India Defence News

Agni-V may be test-fired next year

2010-03-13T01:05:00.000-04:00

MYSORE: Agni-V, India's version of Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of more than 5,000 km, will be test-fired by early 2011, according to W. Selvamurthy, Chief Controller, R and D (Life Sciences), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
He was interacting with presspersons here on Thursday on the sidelines of a seminar on Futuristic Food Requirement of the Armed Forces organised by the Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL).
Capacity
Dr. Selvamurthy said the DRDO scientists were working on Agni-V which was a three-stage solid fuelled missile and it would have a payload of one to 1.5 tonne and could carry conventional nuclear warhead. “It will address our immediate threat perception and since India has declared and adopted a no-first strike policy, Agni-V will empower the country with the second strike capability,” Dr. Selvamurthy said.
He described Agni as an important missile delivery system. Agni V was a surface-to-surface missile and came very close to qualify as an ICBM. Commenting on Agni-III which was test-fired successfully thrice, Dr. Selvamurthy said it had met all parameters and the armed forces would decide on the actual induction programme.Major concern
On the development of anti-satellite system and space security imperatives, the DRDO scientist said space security was a major concern but there was no separate anti-satellite programme as such though the DRDO had the core capability of designing and developing such a system if the need arose.
He said the DRDO already had the capacity to deliver such a system based on its earlier missile delivery programmes and all that was required was to modify and transfer this to the requisite format, he added.

Dr. Selvamurthy said the DRDO had visualised future battle and conflict scenario and was gearing to meet the new changes. He said a brain storming session was held recently on Battle Scenario 2020 and it emerged that high intensity conflicts like the World War I and II were passé as also the Middle Intensity Conflict. He said the country's challenge would be Low Intensity Conflict (LIC) as being witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir, operations against naxalites and counter terrorism operations and hence the DRDO was launching a major initiative to support the LIC in due course through appropriate weapon delivery systems.
While the high-intensity conflicts ended with the two World Wars, the middle intensity conflicts too were an unlikely scenario or had a low probability in view of economic and trade issues and hence future war scenario would be low intensify conflicts, he added.
The other countries were envious of India's high GDP growth bordering on 7.5 per cent to 8 per cent and hence the country had to brace for low intensity conflicts, said Dr. Selvamurthy.
On the nuclear-biological-chemical (NBC) war scenario, Dr. Selvamurthy said the country was prepared to handle it and the Cabinet Committee recently sanctioned an additional Rs. 300 crore for developing contingency measures. He pointed out that the standard operating procedure (SOP) of command and control were in place and the guidelines for implementing the SOP were in place in addition to a quick response system.
The DRDO had developed capabilities and contributed to early detection, personal protection, collective protection, de-contamination and rescue operations. He said for aerial monitoring for nuclear devices as also chemical warheads had been developed and for battle field operations, it had developed a portable gas chromatography devise that could detect chemical vapour in the event of a chemical warfare.Diagnostic kits
It had produced biological field antigen-based diagnostic kits apart from unmanned recce vehicle which would map contaminated zone and a remotely operated vehicle Daksh that had the capacity to diffuse any explosives.
Dr. Selvamurthy said the DRDO had developed a stand alone-stand off detection system, unmanned aerial and ground vehicle mounted with sensors to detect explosives and chemicals among others and welcomed private sector participation in the defence sector.

India to purchase 40 Su-30MKI warplanes from Russia

2010-03-13T00:52:00.000-04:00

NEW DELHI, March 12 (Itar-Tass) - Russia and India will sign a contract of supply of 40 newest multi-purpose fighters Su-30MKI for the Indian Air Force later this year.
"We're conducting negotiations over this contract; we're expecting it to be signed this year," director of the Sukhoi corporation Mikhail Pogosyan underlined on Friday.
Su-30MKI (modernized, commercial, Indian) is a modification of SU-30MK, designed specially for India. Its top speed is 2,200 kilometers per hour. It has a range of 3,500 kilometers. Armaments: a 30-mm gun, with missiles or bombs on 12 suspension points.

India eyeing Raytheon's Javelin missile - co exec

2010-02-17T08:13:00.000-04:00

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is in talks with the United States to buy Raytheon's Javelin fire-and-forget missiles that have been used in Iraq and Afghanistan, Walter Doran, Asia president at the U.S. firm, told Reuters on Monday.The portable, medium-range Javelin has been jointly developed by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin

Army postpones howitzer trial after gun accident

2010-02-17T08:10:00.000-04:00

The Indian Army has postponed the winter trials for procuring 155 mm towed howitzers after St. Kinetics expressed inability to bring its gun for field testing due to an accident in Singapore.
“The winter trials will now be held in October as one of the two contenders, St. Kinetics, said its gun was damaged in an accident in Singapore, and would be able to arrive in India only after March,” Army officials said here.
St. Kinetics senior executive Brig Gen Patrick Choy said the accident occurred when the gun was being transported to India.
“We have to cut some parts on the gun which were damaged in the accident. We will definitely have the guns in India by April and it will take part in the summer trials,” he said.
The Indian Army is planning to procure 400 towed howitzers, and BAE Systems and the Singapore-based St. Kinetics are the two contenders offering their platforms.The field trials have already been delayed as they were put on hold after St. Kinetics’ name surfaced in a CBI case for allegedly bribing Ordinance Factory Board officials.After the government decided to allow tainted firms to participate in defence contracts till the time the probe was on, the Army decided to hold the winter trials in Leh in February and March.
In view of the mishap involving the St. Kinetics gun, the trials are now expected to be held in October-November.
Commenting on the other tenders where St. Kinetics is participating, Choy said the company’s SAR-21 assault rifles were undergoing trials for meeting the requirements of the Home Ministry tender for procuring around 40,000 guns

BrahMos hypersonic missile to touch Mach 5 to 7 speeds

2010-02-17T08:06:00.000-04:00

Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace is working on a hypersonic cruise missile that can touch speeds ranging from five to seven times that of sound.
The cruise missile's supersonic version for the land forces can touch speeds of two times the speed of sound and has a 290-km range.
"The hypersonic version of the BrahMos, to be called BrahMos-II, is in its design and technological development stage. It will take some time to mature. But our aim is for it to touch Mach 5 to 7 speeds, making it the fastest cruise missile in the world," BrahMos' Chief Executive Officer A Sivathanu Pillai said at the DefExpo here.
"The hypersonic missile, which will be smaller than BrahMos-I, will definitely provide an advantage to the Indian armed forces in future warfare," Pillai said when asked about the need for the missile. The hypersonic version of the BrahMos would be built for its air platforms.
Already, the BrahMos is in the process of developing an air platform-based supersonic cruise missile and Sukhoi fighter jets of the IAF have been chosen as the platform for integrating the missile.
"The BrahMos will be integrated in to the Su-30MKI's built in India. But the aircraft would be sent to Russia for fitting a modified structure for the missile's integration. We plan to get it done by 2012," he said.
Tata announces foray into combat vehicles for defenceApart from the Sukhois, currently being built at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL) facility in Bangalore on a technology transfer from Russia, other systems that would be Indian in the BrahMos plans are its launchers

New sub-machinegun can pierce bullet-proof jackets: DRDO

2010-02-17T08:02:00.000-04:00

New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) India’s Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) says it has developed a modern sub-machinegun (SMG) that will be extremely useful in anti-terror operations as its ammunition is capable of piercing bullet-proof jackets.
“The SMG is 100 percent indigenous and specially designed to fight against militants in close combat. Its ammunition can pierce through bullet-proof jackets,” a DRDO official told IANS at the DefExpo 2010 land and naval systems exhibition here.
“The weapon incorporates a laser sight and has an effective range of 200 metres,” the official added.
“It is very light in weight and can be used as a single and multiple shot weapon,” the official said, adding that in rapid mode, it can fire 700 rounds per minute.
The SMG, which is currently undergoing field trials that are expected to be completed between April and June, is the third element of the 5.56 mm INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) family that DRDO has developed. The other two are an assault rifle and a carbine variant.
The DRDO SMG’s closest competitor is the Israeli Tavour assault rifle that is already in use with the Indian Army’s Special Forces.

LCA Navy Targets First Flight This Year

2010-02-17T07:55:00.000-04:00

The first prototype of the LCA Navy (NP-1) will be a two-seat trainer variant of the naval fighter, and will be followed by the single-seat NP-2 (of the kind shown in the photos above). I met LCA Navy programme director Cmde CD Balaji (Retd) today at DefExpo and received a full update on the programme. Cmde Balaji says he is aiming for a full power-on of NP-1 in the next three months, a roll out of the aircraft from its final integration facility by mid-2010, and a first flight in the second half of this year.
The front fuselage of NP-1 is identical to the LCA fighter trainer that began flight tests in November last year, and therefore test points for the LCA Navy have already started clocking, according to Cmde Balaji. The only part of the front fuselage that will require a full routine of tests is a small additional control surface near the wing roots in the LCA Navy that isn't there on the air force version. The NP-1 prototype is 80% complete, with some work left on the aircraft's landing gear. The LCA Navy will also have auxiliary air intakes.
Significantly, while EADS has already begun consulting with the LCA air force variant programme, the LCA Navy is still to begin consulting with Lockheed-Martin (which won a bid to consult for the LCA Navy) since protocol clearances from the US government still haven't come through (which, personally stinks of something deeper).
We are fully capable of completing the exercise on our own. However, we have decided to hire the services of a consultant to optimise our requirements. For example, we need to reconfigure our landing gear for a greater sink rate, etc," Cmde Balaji says

India's ASAT Concept A Hybrid Of Agni And AAD

2010-02-13T02:28:00.002-04:00

While India doesn't have a formal anti-satellite weapon programme, the country's top missile scientists revealed this week that they have gradually laid the groundwork for precisely this sort of weapon. In fact, Dr Avinash Chander, director of India's Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), has revealed that if the government calls upon DRDO to deliver such a weapon, it would take less than three years to first test.
According to Dr Chander, "We have developed technology blocks that can be integrated to create an anti-satellite weapon. What we need is the technology to boost the munition into space, which we have proven very robustly with the Agni programme. And we need a kill vehicle of considerable energy and terminal phase accuracy, which our scientists have proven with the advanced air defence (AAD) interceptor tests. We can put these blocks together and finetune the weapon as an anti-satellite platform. If we are required to, we can deliver this."
DRDO chief Dr VK Saraswat was more circumspect. "We already have a design study of such a weapon, but at this stage the country does not require such a platform in its strategic arsenal. Testing such a weapon also has a lot of repercussions which have to be taken into consideration. But testing is not an issue -- we can always rely on simulations and ground test. We can see in the future if the government wants such a weapon. If so, our scientists are fully ready to deliver it."

HAL's Indian Light utility helocopter invites foreign bids....

2010-02-13T02:25:00.000-04:00

Remember the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) that HAL is developing to meet a partial requirement of 187 helicopters by the Indian armed forces? HAL has now floated a tender inviting bids from "reputed TurboShaft Engine Manufacturers world over who would like to offer their engine along with associated instrumentation for integration on Light Utility Helicopter (LUH)." HAL reveals that during the production phase of the LUH (2013-14), 210 engines will be procured in phases. For starters, they want two flight-cleared engines delivered for testing and prototype flights by December 2011.
Ok, now for some engine specs. HAL is looking for a turboshaft with dual channel FADEC, with an independent backup fuel-control system in the event the FADEC packs up. The engine must allow time from start-up to take-off of 5-minutes or less. The dry weight of the engine, FADEC, backup controls and accessories must not exceed 200-kg, and it must be fully tropicalised to operate in the temperature range of -35°C to 50°C and a service ceiling of 7000m.
And obviously, since HAL can't pull it off alone, "HAL is also interested in entering into a long term business agreement with willing partners to take-up license manufacturing of engine or its parts at its facilities aimed to jointly meet the engine requirement on a global basis on mutual benefit terms. Consent for further exploration of transfer oftechnology for license manufacturing is to be indicated with sufficient details."

Army looks for shoulder-fired air defense missiles

2010-02-10T05:02:00.000-04:00

The Indian Army has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for Man Portable Air Defense (MANPAD) Very Short Range Air Defense (VSHORAD) missile systems.The RFI, issued last week, asks for detailed information about the systems available regarding their range, speed, reaction time, warhead capability and transportability.The RFI also inquires about the whether the available systems have target seeking capabilities, multi-launcher capabilities and deployability from high mobility vehicles and naval vessels, including submarines as well as in all kinds of harsh terrain. The army is also keen that the system have the capability to be easily knocked down for ease of transport and para-dropped.The army requires day and night sight capability, target detection and tracking and a Command, Control and Communication (C3) system for ‘detecting, processing and engaging aerial targets’.

India’s spy in the sky by 2014

2010-02-10T04:58:00.000-04:00

India will finally have its own ‘official’ eye in the sky to boost military intelligence.Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing the country’s first full-fledged ‘declared’ spy satellite, which will be operational by 2014 to keep an eye on neighbouring regions. The satellite is expected to significantly help in maintaining a close watch on terror camps close to Indian borders.
The satellite, called Communication-Centric Intelligence Satellite
(CCI-Sat), will be launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) within the next four years.
The CCI-Sat will be capable of picking images and supporting communication (conversation between two satellite phones, for instance), besides surveillance. The project is currently in the initial stages of planning.
G Bhoopathy, director, Defence Electronic Research Laboratory, said the satellite would orbit Earth at an altitude of 500km, and would cover hostile regions in India’s neighbourhood by passing on the surveillance data to the intelligence. “The focus is now space; we have to equip ourselves for electronic warfare from space, too,” he said.
The satellite will be equipped with a synthetic aperture radar to take high resolution images of the target regions. Pegged at Rs100 crore, the satellite design and development will be made by Isro while the payload will be built by DLRL.“We are in discussions with Isro at the moment,” Bhoopathy said.
Unofficially, India in October 2001 has already entered the league of nations having spy satellites – USA, Russia, Japan and Russia – with the launch of the Technology Experiment Satellite (TES). In fact, TES provided the first one-metre resolution images of Afghanistan’s interior regions on US’s request as intelligence inputs when US troops entered that country post-9/11.
Besides TES, Isro’s Cartosat series of satellites and the Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT)-2 can also be used for surveillance and espionage. However, CCI-Sat will be the first 100% spy satellite of India. “This satellite will be much better than Risat-2,” Bhoopathy said.
Isro is also planning to launch the Gsat-7 satellite to boost communication system for the Indian Navy. This would be launched later this year.

Agni-III launch a complete success

2010-02-08T05:27:00.000-04:00

By arrangement India's longest range Agni-III missile blasting off from Wheeler Island, off Orissa coast on Sunday.

The launch of Agni-III, the missile with the longest range in India’s arsenal, from the Wheeler Island off Orissa on Sunday was a complete success.

Lifting off majestically at 10.50 a.m., it travelled its entire range of 3,500 km. and came down accurately on its target in the Bay of Bengal.

During its 800-second flight, it reached an altitude of 350 km. and its re-entry module sliced into the atmosphere, withstanding searing temperatures of 3,000 deg. Celsius.
The two-stage, surface-to-surface ballistic missile can carry nuclear warheads.
The nuclear triggering mechanism worked well although the missile carried only chemical explosives as payload.

An elated V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, called it “a fantastic launch and a hat-trick.”

Talking to The Hindu from Wheeler Island, he said, “it shows the maturity of the missile’s design and the quality of its systems because we have had three successes in a row without any blemish.”

“The flight gave us the full range and pin-point accuracy. The missile travelled accurately its entire range to its last decimal place as we had planned. ”

Jubilation in the control room

As the nuclear-capable Agni-III missile zeroed in on the pre-designated target in the Bay of Bengal with copybook precision, anxiety turned into an all-round jubilation in the control room at Wheeler Island off the Orissa coast on Sunday.

There were loud shouts, clapping, hand-shaking and hugging as missile scientists, software experts and other team members congratulated each other.

“It was all about the success of the efforts put in by DRDO scientists and the anticipation of the user agency of the excellent system being acquired by then,” said a top DRDO official in the control room.

Later, the euphoric staff carried V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister; Avinash Chander, Agni Mission Director; and V.G. Sekaran, Project Director, on their shoulders.

Dr. Saraswat congratulated the scientists for scoring a hat-trick of successes with Agni-III.
He urged them to continue with their hard work and make a grand success of Agni-V, which is planned to be launched by the end of the year.

India to setup new airbases in Andaman Island

2010-02-08T05:25:00.000-04:00

07 Feb 2010 8ak: Increasing security concern and emerging need of revamping security in the Andaman and Nicobar Island has prompted India to set up new airbases and upgrade the existing ones in the Island. The Admiral said that the existing air-strip was not suitable for meeting the security requirements and plans were in place to build new air-strips in the 572 islands to establish better control over the territory and provide adequate security cover to te island, which is 700-km from the mainland.The airstrip up north (Northern Andaman Islands) needs to be refurbished. Even for smaller aircraft it is a tight fit,' Verma told reporters in Port Blair. Adding further, he said that night landing facilities would also be established at the air-strips. The airfield at Shibpur is about 1,000 feet in length and is inadequate for smaller cargo aircraft like Dornier and AN-32. Currently, only helicopters are capable of conducting operations from the airfield. Other airbases in the region are situated at Port Blair, Car Nicobar, and Campbell Bay, with plans to establish new ones in Katchul and Hut Bay.The decision comes at a time when China is focussing on establishing their stronghold in the waters by expanding its navy at an unprecedented pace. Additional airbases would augment the capability of Indian armed forces to enhance the pace of troop mobilisation and logistical support in wake of any Chinese hostility. It will also enable India to extend its sphere of influence South China Sea.
The IAF has also opened three Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) in the past two years to counter China’s military expansion. The latest being Nyoma in eastern Ladakh, just 23 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, which was opened in September 2009. The other two ALGs are Daulat Beg Oldi, the world's highest airfield at 16,200 feet, in May 2008 and Fuk Che in November in the same year.
The Indian army on its past is modernising their artillery in a US$4 billion modernisation program to counter China. The big neighbour continues to be a threat to India, with whom it has a border dispute and even fought a war in 1962

DRDO raises the bar, sets its sights on 5,000-km Agni-V

2010-02-08T05:20:00.000-04:00

With three consecutively successful flights of Agni-III, the missile technologists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have raised the bar: they will now busy themselves with realising Agni-V which will have a range of 5,000 km.
The success of the Agni-III flight on Sunday, according to them, sent out several signals: it has become a proven missile; the decks have been cleared for its induction with nuclear warheads, into the Army; it established the maturity of India’s nuclear deterrence programme and its second-strike capability.
It was the Army which conducted the successful flight. With this, the induction process of the missile has commenced. “This launch is a stepping stone to the DRDO realising its next intermediate range ballistic missile, Agni-V,” V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, said.Dr. Saraswat, who is also Director-General of the DRDO, said the flight proved that the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which aimed at denying missile technologies to India, “has not affected our programme.”“The development of the Agni-III took place independent of the MTCR. About 80 to 85 per cent of the components were indigenous. The indigenisation has gone to such a level where we are independent of any embargo,” Dr. Saraswat said. W. Selvamurthy, Chief Controller (Life Sciences and Human Resources), DRDO, described the flight as “a milestone in strengthening our defence and developing our second-strike capability.” Dr. Selvamurthy said that since India was wedded to the doctrine of “no-first-use” of its nuclear weapons, it needed to have a robust second-strike capability. If any country were to use nuclear weapons against India, the country should be able to retaliate in kind. “India should be able to deploy them [Agni-III missiles] in places where they cannot be detected,” he said. Both the stages of Agni-III are powered by solid propellants. It is 17 metres long, has a diameter of two metres and a launch weight of 50 tonnes. It can carry payloads weighing 1.5 tonnes.The missile was equipped with a sophisticated computer system, navigated with an advanced navigation system and guided with an innovated guidance scheme. Several radars and electro-optical tracking systems, along the coast of Orissa, monitored its path and evaluated its parameters in real-time. Two ships tracked and witnessed the missile reaching its target.Avinash Chander, Mission Director, called the flight “a thrilling experience,” with all the mission objectives met. “It was a copy-book flight with all the events listed in the flight being executed accurately,” he said.The missile was tested for its full range and its integrated strategic command network was fully proved, said Mr. Chander, who is also Director, Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Hyderabad. The ASL designs and develops the Agni variants.According to A. Sivathanu Pillai, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, BrahMos Aerospace, the success brought big credit to the DRDO.Lt. Gen. B.S. Nagal, chief of Strategic Forces Command, witnessed the flight from the Wheeler Island.V.G. Sekaran, Agni-III Project Director, coordinated the entire integration and launch activities.While the first flight of Agni-III on July 9, 2006 failed, its second and third flights on April 12, 2007 and May 7, 2008 were successful.

Tejas in IAF by Year End

2010-02-03T22:25:00.000-04:00

The Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project is on the home stretch. India’s first indigenous supersonic, multi-role fighter is now a “reality”, defence minister A.K. Antony declared on Tuesday, virtually putting a stamp of approval on the aircraft by saying that “it will certainly get the initial operational clearance (IOC) by the end of 2010.”

Upon achieving IOC, the Indian Air Force, which has ordered 20 Tejas fighters and is expected to ask for 20 more soon, will establish a squadron of these at an airbase in Tamil Nadu. The final operational clearance is expected by end-2012, after which Tejas will spread its wings across the country.

“It’s a historic day,” Mr Antony said soon after the LCA flew a demonstration flight. “Serious doubts were raised about Tejas. Three years ago, there were demands to abandon it. The Doubting Thomases have been proved wrong. Now I can proudly say we will fly our own fighters.”

The IAF could be flying a squadron of Tejas Light Combat Aircraft by the end of the year.

In January, the Cabinet Committee on Security allocated Rs 8,000 crores for production of the Air Force version of the LCA and for the development of the naval version and the trainer, clearly indicating that there was now no doubt at the highest decision-making levels about the success of the project. Tejas, long criticised as being too late, too expensive, was first conceived some 27 years ago, began as a technology demonstrator project in 1993 and was subsequently cleared for development as a multi-role fighter in 2001.

India to test N-capable Agni-III missile very soon

2010-02-03T22:23:00.002-04:00

31 Jan 2010: In a significant step forward for India’s missile development program, DRDO is in the process of testing the indigenously developed 3,500-km-range Agni-III ballistic missile in February-March.

This is the fourth time India is testing the 3,500-km Agni-III missile. The first test of the missile was conducted on July 9, 2006 from Wheeler island off the coast of the eastern state of Orissa. After the launch, it was reported that the second stage of the rocket had failed to separate and the missile had fallen well short of its target. Agni-III was again tested on April 12, 2007, this time successfully, from the Wheeler Island off the coast of Orissa. On May 7, 2008 India again successfully test fired this missile. The Agni-III missile is expected to be fully operational by 2012-2013.

The test results are vital for validating the missile's operational readiness while extending the reach of India's nuclear deterrent to most high-value targets of the nation's most likely adversaries. The missile, with its range, is expected to bolster India’s credible deterrence capability against China as most of the major Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shanghai fall under its ambit.

A top DRDO official told 8ak that the missile’s Circular Error Probable (CEP) is within 40 meters range, which makes it one of the most sophisticated and accurate ballistic missiles of its range class in the world. Work on the Upgraded version of Agni-III missile known as Agni-V has commenced. The missile is expected to have a range of 5,000-6,000 km. It is a three stage solid fuelled missile with composite motor casing in the third stage. Two stages of this missile will be made of composite material. Agni-V will be able to carry multiple warheads and will have countermeasures against Anti-ballistic missile systems.

India has a very ambitious missile development program. Over the years India has tried to develop numerous new missiles to bolster its attack and retaliatory capabilities. In 2009, the 700km-range nuclear-capable submarine- launched ballistic missile (SLBM) Samaria was tested.

Other indigenously built missiles to be tested by India in 2009 year are the 350km-range Prithvi and Russia-India developed supersonic missile Brahmos. These missiles are being developed under the aggressive Integrated Guided Missiles Program (IGMP) launched in 1983 by India to develop futuristic missiles technology based on hypersonic rockets to provide a potent weapon to the armed forces in order to enhance national security.

The DRDO is also developing Astra beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air missile (BVRAAM) for which the captive flight trials are going on. However, India has not got much headway in its ambitious missile development program as it lags behind its hostile neighbour Pakistan, which has a far more superior missile program compared to India as reported by Defence.pk.

Russia's T-90 vs India's Arjun

2010-02-03T22:13:00.000-04:00

Next month, India’s homegrown Arjun tank will take on the new Russian T-90 in a long-awaited comparative trial.

The army’s Bikaner-headquartered 24 Infantry Division will conduct the month-long trials in the desert expanses around Bikaner, Suratgarh and Pokhran. A squadron (14 tanks) of the Arjun will be pitted against a T-90 squadron. Both will be evaluated by day and by night, comparing their abilities to speed through rugged, sand-dune-infested terrain; to fire accurately even while moving; their abilities to operate for long periods over long distances; and the fatigue they impose on their crews.The outcome could decide whether the Indian Army will ride Indian tanks into future battles or continue its reliance upon a heavily criticized fleet of Russian T-72 tanks, which even the army chief admits is 80 per cent blind at night, when most tank battles occur.

The declared aim of the comparative trial, surprisingly, is not to identify the better tank. The army claims the T-90 is not on trial; instead, the strengths and weaknesses of the Arjun are being evaluated, to help the army decide what operational role the Arjun could play, and which sector of the border it could effectively operate in.

But the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO) — which has developed the Arjun tank at the Central Vehicles R&D Establishment (CVRDE) at Chennai — insists that if the Arjun performs well against the vaunted T-90, the army will be forced to order the Indian tank in larger numbers. Arjuns could start replacing the T-72, while the T-90 remains in service for another three decades.

So far, the army has only ordered 124 Arjuns for its 4,000-tank fleet. An incensed DRDO has long demanded comparative trials against the T-72, and the newer T-90, to prove the Arjun’s quality. Trials were scheduled, and then postponed, because of a shortage of Arjun ammunition. With the ammunition now available the army, significantly, has withdrawn the T-72 from the trials.

“The army knows that the T-72 would have performed very poorly in trials against the Arjun”, complains a senior DRDO officer. “Despite that, the army continues to sink money into its 2400 outdated T-72s. Any comparative trial with the T-72 would make it clear that the Arjun should replace the T-72.”

But there is also concern about the subjectivity of trials involving an entire squadron in tactical manoeuvres. Major General HM Singh (retired), the father of the Arjun, says, “It is impossible to measure the tactical performance of 14 tanks. There are too many variables, including the skill of the tank crews and coloured perceptions of the judges. A comparative trial should be a scientific comparison of each tanks’ physical performance in identical situations.”

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has not responded to an emailed questionnaire from Business Standard on the comparative trials and the condition of the T-72 tank fleet.

Meanwhile, the Arjun is ready for production in larger numbers, with a production line at the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) near Chennai established at a cost of Rs 50 crores. Capable of producing 20 Arjuns annually, it has already equipped India’s first Arjun unit, 43 Armoured Regiment. Now, a second unit, 75 Armoured Regiment, is being converted to the Arjun.

But that is as far as the army is prepared to accept the Arjun. According to the army’s long-term plan, which Business Standard has accessed, no more Arjuns are planned. Instead, the army will field equal numbers of T-90s and T-72s for the next 15 years, spending thousands of crores on extending the life of the T-72.

But these trials, despite the reservations about their relevance, are the moment of truth for the Indian tank. A strong performance by the Arjun will force the army to redo its maths. Conspicuous failure, on the other hand, could cap the programme at just 124 tanks.

India to Test-Fly EMB 145 AEW&C in 2012

2010-02-03T22:11:00.000-04:00

The indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) System integrated onboard the Brazilian jet aircraft EMB145 as per IAF requirement would be flight tested in 2012, a key official involved in the project said. CABS Director S Christopher said: "...our mission systems will be ready by this year. It will be tested in this rig in 2011, followed by flight testing in 2012".....

IAF to procure more Tejas aircraft and Akash missiles: Antony

2010-02-03T04:48:00.000-04:00

The Hindu The Akash missile system, on display at the Republic Day parade in New Delhi on January 26, 2010. In what could be termed a major boost to the indigenous defence manufacturing sector, Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Tuesday announced that the Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to procure 750 Akash missile systems from the public sector undertaking Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) at a cost of about Rs.4,000 crore. Besides, the Minister also announced that the Cabinet Committee on Security had cleared a proposal to sanction Rs.8,000 crore for further development of the indigenously built Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas, for use in the Navy and the Air Force, and for the development of the LCA’s new engine. Apart from these, the IAF recently placed an order for an additional 20 LCAs with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). He told journalists here during his visit to the various defence public sector undertaking and defence research organisations in Bangalore that the Defence Acquisition Committee had decided to buy the Akash missiles as the IAF was satisfied with their performance and had already inducted them for two squadrons (250 missile systems). These orders for the Akash missiles and the LCAs assume significance for the indigenous defence technology and manufacturing sector as both the projects once faced the threat of being abandoned. The IAF initially was not satisfied with the performance of the Akash missile. “Now the IAF is very happy about it,” Mr. Antony said. Making it clear that self-reliance through indigenisation remained the government’s objective, Mr. Antony said the defence industry would be given priority over imports if it met the requirement of the Armed Forces. “The government realises the adverse impact of continued over-dependence on external sources for meeting critical defence needs.” Mr. Antony, who witnessed the flight display of the twin-seater trainer version prototype (PV5) and another belonging to the limited series production (LCP)-2 of the LCA programme, said scepticism that prevailed a few years ago about the LCA project no longer existed with the progress made in project implementation. Tejas has successfully undergone weapon trials such as the release of the R-73 missile, dropping of bombs, and integration of drop tanks, and the process was due to be completed by the end of this year. On the LCA’s Naval version, Mr. Antony said that the building of two prototypes was envisaged — a two-seat trainer (NP1) and a single-seat fighter (NP2). The NP1 was nearing completion of equipping after the structural assembly, and it was due to roll out by April next followed by the first flight in June. The NP2 is scheduled for the first flight by June 2011. Earlier, the PV-5 was flown by the National Flight Test Centre’s chief test pilot R.R. Tyagi and group director R.K. Raveendran. Mr. Antony also inaugurated the System Test and Integration Rig at the Centre for Airborne Systems at the HAL airport. Secretary (Defence Production) R.K. Singh and Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister V.K. Saraswat, accompanied the Minister.

Govt scrambles to plug gaps in coastal security

2010-01-29T08:58:00.000-04:00

NEW DELHI: Better late than never. Over a year after the 26/11 terror strikes, the government is finally scrambling to plug gaps in the coastal security architecture as well as make the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) a force to reckon with. Phase-I of the critical coastal surveillance network, for instance, should be up and running by 2011 under a Rs 350-crore project. This will include 46 stations, with coastal radars, cameras, AIS (automatic identification systems) and other sensors mounted atop old lighthouses to dynamically locate and track vessels. "After Phase-II (with 56 additional stations), there will not be a single place along the coast not under radar coverage,'' said ICG chief Vice-Admiral Anil Chopra on Thursday. All these stations will be integrated with the National C3I (command, control, communication and intelligence) Network to provide real-time maritime domain awareness, as also link operations rooms of Navy, ICG and other agencies. Moreover, ICG force-levels and manpower are now set to double in the next few years, and triple in the next decade. "By 2012 itself, we will have a 100-ship, 100-aircraft ICG,'' said Vice-Admiral Chopra. This is certainly required since ICG is still making do with just 43 ships, 23 boats, 24 coastal surveillance Dorniers, 16 Chetak helicopters and four Dhruv advanced light helicopters to protect India's vast 5,422-km coastline, 1,197 islands and 2.01 million sq km of Exclusive Economic Zone.
Big brother' Navy, of course, chips in but it has more of a `blue-water' role. "We commissioned five new ships in 2009. We have 85 ships already on in domestic shipyards. Another 75 will ordered soon,'' said the ICG chief.
ICG is also going in for a major upgrade of its air wing, with 42 new aircraft already sanctioned by the government. Apart from 12 Dorniers and 30 helicopters, the force is also going to induct six medium-range maritime surveillance aircraft, for which Beriev-200 and Bombardier-Q400 have been shortlisted for trials in a Rs 1,100-crore project.
The number of ICG stations will also go up from the existing 27 to around 40 by 2012. Similarly, 73 state marine police stations and 97 check-posts are being set up in Phase-I of the coastal security scheme, with another 131 stations to follow in Phase-II.
Navy, too, began training the first batch of 100 sailors and 15 officers of the `Sagar Prahari Bal' at its gunnery school at INS Dronacharya in Kochi this month. This specialised force will have 1,000 personnel and 80 fast interception craft at a cost of Rs 320 crore to protect assets and bases.
The Mumbai terror carnage, of course, jolted everyone out of their slumber. Navy, ICG, coastal states and other maritime agencies have held a series of joint exercises and drills along the west and east coasts to boost security measures and establish SOPs (standard operating procedures) to handle maritime terror strikes.
"The synergy has acted as a huge force-multiplier. Based on intelligence inputs, ICG launched 14 big operations in 2009...and possibly thwarted attempts to infiltrate due to our quick reaction,'' said Vice-Admiral Chopra.
The government, however, is yet to get cracking on the Maritime Security Advisory Board (MSAB), with a maritime security adviser as its chief, to ensure cohesive policy-making and coordination among the multiple maritime authorities, which often work at cross-purposes.

India gets naval weapon system to destroy enemy targets

2010-01-29T08:53:00.000-04:00

India has developed a new generation multi-sensor, multi-weapon defence system against enemy targets on board naval ships.The state-of-the-art “Gun Fire Control System” (GFCS) developed by Bharat Electronics Limited will be installed on board the P-28 class of ships.“The GFCS is a quick reaction, multi-sensor, multi-weapon, short/medium/long range defence system against air, surface or shore targets on board naval ships”, a senior official of the Bangalore-based Navratna defence PSU told PTI.The GFCS is designed to provide air, surface or shore defence with 76 MM and 30 MM guns. Its purpose is to locate a hostile target using a radar or video tracker, acting on early warning search radars and to track its approach with high accuracy, in order to obtain reliable target data.
The data is further processed and used to control the weapons by pointing it in an exact ballistic firing position for eventual destruction of the target. The GFCS continues to track the approaching target, simultaneously pointing the weapon on it, until it is completely destroyed.
The GFCS comprises five functional sub-systems: tracker, weapon control, sight control, combat management system and support systems, each of which can be used as an independent system.
The GFCS for the P-28 class of ships would be “handed over” to Defence Minister A.K. Antony at a ceremony in Bangalore in the presence of BEL Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Kumar Datt on February 2.
A state-of-the-art facility, dedicated to manufacture of Digital Flight Control Computer (DFCC) for the Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas) at BEL’s Bangalore Complex will also come up.
DFCC is a multiple redundant (improving its reliability, one channel will take over if another fails) digital fly-by-wire flight control system of Tejas, which controls manoeuvring of the aircraft.
DFCC is a flight critical sub-system to be manufactured as per AS 9100 standards with stringent in-process and quality control processes, including environmental tests on each unit.
To meet this requirement, BEL has set up this integrated manufacturing facility for assembly, inspection and testing of DFCC, all under one roof.
The facility includes thermal cycling chamber, vibration machine, dehumidifying chambers for storing PCBs, high resolution inspection tools to identify process errors, automated test equipment for rigorous performance testing and engineering test station for testing the DFCC unit.

Russian stealth fighter to fly by end-Jan: Sources

2010-01-28T07:36:00.000-04:00

Russia will test fly by the end of January a new "fifth generation" stealth fighter that aims to challenge the United States for technical superiority, an aviation industry source told Reuters on Wednesday.

This would be the first all-new military aircraft Russia has built since the Soviet Union collapsed two decades ago and is crucial to showing that Moscow still has advanced technologies of its own, defence analysts said.
However, it would probably take five to seven years before Russia's military finally got to fly the first of these fighters, they said.India to sign new MiG deal with Russia.Russia to lease nuclear submarine to India:
Fifth-generation jets are invisible to radar, have advanced on-board flight and weapons control systems and can cruise at supersonic speeds. Russia currently builds military aircraft based on designs dating from the Soviet era.Asked when the new fighter, built by the Sukhoi company, would make its maiden flight, the industry source said: "By the end of this month."Sukhoi is Russia's largest exporter of military planes and accounts for a quarter of the country's annual arms sales. It has foreign orders worth billions of dollars, with India its biggest client.A spokesman for Sukhoi said the plane would fly "in the near future".
Interfax news agency quoted a source in the Far Eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where the first prototype plane has been built, as saying its first flight could take place "in two or three days, depending on the actual weather".
DELAYED JET IS MOSCOW'S PRIDE
The warplane is seen as Moscow's challenge to the US-built F-22 Raptor stealth fighter, which first flew in 1997."The importance of this project is huge. This is the first and principally new plane built in Russia after the fall of communism," said Alexander Khramchikhin, chief analyst at the Moscow-based Institute of Military and Political Analysis."This is good for Russia's defence capability, because so far only the United States has built such a jet."But Khramchikhin said he was not starry-eyed about the plane, recalling delayed deliveries to Russia's armed forces of much-publicised new diesel submarines and the formidable Iskander tactical missiles.A series of failed tests of the newest, submarine-launched Bulava (Mace) intercontinental nuclear missile, touted by the Kremlin as a perfect weapon able to pierce any air defence, has only added to Moscow's embarrassment in recent years."In an optimistic scenario, Russian air forces meanwhile will probably rely strongly on supplies of the less advanced Sukhoi Su-35 jet fighter whose deliveries are due to start this year," the Moscow-based Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST) said in an analytical note sent to Reuters."It appears the new jet will take years to be fine-tuned, and its delivery to the armed forces would take between five and seven years at least." It said Russia was likely to produce the new jet jointly with its close partner IndiaCAST said the mass output of the fifth-generation fighter and its future modifications would attract young engineers to the aviation sector and boost Moscow's military exports after the market for the current Su-30 had been saturated."The fifth-generation plane could easily occupy a niche of at least one third of the world market for this type of output," CAST said. "Europe is not building such jets, and China's would-be copycat planes will not match the high standards."
Potential exports of U.S. fifth-generation jets may be limited by Washington's security considerations, reducing sales to a narrow circle of close US allies such as Israel, Saudi Arabia and Japan, CAST said

US okays howitzers worth $647 million for India

2010-01-28T07:31:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON: Asserting that its sale to India will "improve interoperability with US Soldiers and Marines," the US defense agency tasked with transfer of military hardware and promoting military-to-military ties has notified the US Congress of the Obama administration's intention to sell 145 M777 Howitzers to India in a deal worth $ 647 million.
The mandatory notification follows a request from India for the light-weight towed Howitzer with Laser Inertial Artillery Pointing Systems (LINAPS), the first major artillery purchase by New Delhi after the star-crossed Bofors deal going back to the 1980s.
The $647 million deal will include warranty, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, maintenance, personnel training and training equipment, US government and contractor representatives' technical assistance, engineering and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in its January 22 notification."This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to strengthen the US-India strategic relationship and to improve the security of an important partner which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in South Asia," DSCA said. The Agency said the howitzers will assist the Indian Army to develop and enhance standardization and surprisingly asserted it will also "improve interoperability with US Soldiers and Marines who use the M777 as their primary means of indirect fire." India will have no difficulty absorbing these weapons into its armed forces, it added. In its standard caveat, the Agency also assured the Congress that the "proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region," and "there will be no adverse impact on US defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale."

The M777 purchase, seen in some quarters as a political decision favoring US, was not without the usual controversy that has come to dog almost every major defense acquisition in India.

The gun trailed the front-runner, the Pegasus lightweight howitzer developed jointly by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and Singapore Technology Kinetics, for several months, But Pegasus was knocked out of the race following reports of corruption and bribery that necessitated a CBI investigation.

While that inquiry is continuing, the government decided to go in for the US artillery given the Army's urgent requirement.

The M777 howitzer was originally developed by the British Vickers group, but is now produced by BAE Systems Land Systems in the US. It has largely replaced the M198 howitzer 155mm towed howitzers in the US Marine Corps and US Army and has seen action since March 2008 in Afghanistan. US allies Canada and Australia are the only two countries the US has sold the guns to.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-01-25T22:30:00.000-04:00

Russia Purposes Additional Phalcon AWACS For IAF

2010-01-24T12:51:00.000-04:00

Rosoboronehksport is holding discussions with India about a new contract for the delivery of long-range IL-76 Phalcon AWACS, a source in the defense industrial complex reported to AviaPort."The official negotiations may emerge in approximately half a year," he noted.According to him, the new contract may provide for the delivery of three airplanes of this type, plus an option for six aircraft.

The first contract for the delivery to India of threeIL-76 Phalcon AWACS equipped with PS-90A-76 engines and the Israeli ELTA firm's EL/M-2075 radar was signed in Delhi in 2003 by the three parties: India, Israel and Russia. The Taganrog Beriev Scientific and Engineering Complex, the Il'yushin Aviation Complex and the Vega scientific Production Association are taking part in realization of the contract from the Russian side.

The ELTA is the lead executor of the order. The total contract price is estimated at 1.1 billion dollars, Russia's share is 150 - 200 million dollars. The first contract under this contract was supposed to be delivered in 2006 and the contract's closeout was intended for 2009. However, the first A-50 (side number KW-3551) was delayed in delivery to Israel, in May 2009: The Tashkent V.P. Chkalov Aviation and Production Association was unable to build the Il-76MD, which serve as the basis for the IL-76 Phalcon AWACS, on time.