‘DRDO
Ably Responds to Futuristic Warfare Needs’ DRDO has been continuously and consistently putting its best efforts in realizing the advanced defence systems and technologies for Indian Armed Forces. DRDO will be responding ably to the future war-fighting requirements of the tri-services with advanced technologies,” says Dr. G Satheesh Reddy, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO. In an interview with Aeromag, he talks about the organisations latest operations diversified focus on futuristic technologies. Dr G Satheesh Reddy, Secretary DDR&D & Chairman DRDO Over the last six decades DRDO has been the backbone of India’s defence research and development. What are your thoughts on DRDO’s success in achieving its aims over these years? DRDO has been continuously and consistently putting its best efforts in realizing the advanced defence systems and technologies for Indian Armed Forces. Efforts put by DRDO over last six decades resulted in induction of many products into the service’s and many are on the anvil. DRDO is keeping abreast of the scientific development, advanced technologies in defence arena and is working on new futuristic products. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, 2020 has been a fruitful year for DRDO with many successful testing of weapons and technologies. Could you give an overview of major achievements recently? Start of year 2020 saw inauguration of five DRDO Young Scientists Laboratories (DYSLs) by Prime Minister. Naval version of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) did a successful arrested landing onboard INS Vikramaditya on 11th January 2020. DRDO scientists have worked relentlessly during the COVID-19 Pandemic not only to develop products and technologies for combating COVID but have
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been keeping a pace with their project deadlines. DRDO undertook product development on war footing to fight COVID-19 pandemic and developed 50 technologies and more than 75 products which include PPEs, Hand Sanitizer, UV Blaster, Germi Klean and the like, which have direct utilization to combat COVID 19. DRDO has also developed three COVID hospitals in a very short span of time. Flight Testing of Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) and Quantum Communication are significant technology demonstrations this year. The work picked up after lockdown and a series of weapon trials carried out. Some of the major achievements in the year 2020 are trials of Air Defence Fire Control Radar (ADFCR) ‘Atulya’, Advanced Light Weight Torpedo (ALWT), 3rd Generation Helicopter Launch Anti-Tank Guided Missile (Dhruvastra). DRDO identified 108 Systems and Subsystems for industry to design, develop and manufacture towards achieving “Atmanirbhar Bharat”. Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar (AESAR) ‘Uttam’ completed 100 hours of testing. ABHYAS High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT), Extended range Pinaka Weapon System, Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART) and indigenous development of Anti-
