News Report: India to Construct 108 Missile-Proof Hangars Along China Border

A proposal awaiting government approval since 2015 was strongly backed by the prime minister’s office in the aftermath of the recent border tensions with China.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — The Indian government has cleared a proposal for constructing next-generation hardened shelters for aircraft of the Indian Air Force deployed at the eastern and northeastern airfields that border China. The hangars are designed by the state-owned Defense Research and Development Organization.

The Indian Defense Ministry will initially release $150 million of the total estimated cost of $750 million for the proposed shelters, which can withstand missiles and bombs of up to 2,000 pounds.

The proposed shelters would dot forward areas including Leh, Ladakh and the northeastern states and would also cover the newly built advanced landing grounds — Tuting, Mechuka, Along, Passighat, Vijaynagar, and Ziro — along with the India-China border.

News Report: India’s Home-Grown Land Mine-Plowing Trawl System Passes Blast Trials

The trawl system is capable of breaching a variety of landmines, including passive and active influence mines, and would help the Indian Army’s mechanized forces advance safely to combat zones in the event of a war.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – Marking a major breakthrough in India’s quest to develop local defense technologies, the state-owned Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO) has successfully designed and developed a land trawl that plows landmines out of the way, creating a safe lane for vehicles such as advancing columns of mechanized forces to drive straight through minefields and into combat zones.

News Report: India Successfully Tests 500kg Locally Developed Precision Guided HSLD Bomb

The development is significant as India continues to heavily rely on imports for air armaments. The Israel-manufactured SPICE bomb is the biggest conventional bomb that can be delivered by the Indian Air Force.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – India has successfully tested a precision guided high speed low drag (HSLD) bomb weighing 500 kg, which is the largest bomb locally developed by the country so far. During the flight trial in the western state of Rajasthan, the 500 kg general purpose bomb was released from Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Su 30 MK1 aircraft. The bomb has been developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) of the state-owned Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

The trial covered ground adaptation, carriage and handling, limited separation and release of the bomb. Sukhoi-30MKI released PGHSLD-500 fitted on station 05/06 from an altitude of 5 km at 900 km to verify separation performance and to estimate stability.

News Report: India’s Home-Made Howitzer Creates World Record in User Trial

India's new ATAGS artillery gun during early test firing

Apart from its capability to fire ammunition at almost 48 kilometers, India’s locally developed ATAGS is the world’s only gun with a six-round “automated magazine” that fires a six-round burst in just 30 seconds.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — India’s locally manufactured advanced towed artillery gun system (ATAGS) has created a record in ammunition firing during a user trial conducted at Pokhran in the western state of Rajasthan. The 155-millimeter 52-calibre howitzer fired three shells out to a record distance of approximately 47.2 kilometers in comparison to 40-45 kilometer by other such systems currently operational in the world.

Defense sources told Sputnik that this is, perhaps, the longest distance covered by an artillery gun system. “The system fired three shells at more than 47 kilometers using special, long-range ammunition called high explosive base bleed in Pokhran,” defense sources told to Sputnik.

News Story: Indian Army shows interest in light tanks for defense along Chinese border

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI ― As preparation for a possible conflict with China in high, mountainous areas, the Indian Army’s armored directorate has begun setting requirements for a small tank order, according to a source in the Ministry of Defence.

Military planners in the MoD asked the Army to draw up requirements for a light tank after China tested its homegrown light tank, Xinqingtan, which is equipped with a 105mm main gun and a 1,000-horse-power engine.

The Xinqingtan was tested in July 2017 in the Tibet region bordering India.

Currently, India only uses the Russian-made T-72 and T-90 as well as its homegrown Arjun tank, which is too heavy for the mountainous regions and is made for the desert along the border with Pakistan.

Military planners want lighter tanks that can be airlifted to elevated areas along the Chinese border, the source explained.

An Indian Army official said: “The requirement of rapidly deployable, protected and mobile fire power, which can result in precision engagement in the mountains in view of terrain and technology advantage enjoyed by China, has always remained high in the desirability matrix.”

The light tank requirements come in the wake of a standoff between India and China over a small strip of land along their borders called Doklam. The standoff, which saw soldiers from both countries standing eyeball to eyeball in the area since June, has now been resolved. Soldiers have been withdrawn, said an official with India’s Ministry of External Affairs.

The Indian Army wants its light tanks to weigh about 22 tons and be capable of operating at heights of more than 3,000 meters in hilly terrain, according to another Army official. The tanks would need to be able to penetrate highly protected armored vehicles and main battle tanks from a distance of more than 2 kilometers, as well as be able to fire highly explosive anti-tank shells and guided missiles.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: Has India Secretly Supplied Vietnam with 6,000-pound Supersonic Missiles?

Vietnamese state media claim Hanoi and New Delhi not only agreed on a deal to send BrahMos supersonic projectiles to Hanoi, but also say the weapons have been delivered. India’s Ministry of External Relations, though, denies such a deal exists.

When asked specifically about the acquisition of the BrahMos, Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Thi Thu Hang said on August 18 “the procurement of defense equipment by Vietnam is consistent with the policy of peace and self-defense and is the normal practice in self-defense.”

India’s External Relations Ministry said reports of BrahMos cruise missiles reaching Hanoi were “incorrect” August 22. 

Whether the deal has been completed could have major strategic implications. First, the short-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile has a 600-kilometer range that puts some Chinese-owned features in the South China Sea in range. The level of tension between Hanoi and Beijing peaked recently when the People’s Liberation Army threatened to attack Vietnamese posts in the South China Sea if a joint venture between Hanoi and Madrid to explore oil fields there wasn’t called off.

News Report: Indian Defense Firms Under Pressure to Develop New Age Technology for UAVs

The Indian Army had submitted a requirement for UAVs that could fly continuously for a minimum of ten hours at the height of up to 20000 feet, covering a range of two hundred kilometers from the control station. The army is in favor of locally developed systems but it would be a big challenge for private defense firms that lack the technology.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — India is planning to purchase remotely controlled aerial surveillance platforms which would provide real time inputs in the form of imagery and electronic data to fighting formations during operations. The defense ministry announced that it would be spending approximately $461 million on the purchase of forty four such aerial vehicles.

The system would be capable of carrying different kinds of surveillance payloads such as electro optic and night payload, synthetic aperture radar and electronic support measures.

"UAVs and drones are increasingly assuming importance in warfare and are used by militaries across the world for carrying out a variety of functions mainly in terms of surveillance and target acquisition, communications and now even delivery of stores in remote areas. This will considerably enhance the surveillance and reconnaissance potential of the army in the tactical battle area and beyond," Rahul Bhonsle, a retired Indian Army brigadier and defense analyst told Sputnik.

News Story: India to finalize fifth-gen fighter deal

Russian T-50 PAK FA, base design for India's FGFA

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — India is going ahead with the acquisition of a fifth-generation fighter aircraft with Russia after an internal committee of the Ministry of Defence recommended that the purchase of the aircraft will (NOT) duplicate India’s plan to develop a homegrown advanced medium combat aircraft, according to an MoD official.

“The internal committee, headed by retired Indian Air Force Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthaman, after studying technical parameters, has recommended India to acquire the Indo-Russian FGFA,” the MoD official said, referring to the fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

On the road ahead, the official said, a final agreement between India and Russia will be prepared that will pave the way for the release of over $5 billion toward India’s share to develop the FGFA.

A preliminary development agreement was signed in 2010 between Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation and India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, or HAL, when India paid its 50 percent share of $250 million toward initial development cost.

“A firm order of 108 will be put in the final draft of the agreement being prepared,” said an IAF official.

India and Russia have yet to finalize the work share for the production and technology transfer.

“Defence Research and Development Organization has been involved regarding the work share and transfer of technology, whereas the IAF is involved in finalizing the operational requirements and the number of fighters,” said Daljit Singh, retired Indian Air Force air marshal and defense analyst.

“The involvement [of both Russia and India] is huge in the FGFA program, wherein HAL will be doing many systems like flight controls, avionics with inputs of DRDO and other establishments,” said the MoD official.

The level of transfer of technology by the Russians to India has been a sticky point between the two countries.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: India to Deploy Two Ballistic Missile Defense Systems Near Pakistan Border

Click Image to Enlarge

The ballistic missile defense grid that will protect the western and northern regions of the country will help guard New Delhi and Mumbai.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — India has decided to install its homemade ballistic missile defense systems at two villages in the western state of Rajasthan. The villages in Alwar and Pali are both less than 800 kilometers from the Pakistani capital Islamabad.

The counter attack missiles will be able to provide double layered security with the capacity to shoot down enemy missiles both within the earth's atmosphere (endo-atmospheric) and outside it (exo-atmospheric). State owned Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) had conceived the programme in 1999 and since then, the programme has witnessed many trials and upgrades.

News Report: India Clears the Path for Its 5th Generation Fighter

A Russian T-50 PAK FA, design base for India's FGFA

Almost four years after completing the primary work for fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) project, Indian defense ministry may soon clear its research and development phase.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — A high-powered expert committee examining the feasibility and benefit of the project submitted its report on July 7 and ruled out any conflict between the DRDO’s advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) project. The five-member expert committee was set up by former Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar in early 2017 after some concerns were raised by the ministry officials about the project.

“That the committee found no conflict between the FGFA and AMCA projects is a positive sign, though I cannot understand why this issue was not resolved years back as this project has been in the now-on-now-off mode for close to a decade. Be that as it may, it does pave the way for further movement but it cannot be a foregone conclusion that the R&D contract will be signed anytime soon,” Amit Cowshish, former financial advisor to Indian defense ministry, said.

News Story: India test fires quick reaction surface-to-air short range missile

NEW DELHI, July 3 (Xinhua) -- India on Monday successfully test-fired its indigenously developed quick reaction surface-to-air short range missile, officials said.

The sophisticated missile with a strike range of 25 to 30 km, was test-fired at about 11:25 a.m. local time from a truck-mounted canister launcher from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in eastern state of Odisha.

"Designed to be a quick reaction missile, it is capable of engaging multiple targets and involves an all-weather weapon system capable of tracking and firing," the state-run broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: Indian Navy Sets Up First Home-Grown Floating Dock at Andaman Island

In a bid to strengthen naval power on the eastern coastline, the Indian Navy has decided to deploy an additional floating dock at Port Blair, which is very close to the Strait of Malacca, which connects the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea.

New Delhi (Sputnik) –The Navy’s decision holds significance in the backdrop of the massive naval presence in Bangladesh and Myanmar. Larsen & Toubro launched the first indigenously built floating dock (FDN-2) for the Indian Navy at Kattupalli in Chennai. After series of harbor trials, the floating dock will be stationed at the strategically important location of Port Blair. Once operationalized, it would enhance the technical repair infrastructure of the Navy for ships based at the Andaman & Nicobar Islands as well as for visiting naval ships.

The dock, 185-meter-long and 40-meter-wide indigenously designed and built platform with state-of-the-art machinery and control systems, is designed for docking Indian naval ships and submarines of up to 8000 ton displacement with droughts of up to 7 meters, during both day and night. Simultaneous docking of multiple ships and off-center docking options are also feasible. It has high capacity ballast pumps, along with advanced automated ballast control system. The vessel has been built at a cost of $70.3 million.

News Story: India kick-starts military satellite programs

An Indian Space Rocket Launch (File Photo)

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — To meet military space requirements, India plans to launch a 550-kilogram homemade military satellite within the next fortnight to join the heaviest homemade rocket, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III, according a Ministry of Defence source. 

The GSLV Mk III rocket, fired earlier this month into space, has the capacity to carry the 4-ton class of satellites, prompting some analysts here to say this is a prerequisite for an anti-satellite weapon. 

"The capability to launch heavy rockets with heavier payloads is a prerequisite to put up anti-satellite weapons in the space," said a scientist with the Indian Space Research Organisation, which developed the rocket.

India officially maintains that space is for peaceful use and, as such, does not have an anti-satellite, or ASAT, program. However, sources within the state-run Defence Research and Development Organization say such a program does exist. 

On the relevance of the heavy GSLV Mk III rocket to an ASAT program, Ajey Lele, a senior fellow with the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, doesn't believe the GSLV Mk III is related to ASAT weaponry. "In fact, heavy satellites (more than 2 tons) are normally communication satellites, and they are in geostationary orbit. The concept of ASAT for satellites in that orbit is not possible with present level of technological expertise with any country in the world." 

But Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, a senior fellow with the Observer Research Foundation, disagrees. "If you are aiming at satellites in low-Earth orbits, PSLV [Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle] would be sufficient to launch 'killer' ASAT satellites, but if you are aiming to destroy satellites in geostationary orbits, such as communication satellites, then of course GSLV Mk III would be useful." 

Pillai, however, said India doesn’t have any ASAT program. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Indian Army hunts for new carbines

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — The Indian Army has issued a global request for information procure 200,000 5.56mm close-quarter battle carbines at a cost of about $400 million under the Buy & Make India category. The total order is estimated to increase to 500,000 if the requirement of the domestic paramilitary forces is also taken into account.

Efforts to acquire the CQB carbines since 2008 have not yielded any result, and the carbines developed by the state-owned Defence Research and Development Organization, or DRDO, and the Ordnance Factory Board, or OFB, have not been accepted by the Indian Army, according to a senior Indian Ministry of Defence. 

The formal tender — expected to be issued in the next six months — will seek a transfer of technology for the carbines to be license produced in India under a partnership with domestic defense companies. 

Several overseas equipment manufacturers — including Beretta of Italy, FN FAL of Belgium, Heckler & Koch of Germany, Colt's Manufacturing Company of the United States, and Sig Sauer of Switzerland — are likely to tie up with Indian defense companies such as private sector firms Mahindra Defence, Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Forge and Reliance Defence.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: India Plans to Cancel Defense Deals Worth $1.5 Billion

The Indian government is set to announce the scrapping of defense deals worth more than $3 billion of naval helicopters, armored recovery vehicles and torpedoes. Indian Defense Minister Arun Jaitley has moved a recommendation to scrap long-delayed defense purchases in favor of ‘Make in India’ program.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – The first such recommendation is for armored recovery vehicles which were contracted with India’s state-owned BEML in 2012 for $275 million. The contract was for 204 WZT-3 made by Polish company Bumar and imported by BEML. The deal is supposed to be scrapped over corruption charges, and lack of indigenization efforts by BEML. Indian Army had purchased 352 WZT-3 in three previous contracts from 1999 to 2005. As state-owned DRDO has developed armored recovery vehicle (ARV) and private firms like L&T are interested in supplying them to the Army, the government may opt for the indigenous ARVs.

News Report: Indian Army to Induct 108 Multi Barrel Rocket Launchers Worth $2 Billion

Pinaka Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS)

The Indian defense ministry has planned to float a tender to purchase six regiments of homemade Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers for $2 billion. Each regiment will comprise three batteries of six Pinaka launchers mounted on Tatra trucks.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — The tender is expected to be issued to firms by the next month while the acquisition order is expected to be placed within 18 months. Pinaka supplements the existing artillery gun at ranges beyond 30 km with quick reaction time and high rate of fire. Pinaka is developed by state-owned DRDO with private defense firms Tata Power SED and L&T.

Indian defense ministry had placed an order for two regiments i.e 36 systems last December. The Army intends to have 22 Pinaka regiments by 2026 including 12 regiments of Guided Pinaka. This is an advanced version of the Pinaka, wherein the firing range has been enhanced to 65+ km from the existing 38 km. India conducted two developmental tests of the 214-mm caliber Guided Pinaka earlier this year.

News Report: India to Get Long Range Missile Test Facilities in Indian Ocean

Indian Submarine launch Ballistic Missile test in 2013

India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has got governmental approval to set up the country’s land based long-range missile facility at South Andaman’s Rutland Island, which is some 200 km from the Strait of Malacca that connects the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — India’s National Board of Wildlife cleared the proposal sent by DRDO in 2012 for creating infrastructure facilities for strategic surveillance system at Rutland Island. Facility will have a missile test range for testing of long range missile.

“After discussions, considering the strategic importance of the project for the country’s defense, the Standing Committee decided to recommend the proposal along with the conditions and mitigation measures prescribed by the State Chief Wildlife Warden,” a document released by India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests said.

News Story: India test-fires Prtihvi-II ballistic missile

NEW DELHI, June 2 (Xinhua) -- India Friday successfully test-fired its home-made, nuclear-capable Prithvi-II ballistic missile off the coast of the eastern state of Odisha, sources said.

"The test-firing of the surface-to-surface missile from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur near the state's Balasore district around 10 a.m. (local time) was actually part of user trial by the India Army," sources said.

The sleek missile is handled by the strategic force command and the test-firing was conducted in order to gauge the effectiveness of the weapon in a real-time situation, sources said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: India Puts Itself at Risk With Untested Faith in Private Defense Firms

To curb dependency on defense imports, the Indian government has taken steps over the last few weeks to ease defense manufacturing rules for private companies. Experts wonder if the government knows the risks it runs into by rushing into privatizing defense contracts without testing the companies.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – Among the measures taken by the government, the strategic partnership policy (SPP) has been the chosen route by nominating private defense companies as “strategic partners” for building major weapons platforms including fighter jets, helicopters, submarines and armored vehicles.

The SPP envisages, “establishment of long-term strategic partnerships with qualified Indian industry majors through a transparent and competitive process wherein the Indian industry partners would tie up with global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to seek technology transfers and manufacturing know-how to set up domestic manufacturing infrastructure and supply chain.”

It is estimated the SPP alone could generate $30 billion procurement plan for the Indian private sector which does not have technological experience and minuscule research and development program. Under the policy, India’s Defense Ministry will commit purchase of submarines worth approximately $10 billion, naval utility helicopters of $4 billion, fighter jets worth $15 billion and some other projects. But lack of technological experience combined with the policy structure may reduce them to being hosts of an assembly line for a foreign firm, instead of developing technology.

News Report: Indian Army to Get Indigenous Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile for $2.7 Bn

The Indian defense ministry has approved a major contract worth $2.7 billion for the purchase of Akash missile systems for the Indian Army developed by the state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

New Delhi (Sputnik) – Last week, the Defense Acquisition Council, the apex defense procurement body, preferred the indigenous missile system over a foreign-made one which is in line with the country’s ‘Make in India’ program. The Akash missile is an indigenously developed supersonic short range surface-to-air missile (SRSAM) system with multi-target engagement capability. It uses high-energy solid propellant for the booster and ram-rocket propulsion for the sustainer phase.