Modern command and control modern vehicles on display at Ordnance Factory Medak, at Yeddumailaram on Monday

The Ordnance Factory Medak (OFMK) is developing two modern command and control modern vehicles for both the artillery and the infantry wings of the Indian Army with the CCPTV or Command Control Post Tracked Vehicle for the former already undergoing trials and is likely to be inducted within a few months, said General Manager Alok Prasad on Monday.

The Command Combat Vehicle for the infantry is in the developing stage as also a special Armed Vehicle Track - Night Recovery for the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) wing. The upgradation of the BMP armoured vehicle too is underway, he said, while talking to the media to announce the launch of the exhibition of the factory products.

The GM and additional GM Naga Babu said that OFMK is already self-reliant with ‘98.5% indigenisation’ of the machinery with “just two or three imported goods”.

But, within a couple of years, the factory is planning for cent per cent indigenisation which will allow the country to go in for exports putting a halt to all imports in this sector.

Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had virtually launched the exhibition of infantry combat vehicles as part of 75 years of Indian Independence “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”.

OFMK infantry combat vehicles like the Armoured Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicle (AERV), Sarath Vehicle (BMP) and mine protected vehicle and variants are going to be displayed.

“We started in 1987 with Russian machinery and gradually over the years, we have upgraded our machinery, products and processes with the help of other public sector units and also the local industry. We have a link for a skill development programme with top educational institutions and labs to improve the defence goods to keep improve our equipment profile and resolve the problems,” said the officials.

OFMK is geared for making the ‘NAMICA’ - launch vehicle for NAG, futuristic combat vehicles and vehicles with night vision capabilities, armed engineering reconnaissance vehicles and the likes.

The launch vehicle for the Pinaki missile is also manufactured here.

Vendor meets are being conducted every month to further improve the indigenisation efforts, the OFMK officials said.

IIT-Hyderabad Director B.S. Murthy, who was also present, said the institute will be collaborating with the factory for various projects and employees too could upgrade their skills by taking up online courses made available by the institute.

The exhibition is open for general public till Dec.19 and students have been especially encouraged to visit the display.