Defenceinfo Bureau Report
In concert with the policy of increasing indigenous defence production capability the Research and Development Establishment (R&DE) at Dighi, Pune is developing an armed version of the ‘bomb hunter’ “Daksh Robot”. This robot christened, Gun Mounted Robot (GMR), will fight terrorists and militants alongside soldiers. It will have a 7.62 mm light machine gun with ‘belt-fed ammunition’ and a 30 mm grenade launcher. The GMR will not only pack lethal firepower but will also have night vision and thermal imaging equipment. A notable feature will be the Target Tracking System where the guns will move in the direction of a moving target after ‘locking on’ through a camera. The organisation has not divulged the technical and performance details of the robot due to security reasons.
Its production will give a perceptible boost to counterinsurgency/counter terrorist operations since employment of a robotic machine will result in saving precious lives of soldiers. R&DE has already completed the prototype version and it will be another two years before the final product is ready. The robot will be made available to Para-military forces and State Police forces also. The original daksh Robot was acquired by the Army in December 2011.
