Development in composite materials key for 5th generation fighters, hypersonic missiles: DRDO chief

“Materials play a key role in advancements of defence technologies. The DRDO has been an early adopter of composite technology in the country. A good example is our Tejas aircraft. It has 45 per cent composites by weight in its airframe. If we look at the surface area which is visible, 90 per cent of it consists of composites. It has helped make the aircraft stealthier — even though it was not designed for stealth — as compared to contemporary fighters of the same class. We are now moving on to AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft), which is going to be a fifth-generation stealth aircraft. Here, the composites, in addition to the shaping as well as RAM and RAP (Radar Absorbent Material and Radar Absorbent Paint) which we are developing, are going to play a key role in ensuring that the stealth requirements for this fighter are met,” he said.

“Our missile cluster also adapted to the composite technology very early. Earlier most of our rocket motor casings were made of maraging steel. We adapted to composite moto casings and this has helped us especially in our strategic programme for achieving longer ranges. R&DE (Engineers), which is organising this conference, has been one of the key drivers of composite technology in DRDO. They have used composites for bridges, for SONAR domes for ships and submarines, which are really huge structures. There are other labs in the DRDO like the Advanced Systems Laboratory, Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment, Defence Lab Jodhpur, which are looking at different composite materials,” he added.

Pune-based R&DE (Engineers) has worked on several strategically crucial technologies including stealth radomes for enhanced radar capabilities in fighter aircraft, sonar domes for naval ships ensuring acoustic precision and durability, composite military bridges that are lightweight, portable, and robust for deployment in combat zones and composites hull for infantry combat vehicles among others.

Kamat said, “The ceramic matrix composites and carbon fibre silicon carbide are going to play a key role in our hypersonic missile programme and our aero engine programmes. We are still at a nascent stage. We also have to address the issue of metal matrix composites especially for our turbine disks. If we have to reduce weight we will have to look at titanium matrix composites. Our bulletproof jackets, armour protection is again a very important area for DRDO. There we use ultra high molecular weight polyethylene or kevlar type of fibres. And we are dependent on imports for that. So there is scope for fibre development. There is a national textile mission which is trying to address this issue. I am sure that in the next four to five years we will have an indigenous fibre for this,” he said.

Prof Prateek Kishore, Director General of the Armament and Combat Engineering Cluster of the DRDO, Dr Makarand Joshi, Director, R&DE (Engineers), Dr A Rajarajan, Director, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, and president, ISAMPE were among those present for the conference.