Hyderabad: Autonomous weapons systems, such as indigenously manufactured Brahmos missiles, have changed the nature of conflicts in recent years, as was evident during Operation Sindoor last year.
“At ISNT, we provide NDT training through our 19 chapters across the country. The interest is such that more than 2,000 delegates from 20 countries are participating, with a lot of equipment on display,” he said.
In an interaction with TOI , Dr Jaiteerth Joshi, director general of Brahmos DRDO , and MD and CEO of Brahmos Aerospace, said: “We are pioneers in rocketry. The Brahmos DG, who is also the president of Indian Society of Non-Destructive Testing (ISNT), said a robust testing mechanism requires rigorous training. “ “ISNT is also gearing up for the 36 th annual conference on non-destructive evaluation in Hyderabad from Nov 15 to 17.
We have come a long way from Tipu Sultan’s period, when indigenous rockets with 2kg propellant were invented, to now where we target our adversaries deep inside their territories with pin-point accuracy. We hold training courses for sectors such as atomic energy, space, defence and at public and private organisations such as MDL, HEMRL, MIDHANI, BARC among many others. The requirement for NDT is such that we are accrediting private agencies to impart training, while we hold the exams.
A lot of potential buyers have said they will come and visit us.“ On the development of the next-generation Brahmos NG version, which was reportedly to be flight tested in 2025, Joshi said the super-sonic cruise missile is in simulation stage, which will be followed by ground testing. In the NG version, we are trying to come out of regular metallic structure to a composite structure, so that it becomes lighter and sleeker, and is able to carry more payload and fuel with an extended range. ”
When asked what next after export deals for Brahmos missiles to the Philippines and Vietnam, Joshi said, “A lot countries, including some others from south-east Asia have shown interest. We have to see how many things we can conclude in the upcoming Aero India in Bengaluru in Feb next year. “A flight test can be expected in around two years.