Virtual flag off at the hands of the Hon CM of Goa, Shri Pramod Sawant in the presence of senior dignitaries from Ministry of Defence, Indian Navy, Mazagaon Docks Limited, Mumbai & DRDO, Pune
Goa-based Kineco Limited, one of India’s leading composite technology provider for defence, aerospace, railway and industrial sectors, flagged off India’s first-ever commercial Sonar Dome, at the hands of Hon’ Chief Minister of Goa, Shri. Pramod Sawant in a prestigious flag-off ceremony held on Tuesday, 22 Sept 2020 at Kineco’s manufacturing facility situated at Pilerne Industrial Estate, Goa.
The Sonar Dome is a critical component of a Warship as it houses the Sonar (Sonar Navigation and Ranging) Array- which is considered as the eyes and ears of a Warship or Submarine, used for detection, navigation, and range. The Sonar Dome, manufactured by Kineco was flagged off to its esteemed customer Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited Mumbai (MDL), where it will be mounted on the Indian Navy’s P15 Alpha Warship.
The flag-off ceremony was graced by the virtual presence of several dignitaries such as Scientific Advisor to Chief of Naval Staff, Shri Bhaskar Burman; Director Shipbuilding of MDL, RAdm A K Saxena, (IN Retd), GM & Project Superintendent (P17A Frigate) of MDL, Shri Biju George, Distinguished Scientist & Director General – Armament & Combat Engineering Systems (ACE), Shri Pravin K Mehta, Outstanding Scientist- Director of Research & Development Establishment (Engrs.), a premier systems engineering laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) Shri V V Parlikar and CMDE Adhikesh Vasudevan – (Warship Production Superintendent) & CMDE Sanjay Chhabra (Additional Warship Production Superintendent) of the Indian Navy. The event was also graced by MR. Aditya Reddy, Joint Managing Director and Mr Subramanyam M from Indo National Limited, a publicly listed company & its majority shareholder.
The Hon’ Chief Minister of Goa, Shri. Pramod Sawant said, “It is a proud moment for me being the CM of the state of GOA to flag off of the country’s first indigenous Sonar Dome, which is in line with the PM’s ‘MAKE IN INDIA’ Vision in the Defence Sector and the Atmanirbhar initiatives. It is also a proud moment for all Goans that a Goan Company has been nominated for the Supply of the Country’s first Sonar Dome, which is a very important component of the Indian Warships for the Indian Navy. Our then Raksha Mantri Late Shri Manohar Parrikar has played a very crucial role to see the Project take-off and had also flagged off the first prototype of the Sonar Dome at DefExpo 2016. Defence is a very important sector to the country and in present circumstances being atmanirbhar should be the ultimate goal. I congratulate DRDO, Mazagon Dock and Kineco Limited for jointly developing the Sonar Dome.”
On the occasion, Kineco’s Founder and Managing Director, Mr. Shekhar Sardessai said, “It has been a privilege for Kineco to be a part of and significantly contribute towards the success of India’s first indigenous Sonar Dome Project. We are truly grateful to R&DE Engineers (DRDO), Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and Indian Navy, without whose support this extraordinary success would not have been possible. It is a gratifying moment for the entire Team Kineco to see all our efforts translate into a milestone success for the Nation. Kineco shall always endeavour to make many such noteworthy contributions to India’s journey towards self-reliance in Defence.”
He added, “Today, my entire team and I would like to remember and pay a tribute to a departed son of the soil, our former Raksha Mantri of India and our Ex-Chief Minister, Late Shri. Manohar Parrikar, who has been an ardent source of inspiration and guidance to many industrial establishments in Goa, such as ours. He was also a great supporter of Make in India in Defence Vision which he articulated in Defence Procurement Policy 2016 during his tenure as Defence Minister of India. Today, Kineco commits to abide by his high principles of putting Nation above everything.”
The Flag off of the country’s first indigenous Sonar Dome is a proud moment not only for the State of Goa, where it was manufactured but also for the entire nation, with the Sonar Dome mitigating the dependency on imports. This breakthrough achievement is being written as one of the finer success stories of the ‘MAKE IN INDIA’ Mission in Defence and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives.
In 2012, Kineco was selected as an Industry Partner by DRDO on a competitive basis and was awarded a prestigious development contract for the development of its first indigenous ‘Sonar Dome’.The first prototype was built by Kineco, after 4 years of rigorous R&D and the same was unveiled by the then Hon. Raksha Mantri Late. Shri. Manohar Parrikar at DEFEXPO India 2016 held in Goa.
The Prototype was subject to stringent validation tests, followed by extensive sea trials onboard P15 Alpha Destroyer War Ship. The Sonar Dome, jointly developed by Kineco and DRDO successfully qualified for usage, not only on P15 Alpha but also P-15 Bravo warships.
Kineco was awarded a ‘Transfer of Technology’ (ToT) Agreement by DRDO at the hands of then Raksha Mantri, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman at DefExpo April 2018,that enabled it to become a qualified supplier to Indian Navy. Recently, the second ToT was handed over to Kineco by DRDO at the hands of Hon. Raksha Mantri, Union of India, Shri Rajnath Singh at DefExpo 2020.
Thereafter, Kineco bagged a large and prestigious order for 7 Sonar Domes from MDL to be installed on P15A class & P15B class warships of the Indian Navy, and the Sonar Dome flagged off by the Hon’ CM today is the first of the seven Sonar Domes to be installed.
Kineco has successfully partnered with DRDO not only for the Sonar Domes Project but has also for other unique projects with R&D Engineers (DRDO) for development of India’s first full carbon fibre lightweight rapidly deployable heliportable bridge for military and disaster management applications and for development of composite Radome for AEWACS (Airborne Early Warning and Control System) aircraft. It is also working with Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) to develop high-pressure pyrogen ignitor cases for GSLV and PSLV launch vehicles.
In 2019 Kineco was honoured by Hon. Raksha Mantri, Union of India, Shri Rajnath Singh along with Hon. Union
Minister of State for Defence, Shri. Shripad Naik, for its significant contribution to ‘MAKE IN INDIA’ in Defence, on the occasion of the Indian Navy Day observed on December 4, 2019, at New Delhi.
Through its subsidiary, Kineco Kaman Composites India Private Limited – a successful Joint Venture with an NYSE Listed Kaman Aerospace Group, Inc. (USA), Kineco has also contributed to India’s Aerospace program through the successful development and delivery of Dual Helix Array Antenna to VSSC that supports the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). Some of the other ambitious projects by Kineco Kaman include Radomes for Satellite Communications (SATCOM) antenna for strategic defence applications.
With a passion for innovation & technology and credentials of two and half decades in developing world-class composite products to discerning customers in Aerospace, Defence, Railways and Industrial markets, Kineco has emerged as India’s most diversified and fastest-growing company in its field.
