Within India, we can make any type of missile that armed forces want: DRDO Chief Satheesh Reddy

By Ajit K Dubey Buoyed up by the strength of successful missile test in last 40 days, DRDO chief G Satheesh Reddy on Wednesday said India has achieved self-reliance in the field of missile systems and can produce whatever is required by the armed forces within the country itself.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has conducted around 10 successful missile tests in the last over five weeks including that of the Shaurya hypersonic missile, BrahMos extended-range missile, Prithvi nuclear-capable ballistic missile, Hypersonic missile technology development vehicles, Rudram I anti-radiation missile and the Supersonic Missile Assisted Release Torpedo weapon system. "I would like to say one thing, the way the country has evolved itself in the missile system and particularly in the last five to six years...the various developments which are gone through in various tests which are gone through, India has actually gained complete self-reliance in the area of missiles," Reddy told ANI in an exclusive interview.

"We are now able to develop any type of missile system what armed forces want," he added when asked if there was no need for the armed forces to stop imports of missile systems. The DRDO chief said the private sector industry has also come up to a very good stage as "They are able to partner with us, they are able to develop with us, they are able to develop the system as per our specifications."

Asked about the strength of successful missile tests at a time when India was engaged in a conflict with China in Eastern Ladakh, Reddy said the DRDO was striving itself hard to develop the state of art weapon systems to equip our armed forces. "As part of that responsibility, DRDO has been working on many weapon systems. Even during the COVID-19 period, scientists have been continuously working on that. All have matured and hence whenever a system is ready, we are going further developmental trials," Reddy said.

He added that as part of that effort, a number of systems have become mature today and they all have been tested in the last one and half month period. "The maturity level of many technologies is such that, we had very successful flights of them," Reddy said. Asked about DRDO's contribution to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, DRDO Chief said the organisation has started working in many areas to make indigenous system and "now I can very confidently tell that we are strong and we are completely self-reliant in the areas of missiles, radars, electronic warfare systems, torpedos, guns, and communication systems and so on."

He said DRDO scientists are continuously looking at various systems which are being imported now and trying to make indigenous system and a lot of emphases is there to develop system indigenously. "We are helping the industry in a big way and lifting them up with various systems which they need to develop on their own," he said.

Reddy said that DRDO has "given 108 items completely designed and developed by the industry. We have instituted technology fund to support such industries and we have given our test facilities open to them. Now, we are taking industry partners right from the beginning of the projects." He said the premier defence research organisation is now focusing on more advance and complex technologies. "We want to make India an advance technology nation meeting the Prime Minister's dream of Aatmnirbhar Bharat," he said. (ANI)