Defence ministry awards Rs 6,311-crore contract to GRSE for anti-submarine warfare boats

Of the eight anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft (ASWSWC) on order, the yard will deliver the first ship in 42 months followed by two boats every year, a ministry release said. It added that the project has to be concluded in 84 months.

 The defence ministry on Monday awarded a Rs 6,311-crore contract to public sector shipyard Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) to supply anti-submarine warfare boats to the navy, a ministry spokesperson said.

Of the eight anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft (ASWSWC) on order, the yard will deliver the first ship in 42 months followed by two boats every year, a ministry release said. It added that the project has to be concluded in 84 months. The current projects being executed by the yard include stealth frigates, anti-submarine warfare corvettes and survey vessels for the navy and fast patrol vessels for the coast guard.
The contract has been awarded five years after the navy issued a request for a proposal to public and private sector shipyards.
The ASWSWC will have a displacement of 750 tonnes and a top speed of 25 knots. Carrying a crew of 57 men, the vessels “shall have the capability to interdict/destroy sub-surface targets in coastal waters,” the release said.
It added that the boats can also be deployed in a day/night search and rescue role in coastal areas, lay mines and also tackle hostile aircraft.

hindustantimes

Army invokes emergency powers for missile deal

The Army is in the process of procuring Spike-LR Anti-Tank Missiles from Israel and Igla-S Very Short Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORAD) from Russia through a set of new financial powers for emergency procurements sanctioned by the Defence Ministry earlier this month, Defence sources said.

“Under the latest emergency financial powers, armed forces have been given a free hand to procure equipment worth up to ₹300 crore on a priority basis. The Request For Proposal (RFP) for the two deals have been issued and negotiations are ongoing,” the source said. Entirely new systems not in use can also be procured under the new powers, the source stated.

Tenders for both deals had gone through regular procurement process earlier. While the Spike tender was cancelled during the cost negotiation phase, the deal for Igla, after repeated delays, is in the cost negotiation phase. However, given the questions that were raised in the earlier deals, clarity is needed on the modalities for purchase through the emergency route.

Under the emergency route, the Army is looking to procure about 12 launchers and around 250 missiles for each system. Deliveries have to be completed in three months, but extendable to six months.

The Spike-LR (Long Range) being procured is a different variant from the one tested and shortlisted as part of the earlier procurement for over 8,000 missiles and 300 launchers along with technology transfer. As contract negotiations dragged on, the deal was cancelled in January last year and it was decided to procure a smaller number — 170 launchers, 4,500 missiles and 15 simulators — through an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) and make up the balance requirement with an indigenous Man Portable ATGM currently under development.

Before the IGA was concluded, validatory trials of the Infrared Seeker (IR) of the missile were to be held during the Indian summers as the missile “did not perform as desired in the previous trials during peak summer temperatures in the desert,” according to another source. However, the IGA has not made progress so far. The Spike-LR (Long Range) has a range of 4 km. It is so far not clear if additional trials would be performed as part of the emergency procurement. Some defence officials indicated that testing was not required as the missile is operational and in service across the world and that if needed tests would be carried out in the home country (Israel).

VSHORAD deal ::

The deal for VSHORAD, to replace the legacy Igla systems in service, began in 2010 and has since seen several trials and re-trials with three contenders in the fray — MBDA of France, Rosoboronexport of Russia and SAAB of Sweden. Eventually, all three were declared technically complaint last year.

While the benchmark price determined was just over $2 bn, Rosoboronexport’s bid was much lower at around $1.47 bn, while SAAB’s bid was at about $2.6 bn and MBDA around $3.68 bn. This led to a division within the Ministry on how to proceed given such low bid from the Russians compared to the benchmark price, but eventually Igla-S was declared the winner. “The deal is currently at the Contract Negotiation phase,” the source said.

Officials said the emergency procurements were one of critical procurement and not related to the acquisitions through the regular route, in a bid to assure that these would not impact the regular deals.

In the case of VSHORAD, the other two vendors lodged protests and wrote a series of letters to the Defence Ministry on several occasions alleging procedural violations favouring Igla-S which were rejected.

thehindu

‘Rahul Gandhi tried to create a Bofors out of Rafale deal’

Abraham Lincoln said, “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.” The same thing happened when Congress president Rahul Gandhi tried to fool all the people recently with his blatant lies on a specific observation of the Supreme Court on the Rafale deal case. However, in his misplaced enthusiasm, he did not realise that his lie might cost him dearly and constitute grounds for criminal contempt.

The Rafale deal is a classic example of how a lie can be used as an expedient of political one-upmanship. Rahul, in his desperation, has turned lying into a fine art. With his compulsive addiction to lying, Rahul tried to create a Bofors out of the Rafale deal.

Just in order to refresh things, I must mention that the government of India, following long negotiations between April 2015 and September 2016 entered into an inter-governmental agreement with the French government to purchase 36 Rafale aircraft from the French firm, Dassault Aviation, at a cost of €7.87 billion. The deal was struck after scrapping a long tendering process initiated in 2007 by the UPA government, which they could not finalise. The deal, finalised between the two governments, has been one of the most transparent and probably the most fiercely negotiated deal in the history of Indian defence acquisitions.

However, the compulsive dissenters and rejectionists, like the Congress, had a problem even with such a clean deal. Citing allegations of corruption in the deal, a group of politicians and activists moved the Supreme Court to institute an FIR into the deal. However, the apex court dismissed the bunch of petitions challenging the deal with the observation that the court found no basis to “really doubt the decision-making process” in the acquisition of Rafale jets.

Subsequently, the cabal of dissenters, in view of some secret stolen documents of the MoD published in a newspaper, approached the apex court seeking a review of the decision, citing them as a fresh piece of evidence. The government of India opposed it in the apex court, citing that the defence ministry’s secret documents enjoyed the protection of the Official Secrets Act. However, the apex court, on April 10, rejected the government’s argument and ruled those documents as admissible piece of evidence before the court and, thus, it agreed to look into its December 14 judgment. So, that is it.

However, to the amusement of everyone, Rahul not only distorted this judgment but also imputed his own words to the Supreme Court to mean that it had admitted that some sort of corruption had happened in the Rafale deal. This illogical and mischievous inference constitutes a clear case of misrepresentation of the apex court’s judgment with the intention to drag it into the electoral battle for political advantages.

In the State of Haryana v. Ch. Bhajanlal, the Supreme Court had observed, “it is incumbent upon courts of justice to preserve their proceedings from being misrepresented, for prejudicing the mind of the people against persons concerned as parties in causes before the cause is finally heard, has pernicious consequences. Speech or writings misrepresenting the proceedings of the court of prejudicing the public for or against a party or involving reflections on parties to a proceeding amount to contempt.” Rahul’s words were in clear violation of the legal premises defined by the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, and the subsequent judgments of the courts on it. Hence, I filed a case of criminal contempt against him in the Supreme Court.

The contempt proceedings puncture his ill-thought strategy to use lie as a political weapon to help him win elections.

 theweek , by Meenakshi Lekhi

US Refuses to Share Info on Pakistan’s Use of F-16, Says India Understands Position: Report

The US government has reportedly declined to share information with India on the use of F-16 fighter jets by the Pakistan Air Force in its attempted air raids on Indian military installations in Jammu and Kashmir on February 27.

“Soon after we were informed by the Indian side about Pakistan using F-16 aircraft on February 27, we informed the Indians that we will not be sharing any information on the subject as it is a bilateral matter between the US and Pakistan,” The Indian Express quoted a US official as saying.

Defending the stand, the official further said that India understands the position taken by the US. “If a third country tomorrow wants information about the C130 or C17 or Apaches that the IAF uses, our answer would be the same. It is a bilateral matter between India and the US.”
 The Indian Air Force had in March complained to the US that Pakistan had violated the end-user agreement on F-16 by using the jets for offensive use against India. The Air Force had also displayed parts of an AMRAAM beyond visual range air-to-air missile as evidence to "conclusively" prove that Pakistan deployed US-manufactured F-16 fighter jets during the aerial raid.

Pakistan had categorically said that no F-16 fighter jets were used and denied that one of its planes had been downed by the IAF.

According to prominent US magazine Foreign Policy, a US count of the F-16s with Pakistan found that none of them were "missing" and all the fighter planes were "present and accounted for". The report contradicted India’s claim that the IAF had shot down an F-16 in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the suicide bomber of JeM killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14.

India had launched a counter-terror operation against a JeM training camp in Balakot. The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured its pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1.

 news18

Lockheed's F-16 hard sell: Pros and cons of buying the American fighter

 

Provided it doesn't result in the cancellation of the Tejas fighter, Lockheed's offer is a win-win for India.

When Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman shot down an F-16 Falcon over Pakistan occupied Kashmir on February 27, it was a case of sheer bad timing for Lockheed-Martin. Just a week earlier, at the Aero India Show in Bangalore, the US aerospace giant had launched a repackaged F-16 as a brand new F-21 specifically for the Indian market.

With the seventies era Falcon getting smoked by an even older Soviet aircraft with an atrocious crash rate, Lockheed received a ton of flak for peddling old technology to the Indian Air Force.

There's no getting around the fact that the aircraft Lockheed is pitching to India - in response to an IAF tender for 110 fighters - is not a new generation aircraft but only an upgraded F-16 that first flew in 1974. In aeronautical timeframe, that's ancient history.

In its bid to win the Indian order, Lockheed has gone for pushy salesmanship, which is never a good tactic. It is an especially unwise move in India where corruption in the defence sector is deep-rooted, with a string of big-ticket contracts tainted by kickbacks. In this backdrop, the rebadged F-16 seems like an amateurish attempt to impress the Indian market.


Not just old wine ::

Lockheed should have retained the Falcon's original badge with its latest iteration - the F-16 Block 70. For, the Falcon remains - 45 years after its first flight - a high-performance aircraft that becomes an even more potent weapon in the right hands.

In a mock combat exercise held in the US in 2016, an F-16 outgunned and outmanoeuvred the latest F-35, thoroughly humiliating the stealth fighter. More significantly, the Falcon was deliberately handicapped with a full load of missiles, bombs and fuel while the F-35 was flown clean - that is minus its missiles - for optimum performance and speed. And yet the F-16 won.

One must be careful not to read too much into the results of mock combat exercises because most of the data is classified and the media never really gets a full picture of what really happened. Whether Lockheed gamed the dogfight in order to impress the IAF may always remain a mystery.

However, the F-16 doesn't need a hard sell because it has a great kill record, albeit against poorly trained air forces in the Middle East. The Israeli Air Force, for instance, has used the aircraft to strike its adversaries near its borders and has also destroyed targets as far as Tunisia and Iraq.

Also, it's a myth that F-16 production lines are closing in the US. Defense Industry Daily reported that on April 23 Lockheed-Martin opened a new line in South Carolina with Block 70 production scheduled for later this year. Earlier, in March, Lockheed announced the establishment of the first F-16 maintenance facility for foreign-owned Falcons, in Norway.

One must not forget that as many as 3,000 operational F-16s are in service in 25 countries, and the company expects the new production line to build at least 400 more aircraft.

Also, with the ongoing troubles with the F-35 programme, the Falcon remains the backbone of the US Air Force, which operates 1,235 of these fighters.


Lockheed's India strategy ::

The IAF global tender to buy 110 aircraft could easily dwarf the $8 billion Rafale order. Janes reported the order could be worth at least $15 billion, making it India's largest defence order ever. According to the terms of the bid, 17 fighters are to be delivered flight-ready, while the remaining 93 would be produced in India. The document also specifies 82 of the aircraft should be single-seat, with the rest being dual-seat jets for pilot training.

In this backdrop, Lockheed's announcement that it would shift the F-16's entire production chain to India and manufacture the jet fighter jointly with Tata Advanced Systems Limited looks like a game changer in the global aerospace industry.

If the deal gets the government's green light - and provided Lockheed is able to deliver the goods - it would be the first time in the modern armaments history that an entire aircraft ecosystem is transplanted in a different country.

The Block 70 that Lockheed has offered India is the latest version, with extended range. With upgrades, the F-16 will, in all probability, be flying in the second half of this century. Some predict that it could be the world's first 100-year-old fighter. With its airframe showing no signs of fatigue, it could fulfil that prediction. Clearly, this is an aircraft with a long shelf life.

Lockheed India Vice President Vivek Lall said at Aero India that the aircraft comes with "greater standoff capability, greater staying power with less fuel burn, and network data linking capabilities across all platforms". The aircraft also has an active electronically scanned array radar, which has detection ranges nearly double that of previous mechanically scanned array radars and the ability to track and attack more targets with higher precision.

It also has an advanced electronic warfare (EW) system that provides enhanced survivability against ground and air threats; and long-range infrared search and track (currently only available in the Sukhoi Su-30MKI), enabling pilots to see threats without being detected.

The IAF is making rapid strides towards becoming a fully networked force. Its new emerging network architecture includes the Operational Data Link, the Integrated Air Command and Control System and Air Force Net. These networks when merged create what is known as sensor fusion, providing a complete picture of the battlespace out to hundreds of kilometres. Unlike older jets like the MiG-21, the F-16 can tap into this network and round out its surveillance picture.

PAF factor ::

Since the Pakistan Air Force flies several squadrons of older F-16s, there is an unease in certain quarters about its induction in the IAF. These fears are misplaced. Both Indian and Pakistani pilots are aware of the strengths and weakness of each other's aircraft.

IAF pilots routinely fly with USAF pilots in their F-16s during mock combat exercises. (Similarly, the PAF may have obtained data on Sukhois from Indonesia, Malaysia and the fountainhead of all leaks, Ukraine.)

The only downside of having the Falcon on both sides of the border is that air defence forces will have a hard time, especially when fighter aircraft are on missions with their IFF (identify friend or foe) systems switched off.

Also, since the average dogfight lasts under 10 minutes, things can get real ugly in the heat of combat. Fratricide is often the result. To illustrate, it was an Indian air defence unit that brought down an Indian helicopter during the February 27 skirmish.

However, Pakistan which has a weaker air defence system will face the bigger problem. Don't forget that after the Balakot air strikes and the February 27 air battle over J&K, Pakistan's airspace was closed for more than two weeks. Despite the hardship faced by domestic travellers and the huge economic consequences, Pakistan kept its airspace closed.

The reason for the bizarre fly ban was that the entire Pakistani defence establishment was spooked by the Indian raid - the first in 48 years. The only way Pakistan could reliably identify enemy jets was if there was zero civilian movement in its airspace. So in a situation with over a hundred F-16s on the Indian side of the border, you can well imagine the PAF's plight.

And now the bad news ::

Manufacturing the F-16 in India carries with it the danger that the defence import lobby would use it as an excuse to kill off the Tejas. The indigenous fighter, which has been wowing aviation experts and enthusiasts at air shows worldwide, is on the cusp of becoming India's first major armaments export.

If India places an order for the planned 110 fighters, there is the danger of the axe falling on the Tejas. With a limited share of the defence budget, the IAF may not have the cash to splurge on two separate fighter programmes. As long as the air force brass are assured they'll get sufficient numbers of modern battle tested F-16s - or any other modern foreign fighter - they may not care what happens to the Tejas.

There is a precedent for this. In the 1960s, with German collaboration, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) India had developed the HF-24 Marut fighter. During the 1971 War, the IAF had enough confidence in the Marut to send it on bombing missions deep into the Pakistani airspace. For a fighter developed on a budget, it produced reasonably good results.

However, just as the Marut programme appeared to take off, the Soviets offered India the MiG-21 interceptor. Moscow also sweetened the deal through long-term, low-interest loans and also allowed licence production. With HAL factories around the country saddled with MiG production lines, the public sector aircraft maker was ordered to kill the Marut. It took another 50 years before HAL would make another indigenous fighter, the Tejas.


Why licence production is a dead end ::

India's state-owned defence industry has for decades been addicted to licence production, which in plain language means screwdriver technology. In a paper titled 'Transfer of Defence Technology - Exploring the Avenues for India', the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) explains why licence production or manufacture is a technological dead end.

"The licence manufacture mode, currently being referred to as transfer of technology in the Indian Defence Procurement Procedure, essentially delivers the capability to manufacture or produce defence systems through the acquiring of necessary knowhows. However, for significantly upgrading the system or designing, developing and manufacturing new variants independently of the foreign technology seller firms, the know-whys are needed. These know-whys are never provided for established reasons and huge costs, leaving the recipient country considerably dependent on the seller firm for its futuristic needs."

In the last five decades, India has licence produced a number of aircraft (MiG-21, MiG-27, Jaguar and the Sukhoi Su-30MKI), tanks (T-72 and T-90) and BMP armoured personnel carriers among others. And yet India's state-owned companies did not develop a single new home-grown version of these weapons platforms.

Licence production, which India pioneered with the MiG-21, does not involve the transfer of technology and neither does it lead to innovation. The weapons system is pretty much frozen and much of its most critical parts are imported. For instance, the engines of the Su-30MKI are imported fully built from Russia, and in fact, a HAL Sukhoi costs more than a made in Russia one.


Making the Falcon in India ::

The F-16 could change that by ushering in a new era of technological advancement in India. To illustrate, when India took the first steps towards economic liberalisation, it was the re-entry of Coca-Cola that made India kosher for foreign multinationals. The presence of Coke, the defining symbol of Western capitalism, assured investors that India was dumping Soviet-inspired socialism and ready to do business again.

Similarly, Prime Minister Narendra's Modi's Make in India initiative in defence will receive a turbocharge if the Falcon lands in India. First up, there will be an immediate impact on the Indian aerospace industry. The entire process of transplanting an aircraft ecosystem could potentially create thousands of technical jobs. According to Lockheed executives, "it's like bringing up a whole new industry".


How Turkey rode the Falcon ::

A highly successful example of how the transfer of technology transformed a nation's aerospace sector is the Lockheed-Turkish Air Industries (TAI) tie-up in the 1980s. According to the IDSA, this project resulted in the production of a total of 308 F-16 aircraft over a period of around 12 years.

In this landmark deal, the state-owned TAI had the major share with 49 per cent; Lockheed Martin had 42 per cent; General Electric (GE) had 7 per cent and the remaining was held by two other firms. A total investment of $137 million was made, with $70 million from Turkish partners and $67 million from the US partners, which was later supplemented by the latter with another $100 million. Lockheed Martin provided three experienced directors for five years and the general manager for 14 years.

"From the experience gained from building 80 per cent of the F-16 aircraft, TAI began branching out into other areas to include: parts of the transport aircraft CN-235 and A400M; modifications of Boeing 737s into an airborne early warning aircraft; and parts of helicopters Agusta Mangusta T-29 and Sikorsky T-70 Blackhawk. The TAI also developed a modification centre where they upgraded aircraft such as the C-130s, F-4s, T-38s and F-16s."

Lockheed claims the Turkish company is now developing indigenously designed unmanned aerial vehicles, basic trainer aircraft and even a fifth generation fighter aircraft.


Rivals from Europe ::

Lockheed's offer to move the F-16 production line to India does not guarantee the American company will walk away with the deal. It faces five rivals in the race - Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet, Dassault Aviation's Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab's Gripen and the MiG-35 from Russia's United Aircraft Corporation.

The Gripen is a dogged rival that has tasted success in South Africa, Czech Republic and Hungary. Saab has offered to move the Gripen plant from Sweden to India. It has offered the IAF an aircraft that is cheap as chips but is no laggard either when it comes to performance technology.

As well as highly developed net-centric warfare capabilities, the Gripen has good short takeoff performance. Plus, Saab has designed it to have low maintenance requirements, which could interest the IAF, whose Achilles heel is maintenance.


American influence ::

What tilts the balance in the F-16's favour is geopolitics. An order this big is rarely about just price or performance - it is also about quid pro quo. Sweden is a geopolitical lightweight and there is very little it can offer in terms of swinging the balance of power in India's favour.

However, with the US, India is in a position to extract its pound of flesh. As well as aerospace, New Delhi could nail down guarantees on the transfer of technology in other critical areas while also getting the US to align its diplomacy in line with India. India can ensure US support in isolating Pakistan, squeezing its economy and dismantling the terror state.

The F-16 order has the potential to bind India and the US in a long-term strategic alliance. It will also isolate the anti-India hawks in the State Department (the US foreign ministry) and the Pentagon where doddering pro-Pakistan generals - the detritus of the Cold War - continue to treat India with suspicion.

The deal will also ease the flow of technology and investment into India's defence private sector. India being the technologically and economically weaker partner will derive greater gains from association with the likes of Lockheed.

Endgame ::

The 110 aircraft order is a crucial requirement of the service, which currently has a reduced strength of 31 fighter squadrons, whereas it requires 42 squadrons to tackle the collusive threat of Pakistan and China. With hundreds of antiquated MiGs due for retirement and HAL producing just around a dozen Tejas jets annually, the IAF doesn't have the luxury of numbers or time.

Provided it doesn't result in the cancellation of the Tejas fighter, Lockheed's offer is a win-win for India. The IAF should speed up negotiations and user trials so a deal can be inked quickly. For, the danger is that India's ponderous defence procurement machinery could drag the tender into the abyss - just like it did with the MMRCA.

 

 businesstoday

Indian Army’s Ambitious $8 billion Future Infantry Combat Vehicle Project To Be Finalised Post Lok Sabha Polls

The Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) project is expected to move forward after the new government is formed at the centre. The project costing $8 billion will be 40 per cent indigenous making it another win for the Make In India initiative of the NDA government.

The project will induct around 2,600 FICVs with a life span of 32 years and will be replacing the Army’s old Russian-origin BMP-2 infantry combat vehicles.

The project part of the modernisation drive of the Indian Armed Forces is expected to be completed by 2025, reports Financial Express.The project is expected to be a joint venture (JV) and Indian manufacturers like Titagarh Wagons, Reliance Defence and Engineering, Mahindra and Mahindra have sent their proposals to the Defence Ministry.

The department also received proposals from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) which include Russian companies under the umbrella of Rosoboronexport, US-based General Dynamic and German Rheinmetall.

The project was moved to the Make II category of the DPP-2016 last year to expedite its implementation but is now on hold as the service headquarters and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) failed to reach an understanding on the vehicle requirements.

The FICV project was earlier approved under the Strategic Partnership (SP) model under the ‘Make’ category of DPP-2008 before being moved to Make II of DPP-2016.

The DPP-16 clause states that in Make II category there is no funding required from the MoD, whereas in the ‘Make’ category, the ministry has to provide 90 per cent of funds up to the prototype stage.

 swarajyamag

China deploys H-6 bomber in Tibet, just 200 kilometers from border with Sikkim

A report from Indian intelligence agencies states that PLA is also reported to have inducted 155mm calibre vehicle mounted Howitzer.

Despite the bitter Doklam standoff with India in the recent past, China is still quietly building up its military presence in Tibet and upgrading many airfields for military use. According to the latest Indian intelligence agencies' report, China has deployed one of its deadliest H-6 bomber in Hoping airfield of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).

The report states that People's Liberation of Army (PLA) has taken full control of Hoping Airfield and it has been placed under Western Theater Command (WTC).

Hoping Airbase is a dual-use military and civilian airport.

PLA is also reported to have inducted 155mm calibre vehicle mounted Howitzer in unit of WTC.

H-6 bomber is a variant of Soviet Tupolev TU-16 twin-engine medium-range bomber used by China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The latest version of H-6K, which has been designed for long-range attacks, is considered as a strategic bomber. Some reports say it is capable of attacking US carrier battle groups having nuclear-strike capability.

Indian agencies are studying what will be the scenario in case of a conflict with India and what role would be played by H-6 bombers in such an eventuality.

"We are aware of the new development in TAR. We are gathering additional information on H-6 bases in airfields of Western Theater Command
and their assessed scenario of a conflict with India," said a senior officer in the Indian Defense Ministry.

There were several intelligence inputs available about PLA's attempt to build permanent constructions for hangers in the Hoping airfield. These are able to protect aircraft on ground during air raids.China has deployed Howitzer units in WTC which is capable of achieving a maximum range of 50 km with an extended-range projectile. It is also capable of firing GPS and laser-guided precision munition.

The dispute between India and China over Doklam may have subsided but the two countries are constantly engaged in strengthening defence preparedness in the border areas.

While China's PLA has built several new military camps in the border areas, according to the latest information, intelligence inputs also suggest that there is a secret guided missile unit in China's Yuxi about 900 kilometers away from Arunachal Pradesh.

According to intelligence reports, China has deployed '622 Missile Brigade' in Yuxi, which is equipped with guided missiles.

China is deploying long-range kill missiles at this new base.

China has already strengthened its Western Theater Command against India and now, after information about the new Missile Brigade is revealed in the South Theater Command, Indian agencies are constantly monitoring this development. Intelligence agencies are also trying to gather information about the People Liberation Army's Rocket Force(PLA Rocket Force) 622 Missile Brigade.

 zeenews

Russia To Deliver 2 Anti-Submarine Frigates To Indian Navy By 2023

The Yantar Shipyard will build two Project 11356 frigates for the Indian Navy by 2023, CEO of Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport Alexander Mikheyev stated.

“We have signed all the schedules and the production programs and the enterprise will be loaded with work through 2022-2023. More than 60 enterprises are taking part in cooperation to implement this project.

The period of 2022-2023 is the time for the delivery of the two ships in compliance with the existing contractual obligations,” the chief executive said.The contract for the frigates’ construction has been signed and advance payments are expected in the immediate future to finance the commencement of work under the project, he said. “I believe this will be done within two or three weeks,” he specified.

As was reported earlier, Russia and India signed contracts in November 2018 on the delivery of four Project 11356 frigates. Under the deal, two frigates will be built at Russia’s Yantar Shipyard on the Baltic coast and the other two will be constructed at India’s Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL). Head of Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation Alexei Rakhmanov earlier said that the first Project 11356 frigates for India would be built in Russia within three years.
Project 11356 frigates are designed to deliver strikes against enemy surface ships and submarines in the coastal and oceanic zones and fight air targets both independently and as part of a naval group.

The warships of this type are armed with A-190 100mm artillery guns, striking missile and air defense systems, including Kalibr and Shtil complexes and torpedo tubes. The frigates displace 3,620 tonnes, are 124.8 meters long, develop a speed of 30 knots and have an operating range of 4,850 miles. The frigates can carry a Ka-27 helicopter and its modification.

 eurasiantimes

IAF Probe finds IFF system switched off in Mi-17 Helicopter allegedly brought down by SPYDER Air-defence Battery

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has been told to keep on hold the findings of a “court of inquiry” (CoI) that has conclusively determined that an IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter was shot down by an Indian missile battery that was guarding Srinagar air base.

A senior helicopter pilot, of the rank of air commodore, heads the CoI. Six IAF personnel and a civilian on the ground died in that “friendly fire” incident on February 27. Top IAF sources say the incident happened after officers from the ground missile battery misidentified the IAF chopper as a Pakistani aircraft on a mission to attack Srinagar.

The disaster took place the day after IAF fighters had struck a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist camp in Pakistan to retaliate against a JeM suicide bomb attack 12 days earlier, which killed over 40 Indian troopers in Pulwama, near Srinagar.The CoI has found that, with IAF and army units across Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) in a state of hair-trigger alert against expected Pakistani retaliation, two crucial omissions led to the missile battery opening fire and downing their own helicopter.

First, to guard against misidentification of aircraft in the prevailing state of alert, all IAF aircraft coming in to land in Srinagar were required to approach the air base only through a designated air corridor. Ground missile units would know that the aircraft approaching through the narrow “funnel” was a friendly aircraft.

For reasons that remain unclear, the Mi-17V5 helicopter was not in the safe corridor as it approached from the direction of Budgam, to the south of Srinagar. The ground missile units assumed the radar track they picked was that of a hostile aircraft.

Second, IAF aircraft are equipped with an electronic device called an Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system, which beams out a coded signal that identifies the aircraft as a friendly one to all IAF radars and IFF receivers. The IFF system is required to be switched on, especially in a situation where ground missile units are on high alert.

For reasons that remain unclear, the CoI has found that the ill-fated helicopter’s IFF system was not switched on that day.

IAF officers say they are keen to serve justice quickly and make an example of those found guilty of operational lapses. However, they are held back by a “go-slow” order from above.

They say the reason is: With the Balakot bombing and the Pakistani response, including the alleged shooting down of a Pakistani F-16 fighter, being painted in election campaigning as a major Indian victory, admitting the loss of a helicopter and seven personnel due to friendly fire would present a bleaker picture.

On February 27, the downing of the helicopter was obscured by the media attention on the downing of an IAF MiG-21 Bison fighter and the capture of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.The IAF has declined to comment, stating: “The CoI is still in progress”. Asked specifically about the delay in finalising the findings of the CoI, the IAF said: “The time line of any CoI cannot be predicted.”

It is learned that the missile that was fired was an Israeli short-range surface to air missile (SR-SAM), which can engage incoming targets at ranges out to 20 kilometres. While engaging targets at those ranges, there is no scope for visual identification. Aircraft are merely a blip on a radar.

The incoming helicopter was engaged with the permission of the Base Air Defence Officer at Srinagar, who was required to satisfy himself that targets being engaged were indeed hostile.

  Business Standard

Navy working on mega plan to bolster operational capabilities

The Indian Navy is working on a mega plan to significantly boost its operational capability by inducting new warships, submarines and aircraft besides expand its overall influence in the strategic maritime zones, officials said Thursday.

Under the plan, the Navy aims to have 200 ships, 500 aircraft and 24 attack submarines, they said. At present, the Navy has around 132 ships, 220 aircraft and 15 submarines.

The plan was discussed extensively by top naval commanders at a three-day conference which concluded on Thursday.

The Indian Navy will also come out with concrete plans to incorporate big data analytics and artificial intelligence for solutions in the domains of naval combat, logistics and several other key areas, the officials said.

In his address, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba talked about various key issues pertaining to operational readiness, capability enhancement, operational logistics and infrastructure, Navy Spokesperson Capt. D K Sharma said.

"Functional reorganisation of Indian Navy towards improving operational efficiency and optimal manning formed the core of discussions towards finalising the long term road map of the Navy," he said.

Officials said the commanders explored ways to significantly bolster the Navy's operational capabilities in the wake of China's growing naval presence in the Indian Ocean region.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed the conference on Tuesday during which she complimented the Navy for maintaining high operational readiness.

In an indirect reference to Pakistan, Capt Sharma said she lauded the force for coercing an adversary into submission as was evident during the recent standoff. The Navy has been on maximum alert following the Pulwama strike and developments thereafter. "She appreciated the Navy's efforts in the area of indigenisation, self-reliance and support to the 'Make in India' initiative," he said.

Sitharaman also reviewed combat readiness, pace of modernisation and progress of various acquisition and infrastructure related issues of the Navy.

"She urged the naval commanders to optimally utilise available resources to build a strong Navy that is ready and vigilant to counter any challenge that may emerge in the maritime domain," said Capt. Sharma.

 economictimes

Future Ready Combat Vehicle: South Korean ready to build FRCV armoured vehicle under Make in India

South Korea based Hyundai Rotem is ready to produce $ 5 billion Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV) for the Mechanised Forces in compliance with `Make in India’ policy, if it is awarded the contract to build more than 2000 units.

An FRCV, not to be confused with Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) is an armoured platform that will be used primarily for the Main Battle Tank (MBT). The Indian Army as part of its modernisation plans is keen on replacing its old fleet of 2,414 Soviet-origin T-72 tanks. If all goes as per the schedule, the FRCVs are expected to enter service between 2025-27.

According to top company executives, “The Company is now waiting to have second round of meeting with the Directorate General Mechanised Forces (DGMF), which is expected to take place next month in New Delhi.”

The company has already responded to the RFI (Request for Information) issued by the DGMF in November 2017, which specified the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) should offer technology transfer, the platform should have 40 percent indigenous content, and create ecosystems, life cycle costs and upgrade plans to build.

The South Korean Company attended its first meeting in New Delhi last August. The OEM has to tie up with a Strategic Partner to produce the units in India.

The RFI for the FRCV issued in 2017 is under the ‘Make’ category and the provisions of the Armoured Fighting Vehicle segment of ‘Strategic Partnership’ model route as per Chapter – VII as per the Defence Procurement Procedure—2016.

The vehicle is supposed to be medium weight (45-50 ton) and with a platform which can operate in various terrains including developed, desert terrain and in high altitude areas across the wide spectrum of conflict. “Keeping in mind the changing scenarios of the battlefield which will be technology driven, the FRCV platform must not only be fit for future wars but should have the capability to be used on other specialised fighting vehicles,” explained a senior officer.

Indian Army is keen on a FRCV which is similar to the Russian T-14 Armata, Ukrainian Oplot, French LeClerc and South Korean K2 Black Panther main battle tanks. Since the German Leopard and the American M1 Abrams are weighing heavy, they don’t fit the specifications laid down in the RFI for the FRCV.

Besides South Korean company, there are other global companies who responded to RFI include, UK based BAE Systems of the UK., General Dynamics of the US, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann of Germany, Nexter of France, Polski Holding Obronny of Poland, Rosoboronexport of Russia, and Ukrainexport of Ukraine.

Major Indian private companies ― including Mahindra Group, Bharat Forge, Punj Lloyd, Tata Power SED, Tata Motors, Reliance Defence and Engineering Limited, Titagarh Wagons, and Tractors India ― are keen on participating in the manufacturing of FRCVs in a joint venture with foreign OEMs.

The contest for the programme includes a design competition in which major defence companies involved in tank building will be participating through RFP and the best design will be chosen and given to an appointed developing agency for production of the prototypes.

The FRCVs will have multiple variants: The primary variant of tracked main battle tank; tracked light tank; wheeled version; bridge layer tank; trawl tank; mine ploughs; armoured recovery vehicle; self-propelled artillery gun/howitzer; air-defense gun/missile system; artillery observation post vehicle; engineer reconnaissance vehicle; and armoured ambulance role.

 financialexpress

Free run for radicals in Kashmir, surveillance in China

Alongside terrorists attacking security forces and stone pelters obstructing anti-terror measures, a new dimension in the Kashmir unrest is discernible in terms of a whole hog social media war, spreading lies, presenting fabricated stories maligning the armed forces and twisting the facts.

Kashmir has a whole lot of technology savvy talent. The social-media users are loading and feeding poisonous material to portray India as a worst type of aggressor in the world. They are being encouraged by whole lot of pseudo secularists, self-styled activists as also section of motivated media. Can this happen in China, which is overtly and covertly supporting Pakistan sponsored terrorism in Kashmir?

Darren Byler has given a vivid account of how China is treating Muslims in its territorial jurisdiction. In his detailed write-up in The Guardian of 11 April 2019, the columnist presents a case study of an incident over a year ago.

In mid-2017, Alim, a Uighur man in his 20s, returned to China after studying abroad. As soon as he landed back in the country, he was pulled off the plane by police officers. He was told his trip abroad meant that he was now under suspicion of being “unsafe”. The police administered what they call a “health check”, which involved collecting several types of biometric data, including DNA, blood type, fingerprints, voice recordings and face scans – a process that all adults in the Uighur autonomous region of Xinjiang, in north-west China, are expected to undergo.After his “health check”, Alim was transported to one of the hundreds of detention centres that dot north-west China. These centres have become an important part of what Xi Jinping’s government calls the “people’s war on terror”, a campaign launched in 2014, which focuses on Xinjiang, a region with a population of roughly 25 million people, just under half of whom are Uighur Muslims.
 As part of this campaign, the Chinese government has come to treat almost all expressions of Uighur Islamic faith as signs of potential religious extremism and ethnic separatism. Since 2017 alone, more than 1 million Turkic Muslims, including Uighurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and others, have moved through detention centres.

At the detention centre, Alim was deprived of sleep and food, and subjected to hours of interrogation and verbal abuse. “I was so weakened through this process that at one point during my interrogation I began to laugh hysterically,” he said when we spoke. Other detainees report being placed in stress positions, tortured with electric shocks, and kept in isolation for long periods. When he wasn’t being interrogated, Alim was kept in a tiny cell with 20 other Uighur men.

Many of the detainees had been arrested for having supposedly committed religious and political transgressions through social media apps on their smartphones, which Uighurs are required to produce at checkpoints around Xinjiang. Although there was often no real evidence of a crime according to any legal standard, the digital footprint of unauthorised Islamic practice, or even a connection to someone who had committed one of these vague violations, was enough to land Uighurs in a detention centre. The mere fact of having a family member abroad, or of travelling outside China, as Alim had, often resulted in detention.

Most Uighurs in the detention centres are on their way to serving long prison sentences, or to indefinite captivity in a growing network of internment camps, which the Chinese state has described as facilities for “transformation through education”. These camps, which function as medium-security prisons and, in some cases, forced-labour factories, attempt to train Uighurs to disavow their Islamic identity and embrace the secular principles of the Chinese state. They forbid the use of the Uighur language and instead offer drills in Mandarin, the language of China’s Han majority.
Alim learned that he had been placed on a blacklist maintained by the Integrated Joint Operations Platform (IJOP), a regional data system that uses AI to monitor the countless checkpoints in and around Xinjiang’s cities. Any attempt to enter public institutions such as hospitals, banks, parks or shopping centres, or to cross beyond the boundaries of his local police precinct, would trigger the IJOP to alert police.
The system had profiled him and predicted that he was a potential terrorist. There was little Alim could do. Officers told him he should “just stay at home” if he wanted to avoid detention again. Although he was officially free, Alim’s biometrics and his digital history were being used to lock him in place. “I’m so angry and afraid at the same time,” he told me. He was haunted by his data.

 statetimes

Could have inflicted heavy damage on Pak during Feb 27 dogfight if possessed 'tech asymmetry': IAF

Highlights

• In the report, the IAF said Pakistan Air Force has been consistently enhancing its air defence and offensive capabilities since the Kargil war in 1999
• Sources said the planned induction of Rafale aircraft with deadly Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile and S-400 air defence missile system will provide India a significant advantage over Pakistan

If the Indian Air Force (IAF) possessed high levels of "technological asymmetry", then it would have been able to inflict heavy damage on Pakistan during the adversary's unsuccessful aerial raid on February 27, according to an IAF report.

The report analysed various aspects of IAF's air strike on a Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot on February 26 and the subsequent Pakistani retaliation the next day.

India carried out the air strike to avenge the Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

In the report, the IAF said Pakistan Air Force has been consistently enhancing its air defence and offensive capabilities since the Kargil war in 1999 and there was a need for India to bolster its "technological asymmetry" for aerial combat, official sources said sharing details from the report.At present, Pakistan has some edge with its fleet of F-16 jets with AMRAAM missile fitted with them, said an official.

The sources said the planned induction of Rafale aircraft with deadly Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) and S-400 air defence missile system will provide India a significant advantage over Pakistani Air Force.

"We felt we could not punish the adversaries appropriately. So we need to bolster technological asymmetry so that the enemy does not even dare to come close to the border," said a source.

On the Balakot strikes, the report said the Israeli Spice 2000 precision guided munitions (PGM) fired from Mirage 2000 jets hit five out of the six designated targets in the JeM training facility. However, one Spice PGM did not leave the aircraft because of a drift in the inertial navigation system.

The report said the deception used was successful as Pakistan was caught off guard despite their air force being put on highest alert.

Various packages of jets flew in several directions including a fleet of Jaguars went towards Bahawalpur, a key air base of Pakistan Air Force, sources said.

In the list of possitives from the strike, the IAF talked about accuracy of intelligence inputs, precise selection of targets, demonstration of its ability to carry out precision strikes and its success in maintaining secrecy of the operation though over 6,000 personnel were involved in it.

In its analysis of possible areas for improvement, the IAF sought superior technological asymmetry and air defence system over Pakistan, sources said.

It also talked about the need for procuring new weapons and other platforms for enhancing the IAF's overall combat capabilities.

Sources said the IAF has began working on all the negative aspects mentioned in the report.Induction of Rafale jets along with Meteor beyond-visual-range missile and S-400 air defence missile system will provide India an edge over Pakistan, according to the report.

India is procuring a batch of S-400 air defence system from Russia at a cost of USD 5 billion. India is also buying 36 Rafale fighter jets from France at a cost of Rs 58,000 crore.

During the aerial combat of February 27, IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman had engaged with one of the Pakistani F-16s and shot it down before his Mig-21 Bison was downed.

Varthaman was captured by Pakistan and was released after spending nearly 60 hours in Pakistani custody.

The Indian Air Force had on February 28 displayed pieces of an AMRAAM missile, fired by a Pakistani F-16, as evidence to prove that Pakistan deployed the US-manufactured fighter jets during the raid.

Pakistan has been claiming that it had not lost any F-16 during the February 27 dogfight.

Rejecting Pakistan's claims, the IAF on April 8 released radar images as part of its "irrefutable evidence" to assert that it shot down an F-16 fighter jet of Pakistan during the aerial combat over Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir.

timesofindia

Sri Lankans in blast-ravaged city target refugees from Pakistan, force hundreds to flee

The first disturbing sign of communal backlash surfaced in grief-soaked Negombo, a picturesque coastal town on Sri Lanka’s west coast and north of Colombo, when several Pakistani refugees were violently attacked by locals. Hundreds of them started fleeing Negombo on Wednesday on buses organised by community leaders.

At least 800 men, women and children, all asylum seekers living in small rental homes on dole provided by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) were asked to get out of their temporary homes by their Sinhalese, Christian and Muslim landlords, who feared they may have terrorist links.

Sri Lankan authorities, meanwhile, revised the death toll from the Easter bombings down to 253 from 359. They said all autopsies had been completed and that the reconciliation of autopsy and DNA reports showed that some bodies had been double-counted. “Many of the victims were badly mutilated... There was double-counting,” the health ministry said.

Facing persecution from the Sunni majority in their country, the refugees belonging to the Ahmadiyya sect fled Pakistan five years ago. Sri Lanka provides transit for refugees from Pakistan and Afghanistan until they are rehabilitated in Australia or New Zealand, or whichever country provides them refuge.

On Wednesday, even as distraught family members of the more than 100 victims of the bombing at St Sebastian’s Church took part in the mass funeral, a mob armed with iron bars began attacking the houses where the Pakistani refugees lived on the edge of the town. They barged into houses, pulled down doors and windows and dragged out the men.

“We heard that on Wednesday the Pakistani refugees were in major conflict with the host communities,” Muslim Council of Sri Lanka vice-president Hilmy Ahamed told TOI. Even as the mob went on the rampage, some managed to flee into the Negombo police station.
 With the landlords instigating the violence, most of the 400-odd families are now being relocated to other places. “Around 60 men, women and children are in the Negombo police station,” said Young Muslim Men Association president Nawaz Deen, adding, “The UNHRC has to take a decision on what to do with these families.” His association has offered to help them.

As communal tension simmered, quite unusual in Sri Lanka, which has been caught up for decades in ethnic war, in Madampe, in Puttalam district in North Western Province, an Arabic lecturer from the world-renowned Al-Azhar University, Cairo, faced a slightly different problem, He was picked up by military personnel from a local madrasa and detained for staying without a visa.

“It was a misunderstanding and due to the unrest in the wake of the bombings, the emigration office has not been functioning, so his visa was delayed,” a government official said on condition of anonymity. But officials intervened quickly and the academician is likely to be released soon. He had come to the country in January. The university has been providing Arabic lecturers as part of a 50-year-old agreement, said the officer.

Until this week, Sri Lanka didn’t have much history of Christian-Muslim violence. The country is about 7% Christian, 10% Muslim, 13% Hindu and 70% Buddhist.

 timesofindia

Why the $8-billion Future Infantry Combat Vehicle project of the Indian Army continues to be delayed

The fate of the $8-billion (approx Rs 60,000 crore) Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) project for the Indian Army which has been getting delayed will now be decided by the next government. Sources have confirmed to Financial Express Online that the project that had been moved to the Make II category of the DPP-2016 last year in an effort to expedite it is stuck due to the lack of decision from both service headquarters and the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The MoD has been pushing the industry to invest 90 per cent funds to develop the prototype of the FICV which is for modernising the Armoured Vehicles of the Indian Army; however, due to lack of any commitment from the end user there has been reluctance from the industry. Industry sources pointed out that there have been long delays as the MoD and the Service Headquarters have yet to decide on the requirement of the vehicles. Sources have said that there have been differences of opinion between the end user the Indian Army – and the MoD which has pushed the critical programme under the Make-II category.

As has been reported earlier, there has been divergence of views between the MoD and the Indian Army since last year related to the payment for this project. A senior officer had confirmed the same to Financial Express Online. Though the reason cited for putting the project under Make II category was to fast track the process of modernising the Armoured Vehicles of the Indian Army, now the long-delayed project will wait for the new government.

The FICV which is to be made in India is expected to have minimum 40% indigenous content. Companies including Titagarh Wagons, Reliance Defence and Engineering and Mahindra and Mahindra have sent their proposals to the MoD. Subject to approval some of the potential Original Equipment Manufacturers include Russian companies under the umbrella of Rosoboronexport, US-based General Dynamic and German Rheinmetall.

The FICV project was earlier approved under the Strategic Partnership (SP) model for the armoured vehicle segment under the ‘Make’ category according the DPP-2008 before being moved to Make II of DPP-2016. The DPP-16 states that in Make II category no funding is required from the MoD, whereas in the ‘Make’ category, the ministry has to provide 90% of funds up to the prototype stage. The Chapter–III of DPP-2016 has specified that the ‘Make’ procedure for indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence equipment/ weapon systems was simplified in 2016.

Around 2,600 FICVs — with a life span of 32 years, are expected to replace the Army’s old Russian-origin BMP-2 infantry combat vehicles by 2025.

 financialexpress

Govt to procure over Rs 600 crore mine-protected vehicles for paramilitary forces

The government will soon procure mine-protected vehicles for the movement of paramilitary troops in the Naxalism-hit areas and Jammu and Kashmir and remotely operated vehicles to help anti-terror commando force NSG in encounter sites, officials said Tuesday.

Expenditure sanction for Rs 613.96 crore has been issued to paramilitary forces such as CRPF and the BSF for the purchase of additional mine-protected vehicles, bullet-proof jackets, ambulance, etc.

Expenditure sanction for Rs 16.84 crore has also been issued to the National Security Guard (NSG) for the purchase of seven remotely operated vehicles, a Home Ministry official said.

The forces such as CRPF uses mine-protected vehicles (MPVs) for limited troop movements in areas affected by Naxalism and in Jammu and Kashmir. About six personnel can travel in one such four-wheeled vehicle.

When the additional MPVs will arrive, it will enhance capabilities of the paramilitary forces countering improvised explosives devices (IEDs) in Naxalism-hit areas and in Kashmir Valley, the official said.

The remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), to be procured for the NSG, can carry out surveillance inside buildings, buses, Metro and railway stations and can help forces locate and defuse IEDs without human intervention.

The ROVs can climb a staircase or a slope of at least 45 degrees with a weight of 8kg. It will have modular mount for weapon system (SMG, MP5 and shotgun), de-armer disrupter and real-time viewing system with X-ray, another official said.The NSG has already procured the Renault Sherpa Light Armoured personal carrier. The Sherpa is highly mobile in war zones and it has a 4.76 litre, 4-cylinder turbo-charged diesel engine.

The 4x4 vehicle has a payload of 2.2 tons and can carry 10 personnel. Even though the vehicle is 11 tons in weight, it has a top speed of 110 kmph and can run 1,000 km with a tank full.

There have been large number of casualties of both civilians and paramilitary personnel in Naxalism-affected areas as well as in Jammu and Kashmir due to explosions of IEDs.

The NSG commandos were deployed when terrorists attacked the Akshardham temple in Gujarat in 2002 and during the Mumbai terror attack in 2008 and the strike at the Indian Air Force station in Pathankot in 2016.

 businesstoday

India to have 12 more nuclear power plants soon : DAE Chief

India will have 12 more nuclear power stations shortly to improve the power situation and ensure free flow of uninterrupted power supply for both Industries and residential usage, KN Vyas, secretary, Dept of Atomic Energy and Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, said at the International AtomExpo at Sochi in Russia.

A statement shared with TOI, Vyas said: “Nuclear Technology helps in betterment of lives through varied usages and is an irreplaceable source of clean, pollution-free energy. The founder of Indian nuclear programme, Homi J Bhabha had envisaged that nuclear technology is going to be very essential and not just in the power sector but for other societal uses intended for betterment of life.”

Vyas said that India believed that when it comes to clean energy, definitely, there is no substitute to nuclear energy as it is sustainable, and without interruption.

Pointing out to the recent record run of Kaiga Nuclear Power station as an example, he said that a small unit of indigenously-developed 220-250MW reactor has completed 962 days of uninterrupted run at about 99.3% of capacity.

“The amount of electricity it has been able to give in tremendous,” Vyas said. The first stage of India’s indigenous nuclear power programme has now attained maturity with 18 operating Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs).

The Eleventh International Forum Atomexpo 2019 was officially opened in Sochi with the motto of this year being ‘Nuclear for better life’. More than 3,600 participants from 74 countries participated in the Expo. The new countries represented at the forum were Qatar, Bahrain and Nicaragua.
The statement quoted Alexey Likhachev, General Director of Rosatom State Corporation, as having said: “Peaceful Atom is associated with all aims and goals of the UN Sustainable Development Program. The Forum became a space for discussing the latest technologies thus ensuring a base for the future of our planet.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin in an issued statement also applauded AtomExpo in advancing the stature of Russia in the field of nuclear technology.

Indian Nuclear Industry has got a lease of life following the sanction of the Centre for construction of 10 PHWRs in fleet mode. Alongside this, plans are afoot for the construction of two light water reactors.

“Indian industries have also gained a lot through the process. Nuclear energy and instruments requires a guided and systematic way of manufacturing and quality assurance. This raises the standard of industry participating in the manufacturing of equipments,” Vyas said, stating the benefits of having a thriving nuclear industry.

He said that nuclear power plants not only benefit manufacturing in India, but also improves the local economy surrounding the areas where these reactors are located.

 timesofindia

ASAT test shows India has means to destroy ICBMs in outer space: Experts

Last month's successful 'Mission Shakti' anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon test showed that India has developed the technological capability to destroy enemy nuclear-tipped missiles launched from as far away as 5,500 kilometres or more, at high altitudes outside the atmosphere, say experts.

Shortly after the test, the Ministry of External Affairs had said that the missile used in Mission Shakti was "DRDO's Ballistic Missile Defence interceptor", which was "part of the ongoing ballistic missile defence programme". Early reports on the test said the same. However, a day after the test, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman G Satheesh Reddy said that this was a new missile, developed specifically as an anti-satellite weapon. "The missile has technologies developed for ballistic missile defence applications, particularly the kill vehicle," Reddy told a news agency in an interview.
In either case, Reddy has said that the ASAT missile used in the test "had the capability to intercept satellites higher than 1,000 kilometres". This would represent a major boost for India's ballistic missile defence (BMD) programme as well, since intercepting a satellite and BMD are based on near identical technologies. "The recent ASAT test provides a capability to intercept intermediate-range and intercontinental-range ballistic missiles in high-altitude, exo-atmospheric phase," explained Avinash Chander, former chief of the DRDO. This "implicit" boost provided to ballistic missile defence by the ASAT programme "is a new capability", he added.

India has had an avowed BMD programme for over a decade now.

India conducted Mission Shakti, its first ASAT missile test, on March 27. The missile successfully struck and destroyed the target satellite at an altitude of nearly 300 km in a low-earth orbit. "By destroying a target at that altitude (300 km), India has implicitly confirmed its ability to intercept longer-range missiles in their mid-course phase, when they are still outside the Earth's atmosphere before re-entry. This window is crucial to intercept a nuclear-armed medium-range or even intercontinental-range missile," said A Vinod Kumar, an associate fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

All ballistic missiles follow a trajectory that includes three phases: boost phase, mid-course phase, and terminal phase.During the boost phase portion of its flight, the missile gains the velocity it needs in order to reach its target. It lasts between one and five minutes depending on the missile's range. During this phase, the missile can completely exit the atmosphere into outer space. However, shorter-range missiles might only reach the edge of outer space.
Destroying a missile in the boost phase would be the ideal solution, but it is also the most difficult.

Once the missile completes firing its propulsion system, it enters the mid-course phase, which is the longest leg of its flight. The missile is now coasting towards its target. This phase can last as long as 20 minutes for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), with the missile warhead travelling more than 24,000 kilometres per hour. In the case of medium- and long-range missiles, this phase occurs outside the atmosphere (exo-atmosphere). "At an altitude of 300 km, the target of the ASAT test was well beyond the Karman Line, situated at a 100-km altitude, that divides outer space from the Earth's atmosphere. An interception at this range is significant as this is the zone where a long-range ballistic missile (especially an ICBM) would be in its mid-course phase," said Kumar.

While the mid-course phase has the longest window of opportunity to destroy the incoming missile, the attacking missile also has the opportunity to use countermeasures against the interceptor.

The final portion of a missile's flight is the terminal phase. During this time, the warhead re-enters the atmosphere. This phase lasts less than a minute for ICBMs.

The terminal phase, writes defence analyst Ajai Shukla, provides the "most realistic opportunity for engagement".

Intercepting a satellite in orbit is different from destroying an incoming enemy ballistic missile. "They have inherently different targeting attributes, and hence demand different algorithms. Unless the satellite is a dysfunctional vehicle in a free fall, it would usually be in a controlled orbit or predicted trajectory, which would enable accurate targeting. A missile, on the other hand, would be in its ballistic phase in the mid-course, coasting through the outer space. Though the trajectory might still be predictable, the missile would have the option of deploying countermeasures against potential interception," explained Kumar. An incoming ballistic missile could also engage in evasive manoeuvres. Kumar said that for these reasons, missile interception is tougher than an ASAT operation.
 Satellites do not present the same unpredictability, but destroying one comes with its own challenges. "A satellite's velocity is much higher than a missile's, and it requires a much higher order of precision. However, satellites do not have effective countermeasures at present," said Chander. Despite the difference between satellite and missile interception, Chander contends that since a missile's velocity is lower, the seeker and guidance algorithms can "definitely handle" its interception.

businessstandard

In an indication of the Islamic State terror group’s involve ..

Read more at:
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Despite India's Warning, Sri Lanka 'Failed' to Take Precautions; PM Admits Colombo Had Intel on Blasts

Even as India gave specific intelligence inputs to Sri Lanka about a possible attack, Colombo did not take "adequate precautions" to prevent the explosions that killed 218 people and injured at least 450 in the decade's worst terror strike.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday accepted that they had information regarding a possible attack but did not take adequate steps to prevent it.

According to top intelligence sources, Zahran Hasim of National Thowheed Jama'ath of Sri Lanka and his associates had hatched a plan to carry out an Istishhad (suicide attack) in the island country. They had also conducted a dry run and deployed an explosives-laden motorcycle at Palmunai near Kattankudy on April 16 as a part of their plan.

Sources further said that they had planned to carry out an attack on or before April 22. They had reportedly selected eight places, a church and a hotel, where Indians came in large numbers. New Delhi had shared the information with Colombo on April 4.

Acting on the information, Sri Lanka's police chief Pujuth Jayasundara had sounded a nationwide alert 10 days before the Sunday's attack. "A foreign intelligence agency has reported that the NTJ (National Thowheeth Jama'ath) is planning to carry out suicide attacks targeting prominent churches as well as the Indian High Commission in Colombo," said the alert.

Addressing the media after the attack, PM Wickremesinghe said that they would need assistance to ascertain if the terrorists responsible for the attacks received help from overseas. He, however, added that according to the information he has received till now, the suspects are local.

Thirteen people have been arrested in connection with the eight blasts. Wickremesinghe said that police would soon release the names of people behind the attack.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka president Maithripala Sirisena has appointed a Special Investigation Committee to look into the causes and consequences of the attack. The Presidential Secretariat stated that the panel of judges, including a Supreme Court judge, will look into the matter. The panel has been asked to submit a report within two week.

 news18

L&T MBDA seeks approval for SEZ unit to assemble missile sub-systems

L&T MBDA Missile Systems Ltd, a joint venture between engineering conglomerate Larsen & Toubro and France’s MBDA, has urged the government to grant a provisional Letter of Approval (LoA) for the company’s proposed Special Economic Zone (SEZ) unit in Coimbatore to start construction of facilities.

L&T MBDA is awaiting an industrial licence, and export orders with “critical delivery timelines” were piling up, the company said.

“The unit assured that the manufacturing operations will not start until the grant of industrial licence under the Arms Act 1959 by the Department for Promotion of Industrial and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

“The unit also assured that it will abide by conditions as required by the Department of Commerce,” according to the agenda note to be considered by the Board of Approval (BoA) for SEZs in its meeting on April 22.

Assembly, integration ::

The proposed SEZ unit is to come up at the Aspen Infrastructures Ltd SEZ, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, and will focus on assembly, integration, and functional testing of missile sub-systems and missile weapon systems.

The BoA on SEZ, in its meeting in November 2018, had considered a request for LoA by L&T MBDA Missile Systems, but at that time it had not given its approval.

Instead, it directed that the proposal for grant of licence may be expeditiously processed on file after receiving necessary application/documents from the unit and clearances from relevant departments. An application for industrial licence was subsequently made to the DPIIT, and is under its consideration.

The unit, however, is continuously pressing hard for a LoA for their SEZ unit pending issuance of industrial licence by the DPIIT, as it would allow it to enter into a lease agreement with the SEZ developer and undertake construction of manufacturing facilities.

“The unit has mentioned that it has already received export orders with critical delivery timelines. The missile sub-assemblies to be produced by the unit are to be exported to France for integration into missiles by the unit’s customerMBDA, which will supply the missiles to the Indian Armed Forces.

“To meet the timeline the unit needs to construct specific manufacturing facility for execution of these export orders,” the agenda pointed out.

The matter of the unit was examined by the Department of Commerce, and it was decided to place the request for the examination of the BoA at its next meeting.

L&T’s joint venture with MBDA, the French missiles systems company jointly held by Airbus Group, BAE Systems and Leonardo, was incorporated in April 2017 as an Indian company, with L&T holding 51 per cent stake and MBDA holding the remaining 49 per cent.

“To begin with, the JV company will look to develop and supply fifth-generation anti-tank guided missiles for coastal and high-speed target drones,” both companies said in a joint statement.

 thehindubusinessline