DRDO, PSU and Private Defence Sector News

[sayareakd]

DRDO and its Missile Plans | idrw.org

DRDO Chief Avinash Chander in an interview to a Defence Magazine has put some light into India's current missile
plans and future projects which DRDO is planning to carry out in near future . DRDO chief also explained reasons
behind failure of Nirbhay cruise missile and status duo of current missile programs .
DRDO chief explained that take off to cruise was performed flawlessly in last year first test launch of Nirbhay cruise
missile but mid way Gyro malfunctioned and missile dangerously started coming close to coastal village and it had to be
destructed mid way , Suitable modification was carried out on the failed component and next launch will be carried out
in next month , coming to K-15 SLBM Chief said that next test of the missile will be carried out on board INS Arihant
when it will go for sea trials soon .
On Nag anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) he informed that the missile has a new seeker head and will soon start
summer trails soon and development of Man portable anti-tank guided missile will be carried out soon and new lighter (
Nagin ? ) missile will be in class of Israeli spike and American Javelin portable anti-tank guided missile , Air launched
version of Nag ( Helina ) has been tested for first time last year and will carry out further test this year too .
Astra MK-1 BVR ( Beyond Visual Range ) will carry out it final ground based test soon and first test firing from Sukhoi
30 will take place by mid of this year , DRDO plans to develop two more Astra BVR variants in next few years , Astra
MK-1 currently has 40 km range and Astra MK-2 will have 100 km range and Astra MK-3 will have 150km .

 

[arnabmit]

DRDO tests positive for nepotism | Latest News & Updates at DNAIndia.com

At least 10 top scientists of the country's premier defence research agency, the DRDO, are accused of flouting rules and misusing their positions to recruit family members in the organisation.

Among the accused are M Natrajan, former scientific adviser to defence minister AK Antony and VK Saraswat, India's Missile Man and former DRDO chief.

Antony was apprised of the matter in November last year by Sameer Kumar Khare, joint secretary and chief vigilance officer (CVO) in the defence ministry.

Khare, in his report (dna has a copy), recommended "criminal action against top functionaries of DRDO for committing irregularities in the recruitment of officers/officials, including their kith and kin, in DRDO by misusing their position of power". Based on his report, Antony handed over the investigations to the CBI in November.

Apart from Natrajan and Saraswat, charged with nepotism, the other big names in the CVO's report are W Selvamurthy, former chief Controller, R&D, Arun Kumar, former director, recruitment & assessment centre (RAC), AK Bansal, former director, RAC, and Dr SM Veerabhadrappa, senior scientist (Sci G).

"The brazenness with which systems and procedures have been overridden, it would not be prudent to believe that these are isolated cases," Khare said in his report. "The malice may have spread to wider areas hence causing to raise doubts that the integrity of the whole recruitment systems as such might have been compromised. This situation warrants a comprehensive and thorough investigation of the recruitment system, structure and cases of criminal misconducts of similar nature, including the present cases, by the CBI."

Antony said in November: "Cases to be referred to the CBI for inquiry and further action. DRDO may be directed to put in place an appropriate recruitment system with adequate checks and balances. They may also consider bringing the system under the purview of UPSC."

All recruitments were done through the UPSC till 1982, after which DRDO's recruitment & assessment centre handled it.

The ministry had added that DRDO could also take a professional agency's help to come up with a foolproof recruitment system. "A target of putting in place a new system from the next financial year (2014-2015) may be fixed," Antony said.

Ravi Gupta, DRDO spokesperson, told dna that he could not comment as the CBI is investigating the matter. "But whoever has violated rules, should be brought to justice," he said.

 

[arnabmit]

 

[Sridhar]

Share of Domestic Production in Defence Equipments

The Government has been making consistent efforts to expand the share of domestic production of defence equipments out of total expenditure on the equipments. The Defence Production Policy promulgated by the Government in 2011, aims to achieve substantive self-reliance in design, development and production of equipments / weapon systems / platforms required for defence, by enhancing domestic manufacturing capabilities.



Government has also taken number of steps in the form of Amendments to Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) to encourage indigenous production. The summary of such amendments incorporated in the revised DPP-2013 is as below:



(i)


Preference to 'Buy (Indian)', 'Buy & Make (Indian)' & 'Make' categories over 'Buy (Global)' or 'Buy & Make' categories of Capital Acquisition cases.

(ii)


The procedure for 'Buy and Make (Indian)' category, has been further simplified in order to make the category more attractive for Indian Defence Industry.

(iii)


A clear definition of indigenous content has been provided which would not only bring more clarity on the indigenous content required for different categorization, but also enhance the indigenization of defence products in India.

(iv)


DPP-2013 provides for participation of Indian Private sector also for Maintenance ToT in Buy (Global) cases.

The year-wise details of share of domestic procurement out of total defence procurement are given as below:-



Year Total expenditure on defence procurement (Capital & Revenue by Army, Expenditure on procurement from domestic sources
Navy, Airforce, R&D and Ordnance factories) (Rs. in Crores)
(Rs. in Crores)

2010-11 84006.67 64606.30

2011-12 92276.91 58281.32

2012-13 94961.81 60431.01



This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Shri Jitendra Singh in a written reply to Dr. Bhalchandra Mungekar in Rajya Sabha today.



HH/HS

 

[Archer]

DRDO tests positive for nepotism | Latest News & Updates at DNAIndia.com

At least 10 top scientists of the country's premier defence research agency, the DRDO, are accused of flouting rules and misusing their positions to recruit family members in the organisation.

Among the accused are M Natrajan, former scientific adviser to defence minister AK Antony and VK Saraswat, India's Missile Man and former DRDO chief.

Antony was apprised of the matter in November last year by Sameer Kumar Khare, joint secretary and chief vigilance officer (CVO) in the defence ministry.

Khare, in his report (dna has a copy), recommended "criminal action against top functionaries of DRDO for committing irregularities in the recruitment of officers/officials, including their kith and kin, in DRDO by misusing their position of power". Based on his report, Antony handed over the investigations to the CBI in November.

Apart from Natrajan and Saraswat, charged with nepotism, the other big names in the CVO's report are W Selvamurthy, former chief Controller, R&D, Arun Kumar, former director, recruitment & assessment centre (RAC), AK Bansal, former director, RAC, and Dr SM Veerabhadrappa, senior scientist (Sci G).

"The brazenness with which systems and procedures have been overridden, it would not be prudent to believe that these are isolated cases," Khare said in his report. "The malice may have spread to wider areas hence causing to raise doubts that the integrity of the whole recruitment systems as such might have been compromised. This situation warrants a comprehensive and thorough investigation of the recruitment system, structure and cases of criminal misconducts of similar nature, including the present cases, by the CBI."

Antony said in November: "Cases to be referred to the CBI for inquiry and further action. DRDO may be directed to put in place an appropriate recruitment system with adequate checks and balances. They may also consider bringing the system under the purview of UPSC."

All recruitments were done through the UPSC till 1982, after which DRDO's recruitment & assessment centre handled it.

The ministry had added that DRDO could also take a professional agency's help to come up with a foolproof recruitment system. "A target of putting in place a new system from the next financial year (2014-2015) may be fixed," Antony said.

Ravi Gupta, DRDO spokesperson, told dna that he could not comment as the CBI is investigating the matter. "But whoever has violated rules, should be brought to justice," he said.

In Antony land, any claim is enough to indict people. I would wait for actual evidence before acting all judge and jury. The beancounters have run amuck in the past 8 years, and the delays they have caused are legendary. When folks bypass inefficient rules and regulations, they get targeted. Until & unless actual details are provided, these allegations remain merely allegations.

 

[shuvo@y2k10]

this is not only for drdo but every government department,psu,ofb have such nepotism.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Army, Airforce and Navy too, Its always like this that new generation of same family goes into the same profession ..

There are cases of misuse of power, But looking at the record of Indian Media abt National defense reporting, I would say the same as @Archer did ..

In Antony land, any claim is enough to indict people. I would wait for actual evidence before acting all judge and jury. The beancounters have run amuck in the past 8 years, and the delays they have caused are legendary. When folks bypass inefficient rules and regulations, they get targeted. Until & unless actual details are provided, these allegations remain merely allegations.

this is not only for drdo but every government department,psu,ofb have such nepotism.

 

[Archer]

The issue is not merely one of nepotism or the like, it is that Saint Antony decides to stop everything and announce an investigation at the smallest accusation. In the past we have had people like VK Singh, and then the ISRO Chairman get disgusted. Now its DK Joshi and VK Saraswats turn. All this based on Antonys/MODs set of non transparent "investigations". Tell me what happened to the BEML Chief or the OFB Chief after accusations of corruption of a far more serious sort? What happened to Rishi of Tatra infamy? Silence. Instead vendors were blacklisted. There are clearly two standards here. One for those politically connected, and another for the people inside the system who dare to speak up or are flamboyant or will stand up. That is galling and makes one really think Antony's tenure can be called really lackadaisical on that front.

 

[cobra commando]

DRDO Set to Acquire New
Flight Test Bed


DRDO Set to Acquire New Flight Test Bed - The New Indian Express

 

[cobra commando]

Advanced composite materials developed by DRDO to improve missile range


Advanced composite materials developed by DRDO to improve missile range - The Times of India

 

[praneet.bajpaie]

I read an article in a magazine some years ago (sorry I don't have the source at present) that DRDO had developed a paint that can help enhance the range of missiles by about 20%. Can anyone confirm that? What is the status??

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Advanced composite materials developed by DRDO to improve missile range


Advanced composite materials developed by DRDO to improve missile range - The Times of India

Quote from article:

Speaking on the solid rocket propellants for Indian missiles, Prashant Kumar Adak, a scientist at the High Energy Materials Research Lab of Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO), Pune, said that DRDO had developed advance composite materials for missiles which can improve the missile's range as well as the pay load capacity. It has developed advanced version of explosive composites for application in war heads of rockets thus increasing the performance ability.

Ablative characteristics affecting protection from heat of reentry might be what he is talking about, but the reporting is sketchy because it mixes another subject into the discussion, that is characteristics of explosive in warhead. I don't get it.

 

[cobra commando]

TRISHUL: Indigenously-Designed RF & Optronic Seekers For DRDO-Developed PGMs

 

[cobra commando]

DRDO revs up for UAV testing season, requires test hardware

The DRDO is in the market for specialised flight line hardware to support the testing of UAVs later this year, including the Rustom-2 medium altitude long (MALE) endurance UAV. The DRDO has called for bids for the supply of advanced portable flight line test systems, in which the hardware should be on PCI/cPCI/PCIe/VME platform only, indigenously built for long term project support, modular with enough provision to upgrade or scale up the configuration, safety features like short circuit protection, isolation, etc, come fitted with MIL grade components relays, connectors to be used. The winning vendor shall perform testing of UAV flight line testing (FLT) hardware in association with DRDO's Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) for Preparation of Acceptance Test Procedure (ATP) for theentire UAV FLT Hardware in consultation with ADE, testing of the UAV FLT Hardware as per the ATP and submission of test reports and other documents to ADE asper requirement. The new equipment will be used by ADE at the Taneja Aerospace airfield at Hosur in Tamil Nadu as well as at the HAL airport for test flights of UAV platforms next year.


SP’s Exculsive - SP's Aviation

 

[cobra commando]

DRDO for portable radar simulator

The DRDO is in the market for a commercial off- the-shelf (COTS) portable radar simulator to simulate radar threat situations through generated radar emissions to test the efficacy of in-development sensor/warning systems under the Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DLRL). The system should be capable of generating a minimum of sixteen different radar emissions in a time shared fashion. DRDO has stipulated that each of the parameters of the simulated radar should be fully programmable. The portable system should be able to simulate pulse doppler radar as well. The 2-18 GHz range system needs to be able to create a library of radars, with specific parameters, including pulse, scan, antenna radiation pattern and direction. The DRDO hopes to use the simulator to both test in- development radars and warning systems as well as to improve current systems already integrated on airborne platforms. The simulator needs to have vendor support for a period of 10 years and should be continuously upgradable during that time.


SP’s Exculsive - SP's Aviation

 

[charlie]

FDI in defence sector

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F10-qt-z0_E

 

[Neil]

DRDO gets HAL's Dornier


BANGALORE: HAL produced Dornier (DO-228) aircraft 'Nabhratna' has been handed over to Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) ahead of schedule.

Avinash Chander, scientific advisor to the defence minister has said that the DRDO needed this aircraft much more than anything else for testing of radar in air as we had to depend on others to loan the aircraft. The use of flying test bed (FTB) aircraft will reduce the cycle time for development for airborne system.

"Money invested for the aircraft will give us returns many times more as the aircraft will prove its worth in the months to come," he added.

HAL chairman R K Tyagi said, "The aircraft will be used by Bangalore based Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) as flying test bed (FTB) for evaluation of performance of various radars being developed by LRDE. This aircraft is equipped with indigenous synthetic Aperture Radar and state-of-the-art avionics and communication system."

DRDO Director General (Aero) K Tamil Mani exuding confidence said the partnership between HAL and DRDO on various platforms would continue.

The DO-228 is a highly versatile, multi-purpose, fuel efficient, rugged, reliable and light-weight twin-turbo prop transport aircraft. HAL-Dornier-228 aircraft is being extensively utilized by Indian Coast Guard, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force in variety of applications and is a proven workhorse.

There is hardly any utility application in which this aircraft has not been used by these services.

:: Bharat-Rakshak.com - Indian Military News Headlines ::

 

[Eastman]

Quote from article:



Ablative characteristics affecting protection from heat of reentry might be what he is talking about, but the reporting is sketchy because it mixes another subject into the discussion, that is characteristics of explosive in warhead. I don't get it.

something regarding speed/range and composite combo according to Avinash Chander, Chief Controller, Missiles and Strategic Systems, DRDO

We went through various steps. One was that we had to make the upper stages lighter. That was the first and most critical factor. We decided to make both the second and third upper stages of composites. That gave us a major benefit in terms of weight. In Agni-III, both the first and second stages were metallic.

Having made the composite stages, we found that they were coming out better than the metallic stages, strength-wise and property-wise. So we could operate at a higher pressure. So you do not have losses due to gravity, and the losses are reduced. We then went through a total philosophy change. Up to Agni-III, we ignite the upper stage first, then separate the lower stage so that there is no problem of separation.

We decided to leave behind that culture of space vehicles. We now put big retro motors, which create a thrust of four tonnes each – totally 16 tonnes of thrust – just to separate the stages so that no dead weight is passed on to the upper stage.

Correspondingly, we decided to make the mission stronger so that there are no interfaces and the separation is clean. We studied and created extensive models to simulate them on the ground in all types of disturbed conditions in wind tunnels. With all that, we could remove the inter-stages altogether. The weight we had reduced by making the upper stages of composites was fed back into the third upper stage. The weight did not increase overall, but the total energy increased considerably. To reach the 3,000-km range, you need a velocity of five kilometres per second. To reach the 5,000-km range, the velocity has to be more than six kilometres a second.

That was our approach to the repackaging of our vehicle. We made major modifications in the upper stage. V.G. Sekaran, Director, Advanced Systems Laboratory [ASL], DRDO, played a primary role in showing us how to repackage the payload structures so that the weight comes down by 1,000 kg.

full interview
'Quality our concern'

 

[cobra commando]

Saurav Jha's Blog : A half-yearly look at DRDO's ongoing missile projects

 

[abhi_the _gr8_maratha]

Defence News - A half-yearly look at DRDO's ongoing missile projects