Defence

India's Hyderabad-based Research Centre Imarat (RCI) has provided first details of ongoing research efforts in the fields of aerospace propulsion, navigation and seeker technology.

RCI director Dr VK Saraswat says the centre is developing an indigenous scramjet engine, which it expects to be ready before 2006. The system will be integrated with an airframe capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 3,000° Kelvin for use in a test programme.

The RCI is developing an advanced navigation and control system and imaging seekers to enable air- and surface-launched missiles and combat aircraft to carry out precision strike missions. It is working towards a low-cost navigation system that will allow battlefield submunitions to be individually targeted.

The RCI, alaboratory under India's Defence Research and Development Organisation, has developed a new air-defence system in collaboration with India's Bharat Electronics and Hindustan Aeronautics. Due to be in place by the end of 2004, this will be capable of detecting incoming missiles and enemy aircraft and have a centralised command, control and communications structure linked to mission control units across the country.