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: How 'Make in India' could impede India’s global hunt for anti-ship missiles

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — India has launched first-ever global hunt for anti-ship missiles with a budget of $1 billion. But a requirement for those missiles, to be built by domestic companies, could be difficult to meet.

The medium-range anti-ship missiles must be capable of engaging fast-maneuvering targets within India’s exclusive economic zone in all weather conditions, and have land-attack capability.

A formal tender will be issued by mid-2018, and India hopes to negotiate a quick delivery of the product.

India’s Ministry of Defence wants the production license rights after it receives a transfer of technology for the medium-range anti-ship missiles.

Although no domestic company in India has ever manufactured an anti-ship missile, the MoD will award the contract to a local business as part of the Make in India policy; a foreign vendor will then have to tie up with the domestic company and bid for the tender, an MoD official explained.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: India Floats Biggest Tender for Procurement of 234 Naval Helicopters

In a procurement that could be one of the biggest additions to India’s naval warfare capabilities in recent times, the Indian Navy intends to purchase at least 123 naval multi role helicopters (NMRH) with anti-submarine capabilities and light utility twin engine helicopters for offshore and shore based operations.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — Hard pressed by operational inadequacies, the Indian Navy has made public its intentions to procure at least 234 aerial vehicles to serve in warships. A request for information (RFI) has been sought from six global manufacturers for an estimated deal of over $5 billion.

The Indian Navy has said 123 naval multi-role helicopters should have anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The requirement has been outlined keeping in mind the growing presence of foreign submarines in the Indian Ocean region. The Indian Navy has also floated tentative requirements for light utility twin engine helicopters weighing about 4.5 tons to be used in both shore-based and offshore operations.

The procurement would be executed under the newly approved strategic partnership (SP) model that seeks to identify an Indian private firm as a strategic partner who would tie up with a shortlisted foreign original equipment manufacturer (OEMs) to manufacture military platforms. The main criteria for the selection of OEMs would be the compatibility of their products with the Services Staff Qualitative Requirements (SQRs), and their commitment to provide technology and other assistance to enable their Indian partners to produce in India with maximum localization.

News Report: India Begins Major Overhauling of Country’s Coastal Security

With a coastline of more than 7500 kilometers, India aims to equip its coast guards with 175 ships & 110 aircraft in next five years.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – After a delay of more than a decade to fill the gaps in coastal security, India has finally expedited the process to add more ships, aircraft, and high-speed interceptor boats to Indian Coast Guard, the country’s smallest armed force.

On Thursday, private defense firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T) delivered two more high-speed interceptor Ships (C-433 and C-434) to Indian Coast Guard near Chennai, seven months ahead of contractual schedule. The boats are part of a $200 million deal under which the company has to deliver 54 interceptors.

“Made of aluminum alloy hull with waterjet propulsion, these ships have a speed of over 45 knots with excellent maneuverability and are ideally suited for the high interception,” L&T said in a statement.

News Report: India Launches Two Naval Patrol Vessels Built by Private Indian Defense Company

For the first time, the Indian Navy has launched two naval offshore patrol vessels (NOPVs) built by a private Indian defense company. The NOPVs were built by the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence and Engineering Limited at its Pipavav shipyard in the western state of Gujarat.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — The two NOPVs are part of five ships under the P-21 project being constructed for the Indian Navy by RDEL at a cost worth $375 million. The two ships will be known as Shachi and Shruti in the Indian Navy.

"The launch is a significant and milestone event as these two NOPVs are the first warships to be launched by a private sector shipyard in India," Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command said.

News Story: Indian Navy formally launches submarine acquisition program

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — The Indian Navy has issued a request for information for six air-independent propulsion-enabled submarines under Project 75I, a program worth more than $12 billion. However, analysts say the process will take time since the purchase would take place under the new Strategic Parters policy.

The RFI was issued to six foreign shipyards, including Rubin Design Bureau of Russia, Naval Group (formerly DCNS) of France, Navantia of Spain, Saab of Sweden, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan and ThyssenKrupp of Germany, eliciting a response on AIP-enabled submarine capabilities.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a surprise addition, according to an Indian Ministry of Defence official, because Japanese submarines can be expensive.

Once the overseas shipyards respond to the RFI, a formal request for proposal will be issued. Based on the RFP responses, the MoD will shortlist the shipyards, which could take a minimum of two years, the MoD official said.

A strategic partner will be selected from domestic shipyards, and the companies will join to compete for the project under the Strategic Partners policy

“As per the policy document, the overseas shipyards would be shortlisted based on range, depth and scope of technology transfer offered in identified areas, extent of indigenous content proposed [and] extent of ecosystem of Indian vendors/manufacturers,” said Jayant Damodar Patil, the head of Larsen & Toubro’s defense and aerospace division.

”MoD would short list three to four overseas shipyards from amongst the six based on the above criterion,” Patil added.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: Russia, Germany in Race for Indian Navy's $7.8 Billion Submarine Tender

INS Kalvari first of the P-75 Submarines built by MDL

India’s Ministry of Defense has asked six foreign shipbuilders to respond to the Indian Navy’s long-delayed Project 75 India (P-75I) program, which is worth over $7.8 billion.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — The request for information (RFI) has been sent to six selected overseas naval shipbuilders asking for details about locally building six diesel-electric submarines under newly-formulated strategic partnership model under which India’s private defense shipbuilder will collaborate with a foreign manufacturer.

Official sources told Sputnik that Indian Navy had issued RFI on July 19 to Russia’s Rosoboronexport Rubin Design Bureau, France’s Naval Group, Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Spain’s Navantia, and Sweden’s Saab.

Companies will have to respond to the Indian Navy’s request by September 15 this year with operational details of their respective submarines with air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems and anti-surface, anti-submarine and land-attack capabilities.

News Story: Indian Navy launches hunt to acquire 110 helicopters in $5B deal

Kamov Ka-226T (Image: Wiki Commons)

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — The Indian Navy has begun its process of acquiring 110 light utility helicopters after rejecting Russia's Kamov Ka-226T, which are being built for the Air Force and Army, according to a Ministry of Defence official. 

"The Kamov 226T does not have blade folding and cannot be fitted inside a ship's hangar. Moreover, it is not suitable to carry the torpedoes, which is the mandatory requirement," said an Indian Navy official. 

The light utility helicopters, or LUH, will be procured under the strategic partnership policy India's government approved last month, under which a private-sector defence company will be selected as a strategic partner, which, in turn, will tie up with an overseas original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, shortlisted by the MoD. 

In the next two months, an expression of interest will be given to domestic companies, including Bharat Forge, Reliance, Larsen & Toubro, Mahindra Aerospace and Tata Advanced Systems. The domestic companies will partner with overseas OEMs to compete for the contract worth $5 billion. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

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: 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 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 Experts Say Russian Defense Firms Have Advantage in Make in India Scheme

The Narendra Modi government’s decision to take the strategic partnership policy route with foreign companies to promote Make in India initiative in defense manufacturing will be to the advantage of Russian companies which already have solid ties in the sector, said experts.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — Unveiling the policy, India’s Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, who also holds the finance portfolio, categorically said the policy is aimed at “encouraging Make in India in relation to defense manufacturing.” The policy will allow Indian private sector companies to form joint ventures with global defense firms.

“The capacity building of the private sector in defense manufacturing will begin now,” PTI quoted Jaitley as saying after the Cabinet meeting.

Experts agreed the new policy will be contrary to the government’s attempts to build a military-industrial complex to boost job creation and spur innovation.

News Story: Make in India defense programs worth $30B at an impasse over Strategic Partners policy

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DEHLI — Despite a robust push by the National Democratic Alliance political party to kick-start Make in India defense programs, the highest decision-making body of the Indian Ministry of Defence, the Defence Acquisition Council, on Monday failed to formalize the much-awaited Strategic Partners policy, which aims to roll out all big-ticket defense programs in the country. 

"The SP policy aims to boost Make in India defense programs worth $30 billion by private sector defense companies and [has been] under formulation for [the] past two years but could not be cleared because of lack of celerity within the government and the [defense] industry," a top MoD official said. 

"Several Make in India defense programs, such as submarines, single-engine fighters, multiple types of helicopters [and] other land systems are to be acquired under the SP policy, which is still far away for final clearance." 

Basic guidelines have been crafted to create only six strategic partners from domestic private sector companies that will be selected and then asked to prefer their sector — submarines, armored vehicles, or fighters and helicopters — but one [strategic partner] will be allowed only one segment of the four projects, the MoD official disclosed.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: India's Larsen & Toubro to deliver 100 howitzers to Indian Army

South Korean K9 Thunder self-propelled artillery

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI - In the first Howitzer order to a domestic private sector company, the Indian Ministry of Defence signed a $700 million contract  defense company Larsen & Toubro (L&T). L&T will produce 100 155mm /52 caliber tracked Howitzer guns at Indian facilities for the Indian Army jointly with Hanwha Tech Win of South Korea.

No official of the South Korean company would comment on the level of transfer of technology that will be given to domestic company to manufacture the tracked guns, but a senior official with the Indian Army said, “The South Korean company is unlikely to transfer technology fully in the K-9 gun with a low order of only 100 numbers.” 

"L&T could get additional orders ahead as there is a requirement of more tracked artillery guns,” the source added. 

The L&T- Samsung team with the K9 Vajra-T Howitzer gun beat the 2S19 MSTA howitzer from Rosoboroexport of Russia in response to a 2011 global tender. Defense News announced plans for the award in 2016. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: India Signs Largest Private Defense Contract for Korean Self-Propelled Guns

South Korean K9 Thunder

India’s Ministry of Defense has formally awarded a $676 million contract to Larsen & Toubro, India’s multinational engineering conglomerate, for the supply of 100 units of 155mm/ 52 caliber tracked self-propelled gun systems to the Indian Army.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — The technology for the weapon is being provided by South Korean firm Hanwha Techwin (HT). L&T had bid for this ‘Buy Global' acquisition program of India's Ministry of Defense in 2011.

The K9 VAJRA-T gun is an enhanced version of HT's K9 Thunder, customized and co-developed by L&T & HT to suit the specific requirements of the Indian Army including desert operations.

News Story: India floats repeat tender for homemade rocket launchers valued at $2B

A Pinaka Multi-Launch Rocket System

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — In a move aimed at becoming more self-sufficient with multi-barrel rocket launchers, the Indian Ministry of Defence has floated a big-ticket bid to buy six regiments of homemade Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers for $2 billion. The order for the acquisition is expected to be placed within 18 months.   

Last December, the ministry placed an order for two regiments — one regiment is 18 systems — totaling a $350 million order for the Pinaka rocket launchers. Industry sources say India is now contemplating exporting the Pinaka. 

The order will be split between the prime state-owned contractors Bharat Earth Movers Limited and the Ordnance Factories Board, or OFB, and private sector defense companies Larsen & Toubro and Tata Power SED. Under the contract, BEML will supply the vehicles for the rocket launchers; L&T and Tata Power SED will supply the launcher systems; and OFB will supply the rocket ammunition . 

L&T and Tata Power SED have designed and developed the Pinaka system with the Defence Research and Development Organization, or DRDO. The Indian Army currently operates two regiments of the Pinaka systems. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Indian Navy to buy vessels from private shipyards in policy change

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — In a departure from an earlier policy of awarding big-ticket defense programs to state-owned companies on a nomination basis, the Indian Ministry of Defence has decided to source four landing platform docks from private defense companies.

"MoD will shortly invite revised commercial bids for purchase of four LPD vessels costing around $3 billion from two shortlisted private defense companies because the price validity has expired [last month] and government-owned companies have been dropped from the program," according to a senior MoD official.

Under the 2013 tender, only two LPDs were to be built by a domestic private sector company and the remaining two vessels on nomination basis by state-owned company Hindustan Shipyard Limited.

Only domestic defense companies Larsen & Toubro and Reliance Defence and Engineering Limited, or RDEL — formerly known as Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering — could clear the financial and technical compliance completed last year.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: India Revises Terms for Naval Transport Dock, Calls Fresh Bids

The Indian government has asked two of its domestic manufacturers to provide fresh commercial bids for manufacturing 20,000-ton landing platform docks (LPD) by the end of this month.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — The government planned earlier to give the contract to both private and government-owned shipbuilders. Now, sources said, it was decided to give the entire four LPD contract to private players upon acceptance of their revised bids under the reworked plan.

The Indian Navy has planned four 20,000 ton LPD for induction in the next decade. India's private manufacturers Reliance Defense and Engineering Limited (RDEL) and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) have cleared the financial and technical tests and have submitted commercial bids to the Indian defense ministry. L&T has a tie-up with Navantia of Spain and RDEL with DCNS of France.

The Navy's proposed LPD ships will have the capacity to carry six main battle tanks, 20 infantry combat vehicles and 40 heavy trucks. Each ship is expected to carry 1,430 personnel, 470 sailors and 900 troops. The Navy expects to close the $2.6 billion LPD contract by the end of this year.