India To Develop AIP Technology for Subs

NEW DELHI - Even as the Indian Navy has announced that it is floating a global tender to procure six air independent propulsion (AIP) submarines for $11 billion, Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony told the parliament Nov. 28 that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing such technology itself.

"The DRDO proposes to develop a technology to reduce vulnerability of the submarines available with the Indian Navy. The Naval Material Research Laboratory (NMRL), Ambernath, under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is progressing a technology demonstration project, 'Development of Land-based Prototype for Air Independent Propulsion (AIP),' for submarine propulsion," Antony told the parliament in a written reply, according to an Indian Defence Ministry statement.

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The system is likely to be demonstrated by 2015, adds the release.

Last year, the Defence Ministry cleared the plan to procure six conventional submarines with AIP technology, and the request for proposals is likely to be floated by the end of the year or early 2012.

In 2004, India contracted the licensed production of six Scorpene conventional submarines for about $3.9 billion, but the production has been delayed by almost two years.

Under the proposal, six submarines are to be procured, of which three are likely to be built at the state-owned Mazagon Docks in Mumbai; one built at the state-owned Hindustan Shipyard in Visakhapatnam, with the help of a foreign collaborator; and two purchased directly from the overseas vendor.

The six submarines are being procured under the Navy's Project-75, and the subs will be equipped with stealth, land-attack capability and the ability to incorporate future technologies, such as AIP systems, to boost their operational capabilities.

The RfP is likely to be issued to French company DCNS, Germany's HDW and Russia's Amur Design Bureau.

Source: Defense News

Marching ahead

The successful launch of the Agni-IV missile from the Odisha coast has taken India to the doors of the exclusive inter-continental ballistic missile  (ICBM) club. Scientists and engineers of the Defence Research and Development Organisation  (DRDO) and other agencies associated with the programme and the country at large can be proud of the achievement. 


Though the working of the DRDO has generally left much to be desired, it has done good work in some areas. Development of missile technology is one of them. The development and improvement of missile technology has paralleled the progress made in the refinement of space technology which has helped the country to become a member of the space club also. This is no surprise because the technologies are related. The success of Agni-IV has set the stage for the launch of Agni-V, which is expected to be tested in February.


Agni-V will mark a quantum leap because it will be an ICBM with a range of over 5000 km. There has been a steady progress from a small technology demonstrator missile based on SLV-3 through various versions like Agni-II and Agni-III  to the present stage.  


Agni-III, tested in 2007, has a range of over 3500 km and Agni-IV is bigger and has a longer range. The proposed next version will not only have a longer range but will also have systems that provide better navigation and greater accuracy. Agni-V missiles can carry multiple nuclear warheads and can be transported by road and launched from mobile platforms. 


All this makes it an effective deterrent. After Agni-V is tested, it will take about three years for it to be made operational and inducted into the armed forces. With Agni-V about to be a reality, it is sometimes noted that India will have the capability to strike even the farthest part of China in the event of hostilities.


While this may be true this only has a theoretical value because no one expects a clash with China or any other country. India has a nuclear doctrine which has willingly abjured first use. There is also a cap on the range of missiles in the present strategic environment.  But the missile programme, as it is envisaged now, is necessary to protect the growing economic and other interests of the country.


Source:Deccan Herald

Ukraine for durable defence ties with India

Having supplied military hardware to Pakistan, Ukraine now wants to enter into a durable defence relationship with India.Subjected to competing pulls from Russia and the European Union, Ukraine is looking at Asia, especially India, for collaboration in a large number of areas including civil nuclear energy, visiting Ukraine Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko told The Hinduin an interview.

“India is a very important part of what we need to understand and it is part of our future destiny. Today the world is changing and being simply Europe-centred is not the answer to the future of [Ukraine's] survival and progress,” said Mr. Gryshchenko on his first visit to the country.

Home to niche technologies and having been subjected to a nuclear accident in 1986, Ukraine has lessons in nuclear safety for India because this sector still caters to 45-50 per cent of the country’s energy needs. Most reactors are based on the same technology offered by the Russians for the Kudankulam plant and a large number of Ukrainian engineers were working there till protesters forced a shutdown.

“We are not simply a transit country which guarantees the best and safest transit routes for gas from Russia to Europe,” said the Minister in a reference to this issue that is making the news after Ukrainian’s former Prime Minister and leader of the ‘Orange Revolution’ Yulia Tymoshenko was jailed for abuse in office while finalising a gas deal with Russia.

“There are a number of areas where Ukraine can be useful,” he said.

India and Ukraine are understood to be working on an energy pact which will subsume a memorandum of understanding between the civil nuclear regulators as also cover sectors such as gas and solar energy.

But for the immediate future, it is defence which will gain the most attention. Kiev is already modernising the An-32s, backbone of the Indian Air Force’s transport and troop replenishment fleet, and wants a more wide-ranging relationship.

A specialised matter

Terming defence ties a specialised matter that should be discussed by experts, Mr. Gryshchenko maintained that the two countries did not have political issues that could hinder a comprehensive military-technical relationship.

India and Ukraine could begin by coordinating efforts against pirates off the Gulf of Aden, described by the Minister as a “scourge that affects both countries,” exchanging notes on United Nations peace keeping operations, and moving towards interoperability between the militaries through joint exercises.

‘Aggressive action’

“We are openly interested in helping India to upgrade its capabilities to negate any intention [by another country] to start aggressive action. We welcome any opportunity to provide India defence systems that contribute to increasing stability in the region.”

Mr. Gryshchenko conceded that this can only be brought about by regular high level exchanges and said the two sides were trying to work out dates for his President Viktor Yanukovych (who defeated Ms. Tymoshenko in the polls last year) to visit India. Ukraine is also hoping for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to include Kiev in his itinerary the next time he heads for Europe.

Indian Army eyeing own 'mini' air force

NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force may crib all it wants, but the Army is pressing on regardless - with its plans to have its own air force, albeit a 'mini' one. Fighter jets may not be on its wish-list, but the 1.13-million strong force wants everything else, from attack helicopters to fixed-wing aircraft. 


Army's long-term plans include a squadron each of attack/armed, reconnaissance/observation and tactical battle-support copters for each of its 13 corps. The three 'strike' corps, with HQs at Mathura (1 Corps), Ambala (2 Corps) and Bhopal (21 Corps) will get more 'air assets' in keeping with their primary offensive role, say sources. 


To top it off, each of Army's six regional or operational commands will at least get 'a flight' of five fixed-wing aircraft for tactical airlift of troops and equipment. "Army Aviation Corps, which is observing its 25th anniversary this month and operates around 250 light helicopters, has plans till the end of the 14th Plan (2022-27)," said a source. 


In the short to medium term, AAC plans to induct 259 light-utility and observation helicopters to replace its ageing Cheetah and Chetak fleets that service Siachen, Kargil and other high-altitude areas. 


Army Aviation Corps also wants 140 multi-role tactical battle-support helicopters to provide 'integral tactical lift to its formations' and 114 light combat helicopters that are being developed indigenously. 


Army is slated to get its first-ever attack helicopter squadron by February-March. These copters will be weaponized versions of indigenous Dhruv advanced light helicopters, called the Rudra, armed with 20mm turret guns, 70mm rockets, air-to-air missiles and anti-tank guided missiles. 


Army and Indian Air Force have long been engaged in the bitter dogfight over 'air assets', which erupted even during the 1999 Kargil conflict. The persistent turf war forced defence minister A K Antony to call for a ceasefire, maintaining the two forces should work in synergy by reconciling differences. 


Holding that IAF does not fully comprehend its operational philosophy and concepts like 'close air support' or 'nuances of the tactical battle area', Army says it wants 'full command and control' over 'tactical air assets' for rapid deployment. 


IAF contends 'air assets' are 'scarce resources' that should be handled by a force with operational expertise and requisite 'air-mindedness'. But Army is unconvinced. 


Itfeels the IAF can continue with its larger 'strategic role' and the 'tactical role' should be left to it. 


For one, AAC aviators and engineers are drawn from Army combat arms, like infantry, mechanized infantry, armoured corps, air defence and artillery.


Source:ET

Presidential Fleet Review on Dec 20 off Mumbai coast

New Delhi, Nov 22 (PTI) A majority of 90 naval ships participating in a fleet review by President Pratibha Patil on December 20 off the Mumbai coast will be of Indian origin, demonstrating growing indigenisation in the Navy. "Out of the total 90 ships and submarines participating in the Presidential Fleet Review (PFR), a total of 63 vessels have been built in India. Since the first PFR, when the naval strength comprised British vessels, this is a significant indication of growing naval indigenisation," Navy officials said here today. Along with the indigenously built warships, the PFR will showcase the Navy's only aircraft carrier INS Viraat, 40 different aircraft, submarines, a training sail ship, Mhadei. Patil, after a 21-gun salute, will sail past the warships, including indigenously built destroyers INS Delhi and INS Rajput, lined up off the coast Mumbai in the Presidential yacht. Kilo-class and HWD-class submarines will also participate. The newly-inducted MiG-29K fighter jets will lead the Navy's aviation wing's fly-past during the three-and-a-half hour long ceremony. It will be followed by different flying formations of Sea Harrier fighter aircraft, Tupolev maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft and number of helicopters. "PFR is an event to showcase the readiness of naval power of the country which is reviewed by the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Mumbai harbour will turn into a fortress during the ceremony," the officials said. The last such review of the naval fleet was in held in 2006 off the Visakhapatnam coast when A P J Abdul Kalam was the President.

Source:IBN

India to open military hospital in Tajikistan

NEW DELHI: When Ahmed Shah Masood, the legendary Northern Alliance leader who foughtTaliban in Afghanistan, was mortally wounded in a terrorist attack on September 9, 2001, it was to a hospital run by India in Tajikistan that he was rushed to. An Indian Army doctor declared him dead, just two days before the terrorist strike of 9/11 in the US. 


In what many say was a strategic blunder, New Delhi later closed down the hospital at the Farkhor Airbase, losing its strategic presence so close to Afghanistan. The move was all the more baffling given the chaos and confusion in Afghanistan and jockeying by various foreign powers in the post-9/11 world. 


The government, sources said, has now decided to go back to Tajikistan and open a military hospital. The original proposal to revive its presence in Tajikistan was taken a year back, but the defence ministry sat on it. With prodding from the security establishment, sources said efforts are now underway to open a field hospital before winter sets in. At a high level meeting a few days ago, the government decided to speed up the plan, a senior source said. 


Sources said an Army team has already completed reconnaissance in Tajikistan and has identified a location outside Dushanbe, the capital city. Army has also identified personnel from its medical corps to set up a 20-bed field hospital. "They are ready to leave on a short notice," the source said. 


"The proposal (to open hospital) was first mooted when the Army chief (Gen V K Singh) visited Tajikistan last year. But the entire proposal has been pending with the MoD for a year now," a senior source in the security establishment told TOI. The hospital would cater to both civilians and Tajik military, he said. The Tajik Army has for long been engaged in fighting a bloody insurgency. "So, our hospital would be of great assistance to the Tajik Army," the source said. 


Meanwhile, the security establishment is also witnessing discussions about further intensifying India's security engagement with Tajikistan, which shares a 1,400-km border with Afghanistan. A strong section in the security establishment would like to extend the runway at Farkhor airbase and stage air force assets there. 


India has never deployed its air force assets outside its territory, except in UN operations and as part of Indian Peace Keeping Force operations in Sri Lanka in the late 80s. Maintenance of air assets abroad is a logistically complex issue needing huge number of technicians and regular spare-parts supply. So the suggestion is to base either Russian-made helicopters or Russian fighters there and then invite the Russians to maintain them. However, the air force for now is reluctant to move its assets so far out, sources said. 


The decision to open a military field hospital and discussions to base air assets in Tajikistan comes even as the deadline for US withdrawal from Afghanistan draws closer. By this year-end, US would withdraw 10,000 troops and by 2014 they would have completed the withdrawal. The US troop withdrawal could be followed by further chaos in Afghanistan and a desperate scramble by Pakistan to establish strategic depth in the country. In such a tense atmosphere, presence in Tajikistan would give a firmer presence for India in the strategically crucial region, and a better view of Afghanistan, sources said.


Source:TOI

Third PAK-FA prototype breaks cover

Russian-language spotter pages are reporting the first sighting of the third Sukhoi PAK-FA prototype at the Siberian flight test centre in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. As soon as pictures become available, we will post them. 

The T-50-3 prototype is reportedly scheduled for first flight by the end of 2011. It follows the maiden of sorties of T-50-2 in February and T-50-1 in January 2010. 

The third prototype is understood to carry the PAK-FA's active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. T-50-2 is an avionics and mission systems test aircraft, and T-50-1 is dedicated to flight sciences testing.  

Sukhoi has already completed more than 100 flights of the PAK-FA prototypes in less than 22 months of flight testing, including a chequered appearance at Moscow's MAKS air show in August where T-50-2 had an engine blow-out on take-off. 


Source:FlightGlobal

India: more AWACS and BrahMos missiles

India is in final negotiations for buying two more Israeli-made EL/M-2075 Phalcon Airborne Warning and Control Systems, the Times of India reported.

The $800 million contract is in addition to another $1.1 billion deal for three Phalcons signed in 2004 with Israel and Russia, the Times report said. In that deal, Russia supplied the AWACS aircraft -- Ilyushin-76 military transport plane. The three planes were delivered in 2009 and 2010.

The Phalcon is developed by Israel Aerospace Industries and Elta Electronics Industries of Israel. Apart from India and Israel, the Phalcon is used by Chile and Singapore.

India also is on schedule for developing its own AWACS, a smaller system than the Phalcon and for use on smaller planes.

GALLERY: Republic Day in India

The mini-AWACS program is a $400 million project to mount the radars on three Embraer-145 jets bought from Brazil.

Delivery date for the first plane is 2015, according to a Ministry of Defense statement in November 2010. The Ministry also plans another three mini-AWACS, but has not decided on an aircraft.

Dr. Prahlada, Chief Controller of Research and Development at the Defense Research and Development Organization, which is leading the mini-AWACS program, said the systems will be "85 percent indigenous."

The first three mini-AWACS will have a radar range between 150 and 225 miles and stay airborne for up to 5 hours.

Early last year, Boeing was in talks with the Ministry of Defense about using its 737-700 as a platform for the mini-AWACS.

The AWACS will be especially useful for detecting troop movements as well as cruise missiles.

The Time of India also reported that the Indian army has inducted another regiment of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, a precision-strike weapon with a range of around 200 miles.

The missiles likely will be deployed in the state of Arunachal Pradesh state in the northeast along the remote and contested border with China, the report said.

BrahMos missiles will "counter China's huge buildup of military infrastructure all along the 4,057-kilometer (2,500-mile) Line of Actual Control following a similar nod for the western sector facing Pakistan." the Times said.

The BrahMos is a based on Russian technology and is developed by BrahMos Aerospace -- a joint venture company created in 1998. BMA is 50.5 percent Indian-government owned and 49.5 percent by the Russian government. The name BrahMos is derived from two rivers, India's Brahmaputra and Russia's Moskva.

Last year the Indian government announced plans to have a reduced-weight air-launched version of the BrahMos on the air force's Sukhoi SU-30 MK-1 fighter aircraft by 2012.

The two-stage supersonic version, with its solid propellant engine, reaches Mach 3. But a hypersonic version is under development, BrahMos Aerospace said. It will use scram-jet engines, in place of ramjet, and reach Mach 6.

India has hopes for exporting the missiles, but only after all Ministry of Defense orders have been met.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2011/11/17/India-more-AWACS-and-BrahMos-missiles/UPI-43781321527900/#ixzz1e1WNYe5r

India and the F-35

After years of development, U.S. government and defense industry representatives have actively started the process of selling the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) overseas. Recent focus has fallen on India and Japan, two Asian powers that Washington sees as important to its future involvement in regional affairs.

The United States’ 4th generation (F/A-18 and F-16) offerings were rejected by India, with European manufacturers Dassault and Eurofighter the only finalists for a whopping $10 billion contract. Still, the Pentagon recently invited India to consider information on the Joint Strike Fighter for future purchases, labeling the craft the world’s premier fifth-generation platform and highly suited to the requirements of the original competition.

This clear shift emphasis on the part of the Obama administration and the Pentagon underscores the U.S. government’s vision of close Washington-New Delhi cooperation, and demonstrates a growing willingness to interface with India’s military endeavors on a new level. With that in mind, and considering that India’s expanding military modernization plans go far beyond the current competition, it seems very possible that the F-35 may find itself based on the subcontinent in the foreseeable future.

SOURCE:  Christopher Whyte / THE DIPLOMAT

In Japan, meanwhile, officials announced that the F-X program, a competition to pick the country’s next combat air platform, has become a two horse race between Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin’s F-35. With its previous attempts to purchase the F-22A, along with Japanese officials’ stated preference for fifth generation technologies, it’s clear that the JSF is in a favorable position.

For those policymakers that support JSF production, and those manufacturers that have become dependent on its success, these potential new markets extremely welcome. Pressure is mounting in Congress to include the JSF in future Pentagon budget cuts, but new export ventures could help alleviate both the rising price-per-unit costs (now almost at $150 million) and much of the mounting pressure to scale back production of the  new sophisticated carrier based F-35B variant.

In terms of tactical capabilities, the Joint Strike Fighter makes substantive sense for both nations. India and Japan are looking to create diverse forces that can provide advanced air superiority, interdictor and strike capabilities in the context of the relatively proximate threat posed by numerically massive Chinese ballistic and aerial units. Adding the F-35 would compliment the abilities of more numerous 4th generation aircraft and help build a strong balance of capabilities amongst powers in Asia.

This is particularly the case for India. From the Su-35 family of Russian aircraft to the advanced FGFA heavy fifth-generation stealth fighter, the capabilities garnered from New Delhi’s current range of procurements will enable the country to field a diverse force structure to meet future challenges. In India’s case especially, it’s worth noting that the FGFA, a future variant of the Indian-Russian PAK-FA fighter, is intended to serve in the same land-based air superiority platform role as the U.S. F-22A Raptor, with advanced thrust vectoring, stealth detection and air-to-air combat capabilities. This would complement the F-35’s primary role as a stealthy interdictor in modern aerial warfare mission profiles. Moreover, the naval variants of the JSF may well find themselves extremely attractive to the Indian navy in the future as an alternative to the current 4th generation HAL and MiG aircraft, with the F-35B and C models both capable of being launched from soon-to-be-introduced domestic- and Russian-built carriers.

Despite its many advantages, the biggest obstacle to the F-35 has been the snail-like development cycle and the rising costs associated with buying and operating such an aircraft. Selling the F-35 to India and Japan could remedy this and revitalize the JSF’s stagnant future. With the F-35 nearing full production, and with final testing underway on its naval variants, the United States has indicated its willingness to approve at least partial technology transfers, a move that makes JSF procurement more economically lucrative for all parties involved.

Ultimately, a future that sees the F-35 in Asia’s skies can only benefit the United States, both financially and strategically as the U.S. moves closer to key allies.

Christopher Whyte is a Washington DC area analyst and graduate student in Political Science in International Relations at George Mason University, Virginia.

Combat variant of Rustom-2 a possibility : DRDO

India is developing an umanned aerial vehicle (UAV) similar to American Predator drones with an investment of Rs 1,500 crore and planning an unmanned combat vehicles, a key official involved in the project said today. 

UAV Rustom-2 project is spread over 66 months, Director of Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a Defence Research and Development Organisation ( DRDO) laboratory, P S Krishnan, told PTI here. 

Rustom-2 would have a wing-span of 21-odd metres and an endurance of 24-hours-plus, as against seven-odd metres and 12-15 hours of Rustom-1, which has already completed five flights. ADE is the nodal lab for these projects.

Rustom-2 would have new payloads such as synthetic aperture radar, maritime patrol radar and collision avoidance system, among others, he said.

“With its capability and the amount of payload it can carry, it (Rustom-2) compares well with (American) Predator (drones) and other class of vehicles,” Krishnan said.

The Predator is a nickname given to one in a series of UAVs, or pilotless drones, operated by the Pentagon, the CIA and, increasingly, other agencies of the US federal government such as the border patrol.

Asked if India is also developing unmanned aerial combat vehicles, he said “we are thinking of that one. Some plans will be there”.

Meanwhile, Rustom-1, the Medium Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MALE – UAV), would be integrated with payloads by next month, Krishnan said.

“We have demonstrated all the flying characteristics of the Rustom more or less in the final form”.

Krishnan said the Indian Army is keenly watching the developments of Rustom-1, which has the potential military missions like reconnaissance and surveillance, target acquisition, target designation, communications relay, battle damage assessment and signal intelligence.

India has also started working on solar-power UAVs but is still at the R&D stage.

DRDO’s Chief Controller (Aero), A Subhananda Rao, said this solar-powered UAV would have an endurance of “almost one week”.

“Solar power will have to be harnessed and energy converters of higher efficiency will have to be designed,” Rao told reporters.

“Lot of technological challenges are there. But definitely we will be getting into that. We are making a case for project sanction”, he added.

Aeroplanes: Made in India

New Delhi: With demand steadily increasing for cheap flights between small towns in India, the country is trying to make its own passenger planes. Designed in India and made in Australia, the CNM5 is the first Indian plane jointly developed by CSIR-NAL, a government lab and Mahindra Aerospace, a private company.

It can fly five people or serve as an air ambulance or goods carrier. You could buy one for about two crore. "We can connect our North East. We can connect Jorhat to Silchar. Silchar to Agarthala. We can go across Brahmaputra. We can go to Andaman Nicobar. We can really make a big difference to the country. Specially to transport light goods, 500-600 kg of material. And the maintenance cost of this aircraft will not be too much," said Dr Samir Kumar Brahmachari, Director-General, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR.

Another is the SARAS. Originally designed as a fourteen seat civilian passenger plane, it flew first in 2004 and hundreds of times after that. But a crash in 2009 killed all three crew members and almost grounded the project. According to Dr Shyam Chetty, Director, National Aerospace Laboratories, NAL, "The committee which investigated the 2009 crash has ruled out any technical defects or shortcomings. It is just a matter of time before the plane is back in the air." A new SARAS prototype will be ready late next year and the plane is to start commercial production in 2014. But this time, it will serve the military. The Indian Air Force wants fifteen planes, to train their transport pilots.

Our air force pilots have to use big aircraft for training straight away. Whereas this will be the first small transport aircraft training that they can use. So, there is an immediate use for them, said Brahmachari.

A separate ninety-seater regional transport aircraft for civilians is currently being designed. It will cost more than seven thousand crore rupees to perfect and is to be made in collaboration with private industry. "We are entering a space which is already crowded, where giants exist. However, India, with 1.2 billion people who would like to move, it is important that we have an indigenous industry. How do we make it fuel efficient, least carbon footprint, how can we make it run on a shorter runway - these are the challenges we are trying to design for," added Brahmachari.

Chetty believes that one thing India has, which others don't have to a large extent, is software. All modern aircraft are software intensive. Today, a lot of software for India and abroad, is being developed in the country. It is possible that we will be able to leverage these skills to develop a cost effective aircraft.

But made in India won't always mean cheap. The SARAS in its civilian avatar cost almost 40 crore per plane when comparable foreign machines cost 12-26 crore. While both China and Indonesia made regional transport jets ten years ago, they guzzled fuel and failed because of rising fuel costs.

Source:CNN-IBN

Army inducts new regiment of BrahMos

NEW DELHI: The Army inducted a new regiment of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, which is geared to be a precision strike weapon with a 300-km strike range, on Wednesday. 

Earlier, the government approved the deployment of the BrahMos tactical missiles in Arunachal Pradesh to counter China's huge build-up of military infrastructure all along the 4,057-km Line of Actual Control following a similar nod for the western sector facing Pakistan. 

While the Agni family of nuclear-capable missiles are meant to act as a deterrent, BrahMos and the under-development 150-km Prahaar missile are highly-mobile, all-weather `battlefield support missile systems' for accurate and concentrated fire assaults at enemy targets in conventional warfare. 

In 2007, the Army had first inducted a regiment of BrahMos-I, which consists of 67 missiles, five mobile autonomous launchers on 12x12 Tatra vehicles and two mobile command posts, among other equipment. 

The regiment handed over to the 1.13-million-strong force on Wednesday consists of the Block-II version of the missiles developed to hit a specific small target with a low radar cross-section in a cluttered environment. The Block-III version, which will be the next to be inducted, has "steep dive capability" to take out targets hidden behind a mountain range. 

Handing over the regiment to artillery director-general Lt-General Vinod Nayanar, in presence of BrahMos chief Dr A S Pillai, minister of state for defence M M Pallam Raju said, "BrahMos is a versatile system and now available in multiple versions. I am glad to know this regiment is being delivered ahead of schedule." 

Lt-Gen Nayanar said, "We have guns for near range and the Smerch rockets for a range of 75-km. BrahMos is the only system which has added tremendous firepower capability to the armed forces for targets as deep as 300-km." 

Dr Pillai said BrahMos, which flies at the speed of Mach 2.8 all through its 290-km range, had "devastating power" with "nine times more kinetic energy than sub-sonic cruise missiles". 

Having already placed orders worth Rs 9,484 crore, the Army is looking to induct all three versions of the multi-role BrahMos in sufficient numbers over the next couple of years. Navy and IAF have ordered BrahMos missiles worth Rs 3,568 crore and Rs 1,295 crore, respectively. 

BrahMos missiles give some much-needed teeth to the Army's `pro-active conventional war strategy', loosely called the `Cold Start' doctrine, which revolves around multiple armoured thrusts by self-contained `battle groups' across the border against Pakistan. 

Both BrahMos and Prahaar are meant to carry only 200-kg to 250-kg conventional warheads, but Pakistan has been foolhardy enough to brandish its 60-km Nasr (Hatf-IX) and 500-km Babur land-attack cruise missiles as nuclear weapons to counter the `Cold Start' strategy. 


Source:TOI

India providing security cover at Saarc summit

NEW DELHI: India has deployed at least a couple of aircraft and warships, including a frigate packed with weapons, to provide "security cover" to the ongoing Saarc summit at Maldives. 

Defence ministry sources say the deployment of "assets", including the frigate INS Brahmaputraand Dornier maritime patrol aircraft, will provide "seafront and offshore security" for delegations of Saarc countries during the summit. Besides its potent weapons, the 3,850-tonne INS Brahmaputra usually carries Sea King and Chetak helicopters as well as a detachment of marine commandos. 

This is not the first time that Indian warships and aircraft have provided cover for Saarc summits. In 2008, the summit in Colombo also saw three Indian warships and helicopters being deployed in Lankan waters to guard against the active LTTE commandos. 

Similarly, Indian warships have provided seaward security for international summits inMozambique in recent years. Defence minister A K Antony had recently held that India would be the "net security provider" for island countries in the Indian Ocean region. 

The government is stepping up its military cooperation with Maldives to counter China's expanding strategic inroads into the 1,190-island archipelago. 

The Navy has been regularly deploying Dorniers to help in anti-piracy patrols and maritime surveillance. 

New Delhi, apart from hydrographic surveys and other military assistance, is also assisting Male to set up a network of ground radars in all its 26 atolls and link them with the Indian military surveillance systems.


Source:TOI

Boeing Seen Winning Indian Air Force Deal

NEW DELHI — The Indian government is signaling that Boeing soon will be awarded a contract for 22 AH-64D Apache Longbow Block IIIs for the Indian air force (IAF). The U.S. Army rotorcraft, which is said to have outperformed the rival Russian Mi-28N Night Hunter in tests, was strongly recommended by the IAF earlier this year as its choice following trials in 2010. Defense ministry sources reveal that differences in performance between the two helicopters was so great that the IAF’s case was difficult to question. The final contract, a direct commercial sale, could be worth $1.5 billion. An IAF trial team member, who asked not to be named, says, “The Apache scored consistently over Mi-28 in several key operational criteria. Broadly, these fell under the categories of electronic warfare, survivability, situational awareness in the cockpit, night-fighting capabilities, sensor efficacy and weapons. The helicopter was also found to be far more maneuverable. We worked directly with Boeing and the U.S. Army to test this helicopter.” Another IAF source suggests that the Apache also had superior armor protection and performed well in both desert and high-altitude conditions. Boeing said it would not comment on the outcome of the competition since nothing was known officially yet. A Rosoboronexport official says he had read local Russian media reports about the Mi-28N losing out in the contest, but was unaware of why. The Russian helicopter had proven itself in field trials, he declared, but would not say more. The new helicopters will replace the IAF’s aging Mi-35s. The AH-64D and Mi-28 were put through field evaluation trials in mid-2010 at the Jaisalmer desert base in western India and Leh, the world’s highest operational air station, in the Himalayas. This was followed by weapons firing trials, targeting and maintenance trials in the contenders’ home countries. Expected Order In a December 2010 notification to the U.S. Congress, the Pentagon said it expected the Indian government to order 50 T700-GE-701D engines, 12 AN/APG-78 fire control radars, 812 AGM-114L-3 Hellfire Longbow missiles, 542 AGM-114R-3 Hellfire II missiles, 245 Stinger Block I-92H missiles and 23 modernized target acquisition designation sights. U.S. Embassy officials said the notification was to start due-process paperwork that would save time in the event of a contract award later. After the abrupt elimination of both U.S. contenders — the Lockheed Martin F-16 and Boeing F/A-18 — from the IAF’s $12 billion MMRCA fighter competition last April, U.S. companies have moved quickly to mop up other Indian deals. In June, Boeing was awarded a $4.1 billion prize for 10 C-17 heavy-lift transports, and Lockheed is close to securing a follow-on, $1 billion contract for six more C-130J special-mission airlifters. There have been indications that Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook has also emerged on top against the Russian Mi-26T2 in a competition for 12 heavy-lift rotorcraft for the IAF. The acquisition of attack helicopters comes at a particularly delicate time for relations between the IAF and Indian army. Locked in a spat for years over who should operate battlefield assault helicopters, the army has asked the government to allow it full command-and-control over all tactical battlefield air assets. The IAF remains unmoved, and has argued that while attack helicopter flights will be controlled by the army, sorties will be flown only by IAF pilots. To boot, the IAF is a primary customer for the indigenous Light Combat Helicopter and weaponized Dhruv helicopter. Photo: Boeing Source:AviationWeek

India Raises its Game vs. China

Army to be enlarged, cruise missiles point over the border, fighter jets on order

The Indian Ministry of Defense’s clearance for a US$13-billion military modernization plan – the country’s most ambitious one-time military expansion ever – is causing ripples in global diplomatic circles.


Described as India’s largest increase in deployment along the China border since the Sino-Indian war in 1962, the plan includes induction into the Indian army of 90,000 more soldiers over the next five years. The expansion package, firmed up last week, will also entail raising four new divisions along the India-Chinese border.


At the same time, the Defence Ministry is in the final throes of choosing between two European bidders to supply 126 fighter jets said to be worth more than US$20 billion. The price of the jets has soared to almost double the original estimate of US$11 billion. The finalists are France’s Dassault and the Eurofighter Typhoon consortium.


The government also recently gave the go-ahead for the positioning of supersonic Brahmos cruise missiles in Arunachal Pradesh, considered a marked shift in Indian military strategy vis-à-vis China from defensive to offensive.


According to reports, the extensive overhaul will involve the upgrade of the army's fire-power and logistical capabilities, investment in new helipads, air strips and last-mile road linkages. New concepts of military transformation will also be pressed into service along with a significant enhancement in the army’s capability to operate in smaller units and providing logistics in an integrated manner.


The staggering scale of the military expansion, analysts say, is surprising at this juncture considering that the beleaguered United Progressive Alliance government has its back against the wall with so many other problems. It is facing public angst over inflation, rebellion from anti-corruption crusaders, intraparty wrangling and threats of withdrawal from its allies from the UPA combine.


The looming elections in India’s largest northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where the government will be pitted against the state’s putative chief minister and dalit leader Mayawati, are giving the UPA additional jitters.


The domestic political situation notwithstanding, strategists feel that New Delhi’s military expansion has to be regarded in the larger context of the regional power contest.


“It is of a piece with a rapidly evolving geopolitical jigsaw,” a senior defense ministry official old Asia Sentinel. The political theatre playing out in Asia, with India and China both aspiring to lead, has embroiled the two in a game of one-upmanship. And military might is an integral part of this picture.


What is adding intrigue to the situation is the growing unease of nation states – including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan – with China which is asserting its “indisputable sovereignty” over the South China Sea and around it.


Harsh V. Pant writes in Yale Global Online that this is indeed a time of great turmoil on the Asian strategic landscape, and India is trying to make itself relevant to the regional states. “With its political and economic rise, Beijing has started dictating the boundaries of acceptable behavior to its neighbors, thereby laying bare the costs of great power politics.”


Beijing’s growing regional heft and muscle-flexing vis-à-vis its neighbors, writes Pant, “have now resulted in a regional balancing effort.” India’s role in the region thus becomes crucial to offset China’s aggressive maneuvering in and around Asia.


With this changed dynamic, most Asian states are keen that India – the world’s largest democracy -- act as a regional counterweight to Beijing’s dramatic rise and maintain stability in the region.


Many of these nations have also made direct overtures to India. Last month, New Delhi hosted two heads of states -- Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang and Burmese President Thein Sein in quick succession. Both countries currently share a certain amount of antipathy to China.


Tokyo too, has agreed to a substantial increase in bilateral defense engagements with New Delhi. Defense Minister A K Antony, who was in Japan last week, has pushed for the first-ever joint air force and naval exercises between Japan and India next year. India and Japan have also expressed the need for freedom of navigation in international waters and sea lanes of communication.


This is being read as a signal to China to stop exerting undue influence in the South China Sea, which it regards as its own lake. In other words, Beijing’s belligerence will not go unchallenged.


Interestingly, the Indo-Japanese camaraderie is being given a nudge by a Beijing-wary Washington. On her India visit this July, US Secretary of state Hillary Clinton strongly advocated a more active policy initiative from India with reference to its stature and policies in Asia and the East.


Clinton said it was time for India to wield its growing economic and political clout further outside its borders and help "shape the future" of the Asia region and beyond. This was widely interpreted as a US strategic imperative for India to keep China in check.


Washington’s desire for India to play a more forceful role in the East dovetails neatly with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s own foreign-policy thrust on east and Southeast Asia for the coming years. New Delhi’s “Look East” initiative – initiated two decades ago – is seen as a refreshing approach to its earlier foreign policy that was dominated by its obsession with Pakistan.


On the contrary, New Delhi has till now been playing down its friction with China on its border, careful not to antagonize Beijing. But now it seems India is keen to fortify its diplomatic, economic and military engagement with East Asia where an anti-China sentiment is taking hold.


India is also apprehensive about China's looming presence in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. Besides Gwadar in Pakistan, China is building ports at Hambantota in Sri Lanka and at Chittagong in Bangladesh. In Myanmar too, it has upgraded several ports. New Delhi is concerned that Beijing could use these ports for military or strategic purposes.


Indian military officials in the past have expressed unease over the Defense Ministry’s lackadaisical infrastructure development and military modernization. An Army proposal to set up a Mountain Strike Corps for the border has been pending with the Ministry while infrastructural developments such as road and rail links are also lagging behind schedule. However, with the new modernization plan, it is hoped, things will fall into place.


”With its changed assertive approach in the region,” says Anmol Kabra a New Delhi-based security analyst, “India is demonstrating its capability to impact the Asia-Pacific security architecture.” India may not be a key player yet in the region, adds Kabra, but it is increasingly making its voice count in the shaping of the emerging Asian order. 

Source:Asia Sentinel