Bengaluru :

On March 13, 2013, India had to destroy its nuclear-ready cruise missile Nirbhay which was on its first flight trial. The reason: Nirbhay deviated from its intended course, sparking fears. The kind of damage and loss such incidents can cause in the absence of a self-destruct mechanism is grave. Yet India doesn’t completely posses the software and intellectual property for such technology.

As the Prime Minister’s Make-in-India campaign gains pitch in the defence sector, the DRDO has found a reliable partner in Kaynes Technology, a Mysuru firm.

A senior DRDO official said the company has developed an Electronic Safe Arm Fire Systems (ESAFS) ballistic missile actuator unit, which is being evaluated by DRDO’s missile teams for integration into various platforms.

Kaynes’ system consists of two processor cards and one communication/connector card that carries the commands, and facilitates relay control.

“Not only can the missile be self-destructed after launch, it also has a feature wherein it destroys itself upon recognizing unauthorized access,” the official explained. Apart from the self-destruction feature, the system also helps prevent tampering and is able to function in most conditions.

“It’s thermal, humidity, vibration and shock-compliant,” he added.

Kaynes vice-president (business development) Lt Col (retd) Sharath Bhatt said: “I can’t comment on the technology as it’s sensitive and DRDO is evaluating it. Only DRDO can speak about it.”

“What such technologies mean is that India will have its own intellectual property in critical areas and will not have to depend on other countries,” Bhatt added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Business> India Business / by Chethan Kumar, TNN / March 02nd, 2015