Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

‘Priority to Defence infrastructure’

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Ministry of Defence is laying emphasis on augmenting infrastructure for better production of weapons, detection equipment and various accessories, M. Natarajan, Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, said on Wednesday.

He was speaking after laying the stone for a state-of-the-art Environment Test Centre being built on the campus of Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) at a cost of Rs.20 crores on Wednesday. The test facilities range from mechanical to climatic and combination of both. Some of the facilities that would come on an area of 7,200 square metres include vibration, mechanical shock, bum, drop, low and high temperature, thermal shock, humidity, mould growth and accelerated stress screening.

He complimented NSTL for achievements in the field of underwater weapons, hydrodynamics and warship technology and said environment testing should be available close to the place of designing and production centres so as to prevent avoidable delays and ensure midcourse corrections.

Mr. Natarajan said NSTL had established excellent rapport with the Navy and added that the setting up Environment Test Centre would be extremely useful in realising quality products meeting international defence standards.

He elaborated that the facilities set up would help in speedy overall progress in delivery schedules and reliability of various projects being executed by NSTL. He said the laboratory should prepare itself for greater technology challenges and meet the demands of services.

Presiding over the meeting, NSTL Director V. Bhujanga Rao described as a delightful occasion the launching of work on the Environment Test Centre, which would have facilities to carryout stringent simulated environmental tests.

NSTL Additional Directors A.V.S. Chari, P.V.S. Ganesh Kumar, Chief Engineer (construction) A.V.S. Chari and others spoke.

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