DRDO and Defence Technology: Missiles and Labs
Notes on DRDO for competitive exams: its founding and motto, the IGMDP missiles, BrahMos, Astra, Mission Shakti, tanks, aircraft, radars and its main laboratories.
By GK24 Editorial Team· Published · 4 min read
The Defence Research and Development Organisation is the research arm of the Ministry of Defence, and it is the single most asked body in the science and technology section after ISRO. Questions come in a narrow band: the year it was founded, its motto, which missile belongs to which class, what the name of a programme or a test stood for, and which laboratory sits in which city. This note keeps to those, and to the facts that do not change with a new trial.
Founding, motto and structure
DRDO was formed in 1958 by bringing together the Technical Development Establishment, the Directorate of Technical Development and Production and the Defence Science Organisation. It works under the Department of Defence Research and Development in the Ministry of Defence, and its head is the Chairman of DRDO, who is also Secretary of that department. Its motto is Balasya Mulam Vigyanam, science is the source of strength, and its headquarters is DRDO Bhawan in New Delhi. It runs more than fifty laboratories grouped by cluster, such as aeronautics, armaments, missiles, naval systems, electronics, life sciences and materials.
The Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme
The IGMDP was approved in 1983 and led by Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, which is why he is called the Missile Man of India. It set out to build five missiles at once, and its success made India a missile producing country.
| Missile | Class | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Prithvi | Surface to surface, short range | Prithvi-I for the Army, Prithvi-II for the Air Force; the naval variant is Dhanush |
| Agni | Surface to surface, ballistic | The family runs from Agni-I to Agni-V, and Agni-V crosses five thousand kilometres |
| Trishul | Short range surface to air | Quick reaction missile for ships and forward posts |
| Akash | Medium range surface to air | Works with the Rajendra phased array radar |
| Nag | Anti-tank guided missile | Third generation, fire and forget; the helicopter version is HELINA |
Missiles developed after the programme
- BrahMos, the supersonic cruise missile built by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture of DRDO and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya set up in 1998. Its name joins the Brahmaputra and the Moskva, and it flies at nearly three times the speed of sound.
- Nirbhay, a long range subsonic cruise missile that flies low and can loiter, unlike the supersonic BrahMos.
- Astra, the beyond visual range air-to-air missile fired from a fighter aircraft.
- Shaurya, a canister launched hypersonic surface to surface tactical missile, the land version of the submarine launched K-15 Sagarika.
- Agni-Prime, a lighter canisterised missile of the Agni family, and the K series for the Arihant class submarines.
- QRSAM and the MRSAM developed with Israel, along with the ballistic missile defence work on the Prithvi Air Defence and Advanced Air Defence interceptors.
On 27 March 2019 India tested an anti-satellite weapon in Mission Shakti, destroying a satellite of its own in low earth orbit with a modified interceptor, and joined the small group of countries with that ability. In September 2020 the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle flew with an indigenous scramjet engine, in which air taken in at supersonic speed is burnt without being slowed to subsonic speed.
Beyond missiles: vehicles, aircraft, radars and life sciences
The Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment at Avadi near Chennai developed the Arjun main battle tank. The Armament Research and Development Establishment at Pune developed the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher, and the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory in the same city works on propellants and explosives. The Aeronautical Development Agency at Bengaluru led the Tejas light combat aircraft, which first flew in January 2001, while the Gas Turbine Research Establishment there developed the Kaveri engine. The Aeronautical Development Establishment built the Nishant and Rustom unmanned aircraft and the Lakshya pilotless target aircraft, and the Centre for Airborne Systems produced the Netra airborne early warning and control system. The Electronics and Radar Development Establishment gave the Rohini and Swathi radars, and the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory at Visakhapatnam and the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory at Kochi work on torpedoes and sonars. On the life sciences side, the Defence Food Research Laboratory at Mysuru, the Defence Institute of High Altitude Research near Leh and the Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences at Delhi work on rations, high altitude farming and soldier physiology.
Where the laboratories are
Hyderabad holds the missile cluster, the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, the Research Centre Imarat and the Advanced Systems Laboratory, along with the electronic warfare laboratory DLRL. Bengaluru holds the aeronautical and electronics laboratories. Pune holds armaments and the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, a deemed university. Dehradun holds the Instruments Research and Development Establishment and the Defence Electronics Applications Laboratory, Chandigarh the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory and the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment, Gwalior the Defence Research and Development Establishment for protection against chemical agents, and Kanpur the materials laboratory DMSRDE.
Exam Point of View
Three question types cover almost the whole topic. First, match the missile to its class: Nag anti-tank, Trishul and Akash surface to air, Astra air to air, Prithvi and Agni surface to surface, BrahMos supersonic cruise and Nirbhay subsonic cruise. Second, the fixed facts: 1958 for DRDO, 1983 for the IGMDP, Kalam as its head, the meaning of the name BrahMos, and 27 March 2019 for Mission Shakti. Third, laboratory and city pairs, where Hyderabad for missiles, Bengaluru for aeronautics, Pune for armaments and Avadi for the Arjun tank are the ones asked. Avoid learning exact ranges beyond Agni-V crossing five thousand kilometres, because a newer variant can change the number, and remember that BrahMos is a joint venture while Akash and Nag are wholly indigenous.
Important Facts
| DRDO founded | 1958; headquarters DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi |
|---|---|
| Motto | Balasya Mulam Vigyanam, science is the source of strength |
| IGMDP | Approved 1983, led by Dr A P J Abdul Kalam |
| IGMDP missiles | Prithvi, Agni, Trishul, Akash, Nag |
| Nag | Third generation fire and forget anti-tank missile; helicopter version HELINA |
| BrahMos | Brahmaputra plus Moskva; joint venture with Russia formed 1998 |
| Nirbhay | Long range subsonic cruise missile |
| Astra | Beyond visual range air-to-air missile |
| Shaurya | Canister launched hypersonic surface to surface tactical missile |
| Mission Shakti | Anti-satellite test, 27 March 2019 |
| HSTDV | Scramjet powered hypersonic demonstrator, flown September 2020 |
| Arjun tank | Developed by CVRDE, Avadi, near Chennai |
| Pinaka | Multi-barrel rocket launcher from ARDE, Pune |
| Kaveri engine | Gas Turbine Research Establishment, Bengaluru |
| Netra | Airborne early warning and control system from CABS, Bengaluru |
Practice MCQs on this topic
Which of the following missiles is a canister launched hypersonic surface-to-surface tactical missile developed by DRDO?
- A.Astra
- B.Akash
- C.Shaurya
- D.Trishul
Show answer
Shaurya is the land based version of the submarine launched K-15 Sagarika, and it is stored and fired from a sealed canister, which lets it be moved by road and launched at short notice.
Read the full explanation →The Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme, approved in 1983, was led by
- A.Homi Jehangir Bhabha
- B.Vikram Sarabhai
- C.A P J Abdul Kalam
- D.Satish Dhawan
Show answer
The Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme was approved in 1983 and Kalam, then at the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, was made its head.
Read the full explanation →Which missile developed under the IGMDP is an anti-tank guided missile?
- A.Nag
- B.Trishul
- C.Prithvi
- D.Akash
Show answer
Nag is a third generation anti-tank guided missile of the fire and forget kind, which means that once the seeker has locked on to the target the operator need not keep guiding it, and the crew can move away at once.
Read the full explanation →The name of the BrahMos missile is derived from the names of which two rivers?
- A.Brahmaputra and Moskva
- B.Brahmaputra and Volga
- C.Beas and Moskva
- D.Brahmani and Moskva
Show answer
BrahMos is built by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture formed in 1998 between DRDO and the Russian firm NPO Mashinostroyeniya, and the name joins a great river of each country.
Read the full explanation →In which year was the Defence Research and Development Organisation formed?
- A.1947
- B.1958
- C.1969
- D.1983
Show answer
DRDO was formed in that year by bringing together the Technical Development Establishment of the Indian Army, the Directorate of Technical Development and Production and the Defence Science Organisation, so that defence research would be done under one roof.
Read the full explanation →Nirbhay, developed by DRDO, is best described as a
- A.Supersonic cruise missile
- B.Long range subsonic cruise missile
- C.Intercontinental ballistic missile
- D.Surface to air missile
Show answer
Nirbhay flies below the speed of sound but for a much greater distance than BrahMos, staying low to avoid radar, and it can change course in flight and loiter over an area before striking.
Read the full explanation →Astra, developed by DRDO, belongs to which class of missiles?
- A.Surface to surface
- B.Air to air
- C.Surface to air
- D.Anti-tank
Show answer
Astra is a beyond visual range air-to-air missile, which means it is fired from a fighter aircraft at an enemy aircraft the pilot cannot see with the eye, using radar to find and follow the target.
Read the full explanation →Mission Shakti, carried out by India on 27 March 2019, was a test of
- A.A hypersonic cruise missile
- B.An anti-satellite weapon
- C.A nuclear device
- D.A submarine launched ballistic missile
Show answer
In Mission Shakti, on 27 March 2019, an interceptor developed for ballistic missile defence was used to destroy one of India's own satellites in low earth orbit, showing that the country could strike a target in space.
Read the full explanation →Trishul, one of the five missiles of the IGMDP, was a
- A.Short range surface to air missile
- B.Long range ballistic missile
- C.Anti-ship cruise missile
- D.Air to air missile
Show answer
Trishul was designed as a quick reaction weapon to protect warships and forward army positions from low flying aircraft and from sea skimming missiles, so it needed very fast response over a short distance rather than long reach.
Read the full explanation →The Kaveri aero engine has been developed by which DRDO laboratory?
- A.Gas Turbine Research Establishment, Bengaluru
- B.Armament Research and Development Establishment, Pune
- C.Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad
- D.Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment, Avadi
Show answer
GTRE is the DRDO laboratory for aero engines, and the Kaveri turbofan was taken up there for the Tejas light combat aircraft.
Read the full explanation →The Arjun main battle tank was developed by which establishment?
- A.Vehicle Research and Development Establishment, Ahmednagar
- B.Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment, Avadi
- C.Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad
- D.Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, Chandigarh
Show answer
CVRDE, near Chennai, is the DRDO laboratory for armoured fighting vehicles, and the Arjun main battle tank was designed there and is produced at the Heavy Vehicles Factory in the same town.
Read the full explanation →The Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle flown by DRDO in September 2020 was powered by which kind of engine?
- A.Turbofan
- B.Ramjet
- C.Scramjet
- D.Solid rocket motor only
Show answer
In a scramjet, short for supersonic combustion ramjet, the air taken in from the atmosphere stays supersonic while the fuel is burnt in it, which is what allows sustained flight at hypersonic speed.
Read the full explanation →Frequently Asked Questions
When was DRDO established and what is its motto?
DRDO was established in 1958 by merging the Technical Development Establishment, the Directorate of Technical Development and Production and the Defence Science Organisation. Its motto is Balasya Mulam Vigyanam, which means that science is the source of strength, and its headquarters is at New Delhi.
Which five missiles were developed under the IGMDP?
Prithvi, a short range surface to surface missile, Agni, the ballistic missile family, Trishul, a short range surface to air missile, Akash, a medium range surface to air missile, and Nag, an anti-tank guided missile. The programme was approved in 1983 and led by Dr A P J Abdul Kalam.
What does the name BrahMos come from?
From the Brahmaputra in India and the Moskva in Russia, the two rivers standing for the two partners. BrahMos Aerospace, formed in 1998, is a joint venture of DRDO and the Russian firm NPO Mashinostroyeniya, and the missile is supersonic, flying at nearly three times the speed of sound.
What was Mission Shakti?
The anti-satellite missile test of 27 March 2019, in which India destroyed one of its own satellites in low earth orbit using a modified interceptor developed for ballistic missile defence. It made India one of the few countries able to strike a satellite, and the low orbit was chosen to limit debris.
What is the difference between BrahMos and Nirbhay?
BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile of shorter range that reaches its target very fast, while Nirbhay is a subsonic cruise missile of much longer range that flies low, can change course and loiter over an area. One trades range for speed and the other speed for range.
Which DRDO laboratory developed the Arjun tank and where is it?
The Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment, CVRDE, at Avadi near Chennai. The tank itself is produced at the Heavy Vehicles Factory in the same town, while the Pinaka rocket launcher came from the Armament Research and Development Establishment at Pune.
Sources
- About DRDO: Genesis and Growth — Defence Research and Development Organisation
- DRDO Laboratories and Establishments — Defence Research and Development Organisation
- Frequently Asked Questions on Mission Shakti, India's Anti-Satellite Missile Test — Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India
