| تنظیم برائے دفاعی سائنس و ٹیکنالوجی | |
 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1963 |
| Headquarters | Chaklala,Punjab,Pakistan |
| Agency executives |
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| Website | Senate Committee |
TheDefence Science & Technology Organisation (Urdu:تنظیم برائے دفاعی سائنس و ٹیکنالوجی) is amulti-disciplinary,research and development agency under theMinistry of Defence, dedicated for evaluation ofscience and technology for use by themilitary.[1][2]
Created in 1963 in theMinistry of Defence, DESTO's clandestine work includedreverse engineering of theforeign technology and to avoidtechnologicalsurprise fromIndia.[1] A limited amount knowledge of DESTO's project is available and much of its work is kept under secrecy.[3]
Among its various responsibilities, it is Pakistan's national centre of expertise in chemical and biological defence.[4]
DESTO was established in 1963 by theMinistry of Defence on the recommendation adopted from the National Science Commission.[5] The DESTO was established in a view of avoiding any technological surprise fromIndia. Since its foundation, scientists at DESTO reportedly started studying theWind tunnel and the applications of thefluid dynamics; its contribution in the field of research and development is significant.[6] During this time, DESTO began its secret programme on developing therocket propelled 120-mmcaliberhigh explosivemortar ammunition,variable time fuze, andfree flight rockets.[7]
Its further programmes included the evaluation andreverse engineering of theforeign technology for the use of by themilitary. DESTO conductsresearch and development onweapon systems,military technologies, and renders technical advice on weapons–related technological issues to thegovernment.[8] DESTO retains its expertise on variety of disciplines such asaerodynamics,propulsion,electronics,computer systems,engineering,explosives,metallurgy,chemical and biological defence. Since 2001, DESTO'smulti-disciplinary infrastructure base is now available to public sector industry under commercial arrangements.[1] Projects and research work at DESTO remains under strict secrecy and very few details of the projects are known to the public.
By the early 1970s, DESTO maintained its classified projects towards theWind tunnels and successfullyreverse engineered its own version of the wind tunnel in 1974 roughly based onDutch firm, theStork-Werkspoor.[9] Following the surprise nuclear test,Smiling Buddha, byIndia in 1974,PAEC chairMunir Ahmad Khan andAbdus Salam chaired a meeting with the officials of DESTO over the technological surprise of India.[10] Zaman Sheikh—achemical engineer from DESTO—was tasked to developedchemicalexplosive lenses,tampers, and triggering mechanized system, necessary in thetechnology of thefission weapon together withHafeez Qureshi—amechanical engineer.[10] The codename for this project wasWah Group Scientists (WGS), and the work was done in theMetallurgical Laboratory at theWah Cantonment in 1978.[10] Later, it was renamed as Directorate for Technical Development (DTD), and was charged with the design testings of the weapons.[10] After Pakistan conductednuclear tests—codename:Chagai-I andChagai-II—in May 1998, theUnited States Government identified and sanctioned DESTO for involvement in Pakistan's nuclear and missile programmes.[11] The exact details of the work and contribution tomissile systems remains under strict secrecy.[12]
However, after Pakistan's heavy contribution on thewar on terror, theAmerican government uplifted the sanctions on DESTO.[8]
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