Nashik (Maharashtra), June 29 (IANS) Defence Minister A.K. Antony Wednesday called upon the scientific community to move with the times and stressed on the need for self-sufficiency in the country's requirements of composite propellants used in manned and unmanned rocket launch vehicles.

 
 "The scientific community should move with the changing times and compete with modern countries in achieving self-sufficiency in this highly specialised technical field," he said after inaugurating a newly-built facility for energetic materials.
 
 The Advanced Centre for Energetic Materials has been started under the aegis of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
 
 After reviewing the centre, Antony expressed satisfaction over the facility aimed at bridging the gap between demand and supply of composite propellants for future requirements of the country's defence programmes.
 
 The minister also emphasised the need for improvement in control systems to reduce exposure of manpower to hazardous operations.
 
 V.K. Saraswat, scientific adviser to the defence minister and the DRDO director general, research and development, said that the requirement of composite propellants of the country were being adequately met and the upcoming facility will be upgraded further.
 
 Composite propellant is a modern solid rocket propellant used in manned and unmanned rocket vehicles. It differs from many traditional solid rocket propellants in chemical composition, overall performance and the nature in which it is processed.