The Indian Navy is to equip its vessels with High Explosive Preformed Fragmentation (HEPF) shells which the Indian Defence Ministry says are capable of neutralising drone swarms. The 30mm HEPF shell has been developed by ARDE, the Pune-based laboratory of India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation.
“The features of HEPF shell are similar to the in-service ammunition (HE/I Shell) so that it can be fired from an existing AK-630 Naval gun,” The Ministry of Defence said in a statement. “The HEPF shell yields better fragmentation lethality than the HE/I shell, making it effective for the neutralisation of drone swarms.”
The HEPF shell hardware is manufactured by three Indian firms, adhering to ARDE specifications and subjected to gun firing proof tests in association with the Naval Armament Inspectorate, Jabalpur. The Ministry of Defence said these test results confirmed the suitability of the HEPF shell for its adaptation in the AK-630.
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Image: Indian Navy
