DRDO’s fastest ejection seat system for Indigenous aircraft to be produced by private firms

DRDO’s fastest ejection seat system for Indigenous aircraft to be produced by private firms

The long-developed, fastest ejection system for indigenous aircrafts by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will now be outsourced for production to two private firms.

The Pune-based Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) of DRDO signed an agreement with Hyderabad-based private industries – Gulf Oil Corporation and Premier Explosives – for the production of the Canopy Severance System (CSS).

The CSS provides a smooth passage for a pilot in an emergency situation by pre-weakening the cockpit canopy in the shortest possible time. “This system cuts the canopy in a matter of 10 to 20 milliseconds and is the fastest such system,” explained Kashinath Deodhar, divisional head of the project at the ARDE.

Following the latest agreement which was signed by Dr K M Rajan, scientist and director, ARDE and KPS Murthy, scientist and director, HEMRL on January 20, the two private firms will be supplying eight sets each in the first phase, after fulfilling all the set qualification and functional tests applicable for air borne systems.

Presently, the system has been integrated on 15 Tejas, 12 HJT-36, 2 LCA Trainer and naval versions and the first HTT-40 aircraft.

All aircrafts are undergoing test flights with CSS onboard. ARDE and HEMRL are now capable of developing CSS for any military aircraft in India and abroad.