CBI Probe into Role of DRDO Employees in Possible Corruption

The  Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has recently begun a preliminary inquiry into the possible misuse of funds related to the Lakshya aircraft,

1. an unmanned aerial target system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

About the Lakshya Aircraft:

1. The Lakshya is an indigenously developed micro-light and pilotless target aircraft.
2. It is designed and built by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a subsidiary of the DRDO, for the Indian Armed Forces.
3. The Lakshya was inducted into the Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, and Indian Army in 2000, 2001, and 2003, respectively.
4. It is a cost-effective, reusable, high subsonic aerial target system powered by a gas turbine engine.
5. The engine is designed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bangalore.
6. The Lakshya is primarily used for evaluation and development trials of new surface-to-air and air-to-air weapon systems.
7. The Lakshya can be launched from either land or sea through a zero-length launcher and recovered by a dual-stage parachute system.
8. The Lakshya can be controlled from the ground control station (GCS) through pre-programmed hardware and software systems.
9. The aircraft can attack aerial enemy targets and is designed for reuse up to 15 missions.

What is the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)?

1. The DRDO is the R&D wing of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India.
2. Its vision is to empower India with cutting-edge defence technologies, and its mission is to achieve self-reliance in critical defence technologies and systems.
3. It is India's largest research organization with a network of laboratories engaged in developing defence technologies covering various fields.

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