NEW DELHI: Lauding India’s preparedness to deal with any chemical and biological warfare, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said that India should be having an effective mechanism to prevent potential consequences against use of chemical and biological weapon in wake of changing security environment.
"The reports which are coming from the southern and northern parts of Afghanistan... I have seen photographs of local population suffering from blisters. At this moment, I don't have confirmation on this, but the photos were quite disturbing.
"We should be prepared for any kind of warfare," Parrikar said at an event by DRDO where army was handed over Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) Reconnaissance vehicle and NBC drugs.
Taking forward Parrikar’s voice, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat also said “although chemical weapons have been banned by the United Nations, it could be used by an adversary.”
Meanwhile, DRDO also handed the Weapon Locating Radar after successfully tested after extensive evaluation by competent evaluation teams/bodies.
Weapon Locating Radar (WLR), SWATHI, developed by DRDO’s Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), provides fast, automatic and accurate location of all enemy weapons like mortars, shells and rockets firing within in its effective zone of coverage and simultaneously handles multiples projectiles fired from different weapons at different locations. The system is capable of adjusting the fire of our own artillery weapon also. The weapon includes 81mm or higher calibre mortars, 105mm or higher calibre shells and 120mm or higher calibre free flying rockets. Thus WLR has two roles to perform i.e. Weapon Location Mode for enemy Artillery and Direction of Own artillery Fire (DOOAF) Mode for our own Artillery.
DRDO also claimed that the NBC Recce Vehicle Mk-I, is developed by Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (VRDE) for carrying out post event recce of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Contaminated areas. It is capable of collecting solid and liquid samples of biologically contaminated areas, mark the nuclear and chemical contamination zone and transfer the recce data speedily to support formations. On successful development of NBC RV Mk-I in association with DL, Jodhpur, the equipment was approved for induction into the Services.
DRDO’s INMAS is actively engaged in research in the field of radio protectors, de-corporating agents and antidotes for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) emergencies, combat casualty care and other life saving drugs. INMAS has carried out extensive research and laboratory trials in the past two decades to develop formulations for use as antidotes and de-corporating agents for CBRN emergencies. Out of the several formulas developed by INMAS, 15 drugs have been identified for induction, according to officials.