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Journalism of Courage
PUNE, January 23: Come Republic day and India shall parade down Rajpath its very latest in conventional armaments. At least eight weapon systems, specially designed by the Pune-based Armament Research Development Establishment ARDE, will be on display to signal their formal induction into the armed forces.
The Republic Day parade will announce the arrival of the Pinaka, a multi-barrel rocket launcher system; the soldier friendly 5.56 Indian Small Arms System INSAS quot;which can be compared to the best in the worldquot;: Influence mine Adrushy, an advanced sensor integrated armour piercing mine designed to function by detecting changes in the magnetic field or seismic vibrations by a passing tank: and, the 105 mm ammunition, a high velocity gun mounted on tanks.
The 214 mm free flight artillery rocket developed for this system can carry different types of warheads. Evolved as a part of the multi-disciplinary programme in association with several Defence Research and Development Organisation labs, Ordnance Factory Board, the phase-I user trials were conducted in June 1997.
The 5.56 INSAS rifle, which has been put through what is being called one of the most gruelling series of user and top trials in the history of small arms development, has been accorded bulk production clearance. So far over one lakh rifles have been produced, some of which are being used by troops in Jammu and Kashmir.
Scientists maintain that the acquisition of the INSAS rifle by the army is currently the largest programme in the world with a projected production run of more than one million weapons and matching ammunition of several hundred million at a cost outlay of Rs 3000 crore.
