Indian Build Up

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Russia to help India test supersonic cruise missile

24/01/2007 11:45 NEW DELHI, January 24 (RIA Novosti) - The Sukhoi Design Bureau will assist India in testing an air-to-ground version of the Brahmos cruise missile, a RIA Novosti correspondent said Wednesday.

Russia and India established in 1998 a joint venture, BrahMos Aerospace, to design, develop, produce and market a supersonic cruise missile. Sea-based and land-based versions of the missile have been successfully tested and put into service with the Indian Army and Navy.

The company is currently working on the development of an airborne version of the missile, which could be installed on the Sukhoi-30MKI air-superiority fighters of the Indian Air Force.

The Brahmos missile, named after India's Brahmaputra River and Russia's Moscow River, has a range of 180 miles and can carry a conventional warhead of up to 660 pounds. It can hit ground targets flying at an altitude as low as 10 meters (30 feet) and at a speed of Mach 2.8.

A BrahMos Aerospace official said last year that the company planned to make 1,000 missiles over the next 10 years and sell half of them to third countries.

During the sixth meeting of the Russian-Indian intergovernmental commission on military-technical cooperation in the Indian capital on Wednesday, the sides agreed to increase the production capacity of the joint enterprise in order to satisfy the growing demand for this type of weaponry.

In 2000, Russia and India signed a 10-year program on military-technical cooperation, which currently lists about 130 R&D and production projects.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, who is a co-chairman of the joint commission, Wednesday called for the development of a draft cooperation program beyond 2010.

"Joint projects in the sphere of military-technical cooperation between Russia and India show a gradual transition from 'seller-buyer' relations to scientific-production cooperation," said Ivanov, who is also Russia's deputy prime minister.

 

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New Delhi: India is aiming to join the big league of avionic super powers in just about seven years, by developing a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, which will match the top powers in the world.

The only operational fifth-generation fighter in the world as of now is the new American F/A-22 Raptor, the most expensive combat jet in history, priced as it is at $258 million apiece.

According to sources, officials from the Defence Ministry, Indian Air Force and the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) have already prepared a blueprint for the stealth fighter jet, which will have a lethal mix of beyond-visual range combat capabilities, reduced radar tracking signature, super-maneuverability and supersonic cruising ability among others.

The jet will be far advanced in comparison to fourth-generation fighters like MiG-29s, F-15 Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons, F\A-18 Hornets, Mirage-2000s and the like. The intermediate stage between them and the fifth-generation fighters is represented by Sukhoi-30MKIs, F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets, F-16F Desert Falcons, Eurofighter Typhoons and Rafales.

The most potent fighters in India's combat fleet at present are the Sukhoi-30MKI 'air dominance' fighters, being manufactured indigenously by HAL now under transfer of technology from Russia, which can be placed a little over fourth-generation fighters.

The fifth-generation fighter, sources say, will be “50% to 100% superior” to Sukhoi-30MKI in terms of "avionics, radius of turn, accuracy of weapon delivery and other combat capabilities".

India will collaborate with Russia in this multi-billion-dollar programme since it is yet to master the technology behind the manufacture of advanced fighter jets despite the ongoing indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft project.

The decks were cleared for this project on Wednesday with New Delhi making the "final choice" on the matter and Moscow saying the work on signing contracts on the deal could begin soon.

Observing that Russia had started developing the warplane about three years ago, visiting Deputy Premier and Defence Minister Sergei B Ivanov said: "Some time back, India showed interest in joining this project. It took them (India) some time to scrutinise the various options."

"Now, India has informed us that a final choice has been made. We can (now) open up contractual work for Indian accession to the project," Ivanov told reporters at a joint press conference with his Indian counterpart A K Antony after signing four documents.

Although interaction has begun now on the joint development and production of fifth generation fighter jet, the actual signing of agreements could take some more time.

Under the deals signed between the two nations on Wednesday, India will procure 40 additional Sukhoi 30 and 80 MI-171V choppers from Russia. The two countries have also signed an agreement on license production for MiG 29 engines. Ivanov also hinted that Russia won't allow China to export Russian fighter engines to Pakistan. The two sides have also signed a protocol of intent to jointly develop the multi-role transport aircraft

India and Russia have long-running military ties even though in which India has been increasingly turning to the United States and other countries for its military supplies in the recent years. Although about 70 per cent of India's military hardware is of Soviet and Russian origin. New Delhi is now increasingly shifting from the existing buyer-seller approach to joint production. The Indian Government is likely to about $10 billion on arms purchases from 2007 to 2012.

Russia had been hard-selling its fifth-generation fighter project to India for some years now since it desperately needs some infusion of funds in its programme touted to be a rival to the American F-35 Lighting-II Joint Strike Fighter project. The two main Russian aviation majors, MIG Corporation and Sukhoi Design Bureau, submitted their plans for joint development of the fifth-generation fighter with HAL in end-November.

"Both presented their concept papers and blueprints about the aircraft configuration, workshare in co-development and cost of development. India might make the choice of its partner public during Putin's visit," sources said

 

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The details may be scanty and speculation rife but aviation specialists have begun deconstructing Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov’s remarks on Wednesday that India had taken the decision to join the Russian fifth generation aircraft project.

“I have a problem with the terminology,” said retired Air Commodore Jasjit Singh, director of the New Delhi-based Centre of Air Power Studies. He said Russian aircraft evolve incrementally and it is difficult to pin the “generation” tag to it. “What matters is what goes into it,” said the former fighter pilot.

Retired Air Marshal Brajesh Jayal, who once commanded the Southwestern Air Command, also felt the hype about “fifth generation” was really about marketing. He referred to Ivanov’s statement that the Russian fighter Sukhoi PAK-FA has been in the design phase for the past three years. If it flies, as reported, in 2009, it is not clear what the Indian role in the “joint design” will be, he said.

Senior officials at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), speaking on background, said Ivanov’s statement was accurate but refused to confirm whether the choice was the Sukhoi version, whose design is largely complete, or the MiG version, on which design work is yet to begin. The Indian Air Force (IAF) and HAL are jointly involved in the process of defining Indian requirements and participating in the joint development with the Russians.

A retired air marshal who worked on the project till 2006 said it was heartening that for once, the IAF was thinking ahead for its requirements. But he said he was worried that if it went for the Sukhoi option, there could be a piquant situation where India starts receiving the fifth generation fighter by 2012 while its other heavy fighter programme, the Su-30 MKI, is peaking to its planned strength of 230 aircraft. Jayal, too, wondered as to how the IAF would fit “so many monstrous fighters” in its inventory in terms of cost and operational planning.

Almost all the specialists who spoke to HT agreed that the project ought to involve genuine joint design and development, not mere Indian investment and label. “That would be licence production by another name,” said the air marshal.

According to Jasjit Singh, it is important to press this point right. India must be involved substantively in the design and development work. “No doubt, we will be junior partners,” he said, but that does not mean “we cannot contribute (to the project) or learn from it”. An essential component must, therefore, be a massive project to scale up HAL’s limited design base, by sending hundreds of young engineers to Russia for training if necessary.

Some of the fears being expressed arise from the fate of the current Su-30MKI project, which was supposed to have a large licenced production component. Now it appears the aircraft will be essentially made from assemblies and sub-assemblies imported from Russia. According to Pushpindar Singh Chopra, editor, Vayu Aerospace, the phase where the aircraft would have been made out of raw material is more or less ruled out.

 

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India is developing nuclear submarines, a key official said.

"As far as nuclear submarines are concerned, I think certainly my information is that we are engaged in research and development in that area", former Foreign Secretary and India's nuclear envoy Shyam Saran said.

Saran, who is the Interlocutor with the US administration on the nuclear energy deal, was responding to a specific query from a member of audience at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, where he delivered the second annual Raja Ramanna lecture last night.

Speaking on "evolution of India's nuclear policies in the context of changing security perceptions", the Special Envoy of Prime Minister -- responding to Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement -- said Moscow cannot provide nuclear supplies to India unless the guidelines of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) are "adjusted".

Putin said earlier this week that Russia will "directly" help India in construction of atomic energy facilities.

Saran said, "We may enter into agreement for supply of some nuclear power plants but the transfer can take place only once the NSG guidelines have been adjusted".

Saran said inputs from a widespectrum of people are being gathered to put together a "good negotiating brief" as India gets into the negotiation of the "123 agreement" -- the conclusion of which would lead to operationalisation of the nuclear energy cooperation.

There will be "give and take" at the negotiation of the 123 agreement but certain principles and markers would not be compromised, he said.

Saran said India took a decision in 1983 to pursue a weapons programme -- though discreetly --, after it became apparent that not only was China improving its nuclear weapons capability but there were credible reports that this capability was being shared with Pakistan.

"Failure to do so (decision on pursuing a nuclear weapons programme in 1983) may have resulted in India's permanent strategic inferiority", he remarked.

On the nuclear deal with the US, Saran asserted that India's sovereignty has not been compromised.

"We have not accepted any kind of limitations on our strategic programme", he repeatedly said. "We are free to continue our strategic programme". Saran also said India has not given any fresh commitment with respect to any limitations, including nuclear testing.

 

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Submarine launch is next BrahMos frontier

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 23 : Work has begun on a variant of the Indo-Russian BrahMos missile system that would, in the next few years, make India the only country with a submarine-launched supersonic cruise missile capability.

BrahMos, a joint venture between DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia, has asked the Navy to spare one of its Russian-made Kilo-class submarines as a test platform for the new missile. The request is likely to be shortly addressed. The missile is concurrently being configured for Russia’s Amur-class submarines — boats that will compete for a second-line of submarine construction at Mazagon Docks parallel to the French Scorpene line.

“The missile will be identical in all respects to the vertically launched land or ship launched version. The only modification will be the installation of a 7.65 metre thick cylindrical module to the submarine structure to house the missiles and fire control system,” BrahMos CEO A Sivathanu Pillai told The Indian Express today on a tour of the company’s facility in New Delhi.

The 290 km anti-ship and land attack missile is currently operational in the ship-launched profile on the Navy’s INS Rajput destroyer and shore-based vehicle launched variants. The Army is to induct the missiles this year in multiple regiments. The air-launched version to begin preliminary tests this year, culminating in flight tests from an IAF Su-30MKI fighter next year.

The BrahMos is also likely to create history by becoming the first missile export from India—¿ the Malaysian Navy has expressed a keen interest in the system and is likely to formalise an order during the year. “We expect a bigger market than we analysed initially. We will export in the near future to a few friendly countries. We expect a total of 1,000 missiles to meet the demand of India, Russia and these countries in the foreseeable future. Demand for anti-ship missiles is high,” Dr G Leonov Alexander, first deputy Director General of NPO Mashinostroyenia, said.

BrahMos has also set up a team to study the parameters of a parallel programme to create technologies over and above the missile’s current capabilities. “Competition will come, and we have to think of a parallel extension programme to maintain leadership. We have started joint study groups to arrive at the specifics of such an effort,” Pillai said. The three-new Talwar-class frigates on order from Russia, the three Delhi-class destroyers and Godavari-class frigates will soon be fitted with the BrahMos system.

 

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Russia offers co-development of high-altitude gunship to India

Russia is set to unroll its new high-altitude light helicopter gunships and has offered its co-development to India as a package deal, which could also forsee cooperation in building 10-tonne-class choppers.

The offer comes as the country is also ready to unveil its new Kamaov-60 and next generation 10-tonne-class MI helicopters, which can be used as heavy lift troop carriers.

"We know Indian Air Force's urgent requirements for 10-ton-class helicopters and we have conveyed our readiness for joint development through establishment of joint holding company," said Givi Dzhandzhgava, Director General of the Ramenskoi Design company.

"The Kamaov group by end of this year expects to roll out its new KA-52 helicopter gunships which can be used at altitudes exceeding 5,000 to 6,000 metres," Dzhandzhgava said.

India has desperately been seeking to induct light helicopter gunships for use in mountainous terrain following its experiences in the Kargil conflict when absence of such firepower forced it to use fighters firing missiles from stand off distance.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has been conducting trials on light helicopter gunships by modifying the Chetak and Cheetah helicopters and indigenous Advance Light Helicopters.

Citing Indo-Russian joint programme to develop Brahmos cruise missiles, the Russian Chief Designer said that on the same pattern, two countries could set up a joint venture on helicopters.

"There is market for such 10-tonne-class helicopters and light helicopter gunships in third countries and it would be ideal if the two countries would venture to set up a joint strategic air transport company," he said.

The Russian designers say that they aim to make presentations of the ventures to India during the forthcoming Aero India show to be held in Bangalore from February 6.

"India is ideal for such projects," Russian experts said, maintaining that military development of India was in Moscow's national interest.

The experts have also called upon the government to make competitive offer to India on air-launched weapons as well as transfer of technology on airborne active phased radars, saying it would create the confidence in development of strategic weapons projects.
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Now, IAF eyes air command in space

GANDHINAGAR: India needs an aerospace command to exploit the outer space and it will be established soon, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi said on Sunday.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is in the process of establishing an aerospace command to exploit outer space by integrating its capabilities, he told reporters here.

The remark of Air Chief, here to attend the South Western Air Command's station commanders' conference, assumes significance as recent reports said China has successfully tested its anti-satellite weapon by destroying one of its own weather satellites.

"As the reach of the Indian Air Force is expanding it has become extremely important that we exploit space and for it you need space assets," Tyagi, due to retire in March, noted.

"We are an aerospace power having trans-oceanic reach. We have started training a core group of people for the 'aerospace command'."

The IAF Chief was non-committal on the exact time-frame of setting up of the aerospace command. Aerospace command will be an integration of various components of the Air Force.

Indian satellites, radars, communications systems, fighter aircraft and helicopters would be integrated under the command, IAF officers said.

This would be done taking into considerations various need such as communications, reconnaissance and battlefield-damage assessment as the reach of the IAF has increased, they observed.

 

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Navy`s new MiG-29K to have superior capability to SU-30 MKI

Moscow, Jan 25: Indian Navy would take the delivery of the first of its 16 top of the shelf carrier borne MiG-29k, the most powerful fighter jets in the region, in June.

"The first of the mig-29k fighters would be handed over to the Navy here in June," said top officials of the RAC-MiG corporation asserting that the fighter in its capability would surpass the Indian Air Force`s SU-30MKI.

Not only this, the RAC-MiG is offering IAF the same 4 plus generation capability for upgrading the existing 64 MiG-29s. The deal estimated to be worth more than USD 400 million is on top of the agenda during President Vladimir Putin`s visit to India.

In the upgradation, the MiG is offering to extend the beyond visual range engagement of the fighter, complete change of its onboard computers and avionics and giving the jet, in addition to its air to air capability, highly sophisticated system to engage ground targets.

"The upgradation would be of much higher level than the new mig-29smt fighters delivered to some Arab countries," said Givi I Dzhandzhgava, Director General of the Ramenskoye Design Bureau, who would bear the major part of upgradation if it is awarded to Russia.

"We are ready to offer the top of the shelf technology including some new systems like stealth features for the MiG-35 fighters, which would be bidding for IAF`s 126 medium range combat aircraft tenders," Dzhandzhgava said.

On the naval MiG-29ks, MIG officials said that the first fighter would be handed over to Indian Navy in June and would be used for training its pilots and air crew personnel.

"The fighters would reach Indian soil by end of the year, almost a year ahead of the delivery of the carrier Admiral Groshkov renamed INS Vikramaditya," they said.

"Unlike other nations, we are ready to share our frontier technology with the Indians," Dzhandzhgava said .

He said RAC-MIG were also ready to offload major work to Indian private and public sector industry for the MiG-29 upgradation as well as for manufacture of MiG35.

 

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NEW DELHI: The US is offering India one of the world's most formidable shipboard missile systems that has the potential of being integrated with the country's indigenous missiles.

There was "some interest" in the Indian defence establishment in the Aegis system but neither has the US made an offer nor has India made any formal request for it, says Royce Caplinger, managing director of Lockheed Martin India, whose US parent manufactures the system.

"I am sure though that if you ask for it, you will get it," India Strategic defence magazine quotes him as saying.

The feelers to sell the Aegis are obviously part of the US government's agenda to help India become what the State Department called in its May 2005 policy statement "a global power."

Apparently, it is also part of the steps that are systematically being taken - like the civil nuclear deal - to draw New Delhi closer to Washington.

Aegis is named after the shield of mythological Greek god Zeus. Its sale, like of most military systems, is governed through government-to-government deals under Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or other US programmes. It appears, though, that Lockheed Martin, the world's biggest military vendor, has informal clearance to showcase the system to India.

The integrated combat system can track more than 100 missiles through its supercomputers and engage them according to priority, depending upon their velocity and height, including the sea-skimming attackers.

It is designed for multi-pronged, simultaneous warfare to engage and strike targets in the air, on sea, on the surface, as also sub-surface. Aegis has also been successful in half a dozen tests to intercept ballistic missile targets outside the earth's atmosphere.

Caplinger said Aegis had been successively modified and upgraded in technology over the years and that it was "the most advanced shipboard system" in the world to counter a variety of threats, including from aircraft and ballistic missiles.

Asked if it could be integrated with India's indigenous missiles, including the India-Russian BrahMos, he replied: "Theoretically yes." It could even be matched with the new anti-missile missile that India recently tested, "but that would depend entirely on the Indian scientists and India's requirements."

"The MK 41 Vertical Launching System (that is integrated into the Aegis system) is not currently configured to integrate the BrahMos or Agni, but it can be adapted," Caplinger added.

The fact that the Aegis system could manage vertical launch of missiles was important, particularly as the Indian Navy had a long-term plan to build several ships equipped with the facility to meet its projected requirements.

Its sophisticated SPY-I phased array radar and high-speed supercomputers read each oncoming threat 360 degrees, prioritize them according to their threat value, and then automatically launch appropriate missiles to neutralize them.

The latest version of the system is called Aegis BMD 3.6. In June 2006, it successfully intercepted even the separating warhead of a target missile in a test at the Pacific Missile Range Facility.

The system's command and decision-making core is notable. Its computers differentiate between missiles, debris, and friendly aerial vehicles - and attack only what needs to be attacked.

Thus far, Aegis has only been sold to close US allies, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Norway and Australia. It is deployed on 69 US destroyers and cruisers and is being added on 17 more destroyers.

Thus, it is the mainstay "total weapon system" of the US Navy. According to Caplinger, Aegis was a very powerful system and would give an edge like no other to the Indian Navy.

The Aegis programme was launched in 1969 due to the changing nature of warfare that required transition from guns to missiles.

In 1967, a Soviet-built missile had sunk an Israeli destroyer in the Arab-Israeli war while in 1982, Argentina successfully used an Exocet missile to sink a Royal Navy frigate during the Falklands conflict. In 1988, when two Iranian vessels fired on US ships, the US Navy had used Harpoon missiles to neutralise them.

 

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The Prototype Vehicle 5 of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) family, developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bangalore, is expected to fly out of the hangar by August.

The two-seater trainer is one of the seven prototypes of the indigenously developed LCA. HAL is expecting the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) for LCA by 2008-09, A Mohan, General Manager — Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC) told reporters during a media visit to the HAL facilities on Monday.

Weaponization

Meanwhile, the weaponisation of LCA PV3 is on at the production hangar. Armed with R-73 missiles, PV3 is expected to incorporate drop tanks in later phases, Mohan said.

The weaponisation will be completed in 18 months. The three prototypes have in combination clocked around 590 test flight hours.

The series is expected to be inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) during 2009-10. HAL is also working on the naval version of LCA, that’s tipped to fly by 2008.

Darin-II aircraft

Earlier, Ashok Nayak, GM, Aircraft Division, told reporters that 20 aircraft from the Darin-II programme — avionic system upgrade of Jaguar strike aircraft — will be delivered in the next couple of years. HAL has already delivered 17 Jaguar twin-seater trainers to IAF.

The Darin-II Jaguars — at an estimated production cost of Rs 110 crore each — will have features including nine hard points (for weapon delivery), an Inertial Navigation platform and a Digital Map Generator. By 2007-08, the Jaguars will make way for the Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) Hawks at the hangar. The Hawk is set for its first delivery in 2008.

HJT-36, HAL’s Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) is also expected to get the IOC by 2008.

While two prototypes of the subsonic aircraft are flying, the government has also placed an order for the limited series production of 12 aircraft.

EXPORT HIGHS

The HAL Aircraft Division has obtained a repeat order for 800 Main Deck Cargo Door (MDCD) sets for the Boeing-737 converted freighter aircraft. Talks are also on for a contract on emergency exit doors for Airbus-340s. The division’s major export products include:

- A-319/A-320/A-321 Single Aisle Passenger Doors

- Boeing-777 Main Landing Gear Uplock Box Assembly

- Bell Helicopter tail rotor blades

- Jaguar air frame spares to BAE, Dassault and Royal Air Force, Oman

 

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India seeks Russian help with combat helicopter
http://www.flightglobal.com/article...eeks-russian-help-with-combat-helicopter.html

New Delhi wants to develop 10t battlefield machine rather than buy Mil aircraft

India has asked Russia to partner it in the development of a 10t-class battlefield helicopter to replace Mil Mi-24/25/35s.

The offer was made during a visit by Russian defence minister Sergei Ivanov to New Delhi. Ivanov is also chairman of Russia's new unified aerospace manufacturer United Aircraft (OAK), and was accompanied in New Delhi by OAK president Aleksei Fiodorov.

Russia has offered to sell Mi-35s and Mi-28Ns to India, as well as Mi-24 upgrade packages, but these have not found favour with New Delhi, which wants to develop a new helicopter. Preliminary talks with Russia had focused on using the Mi-28N as the platform.

India wants a jointly developed battlefield helicopter capable of serving more roles than the Mi-28N, which is designed for anti-tank missions. It would serve as a direct replacement for the Mi-24, and therefore, in addition to carrying guided and unguided weapons, would carry assault troops in its rear cabin compartment.

Russian engine manufacturer Klimov confirms that it is offering the VK-2500P powerplant to power the new 10t-class helicopter.

While rejecting Russia's proposals to upgrade Indian Mi-24/25s, New Delhi has agreed to a customised Mi-8/17 upgrade for aircraft not part of an earlier modernisation project agreed with Israeli firms.

Meanwhile, Mil is performing Mi-28N "Night Hunter" acceptance trials after receiving approval for the type to be used as Russia's principal anti-tank helicopter.

Russian air force commander Gen Vladimir Mikhailov says the rival Kamov Ka-52 will also be procured in small numbers for anti-terrorist operations in mountainous regions. "It's more stable in wind and better suited to operations in high grounds," he says.

 

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Coast guard unfolds ambitious expansion plans on 30th eve

New Delhi, Jan 31 (ANI): The Indian coast guard is busy preparing itself to meet the threat of global terrorism, besides maintaining a vigil along the 7516 kilometres long Indian coastline.




The coast guard, which came into being in 1977, has grown from a small force with two frigates and five patrol boats leased from the Indian navy into a formidable force today comprising 76 ships and 45 aircraft.

Announcing the ambitious expansion plans on the occasion of the eve of the 30th anniversary of the force, Vice Admiral R F Contractor, Director General, Coast Guard said here today that, "More ways and means will have to found to cater to the expansion plans of the service, like going in for more private shipyards and streamlining of procedures."

Vice Admiral Contractor also said that the coast guard had plans to develop 'deep water capability' by adding more ships with a larger displacement and more tonnage.

There was need to evolve an efficient regional maritime safety and security mechanism to guard the national maritime assets for which the Indian Coast Guard is stepping up its surveillance capabilities. It is currently looking at the construction of 5 fast patrol vessels, 2 advanced offshore patrol vessels, 3 pollution control vessels, 3 inshore patrol vessels and 11 interceptor boats.

The integrated expansion plan of the coast guard also envisages acquisition of 15 major new ships and 23 aircraft which include the multi-mission maritime aircraft, twin engine helicopters and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), to enhance surface and aerial surveillance capability.

Three new coast guard stations at Puducherry, Beypore (Kerala) and Kakinada will also come up soon, which will assume great importance with oil and gas finds off Chennai and the Krishna Godavari basin.

For the multi-mission maritime aircraft, the global tender would be floated soon and talks would be held with vendors at the Aero-India show in Bangalore early next month, after witnessing the performance of various aircraft.

Also in the offing are 82 marine police stations, with 68 in the mainland, 4 in Lakshadweep and 10 in Andaman and Nicobar islands, where the state police personnel would be trained by the coast guard to be functional at the various coasts.

India, the world's third largest consumer of petroleum products, has 95 percent of its trade through the sea, which is carried out through 11 major ports and 180 minor ports.

Answering questions about the acute shortage of manpower in the service, Contractor further elaborated that around 25 percent shortage in the officer cadre, 13 percent among sailors and 23 percent civilians was a matter of concern but it was being discussed with the Finance Ministry, who had agreed to increase the number of seats in the service. (ANI)





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Raytheon Offers Frontline Weapons to Indian Armed Forces

Foreseeing India as its largest growth market globally in the next five years, Massachusetts based US defence major, Raytheon has said it is ready to introduce to the country its frontline weapons systems.

Hinting that no hiccups were expected in the transfer of top of the shelf weapons technology to India, Admiral (Retd) Walter F Doran, President of the company for Asia Sales, said "Raytheon wants to introduce American missiles, space systems and other frontline technologies to Indian armed forces".

"The present business of the company in India is around $30 million, but in the next five years we foresee India as our largest growth market", Doran said here.

Though he refused to quantify it in dollar terms, the figures could easily climb into billions, according to market experts.

Indian armed forces are currently armed with mostly Russian weapon technology with some hardware and weapons platforms inducted from France, Israel and UK, but according to Doran the American armament companies, though late entrant want to make the Indian defence market more competitive and technology oriented.

The company's lethal wares include wide range of missiles ranging from Patriot II missile shield, Slamraam missiles for cruise missiles interception to world best seller air missiles like AMRAAM advanced medium range air-to-air missiles and AIM-9M sidewinder air-to-air missiles with a record of having never missed a kill.

Raytheon recently supplied sidewinder and AMRAAM air-to- air missiles to Pakistan worth $280 million, arming the country for the first time with beyond visual range combat capability.

Asked if the huge sales would not cloud the company's sales bid in India, Doran said the sales were conducted on Government-to-Government basis and Raytheon had no say in it.

"It was a sale under FMS and Pentagon supplied the missiles from their stockpiles", he said. Sidewinders and AMRAAM are the main weapons of the F-16 fighting falcons, fresh sales of which were recently cleared by the Bush Administration.

Doran, the former Commander in Chief of the US Pacific Command said Raytheon was closely following the issue of international tenders by India for the purchase of 126 medium range combat aircraft.

Two major US fighter manufacturers Lockheed-Martin and Boeing are among the six companies in the run for the contract, which would be the biggest tender ever floated by India.

Raytheon are the main mission system integrators for both Lockheed's F-16's and Boeing F-18/A hornets as well as their main armament providers including all air-to-air and air-to- ground missiles and precision bombs.
http://www.india-defence.com/reports/2853

 

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Navy to conduct massive wargames

NEW DELHI: In one of the largest maritime exercises in recent times, India's western and eastern naval fleets have amassed their warships, submarines, aircraft and helicopters on the western seaboard to conduct intensive combat manoeuvres in the entire Arabian Sea.

Given the sheer size of this "theatre readiness operational exercise"or "Tropex"and its proximity to the Pakistani waters, New Delhi has given "advance notice"to Islamabad under a long-standing bilateral agreement.

The agreement, inked in April 1991, is a safeguard to prevent "any crisis situation"from developing due to "misreading"of the each other's "intentions"during the conduct of large wargames.

Sources said Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta and Army Chief General J J Singh will be witnessing the "work up"of the two fleets on Friday, which will be followed by the "tactical phase"of the exercise later this month.

"Over 50 frontline warships, including aircraft carrier 'INS Viraat', Delhi-class destroyers, Talwar-class stealth frigates and Kilo-class submarines, will be part of Tropex,"said a source.

"Tropex will also include elements from the Army, IAF and Coast Guard. From the IAF, for instance, maritime strike Jaguar fighters will take part in the manoeuvres,"he added.

Apart from its sheer scale, the exercise is significant since one of its objectives will be to practice the operational concept of "maritime manoeuvre from the sea".

The concept is basically designed to ensure that in the short, swift and intense conflicts of the future, the Navy is able to favourably influence the outcome of the land-air battle.

 

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India will begin receiving the first of 3,070 Israeli 5.56 mm Tavor 21 (TAR-21) assault rifles for its Special Forces later this month, according to a leading British defence journal.

This follows the resolution of technical and other problems with the $20 million (Rs.880 million) deal it finalised for the weapons almost five years ago.

Jane's Defence Weekly reports in its latest issue that the TAR-21s will have a 'modified' single-piece butt and new sights, as also Turkish 40mm M-203 under barrel grenade launchers (UBGLs) that make the rifle somewhat heavier. Singapore Technologies will supply the 5.56 mm ammunition.

The deal for TAR-21 and ammunition was clinched in late 2002 with Israel Military Industries (IMI). After the company's bifurcation over two years ago, the contract was taken over by Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) that acquired control of IMI's small arms division.

India continued dealing with IMI and in 2005 invoked contractual obligations claiming damages for the delayed deliveries, further deferring their arrival, the weekly reported.

Quoting official sources, Jane's declared that these 'glitches' had been resolved and a letter of credit for the TAR-21's delivery was opened late last year.

In 2005, IMI had supplied 350-400 TRA-21s without UBGLs for around $1.5 million to India's Special Frontier Force (SFF), a predominantly-military commando unit based in northern India that is primarily deployed by the country's two principal security agencies for 'special' missions.

These were declared to be 'operationally unsatisfactory' following problems with their foldable butt and negotiations began with IMI - and later IWI - to effect changes and for additions like UBGLs. All these were successfully tested in Israel last year and the consignment cleared for delivery.

According to Jane's, even the Israeli Defence Forces had complained about the TAR-21s 'unsatisfactory' performance, with the delivery of the first batch of 15,000 rifles deferred in 2003 till the requisite changes were executed.

Meanwhile, IMI-IWI has also entered into partnership with India's state-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) to locally build under licence the TAR-21s 9mm version - called ZTAR - for use by India's Special Forces and parachute regiments. The OFB-produced ZTAR is now undergoing user trials.

IMI had also supplied around 130 Galil 7.62 sniper riles and around 450,000 rounds of ammunition to the SFF and the army for $1.4 million in 2005.

India currently has seven Special Forces battalions, which according to the army's newly released doctrine, will be employed for specialised tasks behind enemy lines, to fight insurgencies in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeastern states.

Initial Special Forces raisings that, in effect were converted into parachute regiments, were trained by the Israelis in anti-insurgency operations, official sources said. US Special Forces too have been closely involved in exercising with these Indian units, which are also awaiting the arrival of some 20 pieces of specialized American equipment.

In a related development, the army is on the verge of issuing a request for proposal (RFP) to at least five local and overseas companies for some 80,000 5.56mm light machine carbines.

This would be accompanied by the transfer of technology to either the OFB or a private manufacturer to produce over 600,000 pieces under licence to replace the outdated World War II Stenguns still in use with the army, paramilitary units and state police forces.