China moved N-missiles and launchers via Karakoram highway to Pak in 2005: Indian intelligence reports

A few days after China conducted atomic blasts in Tibet in March 2005 to divert the Yarlung Tsangpo, or the Brahmaputra, Indian spy planes and satellites spotted the transport of nuclear missiles and suspected fissile material over the Karakoram highway connecting China with Pakistan.
The Times of India had earlier reported China’s ambitious plan to divert the course of the Brahmaputra from south to north in Tibet’s Moutou and Great Bend regions in March 2005. But what made the transfer of nuclear missiles – possibly to locations within Pakistan – significant from the Indian perspective was the movement of road-mobile, short-range ballistic missiles, Dongfeng 11, also known as M-11 missiles via the Karakoram highway in 1995.
Highly classified Indian intelligence reports suggest that in March 2005, an important contingent of the People’s Liberation Army, carrying 11 transporter erector launcher (TEL) laden with short-range nuclear missiles was photographed by spy planes of the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) moving through the Karakoram Pass. The Indian security establishment estimated the PLA troops, led by a brigadier rank officer, numbering about 550.
Typically, Chinese TELs are 16-wheeled behemoths that have integrated prime movers that can carry, elevate to firing position and launch or multiple missles. These vehicles are employed to fire surface-to-air as well as surface-to-surface missiles. The Chinese TELs are compatible for firing the Dongfeng 11 and some of the missile’s more improved and lethal versions that have been deployed in different parts of China and shared with Pakistan.
Besides Pakistan, China was recently suspected to have provided North Korea with at least six TELs which was part of Beijing’s covert arms proliferation efforts and therefore stood in breach of United Nations Security Council resolution 1874.
The movement of the TELs, believed to have been designed and built by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, which is the PLA’s main mobile-missile producer, on the Karakoram highway took place just before the then Chinese premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to Islamabad in April 2005 when the two countries signed the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. At that time, China had also agreed to establish a facility to produce land attack cruise missiles (LACMs) for the Pakistanis.
Indian intelligence, according to National Security Council reports, also learnt that the LACMs were tested in September 2005 and were suspected to have been transported from China which helped the Pakistanis build a ballistic missile manufacturing facility near Rawalpindi for the Shaheen-1, a variant of the Dongfeng 9 Chinese missiles.
Although the Indian security establishment is well aware of China’s missile proliferation efforts in the region, including providing assistance to Pakistan in strengthening its nuclear missile programme, the atomic blasts to divert the Brahmaputra in Tibet and the transport of nuclear warheads via the Karakoram highway reflect a failure of New Delhi’s diplomacy in containing the threat from its largest neighbour.

- Times of India

Co-development, co-production in defence top PM's agenda on US visit

Co-development and co-production in defence, including the joint production of BAE Systems’ M-777 howitzer guns, announcement of the acquisition of 20-plus Apache and Chinook attack helicopters from Boeing and second tranche delivery of the world’s largest military transport plane C-130J Hercules, top the ‘informal’ agenda of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s forthcoming visit to the US in September. These defence deals are expected to cost India in excess of $2.5 billion. They would also touch on the progress made so far in the Defence Trade Initiative — aimed at relaxing US laws to allow greater joint R&D efforts on defence products.
A high-level delegation led by US deputy defence secretary Ashton Carter is landing in the capital to finalise the agenda in the next few days, government sources told FE.
FE has learnt that an announcement of a second tranche of the world’s largest military transport plane C-130J Hercules from Lockheed Martin is also expected during the PM’s 3-day visit to the US. Even though both sides are working to have a fixed agenda for the PM and his meeting with the US President Barack Obama, an announcement regarding the acquisition of 22 Boeing Apache Longbow strike Helicopters and 15 Heavy Lift Boeing CH Chinook helicopters is also on the cards.
Sources have revealed that under the Defence Trade Initiative, the US side has offered four projects including the stalled third generation anti-tank guided Javelin missile for the Indian Army, which would also feature in the talks.
The missile is delayed due to reluctance by the Americans to offer the critical technology of the missile to India and the unwillingness to take part in field trials. India is planning to acquire these missiles for modernising its more than 350 Infantry units and provide them the capability to destroy enemy
armoured regiments.
Sources said the US side is keen on the joint production for some aspects of the BAE Systems’ M-777 howitzer guns — for which Bharat Heavy Electrical (BHEL) is one of the PSUs identified for this project as part of offsets. According to the proposed co-production agreement, crucial parts of the M-777 howitzer guns may be developed in India.
With a growing track record of major system sales, including C-17 Globemaster III and
C-130J transport aircraft, P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft, the two sides are on the cusp of signing many more deals.
India is expecting to seal deals worth billions of dollars for helicopters, howitzer guns, weapons systems and platforms with the US in 2013-14. Six C-130J special operations aircraft from Lockheed Martin, valued at $1.2 billion, have already arrived in the country and an order for six more is in
the offing.
India is in the process of placing an order for M777 ultra-light howitzers (ULH) with Laser Inertial Artillery Pointing Systems (LINAPS) for $885 million from BAE Systems, US through foreign military sales (FMS) route. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has also shortlisted 22 Boeing Apache Longbow strike helicopters ($1.2 billion), and 15 heavy-lift Boeing CH Chinook helicopters ($1.4 billion).

 financialexpress

Deal or no deal

When Gen. Bikram Singh took over as Army chief last year, he made it clear that military procurement was his top priority. True to his word, the Army Headquarters okayed a number of weapon purchases that included night-vision devices for T-72 tanks, 52-calibre gun systems and air surveillance radars. The biggest one in the pipeline was the Rs.15,000 crore anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) deal.
The Army was keen to buy the Spike anti-tank missile, a lethal tank-killer manufactured by Israel's Rafael company, to replace the older Milan and Konkurs missiles. But, in the Defence Acquisition Council meeting held on April 2, Defence Minister A.K. Antony announced the freezing of the Spike missiles contract and ordered a technology scan—a procedure meant to ascertain whether it was possible to get a similar system from anywhere else.
The deal is now under scanner for more than one reason. Months before the documents related to the Spike missile reached Antony, someone from the defence ministry had, allegedly, leaked a bundle of classified documents related to the anti-tank missile programme to global arms dealers. The leaked documents contained precise details of the trial report, the exact quantity of launchers and missiles and an update on the procurement process. A stunned defence ministry is now trying to verify whether procurement procedures were manipulated to favour Rafael. Edmonds Allen, New York-based businessmen and whistle-blower, told the THE WEEK that top secret documents related to the procurement of the ATGMs were leaked. “I do not know who provided those documents to [Abhishek] Verma [currently in jail for selling classified Indian military documents]. He shared the documents with foreign defence firms,” said Allen. “I have shared the details with the CBI.”
During the desert trials in 2008, the Spike allegedly failed as seven out of 10 missiles had missed their targets, according to an Army officer who was familiar with the trials. “The trial team also raised questions about the missile's infrared seeker,” said the officer. Yet, the Spike was selected on a single-vendor basis, without any competition. Now, a technology scan is under way to find out whether similar missiles are available.
More than the technology scan, it is the allegations of corruption surrounding the deal that may force the defence ministry to notify a fresh tender. If the suspicion of corruption is confirmed, at the very least, the deal would be terminated, according to a senior official. That would be disastrous for Rafael as it would jeopardise hundreds of well-paid jobs, especially at its facility in Haifa. Moreover, the company could be blacklisted for several years in India, if it is proven that it hired middlemen or paid commissions. Israel Military Industries, another leading Israeli firm, was blacklisted for 10 years after its name figured in a corruption scandal last year. Antony has been exceptionally strict on defence deals.
When asked whether Rafael was associated with Verma or whether the company had hired him for consultancy services in India, company spokesperson Amit Zimmer told THE WEEK that Rafael did not provide such information. He, however, said the Spike was a well-known state-of-the-art system with 20 customers worldwide and orders exceeding 23,000 missiles.
“The Spike missiles are being successfully used by our customers in training and operations from different platforms, including infantry, combat vehicles and combat helicopters, for more than 15 years,” said Zimmer. “Over 300 Spike missiles are fired each year with a high degree of technical and operational success.”
The Spike deal was meant to equip 356 infantry battalions of the Army with the latest anti-tank missiles. The Army, with an authorised holding of 81,206 ATGMs, is currently facing a shortage of around 44,000 missiles. Former Army chief Gen. V.K. Singh had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh highlighting a critical shortage of arms and ammunition, including that of the anti-tank missiles. While self-reliance has been India's long stated goal, the country still imports about 70 per cent of its weapons, including the anti-tank missiles, which can also be used to hit enemy bunkers that provide covering fire to infiltrators in border regions.
“The military is directed to prepare themselves for a two-front war with Pakistan and China,” said Lt-Gen. (retd) Prakash Katoch, a special forces veteran. “Yet, they are short of something as basic as anti-tank missiles.” He said China already had third-generation missiles like the Green Arrow and the Red Arrow, while Pakistan was in possession of second-generation missiles like the Baktar-Shikan. The Pakistani army has approximately 2,400 tanks and India has 3,250, while China with 7,450 has more tanks than any other country in the world.
It was during the Kargil War that Indian commanders realised the operational utility of the advanced anti-tank missiles as the Pakistani army had dug itself in high-altitude bunkers. Initially, the Army was keen to buy the American Javelin ATGMs, jointly produced by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. But, the deal fell through after the US did not permit technology transfer for indigenous production by Bharat Dynamics Limited. With the Spike deal under scanner, the Americans are again pitching for the Javelin and they now appear to be willing to share the technology as well. Lockheed Martin and Raytheon said in a joint statement that they were ready to offer the Javelin as an option to meet India's requirement for an advanced, fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile.
“The Indian programme is a priority for the Javelin Joint Venture,” said Lockheed Martin and Raytheon in an email response. “We are prepared to comply with India's requirements for major defence procurements, including transfer of technology....” They said the Javelin was successfully fired in the recent India-US Yudh Abhyas bilateral exercise with five direct hits, of which three were fired by Indian gunners. Like the Spike, the Javelin, too, is a third-generation missile that relies on an electro-optical image seeker, requiring no guidance during the flight.
India is also developing an indigenous third-generation anti-tank missile, called the Nag. The defence ministry has spent Rs.1,700 crore on the Nag, which is being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. The 42.3kg-missile with an 8.2kg warhead can move at a speed of 230m/sec for up to 6,000 metres. It is currently undergoing trials in Rajasthan. The Nag is among a select few fire-and-forget missiles like the Spike and the Javelin; once it is fired, its seeker automatically guides the missile to even a fast-moving tank. While the Javelin and the Spike are lighter missiles that can be carried by a soldier, the Nag is heavier and more powerful, designed to operate from vehicles and helicopters.
“While the infrared seekers of the Javelin and the Spike can be jammed, the Nag's optical guidance system makes it virtually jam-proof,” said DRDO spokesperson Ravi Gupta. “The Army should buy it. It is the most lethal and advanced anti-tank missile in the world.”
But, officials at the Army headquarters said the Nag had been going through trials for so many years. “You cannot expect the Army to wait for decades for something as crucial as an anti-tank missile,” said a commander. The DRDO admitted that the Nag had faced problems while hitting targets at a four-km range because of high temperatures in the deserts of Rajasthan. Here, the temperatures of the target as well as the surroundings often become the same and the missiles could not differentiate between the target and the surroundings. “We have resolved the temperature anomaly and we are confident that the Army will be impressed by the performance of the missile,” said Gupta. According to the DRDO, the missiles with their improved detectors would perform with more efficiency and accuracy even in extreme temperatures.
At the defence ministry, top officials admitted that the weapons' procurement system suffered from poor long-term planning. Even the upgrade of second-generation Konkurs missiles is delayed by about two decades because of poor planning and coordination, according to a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, tabled in Parliament last month. The Konkurs, like the Milan, is a wire-guided anti-tank missile, which does not have capability to destroy tanks fitted with explosive reactive armour (ERA). It was in 1994 that the Army decided to induct the Konkurs-M missiles, an advanced version of the Konkurs, capable of defeating tanks protected by ERA. But, the process of finalising the contract took about eight years and then technology absorption got delayed further, resulting in a loss of Rs.283.72 crore, according to the CAG. The defence ministry has now approached Russian company Rosoboronexport to purchase 10,000 Konkurs-M at a cost of Rs.1,223 crore.
The notorious delays, cancellations and corruption have derailed many defence programmes. Another corruption scandal in military procurement is the last thing the government wants now. For the moment, however, all eyes are on the technological scan report, which is being conducted by the Integrated Defence Staff Headquarters. The report is expected to be submitted anytime now.

3G MISSILESAnti-tank missiles are used against enemy vehicles and bunkers, besides tanks.
The prominent third generation anti-tank missiles are Spike and Javelin. India's indigenous Nag is undergoing tests
SpikeIsraeli company Rafael manufactures the Spike family of anti-tank missiles.
The Spike LR is an anti-armour weapon system with a 4km range and a soldier can carry it.
It can be operated in fire-and-forget mode as well as in fire, observe and update mode for non-line-of-sight operations using the fibre optic data link.

A soldier can carry two missiles at a time and the total system weight is 26kg.

Rafael claims it has 20 buyers worldwide and orders for more than 23,000 missiles.
Javelin
Also a man-portable, anti-tank missile. Used during the Iraq war, it is now deployed in Afghanistan.

India was keen to buy it, but the US refused to share the technology.
The manufacturer, Lockheed Martin-Raytheon, now says it is ready to share the technology with India.
NagIndia's own anti-tank missile, developed by the DRDO, is facing issues with the 4km range.
It is a fire-and-forget missile and can search enemy tanks through thermal imaging telescopes, which help vision at night.
The defence ministry has spent $1,700 crore on its development.
The Javelin and the Spike are lighter and can be carried by a soldier while the Nag is designed to be operated from vehicles.

India's missile chase* Anti-tank missile deal worth $15,000 crore in the pipeline
* Israel's Spike missile selected on single-tender basis; deal put on hold because of technical review and fears of kickbacks; allegation of corruption as documents leaked to arms dealers
* Javelin and Nag now also in the fray, apart from Spike
* The Army has a shortage of about 44,000 missiles

CHINA, INDIA AND PAKISTAN
China's third generation anti-tank missiles, the Green Arrow and Red Arrow are very advanced. China has more than 7,450 battle tanks.
India has second generation Milan and Konkurs missiles. These are semi-automatic missiles that require the soldier to sight the target and guide the weapon.
India has more than 3,250 battle tanks.
Pakistan has second generation Baktar Shikan missiles, based on a Chinese missile. Pakistan has 2,400 battle tanks.

The week 

Work Begins on 6th Missile Boat for Caspian Flotilla

(RIA Novosti) – Construction work has begun on a sixth attack missile boat for the Russian Navy’s Caspian Flotilla, a shipyard representative told RIA Novosti on Thursday.
The Zelenodolsk shipyard, based in Russia’s Tatarstan Republic, is building the series of six missile boats under a 2010 contract with the Defense Ministry. All the boats are due to enter service with the Caspian fleet.
The first two missile corvettes – the Grad Sviyazhsk and the Uglich – were floated out on June 22 and August 22, respectively. Another three – the Veliky Ustyug, the Zelyony Dol and the Serpukhov – are under construction.
The sixth boat has been named the Vyshny Volochek, a shipyard official told RIA Novosti. He did not say when the ships would be completed or what the total construction costs would be.
The Project 21631 (Buyan-M) corvette has a displacement of 949 tons and maximum speed of 25 knots. It is armed with Kalibr (SS-N-27) anti-ship missiles, 100-mm and 30-mm guns, as well as Igla-1M air defense missiles.

India's first defence satellite GSAT-7 launched successfully

India's first exclusive defence satellite GSAT-7 was successfully launched by European space consortium Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou spaceport in French Guiana on Friday, giving a major push to the country's maritime security.

Indian Navy would be the user of the multi-band home-built communication spacecraft, expected to be operational by September end.

The Rs 185-crore GSAT-7, the country's maiden dedicated spacecraft for defence applications, was launched during a 50-minute launch window which started at 2am, and it was telecast live by Doordarshan.

After a flight of almost 34 minutes, the satellite was injected into a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) of 249 km perigee (nearest point to earth), 35,929 km apogee (farthest point to earth) and an inclination of 3.5 degree with respect to the equator.

During August 31-September 4, three orbit-raising operations will be performed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to place the satellite into geostationary orbit of 36,000 km above the equator.

By September 14, GSAT-7 is planned to be positioned in its orbital slot of 74 deg East longitude and subsequently the satellite's communication transponders will be switched on.

The frequency bands of GSAT-7 will help space-based marine communications. It has coverage over India landmass as well as surrounding seas.

"It's important from security and surveillance points of view", an ISRO official said.

According to a senior space scientist, so far the Navy had limitation from line of sight and ionospheric effects, among others, as far as space-based communications were concerned.

It was thought essential to have an integrated platform for the Navy's exclusive use.

Earlier, satellite communication in ships was through Inmarsat, a major provider of global mobile satellite communications services.

The state-of-the-art satellite carrying payloads operating in UHF, S, C and Ku bands, had a lift-off mass of 2625 kg and is based on ISRO's 2500 kg satellite bus with some new technological elements, including the antennae.

According to ISRO, GSAT-7 is an advanced communication satellite to provide wide range of service spectrum from low bit rate voice to high bit rate data communication. Its payload is designed to provide communication capabilities to users over a wide oceanic region including the Indian land-mass.

The launch cost for ISRO is around Rs 470 crore, including insurance.

ISRO cannot launch heavy satellites like GSAT-7 as its home-grown GSLV rocket, with indigenous cryogenic stage, is still at works and needs two successful flights before it is declared operational.

In addition to GSAT-7, the Ariane 5 orbited another spacecraft EUTELSAT 25B/Es'hail.

EUTELSAT 25B/Es'hail 1 - which rode in the top position of the Ariane 5 payload "stack" - separated first, some 27 minutes after liftoff.

At approximately 34 minutes into the flight, the lower passenger - GSAT-7 - was deployed, completing the mission.

Indian ambassador to France, Arun Singh and director of Bangalore-based ISRO Satellite Centre, S K Shivakumar, were among those who witnessed the launch.

Singh said the launch event is also a reflection of strategic partnership between India and France.

Shivakumar said GSAT-7 would be operational by next month-end. - Times of India

India considers partnerships to end delays in aircraft project

India, seeking to build its first regional aircraft, is considering roping in local and foreign partners for the project, after spending more than two decades to build a smaller plane.

“A study under review by a government panel favours tie-ups with equipment makers rather than purchasing engines and parts from them,” Satish Chandra, head of aircraft programme at National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), a state-owned plane designer involved in the development, said in a telephone interview from Bangalore. He didn’t give a timeframe for the project.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month approved the plan for a 70- to 100-seat aircraft as economic growth and rising disposable incomes spur air travel demand. Boeing Co. expects India will require 1,450 planes in 20 years. The project will also help the nation catch up with China, Japan and Russia in building a regional aircraft and reduce dependence on Bombardier Inc. and Embraer SA, the two companies that dominate the market for such planes.

“You need to start somewhere and you need to build the expertise so that it has spinoffs to other sectors,” Chandra said. Projects like these may actually be the kickstart for you to integrate into the global economy.

India’s plan to build the regional aircraft comes after little success with an earlier attempt to build an indigenous 14-seat plane called Saras. NAL spent 23 years on the project and has yet to win local certification for the plane, one of which crashed during a test flight in 2009.

Plane crash

The plane crashed because of reasons including NAL’s failure to consult the aircraft’s propeller maker during tests, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the nation’s civilian aviation regulator that probed the accident.

Saras’s certification by the Center for Military Airworthiness and Certification under India’s defence ministry is expected this year, according to NAL website. Chandra declined to comment on the current status of Saras, which means crane in Sanskrit.

The nation’s bid to build a fighter jet has also suffered setbacks. State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd is yet to start deliveries of the Light Combat Aircraft, which uses a General Electric Co. engine. The programme was approved in 1983.

“The complexity of commercial aircraft development is well beyond the capabilities of NAL and HAL,” said Ernie Arvai, chief executive officer of the Arvai Group, a Windham, New Hampshire-based aviation consultancy. The Saras project was a disaster. The failure of the light combat aircraft programme and others clearly indicate a lack of capability in integrating the various element of aircraft design into feasible and safe designs.

787, A380

Delays for new aircraft are common in the industry. Boeing and Airbus SAS, both with years of experience building large, complicated jets, have had to push back introductions.

The 787 Dreamliner, Boeing’s most advanced jet, entered commercial service at the end of 2011 after more than three years of delays. Airbus A380 superjumbo began commercial flights in 2007 after more than two years of delays and cost overruns.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd’s aircraft unit, which is making Japan’s first regional passenger jet, last week pushed back the delivery of its first plane by more than a year. Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China is said to delay the maiden test flight of the country’s first large passenger plane to 2015 from an earlier plan for next year.

Chandra said the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council will study the regional aircraft plan and a decision on number of its seats and the type of engine will be decided later. NMCC chairman V. Krishnamurthy didn’t respond to calls to his work phone and e-mailed questions.

Mahindra, Taneja

The government is considering to set up a special purpose vehicle to steer the development and production of the plane, according to a 9 July statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. The capabilities of NAL and HAL and other institutions in the country will be utilized, according to the statement.

Carriers in India will need 1,450 new planes worth $175 billion over the next 20 years, Boeing forecast in February. The International Air Transport Association has said India may be the world’s fastest-growing aviation market after Kazakhstan by 2016.

“There’s no point reinventing the wheel on technologies that may have already been developed elsewhere at a fraction of the cost,” said Amber Dubey, a Gurgaon, India-based partner at consultancy KPMG. “The critical requirement would be to provide adequate funding support, fix clear accountability and specific time, cost and quality targets.”

Private partners

NAL last year held talks with a unit of Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd and Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Ltd on partnering for the regional aircraft. Mumbai-based Mahindra, India’s biggest maker of sport-utility vehicles, bought two Australian aerospace companies in 2009.

Taneja, based in Tamil Nadu, makes light planes. It is India’s only private company to have locally developed a certified aircraft, according to its website.

Saab AB last year said it’ll pursue a risk-sharing partnership with a yet-to-be-selected company from India, as it considered a return to the regional-plane market. NAL’s Chandra said companies and countries have shown interest in the regional aircraft project without naming anyone.

“From the beginning, they will need private industry partners,” said Dhiraj Mathur, an executive director at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP’s India unit. The aerospace industry is not an easy industry.

 

Livemint

'India developing E-bomb to paralyze networks'

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing an E-bomb which will emit electromagnetic shock waves that destroy electronic circuits and communication networks of enemy forces, its chief and scientific advisor to the defence minister Avinash Chander said.

So next time there is a Kargil or a LoC violation, you may not hear gunshots or mortar shells, because the electromagnetic bomb will throw life out of gear.

"It will be a weapon that would explore the strong electromagnetic field generating a brief but intense or high power pulse of electromagnetic energy," Chander told TOI at the Missile Complex in Hyderabad. He said the spectrum of targets will be broad and in times to come, E-bombs would form the core of tactical warfare and electronic combat operations to damage the command, control and communications of enemy forces.

The director general of DRDO said that the electromagnetic shock wave from the bomb will destroy electronic circuits and communication network "while paralyzing them in terms of radars, communication networking, information gathering sensors, controls and other electronic equipment." Work is in full swing at the Research Centre Imarat, the Hyderabad-based laboratory of DRDO, to build the new bomb which will be ready for operational deployment within a few years.

Chander said the E-bomb would give an option to the military as the bomb can target the enemy's mobile targets, air defence systems, mobile or static radars, naval vessels with communication systems and even ill-shielded communication or electronic systems at a military base. The GPS-guided E-bombs would precede the conventional munitions for strategic air attacks and can cripple military units as weapons of electric destruction

by releasing high voltage pulses. Other DRDO officials said the E-bomb warheads can be delivered by combat aircraft equipped to deliver guided munitions and cruise missiles.

Chander also said DRDO was developing the next generation of smart bombs or guided bombs, which would have a longer range of upto 100 km (starting from 10s of kms)

and higher accuracy. "Smart bombs are basically precision guided munition equipped with electronic sensors, control system and adjustable flight fins for providing steering or gliding capacity to hit a designated target with much more accuracy," the DRDO chief said. -Times of india

Russia to deliver six warplanes to India

Moscow: Russia is set to deliver six more jet fighters of 4++ generation this year to Indian Air Force as per a deal with New Delhi, the MIG aircraft corporation said Wednesday.

"India currently exploits 21 aircrafts. In line with a contract, we must deliver 29 planes by 2015. Last year, we've delivered four planes. This year, we've delivered one plane and six aircrafts remain to be delivered," MIG's director general Sergei Korotkov told reporters at the MAKS air show, Xinhua reported.

The six-day MAKS show kicked off in Zhukovsky city outside Moscow Tuesday.

MIG signed a $1.5 billion deal with India in 2010 to deliver 29 MIG-29K-KUB warplanes.

This is the second such contract between the Russian aircraft construction corporation and New Delhi. The first deal to supply India with 16 MIGs-29 was signed in 2004 and completed in 2011.

 During MAKS, the Russian corporation also signed two deals worth $55 million to build a centre in India to service MIG's avionics and hardware, the corporation's spokesperson Elena Fedorova said.

MIG's partner in those deals is Basant Aerospace Private Ltd, she added.

MIG commenced production of new unified family of multi-role fighters of the 4++ generation in 2005.

The double-seat MIG-29K-KUB is a multi-role fighter intended for air-defence missions of naval forces, air superiority gaining, sea and ground target destruction with high precision guided weapons day and night and in any weather condition.

IANS/ Zeenews

India's first defence satellite all set for launch

India's maritime security will get a fresh impetus as the stage is now set for the launch of an exclusive home-built satellite for the Navy by European space consortium Arianespace from Kourou spaceport in French Guiana on Friday.

GSAT-7 is India's first dedicated spacecraft for defence applications.

"It has frequency bands that will help marine communications", an official of Bangalore-headquartered Indian Space Research Organisation, which built the satellite, told PTI here.

"It has coverage over India landmass as well as surrounding seas. It's important from security and surveillance points of view", the official said on condition of anonymity.

A senior space scientist in the know said: "So far, Navy had limitation from line of sight and ionospheric effects etc. It was thought essential to have an integrated platform for their exclusive use. Earlier, satellite communication in ships was through Inmarsat (a major provider of global mobile satellite communications services). Now, India will have its own set up"

ISRO shies away from calling it an exclusive satellite for the Navy on record, but privately admits exactly that.

The Rs 185 crore state-of-the-art satellite carries payloads operating in UHF, S, C and Ku bands.

GSAT-7 has a lift-off mass of 2625 kg and is based on ISRO's 2500 kg satellite bus with some new technological elements, including the antennae. Its solar arrays generate 2900 W of electrical power.

A108 Ampere-Hour Lithium-Ion battery enables the satellite to function during the eclipse period. The propulsion subsystem has a 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) and thrusters.

GSAT-7 is scheduled to be launched into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) by Ariane-5 VA 215 during the 50-minute launch window starting from 2 am on Friday.

The launch cost for ISRO is around Rs 470 crore, including insurance. ISRO can't launch heavy satellites like GSAT-7 as its home-grown GSLV rocket, with indigenous cryogenic stage, is still at works and needs two successful flights before it's declared operational.  -  Times of india

India all set to lease a second nuclear submarine from Russia

India is all set to acquire a second nuclear submarine on lease from Russia. The two sides have had preliminary discussions and a serious push is expected when Indian Defence Secretary RK Mathur meets his Russian counterparts during his visit to Moscow next week.
The idea had germinated in the Indian strategic establishment long before the Russian-built electric-powered submarine INS Sindhurakshak got sunk at its moorings in Mumbai naval dockyard on August 14.
Now with the Sindhurakshak practically gone forever and the Indian submarine fleet having been constricted to just 13 – of which only 7 or 8 can be operational at a given time – the Indian idea has acquired a greater steam.  The loss of INS Sindhurakshak seems to have catalysed the Indian defence establishment to come up with ideas that would ensure that India’s undersea warfare capabilities are actually bolstered, and not dented.
Indian Defence Secretary RK Mathur is all set to lead an Indian tri-service delegation to Moscow for the next round of High Level Monitoring Group on Defence. Mathur will be reaching Russia on September 1 for these crucial talks and the issue of taking on lease a second Russian nuclear submarine for the Indian defence forces will be very high on his agenda.
Sources say the Indian defence secretary will be negotiating with his Russian counterparts on many other agendas but his foremost talking point would inevitably veer around the subject of India acquiring the nuclear submarine on lease as it would provide New Delhi an immediate solution to deal with maritime threats in the neighbourhood.
The Russians are positively inclined to the idea of leasing a second nuclear submarine to India, according to sources. Actually, if this idea were to translate into reality, it would be the third nuclear submarine that the Russia would be leasing to India.
The first time it was then Soviet Union which had leased a nuclear submarine (named INS Chakra by the Indian Navy) way back in 1988. The lease at that time was only for three years and the Indians duly returned the vessel after the lease expired.
The second time India got on lease a nuclear submarine from Russia was a couple of years ago when India and Russia finalised the contract for it in 2011 and the Russian Nerpa class submarine was inducted into the Indian Navy last year as INS Chakra. The lease cost a billion dollars to India for a period of ten years.
The third lease, if it transpires (which it should given the political will from both the sides), should also be for a minimum of ten years. However, the lease values may be a bone of contention for the two sides. While the Indians are willing to shell out a billion dollars for taking on lease another nuclear submarine for a period of ten years, the Russians have jacked up the monetary value.
Moreover, the Russians have already conveyed to their Indian interlocutors that India cannot hope to get a nuclear submarine on lease from any other country. From India’s point of view, though the Russian logic seems to be well in place but then other countries like France and the UK may be persuaded to lease a nuclear submarine given India’s standing in the comity of nations currently.
The Indian strategic establishment seems quite upbeat on the idea of acquiring another nuclear submarine. The Indians have even named their probably acquisition as INS Chakra III.

Indrus

Indian Navy's dubious safety record worrisome for national security

In November 2011, the Indian Navy was particularly incensed with what a US naval lieutenant had posted on a blog. The unnamed lieutenant, who spent four days on destroyer INS Delhi in the Arabian Sea as part of an exchange programme, called the Indian crew "generally clueless", with "almost zero seamanship skills". This was one in a long, harsh critique of what he saw on the frontline warship. The blog was removed days after it was posted.
Did the blog touch a raw nerve? Just 10 months earlier, the naval frigate INS Vindhyagiri collided with a merchant tanker in Mumbai harbour sank. It was the fourth time a warship was completely written off in 23 years. Since 1990, the Indian Navy has lost one warship in peacetime every five years. Since 2004, it has lost one naval combatant every two years. Few global navies have such a dubious record. Five days after the August 14 explosion destroyed INS Sindhurakshak, killing 18 crew members, Defence Minister A.K. Antony told Rajya Sabha that "preliminary probe indicated the blast was due to possible ignition of armament". Armed with torpedoes and missiles, the submarine was fully fuelled and ready to sail for patrol early next morning.
Former southern naval chief Vice Admiral K.N. Sushil (retired) cautions it is too early to conclude it sank due to negligence. Evidence points to a blast in an oxygen-powered torpedo, he says. "The Navy must do a forensic examination to pinpoint the cause," he says.
What is worrying is that with each warship loss, key maritime capabilities are being lost. The Sindhurakshak had returned from Russia four months ago, and after a two-and-a-half year refit, was the Navy's most potent conventional submarine. The frigate INS Vindhyagiri was the only warship that could control spy drones far out at sea.
Peacetime losses of warships are not uncommon. Since the World War II, the US Navy has lost 16 warships in accidents. Russia's nuclear submarine Kursk sank in August 2000 after a faulty torpedo exploded during a training exercise. But in case of the smaller Indian Navy-it only has 30 frontline warships and 14 submarines-they point to a far disturbing trend, of human rather than technical error. The Prahar and Vindhyagiri collided with lumbering merchant vessels. The INS Agray was cut into half in 2004 when a crew member tossed a misfired anti-submarine rocket overboard. The spate of accidents comes at a time when the fleet is expanding in both size and complexity. Last year, it acquired INS Chakra, its first nuclear-powered attack submarine from Russia. It is set to induct its largest ship, the 44,000-tonne aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, from Russia this year. Former eastern naval commander Vice Admiral A.K. Singh (retired) slams the Government's apathy. "The Navy is operating vessels long past their service years of 25 and 30 years as the government doesn't sanction new ones in time," he says.
Ageing ships alone do not explain other accidents and collisions. Naval officials say there are a series of smaller mishaps that point to Standard Operating Procedures (sops) not being followed. The August 2009 collision of the missile corvette INS Kuthar with destroyer INS Ranvir in the Bay of Bengal was traced to a rudder failure, compounded by a flawed manoeuvre. In 2010, three crew men on destroyer INS Mumbai were instantly killed when an AK-630 Gatling gun went off as safety drills were not followed. The submarine INS Sindhughosh collided twice; once with a fishing boat in 2006 and once with a merchant vessel in 2007. "The Navy has put in place multiple, institutionalised methods and procedures towards enhancing safety," a naval spokesperson said, responding to a questionnaire. "Each type of unit has a Safety Class Authority that oversees safety aspects and guides safety related policy. On completion of major repairs, all units undergo a safety audit, prior joining respective formations."
"The problem is that we aren't empowering our young officers," admits a senior naval officer, echoing what the US navy blogger said. Experience levels have suffered as there is a mismatch between number of warships and officers. Each year, 60 captain-ranked officers vie for the command of 15-20 warships. "A decade ago, a captain got two 18-month long sea tenures, allowing him to build up experience; today he gets only one," says a naval officer.
"Adequate sea tenures are provided to all concerned," a naval spokesperson said.
In 2006, then defence minister Pranab Mukherjee pulled Navy brass up after a spate of accidents. Accidents have however continued despite 'safety stand down' procedures performed on all warships every quarter, and court-martials. The loss of the Sindhurakshak has now pushed them to unacceptable levels.

Times of  india

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indian-navys-dubious-safety-record-worrisome-for-national-security/1/301409.html

Our blue water submarine?

The loss of INS Sindhurakshak has brought focus on the pitiable state of our far too few submarines. We had six missile-capable subs. In terms of deployability, at any given time only 60 per cent are available, which means only four subs could have been deployed. Now one is gone. Now our operational availability is less than three. This is not counting the loss of trained men who went under in such a tragic manner. It takes two years for the crew of one submarine to get battle-ready. If there were six stations that our submarines would have operated from during war time, one is no longer there. This creates large gaps in our security. I am told that in another five years, 90 per cent of our submarines would have been decommissioned if you rate them in terms of normal life. But we will no doubt persist, as we do; another jugaad in the great Indian tradition of strategic planning.
A big silver lining will no doubt be glimpsed over the reactor of our “indigenously developed” nuclear submarine Arihant going critical. I am no expert on nuclear submarines, but people who are privately laugh at our nuclear submarine. That is because it is based on designs from the Sixties, which is half-a-century old. It is the same as the Chakra which we hired earlier. To leading questions, our nuclear gurus answer that “our nuclear submarine is completely made in India, designed, fabricated, executed by Indian scientists”. Yet the Prime Minister has publicly thanked the Russians profusely for what is euphemistically being called “consultancy” work. The real credit should go to the Russians for their excellent super-mentoring-cum-monitoring on a Russian submarine with a Made in India mark. The Russians apparently were so heavily embedded in our nuclear submarine programme that every step that was taken was made possible only because of their behind-the-scenes omnipresence telling us which screw went where, how to weld this, do that...
You may ask: why quibble if the submarine works? The quibble enters the picture because after three more nuclear submarines, clones of the one that just went critical, have been produced over the next several years, we will still not have the ability to build a newer generation submarine from scratch. We simply don’t have the expertise for design, its validation or choice of material for a next generation submarine. Nobody knows where all that will come from. Russians gave us Chakra on a platter. They have since moved on and are now in the Borei class of submarines, compared to which Chakra is a museum piece.
Our nuclear submarine can carry nuclear missiles that can travel 750 km. The radius of that kind of a range is pretty small. We can’t fire a missile at China from the Bay of Bengal in this case, can we? The submarine needs to get pretty close to the Chinese coast undetected in order to pose a credible deterrence. How would you rate the feasibility of that happening undetected? The Chinese second-generation sea-launched intercontinental ballistic, the JL2, can deliver its payload, according to Wikipedia, 14,000 km away.  Even if we discount that distance, it is evident the Chinese submarines need not traverse the Straits of Malacca in order to hit us anywhere they wish. They can hit us even as they sit pretty in the depths of the South China Sea. There is nothing we can do about that.

 newindianexpress