BackBharat Dynamics to spend Rs300-400 crore for missile production
The investments come at a time when Indian armed forces are modernizing their weapon systems and war-readiness efforts
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Bengaluru: State-owned defence manufacturing firm Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) will invest an additional Rs300-400 crore in modernization and ramping up its missile production facility in Hyderabad. The missile-system manufacturer has already invested about Rs500 crore for various missile systems as well as ramping up the anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) from 6,000 units to 10,000 units, said V. Udaya Bhaskar, chairman and managing director of BDL.
The investments come at a time when Indian armed forces are modernizing their weapon systems and war-readiness efforts. Bhaskar said that the defence ministry has also given a mandate for 10% of production for exports, irrespective of meeting domestic demand.
Various weapon systems for Indian Air Force, Army and Navy are being developed by multiple government agencies, led by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). A Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LRSAM), being developed by the DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), will undergo testing
in India in October 2015, said Bhaskar. The missile was flight-tested in Israel in November 2014.
Bharat Dynamics will consider mass production of the LRSAM depending on the outcome of the trial. “The current trials are for the navy, and we will conduct parallel
ground trials for the air force and army variants as well," Bhaskar said. The programme has been in the making for about 5-6 years.
The increased requirement of tactical weapons has come up after the success of the indigenously developed Akash Weapons System, said Bhaskar. Bharat Dynamics has said it has completed a significant portion of the Akash missile orders from both the air force and army.
Akash Weapons System is a surface-to-air missile system.
Speaking about the Akash MKII, Bhaskar said the new version will not only differ in range, but also have smart systems with seekers which will have no ground-control interference. The defence ministry has given a mandate to complete this project in three years.
According to Bhaskar, Bharat Dynamics has an order book of Rs16,000 crore. It has three functional units that will manufacture a Very Short Range Air Defence Missile (VSHORAD) at the defence firm’s plant in Amravati (Maharashtra) and an exclusive surface-to-air missile plant in Ibrahimpatanam (Telengana). Bharat Dynamics is also looking at collaborating with private players for defence manufacturing.
About the “Varunastra", Bhaskar said the underwater missile system is being tested and almost in the induction phase. He said that once commercial orders come in from the defence forces, Bharat Dynamics would need to create an exclusive unit for
underwater weapons manufacturing and testing at Visakhapatnam in the next 2-3 years.
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