Defence Research and Development Laboratory

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Defence Research and Development Laboratory
EstablishedJune 1961
Address Kanchanbagh
Hyderabad
500058
Operating agency
 Defence Research and Development Organization

Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) is an Indian missile development laboratory, part of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). Their charter is centered on the design, development, and flight evaluation of various types of missile systems for the Indian armed forces.

Contents

Vision

The organization's vision statement [1] reads:

"Be a design and development house for missile based weapon systems required for tactical applications from multiple platforms."

Its stated mission [1] is to:

"Develop the state of the art infrastructure and technologies required for different classes of missiles. Transfer the technology to production agency for guided missile products."

History

In 1958, the government of India constituted a team of Indian engineers, mostly from the Indian Ordnance Factories- called the Special Weapons Development Team - to research guided missile weapons development. It was founded by S. P. Chakravarti, the father of Electronics and Telecommunication engineering in India, who also founded the DLRL and the Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE). [2] This team was later expanded into DRDL, a full-fledged laboratory, in June 1961, at the campus of Defence Science Centre, Delhi. [3] [4] It later shifted to Hyderabad after the state government granted them the former Nizam's army barracks. This was the genesis of the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), [5] under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The DRDO launched Project Devil and Project Valiant to reverse engineer Soviet-origin guided missiles and create intercontinental ballistic missiles, respectively, which prompted the DRDL to begin developing missile guidance systems. Although both initiatives were abandoned before they were successful, the work completed aided DRDL in increasing its capacity. Afterwards, this assisted DRDL in leading the Integrated Guided Missiles Development Program (IGMDP). By 2011, India started producing cutting-edge components in-house and was fully independent in end-to-end missile development. [4]

Products

Weapon systems developed by DRDL include:- [6]

Hypersonic technology

A 120-second ground test of an active-cooled scramjet combustor for next-generation missiles was conducted by DRDL on 21 January 2025. [7] [8] The test showed stable combustion and successful ignition. Together with the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the private sector, DRDL has taken the lead in developing an improved ceramic thermal barrier coating (TBC), endothermic scramjet fuel, and a long-duration scramjet engine. A novel flame stabilization method was added to the scramjet combustor, which maintains a constant flame inside the combustor at air speeds greater than 1.5 km/s. In addition to improving cooling, the endothermic fuel shortens ignition times. With its excellent temperature resistance, the cutting-edge ceramic TBC can function above the melting point of steel. [9] [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scramjet</span> Jet engine where combustion takes place in supersonic airflow

A scramjet is a variant of a ramjet airbreathing jet engine in which combustion takes place in supersonic airflow. As in ramjets, a scramjet relies on high vehicle speed to compress the incoming air forcefully before combustion, but whereas a ramjet decelerates the air to subsonic velocities before combustion using shock cones, a scramjet has no shock cone and slows the airflow using shockwaves produced by its ignition source in place of a shock cone. This allows the scramjet to operate efficiently at extremely high speeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defence Research and Development Organisation</span> Government agency in India

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is an agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, charged with the military's research and development, headquartered in Delhi, India. It was formed in 1958 by the merger of the Technical Development Establishment and the Directorate of Technical Development and Production of the Indian Ordnance Factories with the Defence Science Organisation under the administration of Jawaharlal Nehru. Subsequently, Defence Research & Development Service (DRDS) was constituted in 1979 as a service of Group 'A' Officers / Scientists directly under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme</span> Indian Ministry of Defence programme

The Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) was an Indian Ministry of Defence programme for the research and development of the comprehensive range of missiles. The programme was managed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Ordnance Factories Board in partnership with other Indian government political organisations. The project started in 1982–83 under the leadership of Abdul Kalam who oversaw its ending in 2008 after these strategic missiles were successfully developed.

Scramjet programs refers to research and testing programs for the development of supersonic combustion ramjets, known as scramjets. This list provides a short overview of national and international collaborations, and civilian and military programs. The USA, Russia, India, and China (2014), have succeeded at developing scramjet technologies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nirbhay</span> Indian subsonic cruise missile in limited service and further development

Nirbhay is a long range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile designed and developed in India by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) which is under Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The missile can be launched from multiple platforms and is capable of carrying conventional and nuclear warheads. It is currently deployed in limited numbers in Line of Actual Control (LAC) during standoff with China.

Laser Science and Technology Centre (LASTEC) is a laboratory of the Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO). Located in Delhi, it is the main DRDO lab involved in the development of lasers and related technologies. LASTEC functions under the DRDO Directorate of Electronics & Computer Science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypersonic flight</span> Flight at altitudes lower than 90km (56 mi) and at speeds above Mach 5

Hypersonic flight is flight through the atmosphere below altitudes of about 90 km (56 mi) at speeds greater than Mach 5, a speed where dissociation of air begins to become significant and high heat loads exist. Speeds over Mach 25 have been achieved below the thermosphere as of 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RLV Technology Demonstration Programme</span> Indian reusable rocket technology demonstration programme.

Reusable Launch Vehicle–Technology Demonstration Programme is a series of technology demonstration missions that has been conceived by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as a first step towards realising a Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) reusable launch vehicle, in which the second stage is a spaceplane.

The DRDO Anti-Tank Missile is a first generation wire-guided anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) developed in India by Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), a part of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It has a subsonic speed up to 300 ft/s (91 m/s) with a range of 1.6 km (0.99 mi) and carries a 106 mm high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warhead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle</span> Hypersonic demonstration aircraft

The HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet demonstration aircraft for hypersonic flight. It is being developed as a carrier vehicle for hypersonic and long-range cruise missiles, and will have multiple civilian applications including the launching of small satellites at low cost. The HSTDV program is being run by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

India has studied, produced and used various strategic and tactical missile systems since its independence. Decades long projects have realised development of all types of missile systems including ballistic, cruise, anti-ship, air-defence, air-to-air and anti-missile systems. India is one of seven countries in the world with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and one of four countries with anti-ballistic missile systems. Since 2016, India has been a member of Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prahlada (scientist)</span> Indian defence research scientist and engineer

Prahlada Rama Rao is an Indian missile scientist and former director of Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), the largest of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) laboratories in India, known for his contributions to the Indian space programme. He was honoured by the Government of India in 2015 with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest Indian civilian award. He was vice chancellor of the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology from 2011 to 2014.

N. Prabhakar was an Indian scientist and the Chief Controller, System Analysis and Modelling Centre (SAM-C) of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). He graduated in Electrical and Electronics Engineering (BE) from Annamalai University and enrolled at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru from where he obtained his master's degree (ME). He pursued his research at Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy, secured a doctoral degree in Air Defence Systems and joined the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudram (missile)</span> Indian anti-radiation, air to surface missile system

The Rudram is a series of supersonic and hypersonic air-to-surface ground attack and anti-radiation missiles in development by the Defence Research and Development Organisation of India. It can be launched from a range of altitudes with large standoff distance for destroying enemy surveillance radars, communication stations and bunkers.

The DRDO Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) is a long-range precision-guided anti-airfield weapon developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is designed to be capable of engaging ground targets with high precision up to a range of 100 kilometres (62 mi).

Defence Research & Development Service (DRDS) is a Central Group 'A' Civil Service of the Government of India. DRDS scientists are Gazetted defence-civilian officers under the Ministry of Defence. They are responsible for developing new technologies and military hardware for the Indian defence and security forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pralay (missile)</span> Indian tactical to short-range ballistic missile

Pralay is a canisterised surface-to-surface, short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) for battlefield use developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India. The missile is an amalgamation of technologies developed for exoatmospheric interceptor missile Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) from the Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme, and the Prahaar tactical missile. The project to develop Pralay was sanctioned in March 2015 with a budget of ₹332.88 crore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypersonic weapon</span> High-speed missiles and projectiles

A hypersonic weapon is a weapon capable of travelling at hypersonic speed, defined as above Mach 5, or above 5 times the speed of sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet</span> Indian missile propulsion system

Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) is a missile propulsion system currently being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation of India. The project aims to develop critical technologies required in the propulsion systems of future Indian long range air-to-air missiles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Range – Anti Ship Missile (India)</span> Indian long range anti-ship hypersonic missile

The Long Range – Anti Ship Missile (LRAShM) is a member of the family of hypersonic missiles being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Armed Forces.

References

  1. 1 2 "DRDL - Homepage | Defence Research & Development Laboratory DRDO DRDO". drdo.gov.in. Archived 11 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine [ bare URL ]
  2. ↑ Mitra, S.N. (August 1982). "Prof. S.P. Chakravarti (1904–1981)". IETE Journal of Research. 28 (8): 385–390. doi:10.1080/03772063.1982.11452762.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. ↑ "Historical Background". Defence Research and Development Laboratory. Archived from the original on 10 February 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  4. 1 2 Siddiqui, Huma (15 August 2022). "From Agni to BrahMos: A look at India's deadly missile arsenal". Financialexpress. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  5. ↑ "Missile shield". Archived from the original on 7 February 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  6. ↑ "Products | Defence Research and Development Organisation - DRDO, Ministry of Defence, Government of India". www.drdo.gov.in. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  7. ↑ "DRDO conducts Scramjet Engine Ground Test". Press Information Bureau. Ministry of Defence, Government of India. 21 January 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  8. ↑ Philip, Snehesh Alex (21 January 2025). "Boost for India as DRDO successfully conducts scramjet engine ground test for hypersonic missiles". ThePrint. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  9. ↑ Ray, Kalyan (21 January 2025). "DRDO achieves milestone on scramjet engines needed for hypersonic missiles". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  10. ↑ Sharma, Shivani; Negi, Manjeet (21 January 2025). "India achieves milestone in hypersonic technology with 1st scramjet test success". India Today. Retrieved 21 January 2025.

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