We must not delay fighter deals

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics last week said it is ready to offer F-21 fighters exclusively for India, in response to the IAF’s move to acquire fighter jets.

The next government will have to speedily address the Air Force’s shrinking fighter strength and finalise a deal with global bidders to arrest further attrition of the IAF’s 31 squadrons—42 are needed to defend our skies.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics last week said it is ready to offer F-21 fighters exclusively for India, in response to the IAF’s move to acquire fighter jets. The US-based company said the jets would be produced in India along with Tata Advanced Systems.

On the face of it, especially with the understated offer of sharing futuristic technologies of the fifth generation F-22 and the F-35, the proposal sounds good.

But the discussion around F-21 cannot ignore the possible geopolitical shift, considering that even now, a significant chunk of India’s defence procurements are sourced from Russia.

Opting firmly for an American alliance would mean that India should deal with the overt Russia-China axis that is acting against the US. 

There are other risks involved as can be seen from America’s objections to India’s procurements from Russia or oil deals with Iran. A pro-US tilt would also call for political concessions.

Besides, there is also the emerging Chinese military power threatening Indo-Pacific states that calls for a countervailing force such as Quad that Russia can’t be part of. 

This is where a European tie-up akin to Rafale helps retain freedom of action while limiting diversification of weapon systems, which call for larger inventories.

The recent Indo-US military cooperation has indeed resulted in significant military acquisitions, besides the GE-414 engines to rescue Tejas.

India had cancelled the $20 billion medium multi-role combat aircraft deal to focus on Tejas while reopening bids for heavier fighters.

But the delays in prescribing pre-qualification criteria and identifying domestic strategic partners is what the country cannot afford.   

newindianexpress

The next government will have to speedily address the Air Force’s shrinking fighter strength and finalise a deal with global bidders to arrest further attrition of the IAF’s 31 squadrons—42 are needed to defend our skies. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics last week said it is ready to offer F-21 fighters exclusively for India, in response to the IAF’s move to acquire fighter jets. The US-based company said the jets would be produced in India along with Tata Advanced Systems. On the face of it, especially with the understated offer of sharing futuristic technologies of the fifth generation F-22 and the F-35, the proposal sounds good. But the discussion around F-21 cannot ignore the possible geopolitical shift, considering that even now, a significant chunk of India’s defence procurements are sourced from Russia. Opting firmly for an American alliance would mean that India should deal with the overt Russia-China axis that is acting against the US. There are other risks involved as can be seen from America’s objections to India’s procurements from Russia or oil deals with Iran. A pro-US tilt would also call for political concessions. Besides, there is also the emerging Chinese military power threatening Indo-Pacific states that calls for a countervailing force such as Quad that Russia can’t be part of. This is where an European tie-up akin to Rafale helps retain freedom of action while limiting diversification of weapon systems, which call for larger inventories. The recent Indo-US military cooperation has indeed resulted in significant military acquisitions, besides the GE-414 engines to rescue Tejas. India had cancelled the $20 billion medium multi-role combat aircraft deal to focus on Tejas, while reopening bids for heavier fighters. But the delays in prescribing pre-qualification criteria and identifying domestic strategic partners is what the country cannot afford.

idrw.org .Read more at India No 1 Defence News Website http://idrw.org/we-must-not-delay-fighter-deals/ .

Pakistan to Counter Lockheed Martin’s F-21 Offer to India With JF-17 Thunder Block II

Pakistan is ready to counter Lockheed Martin’s F-21 offer to India with JF-17 Thunder Block II multirole combat aircraft. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had placed an order for the JF-17 Thunder aircraft in late 2017. The aircraft will be delivered to the PAF by late June.

Air Chief Marshall Mujahid Anwar Khan said they are also keen on JF-17 Thunder Block III aircraft. The product of it is expected to begin later in 2019. Khan said the air force will make a decision on one of the two new Chinese AESA (airborne electronically scanned-array) radars. He added that they are currently evaluating the aircraft. “We hope to have the aircraft operating with the new radar by March 2020.”

According to sources, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) has produced 50 Block I aircraft and 62 Block II JF-17s to date including the 12 Block II jets ordered in 2017. Presently, the PAF has 85 JF-17 Block I and II operationally deployed.Sources say the F-17 Block III aircraft will be fitted with a new electronic warfare system, upgraded avionics. It also includes a three-axis fly-by-wire digital flight control system, a helmet-mounted display, sight system and Pakistan’s first Chinese-made AESA.

Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force is not too far behind. Lockheed Martin, the United States aerospace giant, has offered to sign an exclusive deal with India for F-21 fighter jets. The jet manufacturer claims that if India agrees, it will not sell the aircraft to any other country.

An official statement by Lockheed Martin said it is committed to strategic, long-term international defence partnerships with India. “Our proposed partnerships with India are ideally suited to not just meet, but exceed India’s capability and defence-industrial needs.” Lockheed Martin has noted India’s pressing ‘need for advanced, scalable defence capabilities’ and proposed a ‘game-changing’ defence partnership.

Pakistan and India are geared to upgrade their aircraft following the February dogfight which nearly turned into a full-fledged war.

 eurasiantimes

Naval Air: Seahawk Lands In India

After several years of delays India cleared all the bureaucratic obstacles to finally obtain 24 American MH-60R Seahawk anti-submarine helicopters. These will cost about $109 million each, which includes accessories, spare parts, tech support and the cost of establishing maintenance facilities for a new type of helicopter. Despite the higher cost India has found American military helicopters the best value for the money. In addition to newly ordered MH-60Rs India already has 15 CH-47F heavy transport helicopters on the way and some have recently begun arriving. In addition 22 AH-64E helicopter gunships will begin arriving later in 2019. The MH-60Rs will begin delivery in a year or so. The ability of the Americans to deliver quickly is another plus. The Americans take good care of their customers.

This MH-60R is a navalized version of the 11 ton U.S. Army UH-60. India will use the MH-60Rs for ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) as well as attacks on surface vessels (using Hellfire missiles). The ASW involves using computers, sonar, and radar to search for submarines. This work involves staring at a screen most of the time while manipulating the sensors and computers to detect and locate subs. Once you have a solid location fix, you can launch a torpedo and sink the enemy vessel.

The MH-60R uses a sonar that operates in active (broadcasting) and passive (just listening) mode. The sonar system consists of dipping sonar and sonobuoys, which are dropped and communicate wirelessly. The dipping sonar is lowered into the water from the helicopter using an 806 meter (2,500 foot) cable and winch. The MH-60R is also equipped with a radar system for detecting subs on the surface or just beneath the surface. Modern non-nuclear subs often travel just beneath the surface with only the periscope or snorkel above water, to provide air for the diesel engine, and gets rid of the exhaust fumes.MH-60Rs can also perform SAR (search and rescue) work and to obtain maximum airtime and carrying capacity the sonar and all its associated electronics is quickly removed but the radar stays. The MH-60 can hover low enough to deploy a line to people in the water and winch people aboard.

For decades the Indian Navy has had problems with procuring new helicopters and the situation kept getting worse. The navy preferred proven foreign models like the MH-60R but their procurement bureaucracy excels at corruption, timidity and an exceptional talent for not getting things done. As a result, Indian warships equipped to handle helicopters have had, for nearly a decade, only 20 percent of the helicopters they are supposed to have. The main deficiency was in importing a suitable medium (10 ton class) helicopters (like the U.S. SH-60, Russian Ka-31 and the European EH101 or NH90). The main source of delays was the Indian effort to build a local design that met navy needs. Indian efforts to develop a local helicopter industry have been plagued by political and bureaucratic bungling. Despite that, after a half-century of effort, India did produce some Indian made naval helicopters, but not yet the heavier types the navy needs. The closest Indian manufacturers have come to filling navy needs was the locally designed and built Dhruv. In late 2013 the Indian Navy finally put its first squadron of Dhruv light helicopters into service. These were used for patrolling, search and rescue, and anything else the Navy needs, except for those jobs requiring a 10 ton class helicopter. It’s been a difficult journey for the Dhruv. In 2009 the Indian Navy bought six of the Dhruvs for evaluation and did not like what they saw. The main complaints were lack of engine power and poor reliability. These were considered fatal flaws for helicopters meant for SAR and ASW.


Dhruv entered service in 2002 and the Coast Guard and the other services got a few of them for evaluation. The army actually bought 40 Dhruvs without thoroughly testing them. This purchase was made under intense pressure from the government to "buy Indian". Then the army discovered that, although the purchase contract stipulated that the Dhruv be able to operate at high altitudes (5,000 meters/16,000 feet), its engine (as the navy noted) was underpowered and could not handle high altitudes. So the army has to keep its older helicopters in service until the Dhruvs were upgraded.
 The Dhruv can carry up to 14 passengers or four stretchers. Max load is 1.5 tons and endurance is about two hours (depending on load and altitude). The Dhruv can also fly as high as 6,000 meters (nearly 20,000 feet). Northern India has a lot of mountains, so operating at high altitude was a key design requirement. The 5.5 ton Dhruv has had a lot of problems and by 2009, a series of crashes indicated some basic design flaws, which the manufacturer insisted did not exist. The Navy disagreed. Although it is Indian made, until 2010, the Dhruv was assembled mostly (90 percent) with imported parts. The manufacturer had kept quiet about this because at least half the parts in "Indian made" weapons are supposed to be made in India. Since then the percentage of Indian made components has increased. As embarrassing as this revelation was, there were other problems that were more crucial.

The navy was desperate to replace about 30 of its elderly Sea Kings, which the MH-60s have replaced in many countries. The Sea Kings were a 1950s American design and the Indian Navy began receiving them from a British manufacturer in 1972. The last of 42 Sea Kings ordered arrived in the mid-1980s. As the Sea Kings got older they required more maintenance and a growing number were too worn out to use at all. Only six were lost to accidents and most were retired because of old age. The 30 that are still flyable only have a few years of useful life left. The U.S. is the main source of spare parts as most other suppliers have ceased production because so few Sea Kings are still in service.

The Sea Kings have a max speed of 209 kilometers an hour, max load of 3.5 tons, max altitude of 3,500 meters (11,500 feet) max range of 1,200 kilometers and max endurance of about six hours. The MH-60R has a max speed of 270 kilometers an hour, max load of 1.9 tons, max altitude of 3,500 meters (11,500 feet), max range of 830 kilometers and max endurance of about four hours.
 The MH-60R ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) helicopters, which are also used for SAR (Search and Rescue), entered service in the 1980s as the SH-60.
Most American military helicopters (UH-60, HH-60, MH-60) are militarized versions of the Sikorsky S-60, a 1970s design that won the competition to replace the older UH-1 "Huey". The UH-60 (for the army) was introduced in 1979. The latest version, the 11 ton UH-60M can carry 14 troops, or 1.1 tons of cargo internally, or four tons slung underneath. Cruise speed is 278 kilometers an hour. Max endurance is two hours, although most sorties last 90 minutes or less.
Max altitude is 5,790 meters (19,000 feet). The army currently has about 2,000 UH-60s and is upgrading the force with the new "M" model. So far, over 3,000 UH-60 type helicopters have been built, mostly for the military. One reason the MH-60 is so popular is that the UH-60 has some much flight time, so many current or former pilots and so many people with experience maintaining it. There are so many UH-60s out there that spare parts are not only cheaper but are going to be available for a long time. None of the Russian or West European competitors have these advantages and India made the most of that.

 strategypage

India Prunes Purchase of 22 American Sea Guardian Drones - Source

India had plans to purchase 22 Sea Guardian drones for the navy, valued at around $2 billion. Instead, it will be around 12 such drones according to the new proposal, as the ministry wants to maximise the utilisation of the limited financial resources available to it, the source added.

The Indian Defence Ministry will soon approve the purchase of American Sea Guardian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and MQ-9 Reapers for the country's armed forces, but the number of purchase will be less than what was originally planned last year.

Government sources have revealed that a formal document will soon be issued to the US in this regard, after Washington has sent the "price and availability" details for Sea Guardian, which can carry out long-endurance, high-altitude surveillance, as well as carry Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, advanced marine avionics, and laser-guided bombs.On 17 June, 2016, the Indian Defence Ministry sent a letter of request (LoR) to the US seeking to purchase 22 MQ-9 Predator B Guardian maritime patrol remotely piloted vehicles from General Atomics for protection and vigilance of its maritime assets in the Indian Ocean.

However, the Indian ministry will also ask for a non-maritime version for the army and air force.

The Guardian is the maritime variant of the Predator B. It is fitted with a Raytheon SeaVue multimode maritime radar under its belly that provides wide-area intelligence and surveillance.
Predator B has an endurance of over 27 hours, a speed of 240 KTAS, can operate at an altitude of up to 50,000 feet, and has a 3,850 pound (1,746 kg) payload capacity that includes 3,000 pounds (1,361 kg) of external stores.

The deal was put on hold during the last two years, as India did not sign the communication framework. However, the two countries have expedited the negotiation since last September, when India signed the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), which, according to the joint statement released after the meetings, "will facilitate access to advanced defence systems and enable India to optimally utilize its existing U.S.-origin platforms".

Dr Subhash Bhamre, India's minister of state for defence, informed the Indian Parliament on 20 December 2017 that: "A request for Information (RFI) for Predator ‘B' Sea Guardian was issued to the US Office of Defence Cooperation on November 14 and the response is awaited".

He also informed that the deal does not involve a transfer of critical technology to India.

 sputniknews

India set to export first batch of missiles to South East Asian, Gulf countries

India will export its first batch of missiles this year to the South East Asian and the Gulf countries after receiving "increasing interests" from them, a top defence official said here Wednesday.

Speaking at the IMDEX Asia 2019 exhibition, Commodore S K Iyer, Chief General Manager for HR at BrahMos Aerospace, said the first missile export contract awaits a government to government approval.

"A number of South East Asian countries are ready to buy our missiles," he said. "It will be our first export and we have received increasing interests in the missiles form the Gulf countries," Iyer said at the the three-day international maritime conference and exhibition which began here on Tuesday.

Indian defence sector sees good opportunities for exports to the South East Asian and the Gulf countries where slower economic growths have put budgetary pressure on acquiring viable, cost-effective and reliable solutions.

India-Russia joint venture BrahMos and defence company L&T Defence of Larsen & Toubro Ltd are showcasing a wide range of defence equipment at the IMDEX for the South East Asian markets.

Noting a significant change in market trends, industry observers said developing economies in the Middle East, South East Asia and South America were looking for viable, cost effective and reliable solutions.

They said that some of these small economies are looking for renewals of older assets through platform upgrades with latest technologies.

Budgetary constraints on defence procurement means life-span extension of older assets, said Martyn Allen, regional director for Asia at QinetiQ, a UK-based defence company with partners in India and a recently-opened regional office in Kuala Lumpur.

Export opportunities through collaboration with Indian defence industry were underlined by Captain Nick Macdonald-Robinson, a senior naval advisor at the Defence and Security Organisation of the UK Department of International Trade.

British companies are already establishing relationship with Indian shipyards which have a vast number of architects and huge amount of experience, Robinson said.
He pointed out that the large-scale expertise in Indian yards were not only involved in building indigenous designs, but also taking products from India-Russia joint venture into the export markets.

More than 236 defence companies are participating in the IMDEX 2019 exhibition.

Over 10,500 delegates and trade visitors are also attending the event where 23 warships from 30 countries are on display after conducting regional maritime exercises.

Over 400 delegates from the naval defence sector are attending the International Maritime Security Conference on "Safe and Secure Seas: Promoting Mutual Securities in our Maritime Commons".

 economictimes

KA-31 Helicopter Plan Suggests Intensified Indian Naval shipbuilding Activity

The Indian Defence Ministry’s approval of a plan to purchase 10 Kamov KA-31 helicopters from Russia suggests that several new large ships would come on stream in the next couple of years which would need the airborne radar support provided by this unique rotorcraft.

Among significant ship building projects, the Indian Navy is expected to start trials of the Indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC)-1 next year, though no formal announcementSome reports suggest that future Indian KA-31s would be equipped with the home-made Sarang electronic support measures (ESM). The Sarang ESM comprises several antennae types mounted at various points on the airframe to obtain 360 degree coverage.

Russian arms exporter, Rosoboronexport designates Ka-31 as a ‘radar picket helicopter’, it is designed to detect air targets surface ships, track and identify them, as well as provide automatic data transmission to ground and ship-based command and control centers.

The most important system of the helicopter is the E-801 airborne radar system which allows to simultaneously detect up to 200 targets, similar to a modern fighter, and to take 20 for tracking. Detection range is up to 100-150 km for small aerial targets and up to 250 km for surface targets.

Radar information from the helicopter is automatically transmitted to land and ship receiving points.

The radar hangs below the helicopter during flight and is folded up for landing and take-off. has been made in this regard. Several large warships which could support the KA-31’s operations from their decks are in various stages of procurement.

The KA-31 is considered a poor-man’s airborne radar system for countries that do not have sophisticated carrier-based AWACS such as the US-made Hawkeye. India already has a complement of KA-31 helicopters as also their earlier versions.

defenseworld

Army seeks defence ministry's intervention for supply of better ammunition

The Army has sought immediate intervention of the Defence Ministry to check rising cases of accidents involving battle tanks, artillery and air defence guns due to “poor quality” of ammunition being supplied to it by the state-run Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), official sources said.

They said the Army has specifically raised the issue with Secretary (Defence Production) Ajay Kumar, saying poor quality of ammunition has been causing damage to a range of key weapons of the Army in the past few years, they said.

Following the Army’s request, the defence ministry examined the issue and found that OFB has not been pro-active in improving quality of the ammunition to contain accidents caused by faulty ammunition, the sources said.The OFB operates 41 ordnance factories across the country and functions under the department of defence production of the ministry of defence.

When contacted, the OFB said it supplies ammunition to Indian Army after through inspection by its Quality Control department Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA).

It said all input material are tested in designated laboratories and a series of specific tests are conducted before ammunition is supplied to the Army.

The Army also presented a report to the ministry listing incidents of accidents involving main guns of the T-72 and T-90 and the Arjun main battle tanks besides 105mm Indian field guns, 105mm light field guns, 130mm MA1 medium guns and 40mm L-70 air defence guns, primarily due to faulty ammunition, they said.

The Army also cited a number of incidents in which army personnel were injured due to faulty ammunition.

Sources said the Army was very serious about the issue and requested the defence ministry take appropriate initiatives to improve quality of ammunition being supplied to the force.

OFB said it is “responsible for manufacturing and up to dispatch of ammunition and is not aware of the storage/ handling/ maintenance conditions at Army’s end which are equally responsible for defects/accidents.”

“Unlike other products, ammunition is single-use item. For this reason, 100 per cent inspection including dynamic proof cannot be carried out. A principle of Statistical Quality Control (SQC) is employed for final acceptance of ammunition. SQC is inherently associated with both producer’s risk and customer’s risk,” it said.

In September 2017, the Army’s long-range ultra-light (ULH) howitzer M-777 was damaged during a field trial in Pokhran and the US manufacturer as well as the Army had indicated that the gun exploded due to faulty ammunition.

In August 2017, the defence ministry sacked 13 senior officers employed with ordnance factories after finding their overall performance “unsatisfactory”.

 greaterkashmir

Rahul Gandhi says he will consult IAF before cancelling the Rafale deal if he comes to power, but IAF has already spoken

Rahul Gandhi’s lies on the Rafale deal have acquired legendary status over time. After his allegations were refuted by not only the government but also the Supreme Court, certain sections of the media, the Indian Air Force and even the French government, he still refuses to abandon his ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ narrative.

The Congress President, in his recent interview with News Nation, again displayed his ignorance of the entire matter. He demanded a debate with the Prime Minister over the Rafale deal. Then, after somebody movements which could only be described as mystifying, he said, “I am saying, I have to get books, I have to get books,” eliciting laughter from the interviewers although it was difficult to know whether they were laughing because Rahul Gandhi’s humour (guessing he was trying to be funny) or at him.

After repeating his usual lies on the matter, raking up the late Manohar Parrikar and the cropped The Hindu report and sneaking in accusations of bias against the interviewers in between, Rahul Gandhi was asked by the journalists when they were finally allowed to speak by the Congress President whether he intended to scrap the current deal and renegotiate it in its entirety. In response, Rahul Gandhi admitted that he did not have much knowledge on the matter.He said, “I am an Opposition leader today, I don’t know the details. Before scrapping the deal, I will have to consult with the Air Force. People who understand these things, I will have to ask them. Look, something or the other has happened. And the Prime Minister should have ordered an inquiry.”

As it turns out, senior officials within the IAF have already given their say on the matter. Air Marshal Raghunath Nambiar said in an interview last year, “People are perhaps misinformed. We were a part of the commercial negotiations for Rafale. There is nothing like ₹30,000 crore to any one party. Dassault has to do offsets to a tune of ₹6,500 crore. Not more than that”.

Indian Air Chief B.S. Dhanoa, too, had defended the deal and said that the Supreme Court had given a fine verdict when it dismissed the petitions against the deal. He had said, “Who said we don’t need the Rafale? Government has said it is needed, we have said we need it”. Rafale is a game changer, it is a different level. When it comes into the subcontinent and in this particular sector, it will be the most advanced aircraft,” he added.

Recently, Rahul Gandhi was forced to apologize before the Supreme Court for claiming that the Court had said ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’. Despite the obvious setback, he hasn’t shied away from making allegations against Narendra Modi without knowing the details of the matter as he admitted himself in the interview.

In an interview with India Today, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi parivar had made it clear that his sole objective is to destroy the Prime Minister’s image. Thus far, however, his campaign of slander hasn’t seen such much success.

opindia

Russia Ready to Export Su-57 Stealth Fighter Jet to India

Russia’s military aircraft industry is continuing its efforts to promote an export variant of the Sukhoi Su-57 fighter aircraft, Russia’s first purported indigenously designed and built fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, to the Indian Air Force.

According to Director for International Cooperation and Regional Policy at defense industrial group Rostec,Viktor Kladov, Russia is ready to hold a dialogue with India on the subject.

“On our part, we are ready to continue the deliveries of generation 4+ and 4++ planes and [also] work on the delivery of fifth-generation aircraft,” he was quoted as saying by TASS news agency in February. “At the same time, Russia’s Air Force is a top priority for us. The plane [the latest Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jet] has been tested in combat conditions in Syria and its deliveries to the Russian troops have begun.”

The export variant of the Su-57, designated Su-57E, will reportedly receive export approval by Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming weeks.

Notably, India withdrew last year from the co-development and production of the Su-57 known in India as the Perspective Multi-role Fighter (PMF), for multiple reasons including dissatisfaction with the aircraft’s flight performance and capabilities gaps. Russia also refused to share sensitive computer codes used to control the aircraft’s various systems with India.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking to procure over 100 new fighter aircraft and is expected to issue a request for proposals (RFP) in the coming months. Lockheed Martin and Boeing, in addition to Swedish aircraft maker Saab, French defense firm Dassault Aviation, the Eurofighter consortium, and Russia’s United Aircraft Cooperation are expected to participate in the tender.
 “The tender will be open for single-engine and twin-engine fighter jets. According to the RFI, the IAF is seeking to procure 82-83 (75 percent) single-seat fighter jets and 27-28 twin-seat variants (25 percent),” I explained previously. “Out of the 110 aircraft, 16-17 (15 percent) are to be bought in fly-away condition, whereas the rest are to be built in India under the framework of the [MoD]’s Defense Procurement Procedure 2016 to facilitate the manufacturing of military hardware locally.”

Notably, the Russian government is also expected to offer the Su-57 to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The Russian Ministry of Defense announced in 2018 that it will not mass-produce the Su-57 as a result of India abandoning the program. Ten Su-57 prototypes are currently undergoing various stages of testing and evaluation by the Russian Air Force. The service will officially take delivery of the first Su-57 this year.

 thediplomat

US offers to sell THAAD defence system to India as alternative to Russian S-400s

The United States has offered Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Patriot Advance Capability (PAC-3) missile defence systems to India in as an alternative to Russian S-400s, a competing equipment that India has said it is close to acquiring after years of negotiations.

The Trump administration is understood to have made the offer some weeks ago as it simultaneously extended and reeled back assurances that India’s purchase of the Russian system could not, or could, attract sanctions aimed at punishing Russia for its 2016 election meddling under Countering American Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
The exact cost of a THAAD defence system could not be ascertained, but according to a CNBC report, each unit can cost an estimated $3 billion. Saudi Arabia signed a deal with the US in November to buy 44 THAAD launchers and missiles - each battery comes with six launchers - for $15 billion. In comparison, India is reported to be paying $5.4 billion for five S-400s, each of which consists eight launchers.

The exact date of the offer of THAAD and the PAC-3 systems to India could not be ascertained, but the offer was confirmed by multiple government agencies and people close to these discussions.

“As a matter of policy, we do not publicly comment on or confirm proposed defense sales or transfers until they have been formally notified to Congress,” said a US State Department spokesperson in response to a request to confirm or deny if a formal offer had indeed been made. It was not denied, as is clear. The State Department is the clearing house for government-to-government transfer of US defence equipment to foreign countries, through the system of Foreign Military Sales.

Though India has felt confident of getting a CAATSA waiver, as was recently reiterated by defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Indian officials have also sensed a walking-back on it in recent months, drawing upon, in main parts, on US insistence in public remarks that the waiver authority written into law by the Congress in 2018 only empowered the president to grant waivers and it did not offer country-specific guarantees.

James Mattis, former defense secretary, had mentioned India and Vietnam in his testimony at a Congressional hearing in which he had urged lawmakers to grant exemption powers ti the government, arguing it was needed to slowly wean long-time clients of Russian arms and weapons.

Comparisons between THAAD and PAC-3 missile defence systems with S-400s are typically slanted in favour of those behind the analysis. But the United States is pitching them as part of a larger plan of enhanced defence and security cooperation with India. As India cuts its dependence on Russian equipment — from 78% over 2009-13 to 58% over 2014-18, according to SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) — and switches to America, arms purchases from the United States have gone from zero some years ago to $18 billion. THAAD and PAC-3 will fit in better with other American equipment.

US officials are believed to have indeed conveyed US willingness to waive these sanctions for S-400s during the inaugural 2+2 meeting in New Delhi last September between defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and their US counterparts. But there appears to have been some walking back in recent weeks, coinciding with Trump administration’s efforts to prevent Turkey, a NATO ally, from going ahead with its own plans to buy S-400s. Saudi Arabia, another US ally, is next.
Turkey’s planned purchase of S-400s and America’s opposition to it on grounds the acquisition could expose American defence systems to the Russians is cited often by American officials as central to the Trump administration’s position on allies, friends and partners opting for the Russian system. The United States has threatened to not sell Turkey F-35s, the next generation fighter jets, if it acquired the S-400s.

hindustantimes

India's Aircraft Carrier Future: British Designed and F-35 Armed?

when it was announced that Indian Navy officials visited the Rosyth dockyard in Scotland, where the Royal Navy’s HMS Queen Elizabeth carrier was built. Reports have suggested that this delegation was interested in buying plans for the QE as a basis for their third carrier, the INS Vishal.
But why is India interested in a British design? What planes might it use? Could it lead to an F-35 purchase by India?
India’s prior experience with the INS Viraat, a former Royal Navy aircraft carrier could have lead to their preference for British design. The INS Viraat was decommissioned in 2017 after serving the Indian Navy for over thirty years. It was replaced by the INS Vikramaditya, a former Russian carrier, but the INS Vikramaditya has had significant issues with its powerplant and boilers. The INS Vikramaditya’s issues have proven deadly, with a boiler fire killing an officer on board in April 2019.

While the INS Viraat also killed one of its officers in a similar fire in 2016, the INS Viraat is far older than the INS Vikramaditya and served for far longer. The INS Vikramaditya has killed three people in the five years she has been in service.
This abysmal safety record probably has driven interest in British designs, which are known to be generally safer and feature modern gas turbines in contrast to the INS Viraat and INS Vikramaditya’s boilers.
With regard to planes, both the INS Vikramaditya and the INS Vikrant (India’s second carrier, currently undergoing trials) are designed to use MiG-29Ks, navalized variants of the MiG-29. However, problems with these aircraft may lead to the procurement of a new carrier-borne aircraft in the near future.
The INS Vikramaditya, INS Vikrant, and the HMS Queen Elizabeth are “ski-jump” carriers which utilize a ramp at the end of the runway to loft aircraft into flight. Conversely, most modern Western naval fighters such as the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet, Rafale M, and F-35C are designed to use a catapult to be launched from the flight deck, which allows them to carry more upon takeoff.

While Dassault says that the Rafale M could easily be adapted to fly from ski-jump carriers, India is said to be considering installing a catapult on the INS Vishal. Designs were made to fit the second carrier in the Queen Elizabeth-class, the HMS Prince of Wales, with a catapult, but were eventually scrapped to reduce cost and maintain compatibility with the HMS Queen Elizabeth.
What India will select as a naval fighter comes down to a balance of cost, capability, and whether they plan to install a catapult on their third carrier. They could stick with the MiG-29 for all three carriers, the least capable, but cheapest option. They could adopt the Rafale M, which would be mid-priced and potentially suitable for all three carriers in all configurations if both catapult and ski-jump variants were adopted. Or they could attempt to buy the F-35B, which is known to operate off the Queen Elizabeth’s ski-jump.

India buying the F-35 could be potentially politically toxic due to America’s relationship with Pakistan. However, after India’s withdrawal from co-developing the Su-57 jet with Russia, there have been rumbles of F-35 interest within the Indian Air Force. Classified briefings were said to have taken place early in 2018, and Lockheed’s pitch of the “F-21” jet to India was accompanied by the tagline “India’s pathway to F-35”, though this was quickly redacted.
However, as the Rafale seems to be the favorite to win India’s “MMRCA 2.0” contract, a possible purchase of the Rafale M seems the most likely if the Indian Navy decides to upgrade their fighter aircraft.

 nationalinterest

IAF gets its first Apache attack helicopter from Boeing, 21 more to come

The Boeing Company handed over to the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Friday the first of 22 Apache attack helicopters that India contracted to buy in September 2015 for about $3 billion at current prices.

An IAF officer, Air Marshal AS Butola, travelled to Boeing’s helicopter production facility at Mesa, Arizona, to attend the handing over ceremony, alongside US government representatives.


The IAF is buying the latest version of the Apache, designated the AH-64E (I) Apache Guardian. The first batch of 4-6 helicopters will be shipped to India in July, says the defence ministry.

The Apaches are being acquired through a hybrid contract. The helicopter itself has been contracted through a "direct commercial sale" (DCS) with Boeing. However, the radar and assortment of weaponry, including missiles, rockets and cannon bullets, are being acquired directly from the Pentagon through a “foreign military sale” (FMS).

The Apache is widely acknowledged to be the world’s most lethal combat helicopter, having flown about a million mission hours in conflicts from the First Gulf War in 1991 to the on-going fighting in Afghanistan.

It can operate by day or night with equal effectiveness, flying just metres above the ground and sheltering behind trees and sand dunes. Its advanced Longbow radar picks up enemy armoured vehicles targets that are then destroyed with anti-tank missiles, air-to-surface rockets or a chain gun that sends 625 rounds per minute ripping into armoured vehicles. Designed to operate as the airborne component of a highly mobile, armour-heavy strike corps, the Apache has been dubbed the “flying tank”.

“The ability of these helicopters, to transmit and receive the battlefield picture, to and from the weapon systems through data networking, makes it a lethal acquisition,” said the defence ministry on Saturday.Ground combat experts say the Apache should have been a straightforward buy of a premier tank-killing platform for the army’s three strike corps, instead of joining the IAF fleet. Former defence minister, AK Antony, after deciding that the new “Army Aviation Corps” would fly the army’s tactical support helicopters, succumbed to IAF pressure and allocated them the Apache.

Consequently, the 22 Apaches, distributed between two air force squadrons, will have the wartime role of “suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD)”. This refers to the US doctrine of destroying enemy air defence radars and missile batteries near the border, allowing fighter aircraft to cross into enemy airspace undetected.

Army aviation specialists reject this notion, arguing that the relatively slow-flying Apaches would be quickly picked up to Chinese or Pakistani surveillance radars and then shot down by their dense network of anti-air missiles, guns and fighter aircraft. They say the US Army could use Apaches for SEAD only in highly asymmetrical conflicts, where the US enjoyed overwhelming air superiority.

Acknowledging the army’s need for the Apache, a separate procurement has been kicked off for buying six Apache Guardians for the army to support the strike corps. Last June, the US Congress was notified about the proposed sale to India of six AH-64E Apache helicopters for an estimated cost of $930 million.

These are for the first of three units of Apaches that the army plans to raise, one for each plains strike corps, i.e. Mathura-based 1 Corps, Ambala-based 2 Corps and Bhopal-based 31 Corps. Each squadron would have ten helicopters, and a thirty per cent reserve in depots to replenish losses caused by accidents or casualties.

Separately, the IAF and army are acquiring the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) that has been designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and is now close to being operationally certified. The LCH is a lighter helicopter that is optimised for providing supporting fire to infantry soldiers in high altitude fighting. The heavier, bigger Apache is more suited to mechanised warfare in plains terrain.

There is no “Make in India” component, or transfer of technology, in the Apache deal, with the helicopter to be built entirely in the US, then defence minister Manohar Parrikar informed the Lok Sabha on November 28, 2014.

However, the US Army is providing training at Fort Rucker, Alabama to the IAF pilots and maintenance personnel who will operate the Apache fleet.

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