Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE)

Established in 1958, ARMAMENT RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT ESTABLISHMENT (ARDE), is on the threshold of the fifth decade of its existence, under the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO). The task of Armament R&D was entrusted to ARDE to achieve the cherished goal of self-sufficiency in the vital field of Armaments. ARDE embarked on its mission in a rudimentary facility within the campus of Ammunition Factory, Kirkee and personnel were drawn from erstwhile Technical Development Establishment (Weapons) located in Jabalpur and Technical Development Establishment (Ammunition) at Kirkee. In 1966, ARDE moved to its present location at Pashan on the outskirts of Pune City, where its distinguished neighbour is the National Chemical Laboratory, a major CSIR Laboratory. The Company is indeed fortunate to be located in a city with a very strong Science and Technology culture and to have the resources of several sister R&D Labs/Establishments, Higher Academic Institution, R&D Centers in the Non-Defence Sector, the industries in and around the environs of Pune and Mumbai Metropolis.

The progress of ARDE over the past 40+ years can be viewed as a journey from the "know-what" and "know-how" phase to the "know-why" phase of armament design and development. The capability of ARDE embraces the whole gamut of research, development, prototyping, test and evaluation, and transfer of technology activities, including limited scale pilot-plant production of crucial items in the complex multi-disciplinary field of conventional armament technology.