Indian Navy’s defence capabilities to be boosted with induction of high-explosive pre-fragmented (HEPF) shells – The Week

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over the production document for a 30 mm high explosive pre-formed fragmentation grenade (HEPF) to the Director General of Naval Armament Inspection (DGNAI) in Pune.

These grenades, developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), will further enhance the Indian Navy's combat capabilities against drones.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Defense, the test results confirmed the suitability of the HEPF grenade for use in the AK-630 gun. The properties of the HEPF grenade are similar to those of the ammunition in service (HE/I grenade), so it can be fired from the existing AK-630 naval gun.

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The AK-630 is used on aircraft carriers, frigates, destroyers and tankers. It is a fully automatic naval close-combat weapon system designed primarily for defense against aircraft, helicopters and anti-ship missiles.

The HEPF grenade has a better fragmentation effect than HE/I grenades and is therefore effective for neutralizing drone swarms. When fired, these high-performance grenades produce nearly 600 metal fragments that can travel up to 850 meters per second.

These grenades will improve the IAF's ability to defend against drone swarms and neutralize potential threats.

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The hardware of the HEPF grenade was manufactured by three Indian companies according to ARDE specifications and subjected to fire resistance tests in collaboration with the Naval Armament Inspectorate in Jabalpur.

“The importance of the anti-drone grenade is very significant in the backdrop of recent drone attacks on Indian ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. In addition to the existing anti-drone system on the ships, it provides the commanding officer with another option to counter the drone threat,” TOI quoted a naval officer as saying recently.