Blacklist effect: Tank ammo at critical low levels, MoD waives policy to bu

[sudhir007]

Blacklist effect: Tank ammo at critical low levels, MoD waives policy to buy - Indian Express

The Army has officially conveyed to the government that its war reserves for certain ammunition have fallen below critical levels. This has led the Defence Ministry to kickstart emergency procurement in some cases by exempting them from the offsets policy. This policy requires that in any purchase of over Rs 300 crore, the company or firm involved must re-invest 30 per cent back in India.

The instant case is that of tank ammunition called the Armoured Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot (APFSDS). The Army is learnt to have put it down in writing that it needs about 66,000 APFSDS rounds as an “immediate operational necessity”. Similar is the problem with ammunition for the Smerch multi-barrel rocket launcher systems.

The APFSDS is vital for the Armoured Corps to take down enemy tanks in a tank-to-tank battle. India had a long-term arrangement with Israel for the ammunition but with Israel Military Industries (IMI) now blacklisted — facing a CBI probe — the Army has had to scout for fresh suppliers.
A Russian entity is said to have come forward but has quoted a price that is roughly 400 per cent higher than usual taking the cost beyond Rs1000 crore. This high quote had the Defence Acquisition Committee in a spot since the Russian firm is said to have been unwilling to accept the offset policy’s 30 per cent condition.

Result: the government last week exempted the deal from the offsets policy.

Defence Minister A K Antony, who left for Russia this morning on a bilateral visit, is expected to take up the issue of high cost with the Russian government at a political level.

Meanwhile, in a similar case, the government has decided to float tenders to urgently import Bi-Modular Charge (BMC) systems. Without this charge in their ammunition, the upgraded 130-mm artillery guns can only fire a range of 18 to 23 km, which is half their range of 38-40 km. The BMC systems were to be made in the new Nalanda Ordnance Factory, but that has failed to take off because IMI and South African technology partner Somtech, a subsidiary of Denel, are in the blacklist.

 

[Veeru]

Propaganda and corruption campaign is aimed to make all the development and defense deals fall apart. India needs military modernization at war scale but these blacklisting etc. are hurting our defense.

The corrupt babu who want bribe get away without any punishment while the vendor get black listed and India suffers.

 

[angeldemon_007]

Why anyone let this happen ? Why didn't IA requested this when they were falling short 1000 ?

 

[Basanti]

things like this makes me want to kill them mofos. We are making a third gen ATGM and cant make APFSDS for the army!! seriously, we need to revamp the way we do things.

 

[illuminatidinesh]

Again the Bofors scenerio......

 

[Omega007]

things like this makes me want to kill them mofos. We are making a third gen ATGM and cant make APFSDS for the army!! seriously, we need to revamp the way we do things.

That's not the case mate.Infact ARDE did develop the unitary 120mm longrod FSAPDS T ammunition and it's currently under production in HAPP.
Specs:
1.Total length-990mm
2.Total weight-24 kg.
3.Projectile weight-9.5 kg
Sabot weight-1 kg
4.Penetrator weight-8.5 kg.
5.Penetrator length-860 mm.
6.Mussel velocity-1700 meter/sec at 612 mpa chamber pressure from the 120mm L52 rifled gun of Arjun MkI.
But sadly there is no indigenous round of 125mm as the IMI is black listed and the joint venture with ARDE also got terminated.So it's not true that we can't make FSAPDS rounds,infact the ARDE MkI rounds are comparable to world's best like the DM 53 in performance.

 

[Bagee]

this all happens due to black listing western weapon companies did any body wonder why there has not been a single Russian company black listed and more over the tank shells which IAI was to provide were to be manufactured in OFB around India sad it seems we are western companies are very corrupt so best of luck Indian army for their tanks
i guess we do require an anna in the army as well

 

[skyisthelimit]

i guess now this gives the lalchi MOD officials freedom to go on shopping spree and buy at 2x or more rates.....table ke neche ki kamai bhi achi hogi...for all hands in gloves.

such is the situation with no proper planning or strategy in place....

 

[desimorty]

The tank regements don't require APFSDS rounds as much as this article makes it sound. A lot of Pakistans armour already has era, which would limit the damage inflicted on the tank. To knock out a tank like the AK, one only needs to fire a HEAT or HESH round that would dystroy the imaging sights and if we are lucky, the ammunition goes off inside the tank destroying the tank and killing its crew. that is the problem with these soviet era tanks. they have weak armour compared to the Arjun. Not only that but the chances of tanks firing on tanks is pretty low, considering ATGM on the ground and in the air. Indian army only requires tanks to bombard bunkers and infantry.