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’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: 25% Equity of India’s Public Defense Firms Up for Sale

The divestment is part of Narendra Modi Government's ambitious plan to enhance India’s defense manufacturing capability.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — In an unprecedented move, the Indian Government has decided to divest up to 25% equity stake in four state-run defense companies. The government is looking to sell stakes in Mazagon Dock Ltd, Bharat Dynamics Ltd, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd and Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd. It has invited proposals for the IPOs (Initial Public Offerings) on domestic stock market by 3 pm on August 18. The companies are mainly specialise in ship building and missile manufacturing.

The Narendra Modi-led government had given its initial nod to the proposal for divestment of four out of nine government-owned defense firms in April this year.

This divestment is being considered as the first step towards privatization of these companies to augment the defense manufacturing capability to achieve defense exports worth $2 billion and absorb work orders for $15 billion in offsets for foreign defense imports.

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 Story: Indian Black Shark torpedo deal for Navy might be revived

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — Italy's Whitehead Sistemi Subacquei S.p.A., a subsidiary of Leonardo, might be reconsidered to supply Black Shark torpedoes for French Scorpene submarines currently being built in India, according to sources in the Indian Ministry of Defence.  

This follows observations made by India's attorney general on the legality of issuing tenders and its subsidiary defence companies, which are facing probes on charges of alleged corruption. 

In June of last year, MoD announced the cancellation of a $200 million deal for Black Shark torpedoes, but MoD sources said the tender was not formally cancelled and that no intimation of the cancellation was conveyed to the Italian company. 

Whitehead Sistemi Subacquei S.p.A., or WASS, was declared the winner over Atlas Elektronik of Germany in 2014 in a global tender to supply Black Shark torpedoes to be mounted on the six French Scorpene submarines licensed produced by state-owned Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. 

Although WASS  emerged  as  the  lowest  bidder against Atlas Elektronik, the contract could not be signed because in August 2014, the government put a ban on signing the contracts in the wake of the probe into the VVIP  helicopters scam relating to AgustaWestland, another subsidiary of Leonardo.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: India may sue Polish firm over armored recovery vehicle contract

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — The Indian government may file a lawsuit against Polski Holding Obronny of Poland, formerly known as Bumar, for allegedly not honoring a contract to supply full technology transfer for key systems of armored recovery vehicles, or ARV, to be manufactured in India by state-owned Bharat Earth Movers Limited for the Indian Army. 

“Despite an undersigned contract [worth] $275 million signed in January 2012 for supply of 204 ARVs, the Polish company has ... not given critical technology transfer for ARVs to be manufactured by BEML in India. The Polish company also refused to open performance bank guarantee of $100 million for technology transfer of critical systems for ARVs, and despite several reminders, PHO has refused to honor its commitment," according to an Indian Ministry of Defence official, who spoke to Defense News on condition of anonymity. 

“India is now actively pursuing to file a lawsuit again PHO for not honoring [its] commitment, and [the Indian] government will now recover liquidity damages,” the MoD source added. 

BEML bagged an order from the MoD in November 2011 to produce 204 ARVs with full technology transfer from PHO for the Indian Army’s Russian-made T-72 main battle tanks.

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: 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 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 Report: India to Offload 25% Share of Four Government Defense Firms

The Indian government has agreed to sell up to 25 percent stake in government-owned defense companies, involved in shipbuilding and guided missiles, to give a push to defense manufacturing within the country.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — The government also approved the listing of four out of nine such firms on the stock market. Four firms, namely Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE), Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL) and MIDHANI will be listed on stock exchange. Currently, the government holds 100% stake in all these companies.

Established in 1970, BDL manufactures guided missiles and allied defense equipment. GRSE and MDSL are India's larger shipbuilding companies. MDSL is building the Scorpene class submarine in co-operation with French company DCNS. GRSE makes warships and auxiliary vessels for the Navy and the Coast Guard. Apart from shipbuilding and ship repair, GRSE is one of the few versatile shipyards having its own engineering and engine division.

"It is the first step towards disinvestment which alone can infuse greater professionalism in the functioning of these public sector units (PSUs), plagued by issues concerning quality and productivity. Private shareholders would demand greater cost efficiency and accountability," said Amit Cowshish, the former financial advisor to the Defense Ministry.

News Story: UK to promote 'Make in India' policy

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — India and the U.K. have decided to enhance defense ties based on the joint development and production of weapons at Indian facilities under the 'Make In India' policy. This was decided during a meeting here on Thursday between the visiting U.K. secretary of defense, Michael Fallon, and his Indian counterpart, Arun Jaitley. 

"The renewed engagement will place capability and technology development at its core and seek to harness the complementary strengths of both nations in defense manufacturing and use the combined strengths of their respective private and public sectors to develop defense solutions for use in both home and shared export markets," according to a joint statement issued by the Indian Ministry of Defence. 

A senior MoD official pointed out that the two countries are devising a mechanism to identify defense projects that could be jointly developed and produced and even exported; however, no blueprint has yest been crafted. 

The fate of the Advanced Hawk trainer aircraft, for which the state enterprise Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is the prime supplier for wings, avionics and multifunction display systems, is uncertain, as the Indian Air Force has not committed to ordering the aircraft. 

BAE Systems and HAL signed a memorandum of understanding in 2015 to fund the development and production of the trainer with a combat role capability. The aircraft was to be marketed for both the domestic and export market, and it even debuted at the Aero India 2017 show in Bangalore in February. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: India to guarantee long-term ammo contracts to private sector

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — India is seeking long-term deals with domestic private sector companies for a variety of ammunition at a cost of at least $3 billion over the next decade. The initiative aims to encourage capital investments by private sector companies in ammunition manufacturing facilities.

"Currently, India solely depends for ammunition needs largely on the state enterprise Ordnance Factory Board and imports from overseas. Yet there is critical shortage in some areas of ammunition," a senior Indian Ministry of Defence official said.

Early this month, the MoD floated a request for proposals aimed at private sector companies for the supply of 500,000 rounds of 30mm high-explosive grenades (VOG-17) for automatic grenade launchers under a 10-year contract. The RFP is part of a new MoD program known as "Manufacture Of Ammunition For Indian Army By Private Indian Industry." 

"Indigenous production of ammunition requires setting up of new manufacturing and testing facilities that are capital intensive. Notwithstanding the licenses issued for the same, the industry did not find it viable to put in investments without assured sourcing by MoD. It is for the first time that MoD is now assuring orders for 10 years with pre-committed quantities to enable industry to invest capital for setting up the required facilities," the MoD official said. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Israel IAI will provide MRSAM Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile to Indian Army

Barak 8 MRSAM launcher (Image: Wiki Commons)

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced today that the company has been awarded contracts in India totaling almost $2.0 billion. In a mega-contract worth over $1.6 billion, considered to be the largest defense contract in Israel's Defense Industries' history, IAI will provide an advanced MRSAM air & missile defense systems to the Indian Army.

The company will also supply additional LRSAM air & missile defense systems for the first build in India Indian aircraft carrier.

MRSAM is an advanced ground breaking air and missile defense system that provides the ultimate protection against a variety of aerial threats. In its existing version, MRSAM is operational with the Indian Air Force, Indian Navy and Israel Defense Forces. The system includes an advanced phased-array radar, command and control, mobile launchers and missiles with advanced RF seekers. MRSAM was developed jointly for the Indian Army by IAI and India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in collaboration with RAFAEL and IAI/Elta, and worked with various Indian companies including BEL, L&T, BDL and other private vendors.

Read the full story at Army Recognition

News Story: India to buy Spike anti-tank missiles from Rafael

Spike missile launcher (Image: Wiki Commons)

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — India is moving forward with a $1 billion purchase of Spike anti-tank guided missiles from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel, overlooking the single-vendor situation in the deal, according to an Indian Ministry of Defence official. 

The MoD postponed the purchase because it would be made with a single vendor, which has been discouraged multiple times under India's defense procurement policy, according to news organization IHS Jane's 360.

Apart from the single-vendor situation, the Spike deal since 2014 has also been deferred over costs, which has now been cleared, the MoD official said.

"MoD has now forwarded the deal to the Cabinet Committee of Security, which is likely to clear the same (deal) this week" on March 29, the official said. "The deal could then be signed after next month." 

The Cabinet Committee of Security, which is headed by the prime minister and which deals with weapons purchases, is the highest body in the Indian government. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Indian Navy seeks to replace Israeli Barak-1 air defense system

Barak-1 SAM (Image: Wiki Commons)

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — India's Navy has launched a new program to buy short-range surface-to-air missile systems from overseas to replace its aging Israeli Barak-1 air defense systems. 

India has made a global request for information to purchase 10 SRSAM systems and 600 missiles at a cost of about $1.5 billion.

Once responses are received in the next two months, the Navy will issue a tender under the Make in India policy's global purchasing category after six months to acquire the SRSAM systems. Under the program, overseas defense companies would need to forge partnerships with domestic companies to carry out 30 percent offsets obligations and include indigenous technology in the SRSAM systems.

An Indian Navy official said the proposed SRSAM system should be capable of vertically launching Mach 3-class active seeker missiles that can provide 360-degree defense coverage to meet all naval air defense applications including the need to carry out multiple simultaneous engagements.

Each SRSAM system will have a command and control system, a fire control system, a command link radar and one launcher to carry between eight and 16 missiles depending upon the size of the warship. The system's is expected to be inducted within the next five years.

According to an Indian Navy official, the foreign companies expected to make a bid are European-wide MBDA; Thales of France; Saab of Sweden; KBP Tula of Russia; Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel; Raytheon of the United States; and Doosan Group and Samsung of South Korea. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews