India Looks to Sikorsky MH-60R for Counter-Submarine Capability

Even as India launches stealth frigates and guided missile destroyers from its shipyards to patrol the Indian Ocean, the country has precious few modern helicopters equipped with sensors and weapons capable of detecting Chinese submarines patrolling its waters.
In this year's annual cooperative naval exercise called Malabar, the Indian navy will operate alongside and be exposed to modern U.S. and Japanese rotorcraft equipped for anti-submarine warfare (ASW). The exercise began June 7 and will run until June 16 in the Philippine Sea.
Chinese forces will be watching the exercise closely. One of the key elements of this year’s Malabar is the joint anti-submarine warfare (ASW) work-up, a growing concern for India as it faces potent submarines of the Chinese navy that regularly deploy in the Indian Ocean region.
Indian and U.S. Navy officials recently met at the highest levels, with Adm. Sunil Lanba, chairman of the Indian Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Naval Staff visiting the U.S. mid-March. A visit or two to the U.S. is part of every Indian naval chief’s tour of duty. However, coming in the run-up to Malabar, the visit timing was noteworthy for both countries.
Indian shipyards continue to roll out stealth frigates and guided missile destroyers with no helicopters to fill their hangars. Having commanded ships like the SNF-class destroyers, he is in a position to recognize his navy’s blunted anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability.
In June 2017, after almost a decade of discussions, the direct commercial sale of 16 multi-role helicopters was withdrawn because the Indian Navy and Sikorsky — now owned by Lockheed Martin — couldn’t reach an agreement on price. Winds of "Make in India" and strategic partnership have swept ambitious plans for a naval multi-role helicopter and naval utility helicopter back into dusty files at the ministry of defense.
Even as the Indian navy’s integral ASW helicopter fleet shrinks, China continues to flex its undersea muscles in and around the Indian Ocean. News reports indicate Chinese forces shadowed the naval flotilla headed to Guam as it sailed through the South China Sea — a regular practice in waters to which China stakes a claim.
U.S. and Japanese helicopters will be on display again at Malabar, but while Indian naval pilots will get to see them in action, there is no active program that could introduce such advanced technologies to the Indian navy.
Officers who did not want to be named admitted that India’s naval integral ASW capability is at an all-time low. From past experience, the slight chance of present processes to deliver helicopters through the direct commercial sales (DCS) route within an acceptable timeframe is not lost on anybody at the ministry of defense (MOD).
During his visit to the U.S., Adm. Lanba was shown the Sikorsky MH-60R “Romeo” model Seahawk, which was on offer by Lockheed Martin as the Indian navy’s new multi-role helicopter. Sikorsky, before being bought by Lockheed, offered the S-70B Seahawk for the same program.
Because the Romeo offer was through a foreign military sale (FMS), the Indian MOD found it incompatible with the DCS case, and the Romeo was benched. Seven years down the road, Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin have merged. Though Sikorsky lost the S-70B deal, it looks like the MH-60R is back in play.
Few Indian helicopters have been successfully introduced through the DCS route. Most operational Indian navy rotorcraft were bought through the government-to-government route.
The Kamov-31 airborne early warning helicopters came with the Russian "Krivak" class stealth frigates. Six Sikorsky UH-3H utility helicopters came with INS Jalashwa, the former USS Trenton. The weapons for Indian Navy’s P-8Is that fly over Guam today came through a FMS contract. The sale of aircraft was through a DCS contract sealed with Boeing on Jan. 1, 2009.
During Malabar 2018, U.S. MH-60Rs will strut their stuff while the Indian navy stands-by with Chetaks, based on the 1960s-era French Aérospatiale Alouette III for search and rescue.
The Indian military services and MOD have scored several self-goals by writing detailed procurement manuals and procedures that hang around their necks like millstones.
The navy would do well to have a close look at the Romeo’s performance this Malabar. Extrapolation of sensor performance in the Pacific to the tropical waters of Indian Ocean will not be flawless. But this is a fact the navy knows well from the 2011 field evaluation trials of the MRH, which included a demonstration on a U.S. Navy MH-60R at Patuxent River, Maryland.
Past and present Indian navy helicopter pilots who have stared at the bottom of the barrel for far too long hope the replacements come soon, whatever the make or route.
The incumbent government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a mandate to make tough decisions even though an election is looming. Recent reports indicate a sizeable number of Chetak/Cheetah likely will be replaced by Ka-226 helicopters from Russia. The Indian navy has not been a beneficiary of this program either, though the platform is meant for utility role.

 rotorandwing

Why India Keeps Spiking, and Reviving, a Massive Israeli Arms Deal

The on-off Spike missile deal between India and Israel is an ongoing saga – a weaponized, geopolitical soap opera.

Back in 2014, India's state-run Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by the then defence minister, Arun Jaitley, cleared the purchase of 8000 Spike missiles, over 300 launchers, and technology transfer from Israel to Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), one of India’s state-owned ammunition and missiles manufacturers.

This $600 million deal to purchase the man portable "fire and forget" Spike missiles, which have a four kilometer range, was hailed as a major milestone in defense cooperation, a "flagship deal that cemented the budding Israeli-Indian security relationship” - a win-win situation for the buyer (India, the world’s largest importer of arms) and the seller (Israel – for whom India would become one of its largest clients).

In bagging this deal, Israel’s Spike missiles trumped the American Javelin missile. The U.S. lost out, thanks to its reluctance to allow Indian experts to evaluate the missiles and for its initial unwillingness to transfer technology to India. Later, the U.S. offered to co-produce and develop the missiles in India along with India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

In contrast, Israel, though initially disinclined, then agreed to transfer the technology and produce the missiles as part of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s "Make in India" initiative.

In an unprecedented move, a major private player, Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited (part of the Kalyani Group, was allowed to make military-grade missiles in collaboration with Israel’s state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

The Spike missile deal is the first missile facility to be set up by a private player - thus marking the genesis of India’s private military industrial complex. A joint venture, 51:49, was set up between the two - Kalyani Rafael Advanced Defence systems. A 24,000 square foot missile development facility sprang up in a nondescript industrial complex in a record ten months on the outskirts of Hyderabad, a city in southern India.

That facility was also expected to make a wide range of advanced weapons system, such "Command Control and Guidance, Electro-Optics, Remote Weapon Systems, Precision Guided Munitions and System Engineering for System Integration."

However, within a few months of setting up the facility, India canceled the Spike missile deal without offering any reasons.

The Indian media reported that the deal was canceled because "importing Spike Anti-Tank Guided Missiles would adversely affect the indigenous weapons manufacturing system by India’s public sector ammunitions maker, the Defence Research and Development Organization."

Indeed, India's DRDO was developing its own Spike alternative: the NAG 190 (Cobra) "fire and forget" Anti-Tank Guided Missile, also with a range of four kilometres. The missiles’ capabilities have few competitors worldwide. It was successfully test-fired at the Pokhran test firing range in Rajasthan's Thar desert.

However, the Indian army has so far not commented on how successful the testing of the NAG 190 actually was. Since then, the Indian army has delayed its induction, citing high expenses and numerous technical shortcomings, including inadequate thermal sensors.

DRDO promises to deliver them by the end of the year, seeking more time to operationalize them. India desperately needs to upgrade and modernize its weapons in general. But in this specific case, one of the challenges of this large-scale process has been exposed. The Indian army and the state manufacturer are at loggerheads with each other over defining operational criteria: Serially, at the last minute, the Indian army changes its requirements, and the DRDO keeps missing its deadlines.

That extra time was, and is, a problem.

India’s defense is primarily geared to challenge aggression from its neighbors, Pakistan and China. India fought a war with China in 1962 and three wars with Pakistan since independence in 1947. All three states are nuclear powers. India considers both as strategic threats, whether singly or – in the worst case scenario – together.

But the Indian army faces a severe shortage of anti-tank guided missiles. It is is 60 per cent short of what it’s authorized to hold, meaning it needs 68000 rounds and 850 launchers to be at what defense analysts have determined is an adequate state of readiness.

Though Mr. Modi and his party, the BJP, speak of making India self-reliant in defense, his policies point to a different direction – that of starving public sector defense manufacturers and selling them off to private parties, thuscreating a private military industrial complex.

In an unprecedented move, the Modi government has reportedly decided not to make any further investments in India’s public sector defense companies – the Ordnance Factory Board and Defence Public Sector Undertakings. Instead, it wants private players to create military products.

Speaking to the Hindu Business Line, a defence ministry official said: "Modernisation, upgrades, repowering, product launches and improvement in operational efficiencies are to be carried out with the help of private players with proven track record."At the same time Mr Modi’s government has also decided to sell its stakes in India’s public sector defense undertakings – Bharat Dynamics Limited and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

Ironically, the "Make in India" initiative has become a vehicle to facilitate big international defense deals as joint ventures with foreign players in India - Adani’s tie-up with the Swedish SAAB; Reliance’s joint venture with Dassault; Larsen and Toubro’s with France’s MBDA; Tata with Lockheed Martin; Mahindra with Airbus are just a few examples. India becomes the manufacturing site – to manufacture replica products developed abroad, rather than becoming integrated into a higher-value R&D process.

A few decades ago, India's defense secrets were traded for whisky. A dreadful concoction of wars cooked up in the Cold War era – the Indo-China war and the Indo-Pak war – saw the Russians, the Americans and the French amply profit from India’s conflicts. From that time and into the present day, India’s defense procurement has long been the subject of financial and political corruption scandals.

Now the playing field is different. The globalization of weapons has brought in new players, with Israel being one of them. Israel has steadily risen up the ranks as an arms supplier to India.

India’s corporate conglomerates see an opportunity to grab a piece of the pie. They have put a lot of time, money and effort into lobbying, running PR campaigns and creative corporate restructuring to grab a piece of India’s huge defense budget, which stands at around $53.5 billion. Warheads and missiles are the new profit-making machines for India’s conglomerates.

As regards the Spike missile deal, Netanyahu raised it with Modi on his trip to India earlier this year. After their meeting, on his flight back from Ahmedabad, a jubilant Netanyahu announced to reporters: "They are reauthorizing the Spike deal," even as his advisers cautioned it could well end up being worth only half the intial $500 million agreed.
 But the Indian government didn’t confirm Netanyahu’s claim. Mr. Modi knows it’s a politically sensitive issue – especially with elections only a few months away in 2019. Any attempt to acquire weapons from a foreign player will be seen as jeopardizing India’s indigenous weapons manufacturing program.

Meanwhile, the Israeli-Indian Hyderabad facility is being retasked to manufacture other weapons systems while the decision is being considered and reconsidered, for the fourth year running.

In election-season India, there’s a lot of political rhetoric about making the country self-reliant vis-a-vis its defense capabilities. It’s a theme that is historically and politically resonant.

However, there’s far less noise being made about the real beneficiaries of these carefully designed "Made in India" policies – or what it means for India to push the privatization of the means for war.

 haaretz

US approves $930 million sale to India of 6 Apache AH-64E helicopters

The U.S. State Department approved the sale of equipment including Hellfire and Stinger missiles, supporting a proposed direct commercial sale of six Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a release.
The total estimated program cost is $930 million, the Tuesday, June 12 release said.
India requested a range of equipment including 14 General Electric engines, four AN/APG-78 fire control radars and other radar equipment, seven of the Apache’s Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor systems and 14 Embedded GPS Inertial Navigation Systems,
The proposed sale also includes 180 AGM-114 L-3 Hellfire Longbow air-to-surface anti-armor missiles; 90 AGM-114 R-3 Hellfire II air-to-surface missiles; 200 Stinger air-to-air missiles; rockets; 30 mm cannons and ammunition.
It also includes simulators, communication equipment, spare and repair parts, training, engineering and other support.
The proposed sale will “strengthen India’s ability to defend its homeland and deter regional threats” and “provide an increase in India’s defensive capability to counter ground-armored threats and modernize its armed forces,” DSCA said.
The prime contractors for the support sale will be Lockheed Martin, General Electric, Longbow and Raytheon, while Boeing manufactures the Apache helicopters.
On June 1, Tata Boeing Aerospace delivered the first AH-64 Apache helicopter fuselage made in Hyderabad, India. The joint venture between Boeing and Tata will be the sole Apache helicopter fuselage producer for Boeing’s global customers including the U.S. Army. Completed fuselages will be transported to Boeing’s facility in Arizona for integration.
India’s Ministry of Defence initially ordered 22 AH-64E Apache helicopters for the Indian Air Force in September 2015 and deliveries are set to begin in 2019. Then, in August 2017, India’s Defence Acquisition Council approved the purchase of a further six aircraft. The Diplomat reported that the later purchase for the Indian Army Aviation Corps was under an option clause to the earlier contract that allowed for a follow-on order of up to 11 additional Apaches at a price that was agreed in 2013.

 thedefensepost

India’s Plan To Buy Helicopter Carriers Falters

A visit to Mumbai's port by the Spanish multi-purpose warship Juan Carlos 1 has highlighted India’s requirement for four similar vessels, also known as landing helicopter docks (LHDs). The Spanish warship builder Navantia is a bidder for the Indian requirement, in partnership with domestic company Larsen & Toubro (L&T). But the procurement process has been disrupted by the financial problems of rival bidder Reliance Naval and Engineering, which is partnered with French warship builder DCNS.
The Indian Navy issued an RFP for the LHDs in late 2013, but no action was taken on the proposals. The requirement was reaffirmed in May 2017 and fresh bids invited. The financial and technical tests have been completed and the two commercial bids were submitted. However, the opening of the bids has been delayed as Navantia is currently the sole contender for a contract where competition is required. Reliance has been disqualified because of the strict clause about financial stability in India’s Defense Procurement Policy. 
The situation is causing concern. “Why should a company be penalized through no fault of its own, particularly since this is an issue of precedence for the Navy?” said a senior retired naval officer.
Ensuring security of sea lanes in the Indian Ocean region and an upgrade of the Navy's disaster management, amphibious warfare, and neighboring island protection capability is supposedly a priority for the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD). In particular, the security of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal is of concern.
The Indian Army already has a brigade of around 3,000 amphibious troops, but the Navy’s current fleet is not equipped for such operations. The LHD requirement calls for a diesel-electric propulsion ship that is 200 meters long with a draft of 8 meters when fully loaded. It will be required to carry six main battle tanks; 20 infantry combat vehicles; 40 heavy trucks; and more than 900 troops. The ship would be defended by a point defense missile system; a close-in weapon system; an anti-torpedo decoy system; chaff; and machine guns. It would also be able to operate helicopters weighing up to 32,000 pounds.
Speaking to AIN during the visit of Juan Carlos 1 to Mumbai, Esteban García Vilasánchez, president of Navantia, said: “India has been able to see the ship for the first time since it was commissioned in 2010. The first impression counts and it has been good for the Indian Navy.”
But unlike the Juan Carlos 1, from which eight helicopters can take off simultaneously, India’s ship will have “much fewer” said Jayant Damodar Patil, senior executive vice president defense business for L&T. He added that the Indian Navy wants to use its current inventory of helicopters. Since the Indian LHD does not require a ski jump, it is expected to cost less than its Spanish counterpart. Patil said that L&T would do further work on the design, taking advantage of Navantia’s experience, and then manufacture the hull at its shipyard near Chennai.
The Indian Navy has been looking for a replacement for its aging Kamov Ka-28 and Westland Sea King helicopters for many years. It released a request for information for a large purchase of utility and multirole helicopters last August. The MoD has also signaled that it might make an interim purchase of up to 24 Sikorsky S-70B Seahawks.

 ainonline

Russia proposes to sell 21 used, cheap MiG-29s, India wary of hidden costs

Having suffered a huge cost escalation of $2.4 billion (Rs 155,794,800,000) in the price of the 'free of cost' aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov from Russia six years back, India will decide on a proposal to buy MiG-29 combat aircraft from Russia at a very cheap price after deeply studying the availability of spares and the other costs involved in the programme.
Recently, the Russian government submitted a proposal to sell 21 used MiG-29 combat planes which will cost India between $ 25-30 million (Rs 170 crore-Rs 200 crore) per aircraft which is almost 30 per cent cost of any new aircraft in the class of the MiG-29 planes.
"The government will go through each and every aspect of the proposal to ensure that there are no hidden costs that we may have to pay for the planes after acquiring them from the Russians. The experience gained during the Admiral Gorshkov deal would be avoided," government sources told Mail Today.
During the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier deal, the warship was offered for free to India where India had to pay $950 million (Rs 61,668,775,000) for the refurbishment and make it worthy for being used as an aircraft carrier. However, as the Russians started working on the warship, there were frequent price hikes which increased the cost by almost $1.3 billion (Rs 8,400 crore)), making it highly expensive. The warship was also delivered to the Indian side almost five years after the scheduled delivery date. Sources also drew parallels of the aircraft offer with the costing of printers and cartridges as cost of a printer is very less but the cartridges are relatively very costly and make it expensive to maintain in the long run.
MiG-29s are flown by the Air Force and the pilots are familiar with it but the ones offered by the Russians are different from the ones in the Indian inventory. "We will have to be cautious to ensure that the planes don't become a maintenance nightmare for us in the future as they are different in many ways," the sources said.
The Indian Navy also operates the MiG-29 'K' and is the only operator of this version of the plane and is having a rough experience with the planes which are difficult to maintain and their settings change immediately after they land on the aircraft carrier.

The Air Force has three squadrons of the MiG-29s which have been undergoing upgrades for an extended life and are considered to be very good planes in the air defence roles.
However, ministry sources said the planes can also help in arresting the fall of number of squadrons in the Air Force which has been demanding new aircraft for meeting its sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons.
Unless new planes are bought, the numbers could drop from the current 32 to 29 in 2027 and less in the 2030s. This is despite the 36 Rafale fighters that the Modi government has bought and the six squadrons of the indigenous Tejas or Light Combat Aircraft that the IAF will have by 2032.
Currently, the IAF's fighter strength includes six squadrons of the deep penetration strike Jaguars, three squadrons of the MiG-29, three squadrons of the Mirage-2000, 12 squadrons of the Sukhoi-30MKI, two squadrons of the MiG-27 and 11 squadrons of the various kinds of MiG-21s, including the revamped Bisons. By 2022, however, only one of these MiG-21 squadrons will be left.
The Air Force has recently rejected a Russian offer for co-developing a fifth generation fighter aircraft with Russia owing to the high costs involved in the project. The force also believed that the technology of the plane was not worth the money involved in it and it would have been much inferior to the American F-22 Raptor and the F-35 fifth generation planes.

 indiatoday

DRDO to deliver advanced Pinaka rocket version by 2020

The Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), a laboratory under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), will deliver guided Pinaka rocket with an enhanced range of up to 75 km to the army by 2020.

The current range of Pinaka is 40 km.

“An upgraded version of Pinaka rocket, with new guided system and an enhanced range, was successfully test-fired at Chandipur in Odisha recently. The results of the trial were excellent,” PK Mehta, director general, Armament Combat Engineering (ACE) cluster headquartered in Pune, told TOI.

As per the plan, the advanced version of the rocket will be inducted into the force in the next two years, Mehta said.

“Currently, we are working on the rocket’s control and guidance system, which will be perfected in the coming months. Thereafter, the rocket will go through several trials, including user trials,” Mehta added.

Explaining the importance of the guided version of the rocket, Mehta said, “The new version of the rocket will be a force multiplier for the Indian Army as it can hit long distance target with precision.” Asked about the specific requirement of the army vis-a-vis new Pinaka, he said, “The army is still working on this aspect. They haven’t quoted any specific number so far” In November last year, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) had cleared a request for proposal for six additional regiments of the artillery at a cost of Rs 14,633 crore.

A senior army officer told TOI, “The advanced version of the rocket will be in small numbers but it will give us an edge over enemies. The mix attack of the rockets will generate the required lethality on the battlefield.” Pinaka, the indigenous unguided rocket system which has been undergoing extensive tests since the last 20 years, is capable of neutralising large areas with rapid salvos. The army had used it extensively during the Kargil war while hitting the mountain peaks of the enemy

In fact, more than 6,000 Pinaka rockets have been supplied to the army. The army has a projected requirement of 2 lakh rockets.

 timesofindia

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Making high-tech weapons in India gets tougher; foreign deals face hiccups

Will India ever build a stealth fighter like the US, or even China? When will the country leave behind the tag of world's largest importer of arms? Before such ambitions can be realised, the country's defence production and procurement process will have to overcome various roadblocks.
The private sector in India needs to be increasingly involved in equipping the armed forces and keeping them battle ready if the country wants to wean itself off expensive military imports.
However, developments reported in the news show that efforts to ensure the same recently received a setback, while major defence deals with other countries have been facing their own share of hiccups.

Mission for Made in India weapons faces setback
Make in India in defence has received an unpleasant jolt.
Business Standard reported that the procedure, called "Make", under which the defence ministry would reimburse the costs of Indian defence firms for designing "high technology, complex systems" has been scrapped. From now, development projects that were formerly being processed under the "Make" category will be moved to another category called "Make 2" -- under which, defence firms will bear their own costs.
The long-delayed project to develop a Future Infantry Combat Vehicle for the Indian Army was one of the defence initiatives immediately effected.
Two-year wait before new combat jet deal is done
Procuring complex and expensive defence equipment from foreign manufacturers has not been a smooth process historically.
It could be another two years before India picks the winner of the world’s biggest combat aircraft order, a senior Boeing Co executive told news agencies.
Boeing Vice-President (global defence sales) Gene Cunningham told Bloomberg News that Boeing is well placed in the race to supply the Indian Air Force with 110 fighter jets.
Getting a new aircraft for the Indian Air Force is crucial as India faces increased risks from neighbouring Pakistan and China.

The new tender comes after the scrapping of an order with France's Dassault Aviation for 126 Rafale jets worth $11 billion in 2015, a process that took nearly a decade. Subsequently, India bought 36 Rafale jets separately to speed up the process.
US spoiler in India-Russia air defence deal
Time over-runs and delays aren't the only roadblocks that can crop up in a foreign defence deal. Sometimes, geopolitics can also play spoiler.
India has conveyed to the US that notwithstanding the latter's sanctions against Moscow, the "time-tested" Indo-Russian cooperation in the defence sector will continue, including the deal for S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems for the IAF.Sources have told news agencies that India wants its defence transactions with Russia to be insulated from the purview of a stringent American law, the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). India is likely to raise the issue with the US when the two sides meet in Washington for the 2+2 talks next month. 

 business-standard

India to go ahead with S-400 Triumf air defence missile deal with Russia notwithstanding US sanctions

Asked whether India will go ahead with the S-400 deal with Russia, the defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the long-drawn negotiations relating to it have reached final stage.
 Despite the threat of US sanctions, India plans to go ahead with its defence deal with the country, including the one for S-400 Triumf air defense missile systems for the Indian Air Force.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the negotiations between India and Russia to finalise the `39,000-crore deal were already in the last stage and won’t be hampered by the US red-flagging the deal for which the two countries signed an agreement in principle in 2016.
“We have very clearly explained that India and Russia’s defence cooperation has been going on for a long time and that it is a time-tested relationship.
This has been explained. Sanction cannot affect relations with Russia. We have reached a final stage in S-400 negotiations. Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act  (CAATSA) cannot impact the relations,” she said.
 Her remarks come days after a top Mac Thornberry, Chairman of the US House Armed Services, said that there was a lot of concern in Trump administration regarding the S-400 missile being acquired by partner countries, including India.  

newindianexpress

AS565 MBE Panther Is The Perfect Candidate For The Indian Navy’s NUH Program

Any decent sized surface warship in today's navy has the capability to host at least one navalized helicopter if not more. The steady accretion in the Indian Navy's (IN's) surface fleet therefore naturally also means that there is a need to augment the number of ship-borne helicopters in its inventory. Besides, the Navy in any case has ever expanding roles and responsibilities which translate into requirements for greater rotary capability.

To that end, IN has been looking to bring in new utility and multirole helicopters in order to both replace legacy units as well as increase the overall number of such machines under its ambit while simultaneously introducing new technology. It would therefore be worthwhile to take a closer look at the status of various helicopter tenders issued by the IN as well as the opportunities for domestic industry therein.

The Navy has actually been running a competition for 16 naval multi-role helicopters (NMRH) since 2011 with the request for information (RFI) being issued in July that year. The two down-selected contenders in the fray are a maritime variant of the European-built NH90 known as the NATO frigate helicopter (NFH) from NH Industries and an export variant of the US-made SH-60 Seahawk from Sikorsky called the S-70B. Despite the trials for the $1.2 billion contract with the winning bidder required to deliver all helicopters within 46 months of contract signing in three phases were completed in 2011 itself, this tender has actually been delayed more than once with the latest slippage happening in mid-2013 when the Ministry of Defence (MOD) asked both finalists to extend the validity of their bids by another six months in July 2013. (Text Saurav Jha)

In early December 2017, select Indian media were invited to Airbus Helicopter’ facilities in Marignane, France for a two-day interactive session with senior company executives on the latest developments in their company as well as a status update of their plans for India’s helicopter requirements. As a bonus, they interacted with Mexican Navy’s Admiral Jose Maria Garcia Macedo and team who were being handed, in person, keys to their 10th and final AS565 MBe helicopter (see lead image). The theme of the tour can be summarised as being on the AS565 MBe helicopter and its attributes.

The AS565 MBe, also known as the Panther, is the state-of-the-art multi-role helicopter that was designed for a multitude of naval and coast guard missions such as maritime surveillance, search and rescue, casualty evacuation, offshore patrolling and counter-terrorism. It exudes a sleek appearance from nose to tail and the cockpit allows for excellent visibility through the glazed forward fuselage and the modern avionics include an automatic flight control and flight management system. The AS565 MBe combines new and proven technologies to offer “more value to operators,” and is equipped with two Safran Arriel 2N engines, which enhance its performance in hot & high conditions.

It also boasts a new main gearbox, a latest generation tail rotor and a 4-axis autopilot that reduces crew workload and makes the most demanding missions easier to perform. The main cabin can be rapidly reconfigured to conduct various roles and the Panther can be armed with several different kind of munitions and armaments, depending on the mission.

The helicopter performs a wide variety of roles. In its anti-surface unit warfare role, the AS565 MBe is highly effective in warfare missions, including over-the-horizon targeting for ships with long-range anti-ship missiles. By acting as the ship’s principal weapon system it can search, classify, shadow and strike with precision with stable hovering capabilities. In its anti-submarine warfare avatar, with an endurance of four hours and its capability to carry up to two torpedoes / Depth Charges, the AS565 MBe significantly multiples a surface ship’s ability to conduct Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) missions. The AS565 MBe is highly effective in anti-surface unit warfare missions (ASuW), including over-the-horizon targeting (OTHT) for ships with long-range anti-ship missiles.

By acting as the ship’s principal weapon system, it can search, classify, shadow and strike with precision well beyond the horizon. At Best Endurance Speed (VBE) the aircraft has a loiter time in excess of four hours.

For its deployment from ships, forward bases and other remote locations, the AS565 MBe is designed for simple and safe maintenance access. 

Replacement times are rapid for such assemblies as the engine, main rotor gearbox and blades, as well as main and tail rotor hubs. Also contributing to the serviceability are easy operational maintenance features such as fast lubrication of the main rotor head and tail rotor.

 

source :  indiandefensenews

In S-400 deal, U.S. is the elephant in the room

India’s ambitions to procure the Russian-developed S-400 Triumf long-range air-defence system has landed New Delhi right in the middle of global strategic complexities.

The S-400 is a complex military system comprising several radars, command post, different types of missiles and launchers that can track several dozen incoming objects simultaneously from hundreds of kilometres away, launch counter-missiles within seconds and shoot them down with great efficiency.

Given its advanced capabilities, the weapon system has added a new strategic angle to ongoing stand-offs around the world — in Syria, between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and in China and its neighbourhood.

As the Defence Ministry prepares to present the procurement proposal for the S-400 systems before the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), officials are divided on whether New Delhi will push the deal through in the face of possible U.S. sanctions and warnings that it will adversely affect transfer of U.S. military technology.

Government sources said New Delhi and Moscow have concluded the negotiations and the CCS note for a $5.5-billion deal is being drafted. However, one Indian Air Force source said he was not sure if New Delhi would defy Washington and sign up for the missile system. “Ideally, the deal should be ready for the annual summit between the PM and President Putin” in October, a senior official said.

Douglas Barrie, Senior Fellow for Military Aerospace at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, told The Hindu that concerns over the system were partly technical and partly political.“The S-400 (SA-21 Growler), when properly operated, is a potent medium-to-long-range surface-to-air missile system. To be most effective, however, it needs to be integrated with other air defence systems and components — such as radars — operated by the purchasing country. This however, presents problems if some of these have been bought from the U.S. or potentially other Western states, where the required levels of integration will not be possible because of security concerns,” Mr. Barrie said.

Frank O’Donnell, of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University and the Stimson Center’s South Asia program, however, said New Delhi was unlikely to be deterred from completing this purchase by the threat of U.S. sanctions.

“Indeed, Washington will likely soon withdraw this threat and quietly acquiesce to the purchase once Indian diplomats have the opportunity to explain to their U.S. counterparts how the S-400 acquisition supports the U.S.-India shared goal of enhancing regional capabilities to deter Chinese aggression,” Mr. O’Donnell said.

In recent days, senior U.S. functionaries have made clear their stand on India’s proposal. Congressman Mac Thornberry, Chairman of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, said in New Delhi last week that there was a “lot of concern in the U.S., in both the Administration and [U.S.] Congress over the S-400 system.”

Congressman Harry Cueller of House Appropriations Committee pointed out that India wants more technology sharing and co-production with the U.S. “The issue is: if we provide more technology and India buys the S-400, it raises concerns...,” he said.

the hindu

India Army is said to pare down rifles order to 250,000

The Indian Army will place an order for only 250,000 modern assault rifles -- just a third of its total requirement -- driven by budgetary constraints and the need to speed up deliveries, a person with knowledge of the matter said.

The 1.3 million-strong military pruned its original requirement for 800,000 rifles, which would have cost $2.5 billion, to prioritize spending and advance the purchase of more up-to-date equipment, the person said, asking not to be identified as the information is not yet public.

The defense force has 450,000 infantry troopers, of whom only half go into ground battle and use the rifle as their primary weapon. The rest are support soldiers, the person said.

The moves are part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s $250 billion push to modernize India’s armed forces, as infantry continue to face the brunt of deadly attacks in disputed border areas such as Kashmir and the north-east. Plans to buy new equipment from overseas, however, have been held back by bureaucratic delays and the military’s desire to balance the needs of its troops against efforts to build equipment domestically under Modi’s ‘Make in India’ program, a key plank in his drive to boost local manufacturing.

A scouting team will be leaving later this month to meet with foreign rifle-makers including Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC, Italy’s Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta S.p.A, Swiss Sig Sauer Inc., the Czech Republic’s Ceska Zbrojovka and Israel Weapons Industry Ltd. to identify the most suitable weapon, the person said.

To meet the requirement of the rest of the force, the Army intends to make do with a mix of 400,000 Kalashnikov rifles and the India-made INSAS rifles. The Indian Army’s shopping spree for small arms was triggered by its decision to phase out the two decade-old INSAS rifle, introduced in the late 1990s and built by the state-owned Ordnance Factory.

economictimes

Deal With Russia To Buy 200 Kamov Military Helicopters To Be Sealed By October

The Defence Ministry has already approved the payment for setting up of the joint venture. A site in the vicinity of Tumkur near Bengaluru has been identified for setting up the facility to produce the choppers. 

 The government is all set to conclude a multi-billion dollar deal by October to procure 200 Kamov Ka-226T attack helicopters through a joint venture between Russian Helicopters and state-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

Official sources said almost all the ground work to finalise the mega project has been completed as the government is eyeing to seal it within the next four months.

An inter-governmental agreement between India and Russia was signed for the project during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow in December 2015.

In October 2016, India and Russia had finalised a broad agreement to set up the joint venture (JV) between HAL and Russian Helicopters which will co-produce the choppers. India is procuring the choppers to replace its ageing Cheetah and Chetak helicopters.

Last month, the Defence Ministry issued a Request for Proposal or RFP to the Indo-Russian venture for the project.

Officials said the HAL-Russian Helicopters joint venture will send a detailed response to the Request for Proposal by end of August and the final deal is set to be signed in October.

They said the government has already approved the technical configuration for the twin-engine multi-role helicopter which is known for its superior manoeuvring capabilities in mountainous areas.

The Defence Ministry has already approved the payment for setting up of the joint venture. A site in the vicinity of Tumkur near Bengaluru has been identified for setting up the facility to produce the choppers.

The Kamov helicopters will be supplied to the Indian Air Force and the Army. Both these forces have been pressing for early conclusion of the deal so that they could replace their ageing fleet of existing choppers within next three to four years.

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According to the 2015 agreement, 60 Kamov-226T helicopters will be supplied to India in fly-away condition, while 140 will be manufactured in India.

Russia had agreed to ensure transfer of technologies to India as part of the pact. Russia has been one of India's key suppliers of arms and ammunition for decades.

 

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