India:Second chance in Asia’s cockpit

As negotiations for the withdrawal of international security forces in Afghanistan by 2014 gather pace, India has decided to revive its only overseas military base in Farkhor, Tajikistan. Officials from the Ministry of External Affairs will travel there next month to finalise arrangements, following which Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon is expected to visit India in September.

The revival of the Farkhor airbase and the upgrading of the military hospital on its premises, where former Northern Alliance leader and ‘Lion of Panjshir’ Ahmed Shah Massoud was treated for his fatal injuries from the suicide bomb attack on September 9, 2011 — two days before the September 11 incidents in America — is a crucial link to India’s revamped Connect Central Asia policy unveiled in June at a dialogue forum in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, by Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed.

With India’s risk-averse corporate community unwilling to follow the government’s lead in establishing a firmer footprint in the region since the break-up of the Soviet Union 20 years ago, Delhi has come to the conclusion that it must use its own muscle to project its strategic presence in Central Asia.

Much has already been written about this hydrocarbon-rich region and how China, Russia and U.S.-dominated western consortiums have laid networks of oil-and-gas pipelines to service their own markets. China, especially, has used energy supplies from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan to fuel its relentless rise as an economic power – but the truth is that none of these benignly authoritarian regimes are complaining.

Kazakhstan has leveraged the sale of its energy resources to become, with a per-capita GDP of $13,000 in purchasing power parity terms, the richest state in all of Central Asia. Astana, a windy city in the Siberian steppe, was transformed into the capital in 1997 by a diktat of its President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, and today its skyline is littered with glass-and-gold-domed buildings. Divided by a river — the Ishim — that runs through the town, Astana has a Left Bank and a Right Bank, besides a glass-and-concrete pramid that doubles up as an exhibition space and a concert hall that looks like the Parthenon. Outsiders may wonder at the copycat Disneyland, but the Kazakhs are certainly not complaining.

Mr. Nazarbayev is hardly a latter-day version of Mohammed bin Tughlaq — who whimsically moved his capital from Delhi to the Deccan in the 14th century and then had to move it back — although he completely controls the state apparatus. Mr. Nazarbayev decided, when he came to Delhi for the Republic Day festivities in 2009, that 25 per cent of the Satpayev oil block will be given to OVL. Both China’s CNOOC and U.S.’ Chevron already had their share of Kazakh energy spoils and Mr. Nazarbayev wanted to expand options. (His wife is also believed to have been a follower of the Sathya Sai Baba, thereby adding to the India connection.)

That’s the general perception of India in Central Asia — that it is a rising regional power, not quite in the league of China but interesting to behold because of its enormous market, its incredible culture, its singular capacity to innovate and even its fractious democracy. India is not a priority, but it cannot be ignored.

Interestingly enough, a mirror-perception about Central Asia persists among the Indian elite. The land of Babur (Uzbekistan) and Bairam Khan (Turkmenistan) and Mirza Hiadar Dughlati (Kazakhstan) and Bedil (Tajikistan) is still cloaked in the mist of history and its combined 65 million population has largely been ignored. Although most Central Asian capitals are a couple of hours away from Delhi by air, the lack of connectivity by rail or road means that serious business interest is almost absent.

So China-Central Asia trade tips the scales at $29 billion and U.S.-Central Asia trade touches $26 billion while India-Central Asia trade stands at only $500 million (excluding investment in the Satpayev oil block and the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India, or TAPI, gas pipeline, which will take five years to fructify). That’s why India must do things differently if it has to return to Central Asia.

Alongside the revival of the Farkhor airbase in Tajikistan and the upgrading of the defence relationship with Dushanbe, private hospital chains like Max are being persuaded to set up trauma centres — if not hospitals — in key cities all over the region. Plans are afoot to start an India-Central Asia university in Bishkek. An e-information technology network is on the cards, just like in key countries in Africa. Meanwhile, talks are on with a Russian channel with a treasure trove of Hindi films, perfectly dubbed into Russian, to expand broadcast all over Central Asia. From Raj Kapoor to Shahrukh Khan, Bollywood is still the key to open hearts and minds in Central Asia.

With the western withdrawal from Afghanistan on the cards, the Central Asian pot will boil further. India lost the opportunity to drive deep into the region when the Soviet Union collapsed 20 years, but it’s now getting a second chance.

Hopefully Delhi won’t mess it up again.

Source:The Hindu

India, US close to inking over USD 600 mlln jet engine deal

India and the US are close to signing a deal worth over USD 600 million for supplying 99 jet engines that would be used in the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas’ being developed by the DRDO.

Around two years ago, India had selected the American company General Electric over its rival European Eurojet 2000 for the LCA Mark II programme expected to be ready around 2014-15.

Negotiations with the US firm over various issues involved in the deal, including price and transfer of technology, have been held and it is hoped that the deal for these engines to be fitted on the LCA Mark II would be signed soon, Defence sources told PTI here.

As per the contract, the order could be for 99 engines initially but India will have the option of order for another 100 engines in the future.

The engine on offer for the LCA Mark II is GE F-414 engine, which are more powerful that the GE F-404 engines fitted in the first batch of LCAs that the Indian Air Force would receive in near future.

The need for changing the existing engines in the LCAs was felt after the IAF found out that the GE-404 engines were not providing enough power to the aircraft and more powerful engines were needed for the purpose.

The DRDO is developing the LCA Mk II to meet the Indian Air Force requirements and it will have latest technological equipment including the latest Active Electronic Scanned Array (AESA) radar and would be able to carry more payload than the LCA Mk I.

Last month, the trials of the LCA Mk I were carried out in Pokharan desert firing range where laser-guided bombs and other weapon systems were tried.

As per the current plans, the IAF will induct two squadrons of the LCA Mk I and then the delivery of LCA Mk II aircraft would done.

Source: PTI

India- India successfully tests nuclear-capable Agni-I missile Posted: 13 Jul 2012 08:26 AM PDT SOURCE: IANS India on Friday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear-capable Agni-I ballistic missile, with a strike range of 700 km, as part of the Army’s user trial from a test range at Wheeler Island off Odisha coast. The surface-to-surface, single-stage missile, powered by solid propellants, was test-fired from a mobile launcher at about 1010 hrs from launch pad-4 of the Integrated Test Range at Wheeler Island, about 100 km from here, defence sources said. “The trial of the sophisticated missile with a strike range of 700 km was successful,” a defence scientist said. Describing the launch as a routine user s trial by the strategic force command of Indian Army, he said the main objective was to train the user team to launch the missile. “It was a practice-drill. The user-team picked a missile at random from the production lot and fired it with logistic support provided by Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) at ITR,” he said. Agni-I missile has a specialised navigation system which ensures it reaches the target with a high degree of accuracy and precision, he said. The trajectory of the missile, which has an operational strike range of 700 km, was tracked by sophisticated radars and electro-optic telemetry stations located along the sea coast and ships positioned near the impact point in the downrange area. Weighing 12 tonnes, the 15-metre-long Agni-I, which can carry payloads up to 1000 kg, has already been inducted into the Indian Army. Agni-I was developed by advanced systems laboratory, the premier missile development laboratory of the DRDO in collaboration with Defence Research Development Laboratory and Research Centre Imarat and integrated by Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad. The last trial of the Agni-I missile was successfully carried out on December 1, 2011 from the same base. Since the missile has already been inducted into the armed forces, it is important to conduct user trials for training of defence personnel and improvement of their skills, sources said. Pakistani soldier repatriated Posted: 13 Jul 2012 08:23 AM PDT SOURCE: IANS The Indian Army Friday handed over a Pakistani soldier to its compatriot across the border in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.The soldier, Arif Ali had crossed over to the Indian side of the Line of Control on Thursday morning. He was arrested by the Indian Army. He was carrying no weapons but was found to be in possession of Rs.13,000 of Pakistani currency and two SIM cards.Army sources said that after detailed questioning, it was discovered that the Pakistani soldier had inadvertently crossed over to the Indian side. There was no love angle or any hostile intention, the sources said. ‘As a goodwill gesture, the army decided to repatriate the Pakistani soldier,’ a source in the army told IANS The soldier was handed over to Pakistani army at Chakan Da Bagh on the LoC, the sources said. Work on submarine launched BrahMos in final stages

The work on launch of submarine variant of supersonic cruise missile BrahMos was in the final stages, a top official of the Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace said today.

“Yes we are on the job and it is in the final stages,” BrahMos Aerospace CEO and MD Dr A Sivathanu Pillai told reporters here when asked about the submarine launched-missile. 

Sea and ground-launched versions have been successfully tested and put into service with theIndian Army and Navy. The flight tests of the airborne version will be completed by the end of 2012.

Pillai said the Hypersonic version of Brahmos-2 cruise missile will be ready for launch in another five years.

With the research on propulsion of scramjet underway, the hypersonic missile, with four times speed that the present Supersonic missile, would be ready for induction into Indian forces by 2017.

With a 300 million Dollars investment, the company, a Indo-Russian joint venture, was doing a business of five billion dollars at present, he said.

However, he said the company would think of large scale exports only after meeting the requirements of Indian armed forces.

Source:IANS

India, Egypt to carry out naval exercises

n their first engagement after the new establishment took over in Egypt, Indian and Egyptian navies will carry out a joint exercises in Alexandria.Warships of the Mumbai-based western fleet of the Navy are on a westward deployment and will be visiting a number of countries after Egypt.

Indian warships will carry out a basic exercise with their Egyptian counterparts as part of the westward deployment of the naval fleet, Navy officials said here.

This would be the first military engagement between Egypt and India after the newly-elected government has taken over there.Destroyer INS Mumbai, INS Trishul, INS Gomati and fleet tanker INS Aditya are under the command of Western Fleet commander Rear Admiral A R Karve and had made a port call at Djibouti before proceeding towards Alexandria in Egypt.

After the exercise in Egypt, the flotilla will move towards Spain.

During their stay in Spain, Navy Chief-designate Vice Admiral D K Joshi will also visit Madrid and meet the top leadership of the Spanish navy there.

Recently, incumbent Admiral Nirmal Verma had also visited Spain.

After Spain, these warships will visit France to hold their series of bilateral exchanges there.

Source:PTI

Black Hawk eager to fly for India

Famous American gunship — Black Hawk — is ready for sale to India. However, it is not yet clear whether this legendary flying machine is being offered with stealth technology.

Highly placed Defence Ministry sources told The Tribune that a special team of the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, which manufactures Black Hawk, will give a detailed presentation on this helicopter in the Defence Ministry on June 20.

This will be Black Hawk’s first presentation to India. It is not linked to any defence deal under consideration. “We just want to evaluate this machine as part of futuristic war scenario. We will take a call on the stealth technology after the presentation,” sources said.

Asked whether India would go for the stealth technology, the sources said, “Of course, but let us first see what actually is being offered during the presentation.”

The Americans are offering latest UH-60M Black Hawk. Despite strong military ties with Pakistan, the US has not sold Black Hawks to Islamabad.

After doing much in-house brain storming, the US Administration has permitted private sector Sikorsky to offer Black Hawk to India. Black Hawk is the world’s most expensive helicopter — primarily because of its highly classified state-of-art avionics, radars, weapons and fighting capability.

The Americans some time ago offered Black Hawk’s naval version Seahawk to New Delhi. Seahawk is in the race for the Navy’s over $1 billion deal for 16 multi-role helicopters. The naval deal is at the final stage. Tenders are likely to be opened in near future. Seahawk’s rival is NH90 chopper produced by the NATO Helicopter Industries (NHI), a European consortium of firms from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Finland and Australia.

For the June 20 Black Hawk presentation, besides top officials of the Defence Ministry associated with the procurement of weapons and equipment, senior officers of the Indian Air Force and the Army are also likely to be present.

The Defence Ministry sources said that Black Hawk has generated interest in the IAF as well as the Army, which are ready to look at it for desert as well as high-altitude operations for theatres like Siachen glacier.

Sikorsky helicopters are used by all five branches of the US armed forces, along with military services and commercial operators in many other countries. Black Hawk has become a legendary helicopter in America’s war history. It is playing an active role in Afghanistan and Pakistan in counter-terrorism operations.

n Black Hawk is the world’s most expensive helicopter, primarily because of its highly classified state-of-art avionics, radars, weapons and fighting capability

n Manufacturers of Black Hawk, the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, will give a detailed presentation in the Defence Ministry on June 20

n The US is offering latest UH-60M Black Hawk to India. Despite strong military ties with Pakistan, the US has not sold Black Hawks to Islamabad

SOURCE:  TRIBUNE EXCLUSIVE

India to launch AWACS project to counter China, Pak

NEW DELHI: With Pakistan stealing a swift march in the "eyes in the sky" arena and China already way ahead, India is now going to launch its own full-blown futuristic AWACS (airborne warning and control system) programme. 

"Clearances are underway" to initially develop two AWACS aircraft, with four more to follow at a later stage, under the new `AWACS-India' project to be executed by DRDO and its Bangalore-based Centre for Air Borne Systems(CABS). 

"Under it, 360-degree AESA (active electronically scanned array) radars will be mounted on large aircraft like IL-76, Boeing or Airbus," said a DRDO source. 

Potent force-multipliers like AWACS or AEW&C (airborne early warning and control) systems have changed the entire nature of air warfare because they can detect incoming aerial threats, ranging from fighters to cruise missiles, much before ground-based radars. 

They also serve to direct air defence fighters during combat operations with enemy jets and also help in tracking troop build-ups. 

Pakistan already has four Swedish Saab-2000 AEW&C aircraft, with four more Chinese ZDK-03 AWACS in the pipeline. China has around 20 AWACS, a mix of new and old systems, say sources. 

But IAF has only three Phalcon AWACS mounted on IL-76 aircraft, under the $1.1 billion tripartite agreement among India, Israel and Russia finalized in 2004, despite being confronted with two potentially hostile fronts. 

The case for two additional "follow-on" Phalcon AWACS, with a range of over 400-km and 360-degree coverage like the first three, has run into some rough weather due to sharp cost escalation. 

Moreover, DRDO's ongoing mini-AWACS project, under which indigenous AEW&C systems are to be mounted on three Embraer-145 jets obtained from Brazil for $210-million, has also slipped after being approved in October, 2004, at a cost of Rs 1,800 crore. 

DRDO, however, contends the project is now on track. "CABS will get the first Embraer, modified with antenna units and other structures mounted on its fuselage, in July," said an official. 

"All electronic systems, with a normal radar range of 250-km and a 240-degree coverage, will then be integrated. The first flight should take place in early-2013. The project completion date is April 2014," said an official. 

IAF is awaiting the completion of the mini-AWACS project as well as the launch of the larger 'AWACS-India' programme with crossed fingers. AWACS also constitute a crucial constituent of its IACCS (integrated air command and control system) programme, the fully-automated network being set up to integrate the wide array of military radars with each other as well as with civilian radars to plug surveillance gaps in Indian airspace.


Source:TOI

Indian aircraft carrier enters sea trials as navy eyes Rafale

Russia has commenced sea trials involving the Indian navy's refurbished aircraft carrier the INSVikramaditya, as sources suggest the service could consider a future acquisition of the Dassault Rafale.

Originally built for Russia as the Admiral Gorshkov, with a maximum displacement of 43,500t, the refitted and modernised vessel left Severodvinsk in the north of the country on 8 June for open-sea trials, preceeding its delivery to India in December. Once operational, the Vikramaditya will be capable of carrying 30 to 34 aircraft, including RSK MiG-29K deck-based fighters.

Eugenia Legostaeva

Sources say the Indian navy is considering the carrier-capable Rafale M as a possible acquisition, with a potential cost benefit to come from the air force's pending deal for 126 of the type to meet its medium multi-role combat aircraft requirement.

Dassault

Already operational with the French navy and similar in size to the MiG-29K, the Rafale M could potentially be operated from India's future ski-jump-equipped domestic aircraft carriers and offer a greater operational capability than current Russian aircraft and India's Aeronautical Development Agency Tejas naval fighter.

India's interest in new naval fighters stems partly from China's ongoing test work with the aircraft carrier Shi Lang, which will be capable of deploying locally-built versions of the Sukhoi Su-30.

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