Tag Archives: Nirbhay.

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‘Nirbhay failed due to use of recycled material’

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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.

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Christopher visit to DMSRDE for sweeping the Saxena’s corruption dirt or covering the dirt?

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DRDO very well know about the neck deep corruption dump of dirt. Dr A K Saxena is still safe because he involved lot of scientists and official of DRDO & CDA in his corruption game. Although some scientists involved in dirty game because of DRDO promotion policy, some were wrap unknowingly only for signature requirement.

So to explain his corruption practice in detail is not so important but the helplessness of DRDO top authorities is more important. Now days in the Modi era the top DRDO official are not enjoying cream like their predecessor enjoyed free unaccounted budget.

Christopher work is to sweep or cover their corruption cases, although some wiser ones are leaving DRDO before catch.  But in one case last date before leaving DRDO great scientist cleared 35 crs file, it seems same was the pension perks. There is no time to spent even sanctioned budget. Most of labs are in no project state they are passing their time in buildup and maintenance. Directors of lab are surviving on construction and todu aur phir banao mode. Since last three years DRDO not having any achievement in which they ask PM to come and see.

See the budget

Year Allocation of funds
(Rs. in crore)
2014-15 13716.14
2015-16 13540.11
2016-17 13501.00

2017-18  ?

Nirbhay is still in soup after four failures but without fixing the problem again pushing to lit poor tax payers money.

In parliament questions DRDO successfully following the tradition that not to reply or mislead the honorable parliament. see the records never replied with honor that yes we achieved this and next day front page news come in all news papers.

It is high time to reorganize DRDO labs as Lieutenant General DB Shekatkar (Retired) in his report “Shut down Laboratories and Overhaul the DRDO, Expert Committee Tells Defence Ministry”

The DMSRDE is fit case for that to attach this lab to CSIR and definitely then KANPUR lab will contribute their best to nation and help Modi ji for his make in India mission.

The DRDO Vigilance always headed by top chamchas because they never apply their mind only look for node from earlier SA office now they have plenty bosses. Ones Christopher tried to put honest man AVM Reddy but then DOP and others paralyzed him and he quit the DRDO.

So corruption’s roots are very deep in DRDO, MODI & YOGI also cannot uproot corruption of DRDO.

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DRDO’s cruise missile project Nirbhay on verge of closure

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Nirbhay is the country’s first indigenously built long-range sub-sonic cruise missile | EPS

By Hemant Kumar Rout | Express News Service | Published: 23rd December 2016
BHUBANESWAR: Once a pride for Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), India’s own cruise missile project Nirbhay is on the verge of closure.
A highly placed source told ‘The New Indian Express’ that the project is likely to be closed as the missile has failed to deliver desired results even 12 years after the project was launched. A review of the project will be conducted shortly.
Nirbhay is the country’s first indigenously built long-range sub-sonic cruise missile which can be compared with America’s Tomahawk in terms of its capability. Designed by Bengaluru-based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), the missile was designed to fly at different altitudes ranging from 500 meters to four km.
Launched in 2004 at a cost of Rs 48 crore, the projected date of completion (PDC) for the prestigious project was December 31, 2016. However, under trial since 2013, the missile is yet to perform as expected after four attempts in the last four years.
The project has been plagued with difficulties as the scientists are still struggling to fix the problems in the flight control software and navigation system while some others point fingers at the hardware.
While the Research Centre Imarat (RCI) blamed ADE-developed software, ADE was pointing towards the defective hardware supplied by RCI. “However, it could not be ascertained which is defective, whether the software or hardware, but Nirbhay missile failed in its fourth attempt,” an insider said.
There has been problem with the control software since beginning. The RCI had developed navigational hardware for their applications and it was adopted by ADE for Nirbhay. There are always differences between ADE and RCI regarding its functional efficacy, the source claimed.
Defence experts have raised questions on the requirement of such a subsonic missile, which can cruise at a speed of 0.8 Mach, when supersonic cruise missile BrahMos, developed jointly with Russia, is already inducted in the armed forces.
BrahMos, which flies at a speed of Mach 3, has a strike range of 290 km. Though Nirbhay can strike targets 1,000 km away, with India joining the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), it can now develop long range cruise missiles as joint ventures.
While initially the expected cost of ‘Nirbhay’ was around Rs 10 crore per piece, DRDO has so far spent more than Rs 100 crore on R&D and trials.
DRDO Chief Selvin Christopher and Project Director of Nirbhay Vasanth Sastri did not respond to the calls and queries from ‘The New Indian Express’. Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister G Satheesh Reddy, however, said he is unaware of any such move.                           

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DRDO Refuses to Divulge Information on Hi-tech Chariot

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By Pradip R Sagar Published: 29th December 2014 05:59 -Indian Express

NEW DELHI: The DRDO has refused to give out any information regarding making of a ‘chariot’ for a religious function.

The Express, in its report on dated 23 November, had exposed that a Pune-based DRDO laboratory Research and Development Establishment (Engineers) had developed and donated a hi-tech chariot to a temple.

DRDO-Chariot
DRDO’s Hi-Tech Chariot

This shocking piece of information came out after a young scientist of the same laboratory decided to rebel against this absurd venture and moved the Bombay high court and even the CVC. The DRDO developed the hi-tech chariot and ‘donated’ it to Alandi Temple, Pune.
The young scientist had to pay for raising his voice. The DRDO has not only stripped him off from the ongoing projects, but also transferred him out from the centre, where he is being left to waste.

A day after the Express report, a former DRDO scientist moved an RTI to the Ministry of Defence for seeking details of the government sanction to the DRDO for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and allocated budget for the same.

But on December 18, the R&DE (Engineers), in its reply to the RTI, had stated, “The DRDO is placed in Second Schedule of the RTI Act, 2005 and exempted from disclosure of information under Section 24(1), except information pertaining to the allegations of corruption and human right violations.”

The Section 24(1) of the RTI Act exempt security and intelligence agencies specified in the Second schedule to disclose such information. “This information, which I have asked for, has nothing to do with the national security and intelligence framework. But, the DRDO is using this as a shield to suppress information related to corruption in the organisation,” the scientist (identity withheld) told Express, who filed the RTI in the matter.

Dr. S Guruprasad, Director of the R&DE, Pune, had told Express that they had built this battery operated chariot in an year’s time and the DRDO had carried out the project under the head of the CSR. R&DE Pune has a mandate to design and develop Combat Engineering Systems, such as Military Bridging and Mine Warfare Systems, development of Field Defence Systems and NBC Collective protection Shelters, design and development of Weapon Launch System such as Prithvi, Agni, BrahMos, AD, MR-SAM and Nirbhay.

While numerous DRDO projects such as the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, Nag missile, long-range surface-to-air missile and Airborne Early Warning and Control System have been delayed, and have cost much higher than their original estimates, expenses on such a ‘religious’ project have raised many eyebrows.