Times of India, PTI | Feb 20, 2018,
BALASORE: India on Tuesday test-fired its medium range nuclear capable Agni-II missile with a strike range of 2,000km from Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast, defence sources said.
The trial of the surface-to-surface missile was conducted from a mobile launcher at the launch complex-4 of the integrated test range (ITR) at around 8.38am, the sources said.
The Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) has already been inducted into the services and Tuesday’s test was carried out by the Army’s strategic forces command (SFC) with logistic support provided by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), they said.
The 20-mt-long Agni-II ballistic missile has a launch weight of 17 tonne and can carry a payload of 1,000kg over a distance of 2,000km.
The state-of-the-art missile, already a part of the country’s arsenal for strategic deterrence, was launched as a training exercise by the armed forces, a DRDO scientist said.
Agni-II, a two-stage missile, equipped with advanced high accuracy navigation system and guided by a unique command and control system, was propelled by solid rocket propellant system, he said.
The entire trajectory of the trial was tracked by a battery of sophisticated radars, telemetry observation stations, electro-optic instruments and two naval ships located near the impact point in the down range area of the Bay of Bengal.
Agni-II was developed by the advanced systems laboratory along with other DRDO laboratories and integrated by the Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad, sources said.
The missile is part of the Agni series of missiles which includes the Agni-I with a 700km range, Agni-III with a 3,000km range, Agni-IV and Agni-V both having long range capabilities.
The first proto type of the Agni-II missile was carried out on April 11, 1999 and last launch was a user’s trial on May 4, 2017.
Tag Archives: Balasore
‘Nirbhay failed due to use of recycled material’
Sumit Bhattacharjee – VISAKHAPATNAM, JULY 01, 2017 – THE HINDU 
Sub-sonic cruise missile will be ready by month end, says DRDO chief
The fourth test of Nirbhay, the long rage sub-sonic cruise missile that is designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), failed on December 21 last year because of use of faulty material, said Chairman of the DRDO and Secretary of Department of Defence R&D S. Chirstopher here on Saturday.
Speaking to The Hindu after inaugurating a workshop on indigenous lithium-ion batteries for special applications, hosted by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratories (NSTL), the DRDO chief said, “The fourth test of the missile took place from the Launch Complex-III of Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Balasore in Odisha and after lift-off the missile developed snags over one of its wings, started to bank on one side and veered dangerously. We had to activate the ‘self-destruct’ mechanism to kill it mid-air. On investigation, it was found out that the vendor who manufactured it used recycled material for one of the key components that operates the wings of the missile and that was the reason why it failed. The strength of the recycled material was not sufficient to operate the parameters. Though the vendor followed all specifications, the use of re-cycle material was not disclosed.”
But, according to Dr. Christopher, the same vendor had been told to produce another one ‘free of cost’ under the same specifications but without any short-cuts. “Everything was right in the missile, only this faulty material caused the failure. But now it will be ready by July end or August and we shall go for the fifth test,” he said.
Nirbhay is an all-weather, low-cost, long-range sub-sonic cruise missile capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads and is considered to be a strategic weapon.
Roadmap
Pronouncing the roadmap, Dr. Christopher said once the test was successful they would identify the production partner whom they referred to as strategic partner and would go for further variations. “It is a guided missile and right now there is no problem with the path in the higher altitude. But there are some glitches in the lower altitude and we will be working on the seekers for pin-point accuracy. The missile should be ready by next two to three years,” he said.
According to him, the DRDO is working on the strategic partner model who would have stake in the production. “This will make the agency responsible and we will get rid of the tendering process for every small thing. There may be multiple indigenous strategic partners for each of our weapon and defence systems,” he pointed out.
On the naval variant of Tejas–Mark II (light combat aircraft), Dr. Christopher said the prototype was ready and had fullfilled the parameters of ski-jump on board aircraft carriers. But the Navy had been insisting on twin engines and they were working on the power of the engines. “We are also looking for strategic partners and the partner may be a foreign firm that would provide back-end support,” he said.
The DRDO chief sounded very enthusiastic about the indigenously built AEWACS (Airbone early warning and control system). “We have already inducted one indigenously built system and it is flying from Bhatinda.”
In total, they intended to induct 15 AEWACS and of them five would be from Israel and the remaining indigenous ones.
Of the indigenous ones, two would be smaller ones mounted on Brazilian Embraer-145 jets and the remaining would be on Airbus 330. “We have already received the order for six from the Indian Air Force and the negotiations with Airbus is in the final stages. The indigenous ones will have all the features of the Israeli make so that there may not be two teams operating on two different makes,” said Dr. Christopher.
Contractual DRDO Employee Arrested for Supplying Strategic Information to Pakistan ISI Agent
a youth for his alleged links with Pakistan Security Agency ISI, the tremor of espionage seems to have resurfaced in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the country’s elite defence establishment.
In a major breakthrough, Balasore police on Friday arrested a contractual employee of Integrated Test Range (ITR) off the Odisha coast on the charges of sharing vital strategic information with suspected agents working against Government of India. A number sophisticated missiles of the country are test fired from this test range every year.
The employee Iswar Chandra Behera (35), a native of Kantipur village under Baisinga police limits in Mayurbhanj district was picked up from his home after a joint investigation by the Central Intelligence Bureau (IB), State Intelligence Wing and local police.
A Plus three pass out from Remuna College, Behera had joined ITR with a monthly salary of Rs 8,000 in August 2007 and was working as a contractual videographer in the CCTV section of control tower in ITR.
Sources said following the IB inputs, a special wing of State police led by Balasore SP Awinash Kumar tracked his movements and caught him. DIG (Eastern Range) Asheet Panigrahi said though he initially denied his links but later confessed that he was sharing information from the test range to the agent. He has been booked under various sections of anti-national act and criminal conspiracy.
Police have seized two cell phones, a computer, one hard disc, pen drives, bank passbooks, bank account statements and a UPS from his house. Stored data and information are being analysed by technical persons.
He was in connection with the suspected ISI agents for more than one year and has received Rs 35,000 in six installments in between December 2013 and December 2014. He had received money orders twice, each of Rs 5,000 from Meerut while four transactions – twice Rs 5,000 and twice Rs 7,500 were deposited in his Chandipur SBI account through net banking.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that he has received money from Abu Dhabi, Meerut, Mumbai, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. On the pretext of repairing his camera he used to visit Kolkata where he met the agent. We have proof of their telephonic talks for at least ten times and the calls were from Pakistan. We have only verified his one bank account among many others which are being checked,” he said.
The DIG informed that Behera was sharing defence secrecy and information about the testing of missiles and vital defence installations located in Chandipur and Wheeler Island. As he was a videographer he had close access to all sensitive areas in both the test ranges.
“A case under sections 121 (A), 120 (B) of IPC and Sections 3, 4, 5 of Official Secrets Act, 1923 has been registered against him. He has been produced in the court. We have appealed the court to take him on remand for 14 days,” he said.
Intelligence sources said the Pakistan agent had introduced himself with Behera as Sribastav, a scientist of Hyderabad-based Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL). Though the agent had given him two cell phone numbers, it is learnt, they did not receive any call from this end.
“They would call back him from nine digit numbers to collect information and in lieu they transfer him money. We are verifying whether the agent has visited the place,” the source informed.
Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) is the premier intelligence service of Pakistan along with two others Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Military Intelligence (MI), operationally responsible for providing critical national security and intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan.
This incident assumes significance in the wake of possible terror strike threats from four Pakistan-based terror outfits in Odisha along with Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The States were informed that the terrorist groups Jamat-Ud-Dawa, Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e- Mohammed had dispatched four terror modules to India, which may carry out the attacks.
Earlier in 1995, a couple of Sunhat area of Balasore was arrested from Chandipur for allegedly supplying information to Bangladeshi operatives. These two, who are no more now, were released after languishing in jail for over ten years.
Prithvi II tested successfully
TNN | Aug 26, 2012, 01.07AM IST
HYDERABAD: The 350-km range surface-to-surface Prithvi II missile was successfully flight tested at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Balasore district in Odisha on Saturday giving the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) the Prithvi power.
“It was a text-book launch with very high accuracy. With this test launch, we can say that the SFC has demonstrated its expertise in firing the missile,” DRDO director general and scientific advisor to defence minister, V K Saraswat, told STOIon phone from Balasore.
Saraswat said the missile had an accuracy of better than 10 metersand this showed the standard of the missile. The single stage liquid propelled vehicle developed by DRDO was inducted into the armed forces and one of the missiles drawn from the inventory of the armed forces was test-fired by the SFC on Saturday. The vehicle is guided all through by an accurate Inertial Navigation System (INS) and controlled by the Thrust Vector Control and Aero-Dynamic Control Systems.
The missile developed by DRDO was flight tested from Launch Complex III by the SFC as part of its training exercise. The indigenous missile hit the target in the Bay of Bengal which was witnessed by a naval shiplocated near the target.
According to DRDO officials, all the radars, electro optical systems located along the coast tracked and monitored all the parameters of the missile throughout the flight path. The entire launch operation was carried out by the armed forces and monitored by scientists of DRDO.
Prithvi II has been successfully flight tested a number of times as part of development, induction and training exercises. Saturday’s launch, however, tested the Areliability of Prithvi and confirmed the successful induction into the services, a DRDO official said.
The team of armed forces and scientists were led by project director Siva Subramanyam and programme director Adalat Ali, director, DRDL, Hyderabad.
Complaint against DRDO Employees ,Chandipur
Mail received by www.corruptionindrdo.com
TO,
The DRDO Head Quaters
New Delhi
Sub: Complaint against DRDO Employees ,chandipur
Sir,
I would like to inform you about the ,DRDO Employees ,chandipur ,These are job in central govt. sector ,But they do not work properly are also job in private sector likely ,some are insurance agent ,Travel agent ,you know also very well and curruption is not limit in their.,some person who is involve and I want to give the name one is Mr. N.C.Mahapatra and another is Mr. Anjay Singh , both are DRDO Employees ,chandipur ,Balasore ,ODISHA (PXE),pls veryfication all these employees .
Therefore ,I want to request to you take the necssary action of these employees.
Thanking You,
With Regards:
Suraj
Balasore,ODISHA
Corruption in ITR Balasore Part- 2
ASHIT KUMAR DASH Submitted on 2011/07/26 at 4:33 pm 117.201.165.173
Sir,
Shri RANJIT MARNDI , Scientist”E” ,ITR, Chandipur has huge Immovable Property in BALASORE, which is disproportionate to his income by corrupt practices in DRDO. He has recently built a Two Storey Building with High Class Marble brought through a Contractor M/s Jeet & Jeet, Jaipur as a Free Gift by helping him out for procurement of two Nos of Blast Proof Shelters in 2009-10. He has purchased landed property of around 2acres in around Balasore without permission from Govt. Can the DRDO authorities investigate his disproportionate wealth ? Otherwise he will eat whole
ASHIT KUMAR DASH Submitted on 2011/07/26 at 3:53 pm
To SA to RM & DG R&DDRDO HQs
DRDO Bhawan
RAJAJI MARG
New Delhi- 110 105
Sub.: MISCONDUCT & CORRUPT PRACTICES BY Shri PC ROUTRAY,Sc”F”,
Dear Sir,
- 1. The following allegations may be verified against Shri PRAKASH CHANDRA ROUTRAY, Scientist”F”, ITR, Chandipur.
(a) In the year, 1996-1997, he had used political influence (by approaching a Senior Member of Parliament Shri Srikant Jena) to influence upon the DRDO Hqs to get his transfer from VRDE, Ahmednagar to ITR, Chandipur. On this aspect he has been duly warned by DRDO Hqs and then Director of the VRDE. But subsequently, after succumbing to the pressures of the political person, DRDO HQs finally transferred him to ITR. The records at DOP,DRDO HQs and VRDE, Ahmednagar can be verified.
(b) Shri PC Routray,Sc”F” has used his official position in ITR,Chandipur to influence Shri R Appavuraj , Sc”F” (the then Secretary of DRDO Range Educational Society, Chandipur) and Maj Gen(retd) US Abrol, the then Director & Commandant of PXE,Chandipur and Patron of DRDO Range Educational Society to get his wife Mrs Bindukalpa Routray , M Sc (Zoology), B Ed to get her selected as a Primary Teacher (PRT) in Range School, Chandipur by unfair means , whereas she was rejected by a selection board headed by Mr N Ganeshan,Sc”F”(retd) in 1998 to select TGTs. Without any proper advertisement for PRTs and clear violation of norms by DOMS, DRDO Hqs, wife of Shri PC Routray was appointed as regular Primary Teacher (PRT) by ignoring other candidates and without giving wide publicity.
(c) Shri PC Routray, Sc”F” had appeared for a examination for part-time MCA course conducted by IGNOU at FM Autonomous College, Balasore Centre along with his wife Mrs Bindukalpa Routray, a Primary Teacher in Range School, Chandipur. During this course, he had several times harassed the teaching faculty especially Ms Minati Mishra of the IGNOU, Balasore Centre by influencing other part-time students. During the examination, she was caught red handed while doing malpractice. He had misbehaved with the invigilators and was debarred from the examination. The matter was reported to ,DOP, DRDO Hqs and subsequently his assessment result for post of Sc”F” for 2006 & 2007 was withheld and DRDO Hqs conducted inquiry in this aspect. He had threatened the IGNOU Professors for taking revenge with the help of his spouse’s brother who is a political leader in Cuttack (now in Indian National Congress Party) and another relative of his own who was IG, Police, Bhubaneswar in 2005. The then Director of ITR, Shri AK Checker ,Sc”G” and several senior officers of ITR e.g. Shri SR Bera,Sc”G”, Shri R Appavuraj ,Sc”F” were also threatened by him. The records at DOP, DOMS may be verified
(d) Shri PC Routray,Sc”F” had influenced his spouse Mrs Bindukalpa Routray, a PRT in DRDO Range Educational Society ,Chandipur) to file a criminal case against the Principal of the Range School in Sep 2005 on a false allegation which is still sub judicious, By approaching his relatives who are in political circles and IG,Police ,Bhubaneswar he got SA Ahmad,Principal, Range School arrested from his residence at Bhubaneswar. The Departmental inquiry ordered by Shri GC Das,Sc”G’ ,the then Director of PXE and President ,DRDO Range Educational Society found Mrs Bindukalpa Routray ,PRT guilty of filing a false allegation & without putting a formal complaint/grievance to the School Management. But the report was put under cold storage by Director, PXE who was influenced through pressures from Maj Gen (retd) US Abrol, the then Director, VRDE. Now Shri PC Routray is using his official position and threatening the staff of Range School to give witnesses in his wife’s favour. The retired Principal who is under medical treatment at Bhubaneswar is being unnecessarily harassed by Shri PC Routray ,Sc”F” . He is also instrumental in instigating contract workers in Range School to file several court cases, cases in EPF Commissioner’s Office and Central labour Commissioners Office. Thus he is instrumental in spoiling the reputation of the Range School and DRDO in particular.
(e) Shri PC Routray,Sc”F” had manipulated in Purchases made by his Deptt. From 2004-2008. He has awarded Annual Maintenance contracts and several purchase orders (Cash purchase & Tender purchase) to one M/s SP Sales & Service, Balasore which is not having existence now. He had manipulated the procurement by allowing a cartel formation of firms during limited tender process. He has visible links with M/s Pentagon Rugged Systems, Hyderabad whose Managing Director uses official transport at ITR and DRDO VIP Guest House at Chandipur & also M/s Maity & Co, Chandipur,M/s Balaji Enterprises, Balasore & M/s Sk Allauddin, Balasore. He is collecting huge amount of Bribe in Cash from the Contractors pressuring them not to pay the minimum wages to Conservancy workers and their EPF in collusion with Shri LAXMAN LIKHAR, JCDA, Balasore, to construct his house at Cuttack and Flat at Bhubaneswar. He has use political pressure by approaching Mr Pranab Mukherjee,Defence Minister in 2007-08 through WB Pradesh Congress to get his promotion with retrospective effect from July 2006 though SA to RM & then CCR&D(MSS) were not in his favour .During BrahMos missions conducted from ITR, Chandipur he had personally hired A/C buses for Russian Team from Grand Coach, Cuttack through his relative (his spouse’s brother ,a political activist at Cuttack) by manipulating purchase procedure of Brahmos Aerospace Ltd, N Delhi.. He has misbehaved with several Senior Officers posted to ITR (Shri BK Paltasingh, Sc”F’, Shri A Thyagraj. Sc”F”,Col R Sharma, Maj Gen(retd) RK Sahoo, Cdr A Mishra, Col S Anikhandi, Cdr A Sarabhai, Shri NN Nayak,Sc”F’, PXE,Shri SR Bera,Sc”G”(retd) ,Col(retd) B Bas, EMU , Gp Capt US Rajababu, PGAD and also several other Senior Officers of PXE & Projects and staff of ITR to name a few who want peaceful co-existence). Recently again he used political influence on DOP to get DRDS Assessment Call in Excellent Category by increasing his C_PAR marks of 2006 which was damaged by then Director, ITR Shri AK Checker due to his gross misconduct.
2. It is requested that ,the DRDO Hqs should take a strong stand in this matter by not succumbing to political pressures and transferring both Shri PC Routray,Sc”F”, B.Tech, M.Tech. ,MBA,PGDM who is a so called Management Guru, from ITR, Chandipur and removing his wife Mrs BK Routray, PRT from Range School, Chandipur at the earliest and post him to a suitable place like SASE, MANALI or FRL,LEH on PUBLIC INTERST to have a conducive atmosphere at DRDO estate, Chandipur
30 Jun 2011
(ASHIT KUMAR DASH)
Chandipur President
ITR TECHNICAL OFFICERS” ASSOCIATION
Copy to :
- CCR&D (MSS) DRDO Hqs DRDO Bhawan, RAJAJI MARG,New Delhi-110105
- Director, PXE, Chandipur-756025
- Secretary, RANGE SCHOOL, Chandipur-756025
- DOMS,DRDO Hqs, DRDO BHAWAN, New Delhi- 110 105
- Director, Vigilance & Security, DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi-110105