SAAB wants to offer Gripen at half of Rafale cost, with full tech transfer, local production

As India looks to acquire 114 new medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) to shore up its depleting strength, Swedish defence major SAAB has pitched for a complete Transfer of Technology (TOT) and local production of its Gripen fighter jet at “half” the cost of French alternative Rafale.

SAAB India’s chairman and managing director (CMD) Ola Rignell made the cost claims in an interview to ThePrint, but added that he wouldn’t be surprised if India went in for additional 36 Rafale fighters in the coming years, circumventing the ongoing process to acquire new jets in larger numbers.

“India bought 36 Rafale fighter jets from France off the shelf. SAAB and Brazil also signed a contract in 2015 for the sale and local manufacturing of 36 Gripen. The cost was half of what the value of the Indian deal was,” said Rignell, referring to Brazil’s $4.68 billion deal with SAAB to manufacture the Gripen locally.


“We are setting up an entire aviation ecosystem in Brazil. And the experience and knowledge that Brazil is gaining from this manufacturing is being used by them to design their indigenous fighter aircraft,” the SAAB India CMD said.

In 2012, EADS’s Eurofighter and Dassault Aviation’s Rafale had emerged as the winner of the 2007 MMRCA bid, with the latter being the lowest bidder. But the contract negotiations got stuck over prices. Three years later, the Modi government cancelled the protracted talks and decided to buy 36 Rafale fighters in fly-away condition in a €7.87 billion deal.
 Now, France is offering another 36 Rafale fighter jets in a government-to-government deal. But these numbers will not suffice in view of the Indian Air Force (IAF)’s MMRCA requirements.

During the interview last week, Rignell spoke about what the company is offering to India, his expectations, and the issue surrounding its sales to Pakistan.


‘Gripen cheaper than Rafale’ ::

Speaking to ThePrint, Ola Rignell highlighted the efficiency of SAAB’s single-engine multirole fighter aircraft vis-à-vis the Rafale, which is being called a game changer for the IAF in the region due to its weapons package.

Gripen has the same weapons package as Rafale including the Meteor air-to-air missile, said Rignell.

“All NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) missiles are integrated with the Gripen. The only one which is missing is SCALP because it is a French missile. But if India wants, we can integrate the SCALP also though Gripen already has a substitute,” said Rignell.

He pointed out that European missile manufacturer MBDA, which makes both Meteor and SCALP, actually found Gripen as the most mature jet to test their missiles on.

“MBDA ‘test beded’ the Meteor on a Gripen. They found the Gripen to be the most mature. Eighty per cent of Meteor firing tests took place from a Gripen,” he said.

Rignell added that Gripen will always be cheaper in comparison to Rafale in life cycle costs as well because of its single-engine build.


‘Would not be surprised’ ::

SAAB’s India chief said the defence major is offering the best deal to the country, but he won’t be surprised if India opted to buy another 36 Rafale jet from France.

“I would not be surprised,” said Ola Rignell. But he noted that the additional 36 jets will not fulfill the IAF’s requirement.

“The original 36 Rafale was bought when the IAF needed 126 MMRCA. Now there is an RFI (Request for Information) for 114 aircraft. Additional 36 Rafale would still not fulfill what the IAF actually not just wants but needs,” he said.

India and France have already spoken about the latter’s proposal for 36 additional Rafale jets, but New Delhi hasn’t disclosed any information about such a move.


No fresh deal with Pakistan ::

While Saab is offering the Gripen fighters to India, it is also providing the early warning aircraft system to Pakistan — an issue that has upset the IAF.

Pakistan used the SAAB-manufactured early warning aircraft system to coordinate its attack on an Indian military installation in Jammu and Kashmir a day after the Balakot strike earlier in February.

During his visit to Sweden in June this year, Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa had expressed his displeasure with the defence major for supplying Pakistan with early warning systems and also offering Gripen fighters to India.

New Delhi is of the view that it will be difficult to do business with a country that also arms the enemy.In a bid to pacify the IAF, Ola Rignell persisted that SAAB is not selling any new products to Pakistan.

He also pointed out that every contender has dealt with Pakistan, and other assets were also used in the post-Balakot action.

Pakistan had used French fighters Mirage as well American F-16s.

However, Rignell remained non-committal on future sales to Pakistan, saying the Swedish government decides on such matters and not the company.

“As far as I know, we are not selling any new products to that country (Pakistan). There is an old order and we are fulfilling our contract obligation,” Rignell said.

The Pakistan Air Force had ordered three new SAAB 2000 early warning aircraft in 2017 to supplement the ones that were destroyed in a terror attack on Minhas air base five years before that.

Rignell added that he was part of the meeting in Sweden when Dhanoa raised the issue and this is exactly what he had told him as well.

“We are trying to sell the latest AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) — Golden Eye — to India.
We have sold them to UAE. (But) India is already working on its indigenous systems,” he said.India operates the IL76 ‘Phalcon’ AWACS as well as the Embraer ‘Netra’ early warning aircraft.

 theprint

Lockheed submits proposal to supply F-21s to Air Force; to source heavily locally if wins bid

American aerospace major Lockheed Martin has submitted a proposal evincing preliminary interest to supply F-21 fighter jets to the Air Force and winning the bid may result in it working with 400 local companies, a senior official has said.

The American company, which has a decade-long partnership with the Tatas on defence manufacturing, is also working on manufacturing the wings for its F-16 fighters from their JV plant in Hyderabad from and has started work on a prototype, which will enable it to supply to the world soon, its vice president for strategy and business development Vivek Lall told .

The Air Force had sought request for information from vendors from across the world to supply 114 modern fighter planes, in a contract that is pegged at USD 18 billion.


The American company is reported to be competing with Boeing, French company Dassault, and the Russian MiG 35.

About the possible offset clauses and the benefits that will accrue to the Air Force, Lall said the contract is under the strategic partnership model and pointed to his company's association with the Tatas.

"The F-21 programme is a very strategic win-win for both the counties. It gets India an entirely different aerospace ecosystem. We have talked to and evaluated 400 companies in India, both public and private, and that is the kind of infrastructure that will be needed to support this," he said.

It can be noted that aircraft manufacturers depend on a lot of vendors to supply components creating an entire downstream ecosystem.

The next stage in the procurement will be filing of an expression of interest, he said, indicating the company is keen to go ahead on the same.

Lall said the F-21 will come with an India-unique electronic warfare suite, a single engine that reduces the costs and also capacity to carry 40 percent more weaponry.

He also welcomed the recent warmth in the Indo-US relations, saying it is a win-win for both the sides which will help businesses forge partnerships.

The growth enhancing measures on taxation will be of particular help for local manufacturing, Lall said, but added that the company has no plans for investments into manufacturing in India.

He said the facility at the Tatas employs 1,000 people in Hyderabad at present and there is no reason why the same should not grow if the ties expand.

economictimes

INS Khanderi: Dawn of new era for Indian Navy with Scorpene multi-purpose attack submarines

With intent to achieve supremacy by way of increasing underwater presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) with various sea-based threat perceptions evolving in the region, the Indian Navy had taken up the production of six Kalvari class (Scorpene) diesel-electric attack submarines (SSKs) under Project 75 (P-75). And are being constructed with the support and technology transfer (TOT) from French company Naval Group (former DCNS) at the Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL).

Globally, different variants of Scorpene-class submarines are in the navies of countries including Chile, and in Brazil (with licensed production) and in the South Asian region — Malaysia. The P-75 submarine is a well-proven technology and their indigenization effort reduces its operating cost in the long term.

The first four submarines, christened Kalvari, Khanderi, Karanj, and Vela (names of erstwhile submarines decommissioned) are in various stages of construction and commissioning at MDL since 2015.

Submarine Warfare ::

It is expected Indian Shipyards shall leverage the knowledge and skill acquired from this French TOT to continue building a series of Scorpene-class submarines on a sustainable basis for the next few decades. The weaponry and sensors onboard `Scorpene’ are French and may continue to be so for some time since indigenous replacements (like torpedoes Varunastra etc.) are still far from achieving the desired potency. With India showcasing itself as a regional power in the IOR, the underwater warfare maybe the primary weapon of 21st century’s warfare, akin to the evolution of jet aircraft technology and supremacy witnessed in the last century.

More about Kalvari Class Submarine ::

Kalvari class submarines are advance conventional propulsion stealth submarines designed for longer ranges, while being submerged for weeks altogether. Such low noise long-range stealth submarines are force multiplier during hostilities and act as an invisible deterrence, establishing an area of supremacy. In peace time, the submarine’s primary role shall be Intelligence gathering and Special Ops but during hostilities, the submarine shall play a crucial role in Surface Warfare tactics against merchant ships/warships and Anti-submarine warfare role in countering the enemy submarines, including mine laying activities.

The design of the boat is hi-tech with a high level of automation so as to keep the manpower onboard to a minimum. Systems like Platform Management System (PMS) provides automatic monitoring and control of primary machinery like PGD (Power Generation & Distribution), Steering, Propulsion & Stabilisation system, Safety system, etc. Onboard a submarine, it’s floating and moving capabilities are integral to warfighting abilities and therefore, the PMS system is seamlessly integrated with submarine’s Integrated Combat System. Further, to make the vessel a potent weapon against any hostile ship or submarine, it is designed with an acoustic advantage of remaining invisible to enemy’s sonars. However, verification measurements on low acoustic signatures etc. to arrive at actual data are feasible only once Kalvari class submarines are exploited extensively under various sea conditions (as underwater characteristics are highly unpredictable model varying with seasons, temperature gradient profiles, etc.).

Weapon Punch Onboard ::

Scorpene submarines boast of a large payload of heavy weaponry, integrated with hi-tech electronic sensors and weapons through Integrated Combat System. It is understood that Scorpene-class submarines are armed with six torpedo launching tubes and precision-guided weapons. To support the Weapons and Navigation systems, various sonars are fitted onboard (viz. Bow sonar, Stern sonar, Side looking sonars, Towed array active sonar) for identifying the threats, including mines, in shallow and deep waters. The inputs from the Sonar suite are utilized in the Torpedo Fire Control computers for various attacks/counter-attacks measures. For above water Target detection, the submarine uses surveillance radar (when it is operating on sea surface level).

Exocet SM-39 Anti-ship Missiles ::

A top naval officer has indicated that the French EXOCET tube-launched MBDA SM-39 anti-ship missiles are fitted as an integral package onboard the Kalvari Class submarines. These are the submarine variant of Ship launched SSMs. Each is 4.69 m long SM-39 missile weighs approx. 655kg and has a 350mm diameter. The missile is housed in a water-tight capsule, which is launched from the submarine’s standard torpedo tube and has a two-stage solid propellant. And uses onboard Inertial Navigation system to cruise towards the Target position at a sub-sonic speed, following a sea-skimming trajectory. The SM-39 is an all-weather missile and has an active RF seeker head to make it ‘fire-and-forget’ weapon. These missiles can be launched from shallow or deep waters and have a high-penetration probability against a heavily defended surface target with a high hit probability.

Air-independent Propulsion (AIP) ::

With an AIP system, a submarine can run its propulsion electric motor and other electrical systems bypassing the use of conventional batteries, thereby, allowing the submarine to remain submerged for a longer duration (by reducing the need to surface often to take in the air for running diesel engines for charging batteries). The Kalvari class submarine has the provision for fitment of AIP to achieve better capabilities; however, the AIP system to be indigenously developed by DRDO has been delayed. With the status of on-going progress made by DRDO, the AIP system on the submarine looks available for integration only by next scheduled major overhaul period of the submarines, which could be after six years or so.

 financialexpress

“Quad” Of India, US, Japan, Australia Meets For Talks That Rattle China

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo met with the overseas ministers of Japan, India and Australia.

A bid by 4 of the Indo-Pacific’s largest democracies to band collectively as a counter to China’s rising would possibly has obtained elevated impetus after the so-called Quad group met for the primary time on the ministerial-level in New York.

US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo met with the overseas ministers of Japan, India and Australia on the sidelines of the United Nationwide Normal Meeting on Thursday, Australian International Affairs Minister Marise Payne stated in an emailed assertion.

“The ‘Quad’ countries reaffirmed their commitment to shared values and cooperation on maritime security, infrastructure and connectivity in support of rules-based frameworks,” Payne stated. They mentioned “efforts to maintain and promote an open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific,” and agreed to carry common ministerial conferences, she stated.

The elevation of the dialogue from official-level talks suggests the beforehand casual framework is being strengthened to enhance intelligence-gathering and current a united entrance on regional safety points.

On the forefront of these points is China, which has been growing its financial affect, navy would possibly and diplomatic footprint within the Indo-Pacific. The idea of the Quad was first generated greater than a decade in the past throughout the George W Bush administration earlier than it went right into a hiatus. Its latest revival displays rising unease over Chinese language President Xi Jinping’s extra assertive overseas coverage.

Together with Pompeo and Payne, Thursday’s assembly was additionally attended by Japanese International Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Indian International Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.


Maritime Safety ::

A Japanese official, who requested to not be named in step with ministry observe, delivered a briefing with comparable wording to Payne’s assertion earlier Thursday. Nonetheless, the official added that the Quad’s framework was not directed at any explicit nation, and stated China was simply certainly one of a number of nations that have been talked about in a broad-ranging dialogue.

Excessive-level officers from the 4 international locations are anticipated to satisfy subsequent in Bangkok in November on the sidelines of the East Asian Summit, he stated.

In accordance with the Instances of India on Saturday, S Jaishankar confirmed one of many subjects up for dialogue on the assembly can be Chinese language oil prospecting in an unique financial zone of Vietnam. India had beforehand been the principle holdout in furthering the group’s agenda, amid issues in New Delhi that it might worsen ties with Beijing.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated in November he sees the Quad as an “important sort of architecture in the region” that may cooperate economically, militarily and strategically.


“Headline-Grabbing Idea” ::

That places him at odds with China, which has made clear its opposition to the Quad’s “Indo-Pacific strategy.” In March 2018, International Minister Wang Yi stated the bloc was a “headline-grabbing idea.”

“The four countries’ official position is that it targets no one,” Wang stated. “I hope they mean what they say and their action will match their rhetoric. Nowadays, stoking a new Cold War is out of sync with the times and inciting bloc confrontation will find no market.”

The US and Australia, involved that China could also be seeking to set up a navy base within the South Pacific that might lengthen its navy attain towards the Americas, have been striving to construct an alternate mannequin to Beijing’s state-directed lending for infrastructure tasks. These loans have raised issues that poorer nations, saddled with debt, might be compelled into elevated reliance on Beijing.

The Quad members goal to finance infrastructure tasks which can be correctly deliberate and financially sustainable — though they do not have almost as a lot money to supply as Xi’s Belt-and-Street Initiative, which Morgan Stanley says might complete $1.three trillion by 2027.

 heraldpublicist

IAF to induct Rafale in Northeast soon, conducts fighter jet exercise in Tezpur

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will soon induct Rafale aircraft in the Northeast region and ready for full operationalization of eight more Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) in the region.

Shillong-based Defence PRO Ratnakar Singh said that, the Rafale aircraft will be inducted in the region soon in addition of Chinook and Apache helicopters.

“In the Eastern Command region, we recently operationalized Vijaynagar ALG in Arunachal Pradesh which is now fit for fixed-wing operation. With the completion of the Vijaynagar ALG, the project to operationalize eight ALGs including Along, Walong, Mechuka has been fully successful. As per the new acquisition, the IAF is getting, a number of them are coming to the Eastern Air Command as well,” the Defence PRO said.

He further said that, the women in the Indian Air Force are now operating Hawk, Mig-21 and will soon operationalize other fighter aircraft.

By adding to its operational capabilities, the Indian Air Force on Thursday displayed its fighter aircraft like Sukhoi Su–30MKI, ALH MK-III helicopter, Akash missile, advanced radar systems, other modern equipment, arms and exercised and operated its fighter jets in Tezpur based air force station – located in the northern bank of Assam.

The Eastern Air Command (EAC) had conducted the aircraft and ALH MK-III helicopter operational exercise in the air force station.

The IAF showcased low-level aerobatics by Sukhoi SU-30MKI, static display of aircraft and combat display by the guards.

The IAF conducted the exercise and showed its ability in case of war-like situation and attack from the enemy.

 thenewsmill

India to add more Rafale firepower: report

According to a recently published report by the Indian Defence Research Wing, India will sign an agreement for 36 more Dassault Rafale jet fighters in 2020 — a move that was first reported in 2017 and attributed to rising tensions with China, AINonline reported.

The new order would take India’s Rafale fleet to 72 aircraft—slightly more than half of the original 126-aircraft total outlined in the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft requirement, an RFP for which was issued in 2007.

An order for a second batch of Rafales would likely spell the end of US efforts to sell Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets or Lockheed Martin F-16 Vipers to India and could help Dassault to win a place on the team developing India’s new fifth-generation AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft), the report said.


The Rafale was selected in 2011, beating the rival Eurofighter Typhoon on cost grounds, but after cost increases, delays, and a disagreement as to the liability for 108 Indian-assembled aircraft, the requirement for 126 aircraft was officially withdrawn.

In its place, India signed a €7.8 billion contract on September 23, 2016, for just 36 French-built Rafales. The order was for 28 Rafale EH single-seaters and eight Rafale DH two-seat dual-control trainers.

Delivery of the aircraft was to be completed in 67 months from the date the contract was signed, beginning in September 2019 and ending in April 2022, the report said.

The aircraft for the Indian Air Force (Bharatiya Vayu Sena, BVS) incorporate a range of India-specific enhancements, including a new weather mapping mode for the RBE-2 AESA radar, an uprated onboard oxygen generating system, modifications to the Sigma 95N IN/GPS to allow it to use India’s NAVIC IRNSS GPS satellites, and starter modifications for improved operation at high-altitude airfields.

The Rafale DH and EH also have provision for the Elbit Targo-II helmet-mounted display system, the Rafael Litening G4 targeting pod, Rafael X-Guard towed radar decoys, a Rafael standby radar altimeter, an upgraded Spectra electronic warfare system, a new Thales TCAS, and quadruple launchers for the SPICE 250-based DEW EMP weapons being jointly developed by India and Israel.

There is provision for a range of weapons in India’s inventory, including the BrahMos-NG supersonic cruise missile, the report said.

Only one Rafale will be delivered with all of these enhancements, the remainder having them incorporated in-country. It will be used for flight testing and certification of the additions, which are expected to be available from September 2022.

The first Rafale DH for the Indian Air Force made its first flight at Bordeaux-Merignac on July 17, 2019. An official, formal handover ceremony is planned for October 8, when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be visiting France.

The first batch of 18 Rafales will be delivered to No. 17 Squadron, the “Golden Arrows,” based at AFS Ambala, in Haryana state. The second batch will equip No. 1 Squadron “Tigers” at AFS Hashimara in West Bengal.

China’s new J-20 fighter jets have upped the ante for regional rivals — the stealth fighter is clearly best in class and raising military eyebrows, not only in India. It goes without saying that the Modi government has been pushed to acquire more firepower, albeit with an outdated Rafale fighter jet.

According to Yahoo, the Chengdu J-20 is a single-seat, twinjet, all-weather, stealth fifth-generation fighter aircraft developed by China’s Chengdu Aerospace Corporation for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The J-20 is designed as an air superiority fighter with precision strike capability.

The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft. Equipped with a wide range of weapons, the Rafale is intended to perform air supremacy, interdiction, aerial recon, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike and nuclear deterrence missions. It is referred to as an “omnirole” aircraft by Dassault.

The J-20s big advantage in comparison, are its frontal and side stealth capacities, which are believed to be excellent. But it is thought to be more vulnerable to radar from the rear compared with the F-22 Raptor, its main competitor, Yahoo reported.

Stealthy aircraft, to remain stealthy, must hide weapons and fuel in internal bays within their fuselages. The J-20 has three such bays, two for smaller air-to-air missiles and a single large belly bay for larger air-to-air, anti-ship, and air-to-ground missiles.

 asiatimes

Lockheed Martin to begin supplying F-16 wings from Hyderabad plant in 2020

Highlights

• Lockheed is bidding for a contract to supply the IAF with 114 combat planes and has offered to shift its F-16 production line from the US to India
• Lockheed said the wings of all future F-16s that the firm will sell worldwide will be produced in a JV with Tata Advanced Systems in Hyderabad

Lockheed Martin will begin supplying wings for its F-16 combat jets from a facility in Hyderabad from next year, a senior executive said on Thursday.

Lockheed is bidding for a contract, estimated at more than $15 billion, to supply the Indian Air Force with 114 combat planes and has offered to shift its F-16 production line from the United States to India.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is pushing a Make-in-India programme under which it wants global firms, including in the defence sector, to set up manufacturing centres in India to build a domestic industrial base and create jobs.


Vivek Lall, vice president of Strategy and Business Development for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said the wings of all future F-16s that the company will sell worldwide will be produced in a joint venture with India's Tata Advanced Systems in Hyderabad.

"The first wing prototype is being built now. The expectation is we will begin supplying by next year sometime, this will be the sole facility for future F-16 wing production," Lall told Reuters.

Lockheed is competing for the Indian air force contract with Boeing, which has pitched its F/A-18 Super Hornet, as well as Sweden’s Saab with its Gripen fighter. France’s Dassault Systemes SE’s Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon and Russian aircraft are also in the fray.

The air force needs new fighter jets to replace its ageing fleet of Russian MiG planes. But Indian defence procurement is a lengthy process.

The government's insistence on local manufacture and reduced reliance on expensive imports has delayed decision-making further as foreign firms search for local partners and suppliers.

Lall said Lockheed was already producing the empennage of its C-130J transport aircraft from the Hyderabad facility and also cabins for its Sikorsky helicopters. There were 500 people each involved in two joint ventures set up for the production of the empennage and the cabin.

"We have been doing make-in-India for years now," he said. The company has said if it sets up a local production base for the F-16 it will also provide maintenance, repair and spares for the combat jet flying with air forces around the world.

Lall said that with 3,000 F-16s flying around the world and more orders being negotiated with countries such as Bahrain, Lockheed estimated there was a market worth $165 billion for after-sales support.

"It is a huge potential business, India will be plugging into the world's largest fighter jet ecosystem."

 livemint

Russia upgrades BrahMos missile's 'ancestor' to have 800km range

Russia's state-run TASS news agency reported on Wednesday that the country has developed a variant of the Oniks supersonic cruise missile with a range of 800km. The Indo-Russian BrahMos cruise missile was developed on the basis of the Oniks.

TASS quoted sources from the Research and Production Association of Machine-Building (known as NPO Mashinostroyeniya) that had developed the Oniks-M sea-launched missile. The new weapons can hit both naval and land targets. Tests of the Oniks-M will begin in the coming months. The original Oniks missile is thought to have a range of around 300km and could travel at a speed of over Mach 2.5 (2.5 times the speed of sound). The missile uses a radar seeker and satellite navigation for guidance.

TASS reported “The missile is outfitted with the improved control system and will be capable of striking both naval and ground targets with greater accuracy." The new missile also has improved protection against electronic countermeasures that seek to hinder its seeker from locking on to a target.


Work on the Oniks missile started in 1982 in the former Soviet Union and the missile became operational in 2002. Russia is deploying the Oniks missile on its surface ships and submarines, replacing older cruise missiles. An export variant of the Oniks, called the Yakhont, has been sold to Syria, Indonesia and Vietnam. The Russian military revealed the first combat use of the Oniks missile in November 2016, broadcasting footage of the weapons being launched from a land-based launcher at ISIS targets in Syria.

The first test of the BrahMos missile, which is operational with the Indian Navy and Army, was conducted in 2001. BrahMos Aerospace was formed as a JV between DRDO and NPO Mashinostroyeniya through an agreement on February 12, 1998.

The BrahMos has a guidance system developed in India. BrahMos was originally advertised as having a range of 290km. However, company officials and experts had repeatedly said it was possible to extend it range.

Interestingly, Mishra had spoken of the possibility of extending the system's range to 800km last month. Interacting with TASS at the MAKS air show in Moscow in August, Mishra had said, “We already fired [BrahMos cruise missiles] to a range of 400 km. Very soon, we will confirm that we can fire to a range of 500 km. This will be a sea, ground or air-launched version. Even to an extended range of 800 km is possible.”

 theweek

Sweden out, South Korea in for Rs 45,000 crore submarine project

The Rs 45,000 crore submarine project contest for the Indian Navy continues to throw up surprises with the last minute entry of a South Korean shipbuilder and the pulling out of Swedish company Saab after red flagging policy strictures that can potentially place unlimited liabilities on foreign vendors.

South Korean company Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering was extended a late invitation to place technical bids for the contract last month, weeks before a visit by defence minister Rajnath Singh to Seoul.

The company now joints the Naval Group (France), TKMS (Germany), Rosoboronexport (Russia) and Navantia (Spain) as potential foreign partners for the project to build six conventional submarines in India. This is the single largest ‘Make in India’ project.


Sources told ET that SAAB, which has been a key participant in pre-bid meetings with stakeholders over the past two years, informed the ministry in writing that it would not be able to take part in the competition. Conditions in the Strategic Partnership (SP) policy under which the contract is being processed led to this decision.

“It is a decision we have made due to the customers’ requirements regarding the time schedule and the requirements related to the SP policy with its unbalance between our possibilities to have control and our obligations and liabilities. We believe that we have a very competitive product that would suit the customer well, but after having examined the EOI, we have decided not to enter the competition due to the above reasons,” Ola Rignell, chairman & managing director at SAAB India, said in response to an ET query.

Similar concerns have been echoed by other foreign vendors in several meetings with stakeholders, ET has been informed. The primary concern of foreign companies—mandated to partner with selected Indian partners to manufacture the submarines here-—is that the conditions in the policy can potentially place unlimited liabilities in their books.

The SP policy gives the lead responsibility of the contract to the Indian vendor that has to hold at least 51% stake in the project, thus taking away control of the special purpose vehicle (SPV) that is to be formed from the foreign technology partner. This, some industry executives say, has implications as the quality and timelines required cannot be guaranteed by the foreign partner.

 economictimes

IAF to begin fresh hunt for mid-air refuelling aircraft

After two failed attempts to induct new tankers during the last 12 years, the Indian Air Force is (IAF) preparing to begin a fresh hunt for new-generation mid-air refuelling planes to extend the reach of its fighter jets, two senior IAF officers said on condition of anonymity on Wednesday.

The official process to buy tankers is expected to begin within two months with the IAF seeking acceptance of necessity (AoN) from the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) --- the defence ministry’s apex procurement body --- to take the proposal forward, said one of the officers cited above.

Under India’s defence procurement rules, the AoN by the council (headed by the defence minister) is the first step towards buying a weapon or platform. “We plan to seek the AoN for six new tankers in November-December. It will clear the way for sending request for proposals (RFPs) to foreign military contractors,” the second officer said. The refuellers could cost more than $2 billion.


The IAF currently operates a fleet of six Russian-origin Ilyushin-78 tankers that are plagued by maintenance problems and more refuellers are required to stay prepared to counter China in the eastern sector.

According to an August 2017 Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report, the desired serviceability of the Il-78 fleet should be 70% by IAF’s own standards but it stood at 49% during 2010-16 --- barely half of the planes were available for missions at any given time.

Experts said it was imperative for the IAF to strengthen its refuelling capabilities to allow fighter jets to stay airborne longer.

“Flight refuelling aircraft are vital combat enablers. The IAF has just six, and two previous attempts at procurement faltered due to lack of funds, despite an aircraft being shortlisted both times. We have lost more than 10 years. Hopefully, wiser counsel will prevail this time,” said Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd), additional director general, Centre for Air Power Studies.

This will be the third tender for air-to-air refuelling planes since 2007, with Il-78 and Airbus A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) offered by European aerospace company EADS, competing in the previous contests that failed to end up as contracts due to price complications.

American (Boeing KC-46A), Russian (Il-78) and European (A330 MRTT) military contractors are expected to compete for the upcoming tender, industry executives said. Israel Aerospace Industries’ Bedek Aviation Group could also participate in the contest with its Boeing 767-200 multi-mission tanker transport --a conversion of the Boeing aircraft by Bedek Aviation.

In August 2017, the national auditor found that the refuelling pods of the Il-78s were dogged by failures and the tanker’s airworthiness was questionable. The comprehensive audit of the tanker fleet also revealed that tanking them up on the ground was a problem, dedicated refuelling corridors were missing and there weren’t enough hangars for the aircraft.

 hindustantimes

Rafale fighter jets special features

The first of the 36 Rafale fighter jets will be formally handed over to India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 8 October 2019.

The Rafale fighter jet will be the most advanced fighter aircraft in the IAF’s fleet. Compared to the SU 30 MKI — currently the best aircraft in the IAF — the Rafale jet is faster, has a wider range and more capabilities.

More importantly, at least 75% of the Rafale fleet has to be combat ready at any given point. On the other hand, the availability of SU 30 MKI aircraft is only 55%.


The Rafale fighter jet a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft. It is designed and manufactured by a French company called Dassault Aviation.

Dassault’s ‘omnirole’ aircraft comes with a host of weapons and can perform a variety of functions — like aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike and nuclear deterrence — according to the company.


Here’s everything you need to know about Rafale fighter jets:

1. It’s a twin engine fighter aircraft
The Rafale fighter jet is powered by two M88-2 engines from SNECMA. Each engine provides a thrust of 75kN.

2. ​Rafale fighter jets can help each other out mid-air
The Rafale fighter jets are equipped with ‘buddy-buddy’ refueling that also one aircraft to lend its fuel to another while still in flight.

3. ​It can fire METEOR missiles to take out targets that are out of visual range
METEOR — a beyond visual range air to air missile — can take out enemy aircraft at a range of over 100 kilometers.

4. SCALP missiles can take out on-ground targets 300 kilometers away
Rafale can be equipped with SCALP missiles, a precision long range ground attack missile, capable of taking out targets within a radius of 300 kilometers.

5. And, carry six AASM missiles at a time
Each AASM missile has GPS and imaging infrared terminal guidance. It can accurately hit a target with an accuracy of 10 meters.

6. ​It has a holographic cockpit display
The fighter jet’s cockpit has been equipped with a display from Thales Avionique. The head-up, wide-angle holographic display manages the aircraft control data, mission data and firing cues.
Its multi-image display at head-level shows the tactical situation and sensor data from around the aircraft. Two lateral displays on either side show the aircraft’s systems and the mission data. The pilot has his own helmet mounted sight and display aside from the main console.

7. Rafale can aim for eight targets at a time
There’s also a RBE2 passive electronically scanned radar developed by Thales on board. It has ‘look-down’ and ‘shoot-down’ abilities that can track up to eight targets at the same time, identify the threats and prioritise accordingly.
Rafale’s radar is more powerful that Su-30 MKI’s PESA Radar.

8. Rafale’s higher survivability
Rafale’s electronic warfare system, Spectra, is a Thales contribution as well. It’s equipped with solid state transmitter technology, a DAL laser warning receiver, missile warning, detection systems and jammers.
The ability for Spectra to combine the most effective defensive measures based on various combinations of its features gives Rafale a greater chance of surviving in hostile airspace than the Su-30 MKI.

9. Rafale’s being customised for the Indian Air Force
The Rafale fighter jets ordered by India are being customised for the Indian Air Force. They will have the ability to land and take off quickly from high altitude areas like the airbase in Leh.
IAF Rafales will also receive radar warnings to identify hostile tracking systems as well as a towed decoy system to throw off any incoming missile attacks.

 businessinsider

PM Modi in the US: Trump promises more defence deals with India, military trade to go up

India and the US are slated to announce major defence deals when the two leaders Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the US President Donald Trump meet in New York City on the sidelines for the UNGA. Presently, India-US Defence trade has touched $18 billion, and the Indian orders have created thousands of jobs in the sector.

Traditionally the Russians have been the major suppliers of defence platforms to India. In fact 70 per cent of our defence imports were from Russia. However, the equations are changing now, says a military analyst.


Brig SK Chatterji (retd) says, “The signing of a slew of agreements including the foundational agreement for mutual logistics support, the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA); Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), and progress on Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) has cleared the way for major induction of state of the art American equipment. The process has been aided by the 2 + 2 dialogues and India being declared a major US defence partner.”


Currently, “India is in the process of importing 15 multi-mission heavy-lift CH 4 Chinook transport helicopters and also 22 AH 64E (I) Apache helicopters. The US-based Boeing Company has already delivered eight Apaches. Armed with Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, these helicopters will enhance our anti-tank capabilities. The US has also approved the sale of 24 Seahawk helicopters MH-60R. These helicopter platforms are capable of anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare,” Chatterji points out.

In the area of unmanned aerial vehicles, major progress is expected, the former officer says. Adding, India wants to acquire the Sea Guardian manufactured by General Atomics and it is the best in its class and will enhance our Navy’ surveillance reach substantially in the Indian Ocean.

The three services- Army, Navy and Air Force are working on buying ten each of these UAVs through the Foreign Military Sales route. There have been several rounds of discussions between the two sides before Modi left for the US.


The US-made Artillery in the Indian Army ::

According to Chatterji, India’s artillery modernisation was initiated with the contract for 145 M777 Ultra-Light Howitzers of US-based BAE Systems. A few of these have already been received. The Indian Army badly requires replacements for its small arms and would be importing American company SIG Sauer’s SiG 716 for the army’s fast track procurement of 72,000 new automatic rifles.


Aerospace ::

The mother of all deals, for 114 fighter aircraft is progressing. American companies, Boeing Company’s F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin’s F-21 are in the fray, along with the French Rafale and a few more European and Russian models, he adds.

As has been reported by Financial Express Online, announcement related to the Lockheed Martin’s $ 2 billion 24 MH60R anti-submarine helicopters for the Indian Navy is expected.

To counter Russia’s S-400 Triumf advanced air defence missile system which will be coming to India soon, the US administration has offered Raytheon’s National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System-II. This system will help Indian airspace against aerial threats.


Exercise Tiger Triumph ::

The two countries for the first time participate in a tri-service military exercise in November this year. This will be to demonstrate the close military to military relations the two countries have. The announcement for the exercise was made by the US President Donald Trump close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledging to further improve synergy between the two sides.


Space Cooperation ::

The US leader has also announced increased Space Cooperation with India.

- financialexpress

Indian Railway reaching Tawang will be befitting reply to China: Arunachal CM

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Pema Khandu said that railways reaching to Tawang will be befitting reply to China

Union Minister of State for Railways, Suresh Angadi along with officials from the Ministry and Railways called on Chief Minister Pema Khandu. During the courtesy call, both discussed on way forward to fast-track ongoing and proposed railway lines in Arunachal Pradesh.

Khandu emphasized that connectivity is the only bottleneck for a state which is rich in potential. He sought special attention of the Ministry in providing optimum railway connectivity in the state.


He said Arunachal Pradesh, especially Tawang district, is much disputed by China and railways reaching the farthest districts would be a befitting reply to the ‘claims’, while urging the Ministry to speed up the work on the Sela Tunnel paving way for the railway line to Tawang from Bhalukpong.

Talking about the Shatabdi Express, introduced between Naharlagun and Guwahati, Khandu said it is one of the most sought after travelling mediums for commuters. He, however, stressed on the need to change the departure time of the train from Naharlagun.

“On popular demand of commuters, we would request the ministry to defer the departure time from Naharlagun by about two hours. It departs at 5 am at present, which is too early for passengers from Itanagar and nearby places. It may be deferred to at least 7 am,” he urged.

He further requested fixing the rate of land compensation for railway tracks as fixed and offered to Assam, which the ministry has accepted.

The railway minister said all railway projects in the state will be fast-tracked and that no stone will be left unturned to complete them on time. On request of the state government to connect the Arunachal Express to also connect Murkongselek, Angadi informed that soon the Arunachal Express will be upgraded to a Rajdhani Express.

“Arunachal Express will become Arunachal Rajdhani Express soon. As all Rajdhani Express trains are meant to connect state capitals, it won’t be feasible right now to connect Murkongselek with the Arunachal Express,” he informed.

Angadi also informed that an arrangement has already been reached with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) for ferrying its products to Gumto, where IOC has its distribution plant, through train. This, he said, will ease traffic congestion as well as ensure regular and timely supply of petroleum products to the state.

Khandu asked the departments with potentials for investment to come out with respective roadmaps with each and every detail of latest facts and figures by October 10 next.

“We have been repeating that we have immense potential for investment and development, but only in words. Nobody is exercising on how to bring in investment or actually doing any ground work,” he said while calling upon the officials to do the ground work and submit to the government all details of assets and potentials by the deadline.

Chairing a meeting here on ‘Investment and the way forward’ along with Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, Khandu was very particular on having on record all government assets, their status, their revenue generation and investment potentials, etc. He opined that unless and until all details are available with the government, it wouldn’t be possible to invite investors to the state.

economictimes

Amit Shah blames ex-PM Nehru for PoK's existence

Highlights

• Targeting Nehru over "non-integration" of Kashmir with India, he said Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the country's first home minister, should have handled the issue, instead of the then prime minister?
• "The PoK wouldn't have come into existence had Nehru not declared untimely ceasefire with Pakistan," said Amit Shah

Home Minister Amit Shah said that the three dynastic parties in Jammu and Kashmir have been fearing ever since the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power the second time and these parties would be wiped out politically.

Shah who was in Mumbai on Sunday to hold meetings and oversee the campaign of the BJP in Maharashtra assembly polls devoted a large part of his speech on Jammu and Kashmir and Article 370 and said that the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party would have to answer as to why they have opposed the abrogation of Article 370.

“No one thought that Article 370 and Article 35A would be removed so simply by the Prime Minister. He has given a voice to the entire country..Congress leader Ghulab Nabi Azad asked us how would abrogation of Article 370 help the integration of Kashmir with India… I want to tell him that we never used to say Bengal is ours or Maharashtra is part of our country. We had to frequently say that about J and Kashmir because of Article 370.”said Shah.


The Home Minister slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for claiming that Article 370 is a political issue saying, “You have come today in politics, our three generations have never shied away from sacrificing on the issue and for us it is a issue of nationalism not politics.”said Shah.

Shah criticised former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for mishandling the Kashmir issue saying, “ Iron Man Sardar Vallabhai Patel had the responsibility of amalgamating more than 300 princely states in to the country, he did it. The only state where he was not looking in was Jammu and Kashmir it was being handled with Nehru…. He mishandled it by declaring a ceasefire suddenly and going to the UN. The Pakistan Occupied Kashmir issue today is there because of him.”said the Home Minister.

Slamming the Congress he said, “40,000 people have died in Kashmir and these guys are questioning what would you achieve by removing Article 370 from Kashmir. We would soon be able to rid the state from terrorism.

Talking about the peaceful conditions in Kashmir, Shah said, “Whenever Article 370 was being discussed, the Congress would warn about bloods flowing, today there is not even one death, not one bullet fired there. Who are you (Congress) trying to scare and why. Kashmiris are peacefully going about their daily activities. There is no curfew, 97 % landlines and 67% cell phones are working, there is no curfew.”said Shah.

The Home Minister described the politics practiced by Congress and parties like the NCP as ‘shameless’ and said that they talk of dilution of atrocity rights but did not raise a voice when there was no atrocity act in Kashmir and Dalits were being discriminated against.

“ They frequently keep talking about Ambedkar but don’t bother about Dalits and OBC’s not getting their rights in Kashmir.”

The Home Minister said that the dynastic parties in Jammu and Kashmir had a vested interest in ensuring that Article 370 was not abrogated. “There was no Anti Corruption Bureau in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian government has spent more than 2 lakh crore in the state but it has not reached the people as three political families in Kashmir ensured that it did not reach the beneficiaries.”said Shah.

The Home Minister also said that Kashmiri under age girls who were being married off before they turned 18 will also become safer after Article 370 and thousands of girls would benefit.

Shah said that the dynastic parties would be wiped out politically due to the move to abrogate Article 370.

The Home Minister said that Article 370 would be an election issue in Maharashtra and the Congress and NCP would suffer due to their opposition to the abrogation of Article 370.

 economictimes

Government likely to order 36 more Rafale fighter jets

Shrugging off the controversy around the previous deal, the Narendra Modi government has finalized a deal for another 36 Rafale fighter jets, according to media reports.

An Indian Defence Research Wing report published on Saturday said the new order will be inked in early 2020.

The Indian Air Force has recently been handed over its first Rafale aircraft from France. The official handing over will take place on October 8 when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be visiting France.

The purchase of another 36 Rafale fighter jets will take the fleet to 72, which will be key to bolster India's air power, particularly in the aftermath of the Balakot strike, when the IAF went deep inside Pakistan to destroy terror training camps. Ever since, both India and Pakistan have been keen to bolster their air power.

Considering India's huge defence market, official sources here say the US is impressing upon India to buy its Lockheed Martin jets. However, ever since Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman downed an F-16 flown by Pakistan, this aircraft's reputation has gone down by many notches.

Even the F-21 isn't something India is keen to procure, irrespective of the pressure from US. But the Boeing F-18, which has both a carrier as well as an Air force variant, is under consideration of the IAF along with Rafale, say sources.

SAAB's Gripen-E is out of the race, while the Russian Mig-35 and Sukhoi-Su-35 are not expected to give a tough fight to Rafale.

The IAF has decided to procure 18 Su-30 MKI and 21 Mig-29 fighter jets from Russia. Upgradation of 272 aircraft of Su- 30 MKI fleet is also under serious consideration. The recent Russia visit of PM Modi has accelerated this process.

Dassault Aviation, the creator of Rafale, and the US' Boeing, have both extended their offers to help build India's 5th generation AMCA fighter jet, provided they win the lucrative contract to supply fighter aircraft to the Indian Air force.

economictimes
 

Indian Navy to get biggest dry dock

Located inside the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, the new dry dock can accommodate aircraft carriers including the huge erstwhile Soviet-origin INS Vikramaditya and the indigenous Vikrant that is being built in Kochi.

Construction major Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) has built the dry dock for the Indian Navy. It has taken a little less than a decade's time for the construction to complete, that was full of challenges.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who would be in Mumbai on September 28, will inaugurate the state-of-the-art dry dock along the Arabian Sea, official sources said.


This is probably the only dry dock in the country that is surrounded by the sea from three sides. The pumps used are so powerful that each one of them can fill a tank of 10,000 cubic meter in 3 seconds.

There are eight such pumps installed and can remove water from the dock in approx two-and-a-half hours. The need for a big dry dock in Mumbai that houses the Western Naval Command, the sword arm of the Indian Navy, has been felt for quite some time.

The Bombay Dockyard, established in 1732, was the finest shipbuilding Yard in the country in the 18th and 19th centuries. Ships constructed at Bombay Dockyard in its heyday were said to be "immensely superior to anything built anywhere else in the world".

From building smaller ships, the Yard increasingly developed the capability to build ships of larger displacement and improved fighting capabilities.

The Yard’s facilities were progressively augmented over the next 125 years. Bombay Dry Dock was constructed during the period 1750-1765 and Duncan Dry Dock was constructed during the period 1807-1810. In addition, a breakwater and three slipways were added in the period 1830 to 1846. The Inner Breakwater equipped with cranes and services for water and electric supply points were subsequently constructed in 1906.


Transition to the Naval Dockyard ::

Post Independence, the Naval Dockyard was expanded from 39 acre to 123 acre with the construction of two cruiser graving docks.

The shore end of the cruiser graving dock was elongated to accommodate the aircraft carriers.

Concurrent with the growth of dry docking and berthing facilities, a comprehensive plan was prepared by the National Industrial Development Corporation (NIDC), which recommended modernisation in three phases to meet immediate, intermediate and future requirements.

In 1975, a project team called "Modernisation of Naval Dockyard, Bombay" was formed.

In 1978, the project team was merged with the "Director General Naval Dockyard Expansion Scheme" and this new organisation was re-designated as "Director General Naval Projects (Bombay)".

This led to a spurt of new workshop buildings in the Dockyard which aided in creating new facilities for the expanding Indian Navy.


SIMPLY GIGANTIC... !!!

1) The concrete used for constructing the dry dock is 3 times the quantity used Bandra Worli Sea Link.

2) The steel used can be utilised to construct two Eiffel Towers

3) The water in the dry dock can fill 20 Olympic-size swimming pools.

4) The dock can be divided into two parts dry and wet and can accommodate two ships simultaneously.

 deccanherald

Why India is Keen to Build its Own Version of Russia's S-400 Triumf

India is contemplating a deal that would see it build a domestic version of Russia's S-400 Triumf air defence system, according to an IAF veteran and top military analyst.

State-owned Russian corporation Rostec recently revealed that India and Russia are in talks over the possibility of building a production line to make the S-400, which NATO calls the SA-21 Growler, in India.

“India would need more S-400 systems and is indeed contemplating a follow-up purchase following satisfactory completion of supply of the five systems already contracted for,” said military analyst Vijainder K. Thakur.

Washington has threatened to impose economic sanctions on India should it go ahead with the deal, estimated to be worth $5.43 billion for five S-400 units.

Nevertheless, citing the “national interest,” New Delhi has made it clear that it will be going ahead with the purchase.

“The S-400 system has strategic dimensions. India is not keen to localize production of the system so as to export it! It's keen to localise production so that it can integrate its other advanced Air Defence systems like Medium Range Surface to Air Missile and Ballistic Missile Defence system with the S-400,” Thakur said.

The greatest strength of the S-400, he added, is its open architecture that allows any air defence system to be integrated.

India’s state-funded Defence Research and Development Organisation has long had plans to produce a homegrown ballistic missile defence system.

Last week, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov announced that Moscow will deliver the S-400 system to New Delhi within the next 18-19 months, noting India has paid for the system in advance. 

The US Department of State has warned that it could impose sanctions on any country that buys from Russia’s defence sector under its 2017 Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. However, India and Russia are believed to have found a permanent payment mechanism, which they believe will sidestep possible US sanctions.

This summer, Russia completed the delivery of the first batch of the S-400 systems to Turkey following a deal concluded in 2017. After Ankara made it clear earlier in the year that it would proceed with the deal, Washington suspended the deliveries of F-35 jets to Turkey, warning of further sanctions to follow.

sputniknews

Highlights

• An Israeli firm has started the delivery of the Spice-2000 bombs to India and the first batch of these bombs was received recently
• The weapons have been delivered to Gwalior as it is the home base of the Indian Air Force's Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft fleet
• IAF has signed an over Rs 250 crore contract with Israel for Mark 84 warhead and bombs which can destroy buildings

In a major boost for India's aerial firepower, the Indian Air Force has started receiving the 'building blaster' version of the Balakot air strike-fame Spice-2000 bombs at the Gwalior airbase.

An Israeli firm has started the delivery of the Spice-2000 bombs to India and the first batch of these bombs was received recently, top IAF sources told ANI.

The weapons have been delivered to Gwalior as it is the home base of the Indian Air Force's Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft fleet and they are the only fleet which can fire the Israeli bombs.


The Indian Air Force has signed an over Rs 250 crore contract with Israel for Mark 84 warhead and bombs which can destroy buildings completely.

The IAF had signed a contract with Israel in June this year for acquiring more than 100 Spice-2000 bombs under the emergency procurement powers of the services given by the Narendra Modi government.

The contract was signed as the Air Force wanted to acquire the bombs after their successful usage in the Balakot airstrikes against a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist camp in Pakistan.

During the Balakot strikes, the Air Force had dropped Spice-2000 bombs from Mirage-2000 fighter aircraft after a pack of 12 of these fighters crossed the Line of Control (LoC) to strike the Jaish terror camp in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

 timesofindia

J&K part of sovereign India, Pakistan should leave PoK: UK MP

One of Britain's most outspoken MPs on the Kashmir issue Bob Blackman has called on Pakistan to leave Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, asserting that India has a sovereign right over the entire region.

Addressing a UK-based Kashmiri Pandit gathering organised here on Saturday, the Conservative Party MP countered the Pakistani government's plan to move a United Nations resolution in the wake of India's August 5 decision to revoke Article 370 of its Constitution and end the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

"The entirety of the state of Jammu and Kashmir is part of sovereign India, and people that ask for UN resolution to be implemented ignore the first resolution, which is that Pakistani military forces should leave Kashmir to re-unite the state," Blackman said at the "Balidan Divas" or Day of Sacrifice event held in London.


Organised by the Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society and All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS), the event involved a theatre production titled 'We Remember: The Journey of Kashmiri Pandits'. It was put together by children and friends of Britain's Kashmiri Pandit community to capture the sentiment behind the lost homes of many Kashmiris.

"A powerful performance by all the children in the play and the Bharatanatyam dance. Appreciate your commitment and support Bob Blackman," Indian High Commissioner to the UK Ruchi Ghanashyam said in a tweet.

Blackman has been speaking out in favour of India since the decision to revoke Article 370 found echoes among Britain's MPs.

The north London MP, who is also chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Hindus, has been a long-time supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He had also written to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson accusing Opposition Labour Party MPs of making provocative claims against India.

"I strongly support the revocation of Article 370… Narendra Modi has again shown proper and strong leadership in honouring the manifesto of the BJP – now is the time to properly integrate Jammu and Kashmir into the Indian Constitution," he said.

Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after New Delhi ended Jammu and Kashmir's special status on August 5 and bifurcated it into two Union Territories.

Pakistan downgraded its diplomatic relations with India and expelled the Indian high commissioner following the revocation.

Asserting that the abrogation of Article 370 was its "internal matter", India has asked Pakistan to accept the reality.

 timesofindia

Moscow, New Delhi in talks over S-400 missiles production in India: Rostec CEO

Moscow is holding talks with New Delhi on starting the production of S-400 Air Defense Systems in India, said Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Russia`s Rostec state corporation on Sunday. "Yes, we are discussing the localization [of S-400 production] with India as well," Chemezov told the RBK broadcaster, adding that India has already acquired the license for the production of a lot of technology, such as the Su-30 fighter jet and the T-90 tank, reported Sputnik.

"We have developed the BrahMos missiles together with them [India], on their territory, together with their scientists," Chemezov pointed out.Last month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was in Moscow to meet his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to discuss ways to further advance bilateral cooperation.

New Delhi had signed a USD 5.43 billion deal with Russia for the purchase of five S-400s during the 19th India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit in New Delhi on October 5, 2018, last year, which Washington had indicated may trigger Countering America`s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) sanctions.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov on last week had said S-400 air defence missile systems will be delivered to India in strict accordance with the schedule."The advance payment has been received and everything will be delivered in strict accordance with the schedule, within about 18-19 months," Borisov told state-owned broadcaster Rossiya-1.

 zeenews

In a 1st, Bengaluru firm designs, develops two sniper rifles

Highlights

• A firm in Bengaluru has, in a first for an Indian firm, designed and developed two sniper rifles prototypes meant for the armed forces, indigenously
• SSS Defence is hopeful of putting the two weapons on trial with the special forces soon

As India pushes for increased participation of the private sector in defence production, a firm in Bengaluru’s Koramangala has, in a first for an Indian firm, designed and developed two sniper rifles prototypes meant for the armed forces, indigenously.

SSS Defence, which has begun work on constructing an 80,000 sqft arms factory at Jigani, 28km from Bengaluru, is hopeful of putting the two weapons on trial with the special forces soon, even as it has its eyes locked on the export market.

“We are the first to indigenously design and develop sniper rifles. We’ve not acquired ready-made technology from abroad to only assemble. And that we are not only going to offer the weapon, but also provide a complete solution giving users ammunitions, optics and other accessories necessary to operate the weapon, makes us unique. As on date the armed forces buy all of these from different companies,” Vivek Krishnan, CEO, SSS Defence, told TOI.

India opened up arms manufacturing to private firms only in the previous term of the Narendra Modi government. While there have been reports of some firms being in talks with foreign arms makers to get manufacturing rights for arms, no company has so far announced design and development of any rifle, let alone those meant for sniping.

The army has been looking to acquire sniper rifles, which has been delayed because of the 20 firms that participated in a tender issued last year, none offered ammunition.

SSS Defence has developed two rifles: Viper, chambered for .308/7.62x51mm cartridge and Saber, chambered for .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge. While Viper has proved its accuracy from a distance of more than 1,000 metres, Saber has proved it on a 1,500 metres range. The Minute of Angle (MoA), which is used to measure the accuracy of rifles, the firm claimed, is best in the class, comparable to global weapons.

“Rifles chambered for 7.62x51mm NATO and .338 Lapua Magnum calibers are popular among military and law enforcement snipers across the world,” Satish R Machani, managing director, SSS Defence, said, adding that their weapons provide precision to long range rifle to shooters.

Stating that the design is based on the armed forces’ most recent requirements, Machani said they have already tested the weapons in the US, where it met all requirements. The rifles have modular, lightweight and ergonomically adjustable sniper chassis, which is rugged, reconfigurable, low maintenance, and manufactured from aerospace grade aluminum alloys. The firm said they are impervious to foul weather conditions, and hot/cold temperature extremes.

“The rifle has an ergonomically adjustable shoulder stock, which will prove very useful for our armed forces, which have men and women from different parts of the country who are built differently,” Krishnan said.

So far, the firm has invested nearly Rs 20 crore in the business if small arms, optics and ammunition and has started work on building an 80,000 sqft arms factory at Jigani.

“This facility will be manufacturing arms and have a capacity to make 15,000 arms per annum from day one of the first phase. Capacity will then increase to 45,000 arms per annum in the second phase (January 2022) and 80,000 per annum in some years in the third phase,” Krishnan added.

Besides, Machani said that the firm has also acquired an 80-acre plot for an ammunition factory near Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh, some 200km from Bengaluru. “This factory will manufacture multiple ammunition calibers — 9mm, 7.62x39mm, 7.62x51mm, .338 Lapua and 12.7mm for export markets and domestic demand,” he added.

 timesofindia

Rs 5400 crore deal inked for 7 more squadrons of Akash missiles for IAF

Highlights

• Sources said the delivery of the new Akash-2 squadrons, which are geared to intercept hostile aircraft, helicopters, drones and sub-sonic cruise missiles at a range of 25-km, will begin in 18 months
• The indigenous SAM – produced by defence PSUs Bharat Electronics and Bharat Dynamics -- is now finally being inducted in large numbers

The IAF on Friday got a long-delayed booster shot to shore up its air defence capabilities, with a Rs 5,400 crore deal being inked with defence PSU Bharat Electronics for seven additional squadrons of the indigenous Akash surface-to-air missile systems.

Sources said the delivery of the new Akash-2 squadrons, which are geared to intercept hostile aircraft, helicopters, drones and sub-sonic cruise missiles at a range of 25-km, will begin in 18 months. “All the seven squadrons will be delivered within three years,” said a source.

IAF had earlier ordered eight Akash-1 missile squadrons for Rs 6,200 crore, six of which are deployed in the north-east to counter China’s build-up of military infrastructure all along the Line of Actual Control, which includes eight fully-operational airbases in Tibet. The other two squadrons have come up at the Mirage-2000 fighter base in Gwalior and Sukhoi-30MKI base in Pune.


The Army, in turn, has inducted two Akash regiments at a cost of Rs 14,180 crore, while another two are in the pipeline. The fully-automated Akash air defence missile systems, which have all-weather capability and can handle multiple aerial threats attacking from several directions simultaneously, are meant to prevent enemy fighters, helicopters and drones from attacking vital military installations and bases.

Using an integrated two-stage Ramjet rocket propulsion technology, the sleek 5.6-metre-long Akash is powered by an air-breathing engine to carry a payload of 60 kg. The Akash, incidentally, was one of the five core missile systems of the integrated guided missile development programme launched by DRDO in 1984.

After long delays due to technical problems, the indigenous SAM – produced by defence PSUs Bharat Electronics and Bharat Dynamics -- is now finally being inducted in large numbers into the armed forces.

 timesofindia

DRDO, ADA successfully execute first-ever arrested landing of LCA

DRDO and ADA today successfully executed the first-ever arrested landing of Light Combat Aircraft (Navy) at a shore-based facility, INS Hansa in Goa, inching closer to the goal of operating from an aircraft carrier.

The LCA (Navy) is the naval version of indigenously developed Tejas fighter aircraft being developed for the Indian Air Force.

An official statement said that the successful execution of arrested landing will pave the way for this indigenous platform to undertake Aircraft Carrier landing demonstration onboard the Indian Naval Aircraft Carrier, Vikramaditya.


Indian Navy needs several fighter jets for its future aircraft carriers including named INS Vikrant, which is under advanced stages of construction.

On April 20 this year, the then Navy Chief, Admiral Sunil Lanba had said IAC-1 or INS Vikrant will be delivered to Indian Navy by 2021. The Navy hopes to have a third aircraft carrier in the near future to counter China's growing might in the Indian Ocean region.

After several years of flight testing and four campaigns of dedicated testing at Shore Based Test facility Goa, today the LCA (Navy) Flight Test Team led by Cmde J A Maolankar (Chief Test Pilot), Capt Shivnath Dahiya (LSO) and Cdr J D Raturi (Test Director) successfully executed a "textbook" arrested landing.

"This arrested landing heralds the arrival of true indigenous capability and displays the professional prowess of our scientific community Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) embedded with design plus build capability of HAL(ARDC), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and CSIR Labs involved in executing this landmark event," the statement added.

The statement also lauded the support of the Indian Navy through the Navy Project office and Ministry of Defence.

 economictimes

India to deploy latest American weapon systems for Ex-HimVijay along China border

Indian Armed Forces are planning to deploy their latest American weapons systems including M777 ultra-light howitzers and Chinook heavy-lift helicopters in the war games to be carried out in Arunachal Pradesh, close to borders with China.

Codenamed HimVijay, this exercise planned by India in the northeast will mainly test the war fighting abilities of the newly-raised 17 Mountain Strike Corps in Arunachal Pradesh.

The exercise will also involve the Indian Air Force (IAF) which would provide the aerial elements for the real war-type drills.

"During the exercise HimVijay, the 17 Mountain Strike Corps has been provided with the M777 Ultra Light Howitzers as they would be in an attack mode against the 'enemy' locations and would require the lighter guns," senior Army sources told ANI.

Another recently inducted American system planned to be utilised during the war games would be the Chinook heavy-lift choppers. These choppers were formally inducted into the Air Force on March 25 at the Chandigarh airbase.

"The Chinooks are not yet inducted into the northeast by the Air Force but at some point of time in the near future, they plan to induct it in that region. So, they have been requested to utilise the helicopters during the wargames," they said.


The war games have been planned by the Eastern Command for the last six months and are being implemented by the Panagarh-based 17 Strike Corps and the Tezpur-based 4 Corps.

The M777 ultra-light howitzers were inducted into the Indian Army along with the K-9 Vajra and Dhanush howitzers at Deolali near Nashik. The Indian Army will induct a total of 145 M777 howitzers in service.

The M777 Howitzers are planned to be used mainly for warfare in mountainous terrains only due to their lightweight and ability to be airdropped by the Chinook heavy-lift helicopters in the high altitude areas in the Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.

More than 5,000 troops of the Indian Army's only Mountain Strike Corps will carry out a massive war game to practice real war-like situation on the eastern front of the country.

"As part of the war games, the troops of the Tezpur-based 4 Corps will be deployed at a high altitude location to defend their 'territory' while a brigade-sized force (over 2,500 troops) of the 17 Mountain Strike Corps would be airlifted by the Indian Air Force to 'launch an offensive' against them," sources said.

The Indian Air Force will airlift the troops using its latest transport aircraft including the C-17, C-130J Super Hercules and the AN-32 to airlift the army troops from Baghdogra in West Bengal and deploy them close to the 'war zone' in Arunachal Pradesh, they said.

To make the 17 Mountain Strike Corps more effective during wartime in the mountainous region with China, the fighting formations under it are being converted into Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) as part of Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat's restructuring process.

Once the IBGs are formed, the formations will be converted into leaner and more efficient fighting units with the ability to strike deeper and faster against enemy targets, the sources said.

An IBG, which will be a little smaller than a division, will integrate the existing elements of infantry, tank regiments, artillery, engineers and signals. It will comprise six battalions of these elements and will be directly under a Corps.

 economictimes