RPK
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Missile factory - The Hindu
A look at the work of the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad
A guided missile is a self-propelled, unmanned space or air vehicle. It can carry an explosive warhead. Its path can be adjusted during flight by automatic self-contained controls or by remote human control. Guided missiles are powered either by rocket engines or by jet propulsion. Guided missiles were first developed by the Germans, who used them in World War II. Such missiles have become the key strategic weapon of modern warfare. Long-range missiles generally have nuclear warheads, while short-range missiles have high-explosive warheads.
In view of the strategic importance of guided missiles in modern warfare, a Special Weapon Development Team was formed by the Defence Ministry in 1958. This was later developed as a full-fledged laboratory in June 1961, with its headquarters in Delhi. In 1962, it was moved to Hyderabad.
The Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Chandrayangutta Lines, Hyderabad-500 005; website:
DRDO works under the control of the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
In its early days, the lab developed an anti-tank missile system and indigenous rockets. Flight simulation studies were conducted. In 1972, a medium-range surface-to-surface missile was initiated. By 1982, the DRDL started taking up the design and development of various types of missile systems. The products included some of the famous names such as Prithvi (surface-to-surface missile system), Trishul (quick-reaction short-range surface-to-air missile system), Nag (third-generation anti-tank missile system), Akash (medium-range surface-to-air missile system) and Agni (highly versatile ballistic missile series growing up to ICBM).
Certain separate units under the DRDL were formed to meet the increasing demands of development, integration, testing and quality assurance. Later these units emerged as independent establishments:
Research Centre Imarat (RCI)
Composite Products Development Centre (CPDC)
Interim Test Range (ITR)
Missile Systems Quality Assurance Agency (MSQAA)
The Advanced System Laboratory is another offshoot of the DRDL.
Areas of focus
System design and engineering: Mission analysis, system design, simulation and post-flight analysis of various tactical and ballistic missiles.
Aerodynamics: Aerodynamic design and characterisation of different tactical and ballistic flight vehicles are carried out using analytical, computational and experimental methods.
Propulsion: Propulsion systems with varying thrust are developed for various missile programmes using liquid and solid propellants.
Computational dynamics: The aerodynamic and propulsive characteristics for the design of missile systems have to be estimated with precision. But the experimental investigation and flight testing are expensive both in terms of money and time. So we have to depend more and more on numerical simulation of external and internal flow field on complex missile configuration. This is the area of computational dynamics.
Flight structures: The lab works on structural design and development of missiles. Design for elevated thermal environment and design for dynamic environment are given special stress. Both structural and thermal loads are studied. Airframe sections are designed to withstand these loads. Thermal loads are very significant at higher Mach numbers of missiles. Design of aerodynamic surfaces and associated mechanisms is yet another area of work. All the structures are tested for validating the design.
Computer and communication: Independent verification and validation of mission-critical software. Also, this provides commanders at all echelons with accurate, timely and credible information for decision-making.
Engineering and fabrication: Development of hardware for missile subsystems.
Range and instrumentation: Meets instrumentation requirements for work centres and field. Performance evaluation of propulsion systems.
Products
Akash: supersonic surface-to-air missile with a range of about 25 km and carrying fragmentation warhead which is triggered by a radio proximity fuse. Custom-configured to meet user requirements
Nag: Third-generation anti-tank missile. Formidable support weapon for mechanised infantry and attack helicopter formations
Namica: Missile carrier. Eight numbers of ready-to-fire missiles on the turret, additional four missiles in storage and ability to fire four missiles in one minute.
Astra: Beyond Visual Range air-to-air missile that destroys highly manoeuvring supersonic aerial targets.
BrahMos: A supersonic cruise missile system developed with foreign collaboration. (The name from Brahmaputra and Moscow). Active Radar Seeker.
Helina: Helicopter-launched anti-tank missile. Range of seven km with all other features of Nag.
Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle: Demonstrates autonomous flight of a scramjet-integrated vehicle using kerose
A look at the work of the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad
A guided missile is a self-propelled, unmanned space or air vehicle. It can carry an explosive warhead. Its path can be adjusted during flight by automatic self-contained controls or by remote human control. Guided missiles are powered either by rocket engines or by jet propulsion. Guided missiles were first developed by the Germans, who used them in World War II. Such missiles have become the key strategic weapon of modern warfare. Long-range missiles generally have nuclear warheads, while short-range missiles have high-explosive warheads.
In view of the strategic importance of guided missiles in modern warfare, a Special Weapon Development Team was formed by the Defence Ministry in 1958. This was later developed as a full-fledged laboratory in June 1961, with its headquarters in Delhi. In 1962, it was moved to Hyderabad.
The Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Chandrayangutta Lines, Hyderabad-500 005; website:
DRDO works under the control of the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
In its early days, the lab developed an anti-tank missile system and indigenous rockets. Flight simulation studies were conducted. In 1972, a medium-range surface-to-surface missile was initiated. By 1982, the DRDL started taking up the design and development of various types of missile systems. The products included some of the famous names such as Prithvi (surface-to-surface missile system), Trishul (quick-reaction short-range surface-to-air missile system), Nag (third-generation anti-tank missile system), Akash (medium-range surface-to-air missile system) and Agni (highly versatile ballistic missile series growing up to ICBM).
Certain separate units under the DRDL were formed to meet the increasing demands of development, integration, testing and quality assurance. Later these units emerged as independent establishments:
Research Centre Imarat (RCI)
Composite Products Development Centre (CPDC)
Interim Test Range (ITR)
Missile Systems Quality Assurance Agency (MSQAA)
The Advanced System Laboratory is another offshoot of the DRDL.
Areas of focus
System design and engineering: Mission analysis, system design, simulation and post-flight analysis of various tactical and ballistic missiles.
Aerodynamics: Aerodynamic design and characterisation of different tactical and ballistic flight vehicles are carried out using analytical, computational and experimental methods.
Propulsion: Propulsion systems with varying thrust are developed for various missile programmes using liquid and solid propellants.
Computational dynamics: The aerodynamic and propulsive characteristics for the design of missile systems have to be estimated with precision. But the experimental investigation and flight testing are expensive both in terms of money and time. So we have to depend more and more on numerical simulation of external and internal flow field on complex missile configuration. This is the area of computational dynamics.
Flight structures: The lab works on structural design and development of missiles. Design for elevated thermal environment and design for dynamic environment are given special stress. Both structural and thermal loads are studied. Airframe sections are designed to withstand these loads. Thermal loads are very significant at higher Mach numbers of missiles. Design of aerodynamic surfaces and associated mechanisms is yet another area of work. All the structures are tested for validating the design.
Computer and communication: Independent verification and validation of mission-critical software. Also, this provides commanders at all echelons with accurate, timely and credible information for decision-making.
Engineering and fabrication: Development of hardware for missile subsystems.
Range and instrumentation: Meets instrumentation requirements for work centres and field. Performance evaluation of propulsion systems.
Products
Akash: supersonic surface-to-air missile with a range of about 25 km and carrying fragmentation warhead which is triggered by a radio proximity fuse. Custom-configured to meet user requirements
Nag: Third-generation anti-tank missile. Formidable support weapon for mechanised infantry and attack helicopter formations
Namica: Missile carrier. Eight numbers of ready-to-fire missiles on the turret, additional four missiles in storage and ability to fire four missiles in one minute.
Astra: Beyond Visual Range air-to-air missile that destroys highly manoeuvring supersonic aerial targets.
BrahMos: A supersonic cruise missile system developed with foreign collaboration. (The name from Brahmaputra and Moscow). Active Radar Seeker.
Helina: Helicopter-launched anti-tank missile. Range of seven km with all other features of Nag.
Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle: Demonstrates autonomous flight of a scramjet-integrated vehicle using kerose
