Indian Army Multi-Mode Hand Grenades: The first batch of Multi-Mode Hand Grenades (MMHG), manufactured by a private defence company, Economic Explosives Limited (EEL), was handed over to the Indian Army on Tuesday. These multi-mode hand grenades, which can be used in both offensive and defensive roles, have been produced following a transfer of technology from Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
SN Nuwal, founder of Nagpur based Solar Group, handed over a scale replica of MMHG to defence minister Rajnath Singh to mark the first delivery of ammunition from the private sector.
Indian Army Chief General M M Naravane, DRDO Chief G. Satheesh Reddy and DG Infantry Lt General A K Samantra were present on the occasion.
“The grenade is not just more lethal, but is safer to use. It has a distinctive design that gives flexibility of employment in both defensive (fragmentation) and offensive (stun) modes,” said the ministry of defence.
The MoD said the grenade designed and developed by the DRDO has a highly accurate delay time, very high reliability in usage and safe for carriage.
“These new grenades will replace Grenade No 36 of World War I vintage design, which had been continuing in service till date,” said MoD.
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Rajnath Singh at EEL’s facility in Nagpur, India. (24.08.221)
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Economic Explosives Limited (EEL)
Nagpur based leading explosives manufactuer EEL had signed a $55 million (INR 409 crore) contract with Ministry of Defence in October last year to supply one million modern hand grenades for Indian Army and Indian Air Force.
The deliveries would be spread over two years from the bulk production clearance, which was accorded to the Solar Group company in March this year. The first order has been delivered within five months.
The EEL had taken the technology from the DRDO in 2016, absorbed it successfully while maintaining very high quality in detonics, said the MoD.
In 2017-18, Indian Army and Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) conducted extensive trials of the grenade in plains, deserts and high altitude during both summers and winters.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. (File Photo).
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Make in India in defence
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called it a shining example of the increasing collaboration between the public and private sectors and a big step towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
“Today is a memorable day in the history of Indian defence sector. Our private industry is coming of age when it comes to defence production. It is an important milestone not only in the field of defence manufacturing, but also in achieving Aatma Nirbhar Bharat (a self-reliant India),” said the defence minster.
Singh said the country’s defence export was increasing as a result of these measures and the defence export in the last two years increased to Rs 17,000 crores ($2.92 billion).
