DEFENCE / AIRCRAFT ARRESTER BARRIER SYSTEMS

Aircraft Arrester Barrier Systems

Net-type barriers that stop a fighter aircraft during an aborted take-off or landing overrun, with minimal damage to the aircraft or injury to the crew. Technology indigenised by ADRDE (DRDO) and transferred to John Galt International.

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50+

Air Force stations equipped

22

Years of maintenance & spares support

56

Barriers manufactured & installed to date

3

Capacity variants, incl. Stacked Absorber

VARIANTS

Available capacity configurations

20T

MiG-21 class

Applicable for 6–20.4 tonne mass aircraft, maximum speed 170 knots.

40T

Su-30 class

9–11 tonne mass at up to 153 knots; 11–40 tonne mass at up to 160 knots.

20T + 40T

Stacked Energy Absorber

Both stages on one shaft train, one housing. A splined clutch switches capacity mechanically.

THE BARRIER NET

Barrier net

The net rises across the flight path on stanchions positioned either side of the runway, engaging the aircraft’s airframe and transferring load into the arresting tape.

STANCHION SYSTEM

Stanchion system

Fixed towers position the net at the correct engagement height, and fold clear of the runway shoulder when the barrier is not in use.

SCOPE OF WORK

Foundation, manufacturing, installation and repair

Foundation work

Site survey, site preparation, marking and layout, levelling, excavation, lean concreting, design mix testing, reinforcement, foundation bolt fixing and positioning, casting, compacting and curing, fair lead tube installation, shed, finishing and paving.

Manufacturing, supply & erection

Engagement systems, tape connectors, stanchion systems, energy absorber, pressure roller assembly, sheave assembly, purchase tape, tape retrieval system, electrical control systems.

Installation

Site survey, civil, mechanical and electrical work, followed by an Annual Maintenance Contract.

Re-installation

Dismantling and shifting of existing barriers due to runway resurfacing or other requirements.

Repair & overhaul

Repair and overhauling of existing and new AABS, including imported barrier types.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Stacked Energy Absorber

Co-developed with ADRDE, DRDO. One housing carries both the 20T and 40T stage on a common shaft; a splined clutch, driven by twin screw-jack actuators, engages the stage the aircraft on the runway requires.

Stacked Energy Absorber, as manufactured

Construction

Tape drum, 20T stage, transition frame and 40T stage on one shaft train.

Switching

Twin screw-jack actuators seat a splined clutch; limit switches confirm position.

Housing lowered into its RCC foundation pit

Validation

Multi-load-case FEA of the shaft, clutch and housing, both stages individually and combined.

Qualification

Load-tested under DGAQA/RCMA oversight; drive motors type-tested to JSS 55555:2020.

Energy absorbers, manufactured

Energy absorber, installed at site

DEPLOYMENT RECORD

Stations equipped, by programme

Programme	Stations	Total
Imported types, re-installed	G+W type — AFS Adampur, Jaisalmer, Leh, Jodhpur, Hindan · BEFAB type — AFS Gwalior, Gorakhpur, Naliya, Awantipur (under reinstallation) · RHAG type — AFS Gorakhpur	19
Re-installation, ADRDE 20.4T	46 Wing Nal, 27 Wing Bhuj, 5 Wing (Dett.) Panagarh	6
20T — via Air HQ, IAF	7 C&MU Darbhanga, 48 Wing Phalodi, 408 AFS Hakimpet, 43 Wing Sulur, 29 Wing Allahabad, 34 Wing Bhatinda, 413 AFS Tambaram, 14 FBSU Purnea, 7 Wing Ambala, 1 Wing Srinagar, 19 FBSU Thoise, 5 Wing Kalaikunda	21
40T — via ADRDE	15 Wing Bareilly, 11 Wing Tezpur, 14 Wing Chabua, HAL Nasik (direct orders)	8
20.4T — via ADRDE	45 Wing Sirsa, 46 Wing Nal, 20 Wing Bagdogra, 5 Wing (Dett.) Panagarh, 27 Wing Bhuj, 39 Wing Udhampur, 409 AFS Hyderabad, 406 AFS Bidar, 8 C&MU AFS BKT Lucknow, 402 AFS Kanpur	21

ANNUAL MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS

Four service visits per year

Four quarterly service visits per year, carried out by site engineers with over 15 years of experience in electrical and mechanical AMC work.

Spare parts and consumables are arranged at site ahead of the visit, with documentation and service reports issued after each service.

CERTIFICATIONS & RECOGNITION

Government approvals held for this system

CEMILAC Type Approval

40 Ton Class, valid 01/07/2021–30/06/2026, renewal 01. Issued by the Centre for Military Airworthiness & Certification, DRDO.

Technology Absorption Certificate

Category A, for manufacture of 20.4T & 40T arrester barriers under ADRDE supervision. Issued by DRDO’s Directorate of Industry Interface & Quality Management, Jul 2026.

DGAQA Registration

Production category, for 20.4T & 40T aircraft arrester barrier systems, valid upto 31 Dec 2028 (subject to continued validity of ToT).

National Award for Indigenisation. Awarded by DGQA for indigenisation of critical arrester barrier components. Certificate pending upload.