IIT Madras will unveil a potentially revolutionary concept of a 155mm ramjet-powered pseudo-missile shell that can fire at targets more than 70-80 km away at the DefExpo 2020 to attract eyeballs of the MOD officials for funding to develop the program

Lucknow: Breakthroughs in Ramjet projectile technology, the science which drives BrahMos missile system, will be showcased by a team from Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-Madras) at DefExpo-2020 which kicks off in the city on Wednesday.

“We are on the verge of a breakthrough in Ramjet technology for incorporation in artillery projectiles. If all goes well, we will be able to double the range of attack. This will make a substantial difference in India’s combat capabilities,” professor of practice Lt Gen PR Shankar from the department of aerospace engineering, IIT-Madras, told TOI.

He has also served as director general of Indian Artillery. Defence sources said IIT-Madras is likely to unveil a potentially revolutionary concept of 155mm Ramjet-powered pseudo-missile shell that can hit targets more than 70-80 km away.

Sharing details of the technology, Lt Gen Shankar said, “Most engines convert chemical power into motion. Power is generated when chemical mixture of oxygen and fuel is compressed and ignited. Power generated on combustion propels motion. Normal fuels have significant amount of oxygen while the remaining part is igniting agent.” Adding that the ratio of oxygen and igniting agents is related to the range of an aircraft or jet, he said: “Whenever oxygen content in the fuel is reduced or increased, the range goes up or down. Ramjet is about carrying fuel rich propellants devoid of oxygen to use atmospheric oxygen to burn fuel.”

He said in defence sector, Ramjet-powered artillery was of cutting-edge technology. “What makes our effort significant is that it is made in India. The breakthrough can cut India’s expenditure on imported Ramjet missiles by up to one-fifth,” he said.

IIT-Madras will also showcase indigenous multi-role expendable UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and next generation fire control network which will ensure that all guns and missiles in an area work in synergy to produce a force multiplicative effort.