Torpedo, underwater weapon making unit of BDL to develop new facility
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Visakhapatnam The Visakhapatnam unit of Bharat Dynamics Limited, which is set up exclusively to manufacture torpedoes and other underwater weapons for the Navy, launched work for the Environmental Testing Facility.
The manufacturing process involves various environmental tests, including vibration tests which are carried out in a real-time simulated situation to assess the functionality.
BDL, in its endeavour for global reach, has forayed into the international market by offering its products to friendly countries. The company has executed export orders of torpedoes and is geared up to take further orders of other exportable products such as surface-to-air missiles, air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface weapons, anti-tank guided missiles and countermeasure systems, besides the torpedoes.
BDL local unit delivered heavyweight torpedo Varunastra to the Navy in November, 2020. DRDO Chairman, Dr. Satheesh Reddy, while flagging off the torpedo, designed and developed by Naval Science and Technological Lab (NSTL) lauded the efforts of scientists for the major breakthrough. BDL will not only meet the Navy's requirement but also export to some friendly countries. Varunastra is a ship launched electronically automatic and remote controlled guidance system which uses its own intelligence to trace the target.
Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command laid the foundation stone for establishing Environmental Testing Facility at tje Visakhapatnam unit of BDL on Friday. Commodore Siddharth Mishra (Retd.), Chairman and Managing Director, BDL, NP Diwakar, Director (Technical), Commodore A Madhava Rao (Retd), Executive Director (KBU & PSG), SV Kameswar, General Manager and Visakhapatnam unit head and senior officials from DRDO labs and Navy were present.
Speaking on the occasion, Commodore Siddharth Mishra (Retd), CMD, BDL stated, "the Environmental Test facility will be first of its kind in the country and which will contribute towards the further realization of 'Atma Nirbharta' in the defence sector.
The facility, once operational, will enhance BDL's capability in the testing infrastructure for torpedoes and underwater weapons..
The Environmental Test Facility will consist of a Vibration testing facility, thermal chamber and walking chamber for a whole torpedo. This will be a state-of-the-art facility in India, wherein the vibration test of the whole torpedo of eight meter length and two tonnes of weight can be carried out at a time.
