Raising the first Prithvi Missile unit
Prithvi Missile productionisation was concurrent. Post the first flight of the Prithvi, around 1988 – 90, the customer, an Indian Army unit for Prithvi was posted to Hyderabad. The officer commanding was Colonel Kumar. As with all new projects, the first task for the Colonel was to figure out the accommodation for the unit. The Prithvi team headed by Dr. VK Saraswat, were busy accommodating the army team, from kitchen needs to the tents. The unit was next shifted to premises of Bharat Dynamics Ltd, the production agency. Saraswat was still the nodal point.
The Colonel was very demanding, training, user documentation, progress on hardware, readiness of the ground systems, workshops, maintenance and their pound of flesh, i.e., Prithvi missiles in required numbers.
Training
The army team closely watched the progress of Prithvi in making. For the success of the weapon system, the users must be initiated in its best use. The prithvi team contacted many agencies for the Prithvi training to Army, none could match the training standards set. So, Wing Commander AS Sarma and Wing Commander KH Babu from the Prithvi team took up the challenge.
The training was coordinated with Institute of Armament Technology, Pune, for basic brush-up on the Guided missile course, laced with talks from Defence Research Development Laboratory (DRDL) scientists.
The venue was then shifted to Golkonda for more classroom lectures exclusively on Prithvi weapon system.
The hands on training were delivered at Kanchanbagh and Imarat kancha. More than 100 personnel from the India Army were involved. There was overwhelming response from the Indian Army operations and maintenance groups. To learn handling Prithvi missile at its home turf, engineers from production work centers, quality assurance agencies and ordinance factories rushed in there representatives. The class systems of preparations group, operations group and maintenance group were introduced for the trainees.
After the course, a grand valedictory function was organized, and certificates were issued to all participants for the first Indian Missile System Prithvi training.
User trials
The result of the successful training was practically witnessed at Balassore, when the Indian Army Team launched few Prithvi missiles from ITR as a part of User-trials in June 1994.
The Training continued for the expert systems like SDIGS, MOSIAC, LCC and Specialists Ground system vehicles.
Lessons learnt from Prithvi missile trials were introduced in the tests in pipeline. Prithvi Missile improvement never stopped.
Technology transfer and Documentation
The Prithvi Technology transfer and Documentation group was single stop source for issue, up gradation and amendments to theousands of drawings and hundreds of document for the Prithvi. TT&DG takes care of the TOT documentation.
Apart from TTD, the Prithvi project team took up the making of the “User Hand book – Prithvi Missile” along with the operational manuals, maintenance manuals and Line replacement Unit catalogues.
All MTCR denied technologies had Indian alternatives.
Since, the production centers were away from Hyderabad, most Prithvi Managers were deputed to those places. Some in long term basis and some in short term basis.
How Much? How many?
“How Much?” was the often asked question at various forums to know the cost of the Prithvi Missile. “How many?” Was the decisive factor to work out “How Much?”
The factors were service warranty, Line replaceable spares, and assured product support for a certain period. The there were normal escalation factors, development cost, tax rates at different states etc. All the factors were normalized. It took more than two years. At a point of time the manufactures wanted to increase quantity to breakeven.
Finally, the fact dawned that Prithvi cost fraction of comparable class of missiles in the international arms market.
The 333rd Missile Group armed with Prithvi SS-150 missiles, based in Secunderabad, looked forward the orders for its field deployment.
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