Address: Armament PO, Pashan, Pune-411021, Maharashtra, India

Telephone: Unlisted

Fax: Unlisted

E-mail: root@drarde.drdo.com

Director: Mr. P.U. Deshpande

Subordinate to: Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO), Ministry of Defense

Primary Function: Design and development of conventional arms.

Description: The Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) was established in 1958 and started off as a small facility at the Ammunition Factory, Kirkee. In 1966, ARDE was moved to its present location in Pashan (Maharashtra).

ARDE is involved in the design and development of "conventional armaments" and has a pilot plant for the low-volume production of "critical items of strategic importance." It has also designed the warheads and related-technologies for the Prithvi ballistic missile. These include:

• "Dual Purpose Improved Conventional bomblets, Incendiary, and Runway Denial Penetrating Submunition warheads" for the Army, Air Force, and Navy versions of the Prithvi ballistic missile system.
• Technologies for "submunition, cutting, removal, and dispensation mechanisms, safety arming and sequencing unit, and RF altitude switch."
• Design and development of a "tandem warhead" for the Nag anti-tank guided missile.
• "Prefragmented type missile warheads" for the Pinaka, Akash, and Prithvi missiles.

Key Sources:
"Armament Research & Development Establishment," Defence Research & Development Organization, <http://www.drdo.org/labs/arma/arde/index.shtml>; "Address Book," Defence Research & Development Organization, <http://www.drdo.org/add.shtml>.

	Updated July 2003