The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has handed over the production document of 30mm High Explosive Preformed Fragmentation (HEPF) Shell to Director General of Naval Armament Inspection (DGNAI) to further enhance the combat capability against drones.
The handing over was done during a ceremony organised at DRDO’s lab, Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), in Pashan, Pune, the Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday.
The 30mm HEPF shell, developed by ARDE, will be used by AK 630 guns used by Navy’s ships.
“The features of HEPF shell are similar to the in-service ammunition (HE/I Shell) so that it can be fired from the existing AK-630 Naval gun. The HEPF shell yields better fragmentation lethality than HE/I shell, making it effective for neutralisation of drone swarms,” the Ministry’s statement read.
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. The test results confirmed the suitability of HEPF shell for its adaptation in AK 630 gun paving a way for its induction, the Ministry elaborated.
The Ministry stated that the production document for 30 mm HEPF Shell was prepared by ARDE to undertake manufacturing of the ammunition for meeting service requirements.