DRDO blew up 5000 kg TNT underground and dropped 150 kg container off Goa coast; here' s why
Defence Research and Development Organisation come up with a new technologies to help Indian Armed Forces
FollowThe Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has come up with a solution for the armed forces that are facing an acute shortage of land for setting up new explosive and ammunition storage facilities. The DRDO, on April 30, conducted a design validation trial of the underground ammunition storage structure.
DRDO's Delhi-based Centre of Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES) designed and developed the Vertical Shaft-based Underground Ammunition Storage Facility that enables upward vertical dissipation of blast effects considerably, reducing the blast effect on surrounding utilities.
"The instrumented blast trial was carried out in the presence of the Armed Forces by detonating 5,000 kg of TNT in one of the chambers of the underground facility," the DRDO said.
The CFEES team conducted the trial with precision and utmost safety in place. All the parameters recorded during the trial matched with estimated values, it said.
The underground ammunition storage facility will ensure that an explosion within will not cause damage to the adjacent chamber and also ensure full operability of the remaining facility.
How the Vertical Shaft based Underground Ammunition Storage Facility helps
The Armed Forces often find it difficult to stock the ammunition that they need due to the non-availability of adequate land. Large safety distances are required for ammunition storage structures. The safety distances are considerably reduced when ammunition is stored underground. Based on the results of the instrumented trials, the safety distance has been established up to 120 Metric Ton (40 Metric Ton Net Explosive Content) of ammunition storage per chamber.
The unique design developed by the DRDO has the additional advantage of reducing safety distances and costs by 50 per cent as compared to current designs. The design also ensures higher safety for ammunition stored from any kind of aerial attack or sabotage.
The construction of the Vertical Shaft-based Underground Ammunition Storage Facility would require lesser cost than conventional facilities.
Air-droppable container test
With an objective to enhance naval operational logistics capabilities, the DRDO and the Indian Navy have carried out a successful trial of an air-droppable container with a 150 kg payload capability from maritime patrol aircraft and anti-submarine warfare aircraft IL 38SD off the coast of Goa.
The air-droppable container named as 'ADC-150' was indigenously designed and developed. The trial was conducted last week.
"The trial was carried out to further enhance the maritime operational logistics capabilities by providing quick response to meet the requirement of critical engineering stores to ships (under distress), which are deployed over 2,000 km from the coast," the DRDO said, adding, "It reduces the requirement of ships to come close to the coast to collect spares and stores."
Three DRDO laboratories - Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam; Aerial Delivery Research & Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra and Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru - have been involved in the development of ADC-150 container.
The crucial flight clearance certification was given by Regional Center for Military Airworthiness (RCMA), Kanpur headed by the Centre for Military Airworthiness & Certification (CEMILAC), Bengaluru.
