Indian Army thread

[nitesh]

India develops new UAVs

India develops new UAVs

Will deploy laser target designators

By Peter Larsen @ Tuesday, October 14, 2008 5:40 AM

India is reportedly developing a new generation of UAVs designed to deploy laser target designators deep inside enemy territory.

"We are planning to base LTDs on UAVs to cut down the risk of our troops getting caught inside enemy territory while illuminating targets for attack and save the cost of sending another aircraft for doing the task," explained a senior Defence Ministry official.

The new UAV project will be led by the DRDO, in partnership with the Army, Navy and the IAF.

As IT Examiner previously reported, the crowded Indian defence market has led numerous officials to express concern over a perceived lack of indigenous self-reliance. To be sure, air chief marshall F M Major recently recommended that New Delhi reduce its dependency on aerospace imports by embarking on a "strategic shift [that] will offer the required thrust towards building skills and infrastructure for engineering and manufacturing."

As such, the MoD has taken several notable steps to develop advanced military technology. For example, the Indian Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) is designing a number of unmanned infantry combat vehicles. According to CVRDE director S Sundaresh, Medak Plant workers are fitting Russian infantry combat vehicles with advanced robotic components at a cost of Rs 60 crore. Sundaresh also noted that the all-terrain vehicles would be utilised to detect mines, as well as nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

In addition, the DRDO has announced plans to develop missiles that are lighter and less costly than current indigenous models. An independent centre for composite testing and evaluation is being established at the Hyderabad-based Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) -- which was primarily responsible for designing the long-range Agni missile. Avinash Chander, Director of the Laboratory under DRDO, explained that the ASL already maintains a composites production centre (Comproc) responsible for the fabrication of lightweight missile material. However, Chander noted that the ASL wanted to make "all the stages of the Agni missile composite structured."

 

[nitesh]

India set to swing $10 billion worth defence business -India-The Times of India

India set to swing $10 billion worth defence business
17 Oct 2008, 0338 hrs IST,TNN

BANGALORE: India is set to garner defence business worth $10 billion in the 11th Five Year Plan as a result of its offset clause in the Defence Procurement Policy.

Junior defence minister Pallam Raju told reporters on the sidelines of a DRDO seminar on Thursday that the value of business that would be generated in India over five years would amount to Rs 40,000 crore. "This is because we have made it mandatory that anyone investing over Rs 300 crore in a defence project under this policy has to source 30% of the business from India itself." Effectively, they have to plough back 30% of their earnings from any project within the country. And that leads to development of defence industry.

"We also expect greater participation of private companies from abroad because of this offset clause. DRDO and defence in India certainly need a private-public partnership. We expect private players to move from being mere subcontractors to integrators of systems. Private sector will have a big role in the coming years in Indian defence," Raju said.

There is also an indication that FDI in defence could go up. "It is 26% now. But we are looking to relax it in future as per our new DPP." P S Goel, president, Indian National Academy of Engineering, pointed out that DRDO was taking stock of all that it had done to see where it was heading in defence electronics.

"As of now, the import content is fairly high in electronics. If DRDO can make all that we import, which we will, we can save a lot on resources. The seminar on defence electronics is also a way forward for DRDO."

 

[nitesh]

First Indian artillery unit to join UN peace-keeping mission

First Indian artillery unit to join UN peace-keeping mission


New Delhi, Oct 17 (PTI) Indian army's 169 Field Regiment (Op Hill) today become the first artillery unit from the country to be assigned a United Nations peace-keeping mission.
The Regiment, the highest decorated artillery unit in the country, is proceeding to Congo in Africa, where it will get to don the Blue Berets as part of the Indian Brigade already serving there under the UN mandate.

Flagging off the contingent at a Sainik Sammelan here, Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General S P S Dhillon asked the personnel to build on the outstanding work done by Indian forces in Congo till now.

He asked the troops to ensure peace in Congo by demonstrating dedication, devotion and humanitarian approach there.

Since its raising in 1963, the regiment has participated in the 1965 Indo-Pak war, earning the honour title 'Op Hill'. It also took part in 1971 war.

In its stint in the counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations, the Regiment earned the Jammu and Kashmir Governor's Silver Salver in 1995 and Chief of the Army Staff's unit citation for 'Op Rakshak' in 1996.

The unit has won 90 awards in its 45 years of existence, which includes two Shaurya Chakras, 17 Sena medals, two mention-in-dispatches, 41 COAS commendation cards, a Vice Chief of Army Staff commendation Card and 27 General Officer Commanding in Chief Cards. PTI

 

[nitesh]

Peaceniks damage Bofors weapons meant for export to India
18 Oct 2008, 1215 hrs IST, IANS

KARLSKOGA/STOCKHOLM: Four Swedish peace activists penetrated the fortress-like security at two facilities of ordnance company Bofors in southern Sweden and sought to sabotage the piled up supplies destined for export to India.

The activists entered the Karlskoga and Eskilstuna facilities of Bofors on Thursday night and claimed to have damaged grenade launchers of the Carl Gustaf brand meant for supply to India.
"The activists got into our workshop where Carl Gustaf grenade-launchers as well as the spare parts that make up Bofors-UAE's continuous ongoing refurbishment of the Indian armed forces' requirements are manufactured," Christer Heneback, information chief for BAE Systems Bofors, told in Karlskoga.

"However," continued Heneback, "I must confess that the damage done was more to our pride than our goods. That, despite the most ultra-sophisticated alarms systems that Bofors has in place, four civilians could effect entry right into our innermost work and storage places with such relative ease. But this will in no way detrimentally influence our Indian order."

"All the four activists were apprehended within a very short period by the company's own security guards and arrested by the police. They were charged with unlawful entry, extensive material damage and crime against the law," said Svante Melin, criminal commissioner with the county police criminal branch in Eskilstuna.

"There has been considerable damage inside the factories but its extent has not yet been estimated."

Police were informed after midnight about a break-in at the Saab Bofors Dynamics weapons factory.

"A 26-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man entered the factory area by cutting a hole in the steel fences," said Svante Melin.


Maja Backlund, spokesperson for OFOG - the group that assumed responsibility for the action told: "Civil disobedience and action are most vital parts of democratic development. Our colleagues who breached the Saab Bofors Dynamics factory managed to damage 25 grenade launchers of the Carl Gustaf brand that are in extensive use in Kashmir and other war zones in India."

Lasse Jonsson, spokesperson for Saab AB, said: "They have scrapped a quantity of weapons' spare parts that awaited export. Only after the police investigation has been completed will we be able to calculate the exact extent of the damage caused."

According to OFOG: "In Karlskoga our other two activists, a 24-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man went straight for the Indian order's jugular. Before they could be neutralised, they had succeeded in inflicting visible damage on several field howitzers 77B."

Before being apprehended by security, the duo had managed to roll out and fix a poster on a door, with the message: "In this factory are manufactured weapons that are used to wage wars - disarmament is underway."

India has emerged as the biggest ever single client for Bofors products: "The Indian army, thus far this year, has ordered spare parts worth over 800 million Swedish Kronor from BAE Systems Bofors," said Heneback.

"The order is a factor in the maintenance of the 100 howitzers that India purchased from Bofors in 1986. Before the year is out we confidently expect the worth of the order to cross a billion SEK. That is really good for us," he added.

Peaceniks damage Bofors weapons meant for export to India-Europe-World-The Times of India

 

[nitesh]

domain-b.com : India planning significant upgrade of UAV capability: report

India planning significant upgrade of UAV capability: report news

18 October 2008

The influential Jane's weekly has said India is planning to significantly upgrade its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capability over the next decade. The upgrade is aimed at enhancing situational awareness along its land and maritime borders. It said the UAV upgrade would involve all three wings of the Indian armed forces.

It quoted official sources as saying the army was planning to procure a large number of man-portable mini- and nano-UAVs with short-range intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and laser-designation capabilities, as well as the ability to detect nuclear, biological and chemical weapons inside enemy territory.

It said the army also intended to acquire weaponised UAVs similar to the General Atomics RQ-1 Predator, which operates Hellfire missiles.

India shares very large, and mostly disputed, borders with Pakistan and China.


According to Jane's, India currently operates around 70 Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)-built Searcher Mk-1, Mk-2 and Heron UAVs, as well as 30 Harpy ground attack drones designed to detect and destroy enemy radars.

Indian Air Force officials told Jane's that the UAV fleet would be an integral part of the fast developing network-centric warfare capability being acquired by all three wings of the armed forces.

 

[nitesh]

US Marines to hold joint exercise in Ladakh

US Marines to hold joint exercise in Ladakh
Posted: Oct 19, 2008 at 0056 hrs IST

Srinagar, October 18 : After the Royal Marines, the US marines will also be holding a joint military exercise with the Indian Army in Ladakh.
US Army Chief General George Casey along with his Indian counterpart Deepak Kapoor visited Ladakh and its adjoining areas to select the location where the Indo-US military exercises would be held. “Dates for these joint exercises could be decided only after the US Army chief will get satisfied with the venues for these exercises,” Defence spokesman, Lt Col Anil Mathur told The Indian Express.

The visiting US General Casey was briefed about different venues and glacial peaks in Ladakh by the senior formation commanders of the Army. Mathur said the aim behind the joint exercise would be to impart warfare techniques to each other especially in handling mountain warfare. “The joint exercise would be small and could take place at the company level,” he said.

The mountainous region of Ladakh assumes significance for the joint exercise as its terrain resembles that of the mountainous regions of Afghanistan, where the US marines are fighting Taliban and Al Qaeda militants as part of the NATO peace force. Sources said the aim behind the exercise is to learn from the military experiences of Indian troops, who have been dealing with insurgency for the past two decades.

Earlier in 2006, Indian and US Special Forces held mountain warfare exercises in the same region close to the China border. Pakistan, already had expressed annoyance over the visit of US Army chief to the Siachen glacier. However, it is not clear whether General Casey visited Siachen or not. The defence spokesman denied General Casey’s visit to Siachen. “He (Casey) only visited Ladakh, not Siachen,” said Mathur.
Last year, the UK marines were in Ladakh to participate in a similar joint exercise. The exercises were held for three weeks in September.

 

[nitesh]

http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=477508


Home > Nation
DRDO facing attrition problem: Antony
New Delhi, Oct 20: Country's premier defence research organisation DRDO is facing the attrition problems as 785 defence scientists have resigned in the last three years.

The government has offered various incentives for scientists in the Sixth Central Pay Commission (CPC) report, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

"A number of incentives were recommended by the CPC, which have been accepted and implemented by the government," Defence Minister A K Antony said in a written reply to a question on exodus of scientists from DRDO.

Incentives to arrest the attrition rate in DRDO include providing career enhancement opportunities to scientists by granting them study leaves, sending them to attend conferences and seminars and long term training courses.

"DRDO is providing study leaves to scientists for acquiring higher qualifications like PhDs, Masters Degrees. Scientists are sponsored to go and attend conferences and seminars and for long term courses for research both within and outside the country," Antony said.

The minister added that a lot of stress was being laid upon by DRDO to mentor young scientists along with improving their work environment and social life in DRDO campuses.

Armed Forces short of 13,830 officers

The Armed Forces are facing a shortage of 13,830 officers. This was stated by Defence Minister A K Antony while replying to a question in Parliament on shortage of officers in the armed forces.

"There is a shortage of 11,119 officers in Army, 1,359 officers in Navy and 1,352 officers in Air Force. Armed Forces have 53,849 officers against a sanctioned strength of 67,679," Antony said.

The Defence Minister listed the various steps taken up to tackle the shortfall of officers by the government. These steps include extension of Short Service Commission (SSC) officers, implementation of both phases of A V Singh Committee report and implementation of the Sixth Central Pay Commission (CPC) report.

"Tenure of SSC officers has been increased to 14 years, Phase 1 of A V Singh committee was implemented earlier, which resulted in upgrade of 750 Lieutenant-Colonel level posts to the Colonel level.

"Phase 2 of the report has also been cleared for implementation creating or upgrading 1,896 additional posts in ranks of Colonel, Brigadier, Major-General and Lieutenant-General and equivalents in other two services," the Defence Minister said.

Antony said implementation of the 6th pay commission recommendations will help in arresting shortfall of officers in Armed Forces.

He added that various publicity and image projection campaigns undertaken by the armed forces will also attract youths to join the Services.

 

[nitesh]

PIB Press Release

ACQUISITION OF WEAPON LOCATING RADARS

The Government proposes to acquire highly sophisticated Weapon Locating Radars to track and neutralize hostile artillery fire.

The Government has a proposal to procure, at an estimated cost Rs. 1498.00 crores, 28 weapon Locating Radars being developed jointly by M/s Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri MK Subba in Lok Sabha today.

 

[nitesh]

http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=477813

DRDO seminar on solid propellant rocket motors

New Delhi, Oct 21: Premier defence research organisation, DRDO is organising an international workshop on advances in processing of solid propellant rocket motors (IWAPS 2008) from Wednesday.

Over 400 scientists from France, Russia, Singapore, Israel, Japan, Brazil and India are expected to attend the two-day workshop at DRDO's Pune-based High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL).

The workshop will discuss advances in the field of solid propellant processing to meet the future requirement for advanced futuristic propulsion systems needed for high pay loads, said an official release.

DRDO's distinguished scientist and controller of research and development A Sivathanu Pillai will inaugurate the workshop.

HEMRL is involved in the development of various futuristic weapons like Agni, sea-launched missile, air defence missile systems along with Milan, Konkurs, Pichora, Pinaka, and Nag.

 

[Nihat]

First wargames with China in India
23 Oct 2008, 0404 hrs IST,:
NEW DELHI

: Despite the recent chill in bilateral relations with Beijing after it tried to derail New Delhi's case for civil nuclear commerce at th
e Nuclear Suppliers Group, India is all set to host Chinese soldiers for the first time on its territory after the bitter 1962 war.

Defence ministry sources on Wednesday said the first-ever Sino-Indian military combat exercise on Indian soil — with counter-terrorism as its primary thrust area — is likely to be held at Belgaum towards December-end.

"A top Indian Army delegation is currently in Beijing for the initial planning conference to decide the exact theme, setting and level of participation for the exercise," said a source.

The wargames come at a time when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to reach Beijing from Tokyo on Thursday evening, to take part in the Asia-Europe summit, which will also lead to bilateral meetings with the Chinese leadership.

"Yes, there has been a downturn in our bilateral relations with China, which, despite promises, held out till the very last in the waiver for us at the NSG meeting in Vienna last month. But now, attempts are being made to arrest the slide," said a senior official.

Source - Times of India .

This is very good , in fact great for bilateral relations

 

[nitesh]

HEMRL, Hyderabad varsity to make new explosives

PUNE: The High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) Pune and the University of Hyderabad have formed an Advanced Centre for High Energy Materials Laboratory at the university to develop “unexplored” high-energy materials for use as propellant for defence weapon systems.

“The project aims at adding more power to the weapons in terms of reach and armament penetration,” University of Hyderabad vice-chancellor Seyed Ehtesham Hasnain told Sakaal Times.

Funded by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the aim is to discover new high-energy materials that would serve two purposes: propel the delivery vehicle and ignite existing armament.

“It is a Rs 10-crore project to be carried out over a period five years. Advanced studies are being done on propellant combustion, molecular modelling of energetic materials and reaction kinetics of advanced high-energy materials,” Hasnain said.

The idea behind having two diverse institutions together was to have a confluence of strong theoretical knowledge for research and development in the area of high-energy materials for weapon system.

“We have the expertise in high-energy materials area in the development of weapon systems and the varsity of Hyderabad has the theoretical knowledge. We will conduct theoretical and experimental studies to synthesise a new class of explosives, and try it by changing the molecular models,” HEMRL joint director R K Pandey said.

He said that nano material was being researched to enhance the impact of explosion. “Laboratory tests are on for preliminary studies,” he said.

 

[nitesh]

India goes deep-sea diving for clean fuel-Pollution-Earth-The Times of India

ndia goes deep-sea diving for clean fuel
30 Oct 2008, 0458 hrs IST, Arun Ram, TNN

CHENNAI: With the launch of Chandrayaan-1, India began its search for energy in outer space. Soon, the search will extend to the deep sea.

As Chandrayaan heads for the moon for helium-3, the fuel used for nuclear fusion, scientists from the National Institute of Ocean Technology here are all set to delve into the seabed in the Bay of Bengal for gas hydrates, which could be the magic fuel the world is searching for.

Gas hydrates trapped in crystalline ice beneath the seabed are 160 times more efficient than petrol. In other words, if a litre of petrol can drive a car for 10km, a litre of gas hydrate can run it for 1,600km. Moreover, gas hydrates are considered a clean fuel. Around 6.4 trillion tonnes of methane, sufficient to meet the energy needs, are believed to be trapped in the form of gas hydrates below the seabed.

After almost 10 years of geophysical survey, which confirmed the presence of gas hydrates in the Bay of Bengal, a team of 15 scientists from the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) here will take up sea-bed coring (a refined and more scientific way of drilling) for gas hydrates on the Krishna-Godavari basin off the Andhra Pradesh coast in six months. Carrying the scientists and the US-made autonomous coring system for retrieving samples would be Sagar Nidhi, the state-of-the-art exploration vessel NIOT procured from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for Rs 232 crore in January. Sagar Nidhi is now on a pilot project near the site.

We will start coring by April next. We hope to strike gas hydrate in just one day. This is going to be a big thing for the world, NIOT director S Kathiroli said. The US, Russia, Canada and Japan have been working on gas hydrate exploration, and Japan is aiming at commercial-scale extraction by 2016.

While reserves have been found in several parts of the world, ascertaining the extent of the presence of gas hydrates have remained difficult. Storing gas hydrates, found at very low and very high temperatures, continues to be the big challenge. Ultrasonographic studies done by the National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, and the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, have indicated a large presence of gas hydrates in the Bay of Bengal.

 

[nitesh]

Advanced ATR to come up in Karnataka-Bangalore-Cities-The Times of India

Advanced ATR to come up in Karnataka
31 Oct 2008, 1727 hrs IST, PTI


BANGALORE: The Aeronautics Cluster Laboratories of the DRDO today announced that it was in the process of setting up a world class Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) at the district headquarters town of Chitradruga in Karnataka at an investment of Rs 1,000cr.

The range would be akin to the Balasore testing range in Orissa and would enable testing of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, parachutes, radars, airborne early warning and control systems and other electronic warfare systems.

The Karnataka government has identified 4,000 acres of land in Kudapura in Chitradurga for developing the testing range. The land, costing Rs 12cr, would be purchased by the Ministry of Defence, said Dr Prahlada, Chief Controller, DRDO, during the golden jubilee celebrations of the Aeronautical Cluster of Laboratories.

"It's a barren used for animal grazing. It was a hilly terrain with not much human dwelling," he said.

The range would begin initial operations in two to three years after setting of technical equipment, runway and infrastructure. It would take five years to be fully operational and would be comparable to the best in the world.

On upcoming R and D aeronautics projects in India, he said DRDO has projects worth Rs 26,000 crore for development in 10 years, while HAL had 12,000 crore worth projects.

In the civilian application side, there are Rs 4,000cr worth projects, taking the total size to Rs 42,000cr worth aeronautics system development projects for both DRDO and HAL, he added.

 

[nitesh]

Army for tunnels to protect troops from nuclear attack-India-The Times of India

Army for tunnels to protect troops from nuclear attack
1 Nov 2008, 0311 hrs IST, Rajat Pandit, TNN

NEW DELHI: The Army now wants tunnels to be dug in forward areas along the unresolved borders with Pakistan and China to provide protection to its troops from NBC (nuclear, chemical, biological) warfare as well as to store critical war-fighting equipment.

The scope of exploiting "tunnelling technology" for developing "hardened shelters" is one of the main agenda items for discussion during the ongoing Army commanders' conference, being chaired by General Deepak Kapoor and attended by chiefs of the seven commands and other top brass of the 1.13-million-strong force.

The proposal to construct tunnels in border areas has, incidentally, been mooted by the Udhampur-based Northern Command, the most crucial operational command, tasked as it is with guarding the Line of Control with Pakistan and the Line of Actual Control with China in the western sector, as also undertaking counter-insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir.

The use of tunnels would also help in fooling enemy satellites from gauging the exact troop positions and their strength in forward areas. "Instead of making visible bunkers on hilltops, it would be much better if tunnels were drilled into mountains. China has resorted to tunnelling on a large-scale along the LAC, especially in the Tibetan Autonomous Region," said a senior officer, participating in the conference.

Tunnels can also be used to establish "command and control centres" to direct operations during times of war. "Even helicopters can be positioned in tunnels to launch surprise attacks on enemy forces, or undertake reconnaissance missions," said the officer.

Subterranean measures to guard against NBC attacks, of course, are an important factor, especially since both Pakistan and China are nuclear-armed and do not have a no-first use nuclear weapon doctrine like India. Well-constructed tunnels can provide adequate protection to troops in case of a nuclear attack since overhead shielding by earth protects from the initial shock waves and dramatically reduces exposure to gamma and neutron radiation.

Both the US and the erstwhile Soviet Union had resorted to extensive tunnelling during the Cold War to build shelters immune to nuclear fallout. The trend has continued to the present day, with many advanced countries continuing to devise advanced subterranean measures to counter NBC threats.

 

[nitesh]

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Polish defence minister to visit India

As India looks around globally for partners in the realm of military hardware, Polish Defence Minister Bogdan Klich will visit New Delhi on Tuesday morning to explore possibilities of tie-ups with Public Sector Undertakings for joint production.

Klich, who will be here on a three-day visit, will meet the chiefs of defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) here, apart from meeting his counterpart AK Antony, to discuss joint business ventures for the future, defence ministry sources said in New Delhi Monday.

Among the DPSUs that would be represented in the meetings would be blue-chip Hindustan Aeronautics, Bharat Electronics, Bharat Earth Movers and the Ordnance Factories Board.

These meetings come close after the fourth meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) held here from October 15 to 17 when the two sides agreed to consolidate cooperation in defence industry and specialised training of their armed forces.

The India-Poland JWG on Defence Cooperation was set-up with the signing of an agreement on Defence Cooperation in February 2003 during the visit of Polish Prime Minister to India.

The first meeting of the JWG was held in April 2006. India has shared with the former Soviet-bloc ally a long tradition of friendship and cooperation in various fields including Defence Production and Supplies.

The Polish Defence Minister will also visit a Para Brigade of the Indian Army at Agra on Wednesday before leaving for Vietnam early on Thursday morning.