Army gets attack helicopters as India eyes China threat

The ability of the Indian Armed forces, especially of the Indian Army, to take on China and Pakistan in the icy Himalayan heights will get a new boost soon.

By March 2013, the Indian Army's plan to have an inbuilt air component for each of its 13 Corps (a Corps has approximately 60,000 soldiers) will begin to take shape.

According to a plan drawn up by the Army Aviation Corps, each Corps will have three squadrons (30 helicopters) of various types. The three squadrons will have three distinct roles--reconnaissance and surveillance, attack and utility.
 While the existing fleet of Cheetahs and Chetaks will continue to have the reconnaissance and surveillance roles, the indigenously built light combat helicopter (LCH), christened Rudra, will combine other two tasks.

Currently, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is tasked with manufacturing 60 LCH Rudras. The first 20 helicopters are expected to be inducted into the Army Aviation Corps starting March 2013 after the choppers are put through the mandatory Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) at the Bangalore-based Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC).

HAL which has developed the armed helicopters will be responsible for carrying out the certification process.

The Rudra will come armed with a M6-21, 20 MM turret gun, 70 mm rockets, besides anti-tank guided missile as well as air to air missiles.

The first two squadrons of the Rudra will be armed with imported missiles. The subsequent batches of helicopters will be armed with indigenously made missiles.

The Rudra is powered by a new Shakti engine which has been jointly developed by the HAL and French engine manufacturer Turbomeca. The new engine will allow the Rudra to fly at altitudes above 20,000 ft.

The Himalayas along the India-China border and in areas along the Pakistan border at places rise to as much as 20,000 feet and beyond. The newly developed Shakti engines will enable the choppers to fly to these heights with a full weapon pay-load.

The importance of the new machines joining the Indian Armed Forces cannot be over emphasised. The current attack helicopters - Russian made MI-25 and MI-35 helicopters cannot fly beyond 12000 feet.

The Rudra is the armed version of the Advanced light helicopter (ALH) that is already in service. The helicopter has integrated sensors, weapons and Electronic Warfare (WEW) suite. The sensors include Infra- Red Imaging, day and night cameras and a laser ranging and designation device.

The helicopter also has advanced missile, radar and laser tracking warning system.

Besides this, to reduce the load on the pilots it has countermeasures like chaff and fare which are dispensed automatically.

Sources told NDTV that the first 60 helicopters will be inducted into the three Strike Corps of the Indian Army, based respectively in Bhopal, Ambala and Mathura and then in formations deployed along the India-China border both in the North-east and Ladakh.

The final plan of the Indian Army is to have a separate brigade of Aviation Corps with each of the 13 Corps of the Indian Army. Each of these Aviation Brigades are expected to have a squadron dedicated to carry out surveillance and reconnaissance, a separate squadron of armed helicopters and third squadron of Light Utility Helicopters for ferrying people and other duties.

NDTV

India wants license to produce Iron Dome - report

Israel and India are discussing cooperating in the development of weapons systems. "Defense News" reports from New Delhi that one of the aspects of this trend is India's wish to procure and manufacture the Iron Dome system against short-range missiles.
During a visit to India last week, Ministry of Defense director general Udi Shani discussed with India's Defense Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma the progress of current defense projects by the two countries and plans for potential projects. "Defense News" said that Israeli diplomats in India and Israeli government officials and defense industry sources declined to comment on the report.
The discussions on the Iron Dome system focused on India's wish to procure it on a "buy and build" basis; in other words, to procure the Iron Dome and obtain a license from Israel to manufacture it. An Indian source said that Israel had agreed to sell the system to India, but was hesitant about selling to India the technology needed to manufacture it. The report did not say whether the US would agree to the proposed deal.
Current Israeli-Indian projects include development of a medium-range ballistic missile and development of a long-range ballistic missile at a combined cost of $2 billion. The two countries are also developing a ground-to-ground missile. India media reports say that this is a program of India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), but that, in practice, Israel is a partner through three companies: Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) (TASE: ARSP.B1), its subsidiary Elta Sytems Ltd., and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., according to sources quoted by "Defense News". Shani and Sharma discussed extending the range of this missile from 1,000 kilometers to 3,000 kilometers.
The list of future projects discussed included a plan to develop aircraft-launched micro-satellites, and plans to develop laser-guided missiles and munitions. According to an Israeli defense source, other possible plans include specialized radar systems, such as an airborne system for Indian-made light combat planes, and a long-range system for tracking ballistic missiles. At this stage, it is not known whether the parties reached a final agreement during Shani's visit about which projects will go ahead.
Shani and Sharma also discusses delays in the joint project to develop a long-range naval missile to protect India Navy ships from aerial attack. The $600 million project, begun in 2005, is still in the testing stage, even though it was supposed to be ready by mid-2012. IAI is the Israeli contractor in this project. The missile was tested in Israel in July. Sources said that the missile would probably be operational in mid-2014.

 Globes , Israel business news

Russia, India to Discuss Vikramaditya Delivery at Summit in Delhi

Delivery of aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (former Russian Admiral Gorshkov) to India will be discussed at the Russian-Indian summit in Delhi late in Dec 2012, reports Vpk.name referring to RIA Novosti and press service of Sevmash shipyard revamping the ship.

Earlier on, Russian president's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said Putin would visit Delhi on Dec 24. All issues of the bilateral agenda must be completed before that date.

"The national leadership puts great emphasis upon implementation of this bilateral project. Russian and Indian presidents will meet in Delhi soon. Among priority matters, the leaders will discuss completion of the ship's trials, additional flight and sea tests, and delivery of Vikramaditya to Indian Navy", said Yekaterina Pilikina, press secretary of Sevmash shipyard.

India was supposed to receive the ship on Dec 4, 2012. However, a number of defects were revealed in Sept during sea trial round; in particular, steam boilers of main propulsion plant failed to reach full power. According to initial contract, Russia was supposed to deliver the ship back in 2008. Later on, president of United Shipbuilding Corporation declared it was planned to hand over the ship to India by the end of 2013.

Currently, INS Vikramaditya is moored at Sevmash. The shipyard is working on defective parts of the carrier.

"Sevmash actively got in defect elimination process, now hot works are going on. Program of recovery activities has been agreed with numerous contractors and trial participants, including MiG and Kamov, Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief and president of United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) Andrei Diachkov who had approved the program", Pilikina said.

She added that the ship would take sea to resume trials early in the summer 2013.

Rusnavy

India successfully tests N-capable missile

Bhubaneswar: India on Wednesday carried out a successful test of its nuclear-capable surface-to-surface Agni-I missile from a military base in Odisha.
 The intermediate-range ballistic missile, which can strike a target 700 km away, was tested from a facility on Wheeler Island near Dhamra in Bhadrak district, 170 km from here.

The test was carried out by the Strategic Forces Command of the Indian armed forces as part of a training exercise to ensure preparedness, director of the Integrated Test Range, a senior official MVKV Prasad said.

"The mission was successful," he said.

Scientists from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which developed the missile, witnessed and supervised the test, Prasad added.

IANS / Zeenews

IAF fast expanding, procuring latest machines: Official

Indian Air Force is fast expanding and procuring the latest machines as India is playing an important role in the Geo-politics of the World, a top IAF official said on Tuesday. Making a reference to the rapidly changing threat scenario with the emergence of increased military ambitions of "one of our neighbours" in the Indian Oceanic region, Air Marshal, RK Jolly, Air Oficer, Commanding-in Chief, Southern Air Command said at Sulur, 20 km from Coimbatore, that the SAC played an important role in protecting the Southern Seas and Island territories of Andaman and Nicobar.
When asked to elaborate, Jolly said with strategic installations like Aeronautical, Space and Nuclear plants, SAC has important role to protect and defend the systems.
Jolly, who briefed about the December 18 visit of President, Pranab Mukherjee to grant "Standards" to two IAF squadrons, said in this connection the Air Force base in Sulur would be expanded soon.

For the first time, a Light Air Combat Squadron would be installed at Sulur, maybe by 2016, he said. Similarly, IAF would seek approval from the ministry to establish a squadron in Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu and develop infrastructure, Jolly said.
SAC, he said, was entrusted with the defence of air space of the Southern Peninsula and was being steadily upgraded with newer system and aircraft.
In short, the Country's armed forces were always prepared as a deterrent to prevent war and protect the interests of the nation, Jolly said.

IBN Live  / PTI

India, Ukraine ink defence cooperation agreement

A broad defence cooperation agreement was among five pacts signed following delegation-level talks between the visiting Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday.

With Ukraine having consolidated its military enterprises into bodies under governmental control, on the lines of what Russia did to its military-industrial complex a decade ago, New Delhi feels the path has been smoothened for a more intimate defence relationship.

Instead of dealing with a number of defence enterprises scattered over Ukraine, India will find it easier to conduct focussed negotiations, which could help it get a better deal.

During the Soviet times, Ukraine was home to 30 per cent of the country’s military industrial complex and it is now attempting to modernise its defence industry. In this scenario, India senses it will be able to duplicate its approach towards Russia of moving away from the buyer-seller relationship and going in for an R&D-joint production model such as the pacts with Moscow for Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft, Military Transport Aircraft and BrahMos.

Ukraine is already modernising India’s 100-plus fleet of military transport aircraft and has been active in providing engines for naval vessels and military spares.

Ukraine in turn assured India of its support in a bid to join four international export control organisations, including the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group. Kiev voluntarily gave up the nuclear weapons arsenal it had inherited from the Soviet Union and its backing to India in this respect is considered important.

The two sides also inked an agreement on exchanging nuclear safety-related information. Ukraine operates 15 reactors of the same type as the ones being put up by Russia at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu. As the Ukrainian reactors are a decade or more older, transfer of safety-related expertise would be of help to Indian nuclear engineers.India pressed hard on the visa issue which, it feels, is a major non-tariff barrier. Official don’t know if the fortnight-long wait for business visas is Ukraine’s retaliation for India clamping down on visas to women of a certain age group from Ukraine and Central Asian countries, but the subject was deemed crucial enough for Dr. Singh to mention it to the Ukrainian President.

India feels one reason for the huge trade deficit with Ukraine is visa issuance delays. It made progress with another approach to reduce the imbalance, currently 5:1 in Kiev’s favour, with Ukraine agreeing to Indian investments in the fertilizer sector. 

The Hindu

Russia Delivers Three Upgraded MiG-29 Fighter Jets to India

(RIA Novosti) :  The first three MiG-29UPG fighter jets have been delivered to India under a contract to modernize the fleet of MiG-29 aircraft in service with the Indian Air Force (IAF), the MiG aircraft maker said.
“The MiG corporation…has started deliveries of upgraded MiG-29UPG fighter jets to the Indian Air Force,” the company said in a statement on Monday.
“The first three aircraft have been transported to India on board an AN-124 heavy-lift transport plane,” the statement said.
The IAF has awarded the MiG corporation a $900 million contract to upgrade all of its 69 operational MiG-29s.
These upgrades include a new avionics kit, with the N-109 radar being replaced by a Phazatron Zhuk-M radar. The aircraft is also being equipped to enhance beyond-visual-range combat ability and for air-to-air refueling to increase flying time.
The service life of the modernized aircraft has been extended to 40 years.
The first six aircraft are upgraded in Russia while the remaining 63 will be refitted at the HAL facility in India.
In 2007, Russia gave India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) a license to manufacture 120 RD-33 series 3 turbojet engines for the upgrade.
“We are getting ready to carry out the work on the second part of the contract, which stipulates the modernization of the [MiG-29] aircraft in India in close cooperation with the Indian defense industry,” the MiG press service said.

Tata Power builds India's first indigenous artillery gun - NewsX

                                                          source : newsxlive

Army to have its own heavy duty attack helicopter fleet

Government has decided to allow the Army to have its own heavy duty attack helicopter fleet, Defence Minister A K Antony said today.

"Yes... the decision to vest the future inductions of attack helicopters with the Army has been taken keeping in view the operational requirements in the field," Antony told Lok Sabha in a written reply.

He was asked if it has been decided to let the Army have its own heavy duty attack chopper fleet.

The Army, which has been demanding control over attack and medium-lift helicopters, was recently allowed by the Defence Ministry to have its own combat chopper fleet.

The force plans to deploy these assets in its three Strike Corps and ten Pivot corps along the western, northern and north eastern borders of the country.

Answering a query on schools run by the Army, he said, "A case for exemption of Army schools from the ambit of Right to Education Act has been received from the Army headquarter and the same is under consideration of the Government."

In reply to another query on DRDO, he said, 11 distinguished scientists are working on extended tenures.

"As per existing provision, scientists and technologists can be given extension in service," he said.

Meanwhile, in reply to a written query on FDI in defence sector, Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh said, "FDI amounting to Rs 19.89 crore has been received in defence industry sector from January 2001 to September 2012."

He made it clear that the Government was not considering any proposal to further liberalise the investment policy to promote FDI in defence industry.

The economic times

Pakistan 'expanding nuclear arsenal to deter US attack'

Pakistan is expanding its nuclear arsenal to deter an American attack on its status as an atomic power, according to India's former foreign secretary.

Asia's triangular arms race has traditionally reflected the rivalries between India and China and India and Pakistan, but according to an influential former adviser to Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister, Pakistan now regards the United States as a potential threat.
In an article for The Hindu newspaper, Shyam Saran said Islamabad had invested in a new generation of plutonium-based warheads, increased the size range of its arsenal, and improved the accuracy of its missiles.
Washington has voiced its concerns over the build-up in the region but believes it reflects Pakistan's long-standing fear of arch rival India's conventional force superiority.
But according to Saran, Islamabad's burgeoning nuclear arsenal is increasingly aimed at deterring its fractious ally in the war on terror, the United States. Its fear that Washington may strike to wipe out Pakistan's nuclear capability dates back to just after the 9/11 attacks when then President Musharraf said it had been warned to support the war on terror or face being "bombed back to the stone age."
Despite his acquiescence, relations between the two countries have been strained ever since and reached their lowest point following the 2011 special forces raid which killed Osama bin Laden at his home in the center of Pakistan's main garrison town Abbotabad.
"While the immediate threat to its strategic assets passed, Pakistan's suspicions of US intentions in this regard have now risen to the level of paranoia," Saran said.
His comments follow the latest in a series of missile tests last week when the Pakistan Army confirmed it had fired a nuclear-capable Hatf-V medium range missile capable of hitting Indian cities as far east as Bangalore.
Lieutenant-General Talat Masood, a retired senior Pakistan Army commander and nuclear expert, said Saran's claims had some truth in them. "I would not say it [Pakistan's growing nuclear capability] was meant to counter America – that would be suicidal. But there has always been a fear in Pakistan's strategic community and government, in the recent past, a feeling that America is unfavorably inclined towards our nuclear program and if things got worse it could neutralize our nuclear weapons capability, go after them," he said.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute voiced its concerns about the nuclear weapon build-up earlier this year after India developed a nuclear submarine and Pakistan unveiled a series of short range missiles.
Pakistan is believed to have more nuclear warheads than India – 110 to 100 – and Washington remains concerned about the security of its nuclear bases.

- nydailynews

Space Pacts to put Indo-Russian ties in still higher orbit

India and Russia are expected to take their cooperation in the field of space to a new high later this month and a couple of key new agreements are likely to be signed between the two sides when Vladimir Putin visits India.
A major area of opportunity for the two sides to take their cooperation in the fields of space and science and technology further would be GLONASS. The Russians have recently opened a huge door for India when Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced his country’s willingness to offer India joint participation in development of its GLONASS satellite navigation system on an equal basis. This was the first time when Russia made such an offer to India. “We have offered our Indian counterparts not only use of the GLONASS system but also participation in upgrading it. We practically see it as a joint effort. I think our Indian counterparts will be interested in it,” Rogozin, who has been given special responsibility for Russia's military-industrial complex, went on record as saying.

The Indians are understandably enthused by the Russian large-heartedness. Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai alluded to this in his major speech in New Delhi on November 22, 2012 when he said: “Access to the whole spectrum of GLONASS signals by Indian agencies is a major component of the Indo-Russian space cooperation. This is matched by robust cooperation on important projects like Chandrayan 2, the Human Space Flight and YOUTHSAT.”

Importance of GLONASS for India

GLONASS, an acronym for Globalnaya Navigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema or Global Navigation Satellite System, offers India a very important strategic leverage with a vast array of applications in civilian and military spheres. GLONASS, a radio-based satellite navigation system operated for the Russian government by the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces, is a valuable alternative to the US-controlled Global Positioning System (GPS).

In December 2011, India and Russia had signed an agreement for receiving precision signals from GLONASS, which will allow missiles, including those fired from nuclear submarine Chakra, to strike within half a meter of distant targets. GLONASS is the only alternative navigational system in operation with global coverage and of comparable precision.

Space is one important sector of Indo-Russian bilateral cooperation where the Indians would be looking forward to working closely with Russia to push some major investment projects during Putin’s upcoming India visit. India is well aware that some Indo-Russian investment episodes in other fields have been mired in controversies and been log-jammed, but the space-related agreements in the pipeline would compensate for glitches in the past.

Russia’s Most Expensive Space Programme

GLONASS is not just a project but also a powerful statement of Indo-Russian synergies. It is the most expensive program of the Russian Federal Space Agency, consuming a third of its budget in 2010. The Russian gesture of inviting India with open arms for this project points to the high orbit the Russians have placed India in.

GLONASS is a Soviet era project that began in 1976. From October 1982 onwards numerous rocket launches added satellites to the system until the ‘constellation’ was completed in 1995. GLONASS achieved 100 percent coverage of Russian territory by 2010. The GLONASS project achieved a major milestone in October 2011 when the full orbital constellation of 24 satellites was restored, enabling full global coverage.

India to Invest Close to $3 Billion in Space by 2017

The expanding Indo-Russian cooperation in space would not have come at a more opportune time as India has a busy calendar for the next five years which would require an investment of almost three billion dollars.

India’s flagship space agency Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has plans to launch its first manned space flight in 2017. The Indians are also eyeing deep space missions to be topped by lunar human landing, possibly by 2020. India’s space budget would be enormous by 2020. The maiden manned space flight of India would ensure that India arrives on the global stage in a big way, having a significant edge over several developed countries.

ISRO’s ambitious programmes include the setting up of several ground facilities like launch pads, the mission control centre, astronaut training centre, all permanent assets on the ground including what goes into the orbit. India and Russia have collaborated on technologies in the space sector which can integrate into platforms that India is developing.

India could not have made such deep forays into space without the Russian cooperation. It was the erstwhile Soviet Union that had launched first Indian satellites - Aryabhatta and Bhaskara from its Baikonur cosmodrome – in the seventies and eighties. Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian astronaut, travelled to the Soviet Salyut-7 space station in 1984.

The half a century old Indian space programme is now poised for a major leap as it has seamlessly moved beyond practical applications-based thrust to deeper and technologically far more difficult newer areas like India’s first lunar mission (Chandrayaan-1), navigation and joint ventures in space science. Space and Technology is one of the major arenas where India and Russia share a long standing and successful cooperation. Both the countries actively participate together in many fields of exploration and peaceful uses of outer space. Currently it has many operational agreements in the fields of moon exploration, global navigation system, human space flight and spacecraft building for atmospheric studies.

The Indian sense is that while the Indo-Russian collaborating is on the right trajectory there is scope for further improvement. India needs to play catch up with other countries who are investing heavily in research and development. A major challenge is also how to apply these from the laboratory to the assembly line and use them for the greater public good. In this context, Mathai has paid rich compliments to the Russian scientists by remarking thus: “The great record of Russian science (just recall the extraordinary achievements of the Academicians) makes this a partnership of great value.”
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Russia & India Report

Russia sees opportunities in India’s new submarine deal

Rosoboronexport would be high among the competing companies for a $10 billion deal to supply new generation submarines.
India is set to loosen its purse strings for some big ticket arms acquisitions in the coming months. The latest order about to come out from the Indian repertoire is for submarines, which is going to be worth a whopping ten billion US dollars. The Russians will be close competitors for this deal and Rosoboronexport of Russia would be high up among the competing companies. Other serious contenders would be HDW of Germany and Navantia of Spain.

Earlier this year, India had released a 15 billion dollar defence deal which went to the French, much to the chagrin of the Russians and other players in the international arms market. In February 2012, India had awarded the highly lucrative deal worth $15 billion to the French company Dassault Aviation for 126 fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force.  The talks with Dassault on fastening the nuts and bolts of the deal are presently going on.

The upcoming defence deal is for the Indian Navy. It is aimed at buying six state-of-the-art submarines, mainly with an eye on China. The deal with Dassault for 126 fighter aircraft too was aimed at developing Indian defence capabilities vis-a-vis China.

Project 75I

The Indian government is soon going to come up with a Request for Proposal (RFP) for six next generation submarines. Indian Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi has gone on record as saying that the Defence Acquisition Council a high-powered body of the defence ministry, has already given the green signal for buying six submarines under a project codenamed P-75I and a global tender would be floated “very soon”.

This will be a huge opportunity and a challenge for the Russians to bag the deal because the RFP would be a global competitive bid process in which the winner takes all. The Russians and the French are expected to be among the top contenders. Both would have plus and minus points for getting the deal, and needless to say, no country would like to miss the bus.

Russia to Face Stiff Competition from France

Russia will inevitably face a stiff competition from the French for the new submarines deal. The French have an edge because they are already building six Scorpene submarines for India. The argument for them is that since they are already working on a submarine project with India it would be logical to have continuity as the French already have an elaborate infrastructure in place. But the flip side is that the upcoming $10 billion submarine deal would be a global competitive bid. It is like playing an entirely new match on a new turf where it would depend on which players emerge as performers of the day.

India, a principal littoral state with fourth largest naval fleet in the world, needs to have a robust navy in Indian Ocean and beyond considering the rapid advancements of the Chinese Navy. China is stepping up its naval presence in the Indian Ocean though it is not an Indian Ocean power. China has almost five dozen submarines, including a dozen nuclear submarines, which give them a head start over India in naval terms.

The Russian Edge

The upcoming RFP for the six submarines is aimed at correcting this anomaly.  India, which at one point of time had 18 submarines, is now down to just 14 submarines, including ten Sindhughosh class Russian Kilo submarines and four Shishumar class German HDW diesel submarines. For 17 years India did not construct indigenous submarines. Further bad news from the Indian perspective is that its submarine fleet is expected to go down to half as the Kilo class submarines acquired in late eighties are facing retirement after two and half  decades  of service.

Under the six-submarine Scorpene deal, India is expecting to get the first two submarines in 2014 and 2015. The delivery schedule for all the six boats is likely to be completed by 2019. But the flip side is that the first two out of six would be simple diesel submarines and the next four would be equipped with Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology called MESMA in French parlance.

This is where the Russians can smell the kill for the new $10 billion submarine deal. While the Scorpene deal with the French did not focus on the AIP technology, the proposed deal would have all six submarines equipped with AIP technology.  The Russian engineers have already mastered the AIP technology, in vogue for the past one decade. India has retained Russian engineers since 2011 in Vishakhapatnam to understand complex operational aspects of a nuclear powered submarine.

Russia & India Report