Hamstrung by manpower shortage, DRDO seeks private partnership

Bangalore, Feb 9 (UNI) Hamstrung by manpower shortage, especially in the aerospace segment, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is contemplating to seek the assistance of private sector in its ongoing programmes and has proposed a 15 year envelope to take up futuristic Medium Combat Aircraft and Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle programmes.

Briefing newspersons on DRDO initiatives in the aerospace segment at the Aero India here, Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister V Natarajan lamented that the aeronautical research was handled by a selected group of 350 scientists and there was a high attrition rate of 20 to 27 per cent. Manpower shortage was a serious problem and measures were being taken to suitably fill the gap.

''We cannot do the job of industries and the Air Force to take certain developmental projects to its logical conclusion. There has to be industry and IAF collaboration also,'' he said, adding that the ongoing Light Combat Aircraft 'Tejas' programme would need the involvement of some IAF personnel for logistics and other support requirements.

He said there was no fund constraint and the financial requirements for defence research had been enhanced to ten per cent of the total budget from 6.33 per cent. Manpower shortage was the main problem and unfortunately the IT sector was present in major cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune where defence research was concentrated. ''It is a difficult situation and there cannot be a one stop solution to it,'' he felt.

MORE UNI