Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Wednesday handed over Medium Range-Microwave Obscurant Chaff Rocket (MR-MOCR) to the Indian Navy that would help its assets avoid radar detection.
The handing over of indigenously developed MR-MOCR happened after the phase-I and Phase-II trials were successfully done. The Phase-I trials of MR-MOCR were successfully conducted from Indian Navy ships, demonstrating the MOC cloud blooming and being persistent in space, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
In Phase-II trials, the Radar Cross Section (RCS) reduction of an aerial target to the extent of 90 per cent has been demonstrated and cleared by the Indian Navy, the MoD elaborated.
At a ceremony in the national capital, a number of MR-MOCR, meeting all the qualification requirements, were handed over by Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Samir V Kamat to Director General of Naval Armament Inspection, Indian Navy Rear Admiral Brijesh Vashistha.
Microwave Obscurant Chaff (MOC), a niche technology developed by DRDO’s Jaipur-based Defence Laboratory, obscures radar signals and creates a microwave shield around platforms and assets, thus reducing radar detection.
“Special type of fibres, with diameter of few microns and unique microwave obscuration properties, have been assembled in the medium range chaff rocket. The rocket, when fired, forms microwave obscurant cloud in space spreading over a sufficient area, with adequate persistence time, thus creating an effective shield against hostile threats having radio frequency seekers, the Ministry explained.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented the DRDO and the Indian Navy on the successful development of MR-MOCR and termed the MOC technology as another step towards achieving Aatmanirbharta in defence.
The DRDO Chairman too congratulated the Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur team for this significant achievement. While the Director General of Naval Armament Inspection applauded the efforts of DRDO for indigenously developing this strategically-important technology in a short span of time.