Light weighting has emerged as the No.1 priority in defence and aerospace for applications across the board – from lighter aero structures to comfortable bulletproof vests. Materials science has helped address this challenge. Advanced materials such as ceramic- and graphene-based nano-composites are not only leading for being high-performance but also uncompromising when it comes to safety.

The most competent man-at-arms of medieval times faced structural problems on the battlefield from the very armour meant to protect them. Not only did their iron suits interfere with vision and speech, their sheer weight rendered them clumsy and slow. The modern-day soldier cannot afford such impediments during combat. From the tactical, mobility and economical standpoints, their armour must serve them to the best advantage, keeping them agile and battle-ready at all in a combat zone.

Given geopolitical tensions, India wants to up the ante in its defence preparedness with an expanded budget to accommodate modernisation. At this juncture, light weighting has emerged as the foremost question – how to reduce movement impairment caused by significant weight burden while ensuring highest protection for man and machine? It is at this intersection that materials science has come to play an indispensable role.

Protection done right while keeping it light

The weight-performance conundrum has been a long-standing one. A soldier could be carrying as much as one-third their body weight, up to a maximum of 40 kg. In fact, the bulletproof jacket (BPJ) alone weighed over 10 kg earlier. While the idea was to protect vital body parts, this greatly compromised their safety and comfort while affecting their ability to move quickly. This held true especially in unexpected combat situations.

The imperative of light weighting without compromising on strength has brought materials science to the fore in defence and aerospace. Over the years, R&D has led modern personnel protective equipment through several iterations to finally arrive at advanced ceramics. Reaction Bonded Silicon Carbide (RBSiC), Zirconia Toughened Alumina (ZTA) and high-purity alumina have all proven their mettle in both these spheres. They are extremely lightweight while ably protecting soldiers and military vehicles against multiple hits. In fact, Army veteran Lt Gen H S Panag writes that battle casualties can be reduced by two-thirds with contemporary BPJs.

Therefore, evolution in ceramic armour tech for lighter and more resilient bulletproof jackets and armoured vehicles can help them perform more efficiently in an evolving threat landscape.

Taking to the air safely with nanomaterials

Meanwhile, nanotechnology has climbed new heights. By allowing materials to be manipulated at the atomic and molecular levels, they have enabled ground-breaking advancements in materials science. As a result, nano-composites, nano-coatings, and other advanced materials have emerged, bringing greater flexibility and core strength, with negligible weight that are crucial for aerospace applications.

Graphene is the new wonder-kid in materials science. Nearly 1000x lighter than paper and 200x stronger than steel, it could very well emerge as the material of choice for this strategic sector. Nanomaterial-reinforced composite materials, particularly graphene-reinforced polymers, have the potential to build next-gen structural components for various aerospace applications. When compared with components designed using standard composites, they present advanced mechanical properties at the same or lighter weight. Some of these include remarkable mechanical strength, superior toughness and stiffness, greater electrical and thermal conductivity, exceptional fire retardant capabilities, and higher barrier to moisture and gases.

They can also be uniquely designed, with particularly desired characteristics to fulfil specific purposes. As an example, graphene-reinforced structural components using high-purity graphene powders, graphene-based nano-composites and Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) can render Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones faster, smaller, and more efficient. This can be attributed to being far lighter while boasting extreme strength and higher durability.

Moreover, UAVs play an important role in recon and transport of materials. They can be built with the capability to perform multiple airdrops of essential medicines to forces stationed in remote regions.

Vehicle armour: taking the lighter route

Amphibious wheeled armoured fighting vehicles such as the Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP) are a hat-tip to India’s indigenous defence development capabilities. These terrain-agnostic vehicles need to be equipped with armour that helps them comfortably navigate while remaining extremely light on their feet and well-protected against projectiles. This calls for add-on composite armour engineered with advanced technical ceramics that ably fulfil all these criteria. In a testament to CUMI’s expertise, we were recently awarded the Transfer of Technology by DRDO-DMRL to manufacture add-on composite armour for WhAP and other armoured vehicles.

India is also keenly exploring indigenous light combat vehicle prototypes and that not only aid reconnaissance and surveillance, but also swift deployment, with easy manoeuvrability. This assumes greater significance in combat zones located in high-altitude regions with rarefied air and mountainous terrain where lightweight armour can be a critical decisive factor.

This will enable India’s defence forces not only gain tactical but also performance advantage. Greater fuel efficiency and easy mobility will facilitate more advanced protection for our troops.

A secure supply chain ‘made in India’

The ‘Make in India’ campaign has definitely gathered momentum since inception. As per government data from October 2024, India’s indigenous defence ecosystem is home to nearly 16,000 MSMEs and more than 430 companies that are licensed. In the last four years, 13,000 items listed by the Department of Defence Production on the SRIJAN portal have seen success in indigenisation by the private sector.

While these are definitive steps to Atmanirbharta, the campaign’s real goal can ensure India has a truly strong and secure supply chain. This can be attained only when the entire product lifecycle is realised within the country. As an example, essential products such as bulletproof vests and armoured vehicles – our first line of defence on-ground – use advanced ceramics as the base material to design armour. To define ‘Made in India’ here and the complete replacement of imports, it is pivotal for the raw materials to be produced in India. This will create a truly made in India product. Presently, CUMI is the only company in India that can supply fully backward integrated ceramic armour materials in this section.

Outlook

Advancements in indigenous materials science research holds the key to self-sufficiency and also the opportunity for India to lead innovation globally in aerospace and defence. Projects leveraging Industry Academia collaboration like those involving leading material science companies such as CUMI with DRDO’s Centres of Excellence at elite universities in the country will the enable cutting-edge innovations required by this sector.

As a leading player in materials science research and manufacturing, CUMI is at the forefront of this future.