V.K. Saraswat, Chief Controller, R & D, (Missiles and Strategic Systems), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), will take over as Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister from September 1. He will replace M. Natarajan, who has completed his five-year tenure.
Dr. Saraswat will also be the DRDO Director-General. He was the Project Director of the surface-to-surface missile, Prithvi, which has been inducted into the services. He is the architect of India’s interceptor missiles, which can knock out ballistic missiles. The launch of all the three interceptor missiles in the past few years from the Wheeler Island, off the coast of Orissa, has been a success. The interceptor missiles are a forerunner to India’s ballistic missile defence shield.
As Programme Director, Air Defence Systems, Dr. Saraswat was instrumental in developing the interceptor missiles of the DRDO.
