Pakistan's Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) has completed 54 projects till now and out of these 29 percent are indigenously designed while 71 percent developed through reverse engineering (to manufacture products designed and produced by other countries), the Senate Standing Committee on Defence Production was briefed on Wednesday.
The committee met in the chair of Senator Lieutenant-General Abdul Qayyum (retd). ARDE acting director Lieutenant-Colonel Ahmed Rizwan briefed the committee about ARDE's history and functioning. He told the committee that the institution was established in 1974 under the purview of Directorate General Munitions Production (DGMP) to develop armaments stores for defence services.
"Research, design and development of armaments stores, explore industrial potential, modification to improve and modernize equipment and to conduct and participate in technical trial of the indigenously developed products are the key functions of ARDE," he said adding that ARDE is interacting with academic institutions for research and development purposes and engaged industrial sector also.
Brigadier Salman Naeem briefed the committee regarding DGMP's functions, role, budget, business/commercial plans, issues and way forward of the organization. According to him, in 1947, Directorate General Supply and Development was established under Ministry of Defence and in 1953, it was reorganised as Defense Purchase Directorate. During 1965 war, embargo was imposed on Pakistan which led to establishment of DGMP&P in 1967.
In 1970 it was bifurcated into Directorate General Munitions Production and Directorate General Defence Purchase. The committee was briefed in detail about the mandate, functions and organisational structures. "DGMP is entrusted with the responsibility to ensure whatever can be produced within country and is not imported except for urgent deficiency," Brigadier Salman said.
At present, he said, 88 local firms are registered with DGMP as manufacturers. "As per the directives of Ministry of Defense Production, all the defence production establishments will obtain a no objection certificate from DGMP before purchasing/importing any defence equipment.
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