IIT Madras, Munitions India to develop 155-mm smart ammunition

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Madras) is partnering with Munitions India Limited, a defence public sector enterprise, to develop the country’s first indigenously-designed 155-mm smart ammunition. This initiative is an initiative to achieve indigenisation in a critical defence sector.

The partnership aims at increasing the accuracy of the 155-mm shell within a circular error probable (CEP) of 10 metre. At present, ammunition developed in India has a CEP of 500 m. Another key goal is to increase the lethality at the terminal impact point.

The ammunition being developed at the IIT Madras can be launched from 39 and 45 calibre-155-mm artillery guns without any changes in the gun system. The guided shell will be fin-stabilised and canard-controlled. The range will be from 8 km to 38 km. It will work on three-mode fuse operation – point detonation, height of burst and delayed detonation.

The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (NAVIC) is the primary guidance system, which will make the guided ammunition completely independent of any foreign agency involvement.

Munitions India Limited comes under the defence ministry and is the country’s biggest manufacturer and market leader engaged in the production, testing research and development, and marketing of a comprehensive range of ammunition and explosives for the Army, Navy, Air force and paramilitary forces

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IIT Madras aerospace engineering department professor G Rajesh and his team of researchers will be developing the smart ammunition, which has a duration of two years.

Munitions Indian Limited IOFS managing director Ravi Kant said, “Munitions India Limited (MIL), which has carved a niche for itself in global defence manufacturing and supplies within two years of its formation, is excited to join hands with IIT Madras in development of this world-class ammunition.”