Make in India a huge success for the Boeing’s Apaches: IAF is getting ready to receive the first Apache Helicopter next month

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is getting ready to induct the first batch of the AH-64E (I) – Apache Guardian helicopter in its stable next month.

The entire delivery of these helicopters will be completed by March 2020. The Indian private sector has a significant role in the production of these attack helicopters.

On Monday, Indian company Rossell Techsys delivered a high-quality component — the 1000th electrical panel for the AH-64 Apache to Boeing. The company has been a long-standing Boeing supplier in India, since 2013 and the contract for AH-64 Apache components were awarded in March 2017 and another contract for the V-22 Osprey components in August of the same year. Earlier this year the company had delivered the 15,000th wire harness to Boeing for the AH-64 Apache.

Says Salil Gupte, president, Boeing India, “Boeing remains committed to investing in India’s supplier capability and a local work-force across manufacturing engineering services, training and skills development, to create a world-class aerospace ecosystem in India.”

In an earlier interaction, Boeing officials had told Financial Express Online that Boeing has invested significantly in the development of a robust aerospace ecosystem in India with over 160 existing industrial partners.

Large sections have of the machines have been built in India by companies including Bengaluru based Dynamatic Technologies Ltd, which was one of the first companies in the private sector in 2010 to be approved by Boeing to be a supplier and the Tata- Boeing joint venture which has built the complete fuselage.

The helicopters are expected to reach an Indian port later this month in semi-knocked down (SKD) condition, which will be reassembled, and will be re-tested before they get formally inducted in the IAF service.India has purchased these 22 Boeing helicopters through the Foreign Military sales for $ 1.1 billion from the US and is expected to replace the existing Russian Mi-35 (assault helicopter which is used to carry troops). These flying machines will be based in Pathankot and North East.

According to the contract signed between the governments of India and the US and M/S Boeing Company, there is also a clause for a follow on order for 11 more machines.

Both air and ground crew have undergone intensive training at the training facilities at US Army base Fort Rucker, Alabama. These trained men have been identified to lead the operationalization of the Apache fleet in the IAF.

To suit the future requirements of the IAF, these machines which are part of the modernization efforts have been customized for the air force.

Besides being useful for operations in the mountainous terrain, they also have the capability to carry out precision attacks at ranges and can operate in hostile airspace with threats from the ground.

Through data networking, these helicopters can transmit and receive the battlefield picture, to and from the weapon systems, thus making it a lethal acquisition. They will also provide a significant edge to the IAF in any future joint operations in support of land forces. Also, sales of the fire control radars, Hellfire Longbow missiles, Stinger Block I-92H missiles, night vision sensors, and inertial navigation systems have been approved by the US administration.

 financialexpress

India to buy US missile system to shield Delhi

Highlights

• US is likely to send the final draft of the ‘letter of acceptance’ for the sale of NASAMS-II to India by July-August this year
• The system will be used to erect an ambitious multi-layered missile shield over the National Capital Territory of Delhi against aerial threats

India is swiftly moving ahead to acquire the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System-II (NASAMS-II) from the US, which will be used along with indigenous, Russian and Israeli systems to erect an ambitious multi-layered missile shield over the National Capital Territory of Delhi against aerial threats ranging from drones to ballistic missiles.

Defence ministry sources said the US is likely to send the final draft of the ‘letter of acceptance’ for the sale of NASAMS-II to India under its foreign military sales programme, at a cost of over Rs 6,000 crore (almost $1 billion), by July-August.

“Several rounds of negotiations, including selection of sites for deployment of the missile batteries around Delhi, have already taken place. Once the deal is inked, the deliveries will take place in two to four years,” said a source. The MoD had earlier granted ‘acceptance of necessity’ to the NASAMS acquisition, which was followed by India issuing a formal ‘letter of request’ (LoR) to the US, as reported by TOI in July last year.

Though the US is mounting pressure on India to also consider its Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) and Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) missile defence systems, MoD sources said “there is no plan to scrap” the $5.43 billion (almost Rs 40,000 crore) deal inked with Russia for five squadrons of the advanced S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile systems.

India inked the S-400 deal with Russia in October 2018 after four years of extensive negotiations and an inter-governmental agreement despite the threat of sanctions under the US law called CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act). “The American THAAD is not comparable to the Russian S-400, which meets our operational requirements,” said another source.
 While the quick-reaction NASAMS is being specifically acquired for the missile shield over Delhi, the S-400 systems, scheduled for delivery in the October 2020-April 2023 timeframe, are meant for strategic deterrence against China and Pakistan along the borders as well. The S-400 systems can detect, track and destroy hostile strategic bombers, jets, spy planes, missiles and drones at a range of 380 km.

As per the proposed overall air defence plan for Delhi, the innermost layer of protection will be through the NASAMS. It will be a combination of different weapons like Stinger surface-to-air missiles, gun systems and AIM-120C-7 AMRAAMs (advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles), backed by three-dimensional Sentinel radars, fire-distribution centres and command-and-control units. “The networked system, capable of even shooting around buildings, will take care of 9/11-like and other close-in threats,” said the source.

As per the proposed overall air defence plan for Delhi, the innermost layer of protection will be through the NASAMS. It will be a combination of different weapons like Stinger surface-to-air missiles, gun systems and AIM-120C-7 AMRAAMs (advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles), backed by three-dimensional Sentinel radars, fire-distribution centres and command-and-control units. “The networked system, capable of even shooting around buildings, will take care of 9/11-like and other close-in threats,” said the source.

The outermost layer of Delhi’s missile shield will be provided by the indigenous two-tier ballistic missile defence (BMD) system being developed by DRDO. This system’s AAD (advanced air defence) and PAD (Prithvi air defence) interceptor missiles are currently geared to intercept enemy missiles, in the 2,000-km class, at altitudes from 15-25 km to 80-100 km.

The second layer will be through the highly automated and mobile S-400 systems, which will have missiles with interception ranges of 120, 200, 250 and 380 km, backed by their associated battle-management system of command posts and launchers, long-range acquisition and engagement radars.

Then will come the Barak-8 medium-range surface-to-air missile systems, jointly developed by Israeli Aerospace Industries and DRDO, which have a 70-100 km interception range. The indigenous Akash area defence missile systems, with a 25-km range will form the layer over the NASAMs.

timesofindia

Once the project to integrate the weapon on the combat fleet was over, the IAF's capability to strike from large stand-off ranges on any target in sea or land is expected to go up manifold. The missile coupled with the superlative performance of the Sukhoi aircraft will give the IAF a strategic reach and will allow it to dominate the ocean and the battle fields, according to an assessment by the IAF. The air-launched variant of the BrahMos was successfully test fired from a Sukhoi-30 combat jet on November 22, 2017, marking a major milestone to enhance the precision strike capability of the air force. A fleet of 40 Sukhoi jet are undergoing structural modifications at the state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for integration of the missile on them. The 2.5-ton missile flies almost three times the speed of sound at Mach 2.8 and has a range of 290 km. The range of the missile, an Indo-Russia joint venture, can be extended up to 400 km as certain technical restrictions were lifted after India became a full member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) last year. BrahMos missile is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on India's Su-30 fighter aircraft. The integration of the missile on Sukhoi aircraft is a very complex process involving mechanical, electrical and software modifications of the Su-30 jet, officials said.

Weeks after the Balakot air strikes, the government decided to fast-track integration of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile on over 40 Sukhoi fighter jets, a closely guarded strategic project aimed at bolstering combat capability of the Indian Air Force, official sources said Sunday.

They said the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and the BrahMos Aerospace Ltd were told to expedite implementation of the project so that it can be completed much before the scheduled deadline of December 2020.

In 2016, the government had decided to integrate the air-launched variant of the BrahMos, the world's fastest supersonic cruise missile, into over 40 Sukhoi fighter jets.

Though actual work on the project started by the end of 2017, its implementation has been very slow, the sources said.

A review on ways to strengthen the IAF was carried out in the backdrop of the Balakot air strikes and subsequent Pakistani retaliation and it was felt that the early integration of BrahMos on Sukhoi jet should be a priority, they said.

It was felt that the planned induction of Rafale aircraft with deadly Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM), procurement of S-400 air defence missile system and integration of BrahMos on Sukhoi will provide India a significant advantage over Pakistani Air Force.

There was a view in the IAF that if it possessed high levels of "technological asymmetry", then it would have been able to inflict heavy damage on Pakistan during the adversary's unsuccessful aerial raid on February 27.

The government is undertaking several measures to strengthen the IAF's combat prowess, the sources said, adding the HAL has been specifically told to put additional manpower and resources to fast-track the BrahMos project.
 Once the project to integrate the weapon on the combat fleet was over, the IAF's capability to strike from large stand-off ranges on any target in sea or land is expected to go up manifold.

The missile coupled with the superlative performance of the Sukhoi aircraft will give the IAF a strategic reach and will allow it to dominate the ocean and the battle fields, according to an assessment by the IAF.

The air-launched variant of the BrahMos was successfully test fired from a Sukhoi-30 combat jet on November 22, 2017, marking a major milestone to enhance the precision strike capability of the air force.

A fleet of 40 Sukhoi jet are undergoing structural modifications at the state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for integration of the missile on them.

The 2.5-ton missile flies almost three times the speed of sound at Mach 2.8 and has a range of 290 km.

The range of the missile, an Indo-Russia joint venture, can be extended up to 400 km as certain technical restrictions were lifted after India became a full member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) last year.

BrahMos missile is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on India's Su-30 fighter aircraft.

The integration of the missile on Sukhoi aircraft is a very complex process involving mechanical, electrical and software modifications of the Su-30 jet, officials said.

news18

Modi should strengthen ties with the US but not allow Trump to bully India

Narendra Modi has wisely gone to the strategic Maldives on his first overseas trip after re-election. It speaks for itself that the leader of the world’s largest democracy has begun his new term by visiting the world’s smallest Muslim nation — in population and area. Generous Indian financial assistance, including $1.4 billion in aid, has helped president Ibrahim Solih escape a Chinese debt trap and enabled his Maldivian Democratic Party to sweep the April parliamentary elections.

Modi also shrewdly kept out troublesome Pakistan from his inauguration by inviting leaders from the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) grouping. While the moribund South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) boxes India in a narrow, artificial framework limited to the Indian subcontinent, the east-oriented Bimstec seeks to realign India along its historical axis. India’s main trading and cultural partners in history were the countries to its east. From the west, India experienced mainly invaders or plunderers.

Indeed, Pakistan greeted Modi’s re-election in North Korean style — by firing the nuclear-capable, Chinese-designed Shaheen II ballistic missile. Its intelligence then harassed and turned away guests invited to the Indian High Commission’s iftar reception in Islamabad. All this is a reminder that Pakistan must be kept in the diplomatic doghouse.

Modi has had little time to savour his landslide win. His second term, paradoxically, has started with troubles caused by India’s close friend — a superpower that regards India as the fulcrum of its Asia strategy. Despite an unmistakably US-friendly Indian foreign policy, US president Donald Trump’s administration has mounted pressure on India on multiple flanks — trade, oil and defence. Through its actions, Washington is presenting the US as anything but a reliable partner and unwittingly encouraging India to hedge its bets.

India is the new target in Trump’s trade wars. It was not a coincidence that on the first day of Modi’s second term, Trump announced the termination of India’s preferential access to the US market. Expelling India from the US Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) was intended to drive home the message that the choice before Modi is to yield to US demands or face increasing costs. America’s array of demands ranges from lifting price controls on heart stents, knee implants and other medical devices to relaxing e-commerce rules, even though Amazon and Walmart have been allowed to establish a virtual duopoly on India’s e-commerce. Would the US permit two foreign companies to control its e-commerce?

The latest US action exacerbates Modi’s challenges just when India’s economy is growing at the slowest rate in five years and unemployment is at a 45-year high. Washington’s heavy-handed tactics have also driven up India’s oil import bill by stopping it from buying at concessional rates from next-door Iran or Venezuela. The US is attempting to undermine India’s relationship with Tehran, which is more than just about oil, as underscored by the Pakistan-bypassing transportation corridor to Afghanistan that India is building via Iran.

The US is similarly trying to stop India from buying major Russian weapons, not just the S-400 system. Moscow’s transfer of offensive weapons that the US will not export, such as a nuclear-powered submarine and an aircraft carrier, explains why Russia remains important for India’s defence, even though Indo-Russian trade has shrunk. Simply put, the US — not content with emerging as the largest seller of arms to India, including bagging several multibillion dollar contracts — is seeking to lock India as its exclusive arms client by torpedoing the Indian diversification strategy, which aims to import the most potent available systems.

The Trump administration’s arbitrariness and assertiveness have imposed rising costs on India, as highlighted by the GSP-related termination of India’s designation since 1975 as a developing nation. US businesses, rather than paying new tariffs on the $5.7 billion worth of Indian products they were importing duty free, would likely seek to source those goods from GSP-beneficiary countries, thus dimming India’s export outlook.

Trump may not stop with GSP withdrawal. Yet India responded meekly to his action by pledging to “continue to build on our strong ties with the US”. Likewise, there has been no Indian retaliation to Trump’s March 2018 steel and aluminium tariffs, with India repeatedly postponing new duties. In diplomacy, counteraction is often necessary to build bargaining leverage and to deter further bullying.

Multi-alignment has been the leitmotif of Modi’s foreign policy. As opposed to the passive approach of non-alignment — a Cold War-era concept — multi-alignment seeks to proactively build close partnerships with different powers, while shoring up India’s strategic autonomy.

In this larger strategy, a robust relationship with the US is central for India. But it cannot be at the expense of India’s own interests. US actions, including sanctions against Russia and Iran, have accentuated India’s challenge in balancing its relationships. Indeed, through its actions, Washington is calculatedly seeking to compel India to become more closely aligned with it. Is it overplaying its hand? Or will it succeed in Modi’s second term? Only time will tell.

theprint

US armed drones to boost India’s prowess

The US’ decision to allow sales of armed drones to India will change the battle-scape and New Delhi’s prowess. At present, India does not have armed drones or unmanned aerial vehicles that can fire missiles at desired targets and return to the base.

The Indian armed forces are looking for Predator drones — both the armed version and for surveillance — manufactured by General Atomics of the US. These will add to India’s maritime surveillance capabilities in the Indian Ocean and also the ability to hit targets at land, in the air and at the sea. Such drones can fly for 24 hours without refuelling and operate at 50,000ft altitude (modern passenger aircraft cruise at 35,000-45,000ft).

Earlier, the US had agreed to sell surveillance version of the Guardian drones to India. India was the first non-treaty partner to be offered a Missile Technology Control Regime or MTCR Category-1 Unmanned Aerial System - the Sea Guardian. The deal is yet to see the light of day.
The US, as per reports, has in recent months informed New Delhi about its decision to sell armed version of the Guardian drones. The tie-up with the US is deeper as India got designated as a ‘major defence partner’. India was last year granted the Strategic Trade Authorisation tier-1 status, which allows India to receive licence-free access to a wide range of military and dual-use technologies.

India on its own is developing an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) called AURA. The UCAV will be capable of releasing missiles, bombs and precision-guided munitions. The programme is in its project definition stage. The design is likely to be a stealthy flying-wing concept aircraft with internal weapons bay and a turbofan engine. The AURA will cruise at a medium altitude and will be capable of carrying two or more guided strike weapons with on-board sensors for targeting and weapon guidance.

 tribuneindia

India's radars in Maldives to track China's warships

India is set to get more eyes to keep a watch on the warships of China in Indian Ocean region with Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating on Saturday a new network of radar systems, which New Delhi recently installed in the islands of Maldives.

Modi will visit Maldives on Saturday and Sunday. He and Maldives' President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will remotely inaugurate the Coastal Surveillance Radar Systems installed recently in the islands of the Indian Ocean archipelago. They will also jointly inaugurate the Composite Training Center, which India helped Maldives build for its National Defence Forces, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said in New Delhi.

Prime Minister's visit to Maldives during the weekend is going to be his first after he took over the top office in New Delhi for the second consecutive term on May 30. He will also visit Sri Lanka before returning to New Delhi on Sunday.New Delhi of late set up 10 Coastal Surveillance Radar Systems in the islands of Maldives— all built by state-owned Bharat Electronics Limited based in Bengaluru.

The network of radars is linked a Central Control Station at the Maldives Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Villingili island near the national capital Male.

The radar systems New Delhi helped Male set up in the islands are intended to help the Indian Ocean archipelago safeguard “its sovereignty in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ),” said Gokhale, while briefing journalists ahead of Prime Minister's visit to Male.

Sources, however, told the DH on Friday that the network of radar systems in Maldives would also prove to be a strategic asset for India and help Indian Navy to detect and respond to any threat to its national security and sovereignty.

The Indian Navy last year spotted a Type O39A Yuan class submarine of People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China in Indian Ocean. This was the first time a Chinese PLA Navy submarine was detected in Indian Ocean after the June-August 2017 military stand-off between India and China in Doklam Plateau in western Bhutan. The PLA Navy had 14 warships and as many as seven submarines in Indian Ocean during the 72-day-long stand-off.

The PLA Navy started deploying warships in Indian Ocean in 2013, professedly to support anti-piracy operations in Gulf of Aden.

New Delhi has also been worried over the “String of Pearls” strategic assets China is building around India in Indian Ocean region.

New Delhi's project to set up radar systems in Maldives had been stalled by the archipelago's former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, who had pursued a policy that had resulted in a drift in the Indian Ocean nation's relations with India and led it into a tighter embrace with China. The project regained momentum after Solih succeeded Gayoom in November.

India is also building similar networks of Coastal Surveillance Radar Systems in other Indian Ocean nations like Seychelles, Mauritius and Sri Lanka.

Modi and Solih will on Saturday also witness signing of a White Shipping Agreement— a pact, which will set up a framework for exchange of advance and real-time information between navies and coast guards of India and Maldives about identity and movement of commercial non-military merchant vessels sailing in the Indian Ocean region which could also prove to be a threat to its EEZ resources as well as its national security.

 deccanherald

US may offer F-35 fighter if India scraps S-400 deal

The US could offer the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet for both the air force and navy, if the $5.43-billion deal with Russia for the S-400 air defence system is dropped.

The US has been increasing pressure on India over the S-400 deal that was signed in October last year, with senior Washington officials saying it would have a direct impact on any high technology cooperation in the future.

India is keeping a close watch on what happens with Turkey, a NATO ally, that has already signed up for the S-400 and has been threatened by the US with sanctions and the cancellation of its contract for F-35s.

ET has learnt that senior industry leaders as well as officials from the US are visiting India, even as the deadline for action against Turkey is closing in. The defence ministry, meanwhile, is expected to shortly move ahead on the acquisition of 110 fighter jets for the air force under a strategic partnership programme. The navy is also preparing technical requirements for its upcoming purchase of 57 combat aircraft.

While no official request has been received from India and the F-35 has not been formally put on offer by the US, the aircraft could be pitched as the only air platform that will be equipped and upgraded to beat the S-400 air defence systems that have also been acquired by China.

Like Turkey, India has stood strong on its purchase of the S-400 but it is learnt that only partial payments have been made by New Delhi, given banking sanctions that are already in place for dealing with Russian defence entities. More stringent CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) sanctions have also been threatened against nations purchasing the S-400 from Russia.

While there had been an impression that the US could give India CAATSA waivers for the S-400, recent statements by Washington suggest that this would not be the case.

The US stand has been that it will not allow its modern combat aircraft to be operated in an environment where the S-400 is also operational, as it would be able to map these aircraft, enabling software upgrades and modifications to improve performance.

In an effort to wean India away from the S-400, the US has already offered its NASAMS II (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System) for protection of the national capital region against ballistic missiles. In addition, the US has also been in talks for its advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Patriot Advance Capability (PAC-3) defence systems with India, though these would come at a significantly steeper cost than the S-400 system.

 economictimes

IAF to buy 100 more Balakot bombs, signs Rs 300 cr deal with Israel

The Indian Air Force on Thursday signed a deal worth around Rs 300 crore for buying more than 100 SPICE bombs from Israel.

SPICE bombs were used by the Air Force to attack the madrasa of Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot, Pakistan, on February 26.

As per the contract, the advanced SPICE bombs would be delivered to the Air Force in the next three months as the deal is under emergency powers.

SPICE bomb has a standoff range of 60 kilometres and approaches the target as its unique scene-matching algorithm compares the electro-optical image received in real-time via the weapon seeker with mission reference data stored in the weapon computer memory and adjusts the flight path accordingly. SPICE 2000 consists of an add-on kit for warheads such as the MK-84, BLU-109, APW and RAP-2000.

The IAF had conducted the Balakot airstrikes on February 27 in response to the terrorist attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama which resulted in the martyrdom of 40 CRPF personnel.

 indiatoday

Make in India: HAL offers Indian solution to Indian Navy’s requirement for Advanced Light Helicopter ‘Dhruv’

 The Rs 21,738 crore deal for 111 Naval Utility Helicopter (NUH) proposed to be `Made in India’ could tip in favour of state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL). A top officer told Financial Express Online “The Company’s NUH is an Advanced Light Helicopter `Dhruv’ with customisation designed to meet all the operational requirements of India.”

Adding, “The flying machine can be fitted with torpedoes, Depth Charges & Missiles, Self Protection System (SPS) & Flight Crew Data (FCD). Besides having Software-defined radio (SDR), Data Link & SATCOM, these helicopters will have the main rotor blade folding and tail boom folding to enable stowage in Navy’s ship hangars.”

Earlier this year at the Aero India 2019, HAL had demonstrated the Tail Boom folding and Main Rotor folding of the Naval Utility Helicopter.

US-based Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky Helicopters which has responded to the Express of Interest (EoI), is likely to drop out at the next level as it has multiple non-compliances. “Unless the Indian Navy dilutes its requirements at the Request for Proposal (RfP) Stage, the company might drop out since it is non-compliant to many of the specifications of the helicopter the navy is seeking,” a top official said.

Three companies Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky Helicopter S 76D, European Airbus and Russia’s Kamov Ka 226T, have responded to the EoI floated by the defence ministry earlier this year. The companies last month submitted proposals to build their helicopters through an Indian industry designated as “strategic partner” (SP).

The European manufacturer Airbus has submitted proposals for two platforms – the H 145M and the Panther AS565 – to be manufactured in partnership with Mahindra Defence.

Under an Indo-Russian inter-governmental agreement (IGA), both HAL and Indo-Russian Helicopters Ltd (IRHL) already have a joint venture to manufacture the Kamov 226T light helicopter in India.

HAL on its own has offered its indigenous ALH for the NUH deal.

This will be the first acquisition under the SP procurement model when it is finalised. Under the SP model the OEM is expected to tie up with local Indian companies who are manufacturing major platforms in India with niche technologies and production knowhow supplied by a foreign OEM.

According to officials, Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the EoI has stated that the OEMs have been mandated to set up a dedicated manufacturing line, including design, integration and manufacturing processes for NUH in India. It had also said the OEM will have to make Indian manufacturing line as a global exclusive facility for the NUH platform being offered.

As has been reported by The Financial Express earlier in 2015, the Indian Navy had received as many as 10 bids from Indian companies for the NUH programme. However, in an effort to keep the process transparent, the navy had encouraged OEMs tying up with a single Indian partner.

Once the contract is finalised, 16 helicopters will come from the OEM directly and the balance will have to manufacture in India with almost 60 per cent indigenisation. In a process which will take a couple of months, all the technical bids will be scrutinised by the Indian Navy, before intensive trials start for evaluating the performance of each machine in different terrains and weather conditions.

US-based Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky Helicopters which has responded to the Express of Interest (EoI), is likely to drop out at the next level as it has multiple non-compliances. “Unless the Indian Navy dilutes its requirements at the Request for Proposal (RfP) Stage, the company might drop out since it is non-compliant to many of the specifications of the helicopter the navy is seeking,” a top official said.

Three companies Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky Helicopter S 76D, European Airbus and Russia’s Kamov Ka 226T, have responded to the EoI floated by the defence ministry earlier this year. The companies last month submitted proposals to build their helicopters through an Indian industry designated as “strategic partner” (SP).

 financialexpress

Taiwan Confirms Request for US Tanks, Air Defense Systems

   Taiwan confirmed Thursday it has asked to purchase more than 100 tanks, along with air defense and anti-tank missile systems from the US in a major potential arms sale that could worsen frictions between Washington and Beijing. 

 The Taiwanese Defense Ministry said in a statement it has submitted a letter of request for 108 cutting-edge M1A2 Abrams tanks, 1,240 TOW anti-armor missiles, 409 Javelin anti-tank missiles and 250 Stinger man-portable air defense systems.

The request is proceeding "as normal," it said. It wasn't clear when the official request had been issued, after which the US has 120 days to respond, AP reported.

Reports have also said Taiwan is seeking 66 additional F-16 fighter jets in the most advanced "V'' configuration.

President Tsai Ing-wen said in March that Taiwan was seeking tanks and fighters, but didn't provide any details.

The US is the main supplier of defensive weapons to Taiwan, which China considers its own territory to be brought under its control by force if necessary.

The M1 Abrams would mark a significant upgrade from the aging tanks Taiwan's army now uses, while the TOW and Javelin systems would upgrade Taiwan's ability to repulse an attempt by China to land tanks and troops from across the 160 kilometer (100 mile)-wide Taiwan Strait.

The Stingers meanwhile could help boost Taiwan's defenses against China, which has more than 1,000 advanced fighter aircraft and 1,500 accurate missiles pointing at the island.

Taiwan, which split from China amid civil war in 1949, has had no formal diplomatic ties with the US since Washington recognized Beijing in 1979. However, US law requires it to take threats to the island seriously and to "make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability."

China objects to all military and official contacts between Taiwan and the US and says arms sales to the island constitute both interference in its internal affairs and a betrayal of earlier commitments made by Washington to Beijing.

Tsai has made beefing up Taiwan's armed forces a central task of her administration amid increasing Chinese military threats and a campaign to increase Taiwan's diplomatic isolation and weaken its economy.

While China's military spending and numbers of ships, planes and missiles vastly outstrip those of Taiwan, the island is basing its defense on geographical factors and asymmetrical warfare, in which a weaker opponent can hold off a stronger one by pinpointing weaknesses and using specialized weaponry and tactics.

Tsai has also pushed to revamp the island's domestic arms industry and last month inaugurated a shipyard to build at least eight diesel-electric submarines. Taiwan currently operates just four aged submarines and pressure from China has prevented it from buying more abroad.

Thursday's Defense Ministry announcement comes as the US and China are engaged in an increasingly acrimonious battle over trade and technology. The Trump administration has imposed up to 25% tariffs on $250 billion in imports from China and is preparing to increase import duties on another $300 billion.

Beijing has responded by imposing tariffs on $60 billion worth of US products, which went into effect Saturday. It also retaliated against the US blacklisting of Chinese technology giant Huawei by announcing Friday that it will establish its own list of "unreliable entities" consisting of foreign businesses, corporations and individuals. No details have been given.

 tasnimnews

India Vows to Go Ahead with S-400 Contract despite US Sanctions Threat

India's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said during a Thursday briefing that New Delhi would go ahead with the purchase of Russia-made S-400 air defense systems despite the threat of US sanctions.

"I really cannot share how are we going to tackle the whole issue. We already have contract which has been signed and you already know that steps are being undertaken to implement the contract. We are engaged and we have engaged with the US administration as well as the US Congress on the issue of CAATSA", the spokesperson said.

The official was referring to the Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act, a 2017 law that gives Washington the right to impose economic restrictions on any state if it decides to acquire military equipment from Russia.

The spokesperson said that "defense cooperation between India and the US is an important component of our strategic partnership", just like with Russia, Sputnik reported.

The comments come less than a week after India's NDTV cited an unnamed senior US State Department official as claiming that New Delhi's decision to buy Russian S-400s could undermine the country's future defense cooperation with Washington.

The insider stressed that exemptions from sanctions under CAATSA are not automatically granted, but rather reviewed individually for each case, therefore India is not fully protected from falling under them.

India and Russia inked a $5.43 billion deal for S-400 air defense missile systems last October, with the first batch set to be delivered in October 2020. The remaining four will join the Indian Air Force by 2023. The United States warned at the time that in line with CAATSA, sanctions could not be ruled out.

In April, then-Indian Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman expressed hope that New Delhi would avoid penalties over the purchase of Russian military equipment.
 "In the case of S-400 we have explained ourselves well. That has been heard and understood. They have appreciated the point of view put forward", she told AFP.

Her statement came after US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver told a hearing in March that Washington wanted to "work through" the issue raised by India’s S-400 deal with Russia.

The US was "very keen to see (India) make an alternative choice (to the S-400) and we are working with them to provide potential alternatives", he said back then.

Aside from India, the US has tried to convince Turkey to abandon the S-400 deal with Moscow, threatening to introduce sanctions and kick Ankara out of the F-35 fighter jet program. Ankara, for its part, has consistently stressed that it would not bow down to US threats and reaffirmed its commitment to the deal.

 tasnimnews

Top US diplomat to visit India Wednesday to push for $15 billion fighter jet deal

US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs R. Clarke Cooper will be visiting India on a two-day trip beginning Wednesday to push for the $15 billion fighter jet deal that the previous Narendra Modi government had failed to fructify.

Cooper is coming with the single biggest agenda of pushing the new Modi regime to expedite the defence deal, which has been pending for over a decade now, diplomatic sources have told ThePrint.

 Long-pending deal 

America wants India to buy their warplanes such as the F-16 Fighter Falcons or F-21 made by Lockheed Martin or the F/A-18 Super Hornet produced by Boeing. Both these giant defence conglomerates have said they were willing to set up their production facilities in India while making it an export hub.
Sources said while the Donald Trump administration is hopeful that the deal will prove to be “favourable” for the US, it is the interim period of waiting for the fruition of the deal that is proving to be “frustrating” for the American defence firms.
According to sources, the US government is mainly concerned over the fact that while the Indian government wants to build a fighter ecosystem in the country, it has not taken any positive policy measure on that front.

Sources further said while America is aware of the fact that the Indian Air Force is in urgent need of upgraded fighter jets, it cannot ignore the fact that the Indian government wants to procure the jets under its ‘Make in India’ initiative, which will be time-consuming, but will prove to be profitable in the long run.

India has been scouting for modern and upgraded fighter jets for a long time, but it was under the previous Modi government that New Delhi rolled out a fresh plan to procure over 100 such fighter jets.

Besides the US, India is also weighing the option of procuring fighter jets from Swedish defence major SAAB.

Cooper to meet Rajnath, Jaishankar

Cooper will be meeting Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar Thursday. He may meet PM Modi too. This will be the first high-level visit from the US since the formation of the new government.

“American platforms are the ideal platforms if India wants to build a fighter ecosystem. The procurement process needs to speed up,” said Vikram Mahajan, director (Defence and Aerospace), US-India Strategic Partnership Forum.

Cooper’s visit will also pave the way for the proposed trip to be made by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is planning to visit India on his way to Osaka, Japan, for the two-day G20 Summit to begin from 28 June.

the print