First Scorpene sub built in India ready, under test

In a significant development in the ongoing Scorpene submarine project at the Mazgaon Docks Limited (MDL), the first of the six French vessels has been completely constructed and is now undergoing tests within the yard. As per the time-frame set by the Indian Navy and the shipbuilder, the deliveries should begin by September 2015, with one vessel released to the Navy every subsequent year.
According to an official privy to the development, the vessel has finished all “outfitting” of the protruding masts, antennas and the periscope on the “conning tower” and is undergoing checks for checking their functionality. “The piping, wiring and cabling work inside the boat is also done. We will now test all these by simulating underwater conditions where gases and liquids will be pumped through the pipes to see how everything is performing. The team handling the testing bit is working in full swing on this submarine while another team concerned with the internal work is engaged in the wiring and piping works on the other boats,” said the officer. Officials from DCNS of France — the original maker of the Scorpene submarines are also assisting the shipbuilders at MDL.
The Scorpene project, also called Project 75, remains one of the most embarrassingly delayed defence projects ever since it was signed with the French in 2005. With several missed deadlines owing to unforeseen technology and “equipment-related” issues, according to MDL officials, the vessels would still be “insufficient” to meet India’s underwater capabilities by the time all of them reach the Indian Navy by 2020.
This is primarily because the first four of the boats would be without the crucial air independent propulsion (AIP), thus qualifying them as regular “diesel-electric” — a system which has been discontinued by most international navies.
An AIP allows a submarine to remain submerged for weeks on end without the need to surface to recharge its batteries or sending up a “snorkelling pipe” which could give away its position.

asian age

Defence agents to be legalised by mid-February, says Parrikar

Changes in the Defence Procurement Policy to legalise representatives from foreign defence firms will be done in another month and a half, defence minister Manohar Parrikar said.
In an interaction with journalists late Tuesday night, he also said that the ministry is thinking of giving conditioned and limited approval to dealing with banned firms, and a ban has been lifted to get spare parts for Tatra trucks.
"Representatives from defence firms are already allowed in the Defence Procurement Policy... the problem is it does not say what is not acceptable," Parrikar said.

"Changes will be made to the DPP, representatives will be allowed but commission, or percentage of profit for the deals will not be allowed. The representative's remuneration shall be declared by the company," he said.
Parrikar added that a draft of the changed policy is ready and a final draft will be ready in another 8-10 days. It will then go through further procedures before going to the Union cabinet.
"The process shall be completed in another one and a half months," said Parrikar, but noted that those agents who have been banned by the ministry will not be permitted under the new arrangement.
He also said that banned firms can be conditionally allowed.
"Based on merit and necessity, one can think of lifting the ban to a reasonable level," he said.
Parrikar said the state-run Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) has been allowed to supplying spare parts for Tatra trucks, as long as it does not deal with the British subsidiary of the company, which was banned following irregularities in its deal with BEML.
"Limited NoC (no objection certificate) has been given to BEML because we need Tatra trucks," he said.
'Army was not late in Assam'
He also denied that the army was late in reacting to the attack by Bodo militants in Assam, and said they had to wait for a request from the local administration.
"We were alert about the attack even before the news was flashed in the media. The armed forces stationed there were ready, but we had to wait for request from local administration," Parrikar said.
"As soon as the local administration requested, we deployed the forces," he said.
The minister said 73 columns of the army were now deployed in Assam, where Bodo militants massacred dozens of tribals two days before Christmas.
Parrikar also said the Border Road Organisation (BRO) will be brought fully under the defence ministry and non-sensitive roads in border areas will be handed over to the National Highways Authority of India.
Strong message to Pak
With Pakistan continuing to violate the ceasefire, he  directed the security forces not to hold back and retaliate with "double the force".

His comments came after an army jawan was  injured as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Pallanwala sector of Jammu district.

This was the fifth ceasefire violation in the past one week.
"Our (NDA government) response is don't hesitate. React appropriately without holding yourself back".

He said that if there are any ceasefire violations, the Indian forces should retaliate "with double the force" and if there is an attack on Army posts, the terrorists need to be neutralised.

 hindustantimes

Three defence PSUs join hands for indigenous submarine project

Three state-run companies—Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (Bhel), Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd and Hindustan Shipyard Ltd—have come together to form a consortium for building submarines indigenously. The consortium will jointly stake claim with the ministry of defence for being considered as a prospective bidder for the proposed P-75 (I) project of the Indian Navy for building six submarines at a local shipyard. In a statement, Bhel said a memorandum of understanding was signed among the three firms on 26 December. The Indian government has decided to build six submarines locally at a cost of about Rs.50,000 crore.
Bhel has five decades of experience in design, development and manufacture of a variety of equipment for crucial infrastructure sectors, while Hindustan Shipyard is engaged in shipbuilding, repairs and submarine retrofitting. 
Mishra Dhatu is another defence PSU engaged in development and manufacture of alloys and special-purpose steel for applications in defence, aerospace and atomic energy. At 11.50am, Bhel was trading at Rs.257.50 per share, up 1.18%. The benchmark Sensex was trading at 27,373, down 0.08%

Livemint

Agni-V launch postponed

The third flight-trial of Agni-V strategic missile, which was to take place any day between January 11 and 15, 2015 from Wheeler Island, off the Odisha coast, has been postponed. The lift-off is likely to take place in the last week of January or early February 2015.

Officials of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which has built the missile, declined to reveal the reasons behind the postponement. “It is non-technical in nature,” they said.

Teams, which had reached Wheeler Island to prepare for the lift-off, are returning to various DRDO centres across the country.

The missile, which can carry a nuclear warhead weighing 1.5 tonnes, can reach targets more than 5,000 km away. The importance of the third flight-trial of Agni-V is that it will be a canisterised launch. 

the hindu

Spy agency sets up base closer to Red corridor to fly UAV

The coming year may bring in some desperately needed relief to men combating the Maoists in central Indian states in the form of better intelligence gathering and coordination. After more than three years since it was first mooted, the base of operations for the Israel-made Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) will be shifted from Begumpet airport in Hyderabad to Bhilai in western Chhattisgarh. This arrangement, according to sources involved, will be in place by the end of February 2015.
Yesterday, the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) division of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) held a meeting in New Delhi where the issue under discussion was the 'delay' of establishment of the base in Bhilai. At the end of the meeting, according to a stakeholder who was present, "It was unanimously decided that by February we should be able to begin flying from Bhilai. It will mean better availability of the UAV, better exploitation of the asset and most importantly, more flying time on hand."
The UAV in question is operated by the spy agency National Technological Research Organization (NTRO) and is actually flown by Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel who are on deputation to the agency. Ever since December 2011 when the first UAV flight was conducted by the NTRO for the Central Reserve Police Force in South Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, the demand has been to shift the aircraft out of Hyderabad to a location closer to the area of operation. A letter written by the then Director General of the CRPF, K Vijay Kumar to then Home Secretary RK Singh while commending the role discharged and valuable inputs it provided stated, "The UAV almost took three hours to reach from Hyderabad and could effectively be utilised only for 3-3 1/2 hours for the area of operation."
Ever since then MHA, CRPF as well as NTRO have been locked in discussions about just where the UAVs should be based out of. Finally in 2012, an airstrip in Bhilai was identified and work began towards upgrading and establishing all facilities there.
According to a source in Chhattisgarh aware of the actual up gradation at the Bhilai site, operations can be initiated at the airstrip by February. "As I see it, work is on in full swing and February should not be too difficult a target to achieve," he said.
The forces have had a rather uncomfortable relationship with the NTRO. Recently in the Sukma ambush where the CRPF lost 14 men, the force complained to the MHA that the NTRO unilaterally pulled out the UAV right when the encounter began.
The NTRO's explanation was that it had run out of fuel and had no option left. Time and again, the CRPF and MHA have been pressing the NTRO to move out of Hyderabad. However the infrastructure in Bhilai is only now coming up. Such has been the MHA's frustration that it has ordered CRPF to procure UAVs and train its own personnel to avoid reliance on NTRO/IAF personnel. Said a source, "Issue was acquiring the land and creating the infrastructure. Multiple departments of the centre and state governments were involved and thus a lot of red tape too."  
Why Bhilai as a base

While operations from Hyderabad ensured that the UAV hardly had 'Time on Task' by the time it reached areas of south Bastar and Gadchiroli, far less over Jharkhand, placing the same in Bhilai makes it possible to do so. The location is central to regions of Bastar, Gadchiroli, western Odisha as well as Jharkhand and Bihar. 
Why a UAV can be a game changer
UAV relays live images of the situation back to the control room with the help of a high-resolution camera on its belly and satellite networking, which is then shared with the troops in real time. For the security forces, UAVs changed the game. Notwithstanding the foliage, penetrating which remains a challenge, the forces know the exact area of the Maoists'presence, and also asses the topography and execute an operation - an edge they never had.

- indiatoday

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/spy-agency-sets-up-base-closer-to-red-corridor-to-fly-uav/1/410618.html

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/spy-agency-sets-up-base-closer-to-red-corridor-to-fly-uav/1/410618.html

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/spy-agency-sets-up-base-closer-to-red-corridor-to-fly-uav/1/410618.html

How Western sanctions affected Russia’s defence industry

Frustrated with Europe's decision to impose sanctions on Moscow, the Russian government no longer views military and technology cooperation with European countries as particularly appealing. The Russian defence sector is now trying to resolve its problems independently, but implementing the necessary changes will take time
The decision to purchase Mistral helicopter carriers from France was "a mistake of the previous leadership of the Defence Ministry,” Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who oversees the country's defence industry, said on Dec. 4, after Paris apparently bowed to Western pressure and canceled the delivery of two Mistral warships to Moscow.
The failure of France to honor a deal that had been finalized long ago was merely the most high-profile set back among a number of blows dealt to the Russian defence industry since the summer, as sanctions and growing tensions between the West and Russia over Moscow’s alleged role in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

In late July, when the EU had just introduced its embargo on the import and export of weapons and dual-purpose goods and technologies to Russia, RIR looked at all the industries and projects that could be affected by that move.
Since then, the July embargo has been complemented by a ban on borrowing for three major Russian defence industry enterprises (Uralvagonzavod, Oboronprom and United Aircraft Corporation), sanctions against nine key Russian defence industry concerns and the difficulties with the Mistral contract, which is technically unaffected by any sanctions.
With the end of the year approaching, now seems to be a good time to assess the outcome of these: What are the costs of the sanctions to the Russian defence industry, and what compromises is Russia likely to have to make in the long run?
Contracts
In September, the Russian Defence Ministry said that "it was not worried by the sanctions," adding however that the sanctions might affect third-party countries that purchase Russian military hardware and equipment manufactured with the use of foreign components.
At the same time, President Putin said that "the industry should be ready to manufacture critically important equipment, components and materials and have the relevant industrial capacities, technology, designs and technical basis.”
According to the Russian stare arms exporter, Rosoboronexport, Russia's purchases of weapons from the West accounted for no more than 1 percent and their cancelation will in no way affect Russia's defence capability.
Sanctions, just like any law, cannot apply retrospectively. Yet this is exactly what happened with the Mistral deal. Should we expect similar actions in relation to contracts with third-party countries? So far there have been no reports of problems in that area.
If problems do arise, they may affect the contract for the supply of French Thales Catherine-FC and Sagem Matiz thermal imagers, which are used to make targeting equipment for Russian armored vehicles. Under already-signed contracts, Thales is expected to supply 331 Catherine-FC imagers to Russia, 130 of which are intended for Russian vehicles and 201 of which are to be installed on hardware to be supplied to foreign customers.
These cameras are mainly installed on the export version of the Russian T-90S tank, which is sold to Algeria and India. Will this contract be fulfilled and what will happen next? The same applies to electronic equipment for the export versions of the Su-30MK and MiG-29K aircraft.
Russia completely relies on imports when it comes to gas turbine units for its frigates, corvettes and other warships. It is now establishing the production of its own gas turbine units at the Saturn research and production association, and of gears at the Zvezda plant.
Problems may arise with electronic equipment, as Russia is only just starting to revive the relevant production inside the country. However, there may also be a replacement of suppliers, all the more so since Western partners have never provided Russia with military- and space-class electronics anyway. Possible difficulties with third-party countries may be resolved through European companies cooperating with those countries directly to supply the missing components to Russian-made hardware.
Import substitution
Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Sergei Tsyb has listed Russian sectors that offer the most potential in terms of import substitution: In the machine tool industry, imports reach 90 percent; in heavy machine engineering, from 60 to 80 percent; in the electronics industry, from 80 to 90 percent.
By the estimation of the Russian Industry and Trade Ministry, if the import substitution policy is successfully implemented, Russia's reliance on Western suppliers for the most "critical" industries can be expected to decline from 70–90 to 50–60 percent by 2020. Complete import substitution is impossible, so in addition to setting up equivalent domestic production, Russia will have to look for new suppliers.
Military cooperation with the West was on the wane even before the conflict in Ukraine began. From 2012 onward, the Russian Defence Ministry did not sign any new large contracts for European military products.
Furthermore, in August 2013, a regulation was passed banning the use of foreign machine tools if their Russian equivalents were available; the aim of this move was to revive the destroyed Soviet machine tool industry and to raise the share of Russian-made equipment to one third of the industry's requirement. Efforts were made to gradually end the practice of repairing Russian ships at foreign shipyards.
The import substitution program submitted by the Russian Industry and Trade Ministry on July 25, 2014 envisages the use of domestic equivalents to first replace Ukrainian goods and then goods from countries that imposed sanctions against Russia. It is also proposed to expand cooperation with the other Customs Union countries: Belarus and Kazakhstan.
In addition, Russia could further expand its cooperation with China. Beijing could become a key supplier of electronic components to Russia, says Vladimir Shvarev, deputy head of the Global Arms Trade Analysis Center, adding that relevant talks are already under way.According to Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov, the import substitution program will allow Russian manufacturers to create over 30 billion rubles' ($600 million) worth of additional production annually, starting from 2015.

in.rbth

‘Mountain corps is being armed by reserve equipment’

 

The Vice-Chief of Army Staff is learnt to have told a parliamentary panel that the Army’s War Wastage Reserves is being “held” and equipment is being taken out to be given to the Mountain Strike Corps which is being raised in the Northeast.

“As far as equipment is concerned, to meet our requirements in such a short time frame is a problem. But what we have done is we have dipped into our War Wastage Reserves. So, we are holding War Wastage Reserves of all sorts of equipment, weapons, and stores. All this has been taken out from the Reserves and given to the new raisings. So, the new raisings are having reasonable amount of equipment which is enabling their timely raising,” the committee’s latest report which was tabled in the Parliament has quoted the Vice Chief as having told the members of the committee.

“Firstly, why the mountain corps has been sanctioned and why did we request for it? This is in keeping with our 15 years’ perspective plan. The process started with our analysis of the threat perception after 15 years and in that analysis it was predicted that the way @@@ has been getting more aggressive in resolving its disputes with neighbours, especially, in view of what we have seen with its maritime disputes in the South China Sea, it was our attempt to make sure that we are fully prepared to deal with this threat if at any time @@@ decides to raise the ante and get more aggressive,” the report read.

The committee withheld the country’s name, referring to it as “@”, probably hinting towards China, given the context of the South China Sea.

indian express

CAG blames Army for delay in Arjun tanks’ induction

(tribuneindia): The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has blamed the Indian Army for delaying the induction of Arjun tanks developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and blamed the Ministry of Defence for playing along by allowing costly imports. A comparative trial between the Arjun and the imported Russian T-90 tanks was done in April 2010 by fixing different benchmarks – very stringent for the Arjun and relaxed for the T-90, said the CAG in its report tabled in Parliament last Friday. The Arjun still scored over the T-90 on some issues, the trials were conducted on four parameters — fire power, survivability, reliability and miscellaneous issues. The CAG has revealed what was restricted to the corridors of MoD and hidden behind secrecy of ‘national interest’. An order was placed for additional T-90 tanks in November 2007 even as Army kept on adding its requirements for the Arjun, said the CAG. 
The CAG also did not spare the Ministry of Defence, saying the “decision for import was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security based on a note submitted by the ministry”. Incidentally, the issue of ‘sabotage’ in trials of the Arjun was first flagged in April 2008 by then Minister of State for Defence Production Rao Inderjit Singh during the first term of UPA government. Since then, Rao switched parties, and is now again at the same post in the Narendra Modi-led regime. “The possibility of sabotage needs to be examined,” Singh had said in 2008. The CAG, in its latest report said there were eight instances in which Arjun in the comparative trial was judged against more stringent benchmarks parameters. “We noticed, eight instances where the Army placed benchmark of parameters on Arjun which were more stringent in comparison to those placed on T-90 tanks… the imposition of more stringent parameters precluded a level playing field”

 Stringent trials for Arjun, relaxed for T-90

• A comparative trial between the Arjun and the imported Russian T-90 tanks was done in April 2010 by fixing different benchmarks — very stringent for the Arjun and relaxed for the T-90, said the CAG report
• An order was placed for additional T-90 tanks in Nov 2007 even as the Army kept on adding its requirements for the Arjun
• The DRDO-built tank was made to run in harsher climate; it climbed a steeper gradient than a T-90 to clear an obstacle, its laser finder was allowed far lesser margin for error

'Hot engines', UAVs: India's wish list to Pentagon

India has asked the Pentagon for five key technologies, including advanced high-altitude UAVs and "hot engines" for its fighter jets, to bolster its defences, sources said.
New Delhi's request for detailed proposals and licence requirements under the bilateral defence technology and trade initiative were conveyed to a visiting Pentagon delegation, sources said. US President Barack Obama visits India in January.
While the defence ministry had decided on the four technologies it will ask for from the US, the decision on the fifth would be taken after talking to the army, South Block sources said.

On India's wish-list was "hot-engine technology" for indigenous light combat aircraft Mark II to be powered by GE-414 jet engine, sources said. This technology allows fighter to operate in hot weather conditions like in deserts without any possibility of an engine failure.
New Delhi is also keen on Raytheon-manufactured "Signature Aperture Radar" that can penetrate thick forests, like the ones found in eastern India. Third on the list is the stealth-coating technology. The coating deadens radar images and would give Indian jets minimum radar profile and maximum survivability in hostile conditions.
India is also asking the Pentagon for long-endurance high-altitude UAV, the Global Hawk, being manufactured by Northrop Grumman. Equipped with synthetic aperture radar, the drone can fly at an altitude of 65,000 feet, stay air-bound for more than 14 hours and survey upto 40,000 sq km terrain in a day.
The defence ministry has also identified Textron-manufactured Scorpion mutation bomb, used for protecting military installations.  The final decision would be based on the army's inputs, sources said.
The Indian request would now be taken up by the Obama administration before co-production can begin under the Make in India programme, sources said.

 hindustantimes

Jammu and Kashmir an internal Indian political issue: USA

 Washington: Observing that elections in Jammu and Kashmir is an internal Indian political issue, the US on Tuesday refrained from making any comment on the state polls."I don't," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf told reporters at her daily news conference when asked about the elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
"This is obviously an internal Indian political issue. I think if we're referring to the same thing, it's a no-comment further on that," she said.

 .indiatvnews

Opportunity for Russia? India cancels $1bn minesweeper deal with S. Korea

 

An opportunity has arisen for Russian shipyards to tap the Indian market, with New Delhi canceling a billion dollar deal with South Korea for the supply of eight Mine Countermeasure Vessels (MCMV) to the Indian Navy over suspected irregularities.
An MCMV is designed for the location of and destruction of naval mines, combining the roles of minesweeper and mine hunter in one hull.
Strategically, the MCMVs are of crucial importance for all countries as terrorists become more and more tech-savvy and embark on newer ways to wreak mayhem. India and Russia are no exception. There were several intelligence reports recently in India conveying threats from terror outfits from the sea.
In early November, the port of Kolkata in West Bengal was put on a high alert after intelligence reports warning of a possible terror attack by well-trained terrorists with help from Pakistan Navy elements. Two warships, INS Khukri and INS Sumitra, were ordered to set sail as a pre-emptive move.
As many as 41 ships and vessels of different parameters are currently being constructed in India at a cost of $32 billion. However, given the current security scenario, the role of MCMVs is of increasing significance for keeping sea lanes mine-free, protecting naval assets and for clearing minefields near enemy shores for launching offensive attacks.
India has previously done business with Russia with MCMVs. The Indian Navy currently operates at least seven aging minesweepers bought from Russia four decades ago.
But before we elaborate on the Russian angle in this context, it will be in order to give a brief background on India’s cancelation of the MCMV deal with South Korea.

Cancelation of S. Korean contract

The Indian decision, the first major decision taken by Manohar Parrikar after taking over as defense minister on November 9, was formally conveyed to South Korea earlier this month, Sitanshu Kar, chief spokesperson of the Defense Ministry confirmed to this writer.
The South Korean company Kangnam Corporation had worked hard for years for the minesweeper deal with the previous government headed by Manmohan Singh and had won the competition in 2008 by quoting the lowest price for the minesweepers.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government inherited the South Korean minesweeper contract along with a major lacuna – the suspicion that Kangnam bagged the deal with the help of a middleman, which is a big 'no-no' for the Indian Defense Ministry. The matter was further complicated as the Korean company refused to give a guarantee that no middleman was used to clinch the MCMV deal.
The BJP government was extra cautious about the minesweeper deal as one of the clauses of the deal was that the Koreans would deliver two fully built MCMVs to India while the rest of the six boats would be built by Goa Shipyard Limited through technology transfer.
Manohar Parrikar is from Goa and is a former Goa chief minister. He felt that the MCMV deal negotiated by the previous government could be a trap for him and the BJP.
However, the Defense Ministry has not blacklisted Kangnam Corporation for the simple reason that blacklisting invariably backfires as the rest of the companies having required specialization take advantage of the situation and jack up their prices.
India’s Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) has given its approval to Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) for construction of all eight minesweepers for the Indian Navy, with the option of additional vessels. The Indian Navy requires at least 24 MCMVs urgently.
The Indian government is likely to encourage roping in a foreign vendor for the MCMV project. This is where the Russian angle comes in.

How Russia can be on board

Russia is working on its own MCMV project: Aleksandrit class minesweeper (Project 12700). The new Russian minesweeper is being constructed for the Russian Navy. The first ship was laid down on September 22, 2011 and was launched in June 2014.
Currently four ships are planned to be constructed but Russia plans to induct 30 minesweepers in its navy by 2050. The Russian MCMV’s hull is made of monolithic fiberglass, which gives it advantage in minesweeping. The vessel’s USP is that it is capable of detecting and destroying all kinds of modern sea mines, even if they are silt-covered.
At a time when Indian is looking for foreign vendors who have proven expertise in building MCMVs, Russia can throw its hat in the ring. This could be Russia’s wild card entry into a new defense area of MCMVs and get on board with the Indians at this opportune time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is eagerly looking toward foreign companies’ participation in his pet ‘Make in India’ scheme.
But this is not going to be easy as the South Koreans won’t be throwing in the towel. Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj would be in South Korea this weekend (December 27-28) to attend a meeting of the India-South Korea Joint Commission..
The Koreans will definitely be raising the MCMV issue with Swaraj. India has not shut the door on South Korea. Its problem was only with regard to its concerns on the suspected involvement of middlemen.
Moreover, India would not like to let the cancelation of the MCMV deal affect its bilateral relations with South Korea, an important country for India over the larger issue of its strategies in dealing with China. Political ties between India and South Korea were put on a very high pedestal by the previous UPA government and the Narendra Modi government is also keen on continuing with the same policy toward South Korea.
India and South Korea have a bilateral trade of $17 billion and Joongyu Lee, South Korean ambassador in New Delhi, went on record as saying at an event in New Delhi on 18 December that the two countries had the trade potential of $100 billion.
What the Russians can do is to convince India of their utility and proven expertise in the area. But Moscow will have to take the initiative. It could be a multibillion dollar opportunity as the two sides can sweeten the deal for themselves by developing these vessels for joint exports as well.
This may well be a low-hung fruit as boosting defense exports is a stated objective of the Modi government. If all goes well this could be another input in consolidating Indo-Russian defense ties, a priority area for both New Delhi and Moscow

RT

Rustum 2 UAV will be ready in a year: DRDO

 

Next generation unmanned aerial vehicle Rustum 2, which is capable of operating at an altitude of 30,000 feet and 24-hour endurance with a payload of 350 kg, will be made available within a year, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Secretary Avinash Chander said on Tuesday.
The UAV would be used for defence operations, including reconnaissance and target identification.
Delivering the 27th Intelligence Bureau Centenary Endowment Lecture on “Emerging Technological Challenges for National Security,” Dr. Chander said the UAV was capable of carrying sensors like aperture radar, maritime patrol radar, communication and electronic intelligence, optical and infrared imagery sensors, including those developed indigenously.
While the Nishant UAV is already in use by security forces, the RUSTOM1, with a capability of 7-8 hours of endurance is also ready. While aerostats, which operate at an altitude of 1 km for surveillance activities, have already been developed, a team of young scientists is working on lighter aerial platforms with a capability to fly at 60,000- 70,000 feet,

“High energy weapons, capable of destroying/disabling systems at tens of kilometres, are going to be vital. Unmanned Ground Vehicles will be participating in intelligent missions capable of identifying and distinguishing between friendly and enemy systems with proper signature management,” said Dr. Chander, adding that advanced data compression techniques have enabled soldiers to transmit video imagery through hand-held devices.
Space security infrastructure
Dr. Chander also flagged the necessity to strengthen space security infrastructure. “To achieve self-reliance in the satellite navigation system, India is establishing the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System with dependents from across all the services. It is necessary to safeguard such system of national importance...space assets are vulnerable to electronic warfare like jamming, laser attacks, killer micro-satellites,” he said.
The DRDO Secretary said inclusion of futuristic technologies would revolutionise the intelligence infrastructure.
He also talked about foray into areas of nanotechnology and micro-electromechanical systems operated wirelessly on a computer network for sensing through radio-frequency identification, besides convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information and cognitive technology.

The hindu