The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Tuesday (September 3, 2024) handed over the production document of the 30mm High Explosive Preformed Fragmentation (HEPF) shell to the Director General of Naval Armament Inspection at a function in Pune. These shells which can be fired from the AK-630 naval guns on all warships can be used to counter drones on the high seas
The shells were developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) of DRDO. “The features of HEPF shell are similar to the in-service ammunition (HE/I Shell) so that it can be fired from existing AK-630 Naval gun. The HEPF shell yields better fragmentation lethality than HE/I shell, making it effective for neutralisation of drone swarms,” a Defence Ministry statement said.
The HEPF shell hardware was manufactured by three Indian firms as per ARDE specifications and subjected to gun firing proof tests in association with Naval Armament Inspectorate, Jabalpur, the statement said. “The test results confirmed the suitability of HEPF Shell for its adaptation in AK-630 Gun paving a way for its induction.”
