Address: Vahannagar PO, Ahmednagar 414 006, Maharashtra
Telephone: 0241-41401
Fax: 0241-41410
Telex: Unlisted
Email: root@drvrde.drdo.com
Website: http://www.drdo.com/labs/combat/vrde/index.shtml
Director: Major-General U.S. Abrol
Subordinate to: Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO), Ministry of Defense
Primary Function: Conducts research and development of wheeled and light-tracked vehicles up to 25 tons

Description:
The Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (VRDE) grew out of the Inspectorate of Mechanical Transport, which was established in 1929 at Chaklala (in present-day Pakistan) and subsequently moved to Ahmednagar. VRDE was made responsible for all wheeled vehicles, and in 1985, it was also given responsibility for light-tracked vehicles.

While the VRDE laboratory is not one of the main laboratories involved in chemical weapons-related research and defense activities, it has worked with the DRDE laboratory in Gwalior to develop the nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) decontamination system that includes a Personal Decontamination Kit (PDK), a Portable Decontamination Apparatus (PDA), Decontamination Solution (DS-2), and a Mobile Decontamination System.

Key Sources: Defence Research & Development Organization, "Vehicles Research & Development Establishment," <http://www.drdo.org/labs/combat/vrde/index.shtml>; Defence Research & Development Organization, "Address Book," <http://www.drdo.org/add.shtml>; Indian Ministry of Defence, Press Information Bureau, "NBC Decontamination System Developed," 19 June 2002, <http://pib.nic.in/archieve/lreleng/lyr2002/rjun2002/19062002/
r190620023.html>.

	Updated October 2003