradesh as part of the Defence Industrial Corridor and a unique Land-Based Submarine Battery Test Facility in Visakhapatnam.

Reflecting on the organisation’s collaboration with industry and academia, Kamat stated that DRDO had so far transferred 1,950 technologies to Indian industries, with 256 Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology (LAToTs) signed in 2024 alone.

He highlighted that more than 19 development-cum-production partners were chosen for Mission Mode projects last year.

Furthermore, DRDO's test facilities were used for over 18,000 tests by private industries and DPSUs over the past three years, with more than 5,000 conducted in 2024.

He added that there are currently 80 ongoing projects, with nine awarded to industries, MSMEs, and start-ups in 2024.

An additional 29 project approvals are in the pipeline and are expected to be sanctioned soon.

The chairman also announced that a green propulsion system developed under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme had been successfully demonstrated in orbit during the PSLV C-58 mission.

Additionally, an AI-based tool named 'Divya Drishti,' which integrates face recognition with physiological parameters like gait and skeleton, was developed.

Kamat highlighted that DRDO had been granted more than 201 patents and filed over 226 patents in 2024, showcasing its innovation and commitment to advancing defence technology.