Article Posted on : - Jan 21, 2013

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India being briefed on BRAHMOS missile system by Dr. A S Pillai, CEO & MD, BrahMos Aerospace at Aerospace Festival 2013. A BNS Photo.

THANJAVUR, TN (BNS): Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India, on Monday inaugurated the Aerospace Festival 2013 in the premises of Periyar Maniammai University (PMU) at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.

The varsity is hosting the three-day grand event as part of its 25th foundation day celebrations.

Dr. Kalam, while visiting the BrahMos Aerospace pavilion, which is participating in the festival along with HAL, DRDO, IAF, ISRO, IISc and other leading defence and aerospace establishments of the country, was briefed about all the latest developments of the BRAHMOS weapon system.

He was accompanied by Dr. A S Pillai, CEO & MD, BrahMos Aerospace, Dr. K. Veeramani, Chancellor of PMU, Dr. N. Ramachandran, Vice-Chancellor of PMU, Mr. Nikolay A.Listopadov, Consul General of the Russian Federation in Southern India and other dignitaries.

BrahMos Aerospace is displaying a full-scale model of BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile system at the ongoing festival. The BrahMos pavilion is attracting a lot of young and enthusiastic students where different models of BRAHMOS including land systems, naval systems and air-version are also being showcased.

The glorious legacy of India's missile technology starting from Tipu Sultan's War Rocket to the present day supersonic cruise missile system and the futuristic hypersonic version of the weapon are also exhibited.

Apart from the Aerospace Festival, Dr. Kalam also inaugurated the state-of-art Bosch Rexroth Automation lab, student model compaction exhibition, and Main Aerospace Exhibition on the occasion.

The aero-fest, being organised under the Periyar PURA (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) scheme, is providing a unique platform for students from rural India to witness and understand the growth of modern technology in the country.