Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Approves Revised SOP for Use of Defence Testing Facilities

Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has granted approval for the revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) regarding the use of the Ministry of Defence's proof ranges, field firing ranges, and testing facilities by the Indian defence industry. The primary objective of this revised SOP is to provide the indigenous defence industry with simplified, transparent, and industry-friendly access to these testing facilities.

Under the revised SOP, to promote 'self-reliance in the defence sector,' proof and testing fees have been completely waived for developmental projects under iDEX, TDF, MAKE, and other similar initiatives. Additionally, the SOP provides a detailed list of proof ranges, field firing ranges, and laboratory testing facilities available with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), government quality assurance agencies, and the three wings of the armed forces, which the Indian defence industry can now utilize.

To further streamline the process, the methodology for calculating and paying proof and testing fees has been incorporated directly into the SOP where applicable, thereby reducing the documentation burden for industries. Aiming to facilitate business activities, the arbitration provisions present in the previous SOP have been removed and replaced with a simplified and industry-friendly 'conciliation agreement clause' to ensure the swift resolution of issues faced by the indigenous defence industry.

Furthermore, three days per quarter have been reserved in the proof ranges for the test firing of developmental projects, including both government-sponsored initiatives (iDEX, TDF, MAKE, etc.) and projects started on the own initiative by the private defence industry.

According to the Ministry of Defence, this move is aimed at boosting indigenization, innovation, and defence exports, ensuring that projects undertaken by the Indian defence industry receive the necessary testing and certification support in a timely manner.