In a boost to the Make in India initiative, Indian Air Force Deputy Chief Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit inaugurated a Chaff Plant at Economic Explosives Limited (EEL) in Nagpur on July 31, as reported by Solar Industries. EEL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Solar Industries India Limited, now hosts the country’s first fully indigenous, state-of-the-art chaff production facility.
Chaff is a widely used expendable electronic countermeasure device that disrupts enemy radar by creating false targets. Until now, India relied entirely on imports for these devices. The new facility in Nagpur will produce various types of chaff, including Chaff 118, Chaff 50mm, and Chaff 26mm, along with impulse cartridges. These products are utilized in a range of aircraft, including the Jaguar D-II, D-III, MIG29, Mirage 2000, Bison, LCA, Apache, Chinook, Embraer, AWACS, Cth/Ctk, AHWSI, and LCH.
The chaff payloads were developed by EEL with technological support from the Defence Laboratory in Jodhpur, under the Buy Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured) category. The Air Force Inspecting Authorities have granted airworthiness certification for the in-house manufactured chaff payloads, allowing their use on various aircraft, helicopters, and other airborne platforms.
Given the substantial demand for chaff by the Armed Forces, EEL is expanding its manufacturing capacity, expected to be completed within the next six months. This development marks the introduction of the first modern and advanced chaff production technology in India.
