NEW DELHI: In a step to beef up the counter-drone combat capabilities of the warships of the Indian Navy, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Tuesday handed over the production document of 30mm High Explosive Preformed Fragmentation (HEPF) Shell to Director General of Naval Armament Inspection (DGNAI) during a ceremony organised at Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pashan in Pune.This 30mm HEPF shell has been developed by ARDE, the Pune-based laboratory of DRDO.As per the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the features of the HEPF shell are similar to the in-service ammunition (HE/I Shell) so that it can be fired from existing AK-630 Naval gun which are onboard all warships.The MoD said, “With the handing over, Integrated Headquarters of MoD (Navy)/DGNAI has obtained HEPF Shell induction approval. Accordingly, the production document for 30 mm HEPF Shell is prepared by ARDE to undertake manufacturing of the shells for meeting service requirements.”The HEPF shell yields better fragmentation lethality than HE/I shell, making it effective for neutralisation of drone swarms, said MoD.”The HEPF shell hardware was manufactured by three Indian firms as per ARDE specifications and subjected to gun firing proof tests in association with Naval Armament Inspectorate, Jabalpur.” MoD added. The test results confirmed the suitability of HEPF Shell for its adaptation in AK 630 Gun paving a way for its induction.
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