Jindal Stainless, India’s foremost stainless steel manufacturer, has proudly announced the development and provision of 3 mm special alloy steel sheets tailored for structural usage in the Supersonic Missile-Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART) system, aimed at bolstering the Navy’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities. These specialised grade sheets, utilised for flying applications in the next-generation missile-based lightweight torpedo delivery system, were delivered to the nation’s military research arm, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which successfully conducted flight tests off the coast of Odisha last week.
Crafted to endure both high pressure and high temperatures during flight, the specialised sheets were indigenously developed by Jindal Stainless’ strategic vertical, Jindal Defence and Aerospace, at the company’s Hisar facility, achieving a record turnaround time.
Abhyuday Jindal, the Managing Director of Jindal Stainless, remarked that the successful flight testing of the Navy’s SMART system represented a pivotal milestone in India’s strategic defence capabilities, surpassing the traditional scope of lightweight torpedoes. He expressed the company’s’ pride in strengthening the Indian Navy through the canister-based missile system, highlighting the need for materials of the highest quality to guarantee optimal performance and reliability. He noted that their special alloy steel sheets had undergone rigorous testing to meet and exceed the stringent requirements for such critical applications.
The SMART system carries an advanced lightweight torpedo as payload along with a parachute-based release system and can be deployed from coasts and warships alike. The defence ministry has validated several innovative mechanisms such as symmetric separation, ejection, and velocity control in this test.
Jindal Stainless has previously supplied materials for key projects under DRDO as well as the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO), including the country’s ambitious lunar mission Chandrayaan, PSLV, GSLV Mk3, Nuclear Submarine missile system, missile canister for almost all missile programmes, and exhaust unit application in rockets. The company is actively engaged in meeting the material demands of upcoming missile programmes. Jindal Stainless is among the select few companies worldwide to receive certification with an AS 9100D Certification, a quality management system for aviation, space, and defence organisations.
