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Created: 27 April 2015

UDHAMPUR: The indigenously designed and manufactured 155mm x 45mm calibre artillery gun, Dhanush has successfully met all technical parameters during the winter and summer trials. Informing the Members of Parliament of the Consultative Committee attached to his Ministry, the Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar today said Dhanush incorporates many improved features than the guns which the Army is possessing at present.

The Consultative Committee was discussing the Role Performance and Future of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), one of the oldest and largest production organisation of the Ministry of Defence. OFB is a conglomerate of 39 ordnance factories with another two new projects being set up at Nalanda in Bihar and Korwa in Uttar Pradesh.

 

Shri Parrikar said another notable achievement of OFB in the recent time has been the indigenous development of 40mm Multi Grenade Launcher (MGL) for 40 x 46mm Low Velocity Grenades (LVG). He also said the Assault Rifle ‘Ghaatak’ (7.62x39mm) Assault Rifle (AR) developed through in-house Research and Development has met all the parameters as per the General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQRs) during the trial evaluation by Para Military Forces under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

 

The Defence Minister said the Ministry has taken a number of initiatives towards improving the performance of OFB. This includes efforts to operate OFB on a Corporate model (not Corporatise) with a commercial accounting system. The procurement manual has also been revised keeping in view the Make In India plan to facilitate long term procurement.

Shri Parrikar said Quality Audit of eight factories will be undertaken by a globally reputed firm to improve upon the existing processes and attain Zero Defect production system. He said OFB is undergoing a paradigm shift from that of a manufacturer of defence equipment to a Complete Solution Provider. OFB’s new role will encompass design, development, bulk production and life cycle sustenance equipment. Shri Parrikar said OFB would be made into a lead integrator of major platforms and as a manufacturer of world class defence equipment. With the offset regime in place, OFB is also looking forward towards delivering many sub-systems to leading overseas players.

 

During the discussion, Members of Parliament appreciated the contribution of OFB towards national security and for the transformation it has undertaken over the years. Some Members wanted that a manufacturing unit of OFB should be set up in the North – East. Members of Parliament who attended the meeting included Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Shri Pinaki Misra, Shri Anil Shirole, Prof. Saugata Roy, Dr. Mahendra Prasad, Shri Ashwani Kumar, Shri Pankaj Bora and Shri Shamsher Singh Manhas.

 

The Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh, the Defence Secretary Shri RK Mathur, Secretary Defence Production Shri G Mohan Kumar, Secretary Defence Finance Ms. Vandana Srivastava and Secretary Ex-Servicemen Welfare Shri Prabhu Dayal Meena also attended the meeting.