INDIA. Mumbai: First ever 100% Indigenous 30mm HE (High Explosive) gun ammunition manufactured for the services by private industry M/s Economic Explosives Ltd (EEL), Nagpur, a Solar Group Company, was handed over to the Indian Navy on Friday.
The first consignment was handed over by CMD, Solar group Satyanarayan Nuwal, to Vice Admiral SN Ghormade, Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.
It is the first time that the services placed an order on the Indian private industry for the delivery of complete gun ammunition and it was completed successfully within a short period of 12 months with propellant sourced from Ordnance Factory, Bhandara.
Indian Navy in its pursuit of self-reliant India by fostering the industry provided technical support in terms of finalization of drawings, design specifications, inspection tools, and proof and testing of ammunition.
With this collaborative approach, the Indian Navy has also been able to successfully develop an alternate source of supply for 30mm HE ammunition, an Indian Navy statement said.
The 30mm automatic gun is a popular calibre for shipboard close-in weapons systems. It has a double belt feed system, one belt with AP/T rounds and the other with both HE/I and HE/T round generally in a ratio of 4:1.
It is designed for single-shot firing as well as automatic firing at slow and rapid rates. Fixed type of ammunition, intended for use against main power and non-armoured ground and aerial targets.
Under the indigenisation program the Ministry of Defence, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and Service Head Quarters (HQ) take necessary steps, including handholding of the Industry, to ensure that the timelines mentioned are met, thereby facilitating an environment for Indian Defence Manufacturers to create world-class infrastructure, assist in Government’s ‘Make in India’ vision to make India self-reliant in defence and develop the capabilities for defence export shortly.
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