Based on its trademark Spectra® fiber, Honeywell has built an ultra-light fabric called Centurion which will further decrease the weight (up to 35 to 40 per cent) of the bullet-proof vests of the infantry soldiers/ police. It is claimed to be strong, flexible and extremely light-weight.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Ultra-light fabric Centurion; Greg Davis; Vikas Kapur

Made with the well-known Spectra® fiber, a high-molecular-weight polyethylene material, which, according to the Honeywell, is 15 times stronger than steel at the same weight, Centurion fabric allows tactical vests to be made with less material, without compromising on its strength or capacity. Speaking to FORCE during the Show, Honeywell’s Greg Davis explained that add-ons like pockets, rivets, buttons etc not only add to the weight of the vest, but also make it cumbersome to organise. With Centurion fabric one doesn’t need to build-in different sections to keep various things that infantry soldiers need, a handset or water bottle for instance. The fabric itself comes with integrated loops and cuts in which equipment can be fitted in without stitching on additional material.

What’s more, Centurion also repels water, hence it can be efficiently worn in wet and humid conditions without the fear of dampness adding to the weight. Honeywell’s Spectra fibre has been in use in India for several years.

DCM Shriram Industries Rolls Out Light Bullet-Proof Vehicle ‘Zebu’

DCM Shriram Industries Limited (DSIL) announced their new venture into defence equipment manufacturing. The company has successfully, indigenously, designed, tested and developed a light bullet proof vehicle for use by the Indian defence and para-military forces in their strategic activities against foreign aggressors as well as internal insurgencies.

Chairman and managing director, DSIL Tilak Dhar said, “It is with great pride that I announce the development and launch of ZEBU, a Light Bullet Proof Vehicle (LBPV) for supply to the Indian defence and para-military forces by DCM Shriram Industries Limited. Our group, under the guidance of Lala Shriram and later Lala Bansi Dhar, has been part of the nation building exercise for over 125 years. We started manufacturing Make in India products in 1890 and have consistently worked towards import substitution and creating industrial wealth in India. We believe that this project will create jobs not only in our company but in a series of auto ancillary units and allied services, bringing prosperity to the nation”.

Vice chairman and deputy managing director, DSIL Alok B. Shriram added, “In addition to providing vehicles in India, our aim is to also export them to other nations and peace-keeping forces. Our company decided to foray into the defence equipment manufacturing space after the announcement of the DPP 2016 by the Indian government. We have shortlisted four areas which we would like to concentrate on, the primary one being armoured vehicles. The ZEBU is meant for protection of the Indian armed forces against light automatic weapon fire, small grenade and IED blasts. This is the major service condition for our troops on the border and against internal insurgents in North, Central and East India. DSIL is launching the ZEBU with the single aim of Protecting Our Protectors.”

Further, deputy managing director of DSIL, Madhav Shriram, stated, “DSIL’s mission is to design and manufacture a world class armoured bullet-proof vehicle which meets all the requirements and various service conditions that our armed personnel face and function in, including various types of terrains and climatic conditions, be it the heat of the desert, the icy heights of the Himalayas or the rainy Northeast. None of this would have been possible without the dedication and perseverance of our team. We believe the ZEBU’s debut at the DefExpo 2018 is the first step towards achieving our goal”.

Business head Major General Sanjeev Loomba (retd), said, “The ZEBU is a very robust and competently designed light bullet-proof vehicle which is capable of operating in all terrains and has excellent off-road capabilities. The firing ports allow the soldiers to inflict devastating prophylactic fire. It has a 360 degree rotating turret which can bring down immense fire-power and inflict severe damage on the enemy, while protecting our soldiers. I am confident that our product will be a valuable addition to the arsenal of the Indian defence forces”.

L&T MBDA Missile Systems Offers World Class Guided Weapon Systems Technology in India

L&T MBDA Missile Systems Limited (L&T MBDA) is leveraging its strong parentage to bring in world class guided weapon systems technology for the Indian armed forces under the ‘Make in India’ initiative with a clear objective of indigenously developing, manufacturing and supplying highly advanced missiles and missile systems.

The joint venture (JV) between Larsen & Toubro (L&T), India’s multinational engineering conglomerate and MBDA, a world leader in missiles and missile systems, is targeting opportunities under the ‘Buy (Indian – IDDM)’, ‘Buy (Indian)’, ‘Buy & Make (Indian)’ and ‘Make’ categories of defence procurement.

Within only one year of its incorporation, the joint venture has already responded to Request for Information (RFI) under different missile systems to address Indian armed forces’ operational requirements. These includes 5th Generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM 5), Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM) and Medium Range Anti-Ship Missile System.

The JV is also preparing to participate in various ‘Make’ category projects.

Senior executive vice president and Whole-time Director, L&T J.D.Patil commented, “Our long-standing commitment to India’s defence programme is evident in our approach to offer best in class technology solutions. The L&T-MBDA joint venture has been working proactively to make available advanced missiles and missile systems catering to the needs of the Indian defence forces.”

Country Head India, MBDA Loïc Piedevache said, “For over 50 successful years our strategy has been one of true partnership with the Indian armed forces and Indian industry. The JV offers the Indian armed forces the flexibility of choice regarding the timely acquisition of key operational capabilities, coupled with the optimised means of acquiring and mastering the very latest and most advanced guided weapon systems technology currently available anywhere in the world.”

L&T holds 51 per cent and MBDA holds 49 per cent equity in the joint venture company fully complying with India’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy norms for a defence manufacturing company. The JV was incorporated on 5 April 2017 as an Indian company.

GMR Group to Set Up Defence Manufacturing Hub in Tamil Nadu

The GMR Group, India’s leading infrastructure company, is setting up an ‘Aerospace & Defence Manufacturing Hub’ at its Special Investment Region, Hosur (GKSIR), Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu, to encourage indigenous production of defence equipment in the country.

India stands amongst the top five defence spenders in the world. However, due to an underdeveloped defence manufacturing sector, India is one of the largest importers of defence equipment in the world – approximately 60 per cent of requirements are met through imports. Indigenisation of defence production is a key priority for the government.

Under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, the government has recently announced setting up of a Defence Industrial Production Corridor (DIPC) in Tamil Nadu. The corridor will connect Hosur and Chennai with Kattupalli port, Chennai, Tiruchi, Coimbatore and Hosur as its key nodes and aims to pro