Supercharging indigenisation in defence and space, Bharat Electronics Limited and ISRO’s SAC have joined forces to produce travelling wave tube amplifiers in India.
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a Navratna Defence PSU, and the Space Applications Centre (SAC) of ISRO in Ahmedabad signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the indigenisation and development of infrastructure for the production of space-grade travelling wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs) in India.
TWTAs represent a complex, multidisciplinary technology involving microwaves’ controlled interaction with an electron beam under ultra-high vacuum conditions. To support this initiative, BEL has established an advanced fabrication and manufacturing facility for TWTAs.
The agreement will enhance the indigenisation of defence and space production, ultimately saving the nation’s foreign exchange.
Furthermore, the TWTAs developed by SAC and manufactured by BEL will be critical in satellite communication and navigation payloads, microwave remote sensing radar payloads, scientific missions, and inter-spacecraft communication links. These components are essential for various communication and remote sensing payloads.
On Monday, several dignitaries attended the signing at SAC Ahmedabad. Nilesh M. Desai, Director of SAC Ahmedabad, and Niti Pandit, General Manager of Strategic Planning at BEL, finalised the deal with senior officials from both organisations.
The SAC, an R&D hub of ISRO, develops space-borne deliverables for satellites and associated ground applications while designing hardware and software for various scientific and environmental missions.
Under the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) specialises in defence electronics, offering radar, weapon systems, and communication solutions while expanding into non-defence areas like cybersecurity, smart cities, and medical electronics.
