The Ordnance Factories have started offering warranty on their products including small ammunition, bombs, rockets and weapon systems, Disclosing this at a news conference on the eve of the 5th DefExpo, 2008 here today, the Ordnance Factories Board (OFB) Chairman Sudipta Ghosh said all the 40 ordnance factories spread across the country have recently earned the ISO-9002 certificate. Refuting concerns about the quality of OFB products, Ghosh assured that the malfunctions, if any, are attended to by experts or the product is replaced to the customers’ satisfaction.

In another milestone in the OFB’s history of over 200 years, the OFB Chairman will hand over the first batch of an upgraded Pinaka rockets, developed in collaboration with the DRDO, to the Indian Army on February 27. The Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Milan Naidu will receive the rockets at a ceremony at Ordnance Factory, Chanda in Maharashtra. The OFB will supply 300 Pinaka rockets to the Army this year and 1,000 next year. The Ordnance Factory, Trichy, only yesterday handed over at a ceremony the first consignment of 10 Anti-Material Rifles to the BSF.

Revealing plans for the future, Ghosh said the Ordnance Factories are open to the idea of joint ventures as foreign vendors scout for partners to fulfil the offset clause in defence purchases above 300 crore rupees stipulating for ploughing back 30 percent of the contract money into the country. The 40 Ordnance Factories, participating in a big way in the DefExpo, the Naval and Land-based weapon systems exposition, will showcase their products alongside major foreign companies in a bid to grab a slice of the emerging markets, he added. Ghosh said the OFB has raised its R&D budget over the years to upgrade an array of guns, rockets, launchers, tanks and APCs. Towards this end, about 20 engineers are undergoing training abroad, he said.

Keeping itself abreast of the changing patterns in modern warfare, Ghosh said the OFB is upgrading existing land systems to adapt to a net-centric environment. Several new products are being developed either inhouse or in collaboration with the DRDO and foreign partners. OFB is also developing new ammunition with longer range for the artillery in various calibres. The new or upgraded weapons and systems which have already been evaluated, include the 155 mm ERFB BB Ammunition, 130 mm Cargo Ammunition, Kavach Launcher Mark-2, Mine Protected Vehicles, 5.56 mm Excalibur Rifle, Anti-Material Rifle, 100-120 kg Air Bomb, CRN-91 Naval Gun, T 90 tanks, AK 630 Naval Gun, 84 mm Rocket Launcher Mark-3, Pinaka Rocket, Armoured Ambulance, Armoured Engineering Reconnaissance Vehicle, NBC (Nuclear-Biological-Chemical) Recce Vehicle and Combat Free fall Parachute. The new products and upgrades under evaluation include the 155 mm artillery gun upgrade, 105 mm mounted gun, 130 mm artillery upgradation to 155 mm calibre gun, T-72 mobility upgrade, Armoured Recovery Vehicle (ARV) on T-72/T-90 chassis, 40 mm L70 gun upgrade, 35 mm Skyshield Air Defence Gun, 5.56 mm carbine, Remote Controlled Weapon Station (RCWS), 5.56×30 mm protective carbine, 5.56×45 mm ‘Kalantak’ Micro Assault Rifle, 105 mm HE BB Extended Range ammunition, 155 mm Cargo ammunition, Light Specialist Vehicle, Armoured Amphibious Dozer and Namica.

Ghosh said that many of the new products developed or under evaluation would be displayed at the DefExpo. The OFB chairman said that the Kalantak Micro Assault Rifle would be the best in the class and become the next generation gun of the foot soldier. The OFB will cross a turnover 6,900 crore rupees this year and expect it to jump 10 percent annually to touch the 10,000 crore rupees in less than 5 years, he added.