Indian Army’s 3D printed defence bunkers on Western Front: What are they all about

New Delhi: Taking a leaf out of new engineering tech, the Indian Army has built 3D printed bunkers or permanent defence structures that can withstand blasts as well as tank fire from close range in India’s Western sector. The newly-built bunkers are flexible and can be set up within 36-48 hours, and they can also be relocated from one place to another. Since these bunkers can withstand blasts as well as tank fire in a war-situation, they will be set up at higher altitudes and forward locations by the Indian Army. A few have already been deployed on a trial basis in the desert sector. The Military Engineering Services (MES), together with a few start-ups, including those from IIT-Gandhinagar and IIT-Madras have come up with 3D printed structures of various sizes and capabilities. The smallest among them will be able to accommodate two army personnel at a time. Successful trials have also taken place in the Western sector to test the strength of these 3D structures against T-90 fire from about 100 meters away. In keeping with the Modi government’s thrust on self-reliance in the defence sector, the Indian Army has decided to put 3D printing technology to use for as many military structures as possible. According to Indian Army officials, the new technology is the need of the hour since it is green, clean, and renewable and allows faster construction. Research has revealed that in the long run, the 3D technology being used for such bunkers will also turn out to be less expensive. Some of the previous projects where it has been used are the Air Traffic Control tower in Pune and 3D printed houses for soldiers in Gujarat, in some sentry check-posts etc. Indian Army’s Engineer-in-Chief Lt Gen H Singh has also lauded the new 3D bunkers deployed in the desert sector. “3D-printed permanent defences have been constructed for the first time by Indian Army’s Corps of Engineers in the desert sector. These defences have been trial tested against a range of weapons from small arms to the main gun of a T90 tank.” The current 3D bunker in the Western sector has been earmarked as a shelter for Officers and Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and four more such double-storeyed shelters are also in the pipeline in the Eastern Theatre at Zuluk (Ladakh) using the same technology. Each 3D-printed shelter can house nearly 64 personnel and construction will take just about 25 days, the Indian Army indicated in a statement earlier this month. There are several benefits of using 3D printing technology— the one that is likely to suit the Indian Army the most is that a 3D printed structure can be built as a single block or pre-fabricated parts can be assembled to complete the structure. The construction time as a result goes down significantly, helping to set up the structure at short notice. The 3D printer can be stationed nearby at the nearest or safest supply warehouse, providing bunker replacements as and when they are required on the battlefield. They also have the added advantage of being easily replaced—just like ammunition, medication, and rations. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.