"Target Destroyed, Direct Hit": India Test-Fires Surface-To-Air Missile

 

 "MRSAM-Army missile system flight was test fired from ITR Balasore, Odisha at around 1030 hours and intercepted a high-speed aerial target at long range," the DRDO said in a Koo post. Indian Army on Sunday successfully carried out the test firing of the Medium Range Surface to Air Missile air defence system off the coast of Odisha's Balasore, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) informed today.

"MRSAM-Army missile system flight was test fired from ITR Balasore, Odisha at around 1030 hours and intercepted a high-speed aerial target at long range," the DRDO said in a Koo post.As per the DRDO, the target was destroyed by the missile in a direct hit.

NDTV

Indian Army gets Sako TRG-42 sniper rifles for soldiers deployed along LoC

 

  The Sako .338 TRG-42 sniper rifles, designed and developed by the Finnish gun maker SAKO, have a better range, firepower, and telescopic sights than those possessed by the adversary
The Indian Army has inducted the Sako .338 TRG-42 sniper rifles from Finland for soldiers deployed along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

"The latest sniper rifles have been inducted into the army. They are using it now, a senior official told PTI.

The Sako .338 TRG-42 sniper rifles have a better range, firepower, and telescopic sights than those possessed by the adversary, the official said.

The move is to make the snipers more lethal amid a change in operational dynamics along the LoC, the official said.
Sniping has been a bigger challenge for the troops patrolling forward areas along the LoC and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, said the official.

Between 2018 and 2019, there was a sudden increase in the number of sniping incidents along the LoC and IB prompting armed forces to induct better sniper rifles and train its snipers against such attacks.

The Sako rifles have replaced the .338 Lapua Magnum Scorpio TGT by Beretta, and the .50 Calibre M95 by Barrett, which were inducted in the Indian army in 2019 and 2020. These rifles, made in Italy and America, had replaced the ageing Russian Dragunov, the mainstay of Indian soldiers.

First procured in the 1990s, the Dragunovs have slowly fallen behind contemporary sniper rifles which offer improved sights and mounts, increased accuracy, and a strike range of over 1 kilometre.

The Sako TRG-42 sniper rifle is a bolt-action sniper rifle designed and developed by the Finnish gun maker SAKO.
The rifle is designed to fire powerful .338 Lapua Magnum-sized cartridges. and weighs at 6.55 kgs without ammunition. It has an effective range of 1,500 metres, the official said.

"It is considered one of the most accurate and trustworthy weapons worldwide, he said.

The Army has sanctioned a team of 10 snipers, selected from the Indian Army's units and regimental centres for the job, the official added.

firstpost

Huge 'Atmanirbhar' push as Centre plans to procure military equipment worth Rs 5 lakh crore from domestic source

 

India will stop the import of 101 weapons and military platforms like transport aircraft, light combat helicopters, conventional submarines, cruise missiles and sonar systems by 2024.
The defence ministry on Monday said it plans to procure military equipment worth Rs 5 lakh crore from the domestic industries in the next five to seven years in line with its policy of promoting indigenous defence manufacturing.

Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt put out the projected figure of procurement from domestic sources while replying to a question in Rajya Sabha.In August 2020, the ministry announced that India will stop the import of 101 weapons and military platforms like transport aircraft, light combat helicopters, conventional submarines, cruise missiles and sonar systems by 2024.

A second list, putting import restrictions on 108 military weapons and systems such as next-generation corvettes, airborne early warning systems, tank engines and radars, under a staggered timeline was issued in May last year.

In December, the ministry released a list containing 2,500 items, which have already been developed indigenously.

It also released a list of 351 equipment that will be developed within the country by December 2024.The minister in his reply mentioned the lists and the government's priorities.

"The positive indigenisation list comprises defence equipment which will be designed, developed and manufactured over a period from 2020 to 2025," he said, adding that the it was not possible to assess at this juncture the actual on account of the decision to not import the items.

"However, as per available projections, it is estimated that over approximately Rs 5 lakh crore worth of equipment included in both the positive indigenisation lists will be procured from domestic industry over the next five to seven years," he said.

In the last few years, the government has taken a series of measures to boost domestic defence manufacturing.

In May last year, the government announced increasing the FDI limit from 49 per cent to 74 per cent under the automatic route in the defence sector.India is one of the largest importers of arms globally.

According to estimates, the Indian armed forces are projected to spend around USD 130 billion (one billion is equal to 100 crores) in capital procurement in the next five years.

The government now wants to reduce dependence on imported military platforms and has decided to support domestic defence manufacturing.

The Defence Ministry has set a goal of a turnover of USD 25 billion (Rs 1.75 lakh crore) in defence manufacturing in the next five years that included an export target of USD 5 billion (Rs 35,000 crore) worth of military hardware.

The government on Monday said that a total of Rs 3,343 crore has been received as foreign direct investment (FDI) in the defence sector since 2014.

In response to a question in Rajya Sabha, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the defence sector needs continuous investment for capacity enhancements and the creation of state-of-the-art technologies.During the period from 2001-2014, a total FDI inflow of about Rs 1,382 crore was reported and from 2014 till date, a total FDI of about Rs 3,343 crore has been reported," he said.

To a separate question, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said the "term 'Matryr' is not used in Indian Armed Forces."

He was asked about the definition of martyr and whether the government has stopped the use of the word for those who made supreme sacrifices in the line of duty.

Asked whether the government is considering a system of conferring letters of acknowledgement from the President and the Prime Minister's Office on the families of armed forces personnel killed in action, Bhatt said no such proposal has been received for consideration.

To another question, Bhatt said the government created the Defence AI (Artificial Intelligence) Council (DAIC) in 2019 for providing necessary guidance to enable and effect the development of an operating framework for the adoption of the application of AI in the defence sector.

He said all the three services have established institutional mechanisms in the form of AI Sub Committee and Joint Working Group on AI.

"As part of the data management framework, the services have formulated data policy and appointed data management officers," he said.

Bhatt also said that the budget allocated and utilised in the past three years for the research and development of indigenous defence aircraft was Rs 3,280 crore and Rs 2,835 crore respectively.

He said 100 per cent rate of success has been achieved for the various research carried out for the development of indigenous defence aircraft.

newindianexpress

Light tanks: A shot in the arm for the Indian Army

 

 As commendable as the indigenous development of light tanks by the Indian Army is, we need to be aware of the thorny path that lies ahead.


The Modi government on 3 March 2022 announced the development of light tanks for the Indian Army (IA). This decision was taken under the Make-I category of the 2020 Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) and comes against the backdrop of India’s conversion of the K-9 Vajra mobile howitzer in to a light tank. A regiment of the K9-Vajra, which is a tracked 155mm/2 self-propelled howitzer capable of striking targets 50 kilometres away is now deployed in Ladakh in the ongoing stand-off with the Chinese.

Further, deployments of the Vajra are likely in other parts of the Sino-Indian boundary. The K9-Vajra, however, was never going to be sufficient or a credible substitute for a dedicated light tank, which the government has now given an in-principle approval. The decision to deploy the Vajra was largely to meet the immediate military contingency facing India on its border with China and service some part of the firepower requirements of the IA. 

In terms of weight, the K9-Vajra is a 50-tonne tracked vehicle slightly exceeding the weight class of actual tanks such as the T-90 and T-72 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), which are also deployed in Ladakh. T-90s combat weight is 48 tonnes and the older T-72s weigh 46 tonnes. Both Russian-built MBTs are equipped with 125mm guns.

    The decision to deploy the Vajra was largely to meet the immediate military contingency facing India on its border with China and service some part of the firepower requirements of the IA.

Notwithstanding their current deployment, the weight of the K9-Vajras, the T-90s, and T-72s make them much too heavy for effective combat at high altitudes along the Sino-Indian boundary. In any case, even if they were effective, their deployment imposes logistical burden on the IA, which the service for several years now has been trying to reduce. 

The Directorate General of Mechanised Forces has been working intensively to reduce the weight of weapons systems and platforms. Apart from that, the Chinese have designed and developed a dedicated light tank called the Type-15 and deploy them due to their suitability for high altitude warfare against India. The Type-15 weighs 35 tonnes with a 105 mm gun making it significantly lighter than the IA’s T-90, T-72, and K9-Vajras. 

It is one of the few light tanks built in the last three decades. It is widely recognised to be a capable armoured platform, despite its smaller gun size compared to its Indian counterparts. The Chinese built the Type-15 light tanks, because they anticipated the need for low-weight armoured platforms for high altitude warfare and specifically for the kind of military contingency confronting the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) presently against the IA along the contested boundary between India and China.
How the IA got here and challenges ahead

Against this backdrop, India had considered acquiring the Russian light tank the Sprut SDM1 following the outbreak of the current Sino-Indian boundary in May 2020. In April 2021, the Directorate General of Mechanised Forces issued a Request for Information (RFI) under the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for 350 light tanks in the weight class of 25 tonnes. 

Notwithstanding Russia’s offer, India has now turned to native development of a light tank rather than import them. This development should be applauded, but without obscuring the problems plaguing force planning for India’s armoured corps. The public writ large should be aware that India’s pressing need and quest for light tanks only emerged in the wake of the current Sino-Indian boundary crisis.

 In India, a crisis invariably tends to tip the scales lending urgency to decisions on new developmental initiatives—the government’s decision on the indigenous development of light tanks is no exception. It is also the product of the IA’s constricted vision in meeting the capability and operational challenges facing India against its primary foe—the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). Generally, the service has privileged medium to heavy weight armour over light armour. Pakistan has tended to disproportionately preoccupy the mind space of the IA’s planners. Consequently, the development of light tanks has not gained traction until the eruption of the present boundary stand-off with the PRC.

Irrespective of the merits of native development of light tanks, India’s decision-makers have to recognise that there could potentially be a minimum five-year lag before the country witnesses the emergence of the initial variant of a homemade light tank. Unless the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) Limited and presumably some private sector company—the entities most likely spearheading the incipient light tank project achieve a miraculous breakthrough in less than five years.

    A crisis invariably tends to tip the scales lending urgency to decisions on new developmental initiatives—the government’s decision on the indigenous development of light tanks is no exception.

Regardless of the duration of the development cycle, which hopefully will not be too long, the IA must be clear right at the outset about the technical specifications which meet its combat performance and deployment requirements for a light tank to obviate needless delays. Otherwise, it will leave tank designers at the DRDO and its subsidiaries in the “dark”.

The light tank project cannot be hobbled by past native development of armoured platforms such as the nearly 70 tonne—Arjun MBT. Shifting performance benchmarks by the IA has a precedent in the Arjun MBT, which the IA has inducted with some reluctance and under the government’s directives. Despite significant improvements in the Mk1A variant, it is an overweight tank and can only be deployed in “pockets” such as the desert areas along the India-Pakistan border. 

The Arjun has also experienced considerable cost overruns. The delayed and lukewarm integration of both variants—Mk1 and Mk1A of the Arjun MBTs by the IA also serves as a reminder of how not to proceed with the development of an indigenous light tank, because it could compel the IA and the government importing light tanks at the cost of an indigenous capability. A heavily-sanctioned Russia in the coming months and years will be a highly risky source of supply.

 If India turns to an alternative source, it still condemns the country to importing hardware, grating against the current and any future government’ intent to acquire military capabilities from India’s domestic defence industry. Finally, Indian decision-makers must ensure sustained funding, despite a turnover in government at the national level and closely monitor the Research and Development (R&D) and eventual production that involves all stakeholders in realising a credible light tank capability.

 orfonline

India 'somewhat shaky' on punishing Russia for invasion of Ukraine, says US President Joe Biden

 

  US President Joe Biden on Monday (local time) said that India, an exception among US major allies, "has been somewhat shaky" on the Western sanctions punishing Russia`s invasion of Ukraine. US President Joe Biden on Monday (local time) said that India, an exception among US major allies, "has been somewhat shaky" on the Western sanctions punishing Russia`s invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking at the Business Roundtable`s CEO Quarterly Meeting on Monday, referring to how unified Washington allies have been in isolating President Putin, Biden stated, "...The Quad is, with the possible exception of India being somewhat shaky on some of this, but Japan has been extremely strong -- so has Australia -- in terms of dealing with Putin`s aggression."

Biden in his remarks asserted that Putin didn`t anticipate how unified NATO and western allies would be in a global response to his invasion of Ukraine. At a virtual Quad conference earlier this month, leaders of Australia, Japan and the U.S. denounced Russia`s invasion.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, reiterated "the need to return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy."

India is the only member of the QUAD that has not condemned Russia`s invasion. All member countries of the QUAD barring India have also slapped significant sanctions on Russia.

India has abstained from key United Nations votes on the crisis, calling instead for an "immediate cessation of violence" and a return to dialogue. 

zeenews

Russian Airstrike at NATO’s Doorstep Raises Fears of Expanded War

 

    Russia launched a barrage of airstrikes on Sunday against a military base in western Ukraine where American troops had trained Ukrainian forces just weeks earlier, bringing the war 11 miles from the border with Poland, where NATO forces are stationed on high alert.

Western officials said the attack at NATO’s doorstep was not merely a geographic expansion of the Russian invasion but a shift of tactics in a war many already worried might metastasize into a larger European conflic“He’s expanding the number of targets,” the U.S. national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said of Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, adding that “he’s trying to cause damage in every part of the country.”

In recent days, Russian forces have been broadening their air war right up to the border with Poland, said John F. Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman. Before Sunday’s attack, Russian missiles also struck airfields in Lutsk and Ivano-Frankovsk, cities in western Ukraine near the Polish border. The airport in Ivano-Frankovsk was struck again on Sunday, according to the city’s mayor.
Pentagon and NATO officials reiterated on Sunday that they did not intend to directly confront Russian forces in Ukraine. But they are sending military supplies, and Russia has warned that it regards those convoys as legitimate targets.

The military base that was hit, which is called the International Peacekeeping and Security Center, has been a hub for Western military troops to train Ukrainian forces since 2015. Troops from the United States, Britain, Canada, Poland, Sweden and Denmark, among others, have trained 35,000 Ukrainians there under a project called “Operation Unifier.”
But Western nations withdrew their forces ahead of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Since then, the base has been used by Ukraine to train and organize the thousands of foreigners who have arrived in the country and volunteered to help defend it.

The Russian missiles struck the base during the predawn hours Sunday.

“They hit us when we were sleeping,” said one of the volunteer fighters, Jesper Söder, a Swede who had arrived at the base three days earlier. “We woke up to them bombing a building.”
 At least 35 people were killed and 134 were wounded in the strikes, including both military personnel and civilians, according to Ukrainian officials. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it killed 180 foreign fighters in the strikes. Neither figure could be independently confirmed.

Two senior Pentagon officials said the U.S. military believes the sites in western Ukraine were struck by cruise missiles fired from Russian warplanes. It was unclear where the Russian bombers were when they fired the missiles. Ukrainian officials said the planes had flown from Saratov, in southwestern Russia.

Until Sunday, the invasion of Ukraine, now in its 18th day, was most notable for Moscow’s indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas, and even as it bombarded the military base in the west, Russia continued to punish ordinary Ukrainians.In the southern Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv, a Russian airstrike on a residential neighborhood killed nine people.

And in eastern Ukraine, Russian forces fired on a train carrying Ukrainian civilians, including more than 100 children, who were attempting to flee the violence. The train’s conductor was killed and Ukraine’s national railroad scrambled to send a new train to evacuate the surviving crew and passengers.

In the suburbs of Kyiv, Brent Renaud, an award-winning American filmmaker and journalist working to document the toll the war has taken on refugees, was killed. Mr. Renaud, 50,  had contributed to The New York Times in previous years, most recently in 2015.
Still, in the coming weeks, NATO plans to gather 30,000 troops from 25 countries in Norway for biannual military exercises, including live-fire drills. The exercises were announced more than eight months ago, but the training has taken on greater significance as the fighting in Ukraine approaches the Polish border and raises alarm across the alliance.

About 10,000 American troops — half of which were deployed since the invasion began — are now stationed in Poland. Late last week, the United States moved two surface-to-air missile batteries there from Germany. And on Saturday, President Biden approved sending an additional $200 million in arms and equipment to Ukraine.
Among the options under discussion are transfers of similar equipment from NATO members in Eastern Europe, though there is concern these nations might then be left vulnerable themselves, U.S. officials said. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III is scheduled to meet with NATO defense ministers in Brussels this week and then travel to Slovakia, a NATO member located south of Poland on Ukraine’s western border.

American military officials say they believed that, after weeks of pummeling other parts of the country, Russia has begun to target western Ukraine in a bid to shut it down as a base of operations for the Ukrainian air force and a source of weapons and equipment. Arms and aid have flowed into western Ukraine from Poland and Romania.

nytimes

Could have responded to India after its missile landed in Pakistan, but observed restraint: PM Imran Khan

 

 The unarmed Indian supersonic missile entered Pakistani territory, endangering several airliners during the course of its flight before hitting a private property, some 275-km from Lahore

Days after India claimed that the missile was ‘fired accidentally’ during a routine maintenance operation because of a technical malfunction, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said Pakistan could have responded to India after its missile landed in his country's Punjab province but it obs On March 9, an unarmed Indian supersonic missile entered Pakistani territory, endangering several airliners during the course of its flight before hitting a private property (cold storage) near Mian Channu, some 275-km from Lahore. No loss of life was reported.erved restraint.
 Prime Minister Khan, speaking for the first time on the incident said, "we could have responded after an Indian missile fell in Mian Channu but we observed restraint."

He was addressing a public rally in Punjab's Hafizabad district on Sunday afternoon in the face of a no-confidence motion moved against him by the joint opposition, according to PTI report. Khan also talked about the country's defence preparedness, saying "we have to make our defence and country strong." Additionally, Pakistan's Foreign Office on Saturday said it was not satisfied with India's "simplistic explanation" on the "accidental firing" of a missile that landed in Pakistan's Punjab province and demanded a joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident.

"Pakistan has proposed to New Delhi a joint probe into the incident to establish facts since the missile had landed into Pakistani territory," Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO)said and asked why India failed to inform Pakistan immediately about the ‘accidental launch’ of the missile and raised questions regarding the Indian safeguards against such happenings.

"Pakistan dem­ands a joint probe to accurately establish the facts surrounding the incident," the FO said. India claimed that the missile was ‘fired accidentally’ during a routine maintenance operation because of a technical malfunction and said a ‘high-level court of enquiry’ had been ordered into the incident. 

Livemint

BrahMos missile's air-launched version to hit targets 800 km away: Sources

 

 The air-launched version of the BrahMos missile will be capable of reaching targets up to 800 kilometres away, sources said on Sunday.
ndia is developing a new air-launched version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile which would be able to strike at enemy targets at more than 800 kilometres.

"The extended range version of the BrahMos air-launched missile, with the advantage of being airborne at high altitudes, would enable BrahMos to strike targets at 800 km," top government sources told India Today.

The BrahMos missile was recently in the spotlight after one of them misfired due to a technical malfunction from an Indian Air Force unit during a Command Air Staff Inspection (CASI) there.

The missile landed in Pakistani territory, causing very little damage to property and equipment and no harm to people.

Following the incident, India sent a letter to Pakistani authorities expressing its deep regret for the incident, as well as issuing a statement.

Pakistan is trying to raise the issue of the BrahMos misfiring and calling into question the safety of India's missile arsenal at the international level, but sources say the BrahMos was just a tactical missile.India has enhanced the range of the tactical missile recently, and it can go beyond 500 kilometres with just an upgrade in its software.

The Indian Air Force has equipped around 40 of its Su-30 combat aircraft with the BrahMos cruise missiles, which can cause heavy destruction in enemy camps.

indiatoday

Will Russia-Ukraine war impact India's defence imports? Delivery of orders worth $9 billion still pending

 

 In the wake of the Ukraine crisis, India is keeping a close eye on its defence imports from Russia. Here's a look at how India's defence imports from Russia have fallen in recent years.


    India's arms imports have dropped by over 30 per cent over the last decade
    India is pursuing a policy of targeting defence exports worth Rs 35,000 crore by 2025
    India signed a $5 billion deal with Russia in Oct 2018 for five units of the S-400 missile system

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has emerged as one of the greatest challenges facing the world. It has forced many countries to either impose sanctions on or limit bilateral ties with Russia, which goes on to prove that the Russian invasion of Ukraine could have long-term repercussions.While both Indian and Russian officials have stated that the crisis will not impact or delay deliveries of defence equipment, concerns persist about sanctions on Russia and the possibility of a prolonged war in Ukraine.In fact, reviews are being conducted by the defence establishment to ascertain the status of current deals and payments.

It is also important to note that, apart from Russia, India is expecting deliveries of imported arms from a number of other suppliers in the coming years.Drop in Russian arms imports

Over the last decade, India’s arms imports have dropped by over 30 per cent. This decrease was attributed to a number of reasons, including reduced dependence on Russia. But Moscow still supplies a large chunk of spares and other military platforms to India.

The drop in Indian arms imports seems to have been mainly due to its complex procurement processes, combined with an attempt to reduce its dependence on Russian arms, reads a report from last year by SIPRI on international arms transfers.Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is an international think-tank that studies conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.

“The overall decrease in Russia’s arms exports from 2011-15 and 2016-20 was almost entirely attributable to a 53 per cent drop in its arms exports to India,” read the report. As a result, Russia’s share of total Indian arms imports fell from 70 to 49 per cent.

However, India was still seen as the largest buyer of Russian defence equipment between 2016 and 2020 despite the decreased dependence on imports from Russia.
China-Pakistan threat

The SIPRI report went on to add, “Although several large Russian arms deals with India, including for combat aircraft, were completed by 2020, India placed new orders for a variety of Russian arms in 201920. The ensuing deliveries will probably lead to an increase in Russian arms exports in the coming five years.”

India has been looking at large scale arms deals in the wake of the threat perception that has developed over the last two years involving China and Pakistan. While there is a constant thrust on ‘Make in India’, big-ticket military imports are imminent.

“Based on its outstanding deliveries of combat aircraft, air defence systems, ships and submarines, India’s arms imports are expected to increase over the coming five years,” SIPRI said in its report.

In order to be able to balance this equation, India is pursuing a policy of targeting defence exports worth Rs 35,000 crore by 2025. This can be done by doubling procurement from domestic manufacturers, thereby decreasing the dependence of the Indian armed forces on foreign weapons and military platforms.

Reports also point out that while India’s defence imports from Russia fell considerably over the last decade, the import of American arms also fell by 46 per cent in the same period.
S-400 import deal with Russia

India and Russia signed the military tech cooperation agreement 2021-2031 during the maiden 2+2 dialogue in December 2021. This agreement was aimed at bolstering defence ties over the next decade and comprises orders for military platforms worth over $9 billion.

One of the most significant military deals India made with Russia is that of the S-400 air defence system. India signed a $5 billion deal with Russia in October 2018 to buy five units of the S-400 surface to air missile system. Out of the five units, one has already been delivered to the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The S-400 is a mobile long-range surface-to-air missile system that is considered one of the most lethal in the world. It can take down multiple targets, including fighter jets, bombers, cruise and ballistic missiles or even unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), up to a range of 400 km.

With its long-range surveillance radars, the S-400 can detect all sorts of aerial threats and provide an air defence shield over large cities.

BrahMos export order to Philippines

A joint venture between India’s DRDO and Russia, BrahMos Aerospace inked a $375 million deal with the Philippines to supply BrahMos cruise missiles to the Filipino navy. These will then be used as anti-ship shore-based missiles with a range of 290 km.

BrahMos Aerospace has been continuously upgrading the BrahMos missile system, making it more lethal against sea and land targets. It can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land platforms.This missile weapon system is already being used in different variants by the Army, Air Force and Navy.AK-203 assault rifle

As part of a joint venture between India and Russia, over 6 lakh AK-203 rifles were to be produced in a factory in Korwa in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi to fulfill the Indian army’s demand for assault rifles.

This ‘Make in India’ project faced multiple delays but all hurdles have now been cleared.

The Rs 5,000 crore contract involves the procurement of 6,01,427 AK-203 assault rifles through Indo-Russia Rifles Private Limited. These rifles are to be manufactured in India. In addition, the contract also involves off the shelf procurement of another 70,000 AK-203 assault rifles from Russia.
Nuclear powered submarine

In 2019, India signed a $3 billion deal with Russia to lease a nuclear-powered submarine.

The Chakra III, Akula class submarine, is expected to be delivered by 2025 for a period of 10 years. This will be the third nuclear submarine India would lease from Russia.The first was leased in 1988 for three years and the second in 2012 for 10 years. The lease for the second submarine is due to end this year.

Four Grigorovich class frigates

In 2018, Russia’s state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport inked a $1 billion deal with Goa Shipyard Ltd for the production of two frigates for the Indian Navy.

Delivery of the two frigates was supposed to begin within four years of the contract, which means by the end of 2022.

Fighter jets

At the peak of its military tussle with China in Ladakh in July 2020, India approved the purchase of 12 Su-30 MKIs and 21 MiG 29 fighter aircraft from Russia. This Rs 18,148 crore deal also involved an upgrade of IAF's existing fleet of 59 Russian MiG 29s.US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu had claimed that India has cancelled the order of Russian-made MiG 29 aircraft. However, Indian officials did not react to such claims.

 indiatoday

LCA MK 2 Aircraft Is Slated To Enter Production By 2027 And AMCA By 2035

 

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has an order basket of Rs 1 lakh crore, even as its sole preserve of manufacturing aircraft and equipment for the Indian defence forces gets invaded by private sector competitors. HAL is leveraging on its depth and confidence from LCA Tejas to Combat helicopters to Unmmaned systems.

 In a freewheeling chat, HAL’s Chairman and Managing Director R. Madhavan, talks to BW Businessworld’s Manish Kumar Jha of the many new projects on the anvil. Madhavan throws light on crucial projects: LCA Tejas Mk1a, Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF), AMCA, Tejas Mk 2, Trainer aircraft (HTT 40) and UAVs among others
Hindustan Aeronautics limited (HAL) is leading on some of the most strategic projects in the aerospace and Defence in India. With Rs 1 lakh crore worth of order basket, HAL is leveraging on its depth and confidence from LCA Tejas to Combat helicopters to Unmmaned systems.

 Especially the growing stature of LCA Tejas and its acceptability by the IAF guide us for building the next generation capabilities with such trails and tribulation.  But the new era of aerospace is about breaking boundary across technological breakthroughs. In a freewheeling chat,

HAL’s Chairman and Managing Director R. Madhavan, talks to BW Businessworld’s Manish Kumar Jha of the many new projects on the anvil.  Madhavan throws light on crucial projects: LCA Tejas Mk1a, Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF), AMCA, Tejas Mk 2, Trainer aircraft (HTT 40) and UAVs among others. But again what excites is the depth of aero engine technology.  

What do we need in terms of advance material, turbine core or the blade technology for the turbofan engine? Is HAL going to leapfrog in developing big-sized UAVs for ISR? The entire range of such critical projects will be a paradigm of India’s security and industrial capability in a decade to come.  

businessworld

No formal decision yet on cancellation of fighter, helicopter deals with Russia

 

 There is no formal decision yet on cancellation of deals with Russia for additional MiG-29 and Su-30 fighter jets and Ka-226T utility helicopters, according to defence sources.

 Last week, a senior U.S. official told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that what was seen in the “last few weeks” was the “cancellation of MiG-29 orders, Russian helicopter orders and anti-tank weapon orders” while also indicating that India could face difficulties in its defence exports because of the sweeping sanctions on Russia.

A couple of months back, the Defence Ministry has undertaken a review of all “Buy Global” deals which are direct purchases, as part of the push for indigenisation. As part of this, several deals including multi-role helicopters for Coast Guard, Ka-226T helicopters and shoulder–fired missiles were expected to be cancelled.

All deals are being looked at as part of the review to further boost ‘Make in India’ and there is a reconsideration on the Ka-226T deal due to cost and focus on indigenisation, a defence official said.

“A formal decision on cancellation has not been taken yet,” a defence official said on the Ka-226T deal.

Last Wednesday, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, “I think it’s going to be very hard for any country on the globe to buy major weapon systems from India because of the sweeping sanctions now placed on Russian banks. What we’ve seen from India in just the last few weeks is the cancellation of MiG 29 orders, Russian helicopter orders and anti-tank weapon orders.”

Further on the possible waiver for India from sanctions under CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) over the S-400 deal, Mr. Lu said the Biden administration will make a determination.

“I can assure you that the administration will follow the CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) law and fully implement that law and will consult with the Congress as we move forward with any of... [inaudible].”

Technically all deals are on the table for review and the Ka-226T has been stuck for a long time over indigenous content in the helicopters to be manufactured locally. With indigenous Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) now ready, there is a rethink on the deal, another official said.
Critical necessity for utility helicopters

The Army has conveyed its critical necessity for utility helicopters with the ageing Cheetah and Chetak helicopters needing urgent replacement and has pushed for some Ka-226T helicopters to be brought off the shelf. The final decision on the Ka-226T deal is awaited, the official cited earlier said.

In 2015, India and Russia had concluded an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for at least 200 Ka-226T twin engine utility helicopters of which 60 would be directly imported and remaining 140 manufactured locally.
Additional Mig-29s and Su-30s

In July 2020, the Defence Acquisition Council had approved procurement of 21 MiG-29 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF) along with the upgradation of 59 existing MiG-29 jets estimated to cost ₹7,418 crore and 12 SU-30 MKI aircraft at an estimated ₹10,730 crore to be manufactured by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

However, discussions have since been delayed over the high cost quoted by the Russian side and officials said they have now ironed out all differences and reached an understanding. The deal is now awaiting final approval from the Defence Ministry, a senior official said.

“There is really no alternative for these aircraft, which are only to augment the existing fleets and important as the IAF is facing a steep fall in its fighter strength. The deal is now ready to be signed,” the official said. If it is delayed or deferred now, the whole process will have to restart again and could see cost escalations as well, the official said.

The IAF has conveyed this to the Defence Ministry and a formal decision is awaited, it has been learnt. India has contracted 272 SU-30s from Russia and the 12 additional Su-30MKIs being negotiated are meant to replace the Sukhois lost in crashes over the years.

Officials are also assessing the impact the sanctions on the Russian firms may have on India’s defence exports. In January, India signed the first export order with the Philippines, a $374.96–million deal for the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles which is a joint product of India and Russia. It is not clear as yet if that would be impacted in anyway.

The Hindu