General Indian Defence News

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NEW DELHI: Jitendra Rathod had spent almost three months looking for an apartment in Mulund, a fast growing suburb in central Mumbai.

He knew that developers were struggling to find buyers and were sitting on huge inventories, so he expected a good discount. Much to his surprise, no builder was willing to budge an inch.

Rathod's luck changed when he joined a group buying portal that brings buyers together for bulk deals. A few rounds of negotiations later he bought an apartment from the same builder at a price 10% lower than what he was offered barely two weeks ago.

"Two weeks ago the builder, Samta Builders, said it couldn't offer me anything below the 15th floor. Now I have got a flat on the 5th floor," he says, regaling in his newfound power.

GrOffr, a real estate group buying site which helped Rathod buy his dream home, is barely a year old. In that period, it says it has managed to sell homes worth Rs 147 crore to about 100- odd buyers, and helped them save about Rs 27 crore. It doesn't charge the buyer a penny.

Instead it makes money from the commission it gets from the builder for selling their apartments. Co-founder Sandeep Reddy says he expects revenues to grow from Rs 1 crore in the last fiscal year to Rs 5 crore in the current fiscal year-he is expanding into other cities-so much so the Ind IAN ) Angel Network (IAN) recently invested $1million in his small outfit.

The crisis in the realty market has thrown up a big opportunity for so-called group-buying firms of which GrOffr is possibly the veteran in the business.

New players such as Gemi- Deals.com, dealflats.com, 21flats.com, groopoffers.com have popped up overnight. These firms work on the principle that if builders can form cartels and not bring down home prices, consumers too can get together and negotiate a deal.

While buyers obviously benefit as they get a discount, many builders are happy to work with such firms. This is because builders, famously reluctant to bringing down prices in a difficult market, can generate business without having to advertise the discount.

"Developers are willing to give a discount today but they will not want to put that on paper," says Raj Iyer , chairman of Groopoffers.com, which claims to have sold about 45 homes in the last six months and has helped customers save 10-12% on the price. Groopoffers recently raised Rs 2 crore from a group of angel investors.

Most of these portals use social media such as Twitter and Facebook to reach out to buyers, apart from emails and SMSs. GroopOffers' Facebook and Twitter pages are updated regularly with new deals and offers. "The idea is to keep the cost per acquisition low," says Iyer.

The company has also tied up with some companies so that they are on the company's intranet. What has worked for GrOffr till now is word of mouth. "Now, with angel funding in place, we are planning to hire an online agency and get more active through viral marketing on Facebook," says co-founder Vikhyat Srivastava.

Most builders ET got in touch with refused to comment on the new trend . Shiv Priya, executive director of Amrapali Developers in Noida, near Delhi, however, said that his company has entered into discounted bulk deals for the last one year with large corporates like Samsung, Alstom, NTPC and ONGC .

"We are doing built-to-suit residential projects for certain communities like defence personnel, religious groups and alumni of IITs and IIMs. We can address the price points better in such deals." said Karthik Bhaskaran, senior vice-president for sales and marketing at the Bangalore-based Century Real Estate Real Estate in the doldrums Sales of apartments in the bigger cities around the country have been in the doldrums for a while as buyers are anticipating a slump in prices.

Builders have, however, remained stubborn, and have refused to bring down prices-many think if they do so, prices will crash. According to consultant Jones Lang LaSalle, unsold residential units in projects that are completed or are nearing completion within the next 6- 12 months in Mumbai and NCR-Delhi are as high as 25% and 16%, respectively, of the total number of units.

In other top cities, including Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata, the numbers range between 12% and 19%. Real estate research firm Liases Foras says approximately 471.9 million sq ft of residential stock, which is one-fifth the size of Chandigarh, is lying unsold in the country's top six markets.

Rising home loan rates and the crisis created by disputes over land acquisition in areas such as Noida have also accentuated the problem.

"With a huge amount of unsold inventory in the market today, the market is assumed to be heading for a correction in the next 18 months. As a result, there are a whole bunch of potential buyers that are sitting on the fence. Developers today are holding on to their prices but are very much willing to give discounts for serious buyers," says Deep Malhotra , founder, GemiDeals.com.

"The trend of group-buying sites in the real estate sector is unique to India," says Anuj Puri, chairman and country head at Jones Lang LaSalle India.

"Earlier, builders used to sell to investors in bulk. Now this position is being taken up by group buyers who get a similar kind of price benefit," he adds.

Others say it has also been happening because there is demand in the market which is latent right now as builders aren't bringing down the prices as per the expectations of the market. Reddy and Vikhyat Srivastava, who worked with Kotak on different real estate projects, set up GrOffr.com in 2010 to leverage the power of group buying in the real estate sector.

Initially, says Reddy, they pre-negotiated prices with developers based on minimum sales. This model has now evolved into one where buyers on their website dictate who GrOffr negotiates with. "We put up various projects with details on out website.

If there are a large number of buyers interested in a particular product, we then negotiate with the developer," he adds. Recently, they have started another programme where real estate agents can also help them negotiate deals with developers.

"Developers are coming to us on their own now," says Malhotra, who has tied up with about six developers to date and is targeting others who have a lot of unsold inventory lying around. This paper reported recently that group buying-where websites elicit deep discounts on lifestyle services ranging from restaurants and movie tickets to salons and holidays in particular cities by committing a minimum number of customers- is gaining popularity among Internet users and local merchants in metros as well as smaller cities.

Between them, around 20 groupbuying sites in India have 12.7 million users, or more than the population of Mumbai, the country's most populous city with 11.98 million people, according to Census 2011.

One-third of the deals are in non-metros such as Coimbatore, Guntur and Bhubaneswar. Group buying came to India only in late 2009. Since then it has been growing by leaps and bounds.

Today, there are more than 500 group-buying sites worldwide. Internet giants Google and Facebook recently entered the field with Google Offers and Facebook Deals.

Home buyers log in to portals for bulk deals - The Economic Times

 

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India said on Monday that high-technology trade with the US has belied expectations and sought the deepening of cooperation in research and development, design and production according to published reports by Mint, in New Delhi.

Addressing a meeting of the India-US high technology cooperation group (HTCG), foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said the regulatory frameworks in India and the US should evolve in a manner that will facilitate trade and expand opportunities for collaboration.

"There is a shared perception that the HTCG has, in a sense, underperformed and underachieved, especially in commercial sectors," Rao said at the opening session of the group.

"While the focus has been on conventional trade and market access, we must now focus equally on promoting cooperation in research and development, design, commercialization and production," Rao said, days before US secretary of state Hillary Clinton is due to visit for strategic talks with her Indian counterpart S. M. Krishna on 19 July.

Rao's comments come after the US announced in January that it had removed almost all except a handful of Indian state-run firms from its export control list, allowing US companies to sell sensitive knowhow to space and defence organizations that were previously embargoed from receiving this technology.

The US had also elevated India from a category titled "country of concern", bringing it on par with many European partners, a step that smoothened procurement of licences for the import of dual-use technologies by Indian companies.

Both were heralded by the US embassy in New Delhi at that time as a symbol of the robust strategic partnership between the two countries and in keeping with the promises made by US President Barack Obama during his visit to India in November.

India seeks deeper high-tech ties with US | The Next Silicon Valley

 

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PARIS, July 14 (UPI) -- EADS, the European aerospace and defense group, has signed technology licensing agreements with new industrial partners in India and Europe.

The accords were signed during last month's Paris Air Show and involve a contract with Germany's Grenzebach Automation GmbH for metallic production technologies based on the friction stir welding solid-state joining process along with four Letters of Intent with one German and three Indian companies for metallic and composite manufacturing processes.

The agreements were arranged by the EADS Technology Licensing initiative, which is managed by EADS' Corporate Technology Office and has the company's top management support in offering a full range of leading-edge technologies that are proven, mature and available now.

EADS said several of the agreements will benefit from engineering and application studies organized by the EADS Technology Licensing initiative, which provides assistance to industry partners in identifying business cases and tailoring a technology offer that is best adapted to customers' specific needs.

"Our new agreements underscore EADS' ability to provide highly valuable technologies in both metallic and composites production, which will be applied to the aerospace industry as well as other sectors such as automotive and industrial equipment," said Wulf Hoeflich, who leads the EADS Technology Licensing initiative.

The licensing contract provides Grenzebach Automation GmbH with access to EADS Innovation Works' technologies for the friction stir welding solid-state joining process, including utilization of EADS patented tools that provide a high-quality weld surface and eliminate the requirement for post-weld machining.

The Letters of Intent with India underscore the country's ambition to evolve as a strong aerospace player, which has become a priority after the Indian government's step to privatize the aerospace sector, EADS said.

"We now see a buildup in the Indian supply chain, which wants to become more capable and innovative -- not only in supporting Indian aircraft programs, but in the export market as well," Hoeflich said.

The Letters of Intent are with India's Dynamatic Technologies Limited, for metallic manufacturing processes such as friction stir welding, as well as EADS patented composites production technologies; Maini Precision Products Pvt. Ltd. for metallic and composites technologies, backed by an EADS engineering services package; Tata Advanced Materials Limited, covering a broad range of composites and related manufacturing processes; and Broetje Automation GmbH of Germany, for light metal alloys, friction stir welding and automation in composites manufacturing.



Read more: EADS signs licensing agreement - UPI.com

 

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London, Jul 14 (PTI) Pirate attacks have spiked globally in the first six months of the year to 266 and a majority of these were launched by Somali pirates mostly in the Arabian Sea area, posing a threat to India's maritime interests. Pirate attacks on the world's seas totalled 266 in the first half of 2011, up from 196 incidents in the same period last year, the International Maritime Bureau's (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre reported today. More than 60 per cent of the attacks were by Somali pirates, a majority of which were in the Arabian Sea area, said the report, Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships. The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have prevented a number of attacks by the sea pirates, mostly Somalians, in the past few months and apprehended over a 100 pirates. On March 26, the Navy had apprehended 16 sea brigands and rescued 16 crew members after battling with the Somalian pirates west off the Lakshadweep Islands. On March 13, the Indian Navy foiled a pirate attack and apprehended a pirate mother ship rescuing 13 crew members and caught 61 Somali sea brigands about 600 nautical miles off the western coast in the Arabian Sea. As of June 30, Somali pirates were holding 20 vessels and 420 crew, and demanding ransoms of millions of dollars for their release, the IMB said. "In the last six months, Somali pirates attacked more vessels than ever before and they're taking higher risks," said IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan. "This June, for the first time, pirates fired on ships in rough seas in the Indian Ocean during the monsoon season. In the past, they would have stayed away in such difficult conditions. Masters should remain vigilant," Mukundan said.PTI AKJ

Somali pirates highly active in Arabian Sea area: IMB, IBN Live News

 

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Tender :

http://www.tenders.gov.in/viewtenddoc.asp?tid=del413437&wno=1&td=TD

 

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Burhanuddin Rabbani, who heads a panel which has the Afghanistan government’s mandate to negotiate peace with the Taliban, will not mind using the good offices of India for finding a political solution to the strife in his country.

India is an important country in the region and we want its cooperation in peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan, Mr Rabbani said on the occasion of his talks with external affairs minister S.M. Krishna in New Delhi on Thursday.
Mr Rabbani is on a four-day visit to India.
Afghans should not be victims in the hands of others to be used against the Afghan people themselves, Mr Rabbani said without elaborating. He noted that regional countries had a role in promoting peace in Afghanistan. India was expected to discuss the situation in Afghanistan with US secretary of state Hillary Clinton when she visits New Delhi next week.
Talking to journalists, US charge d’affaires Peter Burleigh said Afghanistan could figure “prominently” in the Clinton-Krishna talks, in which the relations between and among the US, India and Pakistan will be “thoroughly covered”.
Mr Burleigh described the Taliban reconciliation talks as a “very important issue” for the US and India alike.
The US was keeping India informed of the substance of the “very preliminary discussions” that have taken place with the Taliban interlocutors.
The diplomat went on to note that the negotiations for “reaching an understanding” with “some Taliban elements” were making “slow process”, and the talks could be expected to “continue for months”.
“The US is continuing to explore and it will keep India directly informed and also seek advice,” Mr Burleigh said.
The situation in West Asia, North Africa, and East and Southeast Asia, was also likely to be discussed in the second strategic dialogue between Ms Clinton and Mr Krishna on July 19.
Replying to a question about the possible implications of the US losing out on a multi-billion tender for fighter jets for the Indian Air Force, on the defence cooperation with India, Mr Burleigh said “one contract here and there does not make or break (the) relationship” and that the US was in it for the long-term.

Afghan

 

[angeldemon_007]

India has just announced the launch of a National Task Force in its latest major reappraisal of its military needs. But will the government follow up?

Exactly a decade after India’s first inter-ministerial review of the higher management of its national security took place, New Delhi has once again decided to order a reappraisal of its security architecture.

The announcement by the government that it would form a National Task Force to assess the current state of the country’s national security management system is perfectly timed. India’s immediate and extended neighbourhood is in a state of flux—the United States has made public a definite timetable for its drawdown from Afghanistan, while the Arab world, important for India in a number of ways, is in turmoil. All this is happening as New Delhi grapples with an increasingly assertive China.

Headed by seasoned bureaucrat-diplomat Naresh Chandra, the Task Force has several former soldiers and statesmen as members. But the team has no easy task ahead of it, and the demands on it are far different from those faced by earlier teams in the six decades since India attained independence from Britain.

Specifically, these earlier reviews were based on a reactive posture, born out of specific setbacks and events. The 2001 review, for example, was ordered two years after India was caught unawares by intruding Pakistani forces in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir in 1999. That localized skirmish had the potential to escalate into a full-fledged war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

The Kargil face-off prompted the formation of a Group of Ministers, which suggested several new systems and processes to refine India’s national security. While many of those recommendations have been implemented over the past 10 years, some crucial decisions still remain on the back burner.

One of these is a key recommendation to appoint a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as a single-point military adviser to the government, a suggestion that has remained unimplemented largely because of inter-services differences and reluctance on the part of political parties to take this tough decision.

When I spoke with the outgoing chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal PV Naik, recently, he told me that ‘there is no need for a CDS in India for the next five to ten years,’ as it would end up sparking off another round of intense debate in strategic circles.

But a more pressing problem for India’s security has been the lack of an effective intelligence coordination group, a problem that has cost India dearly. A body was set up in mid-2001 to coordinate and task intelligence and annual evaluation exercises. However, the group became inactive in less than four years. Sadly, the reality is that the Mumbai terror attacks could perhaps have been avoided had this organisation still been functional.

Another reform, aimed at allocating ‘one force to one border,’ is also far from having been completely implemented. The idea had been to give responsibility for each of India’s numerous borders to one dedicated force so as to encourage greater accountability. Accordingly, the federal Border Security Force was supposed to guard India’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, while the 175-year-old Assam Rifles were allocated the difficult India-Burma border to monitor.

Yet 10 years have passed since the decision was taken, and there has been a curious rethink on the issue. The Border Security Force, despite its lack of experience in guarding such mountainous terrain as that found along the Burma border, may in fact be deployed there. Such decisions demonstrate the lack of consensus and cohesion among the defence and home ministries. Indeed, a similar lack of clarity exists on which force—the Army or the Federal Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)—should be responsible for guarding the vast and disputed Sino-Indian border.

Other recommendations that haven’t been implemented to date include the issuing of multi-purpose national ID cards, establishment of a National Maritime Commission, upgrading of infrastructure in the border areas, and establishment of a specialised marine police.

The National Task Force’s review and the recommendations are expected to be forward looking and all-encompassing. As noted by a strategic analyst and former spy in India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, B. Raman: ‘Such a futuristic review has to project over different timeframes the threats to national security that could be expected in the future in the short-, medium- and long-term, examine whether we have the required capabilities to be able to meet those threats, identify existing deficiencies in capabilities, recommend action to remove them, and suggest a time frame for removing them.’

Much has changed since the last big review in 2001. India’s economy, along with that of China, largely withstood the threat of global economic slowdown, and India now has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Such growth has allowed India’s military to boost spending on capital acquisition, and today, the Indian military is on the verge of rearming itself with modern weapons and platforms.

India’s influence has also grown in the region and across the world. Thus, any futuristic exercise to review national security needs has to go beyond the classical or conventional perceptions of security management. According to members of the new task force, its objective is not only to equip Indian security managers to anticipate and meet future threats, but also to project India’s comprehensive national power across the globe.

The man heading the task force certainly has impeccable credentials. Naresh Chandra has been India’s home secretary and defence secretary, in addition to being a former cabinet secretary—the top bureaucratic appointment in the country—and is thus familiar with the workings of the armed forces and the intelligence community. After retirement from civil service, he served as the Indian ambassador to the United States and has extensive diplomatic experience.

Some of the other members, including retired Air Chief Marshal SrinivasapuramKrishnaswamy and retired Naval Chief Adm. Arun Prakash, are regarded as highly respected strategic thinkers. Their combined experience is likely to prove invaluable in carrying out this potentially revolutionary exercise.

However, many defence and security analysts have also pointed out the need to diligently follow up on the recommendations and to convince the serving officers of the necessity of changes, reforms, new thinking, and new concepts and ideas to achieve the desired end results. Unless that happens, any review will just end up being another exercise in futility.

Facing India

 

[RPK]

IAF chopper makes emergency landing in Udhampur

IAF chopper makes emergency landing in Udhampur -  

Jammu, Jul 15 (PTI) An Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper made an emergency landing today in a mountainous area of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir.
The chopper, which was on a routine flight, made an emergency landing this afternoon in the Panchari mountainous belt, SSP (Udhampur) Shakeel Baigh said.
"The IAF informed us about the incident and we have sent police for security. There was no senior officer in the chopper at the time of the incident," Baigh said.
"All are safe," he said, adding, "The reason behind the emergency landing is not known." PTI AB MNS

 

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The defence pacts, including CISMOA and LSA, are ''not on the table'' during the second round of the Indo-US strategic dialogue to be held here on July 19.

"We don't think that at this stage there is any need for what is called the foundation agreements (CISMOA, BECA and LSA). They are not on the table at the moment and in any case, they don't come in the way of the expansion of our defence cooperation," sources said here.

Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-spatial Cooperation (BECA), Logistics Support Agreement (LSA) and Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) are the US arrangements for enhancing defence ties with other countries.

CISMOA and BECA are required by US law for providing another country with the most advanced electronics on US weapons platforms. In the absence of these, the C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft has been delivered to India without communication equipment.
As per the LSA, the US and the other signatory country have to provide their bases, fuel and other kind of logistics support to each others' fighter jets and naval warships through cashless transactions, which are balanced at the end of the year.

The sources noted that there was a lot of defence cooperation happening in the field of transfer of technology and research and development between the two sides.
"Our defence cooperation is in good place and it is growing", the sources said, adding accumulative defence bilateral trade in the last four years exceeds USD eight billion.
The two countries have been discussing these three pacts for the last four to five years. The US is keen that India signs these agreements but India has been showing reluctance to do so.

CISMOA, LSA not on table of Indo-US stategic dialogue

 

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NEW DELHI – Indian leaders and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will discuss security and counterterrorism efforts when she visits in days, an Indian official said Friday.
Cooperation on the economy, defense, environment, trade and other issues are also expected to be discussed, said Vishnu Prakash, the Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman.
After Wednesday's Mumbai bombings, Clinton said she would not be deterred from visiting India.
"I believe it is more important than ever that we stand with India, deepen our partnership and reaffirm our commitment to the shared struggle against terrorism," she said.
Clinton is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Monday and meet the next day with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and officials in the government and opposition, Prakash told reporters.
In March, senior Indian and U.S. officials had met and shared existing threat assessments and reviewed ongoing cooperation in combating terror, including intelligence sharing and capacity building, Prakash said.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano visited New Delhi in May for talks on counterterrorism, intelligence sharing and cyber security.
Clinton is expected later to visit the southeastern port city of Chennai, home to growing U.S. investments, before attending a regional summit in Indonesia.


Read more: Clinton to Discuss Security Issues on India Visit - FoxNews.com

 

[Xracer]

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday said there was no delay in the Foreign Minister level talks between Pakistan and India and expressed the hope that these talks would be held at the end of July in New Delhi as per schedule.

“The Pakistan-India Ministerial level meeting will be held in New Delhi at the end of this month but dates are being worked out,” said Foreign Office Spokesperson Tehmina Janjua at the weekly briefing of the Foreign Office here.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar will lead Pakistan’s delegation to the Pakistan-India Ministerial level dialogue in New Delhi.

Regarding the delay in the finalisation of dates for the Ministerial level meeting between Pakistan and India, the spokesperson said there was no delay in the talks but dates are being finalised keeping in view the engagements of Pakistani and Indian foreign ministers.

She said the Foreign Minister level meeting will be preceded by a meeting of the two foreign secretaries in New Delhi.

She said another meeting of the Working Group on Cross-LoC Confidence Building Measures relating to trade and travel of Kashmiris will be held in New Delhi on July 18 and Director General South Asia, Zehra Akbari will lead the Pakistani delegation to the meeting.

The spokesperson said the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar will also visit Bali, Indonesia, on July 22 to 23 to lead Pakistan’s delegation to the 18th Ministerial meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

The ARF Forum, comprising 27 members including China, the EU, the Russian Federation and United States, is an important forum to deliberate on traditional and non-traditional security concerns in the Asia Pacific region, will provide the opportunity to discuss such vital issues.

The spokesperson said that Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir was leaving for Ankara on Saturday for regular political consultations and for discussions on the regional and global situation.

Answering a question, about the significance of the visit of Foreign Secretary, she said, although it is regular, annual consultation with Turkey, but any proposal for peace and security in the region and suggestion for reconciliation process in Afghanistan could also be discussed in the meeting with the Turkish leadership.

Replying to a question on the recent bomb blast in Mumbai, the spokesperson said Pakistan had already condemned in the strongest terms the terror attacks in Mumbai.

“Pakistan and the people of Pakistan who have suffered terrorism, understand and share the anguish in India caused by the tragic loss of life and property,” she said.

The spokesperson said Pakistan and India continued to suffer from the terrorism and both the countries recognised that all such issues of terrorism should be discussed.

She said Pakistan categorically condemned the recent Mumbai attacks and emphasised the need for increasing cooperation in counter-terrorism.

Replying to a question on Pakistan-US relations, the spokesperson said the US has ensured continuation of civilian assistance to Pakistan while negotiations were underway for the resumption of military assistance.(APP)
Pak-India FM talks on schedule: Foreign Office | Geo News Updates

 

[INDIAN SOLDIER]

ISRO to flight test indigenous cryogenic state next June

SRIHARIKOTA (PTI): Indian Space Research Organisation will flight test its indigenously developed cryogenic engine onboard a Geo-Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle by mid-2012.

“Our target is to launch the GSLV (D5) by June 2012 with indigenously developed cryogenic engine. Currently, a series of ground testing are on,” ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan told reporters here.

Speaking after the successful launch of GSAT-12 onboard homegrown PSLV-C17 from here, he said the GSLV rocket would be used to launch communication satellite GSAT-14.

“We have had two failures – GSLV-F06 and GSLV-D3. We have identified the reasons and corrective actions are being taken,” he said.

GSLV-F06 was used to launch communications satellite GSAT-5P in December 2010 and GSLV-D3 to launch GSAT-4 in April 2010, but both missions failed following some problems in the complex cryogenic stage.

On the progress of Chandrayaan-II mission, ISRO Space Commission Member and Director T K Alex said it was expected in the beginning of 2014.

“It is in progress. This time we are examining the lander, rover and the orbiter. The designing stage has been completed. The prototype of the rover is being made in Bangalore and the testing is going on,” he added.

The Russian Space Agency was involved in developing the rover. “By 2014 beginning, GSLV will launch Chandrayaan-2, estimated to cost Rs 425 crore,” he said.

On India’s first manned Moon mission, Radhakrishnan said they were studying various aspects including the crew module.

“The Government has sanctioned Rs 145 crore for this and we need to consider various aspects well in advance including crew escape system, flight suit for crew members, environmental control,” he said.

“PSLV is not sufficient for the manned mission and we have identified GSLV Mark III would be more sufficient as it can accommodate three crew members. Either GSLV or GSLV Mark III will be the two candidates for this project,” he said.

PSLV-C17/GSAT-12 Project Director T K Anuradha said a team of three women scientists, including her, would monitor the satellite from the Master Control Facility in Hassan in Karnataka from Saturday.

During the days to come, various manoeuvres including deployment of antenna and switching on the payload would be carried out, she said.

“From tomorrow next five days will be crucial... We will have antenna deployment and after 10 days, satellite will start drifting...then we will need to switch on the payload...,” she said.

ISRO to flight test indigenous cryogenic state next June - Brahmand.com

 

[RPK]

Siachen Glacier: Army strikes healthier postures

http://expressbuzz.com/magazine/siachen-glacier-army-strikes-healthier-postures/294203.html
Ritu SharmaLast Updated : 15 Jul 2011 08:32:54 AM IST

Yoga is the latest weapon in the arsenal of the Indian soldiers posted in the forbidding heights of Siachen Glacier—better known as the highest and coldest battleground in the world where guns have been silent since 2003.


It takes more than equipment to conquer those heights, on the other side of which is sitting the Pakistan Army. The life sciences laboratories of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) are using the ancient wisdom like yoga and contemporary innovation like growing strawberries and vegetables in the otherwise barren Ladakh region to make life better for soldiers in the glacier.

The DRDO’s Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS) lab has devised a yoga regime for the soldiers posted in the region.

At altitudes varying between 10,000-23,000 feet and temperature dipping to -65 degree Celsius, slight physical activity on the part of the soldiers leaves them gasping for breath; a little negligence can either cause sunburn or frostbite. Food goes stone cold as soon as it is taken off the burner, washing your face becomes a luxury and the drinking water smells of kerosene used to melt the snow. The three months on the glacier in a two-year tenure in the Siachen-Saltoro region could be a

real test of one’s physical and psychological mettle.

“At those heights, the physical capacity and the load carrying capacity of the soldiers decrease considerably due to lack of oxygen. Also the body is constantly losing heat to the environment. We have sought to minimise the affect of harsh climate through yoga,” DRDO’s Chief Controller of Research and Development Dr William Selvamurthy elaborates.

The soldiers need to perform certain form of exercise at those heights to accustom their heart and lungs to the low oxygen content in the atmosphere. According to the research conducted by DIPAS, the oxygen demands during yogic exercises are much less compared to other form of conventional physical exercises.

So far, 2,000 army personnel posted at the Ladakh-based 14 Corps have been trained in the yoga, they in turn would impart the knowledge to all soldiers going to the region.

Besides yoga, the DRDO’s plantation drive in the cold-desert of Ladakh has literally started bearing fruit. Due to the efforts of Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), located in Leh and an obscure village of Partapur, the region—completely devoid of rainfall—now boasts of growing strawberries, pears, peaches and watermelons. Today the region produces 13 types of apple due to collaboration of scientists and local farmers.

“We have been working really hard to provide fresh food for the soldiers at Siachen. Now we have the capacity to supply 5,000 metric tonnes of vegetables to the army,” Selvamurthy says. DIHAR is celebrating its diamond jubilee this year.

The initiative is important for the Indian Army, as its soldiers voluntarily give up non-vegetarian food as they start their posting at various camps on Siachen Glacier. They go by the belief that meat and tobacco on the glacier would bring ill-fate for the unit and its members in Siachen, where more than enemy bullet the extreme weather can take you down. And the DIHAR scientists are rightly helping the local population in growing various plants, making use of economical methods for green-house and trench cultivation.

“DIHAR has made a hybrid cow and buffalo that is capable of giving 18 litres of milk per day,” said the distinguished scientist.

Selvamurthy sums it up: “We have been mandated to increase the lethality, survivability, efficiency and sustainability of our soldiers at that altitude. After all it is the man behind the machine that matters the most.”

 

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With airspace increasingly getting crowded, managing air traffic indeed is a Herculean task. Futuristic technologies are the answer and many defence and aerospace majors are at it. In an interview with SP'sAviation during the Paris Air Show, John T. Kefaliotis, Vice President, Next Generation Systems, ITT Defense and Information Solutions, outlines the key features of ADS-B programme which is being rolled out in the US for nationwide airspace coverage.

SP's Aviation (SP's): Could you give us an update on the air traffic management (ATM) programme in India? John T. Kefaliotis (Kefaliotis): We have not been actively engaged in pursuing ATM initiatives in India with the exception of ADS-B. We have been talking with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for some time now about planning for the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) in India. Our latest understanding is that the AAI plans a pilot programme involving installation of certain numbers of ADS-B receivers at some airports. SP's: Have the locations being identified for the pilot programme? Kefaliotis: I do not know the details about the physical location of the pilot programme. However, we intend to participate in the programme. I was in New Delhi recently and my understanding from the meetings is that a pilot programme is intended and that the tender would be released within a couple of months. I am told it would be an open tender and we certainly would plan on submitting a bid. SP's: Is it going to be a tough competition? Kefaliotis: It is certainly a competitive market. The solution that we provide in the US is a comprehensive nationwide solution that has substantial benefits in terms of networkenabling surveillance infrastructure in the country. To the extent that AAI and India wants to move in that direction, we think we have an outstanding solution. SP's: What are the unique features of your programme that you are offering in India? Kefaliotis: ITT understands the requirements of the potential customers and offers them solutions that meet those requirements. What we have discussed with AAI in terms of the US implementation is that it is a comprehensive nationwide solution. In a nation where there are a large number of ADS-B radios to be deployed in order to provide nationwide coverage and a large number of air traffic control (ATC) facilities to which data are distributed, the US solution is highly appropriate. We have centralised control stations into which we bring all the ADS-B data. We validate and do geographic filtering in a central facility and place the data sets on the network so that any ATC facility can subscribe to the data sets. It is a very flexible distribution of data, offering substantial benefits. The ITT ADS-B architecture has been built to very stringent functional and performance requirements and has been subjected to extensive testing by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA has conducted a formal safety case against that solution. The ADS-B solution has been demonstrably validated by the FAA. The solution is a gold standard. SP's: Could you throw light on the origin of ADS-B and the milestones achieved by the company, in terms of certification, etc? Kefaliotis: ADS-B is not a new technology. It's been in validation and standards development in the US with the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) and so too in Europe. There is harmonisation of standards. The concept is not new. In the US, there have been demonstration networks that have been organically integrated by the FAA. The FAA bought radios and installed and integrated them. But in terms of a nationwide integrated solution that was validated and has gone through security and safety certifications, it started with the awarding of contract to ITT in August 2007. The FAAs ADS-B programme is extensive. It has two links-a 1090 Mhz link intended for air transport and universal access transceiver (UAT) link for general aviation. It has four services; in one service we collect all ADS-B data that the aircraft broadcasts and distribute it to ATC facilities. We also turn around the links. We accept data on the UAT link and broadcast the data on 1090 Mhz and vice versa. We have two broadcast services-one that broadcasts ADS-B reports for traffic i.e. not ADS-B equipped and is under radar surveillance and one for weather and aeronautical information. These services provide unprecedented situational awareness for ADS-B equipped airborne aircraft equipped with proper display technology. ITT was awarded the contract in August 2007 and by October 2008, the FAA declared in-service decision (ISD) for the broadcast services. When FAA does that, it means it meets the functional performance requirements. The system is safe and secure and can be effectively operated as part of the national airspace systems. We continued to roll out ground stations and in 2009 we went through a series of initial operational capability (IOC) demonstrations for the key sites for the display of ADS-B information on controller displays- Louisville Approach Control, Philadelphia Approach Control, Gulf of Mexico data to the Houston En Route Center and Juneau data to the Anchorage En Route Center. In September 2010, the FAA declared ISD for all system services opening the door for completion of nationwide deployment. ITT is actively working to complete this national deployment. We have deployed approximately 340 radios, all system control stations and system monitoring facilities. Eventually, ITT will deploy approximately 700 radios for full nationwide coverage at both high and low altitude. We will complete system deployment by 2013. ITT has performed this programme on schedule and on budget. SP's: Does India also require deployment of 700 radios considering the geographic size? Kefaliotis: The number of radio stations required for India would be determined by AAI requirements. ADS-B is a line of sight system depending on the solution, long-range for aircraft operating at an altitude. ITT's experience in the US is that radios provide 260 nautical mile radius coverage. It is the low altitude coverage requirement that will drive the number of radios required. We do not know AAI's requirements. Under one possible scenario, ITT independently estimated that approximately 60 radios would be required to provide quite a good coverage for India. SP's: What about cost-competitiveness? Kefaliotis: We do understand Indian procurement practices. We hope to package our solutions to be cost-competitive. We need to look at the pilot programme requirements. Ultimately we have to look at the national requirements. We do believe that our architecture provides substantial benefits. SP's: Are you in touch with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) which is implementing the GPSaided geo-augmented navigation (GAGAN)? Kefaliotis: We are not in touch with ISRO but we are clearly structuring a programme to have Indian content. We have a commercial and defence office in India. We have not formalised any arrangements as yet. SP's: Are you talking to the Tata Group which has bagged a contract for modernisation of 30 airports in India? Kefaliotis: We have been talking to AAI and we will continue to build relationships, including with the Tatas. We have to partner on product development and we do have plans of doing that in India in the near future. The ITT representative in Delhi is an active member of the aviation cooperation panel, a TDA-funded initiative in India. SP's: Which are the countries where the ADS-B is operational? Kefaliotis: The countries where ADS-B is operational include Canada, Finland, Australia and others. There has been a lot of deployment in South East Asia as well. SP's: Does ADS-B have any military application? Kefaliotis: ADS-B is a cooperative surveillance system and a globally harmonised technology. Various nations will have rules about equipage. In the US, all aircraft have to be equipped with ADS-B by 2020. In Europe, there is a much more aggressive rule. There are exceptions for state aircraft; principally around fighter aircraft. As for transport aircraft, they will be operated routinely in different environment and ADS-B will benefit the transport aircraft. In the US, the FAA delegates airspace to military and in that delegated airspace the military provides ATC services, and to that extent ADS-B becomes a widely accepted surveillance technology the Military ATC facilities will have to have ADS-B data delivered to them. As air defence technology, you can use it to sort out the friendly aircraft but it is a cooperative system. From an aircraft operations standpoint, it is applicable for both military and civil. We have to partner on product development and we do have plans of doing that in India in the near future SP's: Will the NextGen Equipage Fund be available for India? Kefaliotis: It is a US focused fund that ITT has been an active participant in. We have not thought about a similar fund for India. The fund is an option for alleviating the financial barriers currently preventing airlines from rapidly equipping with modernised ATM cockpit technology to enable acceleration of benefits that will be delivered through the FAA's Next- Gen programme.

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Tesco is bringing the heat, by selling the hottest chilli ever to hit the high street.

Over one hundred times hotter than a jalapeño, the Bhut Jolokia chilli from India will be on sale this week - giving buyers a taste of the Guinness World Record holder for the hottest pepper in the world.
The pepper, also known as 'Ghost Chilli', measured 1,001,304 points on the Scoville scale - the measurement used to calculate pepper heat. Tabasco sauce is a mere 401.5 in comparison.
With an increasing demand for chillies on the market, as more families indulge in spicy food, Tesco’s vegetable buyer Harry Jones explained: 'It’s not for the faint-hearted or anyone with a respiratory condition.'
This extreme spice is commonly used by the Indian army to disperse thick crowds. The chilli’s seeds are ground and placed into smoke grenades, giving off an eye-watering scent.
Last year, studies at the defense research and development organisation were looking to develop an aerosol spray from the chilli for women to defend themselves against attackers.
However, there are also many positive properties of the Bhut Jolokia, as it can reduce stomach aches and lower cholesterol.
'Initially Tesco only sold chilli peppers in areas where there were large Afro-Caribbean and Asian communities,' explains Jones.
'Nowadays they have become mainstream and had their popularity boosted by the increasing popularity of Asian, Thai and other oriental food.'
Shoppers can expect to be blown away by the new chilli for the bargain price of 90p.


Read more: Chilli pepper used in military weapons put on sale in Tesco | Metro.co.uk