DRDO Balasore going to set up a weapon museum

Balasore (Odisha), Nov 8/11/17: A weapon museum, described as the first of its kind in the country, has come up in the premises of DRDO’s Proof and Experimental Establishment at Chandipur and boasts of the Vijayanta Tank, which played a major role in the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman and Secretary Department of Defence Dr S Christopher, who was at Chandipur to witness the test fire of India’s first indigenously designed and developed Long Range Sub-Sonic Cruise Missile ‘Nirbhay’, inaugurated the museum yesterday.

“Initially 14 types of weapons used by the Indian Air Force and Navy have been displayed for public view in the museum. More varieties of weapons will be displayed in future,” PXE Director R Appavuraj said today.

He described the museum as the first of its kind in the country.

The main attraction of the museum is Vijayanta Tank, which had played a major role in the 1971 India-Pakistan war. The tank has capacity to neutralise enemy bunkers and troops up to 5 km.

The other defence equipment of the artillery and naval force which are on display in the museum include WM-18 rocket launcher, 105 mm Indian field Gun, 122 mm grad BM-21 rocket launcher, 57 mm anti-tank gun and 40 mm light gun.

“Such a museum was required to impart knowledge and instill a sense of pride among youths and to make the public aware of the weaponry used to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country,” he said.

This museum will be appreciated by tourists as well as students visiting Chandipur sea beach, he said

A proposal for setting up the museum had been sent to the Centre sometime back and now it has become a reality after obtaining sanction from the Ministry of Defence.

PXE is a DRDO establishment where different types of artillery, shells, field guns, tanks and rockets used by the armed forces are put to test.

The unit is meant for test, evaluation and proof of various types of armaments. India’s ‘Pinaka’ multi barrel rocket launching (MBRL) systems are also tested here.

Located near the Integrated Test Range (ITR), where test launch of all varieties of missiles are conducted, the PXE was brought under the administrative control of DRDO in October, 1958.