10-Aug-2019: Iran unveils ‘improved’ radar air defense system
Iran unveiled a locally upgraded radar system with a range of 400 km that could help defend against cruise and ballistic missiles and drones. This system has high capabilities and can detect all types of cruise and ballistic missiles and drones.
Falaq was a locally overhauled version of a system which had been out of operation for a long time. Falaq is a phased-array radar system which can be incorporated into Iran’s larger integrated air defense, which includes an S-300 surface-to-air missile system that Russia delivered in 2016.
The Falaq system was developed in order to counter sanctions restricting access to spare parts of a previously foreign-developed system.
19-Jul-2019: Bhabha Kavach: BARC develops cheaper, lightweight bulletproof jackets.
India’s Lightest Bullet Proof Jacket ‘Bhabha Kavach’ by Ordnance Factory Board was launched at the International Police Expo 2019. Developed by OFB and MIDHANI this state-of-the-art jacket can withstand 7.62mm hard steel core or bullets fired from an AK-47 rifle, 5.56mm INSAS bullet and even the recently decommissioned 7.65mm bullet of self-loading rifle (SLR). It is half KG lesser than the prescribed weight of MHA along with the 360 Degree Protection and has achieved the protection level of NIJ III+. Bhabha Kavach only weighs 9.2kg and is a major breakthrough for the Indian armed forces.
Bhabha Kavach is the lightest and a better jacket now available for Indian Defense forces. It will be a great piece of equipment for our paramilitary forces and state police forces operating in Naxalite areas. The jacket has been developed indigenously and is powered with nano technology from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). The jacket has a 5 year warranty.
12-Jun-2019: DRDO conducts maiden test of hypersonic technology demonstrator
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the maiden test of an indigenously developed Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) along with several technologies.
The DRDO launched a technology demonstrator vehicle to prove a number of critical technologies for futuristic missions from Dr Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
The missile was successfully launched at 11:27 hours and it was tracked by various radars, telemetry stations and electro optical tracking sensors through its course.
The test was undertaken to validate several technologies including the HSTDV. Some technologies have been validated while some remained inconclusive of which the data is being analysed. In the test, a missile with the technology demonstrator vehicle mounted on it is launched and the vehicle is released only after the missile reaches a certain altitude and velocity.
Under this project, a hypersonic vehicle is being developed that will be powered by a scram-jet engine. This is dual-use technology, which when developed, will have multiple civilian applications. It can be used for launching satellites at low cost. It will also be available for long-range cruise missiles of the future.
In scram-jet technology, combustion of fuel takes place in a chamber in the missile at supersonic speeds. This is different from a ram jet system where the system collects the air it needs from the atmosphere during the flight at subsonic speeds and the propellants burn in the combustion chamber.