UAD CIRNOV Cooperates with TNI AD Dislitbang to Make Surface-to-Air Missile

Mastery of the main weapon system (alutsista) technology capable of warding off all threats and enemy attacks is an absolute necessity that a country must possess. Missile as one of the most powerful weapons to fight off flying targets is a vital weapon that Indonesia, as a nation, must own.

Starting from the fiscal year of 2018, Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI AD) began a partnership with Center for Integrated Research and Innovation (CIRNOV) of Universitas Ahmad Dahlan (UAD). The cooperation includes the making and development of caliber 70 missiles that can hit targets such as aircraft, drones, and the like with high speed.

The Head of CIRNOV UAD, Prof. Hariyadi explained that the manufacture of missiles that could hit targets in the air had been started in 2016 and had been successfully tested every year for improvement.

"This creation has the support of PT PINDAD as well as from Pustekbang LAPAN for aerodynamic and telemetry tests as the implementation of existing cooperation agreements. The locally-produced missile, which is currently being tested, is a high speed caliber 70 missile and is the first missile made by Indonesia, given that the many shooting tests that have been conducted are for domestic ballistic rockets that do not pursue targets," Hariyadi said.

The missile that is being made by TNI AD Dislitbang is an anti-aircraft type missile categorized as short-range missile of up to 4,000 meters range with fire-and-forget technology. This missile is in the same class as anti-aircraft shoulder-fired missile made by Russia (Strela), USA (Stinger), and China (QW).

The technology used by the missile enables the seeker to lock the targeted targets accurately using infrared light detection. And then, along with the sub-control system, it will make a maneuver movement directed to the target.

"Therefore, there needs to be mastery of optical physics and adequate materials to become skilled at this type of seeker technology. The missile control system that moves very fast, exceeding the speed of sound in pursuing fighter aircraft is not easy to make considering the vast number of things that must be mastered," he said.

Hariyadi added that things that must be mastered included aspects of missile stability during flying in extreme conditions, high air pressure, the missile weight that changes with the combustion of booster rocket, as well as rapid seeker responses. Therefore, technological capability is required which is very different from control technology in robots that move relatively slow, as seen in many robot contests.

As one of the stages of the missile-making process, a characteristic test of rocket propellant material had been carried out at a firing range of TNI AD Dislitbang Laboratory, Batujajar, Bandung, West Java on July 20th, 2018. This test is essential to know the performance of missile-inducing rockets that must be adjusted to the control system in which there are seeker, fin, stabilizer, and others.

The test was attended by officials of TNI AD Dislitbang, namely Kasubdisiptek (Colonel Cba Hermanto), Ka Lab (Colonel Cpl Simon PK), Kabagjitek (Lieutenant Colonel Inf. Edi Sujarwoko), Kasublab (Lieutenant Colonel C. Chaerul Harahap), Kasublab Rekayasa (Lieutenant Colonel Chb Sukamto), a team from the Polytechnic of TNI AD Kodiklat and a team of consultants from UAD CIRNOV, with Prof. Hariyadi as the Chief.

The test using the existing lab facilities in Batujajar is a development concept instructed by TNI AD Kadislitbang, Brigadier General D. Doetoyo, S.E., M.M., as one of the people who have an important role in the development of defense and security research. With the existing lab optimization and development, a variety of technological product innovations will be achieved, especially the defense equipment needed by TNI as the state defense and security force.

In the future, Dislitbang TNI AD and UAD CIRNOV have a big plan of research development as well as producing 70 caliber missile, as explained by Ir. Triono Priohutomo, M.T. (Project Manager) and Ir. Supardi (Engineer) from UAD CIRNOV Consulting Team.

It is expected that with the strategic research that has been successfully carried out, in the next few years the Dislitbang TNI AD is able to make and produce their own anti-aircraft missiles that are easy to operate, relatively cheap, anti-embargo, according to TNI posture which will be able to strengthen the defense system to improve the quality high technology weapon system and are made by Indonesia. (doc)