Locally-made New Innovative Equipment Delivered to the Army & Air Force

A stock of locally-produced innovative technical equipment, required for security forces were symbolically handed over to the tri-services on Thursday (20) by Eng Karunasena Hettiarachchi, Secretary Defence during a brief ceremony at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) premises.

The project, initiated by the MoD’s Centre for Research Development (CRD), aimed at inventing sophisticated technological innovations at local level saving money and resources for the country, has developed 6 projects to address needs of the tri-services.

Eng Karunasena Hettiarachchi after a brief to the occasion handed over those new innovations symbolically to the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Crishanthe De Silva and the Commander of Air Force, Air Marshal Kapila Jayampathi during the ceremony.

Thursday’s (20) brief ceremony saw a newly invented software package for regimental accounting, Field Artillery Simulator, Quad Copters, K-8 Flights Simulator, Hi Tech Soldier and Small Arm Firing Simulator.

According to the CRD, the Regimental Accounting Software Package with a market value of Rs 10 million has been developed to improve the efficiency of accounting in the Sri Lanka Army and it can save 15 to 20 percent of the total payments for software per year.

Field Artillery Simulator developed locally at a cost of Rs. 4.5 million has saved Rs. 145.5 million as its market value is Rs. 150 million. Steps have been taken to sell the simulators to other countries to for Army training purposes if they request so.

The Quad Copters project would facilitate the Global Disaster Risk Analysis Prevention and Mitigation Application project by providing instant disaster information to the control room. It has also planned to provide all required Drones to the UAV Regiment of the Army.

The K-8 Flight Simulator is a training structure for the Air Force, developed by the CRD with the assistance of local engineers at a cost of Rs. 3.24 million. It has a Rs. 1,168 million market value.

Hi Tech Soldier and Small Arm Firing Simulator have been developed at a cost of Rs. 0.38 million and Rs. 1.6 million respectively. Both two projects have been able to save around Rs. 146 million for the country.

Director General of the CRD Dr. Thilan de Silva, senior tri-service officers, CRD officials and MoD officials were also present at the occasion.

(Photo Courtesy : MoD)