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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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Government asks CBI to probe in allegations of corruption in purchase of three Embraer aircrafts

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By Express News Service Published: 15th September 2016 – The New Indian Express
NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has started analyzing allegations of Brazilian aviation major Embraer hiring a UK-based agent and paying commissions to swing the $208 million deal for three Emb-145 aircraft inked with India during UPA rule in 2008.

The government had asked the agency to probe in allegations of corruption in the purchase of three Embraer aircraft for Defence Research and Development Organisation in 2008

The agency sources said officials are going through the reference and any decision to start a probe in the matter will be taken soon after analysing all the documents.

If the agency is satisfied that it has enough prima facie evidence to initiate an FIR, it will start or else it might register a preliminary enquiry to gather enough material for registering a regular case, they said.

Government had stated that the allegations were of a serious nature and the CBI will probe.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had earlier this week said that, “If there is a criminal angle, then the CBI will probe as the Ministry cannot”. “If only procedural issues are involved, then the Defence Ministry can do an internal investigation,” he had said.

The deal for purchase of three Embraer aircraft during the UPA regime has kicked up dust with US authorities going into alleged payment of kickbacks. The deal has come under the scanner of the US Justice Department which has been probing Embraer for alleged payment of bribes to secure contracts.
Soon after, the reports of irregularity surfaced, the DRDO has already sought a report from the Brazilian firm, which has said it has been looking into graft allegations over the last five years.

DRDO investigation through report from Brazilian firm is a separate investigation. Parallel investigation has been started by CBI

The Special Investigation Team probing AgustaWestland bribery scandal will also probe this scam.

The deal was signed in 2008 between Embraer and the DRDO for three aircraft equipped with indigenous radars for AEW&C (airborne early warning and control systems). The first “modified” aircraft was delivered to DRDO in 2011, with the other two following later.

After several missed deadlines, the AEW&C project is now slated to be completed by December. Present DRDO chief S Christopher was the AEW&C programme director and head of the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) before he was chosen to head DRDO in May 2015 by the NDA government.

Sources claimed that role of the committee, comprised of officials from IAF and DRDO is also under scanner, which shortlisted the Embraer deal.

Brazil’s top newspaper, the ‘Folha de Sao Paulo’, had reported on September 8 that the possible bribery in the 2008 Indian deal was under the scanner of the US justice department, which has been investigating Embraer since 2010, after a contract with the Dominican Republic raised suspicion. The scope of the investigation has now been widened to examine Embraer’s dealings with eight other countries, including India and Saudi Arabia.

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DRDO sets timeline for fixing grievances to discourage direct complaint to PM Modi

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By Pradip R. Sagar 14 September 2016 The New Indian Express
modi_afp-14-sept-16

NEW DELHI: As scientists involved in defence research continue to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with their grievances, DRDO headquarters has asked all its department heads to take timely action on these complaints to avoid direct communication with PM or Defence minister.

Following series of complaints, the DRDO’s vigilance department has now fixed a deadline to complete probe into any grievance within in ten days of receipt of complaint.

Days after assuming office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked government officials to give their suggestions directly to his office. But, within months, the PMO’s desk handling grievances was flooded with hundreds of representations. To address complaints, Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha, in August 2015 issued an instruction that writing directly to the PMO by violating the prescribed channel of communication has to be viewed ‘seriously’ and is liable for ‘disciplinary action’.

But, despite strict instructions from the Cabinet Secretariat, several scientists have been continuously approaching prime minister’s office and defence minister.

“In absence of appropriate action to be taken on such complaints, the complainant addresses his grievances to various authorities including the Raksha Mantri (defence minister) and Prime Minister’s Office,” according to an stinker from the vigilance department head of the DRDO, Dr. JP Singh, Director, Vigilance and security writes..

“It has been noted with concern that neither any timely action is taken by the head of Clusters or establishment on complaints which are addressed to them, nor any action taken report is forwarded by them headquarters,”

Vigilance department believe that because of in-action by concerned Clusters or Establishments in the DRDO, ‘copious correspondence among various government agencies take place as all the complaints were processed as per extant of guidelines of the DoPT.

“All heads of Clusters/ Laboratories/ Establishments and Units are requested to take timely action on complaint directly addressed to them and forward Action Taken Report to the Chief Comptroller with ten days of the receipt of complaint,” Dr. JP Singh, Director, Vigilance and security writes.

Citing a Cabinet Secretary note on official communication channel, the DRDO headquarters in August last year, had issued detailed instructions to all its laboratories for strict compliance regarding representations being sent directly to higher authorities bypassing the prescribed channel of communication.14-sept-16-the-new-indian-express

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DRDO to seek explanation from Embraer over kickback allegation

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By: PTI | New Delhi | Published:September 10, The New Indian Express

The deal was signed in 2008 between Embraer and the DRDO for three aircraft equipped with indigenous radars for AEW&C (airborne early warning and control systems).DRDO_Logo_New copy

 

India’s defence research agency DRDO will seek explanation and details from Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer over alleged payment of kickbacks in the USD 208-million jet deal inked during the UPA regime. After receipt of information by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), further steps may be initiated, the Defence Ministry said today after it emerged that the 2008 deal has come under the scanner of US authorities which have been probing Embraer for alleged payment of bribe to secure contracts.
“DRDO to seek explanation and details from manufacture of Embraer aircraft on media reports on aircraft deal signed in 2008. “On receipt of information by the DRDO, further steps may be initiated,” the Ministry said. The deal was signed in 2008 between Embraer and the DRDO for three aircraft equipped with indigenous radars for AEW&C (airborne early warning and control systems). The company has been under investigation by the United States Justice Department since 2010 when a contract with the Dominican Republic raised the Americans’ suspicions.
Since then, the investigation has widened to examine business dealings with eight more countries. “Investigations that have been opened by the government of the United States to establish whether Embraer paid bribes in order to obtain contracts abroad have affected deals that the Brazilian company closed with Saudi Arabia and India,” Brazalian newspaper Folha De São Paulo reported. It is suspected that a leading Indian middleman based in UK was roped in for the deal. DRDO chief S Christopher, who headed the AEW&S programme earlier, did not pick up calls or respond to messages.
Embraer is cooperating with the investigations and announced in July that it was expecting to reach a deal soon with American authorities, the paper said. The company has put USD 200 million aside to pay any eventual fines that come about as a result of the process. The company has not released details regarding the state of the investigations, but three people who have been following the case have confirmed to Folha that the deals concluded in Saudi Arabia and India are being examined, the paper reported.
In both cases, suspicions were underlined in May this year when an employee with more than 30 years at the company reached a plea-bargain agreement in investigations being conducted by the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office in Brazil. Albert Phillip Close, Manager of Embraer’s defence area, told Prosecutor Marcello Miller that he had heard a former sales director who worked in Europe admit to American investigators the payment of commissions to facilitate the sale of aircraft to the Saudis.
In November of 2010, the company announced the delivery of two Embraer 170 executive jets to the Saudi Arabian
state-owned oil company Aramco. The amount of the deal was not announced at the time.

 

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Use/Misuse of positional power by Dr. K. Tamilmani and his staff

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To,                                                                        12 June 2015                                                             Dr.S Christopher,                                                                                                                                     DG, DRDO & Secretary DRD                                                                                                                 DRDO Bhawan, Rajaji Marg,                                                                                                                 New Delhi-110105

Subject:  Use/Misuse of positional power by Dr. K. Tamilmani and his staff

Sir,

Following letter is received by website from Driver Association  seeks the misuse of manpower and vehicles in ADE.

As you are visiting ADE Bangalore in coming days, please do needful appropriate action for the sake of organisation and as well for misuse of poor tax payers money.

enclosed letter fully exposed the misuse of manpower and resources of ADE and GTRE. recently The New Indian Express also covered the article regarding misuse of project vehicles as staff car. The Vigilance Directorate send a letter to all labs/estt as their letter no DVS/02/2052/P/26 dated 25 May 2015. (copy enclosed) 

Interestingly, Bangalore  DRDO establishment don’t bother such letters or Honorable Supreme Court Order not to put red beacon on cars. Dr.K.Tamilmani using, GTRE, Project Vehicle Toyota Innova, Sh P. Sri Kumar,Director, ADE using Toyota Innova purchased in the name of Remote Video Terminal, four Toyota Innova purchased in RUSTOM-II and one vehicle mysteriously handover to Mr Shanker, IFA deputed in Bangalore. The Toyota Innova met with accident so it is requested to initiate through inquiry for the misusing staff and project vehicles.

 

Regards

Prabhu Dandriyal,                                                                                                                               21-Sunderwala, Raipur                                                                                                                       Dehradun-248008                                                                                                                               Email prabhudoo@gmail.com website- www.corruptionindrdo.com

Enclosed:- Copy of letter received from Drivers Associationade input 2

ade input 3

ade input 1