New Delhi, Mar 10 (IANS): Twenty-eight successful tests were carried out by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in the last one year, the government said on Wednesday.
The major weapons and other systems which have been handed over to the armed forces by the DRDO during this period include Astra Beyond Visual Range Missile System, 10m Short Span Bridging System and Indian Maritime Situational Awareness System (IMSAS).
The list also includes Heavy Weight Torpedo (HWT) Varunastra, Border Surveillance System (BOSS) and Arjun Mk-1A.
"The Development cum Production Partner (DcPP) policy for DRDO developed systems ensures involvement of industries from the beginning of development cycle, thus enabling industries and facilitating hand-holding throughout the development phase," said Minister of State (Defence), Shripad Naik, while replying to a question asked by Rita Bahuguna Joshi in the Lok Sabha.
All systems designed and developed by the DRDO are manufactured by the Indian industries, which include both public and private sector entities.
Some of the systems that were developed in collaboration during the last one year include Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), Extended Range Pinaka System and Guided Pinaka Rocket System, 10m Short Span Bridging System, Indian Maritime Situational Awareness System (IMSAS), Heavy Weight Torpedo (HWT) Varunastra, Border Surveillance System (BOSS) and Arjun Mk-1A etc.
The minister said that the DRDO also has many foreign collaborations and it works in futuristic research and development, and technology development in collaboration with some foreign countries.
The organisation also co-chairs various government to government fora, including India-USA Joint Technology group, Indo-Israel Management Council, India-Russia R&D subgroup, India-Singapore defence technology steering committee, India-UK steering committee and India-Korea steering committee.
On Tuesday, the DRDO conducted the final development test of Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) in Mumbai to make Indian submarines more lethal.
AIP allows a submarine to be submerged for longer periods under water and makes the sub-surface platform more deadly by making it quieter than a nuclear submarine.
The Indian Navy now plans to retrofit all its Kalvari class non-nuclear attack with AIP during their first upgrade, expected around 2023.