Major push to Atmanirbhar Bharat! DRDO gives tech of extreme cold weather clothing system to 5 Indian firms
The extreme cold weather clothing system is majorly required by the Indian Army for its sustained operations in glacier and Himalayan peaks.
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In a major boost to the Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has handed over the technology for indigenous extreme cold weather clothing systems (ECWCS) to five Indian companies.
The tech was formally transferred by DRDO chairman and Department of Defence Secretary (R&D) Dr. G Satheesh Reddy in Delhi, the Union Ministry of Defence informed.
The extreme cold weather clothing system is majorly required by the Indian Army for its sustained operations in glacier and Himalayan peaks. Till recently, the Army has been importing ECWCS and several special clothing and mountaineering equipment (SCME) items for troops deployed in high-altitude regions.
“The DRDO-designed ECWCS is an ergonomically-designed modular technical clothing with improved thermal insulation and physiological comfort based on the insulation required at various ambient climatic conditions in Himalayan regions during different levels of physical activity,” the ministry said in an official statement.
It said that the system represents physiological concepts related to the reduction in respiratory heat and water loss, unhindered range of motions, and rapid absorption of sweat while providing waterproof, windproof features with adequate breathability and enhanced insulation as well as strength features required for high altitude operations.
“The three layered ECWCS is designed to suitably provide thermal insulation over a temperature range of +15 to -50° Celsius, with different combinations of the layers and intensity of physical work,” the release said.
Considering the widely fluctuating weather conditions in the Himalayan peaks, the clothing provides an advantage of fewer combinations to meet the required insulation (IREQ) for prevailing climatic conditions, thereby providing a viable import alternative to the Indian Army.
Speaking in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a ‘self-reliant India’, Reddy stressed the need to develop indigenous industrial base for SCME items, “not only to cater to the existing requirements of the Army but also to tap its potential for export”.
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