Roorkee (The Hawk): A joint R&D activity between the Defence Electronics Application Laboratory (DEAL) Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) and the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) has resulted in developing indigenous radio frequency power amplifiers to meet the futuristic requirements of Programmable Radios being developed by DEAL, DRDO. The research group led by Prof. Karun Rawat at IIT Roorkee, and a group of Scientists & Engineers led by Shri Pinaki Sen from DEAL, DRDO have designed these amplifiers to be simultaneously able to fulfill the high-efficiency requirements (for thermal management) & good linearity for signal fidelity. The designs have been simultaneously optimized for Size, Weight & Power (SWaP). These amplifier units have superior performance and beat many similar products from global manufacturers achieving high efficiency and gain while simultaneously considering good harmonic and intermodulation suppression.
The lack of indigenous components poses a severe challenge to R&D organizations such as in integrating the entire defense equipment in a given timeline from the armed forces. The scientific rigor of an academic R&D has a high potential to bring innovative designs to bolster cutting-edge technology development. However, the challenge is to direct such scientific investigations to product-oriented exercises through collaborative efforts with R&D labs.
The improvement in efficiency will result in a significant amount of heat load reduction, which will facilitate easy integration in the Programmable Radio chassis in the required form factor. The unit will be assembled with the indigenous radio units of DEAL, and DRDO, and will be manufactured by private domestic partners for mass production.
This joint product development activity has proven synergy between the two organizations and will bolster the “Atmanirbhar Bharat" as well as the “Make in India” drive for upgrading many defense equipment of the Indian armed forces.
Prof. Ajit K Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee, said, “With Make in India emerging as a powerful beacon to guide the development of defense technologies, we need to synergise the strengths of the government research agencies, industries as well as academics institutions to make India a truly global player in major defense technologies and systems.”
Shri Lal Chand Mangal, Director, DEAL DRDO, remarked, "DEAL DRDO with its charter to do research, design, and development is geared up for the development of such futuristic technologies indigenously by involving academia and industry in a big way, to maintain and support India's Defence system."
Prof. Karun Rawat,Department of Electronics & Communication, IIT Roorkee, said "Keeping in tune with India’s mission for technological upgradation, the current R&D feat of Technology focus is a glimpse of the improvements to existing capabilities and also bringing up new capabilities"