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December 30, 2020

South Korea to Push for SPADGMS, minesweepers deal with India

The $ 3 billion Self Propelled Air Defence Gun Missile System (SPAD-GMS) deal is expected to be part of discussions between the Indian Army Chief Gen MM Naravane and the top brass of South Korea. In the SPAD-GMS, South Korea’s Hanhwa Defence had emerged as the lowest bidder beating the Russian competitor. In line with the government’s `Act East Policy’ and to explore avenues for further expansion of the military ties, the Indian Army Chief Naravane has left on a three-day visit to South Korea on Monday (December 28, 2020). He will be holding talks with his counterpart – the army chief and chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff as well as the minister of defence. He will also meet with South Korea’s minister of Defence Acquisition Planning Administration (DAPA). The army chief’s visit to South Korea’s capital Seoul comes close on the heels of his recently concluded visit to the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. While in South Korea, the Indian Army chief will go to the Korea Combat Training Centre in Gangwon province and Advance Defence Development (ADD) facility which are located at Daejeon.Both countries have elevated their bilateral relations to Special Strategic Partnership in 2015. India and South Korea have been in discussions for several military platforms and weapons, especially naval shipbuilding. In 2019, the South Korean company Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering had responded to Indian Navy’s Expression of Interest (EoI) for six advanced conventional submarines under Project-75I (India). And KSS-3 submarine for the Rs 45,000 crore proposal of the Indian Navy. The Project 75I is expected to be processed under the Strategic Partnership Model (SP), and the submarines will be built in India through technology transfer. As reported earlier, the OEM will have to tie up with an Indian company for manufacturing under the Make in India initiative. South Korea considers India as a serious power and a key partner within the region and India looks at South Korea a major partner under the `Act East Policy’. Both countries have last year inked a logistics agreement, which is going to help the Indian Navy while operating in the Indo-Pacific Region and in interoperability. What Was The Army Looking For In The Self Propelled Air Defence Gun Missile System? In 2013, the Indian Army had floated a requirement for five regiments of a self-propelled air defence gun-missile system. The 104 units were budgeted at approximately $2.5 billion. Each unit having twin 30 mm cannons. There are four short-range missiles fitted on a tracked chassis. Why Are They Needed? Because they can help in protecting critical installations and areas which can be hit by drones, helicopters or low-flying aircraft. And, as has been reported by Financial Express Online, the South Korean Company Hanwha Defence had emerged as the lowest bidder by beating two Russian contenders. The decision to scrap the whole deal was taken by the Ministry of Defence on the grounds that the specifications mentioned are now dated. The South Korean company is willing to transfer technology to Indian company either L&T or any other Indian company for the manufacturing of this missile system. What Is The Indian Army Looking For? These SPAD-GMS are expected to replace 1360 obsolete Bofors L 70 40mm single barrel and Soviet-era ZU-23-2 towed 23 mm twin-barrel weapon systems of the Indian Army. And the Indian Army needs almost five regiments of the guns. These guns can be deployed with the forces and be relocated based on the threat perception. Mine-Counter Measure Vessels (MCMVs) For The Indian Navy When the Army chief talks with the military brass and the minister, there could be some forward movement in the negotiations for 12 mine-counter measure vessels (MCMVs) for the Indian Navy. These are to be built at the Indian Goa Shipyard through Transfer of Technology (ToT), under the `Make in India’ initiative. South Korean Company Kangnam Corporation and Italian shipbuilder M/s Intermarine had responded to the MoD RFI (Request for Information) for the MCMVs. These MCMVs are required on an urgent basis to fill gaps in the navy’s mine warfare capability. The discussions with the South Korean Company Kangnam Corporation was stalled due to certain issues related to the indigenous content as well as the terms and conditions of ToT. Why Do Navies Need Minesweepers? These are deployed to help secure the harbours by locating and destroying underwater mines and are considered vital for keeping critical sea lanes safe. India’s Act East Policy The Chief of Army Staff had accompanied Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla to a visit to Myanmar. During that visit in October, the Indian side announced its decision to supply an attack submarine to the Myanmar Navy and to further enhance military cooperation between the two countries. This was followed by Army Chief’s three-day visit in November to Nepal. The visit to the Himalayan neighbour had significant diplomatic overtones. During his visit to South Korea in 2019, the defence minister Rajnath Singh had invited the top defence majors to participate in various defence projects in India. The companies which specialize in military platforms in South Korea are allowed to Transfer Technology as there are no laws to stop the transfer. They are keen to work with the Indian private sector companies under a joint venture.///Indiandefencenews///

Amid border row with China, Indian, French Rafales to carry out SKYROS wargames in Jodhpur

In a major development amid the ongoing border conflict with China, Rafale fighter jets of India and France will carry out wargames codenamed Exercise SKYROS in Jodhpur in the third week of January next year. "The French Air Force Rafale fighters would be coming to Jodhpur for the SKYROS wargames which would see them flying with Indian Rafales from the 17 Squadron and the Su-30MKI fighters deployed there," government sources told ANI. This would be the first major wargame of the Indian Air Force (IAF) involving the Rafale fighters which were inducted into the service in August 2020 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government. The wargames being conducted are different from the routine Garuda series exercises that the two sides have been carrying out for more than a decade now and would see some complex manoeuvres being carried out by the fighters of both sides, the sources said. India had last carried out a major exercise with the French Air Force in July 2019 where the Indian Sukhois had flown with the French Rafales. The IAF is also planning to use Rafales and Su-30s in integrated mode and a lot of steps have already been taken in this direction by the service. The Rafales and the Su-30s have been deployed in tandem by the IAF in eastern Ladakh against the Chinese Air Force which has been flying regularly from bases close to India. France has been helping India to arm its Air Force as India is getting 36 of Rafale fighters from there as part of a Rs 60,000 crore deal. The last aircraft under the deal is likely to be received by the end of 2022. India and China are engaged in a conflict over territorial issues and aggression by the Chinese People's Liberation Army in Ladakh. More than 50,000 troops have been deployed by India in reaction to the Chinese deployment there.///Economictimes///.

Turkey-Pakistan nexus acting against India to help Islamabad take upper hand on Kashmir

With Turkey President projecting himself the tallest leader, rather, ‘Caliph’ of the Muslim Ummah by championing the cause of Islamic nations, Turkey has become the breeding ground for anti-India activities. A new Turkey-Pakistan nexus has emerged in the recent past, leading to a complex network of academia, media, and NGOs working to propagate anti-India propaganda. Turkey has become a backdoor and safe haven for anti-India elements to work on Pakistan's behest as well as the converging point for anti-India actors and Pakistani agencies. Turkish media platforms are carrying out anti-India propaganda at both the levels - at the level of content as well as infrastructure. The content of Turkish media houses has remained highly critical of the Indian government. Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) and Anadolu Agency have been at the forefront, leading the anti-India narrative. The two news organisations have come up with a barrage of news reports on issues like so-called atrocities on Kashmiris and Muslims and CAA-NRC. Besides broadcast news and news agencies, the Turkish print media is equally indulged in similar activities. Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak on 26" December 2019 published an article titled ‘Gujarat Killer’, attacking PM Narendra Modi and terming CAA as anti-Muslim legislation. Turkey has not restricted itself to such propaganda within its territory, rather, it has also successfully penetrated the Indian society. Popular Turkish serials like Ertugrul and Baba are circulated widely in the Kashmir Valley, provoking the Kashmiris to wage a war against India for freedom. These serials depict the victory of a small 2000 strong Turkish tribe against the invaders. Transcending the Kashmir Valley, videos of these serials have reached inside the digital gadgets across India, further provoking pro-Muslim sentiments to fight India. The Turkish media infrastructure is also acting as a platform to bring together pro-Pakistani and anti-India elements together by adopting and employing them within Turkish media houses. "A journalist from Jammu and Kashmir, now working in Anadolu Agency, earlier worked with many Indian news organisations and closely connected to Pakistani agencies, working at their directions and is actively indulged in anti-India activities in Turkey. He is in contact with Pakistani ISI and planning to launch a website dedicated to anti- India content to further the narratives of ‘saffronisation’ and ‘fascism’ by India.ISI is directly funding the website, which is in the final stage of launching. Observers from the Western countries are the target audience of the website. However, they plan to build a network in India as well. The website might contain a range of content including blogs, infographics, reviews, research papers, primary resources, etc. Based on the modus operandi of similar platforms, the website might be launched as a part of any Turkey-based organisation - to add legitimacy to it." a source aware of this development said Zee News. Similarly, Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s grand-daughter Ruwa Shah hosts a weekly talk show in English titled ‘The Ruwa Shah Show’ on TRT. The show is promoting the anti-India stance on Kashmir. In like of the above, Ahmed Bin Qasim, son of Muhammad Qasim Faktoo and Dukhteran-e-Millat leader Asiya Andrabi is one of the key contributors to the TRT with an anti-India stance. " It has also been found that journalists from Turkish media organisations have been able to visit India under the veil of tourist visa to carry out reporting/information gathering from India. India based of these media organisations has been facilitating their visas for India under tourist visa category. Several Pakistani media platforms are also working under the guise of being sub-sets of Turkish media organisations. There are credible pieces of evidence to establish the fact that Pakistani agencies are actively launching several platforms dedicated to producing anti-India content as affiliates/parts of Turkish media organisations/NGOs." a senior security officer told Zee News. Besides the media, Turkey has also been indulged in promoting and accelerating anti-India activities through educational institutions — in Turkey as well as within India. Turkey has been providing lucrative scholarships and Tunning exchange programs for Indian Kashmiri and Muslim students to study in Turkey through state-sponsored NGOs. Once the students land in Turkey, they are approached and taken over by the Pakistani proxies operating there. Thus, pushing together anti-India agenda. "The list of organisations providing scholarships to Indian students is long and includes Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), Presidency of Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), Yunnus Emre Institute (YE), Turkey's Diyanet Foundation (TDV), Turkish Airlines, Anadolu Agency, and Turkey Youth Foundation (TUGVA). Most of these organisations have direct connections with the Turkish Government and President Erdogan. The TYB directly runs under the patronage of President Erdogan’s son Bilal Erdogan. The organisation never takes the Government of India in the loop of the selection process of students. Once students land in Turkey, they remain out of the radar of the Indian Embassy in Turkey. Similarly, the TUGYS also functions under Bilal Erdogan’s patronage and has made strong inroads within India by establishing connections with Islamic outfits in India." said another source. Indian security agencies are not ruling out the involvement of the Turkish Embassy in New Delhi and consulates in Hyderabad and Mumbai. Turkish Embassy also maintains a close connection with the students returning to India after the conclusion of their studies in Turkey and engages them in its activities. The returned students also act as facilitators for the scholarship programmes as propagators of pro-Turkish agenda. Indian institutions like Jamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Maulana Azad National Urdu University run courses in Turkish language and have become centres of activities of the Turkish Embassy. The most important fact is to note that the students under Turkish scholarship programmes are made to engage in the anti-India campaigns. It has been discovered that a couple of Kashmiri students associated with Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University (IZU), under the scholarship of Pakistan government-sponsored organisation Institute of Dialogue, Development, & Diplomatic Studies (IDDS), have been participating in such campaigns. Many of these students have earlier worked for leading media houses in India. Besides Islamic and Kashmiri outfits, the Turkish Embassy has also been forging alliances with Indian NGOs to further its agenda. Indian ‘activists’ carrying out anti-India agenda are increasingly being sponsored and invited to Turkey. The meetings of these organisations with Turkish diplomats and leaders have been facilitated by Pakistani proxies at multiple instances. A number of these Turkey-based NGO's have also collaborated with and provided space to anti-India voices in the Indian academia and civil society. It is noteworthy that there is a significant Pakistani influence on some of these organisations and the others are run directly by Pakistani proxies. The TDF is a part of the religious directorate of Turkey, now deployed with Erdogan supporters, has been tasked to build Erdogan’s image as the tallest and disputed leader of the Muslim Ummah by championing the Islamic cause. The Diyanet has succeeded to made inroads amongst the Indian Muslims, seeking their support as well as provoking them to take on the Indian nation-state. Besides these coverts designs, Turkey has also resorted to few open and brazen anti-India moves. To magnify and converge the strength of anti-India elements, Turkey has been pro-actively issuing citizenship to Indian Kashmiris engaged in promoting pro-Pakistan narrative. The list of such individuals includes Baba Umar, Riaz-ul-Khaliq, Tasheen Nazar, besides others. Most of such individuals have been employed by either of the three sectors: Turkish state media, non-profit organisations, and educational institutions. Pakistan has been an age-old friend of Turkey and was one of the first countries to support Turkey in the foundation of an alternate organisation to the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC). The two countries have been working in tandem to overtly and covertly take on India, reflected by the recent statements of President Erdogan on Kashmir as well as the increasing anti-India activities in Turkey.///Zeenews.

Israel's sales pitch to India: Our artillery gun to support 'Make in India'

Highlighting how important Tel Aviv regards an Indian order for 1,580 artillery guns, worth about Rs 20,000 crore, Israel’s ministry of defence (MoD) has written to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, pushing the award of a contract to Elbit Systems – the Israeli firm that bid lowest in an Indian global tender for towed guns. Business Standard has reviewed the letter, which was signed last Tuesday by Brigadier General Yair Kulas, director of Sibat – the Israeli defence ministry agency in charge of defence exports. It expresses concern that no contract has been signed, even though Elbit Systems was declared the lowest bidder in March 2019 in the tender for 155 millimetre, 52 calibre guns. In July 2019, Elbit successfully concluded price negotiations with India’s MoD. “(W)e would kindly request your guidance regarding the status of the approval process and the anticipated/planned timeline for the conclusion of the approval process”, writes Sibat. As Business Standard earlier reported (December 10, Israeli firm Elbit offers to build 70% of artillery gun in India) Elbit priced its Autonomous Towed Howitzer Ordnance System (ATHOS) gun 40 per cent cheaper than the rival offering from French firm, Nexter. Elbit quoted €477 million for 400 fully-built ATHOS guns, while Nexter quoted €776 million, say Indian MoD sources. That puts the cost of each ATHOS gun at €1.2 million (~10.7 crore), significantly cheaper than the €1.94 million (~17.3 crore) price of each Nexter gun. However, Elbit’s main sales pitch is not low cost, but a high degree of indigenisation. The Indian tender requires the first 400 guns to be supplied fully built or in kits, with no indigenisation requirements. The remaining 1,180 guns are required to be built by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), with at least 50 per cent indigenous content. On October 14, Elbit provided a written commitment that it would indigenise production to the extent of 70 per cent, including the first 400 guns. Sibat’s letter indicates that the Israeli government will not restrict technology transfer or impose controls that might prevent Elbit from meeting its indigenisation commitment. “On behalf of the Israeli Ministry of Defence, I would like to take this opportunity… to convey our strong support in Elbit Systems undertaking to contribute to the Make in India initiative”, the letter says. For meeting this tough 70 per cent indigenisation target, Elbit will take the unprecedented step of setting up two production lines in India. It will partner the Pune-based Kalyani Group and its flagship, Bharat Forge, for building the first 400 guns. After that, in accordance with the tender requirements, Elbit will transfer technology to the OFB to build the next 1,180 guns. When production shifts to the OFB, the Kalani Group line will not be idle. Elbit and the Kalyani Group will keep that line alive, building ATHOS guns for the global market. “According to our understanding, the project will quickly provide highly advanced capabilities to the Indian artillery forces, as well as create numerous new job opportunities and prospects for export to third countries”, wrote Sibat. According to Elbit, it will succeed in indigenising 70 per cent of the first 400 guns, having already taken “very decisive, firm and committed steps” to partner Indian companies. Elbit has a joint venture (JV) with Bharat Forge called BF Elbit Advanced Systems, and a JV with Alpha Design Technologies called Alpha ELSEC. It is also concluding a JV with Aditya Precitech Private Ltd, Hyderabad. The MoD initially preferred the Defence R&D Organisation’s 155 mm, 52 calibre Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), over Elbit’s ATHOS gun. This became clear when the MoD embargoed the import of all 155 mm, 52-calibre towed guns from December 31, 2020. However, partly because of the ATHOS’ low price and also developmental roadblocks, the MoD changed its mind in favour of the ATHOS. As Business Standard reported (November 30, Artillery import embargo put off, doors open for ~23,700 cr Israeli guns) the MoD reversed course on August 21 and permitted imports for another year, till December 31, 2021. The question mark that still hangs over the signing of a contract with Elbit Systems is the reduced availability of funds. Given the Covid-19 related economic slowdown, strict spending controls have been imposed on the defence capital budget, leaving little for anything other than “committed liabilities”, or annual instalments on large contracts concluded in earlier years.///( Business Standard)

China has deployed radars, surface-to-air missiles & surface-to-surface missiles at LAC: IAF chief

As India-China standoff continues along the Line of Actual Control(LAC), Indian Air Force chief RKS Bhadauria said today that China has deployed heavily along the border in eastern Ladakh to support the army. "They have a large presence of radars, surface-to-air missiles and surface-to-surface missiles," Bhadauria said, adding,"Their deployment has been strong. We have taken all actions required to be taken." Tensions between the two countries have been at boiling point for over six months after Indian and Chinese troops clashed at Galwan Valley on June 15-16 in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed, although the PLA lost soldiers as well but the Chinese foreign ministry has refused to divulge the casualty list. "Any serious India-China conflict isn't good for China at the global front. If Chinese aspirations are global then it doesn't suit their grand plan," the Indian Air Force chief added. "What could be possible Chinese objectives for their action in north?...it's important that we recognise what they have really achieved," the Indian Air chief said. IAF chief Bhadauria said the "low-cost and easy availability of simple disruptive technologies such as drones" by small state and non-state actors had them more "lethal, agile and capable of generating disproportionate effects". "The evolving uncertainties and instability at the global geopolitical front have provided China with an opportunity to demonstrate its growing power," the Indian air chief said, however, he added that it "indirectly" brought to fore the "inadequate contribution of major powers to global security". Indian and Chinese commanders have conducted several round of talks to ease tensions, however, several thousand Chinese troops continue to be deployed at the border leading India to station more troops to prevent any Chinese misadventure which had earlier taken place in Galwan. Amid the ongoing border row, reports said India will conduct war games with the French Air Force with its newly bought Rafale fighter jets and SU-30 MKI fighters at Jodhpur. The IAF had last carried out an exercise with the French Air Force in July last year. India had reached an agreement with France over the supply of 36 Rafale jets with the last consignment set to reach India by end 2022.///(WION)

December 22, 2020

Pakistani drone drops 11 grenades near border in Punjab’s Gurdaspur

Punjab Police seized 11 hand grenades, suspected to have been airdropped by a drone flying in from Pakistan, from a sugarcane field near the international border in Gurdaspur district of Punjab. Sources said police had rounded up two suspects but later released them since no evidence was found on them. Gurdaspur SSP Rajinder Singh Sohal said the grenades were found about half-a-kilometer inside Indian territory, at Salach village near Dorangala town. BSF personnel noticed a drone near the Chakri outpost at 11.30pm on December 19 and opened fire, forcing it to fly back, he said. Soon after, the police launched a search operation in Salach, Chakri and Miani villages. On Sunday evening, 11 Arges Type HG 84 series hand grenades, of Austrian make, were found in a box, attached to a wooden frame with a nylon rope, the SSP added.Punjab Police DGP, Dinkar Gupta said a case has been registered under various sections of the Explosive Substances Act at Dorangla police station and investigations are on. The security agencies are trying to trace persons who were tasked to retrieve the consignment of explosives. \\\(timesofindia)

Army to test indigenous artillery system with 48-km strike range

The Army will soon begin testing an indigenously-developed artillery system, which the DRDO contends is the best in its class in the world with a record-breaking strike range of 48-km. If the big gun passes muster, it can fulfill the Army’s requirement for 1,580 such guns worth over Rs 25,000 crore. The 155mm/52 caliber advanced towed artillery gun system (ATAGS) is set to undergo “winter user trials” by the Army in Sikkim in January-February, which will be followed by the “mobility trials” and then the “summer trials” in May-June. With the development of ATAGS, which has Bharat Forge (Kalyani Group) and Tata Advanced Systems as the production partners, DRDO officials contend the Army has no need to import such guns from Israel or other countries. But the Army says the indigenous guns will have to first prove their worth in the forthcoming user trials. The force has a parallel project stuck in the final stages to procure 400 Athos towed gun systems for Rs 5,147 crore from Israeli firm Elbit Systems, which was originally supposed to be followed by the domestic production of another 1,180 guns in collaboration with the Ordnance Factory Board. The Israeli gun had emerged as L-1 (lowest bidder) a year ago to beat the French one from Nexter Systems after trials. “Our procurement case for towed artillery guns has been hanging fire since 2010,” said an Army officer. Amidst this wrangling, the user-trials of the indigenous ATAGS also got somewhat delayed after the barrel of one of the guns burst during test-firing at the Pokhran field firing range in Rajasthan, which injured four personnel, in September. “It was most probably due to defective ammunition. There was no issue with the barrel. Over 2,000 rounds have already been successfully test-fired from the ATAGS during high-altitude trials in Sikkim and then in Pokhran,” a senior DRDO official said. “Further tests are currently underway at the Proof and Experimental Establishment range at Balasore. Why should the Army import such guns if a much better indigenous option with a longer 48-km range is available? Other contemporary guns have a 40 to 45-km range,” he added. The ATAGS has “excellent accuracy, consistency, mobility, reliability and automation”, and can fire five-round bursts as compared to three-round bursts by other foreign contemporary guns. “ATAGS is also configured with an `all-electric drive technology’ for the first time in the world, which will ensure maintenance free and reliable operation over longer periods of time,” said another official. But the Army contends DRDO often “over-promises and under-delivers”. The force has also had to contend with recurring scandals in artillery procurement projects, from the Swedish Bofors in the mid-1980s to the South African Denel in 2005 and Singapore Technology Kinetics in 2009. It was only in 2018 that the Army finally managed to exorcise the Bofors ghost by beginning to induct 145 US-origin M-777 ultra-light howitzers (155m/39-calibre) and 100 South Korean-origin K-9 Vajra tracked self-propelled guns (155mm/52-calibre). ///(Timesofindia)

Vladimir Putin may visit India in first half of 2021, says Russian envoy

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was earlier scheduled to visit India in late 2020, may visit the country during the first six months of the next year, said Russia's ambassador to India, Nikolay Kudashev, on Monday. "It became more difficult to maintain contacts due to the pandemic. It has affected the frequency of face-to-face meetings, but the Russian-Indian political and economic dialogue has not become less intense. Summits are the highest point of the dialogue. The summit was due to be held in October. There have been large-scale preparations, but it has been decided by mutual agreement to postpone the meeting until the next year. When will the meeting take place? The sooner the better. I hope we will receive the Russian president in India in the first half of the coming year," Sputnik quoted Kudashev as saying. Kudashev further said that the bilateral commission for military cooperation between the two nations could be convened during early 2021. According to Sputnik, the Russian envoy also informed that a free trade deal may be signed next year between India and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which comprises of countries like Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. "If we talk about which documents and agreements were decisive for the trade and economic agenda and which agreements and documents need to be formalized next year, then I would probably mention the following -- well, first of all, there is an interesting agreement on formalizing a deal on a free trade zone between India and the EAEU ... Several rounds of technical negotiations took place," said the ambassador. Kudashev also said that Moscow and New Delhi may sign several bilateral agreements in 2021 that includes a deal on protecting and promoting investment, while adding that the two countries also plan to update the current deal on avoiding double taxation. ///(Economictimes)

ITBP to induct 10,000 personnel amid India-China standoff

With no end to the India-China standoff along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh insight, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is preparing to raise seven new battalions comprising 10,000 soldiers, bringing up the strength of nearly 90,000 troops to around 1 lakh. While the Union home ministry has already given the go-ahead for this, the cabinet nod is still awaited. Sources in the security grid have told India Today TV that close to 10,000 new personnel will be inducted in the ITBP to guard the sensitive northern borders. The ITBP is deployed over India and China boundary that stretches over 3,488 km from the Karakoram in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh. Induction of more troops will only mean further fortification of borders. An officer privy to this development said, "With the LAC becoming the new LoC, the need of the hour is to fortify further for long standoffs with the Chinese. The move comes amid news of fresh intrusions into India in the Chanthang area of Ladakh. A video of locals protesting against the Chinese troops went viral on Sunday. The video shows locals prevailing over the Chinese, forcing them to move back. The incident took place in the Doletango area. The intelligence officials confirm the area has seen such instances in the past as well. The Rebo Nomads of around 20 had set up 8-10 tents; it is suspected that Chinese PLA came dressed as civilians. Barring 2019, when Nomads did not put up their tents, such incidents have been a regular occurrence. But India is preparing for the long haul. Analysts say, with Chinese forces being beefed up on the other side of the LAC, India cannot afford to lower guard and the addition of troops is to plug the gaps. The real challenge for the forces guarding the LAC will be to prevent any Chinese incursions after the winter gets over and snow melts. The preparations for such a scenario are underway. However, an officer from the force said even after the clearance, ITBP would take at least a year to induct force personnel. This will require budget allocation, and constables recruited through Staff Selection Commission require a 44-46 week training period. ///(IndiaToday)

December 19, 2020

Rafale’s deep-strike cruise missile gets an upgrade for targets in mountains

Faced with the prospect of an adversary on both western and eastern fronts, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has got the French manufacturer to re-calibrate the software of Rafale fighter jet’s SCALP long-range air-launched cruise missile to ensure that the subsonic weapon hits targets up to 4,000 metres above sea level. The subsonic missile with a range in excess of 300 kilometres and a 450-kilogramme warhead is part of the weapon suite on Rafale Omni-role fighter of the IAF. In simple terms, it means that the IAF’s Rafale can demolish targets located in mountains and high plateaus at 4,000 metres instead of the previous calibration of 2,000 metres. The tweaking of the software has been done by the missile manufacturer MBDA in consultation with the top brass of IAF. While the next batch of three Rafale fighters are expected to arrive after 2021 Republic Day, there are plans that the aircraft will be refuelled mid-air by India’s close ally UAE air force using Airbus 330 multi-role transport tankers as they fly towards Ambala air base. As of now, seven Rafales are being used for training IAF pilots in France. The complete fleet of 36 aircraft is scheduled to reach India by the end of 2021. One squadron of this potent fighter will be based at Ambala, the other at Hasimara airbase, which is perched on the Siliguri corridor.Rafale carries a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile Meteor with a range of more than 100 kilometres, the potent SCALP or storm shadow cruise missile and the Hammer precision-guided ammunition. The SCALP missile is used to target command, control, communications, air bases, ports, power stations, ammunition storage depots, surface ships, submarines and other strategic high-value targets. Although both China and Pakistan have developed air-launched cruise missiles, the SCALP is a unique weapon that has a fire-and-forget mechanism. Once launched from the fighter, the cruise missile drops to a terrain-hugging role between 100 to 130 feet from the ground to avoid detection by the enemy radars and jamming systems. Before approaching the target, the missile again goes up to a maximum height of 6,000 metres and then drops perpendicularly on the high-value target. The primary charge first penetrates the target, the secondary charge then blows it to smithereens. With IAF having to defend on both the fronts and mountainous terrain on either side, airpower will have a very significant role to play in the worst-case scenario. The infantry, apart from the airborne special forces, will be used to defend both the Line of Control (LoC) and the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The SCALP’s range will be crucial to degrade enemy’s fight power.\\\(Hintustantimes)

China’s new road cuts travel time to Karakoram Pass, raises red flags in Delhi

Satellite imagery and communication intercepts along the 3,488 kilometre Line of Actual Control (LAC) shows that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is undertaking a significant road and building infrastructure upgrade across Karakoram Pass and Aksai Chin to ramp up military capacities and capability against India. It is quite evident from the surveillance data available to conclude that despite Beijing’s verbal commitments of mutual military disengagement and de-escalation from friction point on Ladakh LAC, the PLA has no intentions of troop or equipment withdrawal from the area. While the government is tight-lipped about the developments, the number of military vehicles and troop hutments have increased along the 597-km Ladakh LAC with a number of fresh dug-outs indicating that the PLA is prepared for a long haul with Indian Army.Indian officials said what was a matter of serious concern was that China has built an alternative 8-10 metre wide road to Karakoram Pass that would shorten the distance to the strategic gateway into Daulet Beg Oldi sector by two hours. “Nearly all the kutcha (unmetalled) roads have been surfaced in the Aksai Chin area with the axis being widened for bigger vehicles carrying heavy equipment,” said a senior military commander. The Chinese infra building activity has also increased in depth areas with a new logistics depot that will have an underground petroleum and oil storage facility coming up at Golmud. The new depot is nearly 1,000 km from the LAC but is linked to Lhasa via Tibet Railway. It will enhance the capacity and capability of the PLA to deploy in Tibetan border with India for a long time and feed the troops in case of a worst-case scenario. While there is continuous activity on Sikkim border, the new concern is the building of two new underground facilities at the Pang Ta air base across Arunachal Pradesh. The PLA uses underground tunnels inside mountains for housing aircraft rather than blast pens on the air bases. A similar tunnel park has been noticed at Lhasa Gonggar air base with an increase in the number of military aircraft. The 1962 Xinjiang military command town of Kangxiwar across Karakoram Pass and on the banks of Karakash River is being revived with a direct highway connectivity to Hotan, a critical air base of PLA Air Force for dominating the restive Uighurs and a launch pad of fighter operations in case of a worst case scenario in East Ladakh. Hotan is located 320 kilometres from the Ladakh LAC.\\\(Hintustantimes)

Delhi Police To Quiz 30 Tibetans For Allegedly Promoting Anti-India Act For China: Sources

It has been around ten months since the Delhi riots took place but the Special Cell of the Delhi Police and other security agencies are still probing the foreign link in the matter. The probe agencies have found a link that China was also somehow involved in the matter through its alleged agent Charlie Peng. 'They have links with the Chinese spy': Sources The Special Cell of the Delhi Police believes that Peng pumped money into the anti-social activities through Tibet nationals. Top sources have confirmed that the Special Cell has made a list of 30 Tibetans among others who will be called to join the investigation."We will call them to join the investigation. They have links with Charlie Peng, the Chinese spy," a highly placed source said. As per sources, the Chinese spy gave them money through different routes and this money was immediately withdrawn by them. Special Cell is probing whether this money was used in Delhi Riots or not. The sources said that the money was given to these Tibetans through shell companies. A source said that as the money was immediately withdrawn by these people, it raises questions. The Special Cell believes that this money was withdrawn and given to the people who might have been involved in Delhi riots or in anti-social activities. If sources are to be believed, the Delhi Police Commissioner also spoke to top officials of Special Cell and Crime Branch regarding this matter as it pertains to national security. Now, the Special Cell has been asked by top brass to look into this criminal conspiracy matter and to make arrests. The Special Cell is also mulling to lodge several fresh FIRs over the matter. Republic Media Network tried to get a quote from top officials of the Special Cell but no one was available.\\\(Republic world)

CAATSA designed not to take punitive action against friends, allies: US diplomat

A tough US law which authorises the administration to impose sanctions on countries that purchase major defence hardware from Russia is not aimed at taking punitive actions against friends and allies, a senior American diplomat has said. Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs R Clark Cooper's remarks on Thursday came after the US on Monday imposed sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act or CAATSA on its NATO ally, Turkey, for procuring Russia's advanced S-400 missile defence system. The US law known as CAATSA is aimed at pushing back on Russian influence. It primarily deals with sanctions on Russian interests such as its oil and gas industry, defence and security sectors, and financial institutions, following Moscow's military intervention in Ukraine in 2014 and its alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential election."The CAATSA sanctions are not designed to be punitive to a partner and ally that has got a sustainment issue or an operation or maintenance issue. We're certainly not looking to disrupt that. Why? Well, we don't want a partner's sovereign defence capabilities to be degraded to put their readiness at risk," Cooper told reporters during a conference call. He was responding to a question on the possibility of sanctions on India under CAATSA because of the purchase of S-400s from Russia. In October 2018, India signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, notwithstanding warning from the Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanction. In view of the evolving security scenario in its neighbourhood, India recently requested Russia to explore the possibility of advancing the supply of the interceptor-based missile systems which can destroy incoming hostile aircraft, missiles and even drones at ranges of up to 400 km. Last year, India made the first tranche of payment of around USD 800 million to Russia for the S-400 missile systems. Cooper said CAATSA is designed to address new significant acquisitions, procurements of Russian systems that would put at risk anything that would be interoperable with US systems or NATO systems. "I would say that one thing, too, from an Indian perspective in particular, which is why I raised the legacy issue, CAATSA's not, again, designed to take punitive action in that space. It's to mitigate and prevent the significant addition of high-level, high-tech Russian systems," he asserted. Cooper said CAATSA sanctions are of a global nature. They are not limited to a particular state or region, and there is no timeline. "There had been questions posed to me and to other colleagues as to we thought sanctions weren't going to be issued to Turkey because nothing had been done in the last few months. That's to just remind that there's no clock (timeline) on the US government applying them, and there's also no blanket waiver either. I know some states have thought or sought that either Congress or the Executive Branch would apply a waiver on sanctions, and I just would offer that is definitely not the case," Cooper said. On sanctions on Turkey, he said, "This was for their knowingly engaging in transactions of a significant nature with Russia. This is particularly with the Rosoboronexport, Russian main arms export entity. This is for the procurement of the S-400. It's a surface-to-air missile system." The Defence Industry Presidency or SSB is a Turkish government procurement entity that purchases defence equipment and has the responsibilities for the defence industrial development of Turkey. This was the target of the CAATSA sanctions, Cooper said. "This was a very hard but necessary choice. And because Turkey has status not only as a bilateral ally with us but as a NATO member and an ally, the US undertook exhaustive efforts to engage diplomatically with the Turkish government at every level to provide an offramp from the S-400 acquisition," he said. NATO or the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 European and North American countries. Cooper said the US made it very clear to Turkey at the highest levels and on numerous occasions that its purchase and pursuit of the S-400 system would endanger the security of US military technology and personnel and provide substantial funds to Russia's defence sector. "This is to get even more granular about this, this is also in the frame of Russia's access to Turkish armed forces and defence industry. Nevertheless, Turkey did decide to move ahead with procurement and the testing of the S-400 system. And this decision resulted in both Turkey's suspension from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme and now sanctions under CAATSA," he said. Turkey procured and tested the S-400 despite the availability of the alternative, Cooper said. That alternative was the NATO interoperable systems that are available, particularly the US-made Patriot battery system. "This was made available to meet Turkey's defence requirements. Further, this step should send a clear message globally: CAATSA is designed to impose costs on Russia in response to its malicious cyber activities, its unacceptable behaviour in Ukraine, and other malign activities worldwide," he said.///(Economictimes)

Japan to develop longer-range anti-ship missiles as China pressure mounts

Japan on Friday said it will develop new "stand-off" anti-ship missiles that can target warships at greater distances around its southwestern Okinawa island chain, including near disputed islets in the East China Sea that China also claims. "The security environment around our southwestern islands has become harsh. We have to respond to that in an appropriate way," Japanese Minister of Defence Nobuo Kishi said at a press briefing. The missiles would allow Japan to expand a strategy known as anti-access area denial (A2AD), that is meant to stop foreign forces from operating freely in waters close to its home territory.The first major defence policy decision by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga comes as Japan acquires air-launched missiles that could be used to hit missile sites in North Korea and is considering other strike weapons such as cruise missiles that could reach ground targets in China. Japan has become increasingly concerned about Chinese activity in the East China Sea, including incursions into waters around the disputed islands know as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. The Okinawa islands are part of a chain stretching from Japan down through to the Philippines that acts as a barrier to Chinese expansion. "Defending Japan's southwestern islands requires longer-range systems because the islands cover a large area and Japan needs overlapping fields of fire," said Zack Cooper, a research fellow at the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute. Japan said its new stand off missile will be based on a 200-km (124-mile) range truck-mounted anti-ship version already deployed on the Okinawa islands. The ministry did not say what range it will have or when they will be deployed. Japan also said on Friday it planned to put new powerful Aegis NSE 0.91 % radars with at least three times the range of older Aegis systems on two new warships in order to reinforce defences against any ballistic missiles fired by North Korea. Deploying the new Aegis radars on ships could cost twice as much and take three years longer to complete than two ground-based versions it cancelled in June, a source with knowledge of the proposal told Reuters earlier. Japan had estimated the ground-based versions would cost around $2 billion. The government didn't give a cost estimate or say how long it expected construction of the vessels to take. ///(Economictimes)

December 16, 2020

India working on next ‘Astra’ missile with 160 km range as Mk1 is integrated in IAF & Navy

India is working on an extended range of the indigenous beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile ‘Astra’ (Sanskrit/Hindi for a launched weapon), which will enable it to strike enemy targets 160 km away, without getting out of its own airspace, ThePrint has learnt. The development comes even as work is on to integrate the current 110 km version of the Astra Mk 1 on board the Indian Air Force’s MiG-29 and Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas’ Mk 1, and the Indian Navy’s MiG-29K aircraft. The Astra Mark 1 is already integrated with the IAF’s Su-30 MKI fighters, and the production process — by state-owned Bharat Dynamics Limited — has begun. Once the overall integration plans are completed, the Astra will be the standard long-range air-to-air missile across India’s entire fighter fleet, except the French-origin Rafale and Mirage. In July this year, the defence ministry formally sanctioned the purchase of 248 Astra missiles, including 48 for the Navy, after a successful September 2019 trial in which it hit a target 90 km away. Sources said Astra has export potential too, and will be considered for sale to friendly countries. Mk 2 by May 2022 As of now, with a range of over 110 km and a maximum speed of Mach 4.5 (over 5,500 kmph), the Astra Mk 1 is seen as a game-changer, which can bring back India’s air-to-air combat superiority over Pakistan. While India now also has European developer MBDA’s Meteor missiles with the Rafale’s induction, they are much more costly (Rs 25 crore each) compared to the Astra (Rs 7-8 crore). For the second version of the Astra missile, called Mark 2, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is working on dual-pulse rocket motor to extend the range up to 160 km by May 2022, sources in the defence and security establishment told ThePrint. Work is also going on to replace the Russian radio frequency (RF) seekers’ on the missile with indigenous ones, a source said. “Three air launch and captive flight tests have been completed with indigenous RF seekers. The indigenous seeker will be proven by June 2021. Subsequently, Astra Mk-1 & Mk-2 missile will be using the indigenous seeker in production,” the source said. At present, all subsystems, except the RF seeker and the inertial measurement unit (IMU), are indigenous. The seekers are being indigenised by Bharat Electronics Limited, Bengaluru, and will be inducted by June 2021, sources said, adding that efforts are on for the development of the indigenous IMUs too. Project Astra was initiated in 2001 In 2001, the DRDO had initiated discussions with various stakeholders on the design and development of an indigenous air-to-air missile system, which could take on adversary targets beyond the visual range, thus providing a strategic advantage. Subsequently, Hyderabad’s Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) was identified as the nodal lab, and a task force was formed to undertake preliminary studies. Sources said although financial sanctions were not available then, activities were initiated with the internal funds of the DRDO. “The major challenges were the development of RF Seeker, miniaturised and robust missile hardware, and integration on IAF frontline aircraft without the support of the foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM),” a source said, adding that DRDO’s management wanted DRDL to demonstrate the basic capability even before the project sanction. Simultaneously, the IAF was requested to generate the programme standard and quality requirement (PSQR). Testing phase The initial effort was to prove the Astra’s performance in ballistic launch from the ground launcher. A source explained that this was done to demonstrate its safe release from the ground, before testing it on manned aircraft. In May 2003, three ballistic missile tests were conducted from the Integrated Test Range, Balasore, using the ground launcher. The propulsion system was proven and the safe release from ground was demonstrated. Subsequently, the PSQR was released, and the project named Astra was sanctioned on 1 April 2004 for a duration of 101 months. During this period, Astra was to be developed and integrated on the Su-30 MKI with the feasibility for integration on MiG-29, Mirage 2000 and LCA platforms as well. “One of the specifications in the PSQR was the requirement of a smokeless propellant system. However, the propulsion system used in the 2003 ground flight trials was with a certain level of smoke. This called for a re-development of a new smokeless propellant for Astra,” a source said. The team then started working on the system, even as in parallel, a team was formed within DRDO laboratories for the development of the avionics system, meeting Astra’s space constraints. In 2007, the control and guidance flight trials were initiated. In the first trial, it was found that the missile was experiencing wing-induced oscillations, which had serious implications for the performance. “One of the most critical technologies required for Astra was the RF seeker technology which was not available in the country then. Therefore, a decision was taken to develop the seeker to meet Astra specifications through AGAT, Russia, an established seeker manufacturer,” the last source cited above said. In 2011, the final missile configuration was frozen and hardware developed to conduct the guided trials, which were conducted successfully in December 2012. Meanwhile, SDI Bangalore was identified to modify the software of Su-30 MKI aircraft — mission computer, radar computer and display computer — to integrate the Astra missile. A launcher was designed and developed to integrate Astra missiles on aircraft. The design of the launcher was such that it should let the missile be integrated on any aircraft with minimum changes, sources said. In May 2014, Astra was air-launched for the first time with all systems performing meeting mission requirements. “In order to prove in various scenarios and envelope of the aircraft, 35 air launches and 150 captive flight sorties were conducted to meet the requirements of the IAF. With the successful launches in September 2019, the Astra weapon was finally accepted by the users,” another source said. Export potential of Astra Sources said the present Astra missile has export potential and can be offered to friendly countries. “No production version is required to be developed separately. The present version is a platform-independent design, but a few modifications may be required as per platform interfacing and data exchange between missile and aircraft,” a source said when asked if any changes need to be made for export. But the source added that integration of the Astra missile on an aircraft needs some changes in the fighter too, and hence, the LCA ‘Tejas’ will be a good platform to export, so that all technical expertise will be within the country.///(The Print)

India on track to acquire Russian S-400 missile defence system

India is on track to acquire the S-400 missile defence system, while it examines the US decision to impose sanctions on NATO ally Turkey’s defence industry over the purchase of the Russian system. Persons familiar with the dynamics of India’s global outreach told ET that since New Delhi maintains autonomy in its foreign policy, the US decision won’t affect the Indian deal. Last week, the external affairs ministry had emphasised that it pursued foreign policy based on national interest and hoped that this was appreciated by partners. “Our relations with Russia stand on their own merits, including in the sphere of military-technical cooperation,” MEA spokesperson had said.Diplomatic sources indicated that India’s case is different from that of Turkey as Ankara went ahead with the purchase of S-400 system despite being a NATO member. The MEA had earlier made it clear that India had no plans to scrap its S-400 deal with Russia despite the US nudge. The Ministry of Defence had also expressed similar views. The Indian government has not been comfortable with repeated US attempts to dissuade it from purchasing the S-400 system. Moreover, India has often taken a strong stand against the use of sanctions as a political tool by one country against the other. In fact, after the June 15 clash with the Chinese PLA on LAC in eastern Ladakh, which resulted in the killing of about 20 Indian military personnel, India had requested Russia to expedite S-400 supply, following which Moscow assured that some systems would reach much before the deadline of 2021-end. /// economictimes

US Congress passes defence policy bill that calls out Chinese aggression against India

The US Congress has officially passed the USD 740 billion defence policy bill, which among other things include calling out Chinese aggression against India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The US House of Representatives and the Senate on Tuesday passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included key components of Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi's resolution language urging the Chinese government to end its military aggression against India along the LAC. China and India have been locked in a military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh since May this year. Several rounds of talks between the two countries to resolve the standoff have not yielded any concrete outcome.The House and Senate versions of the bill were reconciled by a bipartisan Congressional conference committee earlier this month. The inclusion of this provision, which Krishnamoorthi led as an amendment when the bill passed the House, reflects the US government's strong support for its allies and partners like India in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. Krishnamoorthi's measure, which passed each chamber with overwhelming bipartisan support, will become law if President Donald Trump signs it. Trump has threatened to veto the bill as it lacks a repeal of legal protections for social media companies. However, the NDAA has been passed by Congress for the last 59 years. "Violent aggression is seldom the answer, and this is especially true for the Line of Actual Control, which is the disputed border region that separates the People's Republic of China from India," Krishnamoorthi said. "By including my resolution language in the NDAA and signing that legislation into law, the United States government will send a clear message that China's military provocations of India will not be tolerated," he said. "The United States is committed to standing with our allies and partners like India in resolving the border standoff using diplomatic means,' Krishnamoorthi said. As approved by the conference report, the powerful NDAA says that it is the sense of the Congress on the aggression of China along the border with India and its growing territorial claims. The Senate agreed to include the provisions of the bill that was passed by the House in its version of the bill. The House bill contained provisions that would express the sense of Congress on cross-border violence between China and India and the growing territorial claims of Beijing. Expressing "significant concern" over the continued military aggression by China along the border with India, the NDAA says that China "should work with" India toward de-escalating the situation along the Line of Actual Control through existing diplomatic mechanisms and refrain from attempting to settle disputes through coercion or force. Attempts by China to advance baseless territorial claims, including those in the South China Sea, the East China Sea, and with respect to Bhutan, are destabilising and inconsistent with international law, says the bill. China is also engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. China claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims. Beijing has built up and militarised many of the islands and reefs it controls in the region. Both areas are stated to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources and are also vital to global trade. ///(Economictimes)

December 14, 2020

HAL’s Avionics Div Assembles first Israeli AESA Radar 2052 for Jaguar jets

HAL’s Avionics Div, Hyderabad has acquired clearance for the primary AESA Radar (CBU part) to be fitted on the Jaguar DARIN III UPG plane. That is the primary AESA radar being fitted on any platform in India. HAL Hyderabad is the manufacturing company for a complete of 54 AESA radars underneath ToT from IAI, Elta Methods, Israel In a short ceremony held on 20 November 2020, the Clearance Certificates was handed over by HV Kumar, RDAQA (Hyd) to Mr Rajeev Kumar, GM (AD). “ELTA ELM-2052 is a Hearth Management Radar FCR designed for air-to-air superiority/strike missions, based mostly on totally solid-state Energetic Electronically Scanning Array AESA tech enabling the radar to attain lengthy detection ranges and multi-target monitoring capabilities”: IAI web site In February 2020, HAL entered right into a contract with IAI for 54 of those underneath ToT. As a part of the TOT, HAL will manufacture Gallium arsenide (GaAs) based mostly transistors and receivers that are a part of the radar Antenna . ELTA ELM-2052 can also be being chosen for the 83 Tejas Mk1A fighter jets./// (PG-Intel)

Indian Navy to lease F18 Super Hornet from the US

As per several sources, The Indian Navy in an advanced stage of negotiations to take one squadron strength of American-made F-18 jets. Under the newly introduced Defense ministry leasing guidelines, the Indian Navy is looking to lease several platforms. Including, light utility helicopters for its logistical needs among others. The Navy is looking to fill vital gaps in the frontline warships by urgently leasing 12-18 helicopters from foreign vendors. Amid the ongoing border row between India and China, last month Navy leased two Sea Guardian drones from the American giant General Atomics for intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance over the Indian Ocean. A possible lease of 15-18 units of FA-18 Block III or one squadron multirole fighter jets is under advanced stages of negotiation. Could be operated from the Indian Aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and under trails INS Vikrant IAC. Though there are no official confirmations, there are no smokes without fire. Boeing has been flying a F/A-18E/F Super Hornet off a ground-based ski jump at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland. This is part of a demonstration effort for the Indian Navy to show that the aircraft can operate from short take-off but arrested recovery configured (STOBAR) aircraft carriers, such as the INS Vikramaditya and the future INS Vikrant. F-18 ski-jump demonstration program :: An Indian defense analyst who goes by the Twitter handle @hukum2082 was first to reveal this flight testing, which was then picked up by another Indian analyst, Saurabh Joshi, in another series of tweets, on Aug. 19, 2020. The Chicago-headquartered plane maker subsequently confirmed that this ski jump demonstration program is presently taking place at Patuxent River, though it is not clear when exactly it began. The naval air station has a ground-based ski jump that it used during testing of the short and vertical takeoff and landing capable F-35B variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. Twitter handle user @hukum2082 now claims that the Indian Navy in an advanced stage of procuring Boeing,s F-18 Block III. “Boeing and the U.S. Navy are in the beginning phases of operating a F/A-18 Super Hornet from a ski jump at Naval Air Station Patuxent River to demonstrate it is STOBAR compliant for the Indian Navy,” Justin Gibson, a Boeing spokesperson, told The War Zone. “Boeing completed the extensive analysis and more than 150 flight simulations on F/A-18 compatibility with Indian aircraft carriers, and while our assessment has shown the Block III Super Hornet is very capable of launching off a ski jump, this is the next step in demonstrating that capability. More details will be released upon the conclusion of the test demonstration.” McDonnell Douglas F18 Legacy McDonnell Douglas, which developed the original F/A-18 Hornet and was subsequently acquired by Boeing. Had also previously conducted ski jump tests with that aircraft at the tail end of the Cold War. That testing showed that with as little as a nine-degree incline, the total required takeoff roll for the Hornet could be cut in half, though it’s unclear what the jet’s gross weight had to be to achieve this performance. Ski jumps generally increase the takeoff performance of combat jets in the absence of catapults and also provide an added margin of safety. The Mighty F18 The F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet is the world’s most lethal, advanced, combat-proven, multi-role frontline fighter-jet. The Block III version which is currently being manufactured for the United States Navy will enable the Indian armed forces to challenge the next generation of adversaries. It can perform virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum including air superiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defense, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control and buddy refueling. Significant technology insertions in the form of advanced cockpit, new computing & advanced data link, conformal fuel tanks, increase airframe life, and ability to carry a wide variety of weapons makes F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet most lethal platform for Air Force and Navies of the world. More than 700 F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets are in operation today. F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet will offer superior economics to the Indian armed forces in the form of low cost of acquisition, operations, and high mission readiness./// (ifenewsnetwork.)

December 12, 2020

Amid China stand-off, Mountain Strike Corps to get its own artillery brigade

Amid the ongoing tensions with China in Eastern Ladakh, the Panagarh (West Bengal)-based Mountain Strike Corps (MSC) is set to get its own artillery brigade, ThePrint has learnt. An artillery brigade is already attached to the Mountain Strike Corps’ only division but the new brigade will be attached to the Corps. In military parlance, a division is typically constituted of three brigades, which usually consist of armoured, infantry and artillery units besides other elements. Two or more divisions then make up a corps. Sources in the defence and security establishment said work has already started on raising the new artillery brigade, which will see larger deployment of the Ultra Light Howitzers besides other guns. Although the grand plans of a full-fledged Mountain Strike Corps, which would have involved over 90,000 troops and expenditure of over Rs 64,000 crore across an eight-year period, was put on a back burner in 2016 due to budgetary constraints, the ongoing Ladakh conflict has shown how useful they can be, sources said. The Mountain Strike Corps has only one division as of now. Sources, however, said there was no progress in the potential raising of another division, which is meant to be based in Pathankot. The developments come even as the Army is reportedly looking at converting some of its fighting formations into dual-tasked ones, which would allow them to fight against both China and Pakistan. A critical component in mountain warfare Sources said the new artillery brigade with the corps would be useful as the infantry, artillery and Air Force are critical for mountain warfare. “The armoured elements in the heights are possible in Ladakh and some areas of Sikkim but not in the rest of the terrain. Air Power is essential but it is dependent on weather. The only thing available to act as a punisher round the clock in the mountains are the artillery,” a source said, while explaining why the guns were important. Sources explained that while in the plains, 1:3 is the ratio needed for an offensive infantry operation, it increases to 1:9 in the mountains. “So to counter one enemy in the heights, you would need nine of our own for offence. The dynamics of mountain warfare is very different,” said a second source. The Mountain Strike Corps Although originally envisaged way back in 2000, the Mountain Strike Corps was finally sanctioned only in 2013. However, the raising of the new corps, which was to be manpower- and equipment-intensive, hit a financial roadblock. While the corps was supposed to have two divisions instead of the regular three, only the Panagarh-based 51 Division was raised. Plans for raising of the second division were put on hold due to a paucity of funds. It was then thought that the MSC can be divided into Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs), a new concept brought in by then Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat. The Mountain Strike Corps, also known as the 17 Corps, debuted last year in the massive exercise called “HimVijay”, which also saw the IBGs concept in action . / (The print)

Kolkata shipbuilder to launch high-tech stealth warship next week

Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, a state-owned shipyard, will launch the first of three stealth frigates for the Indian Navy on Monday (December 14). The three ships belong to the Project 17A class of frigates; The Mazagon Docks Limited in Mumbai is building four ships of the same class. The Narendra Modi government had cleared the construction of the seven warships in February 2015 with an estimated budgetary allocation of Rs 50,000 crore. Last year, Mazagon Docks launched the first ship of the Project 17A class, to be called the INS Nilgiri. CMD of GRSE retired rear-admiral V.K. Saxena gave details of the project in an interview to The Times of India earlier this week. “The order for the three stealth frigates at a cost of nearly Rs 19,289 crore is the biggest ever for GRSE. The ships… have a displacement of 6,670 tonnes each. They will have the most advanced, state-of-the-art sensors and armaments on board. The ships will also have advanced stealth features. These frigates are among the best in the world and the whole country and West Bengal as well as Kolkata should be proud of this achievement." The Project 17A class frigates will be the most advanced class of major surface warship in the Indian Navy in a decade's time. Though the design of the Project 17A class is derived from the preceding Shivalik class frigate, the former uses more features to reduce its chance of radar detection. The Project 17A uses a 'flush deck' layout in which the deck has a uniform, continuous layout from bow to stern, which reduces its radar cross-section. The Project 17A class frigates are being built using a 'modular' technique in which different parts of the ship are built separately and welded together. Modular construction allows for both increased pace of construction of multiple ships and also ease of incorporating upgrades. The Project 17A will have an armament similar to the Kolkata class destroyers, including BrahMos supersonic surface-to-surface missiles to attack ships and shore targets and the Indo-Israeli Barak-8 surface-to-air missiles. While the Project 17A will have the same EL/M-2248 radar to acquire targets for the Barak-8 missiles as the Kolkata class has, it will also have an advanced secondary radar. There has been speculation the Project 17A will have the LTR-25 'Lanza' radar from Spanish company Indra. The LTR-25 has a range in excess of 400km and can detect a large number of aerial targets, including ballistic missiles. The Project 17A will also have torpedoes and rockets to hit submarines and rapid-fire guns to destroy anti-ship missiles as well as a heavy main gun to engage ships and coastal target . / (The week)

First separation tests of Safran’s 1,000-kg AASM “Hammer” air-to-ground weapon on Rafale a success

The new 1,000-kilogram version of the AASM “Hammer”* air-to-ground modular weapon, designed and produced by Safran Electronics & Defense, successfully completed its first two inert separation tests from a Rafale omnirole fighter. The tests were conducted at the French defense procurement agency DGA’s Cazaux flight test center in southwest France. The separation dynamics observed during the two firings were in line with simulations. These industrial validation tests were designed to check the correct sequencing of all components of the wing hardpoint and the weapon, as well as the wing deployment mechanism on the range extension kit. Following these successful separation tests, the first live firing tests will be conducted in 2021 as part of the final development and qualification of the 1,000-kg AASM. The 1,000-kg AASM features a guidance kit derived from the 250-kg version and a specific range extension kit. The 1,000-kg AASM has the same modular characteristics as the 250-kg version with the BLU109 penetrating bomb body and MK84 conventional body, as well as its close functional integration with the Rafale, especially for fire control system and configuration options. This new weapon will give the Rafale an enhanced strike capability, with payload configurations of up to three 1,000-kg AASMs per aircraft. Its standoff range is also extended, thanks to the integrated propulsion system. Developed and produced by Safran Electronics & Defense based on existing bombs from 250 kg to 1,000 kg, the AASM Hammer family is the air-to-ground weapon of choice for the Rafale. The 1,000-kg version rounds out the AASM range. Qualification is planned for 2022, leading to service entry on the new Rafale F4 standard. / ( Indian Defence News )

December 11, 2020

DRDO's carbine successfully completes Army's user trials

At a time when the Indian Army is hunting for a new carbine, a DRDO-designed 5.56x30 mm protective carbine has successfully undergone the final phase of user trials on December 7, 2020, meeting all the qualitative parameters. The Army has been looking for a carbine for many years. Recently, its tender was stuck at the final stage in which a middle-Eastern weapon was selected. The successful trial of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carbine has paved the way for induction into the services. This was the last leg of trials in a series of user trials which have been carried out in extreme temperature conditions in summer and high altitudes in winter. According to the Defence Ministry, the Joint Venture Protective Carbine (JVPC) has successfully met the stringent performance criteria of reliability and accuracy in addition to quality trials conducted by the Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA). JVPC is a gas-operated semi-bull-pup automatic weapon having more than 700 rpm rate of fire. The effective range of the carbine is more than 100 m and weighs about 3.0 kg with key features like high reliability, low recoil, retractable butt, ergonomic design, single hand firing capability, and multiple picatinny rails etc. These features make it a very potent weapon for counter-insurgency/counter-terrorism operations by security agencies. The carbine has been designed as per the Indian Army's GSQR, by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), a Pune based laboratory of DRDO. The weapon is manufactured at a small-arms factory, Kanpur while the ammunition is manufactured at an ammunition factory, Kirkee Pune. The weapon has already passed the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) trials and procurement action is initiated by the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and various state police organisations. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had unveiled the 5.56 x 30 mm JVPC during DefExpo- 2020 at Lucknow. .. .. TOI

Indian Army mulling dual-task fighting formations to deal with both China, Pakistan

Amid an ongoing conflict in Eastern Ladakh, the Indian Army is mulling converting some of its fighting formations into dual-tasked ones which would allow them to fight against both China and Pakistan. Till recently, the focus of the fighting formations was mainly towards the Pakistan border as the Line of Actual Control was not that active. The balance of the operational preparedness is heavily tilted towards the Western border can be seen from the fact that there are three Strike Corps deployed for offensive there while only one offensive Mountain Strike Corps has been created for the Northern borders. "There will be no need to raise any additional forces or a new strike corps in view of the ongoing conflict. The existing fighting formations can be given dual-tasking to look after both fronts," government sources told ANI. Different proposals in this regard are being considered by Army headquarters and suggestions have also been sought from the different Army commanders as a need has been felt to further enhance preparedness on the LAC, they said. The way these formations could be made dual tasked would be decided as per the discussions and decisions based on them, the sources said. The Strike Corps on the western front including the 21 Strike Corps in Bhopal along with the Strike One in Mathura and the Kharga Corps in Ambala are heavly armoured and have their formations located all over the western, central and northern sector Including some which are very close to the China border. The reorientation of the fighting formations of the 1.3 million force would be a major exercise and is expected to prepare the defence forces for a two-front war in real senses, the sources said. In the ongoing border conflict with China also, the Army has done some balancing and brought in a large number of the armoured element from Central and western India. The BMPs, T-90s and T-72s of the Indian Army have been deployed heavily to more than match the Chinese presence opposite the Ladakh sector. Over three Indian Army Mountain Divisions are additionally deployed in the Eastern Ladakh sector against around 60,000 Chinese troops in that area. India and China have been engaged in a conflict since April-May timeframe in Eastern Ladakh and the deployments have gone up significantly in other sectors too along the entire LAC. TOI

Why Indian Navy's Proposal to Acquire a Third Aircraft Carrier May Not Materialise

Even though the Indian Navy has once again reiterated its determination to acquire a third aircraft carrier, the possibility of materialising it, even in the distant future, appears nebulous due primarily to financial and operational reasons. At his annual press conference in New Delhi on December 3, on the eve of Navy Day, Indian Navy chief of staff, Admiral Karambir Singh, declared – like many of his predecessors had before him – that the navy was bent upon acquiring a third carrier: one for each seaboard and one in reserve. “As a navy, we are absolutely clear of the utility of a third carrier,” Admiral Singh categorically stated in his presser. Airpower at sea is required “here and now”, he declared. As a putative five-trillion-dollar economy, he added that India needed a navy with reach and sustenance to protect its expanding strategic interests. The third proposed indigenous aircraft carrier-2 (IAC-2) would supplement INS Vikramaditya (ex-Admiral Gorshkov), the 46,000 tonne refurbished Russian Kiev-class vessel, and INS Vikrant, the 40,262 tonne IAC-1 that is scheduled to join service in 2022 after sea trials scheduled to begin next year, following nearly a six-year delay. But sadly, the declaration of intent by the naval chief is simply not enough. The burden of financing Over years, the debate over IAC-2 has been plagued not only by its astronomical cost but also its overall operational efficacy in an environment of burgeoning anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capability via long-range ballistic and cruise missiles. Steadily declining domestic military budgets and vacillation by the ministry of defence (MoD) in approving the programme too had collectively thwarted the carrier project. Even within the navy, senior officers question the monetary logic of building a new carrier at the cost of inducting additional submarines – whose numbers had depleted to 15, of which 13 were between 19 and 33 years old and are nearing retirement. These numbers are nine boats less than the 24 submarines that the navy has been projected to operate by 2030 in accordance with its Maritime Capability Perspective Plan (MCPP). Correspondingly, equally critical surface combatants, like corvettes, nine-sweepers, destroyers, and frigates, have been in short supply like naval utility helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other assorted missiles and ordnance. These officers’ reasoning centred on the unresolved debate in other navies around the world between operationally pursuing a ‘sea denial’ strategy, largely by deploying submarines, or alternately seeking a ‘sea control’ approach via costly and relatively more vulnerable carrier battle groups (CBGs) that entail an inordinately large number of surface and underwater escorts. The Indian Navy’s doctrine, however, opts for CBGs on the grounds that these comprise the most ‘substantial’ instruments in securing this latter aim, as these assets possess ‘ordnance delivery capability of a high order’ to assist the navy in prevailing over the enemy’s ‘Centre of Gravity’ by degrading their decisive points. Be that as it may, one former naval chief has conceded to The Wire that a major debate is needed on whether or not to build another aircraft carrier, as any such programme had ‘massive’ financial implications. “India needs to decisively convince itself that operationally and doctrinally the navy needs a third carrier. But it is also imperative that it should not come at the expense of other military projects and weapon system requirements,” he adds, declining to be identified. The financial ramifications of building a 65,000-70,000 tonne conventionally-powered ‘flat top’ carrier, tentatively capable of embarking 50-60 fixed and rotary wing platforms, attaining speeds of up to 30kts for an estimated Rs 80,000-90,000 crore, is critical in times of continuing economic recession, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, the Indian Navy is desperately short of funds, with a capital allocation in the fiscal year 2020-21 of Rs 26,688 crore for new equipment and platforms, or a shortfall of Rs 18,580 crore of the Rs 45,268 crore the service had demanded. Earlier in 2019-20, the Indian Navy’s capital budget of Rs 23,156 crores was less than the Rs 25,461 crore it owed assorted vendors for previously acquired equipment and services, resulting in deferred payments. Also read: Recent Crash Brings Inherent Technical Problems With MiG-29KUB to the Fore Consequently, in recent months the Indian Navy has been forced to tighten its belt by reducing its long-standing requirement for 12 Mine Counter Measure Vessels to eight, and that for 10 Russian Kamov Ka-31 Helix early warning and control helicopters, to just six platforms. Earlier in November 2019, the MoD had sanctioned the import of six additional Boeing P-8I Neptune long-range, maritime multi-mission aircraft for $1.8 billion, instead of the 10 that the navy had wanted. Indian Navy officials also say that the reduction in such equipment purchases is part of its initiative to ‘rationalise’ its expenditure after the MoD had failed to meet its demand in late 2019 for an additional Rs 20,000 crore to fund long-delayed acquisitions. According to Admiral Singh, the ongoing resource crunch had forced the navy to revise its goal of operating 200 warships by 2027 in keeping with its MCCP to just 175. At his annual press conference in December 2019, the Indian Navy chief had stated that the navy’s share of the annual defence budget had dropped from 18% in the fiscal year 2012-13 to merely 13% in the fiscal year 2019-20 and that fielding even the reduced number of 175 platforms, was ‘optimistic’. Therefore, to mitigate shortages Admiral Singh advocated upgrading technology and weaponry on existing and under-construction platforms and finding cheaper substitutes. The MCCP had also envisaged Indian Navy operating 458 fixed and rotary wing platforms by the end of this decade. But in view of the prevailing financial resource crunch, these numbers too had been revised downwards to around 320, naval sources said adding that even these quantities were ‘aspirational’. Growing support for submarines’ acquisition Meanwhile, much to the Indian Navy’s chagrin, chief of defence staff, General Bipin Rawat, too is opposed to the navy acquiring a carrier. On at least two occasions over this year the CDS, responsible for acquisitions and India’s overall military force development, has stated that the navy needs ‘more submarines than carriers, which themselves require their own individual armadas for protection’. The other principal opponent to financing a carrier for the IN remains the Indian Air Force (IAF) that too is competing for a greater share of depreciating annual defence budgets, as it grapples to make good its fighter, helicopter and transport aircraft shortages, amongst other essential equipment. “We need to prioritise our military equipment procurements in keeping with regional threats and limited financial resources that are fast reducing,” says military analyst Air Marshal V.K. Bhatia (retired). Under these precarious financial conditions, an aircraft carrier would not only be a costly indulgence but also entail fielding a platform that remains victim to layered missile defence systems employed under China’s evolved A2/AD strategy, he adds. Even the US Navy considers this a serious threat to its advanced nuclear-powered carriers. Other IAF officers have declared that Anglo-French fighters like SEPECAT Jaguar IM/IS and multi-role Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKIs, fitted with enhanced maritime strike capability and extended strike ranges via in-flight refuelling, could project power more economically and securely than a carrier. The IAF’s maritime Jaguar IM fleet, for instance, is armed with AGM-84L Block II Harpoon missiles of which India acquired 24 units in 2010 for $170 million, and will soon be fitted with Israel Aerospace Industries-Elta EL/M-2052/2060 multi-mode active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for sea-borne operations. And, in January 2020, the IAF had commissioned its first Su-30MKI squadron, coast-armed with the BrahMos-A(Air) supersonic cruise missile with a 292km strike range, at Thanjavur on India’s southeast coast to monitor the country’s eastern and western seaboards and the wider Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Military planners say that deploying Su-30MKIs armed with the BrahMos-A to police the IOR is a strategically prudent move in response to China’s expanding naval footprint in the area. They say that the Su-30MKI with its 1,500km operational range – without the assistance of mid-air refueling, and much further with it – would enhance the IAF’s capability to engage potential targets with pinpoint accuracy. Earlier, in May 2015, the MoD had sanctioned Rs 30 crore to the Directorate of Naval Design (DND) in New Delhi to begin conceptualising plans for IAC-2, but little or nothing had progressed thereafter. But, despite such obstacles, the IN has persevered incrementally with the IAC-2 project. In December 2017, former chief Adm Sunil Lanba had declared that the navy had determined the ‘form and fit’ of the 65,000-tonne platform that would be equipped with a Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) system to launch its fighters. For this task, the navy is considering acquiring the costly General Atomics Electro Magnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) from the US, which it has extensively discussed with the US Navy in the Joint Working Group on Aircraft Carrier Technology Co-operation (JWGACTC) established in January 2015. Thereafter, the Indian Navy had conducted at least three rounds of preliminary discussions on its planned carrier with the US Navy, but senior officers say it remains primarily a ‘talking shop’ till MoD approvals are secured to definitively progress IAC-2. The Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design (DND), however, believes the EMALS system would enable the Indian Navy to induct fighters heavier than the MiG-29K/KUBs that presently operate off Vikramaditya – and, eventually from Vikrant once it is commissioned – in addition to airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platforms, and even unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs). Accordingly, the Indian Navy issued a request for information (RfI) in early 2017 for 57 Multi-Role Carrier Borne Fighters (MRCBF) in fly-away condition for IAC-2 for an estimated $10-12 billion. The RfI for the day-and-night, all-weather capable MRCBF requires the platform to conduct air defence and air-to-surface operations, buddy refueling, reconnaissance and electronic warfare missions. Potential vendors would need to stipulate whether their single or twin-engine MRCBF are capable of STOBAR and CATOBAR operations using the EMALS. Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, infra-red search and track (IRST) systems, laser range finders and helmet-mounted or direct retinal displays too are mandated fitments, like four beyond visual range (BVR) and two all aspect air-to-air missiles. The RfI also requires the shortlisted platform to be able to accommodate assorted indigenously developed and commercial off-the-shelf equipment. Four vendors have responded, like Boeing (US), Rafale (France), Russian Aircraft Corporation and Saab (Sweden), but a formal tender awaits MoD sanction. Adm Singh indicated in his press conference earlier this week that the MRCBF would, in all likelihood, be linked to the IAF’s pending procurement of some 110 fighters. But regrettably, like the carrier from which they will operate, the MRCBF too remain, for now, little more than a gleam in the Indian Navy’s eager eye. thewire