DRDO's R&DE (Engineers) Develops Indigenous Armour Panels 20% Lighter Than Existing Systems
The Research and Development Establishment (Engineers), a DRDO laboratory at Pune, has developed indigenous armour panels that are 20% lighter than existing systems while meeting STANAG 4569 Level 6, the NATO protection standard requiring resistance to 30 mm armour-piercing ammunition. The panels have cleared in-house testing against DRDO's operational requirements and were listed around 1 October 2026 under the Category 'A' Transfer of Technology route, with three manufacturing licences on offer and several large firms reported interested. They are intended for future main battle tanks, light tanks and Future Infantry Combat Vehicles, improving mobility, fuel efficiency and strategic transportability in high-altitude sectors.
DRDO was founded in 1958, is headquartered at DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi, and functions under the Department of Defence Research and Development | STANAG stands for Standardization Agreement, NATO's system of common standards; STANAG 4569 sets protection levels for occupants of logistic and light armoured vehicles | DRDO's Transfer of Technology routes let Indian industry licence and manufacture DRDO-developed systems