Indian Build Up

[Flintlock]

EADS To Tie Up With TATA Group For Indian Army US$ 1 Billion Tactical Communications Contract

The Tata Group today unveiled plans to form a partnership with European defence and aerospace consortium EADS to bid for the Indian Army's $1 billion advanced tactical communication system project.

This is the third defence-related project announced by the Tata Group in the past three days. The other two are a joint venture with major aircraft manufacturer Boeing to produce aerospace components in India and a contract with US-based Sikorsky Helicopters to build cabins for S-92 choppers.

Tata Advanced Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Industries, and other group companies would join hands with EADS Defence and Security, US-based Raytheon and Precision Electronics to bid for the army's communication system.

The tactical communications system project, which is expected to be announced later this year, is aimed at replacing the current AREN system using the latest and most sophisticated technologies making it a fully mobile communication system.

The new system would put the Indian Army at par with the most sophisticated tactical mobile systems currently being developed for deployment around the globe.

Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata said his group recognised the national importance of the project, and "with a view to leveraging the capabilities of several Tata companies, we propose to implement the project through a new umbrella company -- Tata Advanced Systems."

EADS To Tie Up With TATA Group For Indian Army US$ 1 Billion Tactical Communications Contract | India Defence

 

[Spring Onion]

India to get Scorpene by 2012

18 Feb 2008, 0000 hrs IST,TNN
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NEW DELHI: The first of six Scorpene submarines, being manufactured by a French company at Mazagaon docks, will be delivered by 2012 and one thereafter every year for the next five years.

Scorpene submarines, to be fitted with BrahMos missiles, will be part of a mix of conventional and nuclear undersea firepower India proposes to acquire in the next decade. While the Indian Navy will acquire a nuclear submarine from Russia on lease next year, a global tender is shortly to be floated for its second line of submarines.

"If India wants, BrahMos cruise missiles can be fitted on the Scorpene," DCNS project director Xavier Marchal said at the ongoing Defence-Expo here. The French company announced that the first submarine was scheduled to be delivered by 2012 with the other five to follow at a rate of one per year.

The French company, which has opened an Indian subsidiary in Mumbai, said initial hiccups had been overcome in procedural sanctions and other related issues and now the company was looking for Indian joint venture partners to offer specialised services, design and maintenance contract in other defence projects.

The Indian subsidiary will acquire parts required for the ongoing projects in the country and thus reduce time taken for procedural issues.

Clearing doubts about the capability of Scorpene submarines and its superiority to Pakistan’s Agostas which is also being manufactured by the same company, DCNS project director said Scorpenes were better than Agostas in terms of performance.

DCNS executive vice-president and chief operating officer Bernard Planchais added
that the French company would bid for Navy’s next batch of six submarines for which tenders are to be floated. In the ongoing project, the technology transfer issue had taken a little longer than expected and had actually delayed the project by one year.


India to get Scorpene by 2012-India-The Times of India

 

[Neo]

India orders 6 C-130 planes from Lockheed​

* Lockheed official says aircraft will be delivered in phases starting in 2011​

NEW DELHI: Lockheed Martin Corp. has received an order from India for six Super Hercules C-130J military transport planes in a deal worth about US$1 billion, a company executive said Monday.

“The letter of intent was signed in January,” Dow Jones Newswires quoted Orville Prins, a Lockheed Martin vice president in charge of India, as saying. The aircraft will be delivered in phases starting in 2011, Prins said. A senior Indian air force official confirmed the deal, but refused to give details.

India - whose relations with the US remained tense during the Cold War - currently has no American-made combat aircraft. Its air force flies Russian-made MiG fighters, British Jaguars and French Mirages. In 2004, it placed a US$1.5 billion order with Britain’s BAE Systems for advanced jet trainers. The Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed Martin Corp. is participating in India’s fifth International Land and Naval Systems Exhibition, DefExpo2008, currently being held in the Indian capital.

On Monday, Prins also said that Lockheed Martin is in talks with Indian companies to form production joint ventures in the country. But he didn’t elaborate. Lockheed Martin and Boeing Co. are bidding against Russian and European rivals for a deal to sell 126 multi-role fighter aircraft worth US$10 billion (€6.81 billion) to the Indian air force.

India’s defence spending has steadily risen in recent years - despite relative peace with arch rival Pakistan - as the country tries to modernize its outdated hardware. The Indian government raised the defence budget by 12 percent to 960 billion rupees (US$21 billion) in fiscal 2007-2008 to support the military’s modernization.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Contrarian]

Navy eyes new submarines for blue-water capability
Vishal Thapar / CNN-IBN

FLEXING MUSCLE: Indian Navy plans to induct new submarines with a new class of missiles.

New Delhi: The Indian Navy has set the ball rolling for acquisition of new warships and submarines.


India has made it clear that it wants more muscle at sea and has kick-started the process of acquiring six new hunter-killer submarines and seven new frigates.

Of particular significance is its decision to go in for a new line of submarines, which will for the first time give India an assured capability to attack targets on land from under the sea.

Request for information have recently been issued to the French DCNS, Spanish Navantia, Russian Rubin and German HDW.


"It is a new submarine. It is not the Scorpene and it is a bigger submarine with specific features," Alain Fougeron, Executive VP, DCNS says about its new submarines.

The key differentiator from its existing fleet of 16 submarines will be a new class of missiles, which will establish India as the leading naval power in the region.

"The missile component of the Submarine weapon is very important and it should be very powerful," Andrey V Efimov, Manager, Rubin Design Bureau, says.


By considering four options India has sent a message that it wants to diversify its weapons procurement beyond traditional arms supplier Russia.


Its 30-year submarine building programme had envisaged a Russian line of Amur submarines beside the French Scorpene for which India signed up in 2005.


But now the Amur is not a certainty even though the Russians claim it is superior.


"Its capable of providing salvos for different targets," Efimov says about Amur submarines.


The other big decision is to approach the US for partnership for building seven frigates as part of the Indian Navy's Project 17A.


Russians and Europeans are also in the fray for the project.


With top-of-the-line submarines and warships, India hopes to establish more strength at sea.


In the changed circumstances, India realises that power projection in the future will not be done by its foot soldiers but by its strategic forces.
Navy eyes new submarines for blue-water capability

 

[mujahideen]

India would resolve disputes with new Pak govt: India Army Chief

MONITORING DESK

NEW DELHI -Security situation in Pakistan should improve after the elections and India would be able to resolve disputes by talking to democratically elected government in that country, said Indian Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor.

Talking to Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN's 'Devil's Advocate' show, Kapoor said 'When the things were turbulent we were a little worried and therefore we were very vigilant on the borders. But now that the elections have taken place and, hopefully, in next few days they will have a government (and) we would be able to talk to a democratically elected government to resolve some of our differences.' About his opinion of Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani, Kapoor said it was reassuring to have a person, 'who is a professional soldier' at the head of the Pakistan Army.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2008

 

[Neo]

India inducts first batch of British Hawk trainers​

BIDAR: India on Saturday inducted the first batch of British-made Hawk jets to groom rookie pilots and replace its ageing Russian-built MiG 21 fleet, nicknamed “Flying Coffins” due to their high crash record.

Indian Defence Minister AK Anthony gave five trainer aircraft to pilots training at Bidar Airforce Base in southern Karnataka state, nearly three decades after the Indian Air Force first called for such aircraft.

The aircraft were among 66 trainer jets ordered by the Indian government in March 2004 from Britain’s BAE Systems in the face of stiff competition from France and Russia.

Under the terms of the agreement, 24 Hawk trainers were bought off the shelf, while the other 42 are to be built under licence at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), India’s largest aircraft manufacturer in Bangalore.

Anthony said New Delhi would purchase 40 more Hawk trainers worth $1.25 billion to ready air force and naval personnel, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

The new trainers will aim to bridge the gap between the subsonic Surya Kiran aircraft that Indian pilots currently train on before graduating to advanced fighters like the MiG-21s. afp

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[mujahideen]

India test fires its first undersea ballistic missile to counter threats from neighbouring countries

NEW DELHI, Feb 26 (APP): India claimed to have test fired its first undersea nuclear capable ballistic missile on Tuesday to counter threats from neighbouring countries.
The missile K-15 , with a range of 700 kms was launched from a pontoon immersed in the sea off the eastern coastal city of Vishakahpatnam .

According to news channels, the missile test was carried out from a pontoon immersed in the sea because India does not have submarine to conduct such tests.

According to Chief Controller of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) S Prahlada, one more test of the missile is required to ratify the missile which would become the main weapon of India’s indigenously made nuclear submarine which is expected to enter sea trials late next year.

India has embarked upon an ambitious missile programme under which nuclear capable missiles are being tested to counter missile threats from neighbouring countries, the sources said.

app

 

[ejaz007]

Bumar Announces $1.2 Billion Deal with India​

agence france-presse
Published: 25 Feb 14:18 EST (09:18 GMT)

WARSAW - Polish state-controlled arms company Bumar on Feb. 25 announced it was poised to sign a 1.2-billion-dollar (809-million-euro) deal to supply military equipment to India.

"We are expecting to sign contracts worth around $1.2 billion," a spokeswoman for Bumar, Kamila Walczak, told AFP. She declined to elaborate.

According to the Polish newspaper Dziennik, Bumar has clinched six separate contracts with India, covering the supply of 200 WZT-3 armored cars, 80 Kroton de-mining vehicles, 100 Loara mobile anti-aircraft units and 110 self-propelled cannons.

In addition, Dziennik reported, Bumar is to supply 1,000 tank engines and also help upgrade the same number of T-72 tanks which are currently used by the Indian army.

Bumar may also work with India on the production of tank engines, the newspaper said.

Bumar Announces $1.2 Billion Deal with India - Defense News

 

[mujahideen]

India missile test to start arms race: Pakistan

KARACHI (Reuters) - India's successful test-firing of a nuclear-capable, submarine-launched missile will trigger a new arms race in the region, Pakistan's navy chief said on Wednesday.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan and India have fought three wars since their partition and independence in 1947, and nearly went to war a fourth time in 2002, but relations have improved since they launched a peace process in 2004.

India, already capable of launches from land and air, tested the new missile on Tuesday from a surfaced submarine -- a step closer to firing from under the sea and matching countries such as the United States, Russia, France and China.

"These developments...put nuclear weapons at sea and it is a very, very serious issue," navy chief Admiral Muhammad Afzal Tahir told reporters in Karachi.

"This is going to start a new arms race in the region," he was quoted as saying by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan. Indian officials say the K-15, a two-stage missile with a top range of 700 km (450 miles), will be eventually deployed with a domestically built nuclear submarine, after further tests.

The two South Asian countries routinely test missiles in spite of their peace process.

(Reporting by Augustine Anthony; Editing by Robert Birsel)

 

[mujahideen]

U.S.-India to study missile defence, nuke deal no block

By Kristin Roberts

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The United States and India will study the possibility of a joint missile defence system, U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on Wednesday, stressing talks were only in their early stages.

"We're just beginning to talk about perhaps conducting a joint analysis about what India's needs would be in the realm of missile defence and where cooperation between us might help advance that," Gates told reporters.

Indian missile-defense cooperation with the United States could complicate relations with China, Russia and Pakistan.

Until now, India's policy has been to develop its missile shield domestically, closing a potential multibillion-dollar market to American manufacturers Boeing Co, Lockheed Martin Corp, Raytheon Co and Northrop Grumman Corp -- the biggest players in the emerging ground, air, sea and space based U.S. missile defense system.

But this may be changing in line with a breakthrough Indian decision to buy Lockheed's C-130J military transport aircraft earlier this year, U.S. defence officials said.

Gates, in New Delhi to strengthen Washington's strategic ties and make a sales pitch for U.S. arms manufacturers, said the Pentagon wanted to build a relationship focused on long-term cooperation with India, noting it was independent of the current impasse over a controversial civil-nuclear deal sought by Washington.

"We're not looking for quick results or big leaps forward," Gates told reporters.

"But rather a steady expansion of this relationship in a way that leaves everybody comfortable that we're not moving too fast and that works in terms of Indian domestic politics and also works for us."


ARMS DEALS

The large focus of Gates's meetings with Indian leadership was on arms procurement and India's plan to buy 126 multi-role combat fighter jets, a deal worth potentially $10.6 billion.

Lockheed and Boeing are competing for the deal along with Russia's MiG-35, France's Dassault Rafale, Sweden's Saab KAS-39 Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon, made by a consortium of British, German, Italian and Spanish companies.

The fighter contest follows India's purchase of six C-130J military transport aircraft from Lockheed worth about $1 billion, a deal that marked a major shift in weapons-buying policy by India, which has relied heavily on Russian arms and transport aircraft.

"I expressed our pleasure obviously with the purchase by India of the six C-130Js. There are some other deals in the works," Gates said, without offering details.

"I indicated that we obviously are interested and believe that we are very competitive in the selection of the new fighter," he said.

"We asked no special treatment. We simply are pleased to have a place at the table and we believe that in a fair competition we have a very good case to make."


CLOCK TICKING ON NUCLEAR DEAL

After decades of pro-Soviet ties, India has moved closer to Washington in recent years, with new arms sales and joint military exercises. Millions of Indians also are turning to the United States for education, jobs and consumer goods.

But a civil nuclear agreement, seen by many as the centrepiece of India's strategic relationship with Washington, had hit obstacles in New Delhi where it is opposed by the Indian government's communist allies.

The agreement would allow New Delhi to access U.S. nuclear fuel and reactors by overturning a three-decade ban imposed after India conducted a nuclear test while staying out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Gates would not put a deadline on India's acceptance of the deal. But he said time could be running out.

"The clock is ticking in terms of how much time is available to get all the different aspects of this agreement implemented," Gates said.

 

[mujahideen]

Budget promises modest boost for defence

By Bappa Majumdar

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's defence spending is likely to rise by between 8 and 10 percent in this year's budget, not enough to please the armed forces, but enough for a gradual modernisation of the world's fourth-largest military, officials and analysts said.

India is emerging as one of the world's biggest arms buyers, and is planning one of its biggest ever arms purchases, a $10 billion deal to buy 126 fighter jets. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is in India this week trying to push American bids for that deal.

But a painfully slow bureaucratic process means arms purchases will be gradual, not sudden.

Spending plans will also be tempered this year with the government expected to present a budget on Friday with more money allocated for job creation schemes and healthcare ahead of elections due by next April.

"We expect the defence allocation to be in line with inflation and will not be surprised if it is lower than 10 percent," a senior defence official told Reuters on Wednesday.

Consumer price inflation ran at 5.51 percent in 2007.

"The government seems set to present a people's budget, but we expect it to continue the process of acquiring new weapons systems," he said.

India raised its defence budget by 7.8 percent to $22 billion for the year ending March 2008 as part of plans to modernise its 1.3-million-strong military.

But it failed to spend around 70 percent of its $10 billion allocation for capital outlay because of red tape.

"What worries me is like all previous years we are unable to utilise the capital funds, as everyone is taking time in making decisions, which is not good enough," said Ashok Mehta, a retired army general.

Ever since a bribery scandal over the purchase of artillery from Swedish arms makers Bofors AB in 1986 seriously undermined the government of Rajiv Gandhi, defence ministry bureaucrats have been very cautious about signing arms deals.

At least 38 court cases relating to arms agreements are still pending against bureaucrats and military officers, records show.

"The government is afraid of scams and more cases, so arms procurement will remain very slow," Mehta said.


FALLING BEHIND CHINA

India spends around less than 2.5 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on its military, a smaller percentage than is believed spent by rivals China and Pakistan.

Military experts say this is not enough.

"Although there has been a critical need to augment inventory, modernisation efforts have not been sustained and over the last 15 years we are trying to redress past physical inadequacies," said C. Uday Bhaskar, former director of New Delhi's Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

"We are falling short of the required budgetary support which does not augur well at all."

In the past year India has cleared a few pending arms deals, buying 347 T-90s tanks from Russia and six C-130J military transport planes from the U.S firm Lockheed Martin.

It also inducted eight British advanced jet trainers into its air force, almost 27 years after it began negotiating the deal.

Looking ahead, it plans to spend $30 billion on imports over the next four years to modernise its largely Soviet-era arms.

Even if it does not meet that target, it could still be the largest defence market in Asia, business leaders say.

To overhaul its inventory of ageing fighter aircraft, it wants to buy the 126 new multi-role jets, with the $10 billion outlay likely to be spread over several years.

It also wants to arm its navy with long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft and add more missiles and artillery to its army.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

And the Budget also promises additional taxes!!!

 

[ejaz007]

Government does need money to increase defense budget doesn’t it. Any way the real losers are the people who have to bear these taxes.

 

[Malang]

And the Budget also promises additional taxes!!!

I doubt it.. I think there will be tax cuts.. and increase in exemption limits...

ejay2007: Most of the Indians are not under tax net.. it is only the 2-4%(tax paying) of the population that has to suffer... and even then the tax rates in India are quite low... in any case taxes will be cut because

1. coffers are full (tax collections have fantastically surpasses even the most optimistic expectations).. gdp-tax ration well into double digits..
2. economic growth, widening of tax base, change in attitude(shift from black to white economy) and a robust active capital markets(everyone in India is hooked onto stock market these days from the pan wala to the billionaire ;-)) have resulted in massive tax revenue
3. the economy is slowing down to ~8.5% due to an increase in inflation and consequent interest rates ... by cutting taxes there will be a push to the economy
4. Most important --> almost 9 state elections + central govt elections

 

[Neo]

US, India to study joint missile defence, says Gates ​

* India and Israel to jointly develop a surface-to-air missile
* Antony says indigenous missile programme near completion​

NEW DELHI: The United States and India will study the possibility of a joint missile defence system, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said on Wednesday, stressing talks were only in their early stages.

“We’re just beginning to talk about perhaps conducting a joint analysis about what India’s needs would be in the realm of missile defence and where cooperation between us might help advance that,” Gates told reporters.

Indian missile-defence cooperation with the United States could complicate relations with China, Russia and Pakistan. Until now, India’s policy has been to develop its missile shield domestically, closing a potential multibillion-dollar market to American manufacturers.

Gates, in New Delhi to strengthen Washington’s strategic ties and make a sales pitch for US arms manufacturers, said the Pentagon wanted to build a relationship focused on long-term cooperation with India. “We’re not looking for quick results or big leaps forward,” Gates told reporters. “But rather a steady expansion of this relationship in a way that leaves everybody comfortable that we’re not moving too fast and that works in terms of Indian domestic politics and also works for us.”

India-Israel: India also plans to jointly build a surface-to-air missile with its second biggest weapons supplier Israel and hopes for such collaborations with other countries, the defence minister said Wednesday. “A project has been finalised with (state-run) Israeli Aerospace Industry for the joint development of a futuristic long range surface-to-air missile,” Defence Minister AK Antony announced in parliament.

He did not give details of the project but others said New Delhi earlier this month had approved the 625-million-dollar joint venture with the Jewish state to build the anti-aircraft missiles for the Indian navy.

The announcement in parliament came a day after India conducted its first test of a nuclear-capable missile from an undersea platform, completing its goal of having air, land and sea ballistic systems. Antony said India’s ambitious missile development programme launched in 1983 was nearing its completion following the successful trials and mass production of an array of ballistic and guided missiles.

“The country’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme has not been abandoned, but it is now near completion,” Antony said. “India has received a number of offers for the joint collaboration in various kinds of missiles from various countries,” Antony said without giving details.

Amid all this arms shopping frenzy, India’s defence spending is likely to rise by between 8 and 10 percent in this year’s budget, not enough to please the armed forces, but enough for a gradual modernisation of the world’s fourth-largest military, officials and analysts said. Spending plans will also be tempered this year with the government expected to present a budget on Friday with more money allocated for job creation schemes and healthcare ahead of elections due by next April.

“We expect the defence allocation to be in line with inflation and will not be surprised if it is lower than 10 percent,” a senior defence official told Reuters on Wednesday. agencies

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan