Integrated Process for Smooth Transition from Development to Production of Weapon Systems

Abstract

Production of weapon systems has proven to be as difficult as their development. The transition from development to production encompasses innumerable efforts to take a weapon system from laboratory into full-scale production. These efforts may span the development and production phases and constitute a major determinant of a weapon system's production costs. Besides, Indian manufacturers/production units, who seek know-how, generally go to foreign manufacturers and obtain complete production know-how. Obviously, they expect same kind of technological support, which are the preserves of the manufacturers'. An attempt has been made for the first time by Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad for a technology transfer of highly sophisticated missiles to production agency. Experiences show that the technology receiver (i.e. production agency) should have a willingness to receive the technology and the technology donor should understand the culture of technology receiver and recode/restructure the technological information to fit into the technology receiver's domain. Production planning and preparations were conducted throughout the development phase to identify production requirements and to resolve the difficulties before production begins to achieve quality products. A unique technology transfer mechanism has been evolved and implemented successfully for one of the weapon systems developed by DRDL, Hyderabad. Production agencies have demonstrated their capability to produce subsystems of a weapon system of desired quality within the time schedule and cost by the time the weapon system performance was demonstrated to the users. Also, the deliveries of systems of development hardware continued into the production phase and production deliveries began with no line interruption.