DRDO develops India’s 1st indigenous 9mm Machine Pistol

• DRDO and Indian Army has launched India’s first indigenous 9 mm machine pistol.
• It is named ‘Asmi’ meaning Pride, Self-Respect, Hard Work.
• It has been developed by Infantry School, Mhow and DRDO’s Armament Research & Development Establishment, Pune.
• It fires the in-service 9mm ammunition and sports an upper receiver made from aircraft grade Aluminium.
• It can be used as personal weapon for heavy weapon detachments and will have production cost under Rs50000.

Key Points

• The indigenously developed machine pistol will be replacing the 9mm pistols that are being used by the defence forces.
• The firing range of the machine pistol is 100 m and it is in the class of Israel’s Uzi series guns.
• The pistol has fired more than 300 rounds in the past 4 months of its development.
• The pistols will now soon be handed over to the Indian Army.

Retractable Landing Gear Systems for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

• Indigenously built ‘Retractable landing gear systems for unmanned aerial vehicles” were also handed over to the Indian Navy. This gear system has been built by a DRDO unit, the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment in suburban Avadi.
• The CVRDE has designed and built a 1-tonne landing gear system for the SWiFT UAV and the 3-tonne Retractable Landing Gear Systems for TAPAS Unmanned Aerial Vehicle under the government’s ‘Atmanirbhar’ programme.

DRDO

• DRDO is the defense and research agency of India. It was established in the year 1958 and is headquartered in New Delhi.
• Recently, DRDO has signed an agreement with Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation to install DRDO biodigester units in the metro rail facilities.