Air Cmde Raghubir Singh(Retd) Contd 3 (r) Foreign Scientists. While Indian scientists are the main thrust behind even NASA missions- importing foreign scientists would rather put brakes than give any kick-start. In any case L&T, M&M, Tata Power are trying tie-ups. Let us wait & watch about the miracles to happen.
(s) Symbiotic Relationship. For success defence R&D must work on Israel model where every project is matter of honour amongst research, manufacturing agency, MoD & the user services unlike in India where they seemingly operate at loggerhead.
(t) Pride & Prejudice. There is need to recall swadeshi spirit of the twenties & get out of the lure of the foreign.
(k) Confidence Building. By all means trials on Agni can continue %u2013 hopefully not till these fail?
(l) Review. Why not also review working of all other government organizations? Why single out DRDO for such treatment? DRDO is just another govt department %u2013where pay & promotion are protected. What makes DRDO to work under such unhealthy criticism almost every day? It would be much better if the journalists are take around and shown the successful inductions.
(m) Three Hats. People at higher echelons do wear many hats at the same time. At times these hats are merely symbolic & do not dilute the core competence. Hats off situation would not help either?
(n) Locating Radar. What exactly DRDO gained by trying to develop WLR? At best it could be a patriotic gesture that did not succeed. What is the grouse if DRDO scuttled the import lobby which was most active during Kargil?
(o) Leh Berry. Yes focus should be on weapon development. But if you can produce healthy concoctions out of berries grown in barren strategic areas %u2013it is helpful.
(p) Empire Building. Auditorium, convention centers, hostels; messes are part of any scientific organization. Have we seen facilities at Infosys & CSIR etc? Good buildings cannot lower scientific temper or does it?
(q) Fault Lines. I fully endorse the author%u2019s view that we have to improve manufacturing sector along with the needed changes in the DRDO also. RUR%u2019s can also get dovetailed
Air Cmde Raghubir Singh (Retd) Continued- (e) Import Lobby. Armament kings hold maximum clout in cash rich countries like India where DRDO has been major bulwark against imported weapon systems that are not even half as effective as claimed in their glossy sales brochures. I wish the learned author could be shown our imported duds purchased at huge costs even while these had not met the QR%u2019s.
(f) Going in Circles. A country having super-power ambitions like India cannot afford to have piggy ride over borrowed wheels. If reinventing of wheel leads to some useful learning process it would not be futile exercise.
(g) Reverse Engineering- Going the reverse way is thought to be quicker route %u2013but it has innumerable pitfalls enroute. Was the endeavour to reverse engineer the Russian missile total failure or we could make some systems that are used in our successful missiles?
(h) Testing Times. The indigenously developed stores are tested till they fail under persistent trials of errors %u2013while the imports at times can get in on the basis of their published & much hyped success stories.
(i) Lure of the Foreign. Bharat cannot fight war with imported weapons for sure. A missile with slightly greater CEP or marginally lower hit probability than the foreign one should be preferred unless it is absolutely necessary.
(j) Plugging the Air Defence Gaps. What is required could be imported to meet the immediate needs. But surely Akash & Trishul can be improved & these ar
(a) Calling Screwdriver a Screwdriver. On the very outset the learned author must be complimented in being fully aware of the fundamental differences between the missile programmes of India & Pakistan. But I am afraid assembling missiles from subassemblies obtained from other countries leads us nowhere. There is lot of difference between screwdriver technology & mastering newer ones by learning from failures. As such comparing even our failures with their successes is outrageous. Having worked on missiles at the manufacturing level some four decades back-I do understand what it takes to develop a missile & the complexities of the technologies involved.
(b) Uncalled for Happiness. Should we as Indians be happy that the projects have been shelved or do some soul searching? Until we do not learn to take failures gracefully & use these as stepping-stones success would always elude us.
(c) And Others. How national pastime of DRDO bashing can be complete without not getting in to the Arjun tracks or recalling the slow speed of our supersonic Tejas? Would there be ever any pride in our own developments? Has not DRDO made us totally self-reliant in conventional armaments? Are we importing any ammo or bombs or rockets or parachutes?
(d) 25 Years & 2000 Crores. Has 2000 crores gone out of the country in swiss accounts or has it been total waste? The technologies developed can be used for other missiles in much less time.
History of DRDO has been a chronicle of false claims, tall promises, inexplicable delays and sub-optimal products. The only success it has to its credit relates to replication of some imported products (commonly called %u2018reverse engineering%u2019 and %u2018indigenisation%u2019). Expending defence budget on developing new breeds of angora rabbits or newer varieties of orchids defies logic and reveals a total lack of focus. Many feel that DRDO%u2019s failure in high-tech areas has resulted in a crisis of identity - it has lost sight of its primary responsibility and resorted to delving in infructuous work to justify its existence.
Bharat Verma is bang on target when he says that there is a total lack of accountability as DRDO is not answerable to anyone. There is no external audit. Escalation in costs and deferment of completion dates are taken for granted. DRDO has been preventing import of urgently needed military systems by making confident assertions and promising indigenous products in the required time frame. Not one promise has ever been fulfilled. But no one has ever been taken to task for misleading the defence services, at times with grave consequences.
In 1997, India was on the verge of signing a contract for the import of Weapon Locating Radars (WLR) when DRDO intervened to scuttle the deal with claims that it would develop and produce them in two years. Mr APJ Kalam headed DRDO at that time. India went into the Kargil conflict without WLR and suffered hu
RE:How DRDO failed India's military
by Sanjay on Jan 18, 2008 12:19 PM Permalink
Let me tell you something, DRDO is a very successful organization. It does not need people who are uneducated ill informed as to be unable to call a success a success. Yes, they are not perfect, but still very successful
Look at agni missile program, and Akash that was able to score a directly hit a ballistic missile. These programs are both strategic success that puts us in much more better position with China. The Akash puts us in League with almost US, or maybe better then Russia. brahmos joint venture has produce a cruise missile that is supersonic better then anything in USA.
Those who compare Pakistan with India are insulting our nation.
Those who want to close the program has some alterative motive because research and development never stop.
We make helicopter,aircraft, missiles, radars, Air defence ship(air craft carriers),Frigate,destroyers,sonars, torpedos, statelites, launch vehicles, trucks, munitions. so on, if we did not have reasearch development we would be like Pakistan.
hmmmmm. Weapon locating radar. They have built many type radar that are technologicaly more superior. It is not DRDO decision not to buy such radar but GOIArmy.
RE:How DRDO failed India's military
by commander hans on Jan 18, 2008 08:09 PM Permalink
dude stop talking like an ignoramus....you obviously work for drdo that is why you are defending....no one doubts your capability...but look at what you have delivered...a bi ZERO
RE:How DRDO failed India's military
by Sanjay on Jan 19, 2008 12:07 AM Permalink
Commander Hans, why before India's missile program no country in the world wished to even participate and help us out, if our missile program was not a success? Why joint ventures then, because they were subjected to sanctions, like Light combat Aircraft and few were willing too remember MTCR.
Now we can deny the facts but there were also witnesses like reporters, IAF who confirmed that in live demonstrations of our system capabilities like Akash. Why you doubt the Akash abilities. Do you doubt the test? Do you doubt the Agni capabilities? or other missile capabilities?
But lastly why is this government wishing to spend 10,000 corer to improve the Barak, when in the entire IGMDP budget for last 25 years was not 2,000 corers. Besides all the well know problems with Barak like slow reaction time, plus missing the target.
There is a doubt that government is half heartily support research, science, education, and only wishes kickbacks. Further, if you heard recently the state of IIT recently they cant even pay salaries to staff. To the question what is government intent to make us go to stone age? Besides newly added education cess, service tax for what to line their pockets with non-existence schemes like rural unemployment scheme.?
Further It can be said of this government which is inappropriate here, but to say in minimal words it is not only corrupt, but well infiltrated, fifth columnist.
Those who wish to question research and development, wish to halt develop
RE:Invitation
by RAMDAS E on Jan 17, 2008 11:56 AM Permalink
He has written nothing wrong and no secret. Pak and China has information more than this which might have leaked by our own countrymen for money.
The need for indigenous development of technologies for national security is not going away. So let's make things better
1. Smaller DRDO (30% cut in 10 years?) 2. Involve universities, sponsor PhDs and scholarship 3. Let DRDO have its own university like Armed Forces Medical College, Pune 4. Make it mandatory for IIT grads to serve 5 years here before leaving the country. 5. Better interaction within govt research centers 6. Better colloboration with pvt sector 7. Indian pvt sector participation in defence manufacture 8. Hang the corrupt military guys. 9. Give the juniors some good work so they can build character. 10. Go for bi-annual and longer term defence budgets and give more autonomy for research labs
RE:Don't break it, make it better
by MS on Jan 17, 2008 01:31 AM Permalink
::: We don't sell to the defence forces because we care about our integrity ::: - I was shocked when I heard Azim Premji say this. He implied it is not possible to sell to the Indian military without paying bribes.
RE:Don't break it, make it better
by Nepal Travels on Jan 17, 2008 10:24 AM Permalink
That's because every big purchase gets nod from the MOD. And we all know what goes on in there. Bofors, Scorpene, Barak SAM and so on......
India's IGMDP was shelved just because a Pasta & Pizza munching Who_e is in the scheme of things. Army is not accepting Akash missile system coz they want Akash system mounted on T72 Tanks and not Tatra Trucks (Official reason...Actual reason can be easily understood with very little brain matter). Where were this guys when development specification was laid out ? Foreign collaboration ? Like begging Russia when its their fault in the delay (INS Vikramaditya Aircraft Carrier). Or else like subduing to United Suc_ers of Amreeka? Or as the Cheeni Party of India (CPI/CPM) want, to subdue to treacherous Cheeni? Mr. Bharat Verma, its very indecent of you to report in this way. I am ashamed that a man with name Bharat has become pawn of vested interests ( Due to money / lack of intelligent thinking / both ). Please focus on Bollywood news...Please...
RE:DRDO
by on May 10, 2008 11:24 PM Permalink
Yes Krishna, you are absolutely right. Though its below my dignity to comment on a person like Mr. Verma, but all I want to say is all these men want is the "kickback" while all they deserve is a kick on their back.
