Amritsar, NFAPost: As part of government’s celebration of ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ week, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday launched two products indigenously developed by Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) for use in various strategic applications.
The minister launched the two products — Linear Variable Differential Transducer (LVDT), and 1kW Transmitter Aerial Switching Rack — through video conference.
Apart from the products of BEL, the minister also launched products developed by Ordance Factory Board, BEML Ltd, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, among others.
Self-reliance in the defence sector is far more crucial than any other field, Singh said.
“We should not only be able to ensure the fulfillment of our national interests but also be able to help other people in times of need… Security is its first priority for the development of any nation. It is known to all of us that the nations, which are able to protect themselves, they have been able to build their strong image at the global level. We cannot depend on foreign governments, foreign suppliers and foreign defence products to meet our defence needs. It is not compatible with the objectives and feelings of a strong and ‘self-reliant India’,” Singh added.
In a presentation to the minister, BEL Chairman and Managing Director Gowtama M.V. explained that LVDT is a motion sensing and feedback control device, which has been developed primarily for supply to DRDO labs – Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) and Research Centre Imarat (RCI).
Gowtama said that due to its high accuracy of functional parameters, LVDT finds applications in aerospace, missiles, solar, aircraft engines, wind energy and naval systems, and works in adverse climatic conditions.
According to the company, LVDT has been designed and developed for customised retrofit requirements, and development of this product is a huge step for India towards self-reliance and is an import substitute saving the Country Foreign Exchange (FE) to the tune of 1 billion rupees over the next two to three years’ time.
The 1kW Transmitter Aerial Switching Rack (ASR) has been designed to be supplied as part of the Advanced Composite Communication System (ACCS) onboard Indian Naval ships, Gowtama said.
The configuration caters for switching four numbers of High Frequency (HF) Transmitters to four numbers of HF Antenna with Antenna Tuning Unit (ATU) in any combination. This enables users to switch any radio to any of the Antenna for redundancy. The system can be remotely controlled in the IP based Network, he added.
The ASR is an import substitution for the HF Aerial switching Unit from USA and is likely to bring in FE savings of about 3 million rupees per unit, the company said.
“The impressive list of new indigenous products, which have been launched today, I believe that defence undertakings and OFB will be the prime drivers of the ‘Self-Reliance Campaign’ and will contribute significantly to national security. I am happy to see the recently launched products, of which four products each by OFB and BEML, two by BEL and one each by HAL, BDL, MDL, GRSE and GSL were developed,” Singh said.
