Indian Air Force (IAF), in a significant stride towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing, has inaugurated the country’s first indigenous Chaff production plant in Nagpur. Deputy Chief Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit led the inauguration at Economic Explosives Ltd (EEL), a subsidiary of Solar Industries India Ltd, an industrial explosives and defence products manufacturing company.

Chaff (radar countermeasure), a crucial electronic countermeasure device used to protect aircraft from enemy radar, has been entirely import-dependent until now. The new state-of-the-art facility will produce various Chaff types, including Chaff 118, 50mm, and 26mm, along with impulse cartridges. These will be utilized in a wide range of aircraft, from fighters like Jaguar D-II/D- III, MIG29, Mirage 2000, Bison, Apache, Chinook, Embraer, AWACS, AHWSI, LCA, LCH, etc.

Developed with technology support from Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur, under New Weapons Procurement Policy’s ‘Buy Indian-IDDM’ (Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured) category, the Chaff payloads have received airworthiness certification from IAF authorities. The policy promotes indigenous design and development of defense equipment, and this achievement marks a crucial step in fitting indigenous Chaff systems to various airborne platforms.

EEL is now focusing on expanding its manufacturing capacity to meet the substantial requirements of the Armed Forces, with completion expected within six months. This development, hailed as the country’s first modern and advanced tech, not only bolsters India’s defence capabilities but also significantly contributes to the Government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative in the defence sector.

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