Indian Military News

[laltaputu]

what is the difference between the t-90s of the first batch and the t-90m of next successive batches that IA has

what are the problems that t-90 is facing and does the locally produced t-90 have kanchan armour,kaktus era,1200hp engine and defensive aids like ARENA or IEDS-150

[Guest]

[size="6"]Russia objects to T-72/T-90 simulators[/size]







The deeply traditional Indian Army, which prides itself on training outdoors with real equipment, could soon start training on simulators like other high-tech armies.



A hypothetical situation, not too far in the future: after yet another terrorist strike in India, an armoured combat group prepares to raid a terrorist camp near Sialkot, across the Jammu border. Satellite images and photos of the camp taken the previous day by an agent are fed into a simulator, housed in a container next to the tanks. Each tank crew spends time on the simulator, virtually experiencing the next day’s operation and rehearsing their individual tasks.



Tata Advanced Systems, partnering Canadian giant, CAE; is competing with Indian simulator developer, Zen Technologies, to provide India’s T-72 and T-90 tank regiments with 80 containerised simulators that could be transported anywhere, including to a border launch pad. The MoD will soon announce the winner.



No plan survives contact with the enemy, it is said. But this one has run into problems with a friend! Russian officials have told Business Standard that the T-72 and T-90 are their tanks and nobody other than the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) could produce a simulator without infringing Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).



Viktor Komardin, the chief of Russian export controller, Rosoboronexport, pointed out that nobody had consulted Russia. Komardin said, “Is this legal? Is this ethical? Is this proper? If India wants a real simulator, it should be asked for from Russia itself. A quality simulator cannot be created without information from the designer on issues like ballistics and fire control computation.”



Indian officials are either unaware of the Russian objection, or are choosing to ignore it. Komardin says no Indian official has approached Russia for a tank simulator, even though Russia has one available.



CAE, however, denies infringing Russian IPR. CAE India President, H J Kamath, told Business Standard, “No proprietary or OEM software or equipment is needed for the simulator. No original equipment has been used, nor do we need any data or source codes from Russia. Everything has been simulated.”



Zen Technologies is equally emphatic. The company’s President, Kishore Dutt Atluri, says, “We don’t need any information from Russia. The physics of the T-72 and T-90 tanks are well known.”



Interestingly, CAE is also engaged in developing a full-crew simulator for the Arjun tank, which is made by the Defence R&D Organisation, for which the DRDO has given permission.



This conflict notwithstanding, simulator training is entering military consciousness. Long the primary method of training commercial pilots — because of the enormous cost of flying empty airliners on training sorties —- the logic of cost-effectiveness is now overwhelming the army’s traditional preference for live training. The cost of running a tank column (11 litres per kilometre of diesel, plus maintenance and depreciation) is exorbitant compared to the cost of running a simulator.



“Militaries worldwide realise that simulator training is one-tenth the cost of live training on heavy equipment”, says Martin Gagne, CAE’s military simulation head. “Besides, the new buzzword is “mission rehearsal”. Training is not just about flying an aircraft or driving a tank but about preparing for an actual mission.”



Besides the large order for tank simulators, which would install simulation training centres in every major tank base, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and CAE will commission, by mid-2010, a Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation of Flying (HATSOFF), in Bangalore. This facility will allow the switching around of various cockpits, including the Bell 412, the military Dhruv, and the Dauphin.



And Lockheed Martin will provide the six C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft that India has bought along with flight simulators.



A visit to one of the many simulators on display at Defexpo 2010 in Delhi illustrates that the real challenge in simulator design is in creating a realistic environment. Says Zen’s Atluri, “Recreating a tank or its gun controls is easy. Recreating an entire virtual world around it is the difficult part.”



That is one reason why companies like Zen, which have provided gaming software to companies like Sony, and have long experience in satisfying demanding young video-game enthusiasts, are now making it big in military simulation.



ajaishukla.blogspot.com/.../russia-objects-to-t-72t-90-simulators.html

[Guest]

[size="6"]Army opts for Nag missile as it enters final trials[/size]







In Rajasthan, this May, the indigenously developed Nag (Cobra) missile will undergo a final round of trials before entering service in the Indian Army’s arsenal. Developed by the Defence R&D Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad, the army is delighted with how the Nag has performed in a series of earlier trials. A senior army officer calls it “the world’s deadliest anti-tank guided missile (ATGM)”.



Indian infantry formations urgently want a potent ATGM to handle Pakistani tank forces that now bristle with capable Ukrainian T-80 and Chinese T-85 tanks.



So confident is the army about the Nag that, even before trails are completed, it has budgeted Rs 335 crores for buying 443 Nag missiles, which will be manufactured at the public sector Bharat Dynamics Limited. The missiles will equip Reconnaissance and Support Battalions, mechanised units that locate and destroy enemy tanks.



In trials last summer six Nag missiles were fired at tanks 3-4 km away; each of them hit their target precisely. Next month the Nag must demonstrate its capability at its minimum range of 500 metres.



“Since the Nag travels at 230 metres per second, it has just 2 seconds to align itself to a target that is 500 metres away. But we are confident that the Nag will meet this requirement during the forthcoming trials”, the DRDL’s Officiating Director, Amal Chakrabarti, told Business Standard during a visit to the Hyderabad missile complex.



The Nag is a third-generation (Gen-3), “fire-and-forget” missile; once it is fired, its seeker automatically guides the missile to even a fast-moving tank. In earlier-generation missiles an operator had to guide it all the way, often exposing himself to enemy fire. The world has just a handful of “fire-and-forget” missiles, such as the American Javelin, and the Israeli Spike. The Javelin and the Spike are lighter missiles that can be carried by a soldier; the Nag is a heavier and more powerful missile designed to operate from vehicles and helicopters.



While the infrared seekers of the Javelin and the Spike can be jammed, the Nag’s optical guidance system makes it virtually jam-proof. The indigenous development of an imaging seeker, a highly complex and closely guarded technology, is the Nag’s greatest triumph.



Here’s how it works. Nag missile operators search for enemy tanks through thermal imaging telescopes, which see as well by night as they do by day. Picking up a tank, the operator locks the Nag’s seeker onto the target. A digital snapshot of the target is automatically taken, which serves as a reference image. As the Nag streaks towards the target, at 230 metres per second, the seeker takes repeated snapshots of the target; each one is compared with the reference image, and deviations are translated through on-board algorithms into corrections to the Nag’s control fins, which steer the missile precisely at the target.



This method of firing is termed “lock-on before launch” or LOBL. In the pipeline is an even more sophisticated method —- “lock-on after launch” or LOAL —- for the helicopter-mounted Nag, or HELINA, which can target a tank 7 kilometres away. Since the target will seldom be visible at such a distance, the missile operator launches the HELINA in the general direction of the target. As it flies towards the target, the Nag’s seeker downlinks to the missile operator images of the area ahead; after travelling 3-4 kilometres, i.e. after about 12-16 seconds, the operator will be able to identify enemy tanks. He will lock the seeker onto the tank he wishes to destroy, and the command will be uplinked to the missile in mid-flight. After that, the missile homes in onto the target and destroys it.



The Nag provides its operator with another important tactical advantage. The plume of burning propellant from the tail of most missiles gives away its flight path and allows the target to get behind cover. The Nag, in contrast, is visible only during the first one second of flight, when the missile’s booster imparts 90% of the momentum; after that, a sustainer maintains the missile’s speed, burning a smokeless propellant that is practically invisible.



http://www.business-standard.com/ind...trials/387858/

[Guest]

[size="6"]Arjun's time has come[/size]











On 25th May 2009, 16 brand new Arjun Tanks were formally handed over to the Indian Army by the Defence Research & Development Organisation, or DRDO, thus completing the first Arjun Tank regiment.



This was a historic moment and a milestone on the way to self reliance. The Arjun is a state-of-the-art weapon system. Incredible mobility, awesome fire power, great power to weight ratio, enhanced armour protection, Laser Warning System, GPS, missile firing capability and other and almost everything that places of modern western MBTs.



The ride of the Arjun from drawing board to the field formations was not so smooth. The DRDO worked hard and met the technical challenges through indigenous developments (60%), imports and collaborations (total 40%). Its greatest achievements were the development of 120mm Rifled gun, Kanchan Armour, Gunner's Main Sight, Battle Management System and hydro-pneumatic suspension system. The Kanchan Armour, developed by Defence Matallurgical Research Laboratory, Hyderabad, is comparable to British 'Chobham' system, which is one of the best in the world.



Apart from the Kanchan Armour, the Arjun is also fitted with Laser Warning system and 9 Smoke grenade launchers for protection. DRDO developed the Hydro-pneumatic suspension for the tank that uses compressed Nitrogen as a springing agent with Hydraulic shock absorbers to dumb resonance. This suspension system ensures a smooth ride for the users and plays a key role when tank fires while running at a speed of 40Km.



The Russian T-series tanks have a Torsion bar suspension, but after looking at the performance of the hydro-pneumatic suspension developed by the DRDO, they are thinking of using that in their next generation tank. The 120mm Rifled gun of the tank can fire missiles, FSAPDS (Fin Stabilised Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot), HE (High-Explosive), HEAT (High-Explosive Anti tank) and HESH (High-Explosive Squash Head) ammunition with precision at a rate of 6-8 rounds per minute.



Again this gun has changed the trend of Smoothbore guns being used in the T-series tanks. Accuracy of the Rifled gun is better than Smoothbore guns. Arjun's main gun has successfully fired the Israeli LAHAT missile, which has a range of 8 KM with high penetration capability of 800mm. A special 120mm anti aircraft/helicopter round is under development and will use proximity fuse mechanism. The tank can carry 39 rounds in special blast-proof canisters to enhance crew protection. The tank is also armed with a 12.7 mm anti air machine gun and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun.



http://sify.com/news/Arjun-s-time-has-co...hcfac.html

[Guest]

[size="6"]Cyberwar and the ‘destruction of rules’[/size]







A 14-page ‘restricted’ report prepared by the British intelligence agency MI5’s Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure has recently come to light.



The report describes how China has attacked British defence, energy, communications and manufacturing companies in a concerted hacking crusade. It also details how undercover intelligence officers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Ministry of Public Security approached UK businessmen at trade fairs and exhibitions, offering them ‘lavish hospitality’ and presenting nice ‘gifts’. Unfortunately for the recipients of the famed Chinese hospitality, the gifted cameras and memory sticks, tokens of Chinese friendship, contained electronic Trojan bugs which could enable hackers to remotely access their computers. According to the MI5 report, the Chinese government “represents one of the most significant espionage threats to the UK”.



China was also accused of ‘bugging and burgling’ UK business executives and setting up ‘honeytraps to later blackmail them’.



One thought that techniques like the one used against John Profumo, a British Defence Minister during the Cold War had been relegated to the dustbin of history and were only good for third rate Hollywood scripts, but the MI5 report says that “Chinese intelligence services have also been known to exploit vulnerabilities such as sexual relationships and illegal activities to pressurize individuals to co-operate with them.”



But today, cyber attacks by Chinese hackers are causing a lot more concern than these ‘honeytraps’. The public became aware of this new type of warfare after Google announced that it would reconsider working in China: the US search engine giant had been the victim of wild attacks originating from China. The attacks involved not only involve Google, but more than 30 companies whose servers were compromised by hackers; this included several human rights groups and some prominent Chinese dissidents. What provoked Google to react in such a sudden manner was the high sophistication of the attack. The attackers seem to have employed some techniques never seen before.



Ron Deibert and Rafal Rohozinski who worked on Tracking Ghostnet (a 10-month assessment of alleged Chinese cyberspying of diplomatic missions, ministries of foreign affairs, and international organizations) explained in the Christian Science Monitor: “As principal investigators in the Information Warfare Monitor, a project formed in 2002 to investigate and analyze the exercise of power in cyberspace, we have seen many of these types of attacks first hand in our research, and have followed closely those examined by other researchers.”



They believe that the Google attacks were unusual not only in ‘scope or sophistication’, but also ‘in terms of the high-profile nature of the victims’. According to cyber watchers, “targeted cyber attacks such as these will grow in frequency as cyberspace becomes more heavily contested. …solutions won’t be easy".



This is the general opinion among experts, who also point to criminal organizations “thriving in the hidden ecosystems of cyberspace, profiting from cyberattacks, cybercrime, and cyberfraud”.



What about India?



Before leaving for his new assignment in West Bengal, former National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan declared that China had ‘unleashed cyber aggression against India’. In an interview, he admitted that Chinese hackers had tried to penetrate the Prime Minister’s Office. The former NSA said that his office and other government departments were targeted on December 15 (the same day as Google and other US companies). The attack came through e-mail attachments containing a ‘Trojan’ virus which allows the hacker to penetrate the server and help himself to sensitive files. Officials had to be asked not to log into the server until the threat could be eliminated.



“This was not the first instance of an attempt to hack into our computers,” Narayanan told the journalist.



“People seem to be fairly sure it was the Chinese. It is difficult to find the exact source but this is the main suspicion. It seems well founded.”



Hardly a month later, The Tribune reported that “computer networks at sensitive establishments have experienced a second wave of cyber attacks from foreign-based hackers. Sources in the intelligence reveal that fresh attacks began on January 28 and about 25 computers were targeted.”



The attacked computers belonged to the National Security Council (NSC) Secretariat and the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB). The source of information was an official at the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) which is supposed to deal with cyber attacks.



According to the same source, even the Cabinet Secretary has been a victim: “Initial investigations revealed that 30 computers, including eight from the PMO, were compromised. This also involved two persons not on the regular posted strength of the PMO, prompting intelligence agencies to believe that the cyber attacks were backed by a high level of human intelligence, providing the whereabouts of key individuals and their portfolios and e-mail addresses. Others who came under attack from cyber space included the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, chief of the Naval Staff, deputy chief of Naval Staff, PM’s special envoy, the three military intelligence services and establishments of the BSF and CRPF in Jammu and Kashmir.”



Again the Chinese ‘signature’ was suspected. The NTRO has apparently formed a rapid reaction team to deal with such attacks. They claim that their reaction time is about an hour-and-a-half. Experts consulted, however, dismiss this as pure wishful thinking, as attacks are now very sophisticated and not easy to notice.



But let us go back some years. In February 1999, the PLA Literature and Arts Publishing House in Beijing released a fascinating book written by Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui, two Senior Colonels of the People’s Liberation Army. The title of the book was Unrestricted Warfare.



The two Chinese officers prophesized the ‘destruction of rules’ in future warfare. They wrote: “The direct result of the destruction of rules is that the domains delineated by visible or invisible boundaries which are acknowledged by the international community lose effectiveness. This is because all principals without national power who employ non-military warfare actions to declare war against the international community all use means that go beyond nations, regions and measures.”



Interestingly they gave some examples: “Whether it is the intrusions of hackers, a major explosion at the World Trade Center, or a bombing attack by bin Laden, all of these greatly exceed the frequency bandwidths understood by the American military, …they [the US] have never taken into consideration and have even refused to consider means that are contrary to tradition and to select measures of operation other than military means.”



One of the reasons behind this thinking has been the arm-dealers lobby striving to sell military ‘hardware’.

But the Art of War is changing fast, very fast.



Many believe that the exhibitors at the Defexpo India 2010 in Delhi’s Pragati Maidan, were only ‘showcasing Land and Naval Systems’ of yesterday. The War of Tomorrow is being prepared behind some computer monitors in Sichuan or Hainan.



In an eye-opening article titled Cyber Warriors published in The Atlantic, James Fallows wrote that it was “rare to hear US military or diplomatic officials talk about war with China as a plausible threat” in the conventional sense of the term. “Yes, circumstances could change, and someday there could be a consensus to ‘take on the U.S.’ But the more you hear about the details, the harder it is to worry seriously about that now,” he says. However, it is different with a cyber war: “After conducting this round of interviews, I now lose sleep over something I’d generally ignored: the possibility of a ‘cyberwar’ that could involve attacks from China — but, alarmingly, could also be launched by any number of other states and organizations.”



The recent shutting down of the Black Hawk Safety Net, the largest hacker training center in Hubei Province is only an eye-wash, smaller centers working in close collaboration with the People's Liberation Army will stay open and hacking will continue as before.



A few months ago, in a report prepared for the US China Economic and Security Review Commission, Northrop Grumman presented a list of electronic intrusions and disruptions originating from China since 1999. The conclusion was that in most cases it was difficult to say whether the activity was amateur or government-planned, but: “The depth of resources necessary to sustain the scope of computer network exploitation targeting the US and many countries around the world coupled with the extremely focused targeting of defense engineering data, US military operational information, and China-related policy information is beyond the capabilities or profile of virtually all organized cybercriminal enterprises and is difficult at best without some type of state-sponsorship.”



The Chinese State is clearly identified in these attacks.



Another conclusion of the Report is: “The breadth of targets and range of potential ‘customers’ of this data suggests the existence of a collection management infrastructure or other oversight to effectively control the range of activities underway, sometimes nearly simultaneously.”



It will probably take 10 years for the NTRO to prepare such a report and 10 more to make it public. Here, as in infrastructure development, India is far, far behind China. While it will take several more years to complete a deal for 126 Multi Role Combat Aircrafts (for some 11 billion dollars), for a much smaller budget, the Chinese will have found ways to neutralize the electronics of these planes.



But there is worse. In a forthcoming novel, Directive 51, John Barne envisages the collapse of the world ‘financial life’ (most of our ‘assets’ being kept inside some banks’ computer systems), the halt of most manufacturing systems, the evaporation of the technical knowledge and legions of other consequences. A truly frightening thought.



Let us hope that the Indian Government wakes up to the threat, and NRTO will truly be able to respond in one hour.



http://sify.com/news/

[Arun_S]

Important to note that all future wars may be LIW.



As outlined by late Air Chief SK Mehra, in a discussion 9 years ago. Raising of multitude of Rashtirya Rifles was initiated that time and it was a new novel phenomenon then.







[size="4"][color="blue"] [/color][/size][url="http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2010031259840300.htm&date=2010/03/12/&prd=th&"][size="4"][color="blue"]Agni-V may be test-fired next year [/color][/size][/url]

Date:12/03/2010 URL:



Special Correspondent ‘It will provide the country with second strike capability' ‘DRDO capable of designing anti-satellite system'



‘All future wars may be low intensity conflicts'



MYSORE: Agni-V, India's version of Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of more than 5,000 km, will be test-fired by early 2011, according to W. Selvamurthy, Chief Controller, R and D (Life Sciences), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).



He was interacting with presspersons here on Thursday on the sidelines of a seminar on Futuristic Food Requirement of the Armed Forces organised by the Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL).



Capacity



Dr. Selvamurthy said the DRDO scientists were working on Agni-V which was a three-stage solid fuelled missile and it would have a payload of one to 1.5 tonne and could carry conventional nuclear warhead. “It will address our immediate threat perception and since India has declared and adopted a no-first strike policy, Agni-V will empower the country with the second strike capability,” Dr. Selvamurthy said.



He described Agni as an important missile delivery system. Agni V was a surface-to-surface missile and came very close to qualify as an ICBM. Commenting on Agni-III which was test-fired successfully thrice, Dr. Selvamurthy said it had met all parameters and the armed forces would decide on the actual induction programme.



Major concern



On the development of anti-satellite system and space security imperatives, the DRDO scientist said space security was a major concern but there was no separate anti-satellite programme as such though the DRDO had the core capability of designing and developing such a system if the need arose.



He said the DRDO already had the capacity to deliver such a system based on its earlier missile delivery programmes and all that was required was to modify and transfer this to the requisite format, he added.



Dr. Selvamurthy said the DRDO had visualised future battle and conflict scenario and was gearing to meet the new changes.[color="#0000ff"] He said a brain storming session was held recently on Battle Scenario 2020 and it emerged that high intensity conflicts like the World War I and II were passé as also the Middle Intensity Conflict. He said the country's challenge would be Low Intensity Conflict (LIC) as being witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir, operations against naxalites and counter terrorism operations and hence the DRDO was launching a major initiative to support the LIC in due course through appropriate weapon delivery systems.[/color]



While the high-intensity conflicts ended with the two World Wars, the [color="#4169e1"]middle intensity conflicts too were an unlikely scenario or had a low probability in view of economic and trade issues and hence future war scenario would be low intensify conflicts,[/color] he added.



The other countries were envious of India's high GDP growth bordering on 7.5 per cent to 8 per cent and hence the country had to brace for low intensity conflicts, said Dr. Selvamurthy.



On the nuclear-biological-chemical (NBC) war scenario, Dr. Selvamurthy said the country was prepared to handle it and the Cabinet Committee recently sanctioned an additional Rs. 300 crore for developing contingency measures. He pointed out that the standard operating procedure (SOP) of command and control were in place and the guidelines for implementing the SOP were in place in addition to a quick response system.



The DRDO had developed capabilities and contributed to early detection, personal protection, collective protection, de-contamination and rescue operations. He said for aerial monitoring for nuclear devices as also chemical warheads had been developed and for battle field operations, it had developed a portable gas chromatography devise that could detect chemical vapour in the event of a chemical warfare.



Diagnostic kits



It had produced biological field antigen-based diagnostic kits apart from unmanned recce vehicle which would map contaminated zone and a remotely operated vehicle Daksh that had the capacity to diffuse any explosives.



Dr. Selvamurthy said the DRDO had developed a stand alone-stand off detection system, unmanned aerial and ground vehicle mounted with sensors to detect explosives and chemicals among others and welcomed private sector participation in the defence sector.

[Guest]

[size="6"][url="http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NEWS/newsrf.php?newsid=12520"]China outguns India in arms purchase[/url][/size]





NEW DELHI: India, which has tripled its defense spending in a race against China's military buildup, is having trouble converting the funding into weapons and equipment its military says are urgently needed.



The government in five years has canceled two tenders for artillery guns, a contract for ammunition propellant and two helicopter tenders, together worth at least $4 billion. No contract exceeding $100 million has been awarded through competitive bidding in at least 23 years, said military analyst V.K. Kapoor. Defense Ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar said he couldn't immediately identify the last such deal.



India's "military capacity and preparedness are being reduced because of the inadequacy of the procurement process," said Uday Bhaskar, director of the National Maritime Foundation, a New Delhi research institute on strategic issues. The military's upgrading is "on hold and its obsolescence is increasing."



The cancellations have disrupted attempted weapons sales by Textron Inc.'s Bell Helicopter unit in Fort Worth, BAE Systems Plc and South Africa's Denel Ltd. Bhaskar said they have hurt troop readiness along more than 4,200 kilometers (2,600 miles) of Himalayan frontiers, where India has fought three full-blown wars with Pakistan and one with China.



India took 20 years to negotiate a 2004 contract for jet trainers, even as 157 pilots died in three decades of jet fighter crashes blamed partly on inadequate training craft.



Obsolete Weapons



The Defense Ministry, which wields the world's 10th-largest military budget, has surrendered 3% to 9% of its announced budget in each of the past seven years because it couldn't spend all the money allocated for arms, according to a January report by the New Delhi office of accounting firm KPMG and the Confederation of Indian Industry. Half of India's weapons are obsolete, the report said.



China has almost quadrupled its official defense spending since 2000 to $78 billion for fiscal 2011, 7.5% more than in the previous year. India will spend $32 billion on defense this year, triple its 2000 outlay and 4% more than in fiscal 2010.



India has bought no artillery for more than 23 years, a period during which the government has sought to buy more than 1,500 155 mm guns for use mainly along the Pakistani and Chinese borders. Such guns were used to defeat Pakistan in a 1999 conflict at Kargil in Kashmir; India would have had too few had that fight grown into a full-scale war, said Kapoor, who is also a retired army lieutenant general.



Howitzer Delays



India's military is adequately prepared on its borders and will benefit from an accelerating modernization program, Minister of State for Defense M.M. Pallam Raju said at a conference with defense companies in New Delhi on Feb. 16. "In the past five years we have created a faster, more transparent procurement process," he said.



That process is being tested as India's air force conducts flight trials in the world's biggest fighter-jet purchase in 15 years. Chicago-based Boeing Co., Lockheed Martin Corp. and four European builders are vying under a 2007 tender to sell India 126 warplanes worth $11 billion.



India is expected to sign a separate deal for 29 naval MiG- 29 fighters during this week's visit by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.



John Giese, a spokesman for Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed, called the fighter tender "one of the most challenging competitions in the history of fighter aviation." Given the complexity, "the competition has been very efficient, transparent and professionally managed," Boeing spokeswoman Mary Ann Brett said in an e-mail.



European Competitors



Lockheed and Boeing are competing with Paris-based Dassault Aviation SA, Stockholm-based Saab AB, European Aeronautic, Defense & Space Co., which has headquarters in Paris and Munich, and Moscow-based OAO United Aircraft Corp.



While the military says rules last amended in November let it sign a contract within 20 to 34 months, it is too early to judge their effectiveness, said Gurpal Singh, a deputy director general for the industry federation in New Delhi.



The air force asked the government in 1983 to order advanced jet trainers because pilots taught mainly in subsonic jets were losing control of supersonic MiG-21 fighters that were more than three times faster. Political and bureaucratic battles under 11 prime ministers added to the delays before BAE Hawk jets were purchased.



India's main political blocs -- led by the Congress Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- have fought over arms buying since 1987. Indian newspapers reported then that Swedish artillery builder Bofors, now a unit of London-based BAE, bribed officials to buy its guns. The scandal scuttled most of the deal and helped drive the Congress government of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to defeat in 1989 elections.



Reviewing Deals



India was still seeking artillery in 2004 when Congress was elected, and halted bidding as it reviewed defense deals under the previous BJP administration. When police investigated Pretoria-based Denel for paying illegal commissions in winning a 2002 army order for rifles, the government blacklisted the state-owned company.



Four more foreign companies were barred from defense contracts last year, after the Central Bureau of Investigation said they were being investigated on suspicion of bribery. That forced Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd. out of the race, leaving London-based BAE as a single vendor and prompting officials to halt the tender.

[Guest]

Russia and India sign major military, nuclear deals



Russia and India signed on Friday a host of high-profile deals during Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's working visit to the country.



The visit kicked off late on Thursday, amid many expectations as well as big money.



New fighter jet contract



Russia and India have signed a $1.5-billion contract on the supplies of 29 more MiG-29K Fulcrum-D carrier-based fighter jets to New Delhi.



The start of the supplies is scheduled for 2012.



The two countries signed an earlier contract stipulating the supply of 12 single-seat MiG-29Ks and four two-seat MiG-29KUBs to India in January 2004. The contract is part of a $1.5-billion deal to deliver the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier, currently being retrofitted in Russia for the Indian Navy.



India's first MiG-29Ks and MiG-29KUBs officially entered service earlier this year.



Indian and Russian officials said a contract on the joint development of the new fifth-generation fighter would be signed within the next few months.



Gorshkov deal



The two countries have also signed a deal on upgrading the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier, following an earlier statement from the Indian government's security committee that it would allocate $2.3 billion to retrofit the ship.



The initial refit agreement of $750 million went up by an additional $1.5 billion. In line with the contract, the aircraft carrier will be handed over to India by 2012.



The Admiral Gorshkov is a modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier, originally named Baku. The ship was laid down in 1978 at the Nikolayev South shipyard in Ukraine, launched in 1982, and commissioned with the Soviet Navy in 1987.



It was renamed after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. In 1994, following a boiler room explosion, the Admiral Gorshkov sat in dock for a year for repairs. In 1995, it briefly returned to service and in 1996 was finally withdrawn and put up for sale.



The ship has a displacement capacity of 45,000 tons. It has a maximum speed of 32 knots and an endurance of 13,500 nautical miles (25,000 km) at a cruising speed of 18 knots.



Glonass project



Russia and India have signed several deals to establish a joint venture to produce navigation equipment for GPS and its Russian equivalent Glonass, including the use of the Glonass system for defense needs.



"We have signed a deal on the use of the Glonass system, specifically on commercializing this system, that is, the production of equipment. The second deal [is concerned with] the use of the Glonass signal for defense needs," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said.



Glonass - the Global Navigation Satellite System - is the Russian equivalent of the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS, and is designed for both military and civilian use. Both systems allow users to determine their positions to within a few meters.



The Glonass navigation satellite system is expected to start operating worldwide by the end of 2010. As soon as global operations are launched, India will be able to use the civilian signal, allowing users to determine their position to within five to 15 meters.



India could offer new NPP construction site to Russia



India could provide Russia a third site for the construction of new nuclear power plants.



"There is Haripur, there is Kudankulam, and there will be another," said Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia's state-controlled nuclear power corporation Rosatom.



He did not indicate where the new site could be located.



He said a total of 12 nuclear power units are to be built at the first two sites.



Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said that under the new array of agreements just signed, up to 16 reactors would be built on "three construction sites."



SK Jain, chairman and managing director of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), said Wednesday India had "an overall plan up until 2050" and in this context Russian participation was seen as "important."



He added that the cost of the reactors was $1,600 per kilowatt.



Russian company Atomstroyexport has been building two reactors for the plant since 2002 under a 1988 Indian-USSR deal.

[Guest]

[size="6"][url="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/ET-Cetera/Indian-military-experts-develop-grenade-using-worlds-hottest-chilli/articleshow/5705543.cms"]Indian military experts develop grenade using world's hottest chilli[/url][/size]





WASHINGTON: Reports indicate that military experts in Assam, India, have developed a grenade made using the world's hottest chilli, which is more than 1,000 times stronger than the average cooking spice.



According to a report in The Sun, the researchers have developed the new crowd control grenade packed with ground seeds from the bhut jolokia chilli, which is found in Assam.



It is officially recognised as the hottest on the planet by Guinness World Records.



When deployed, the grenade showers the targets with a dust so spicy that in trials subjects were blinded for hours and left with breathing problems.



"The chilli grenade is a non-toxic weapon and when used would force a terrorist to come out of his hideout," said lead scientist R.B. Srivastava from India's Defence Research and Development Organisation.



"The effect is so pungent that it would literally choke them," he added.



The hotness of the bhut jolokia, which is native to Assam, in north-east India, is measured in Scoville heat units and comes in at a massive 1,001,304, which is nearly twice as hot as Mexico's red savina that used to hold the record at 577,000.



The average jalapeno measures at about 10,000.



Researchers in India have also come up with some other ingenious uses for the chilli.



According to Srivastava, "There are other applications as well, what we call women power. A specially made chilli powder could act as a tool for women to keep away anti-socials and work in this regard is also on."



The department has come up with another plan to rub the chilli powder on the fences around army barracks.



"The chilli paste could also act as a major repellent against wild elephants," Srivastava said.

[Arun_S]

[url="http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?677242"]2 Decades After Bofors, India Set for Artillery Purchases New Delhi [/url]

Mar 19, 2010



Remaining without a single purchase of artillery guns since Bofors scandal broke out two decades ago, India has lined up a series of procurements of such weapons to bridge the growing gap in the operational preparedness of its Army.



Among the guns it plans to buy soon include towed, wheeled self-propelled, tracked self-propelled and ultra light howitzers.



Defence Ministry sources said these acquisitions are at various stages of procurement and these guns would strengthen the artillery arm of the 1.13 million strong Army.



While it has scheduled trials for two such weapons in the coming months, the Defence Ministry has ramped up its bid to procure 145 ultra light howitzers for deploying in mountainous terrains from the US.



The Obama Administration has notified the US Congress of its intention to sell the howitzers through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route.



The FMS sales to India comes at a time when the country is planning to schedule a trial of Singapore's ST Kinetics 'Pegasus' gun in the next couple of months.



Though the trials, on a 'no cost - no commitment' basis, was to happen last year, it got shelved after the Defence Ministry blacklisted ST Kinetics along with six other companies after the CBI named them in the corruption case against former Ordnance Board chief Sudipto Ghosh.



But the Defence Ministry changing its policy to allow the trial, but not to award the contract before the CBI case was complete, provided an opportunity to the Army to complete testing the gun and await the outcome of the corruption case against Ghosh.



The Defence Ministry had issued a global tender to 10 firms for the 155mm/39 calibre ultra light guns, but only ST Kinetics had responded with an offer.



Simultaneously, the US too came forward with a proposal to supply BAE's M777A2 guns to India and the process of procurement is in its final stages.



Sources said apart from the ultra light howitzers, the trails for the wheeled self-propelled guns would commence next month in which Slovakian firm Konstrukta and German company Rhienmetall would compete for the supply of 180 guns to India.



India had issued a global tender for the 155mm/52 calibre wheeled self-propelled guns and only the Slovakian and German firms were shortlisted out of the five which received the tenders.



Another trial for the 155mm/52calibre towed guns in which ST Kinetics and United Kingdom's BAE Systems would compete is to take place in a couple of months, after the Singapore firm sought time to bring its guns for the test following damage to the one it was bringing to India during loading.



Under the global tender issued for the towed guns, India had projected that it would buy 400 of them off-the-self from the selected firm and another 780 would be manufactured in India through technology transfer to one of the Ordnance Factories.



The fourth procurement would be the 155mm/52 calibre tracked self-propelled guns for which the Army has projected a requirement of 100 units.



The purchase of these tracked guns would be done through a global tender, which is currently under formulation of technical parameters, Defence Ministry sources added.



The Bofors scandal had broken out in 1987 and allegations flew thick and fast that Rs 66 crore was allegedly paid off as kickbacks to politicians for the deal with the Swedish gun maker, leading to the fall of the then Rajiv Gandhi government.



Since then, India has not bought weapons for its artillery units, leading to a major gap and the Army last year projected that it was only 50 per cent battle ready in all critical areas of its fighting arms.



The 2007 report, submitted by the Army to a Parliamentary Committee, had claimed that if procurements started now, it would take about 20 years to bridge the gap and would be fully battle ready only by 2027.



As per the report, the Army's artillery arm was only 52 per cent battle ready at present and it would attain 97 per cent capability by 2027.

Filed At: Mar 19, 2010

[Guest]

[size="6"][url="http://www.hindustantimes.com/Pilots-wear-diapers-on-bombing-missions/H1-Article1-521689.aspx ."]Pilots wear diapers on bombing missions[/url][/size]







Fighter pilots wore diapers and flew non-stop for more than nine hours to carry out the Indian Air Force's farthest and longest bombing exercise recently - symbolising the IAF's extended reach.



They flew Sukhoi-30 MKI fighters to destroy mock targets in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.



A senior IAF officer told HT, "The fighters dropped air-to-ground ordnance for the first time on an uninhabited island in the Andamans. We want to exploit the location of these islands to train fighter pilots for extreme missions."



Six fighter planes were launched from air force bases in Bareilly and Pune for the experimental long-haul mission. Russian Ilyushin-78 refuellers flew from Agra to tank up the Sukhois during the flight over the Bay of Bengal.



The officer said long-range missions would be planned regularly from now on to push the limits of technology and human endurance.

Fighter pilots may have to get used to carrying more loads in their diapers. The officer said future missions would be more complex, requiring them to stay airborne for 12 to 15 hours. "We can keep the fighters airborne for as long as we want.



Refuellers are a game-changer," he said. The Air Force has started providing diapers to pilots as 'standard clothing'.



Former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major, said, "The IAF seems to be gearing up for expeditionary missions. Human endurance should not be a limiting factor in the cockpit."

[Guest]

[size="6"][url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Long-term-plan-to-indigenously-manufacture-all-major-defence-equipment/articleshow/5706939.cms"]Long-term plan to indigenously manufacture all major defence equipment'[/url][/size]





CHENNAI: Vice-Chief of Army Staff Lt General P C Bharadwaj on Saturday said India had a long-term plan to indigenously manufacture all major defence equipment used in combat zones as part of its modernisation programme.



"Modernisation is a very high priority matter. We are looking up to 2027. All the services (Army, Navy and Airforce) have drawn up their plans," Bharadwaj told reporters on the sidelines of the passing out parade at Officers Training Academy. He said India has progressed in a big way in making indigenous defence equipment like Brahmos supersonic cruise missile and said a lot of technical equipment used in battle is being produced indigenously.



When asked about the permanent commissioning of women officers, he said it was an ongoing process. "We look at great expansion in the Indian Army for very talented young women," he said. To a question on Sukhna land scam in which retired Lt General Avadhesh Prakash is facing a court martial, he said the matter is subjudice but added that "the Army is an establishment which lives on discipline. If we even see the smallest aberration, we take action immediately to investigate it and rectify it. We accept no dilution of standards."



Addressing graduate OTA cadets, Bharadwaj said young army officers needed to respond to the present-day environment, which was one of unprecendented complexity, ambiguity, informational overload and rapid organisational change. "The present battle conditions demand a soldier who is efficient and modern in thinking and functioning. Be it the conventional war or proxy war where most of you will find your immediate assignment and you will also learn to fully understand these complexities and challenges of modern warfare," the Army vice-chief said.



Stating that Indian army has a formidable image at home and abroad for its professionalism, patriotism and discipline, he said "our Army is admired for exemplary service it has rendered, be it external or internal challenges, peacekeeping operations or while providing relief and rehabilitation."

[Guest]

[size="6"][url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/IAF-to-carry-out-air-to-air-exercises-with-France-UK-/articleshow/5712840.cms"]IAF to carry out air-to-air exercises with France, UK[/url][/size]





EW DELHI: Expanding its ties with global air powers, the Indian Air Force will carry out air-to-air exercises with France and United Kingdom this year.



"Firstly, the 'Garud' series exercise with the French would be held in France in June and the 'Indradhanush' series with the British Royal Air Force would be held at the Kalaikunda air base in West Bengal in October," Defence Ministry sources said here.



At the fourth edition of the 'Garud', IAF will be represented by its air superiority Sukhoi-30 fighter jets and the Il-76 heavy-lift transport aircraft in the aerial wargames with France.



"The Il-78 mid-air refuelling aircraft, which have helped in expanding the strategic reach of the IAF, are also likely to join the Indian contingent there," they added.



The French side is expected to field its latest Rafale fighters and various versions of the Mirage-200 fighters, sources said.



The Rafale is being offered by the French to the IAF for its requirements for the USD 11 billion contract for 126 multi-role combat aircraft.



The first Indo-French exercise was held in 2003 at the Gwalior air base and the second one was organised in France in 2005. The third was held at Kalaikunda air base in 2007.

[sai_k]

http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/25/stories/...000100.htm

Concerns



“There can be concerns about passing of the equipment, designs or source code to enemy countries. Such a possibility exists even in the case of imported equipment. In fact, in the case of indigenous equipment, we can control the production mechanism in a much better manner. The government could also reserve the right to inspect or control the production and dispatches in these facilities through deployment of necessary security agencies. Export to enemy countries could be banned through a negative list,'' it states.

That is totally whacko analysis. By local production does not anyway mean our defence equipments are not bug free. IMHO, totally stupid solution if the objective is total independence.



I agree 100FDI aspect to a certain extent, but I don't agree to this argument that we can control local production, when the buttons and control logic lies outside our boundaries, including legal and intellectual property rights.



It is important to total technology transfer in such cases, where we have 100% FDI.



Else, it is like asking foreign products to use local setup for cheap production (except for that marginal labor screwdriver skills gain), and they continue to enjoy every aspect of logistics from an operational sense.

[manish]

[url="http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/arjun-tank-outruns-outguns-russian-t-90/389650/"]Arjun tank outruns, outguns Russian T-90‎[/url]



India’s home-built Arjun tank has emerged a conclusive winner from its showdown with the Russian T-90. A week of comparative trials, conducted by the army at the Mahajan Ranges, near Bikaner in Rajasthan, has ended; the results are still officially secret. But, Business Standard has learned from multiple sources who were involved in the trials that the Arjun tank has outperformed the T-90 on every crucial parameter.



The trial pitted one squadron (14 tanks) of Arjuns against an equal number of T-90s. Each squadron was given three tactical tasks; each involved driving across 50 kilometres of desert terrain and then shooting at a set of targets. Each tank had to fire at least 10 rounds, stationary and on the move, with each hit being carefully logged. In total, each tank drove 150 kilometres and fired between 30-50 rounds. The trials also checked the tanks’ ability to drive through a water channel 5-6 feet deep.



The Arjun tanks, the observers all agreed, performed superbly. Whether driving cross-country over rugged sand-dunes; detecting, observing and quickly engaging targets; or accurately hitting targets, both stationery and moving, with pinpoint gunnery; the Arjun demonstrated a clear superiority over the vaunted T-90.



“The Arjun could have performed even better, had it been operated by experienced crewmen”, says an officer who has worked on the Arjun. “As the army’s tank regiments gather experience on the Arjun, they will learn to exploit its capabilities.” With the trial report still being compiled — it is expected to reach Army Headquarters after a fortnight — neither the army, nor the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO), which developed the Arjun tank in Chennai at the Central Vehicles R&D Establishment (CVRDE), are willing to comment officially about the trials.



The importance of this comparative trial can be gauged from a list of those who attended. Witnessing the Arjun in action were most of the army’s senior tank generals, including the Director General of Mechanised Forces, Lt Gen D Bhardwaj; strike corps commander, Lt Gen Anil Chait; Army Commander South, Lt Gen Pradeep Khanna; and Deputy Chief of the Army Staff, Lt Gen JP Singh. The Director General of Military Operations, Lt Gen AS Sekhon also attended the trials.



Over the last four months, the army had systematically signalled that it did not want to buy more Arjuns. The message from senior officers was — 124 Arjun tanks have been bought already; no more would be ordered for the army’s fleet of 4000 tanks. The comparative trial, or so went the message, was merely to evaluate what operational role could be given to the army’s handful of Arjuns.



“The senior officers who attended the trials were taken aback by the Arjun’s strong performance,” an officer who was present through the trials frankly stated. “But they were also pleased that the Arjun had finally come of age.”



The army’s Directorate General of Mechanised Forces (DGMF), which has bitterly opposed buying more Arjuns, will now find it difficult to sustain that opposition. In keeping out the Arjun, the DGMF has opted to retain the already obsolescent T-72 tank in service for another two decades, spending thousands of crores in upgrading its vintage systems.



Now, confronted with the Arjun’s demonstrated capability, the army will face growing pressure to order more Arjuns.



The current order of 124 Arjuns is equipping the army’s 140 Armoured Brigade in Jaisalmer. With that order almost completed, the Arjun production line at the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) in Avadi, near Chennai, needs more orders urgently. The Rs 50 crore facility can churn out 50 Arjuns annually. That would allow for the addition of close to one Arjun regiment each year (a regiment is authorised 62 tanks).



Tank experts point out that conducting trials only in Mahajan does not square with the army’s assertion that they are evaluating a role for the Arjun. Says Major General HM Singh, who oversaw the Arjun’s development for decades, “If they were evaluating where the Arjun should be deployed, they should have conducted the trials in different types of terrain: desert, semi-desert, plains and riverine. It seems as if the army has already decided to employ the Arjun in the desert.”



The Arjun’s sterling performance in the desert raises another far-reaching question: should the Arjun — with its proven mobility, firepower and armour protection — be restricted to a defensive role or should it equip the army’s strike corps for performing a tank’s most devastating (and glamorous) role: attacking deep into enemy territory during war? Each strike corps has 8-9 tank regiments. If the army recommends the Arjun for a strike role, that would mean an additional order of about 500 Arjuns.



But Business Standard has learned that senior officers are hesitant to induct the Arjun into strike corps. Sources say the Arjun will be kept out of strike formations on the grounds that it is incompatible with other strike corps equipment, e.g. assault bridges that cannot bear the 60-tonne weight of the Arjun. <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />





Now let us see the corrupt babus and politicos come out with further excuses as to why we need Tincan-90/72 against our Arjun to fill their pockets with ill begotten wealth sacrificing the blood of our soldiers and fellow citizens.

[sanforkom]

any news regarding Phalcon AWACS........according to times of India, today India was supposed to receive second one

[sanforkom]

[quote name='dr. sanjay' date='25 March 2010 - 11:53 PM' timestamp='1269540957' post='105452']

any news regarding Phalcon AWACS........according to times of India, today India was supposed to receive second one

[/quote]

we got it ..........:-)

[malushahi]

[url="http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/scrabbling-for-solutions/390823/"]Scrabbling for solutions[/url]



Ajai Shukla



The Indian Air Force’s crisis in training its pilots saw a farcical twist recently when an Egyptian diplomat posted in India helpfully offered Cairo’s assistance. The Egyptian Air Force, he suggested to a senior IAF officer, could send a training team to Hyderabad, along with several of its trainer aircraft, the K-8 Karakorum. Was the Egyptian aware that the Karakorum trainer has been jointly developed by Pakistan and China? Nobody is certain but, since the offer was not followed up in writing, the Indian Air Force (IAF) was spared the embarrassment of having to reply.



Even as the IAF spends billions of dollars in a global shopping spree for fighters, helicopters and transport aircraft, the training of pilots to fly these has been practically stalled since last July. That was when the IAF’s notoriously unreliable basic trainer, the HPT-32 Deepak, was grounded after a horrific crash that killed two experienced pilots. In 17 Deepak crashes so far, 19 pilots have died.



The Deepak, as the IAF has long known, has two major design flaws. When it flies upside-down the flow of fuel gets blocked, shutting the engine; and, since the Deepak cannot glide without engine power for even a short distance, a serious crash in inevitable.



The IAF’s concern is evident from the radical methods it is exploring. It now proposes to fit each Deepak with an enormous parachute that opens when the engine shuts off, bringing down the aircraft slowly with the crew still in their seats. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which manufactures the Deepak, is being asked to fit a number of trainers with this Ballistic Recovery System (BRS). It remains unclear whether the Deepak has the structural strength to support a BRS.



Meanwhile, improvisation governs training. After evaluating and ruling out several options — including training IAF flight cadets in civilian flying clubs; or handing over training to foreign contractors on a “Power by the Hour” payment basis — the IAF is now putting absolute rookies into the relatively complex, jet-engined Kiran Mark-1 aircraft for their very first taste of flying. The Kiran, too, has a dubious safety record, with 13 serious crashes over this last decade.



Before the Deepak was grounded, it took 80 hours of basic training on that aircraft before selected cadets — only those found fit to become fighter pilots — graduated to the Kiran Mark-1. The third stage of training was on the Kiran Mark-2; which the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) is gradually replacing. After those three stages of training, IAF pilots graduated to the frontline fighters that they would fly into battle.



“Conducting basic training on a jet aircraft is risky”, admitted a senior IAF decision-maker to Business Standard. “But what choice do we have? The air force must have pilots to fly its planes.”



In fact, the IAF has several good choices, but all of them are some time away. To replace the “Stage-1” Deepak trainer, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has approved the fast-track purchase of 75 aircraft from the global market. Requests for Proposals (RfPs) have gone out to 10 aircraft manufacturers. The hot contenders include the Pilatus PC-21 (Switzerland); Embraer Tucano (Brazil); and the Grob (Germany). Bids are due before April 14, but the aircraft will be delivered only by 2013-14.



For “Stage-2” training, that is, to replace the Kiran Mark-1, HAL is developing an Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT), the Sitara. The IAF is pleased with the prototype, and has ordered a limited series production of 12 aircraft. Eventually, the air force plans to buy 73 Sitaras, but it will take at least 3-4 years before it is available in the numbers needed for organised training.



Finally, for the “Stage-3” training, the Hawk should have been available in large enough numbers by now. But, production delays at HAL, accompanied by a blame-game between HAL and the Hawk’s vendor, BAE Systems, has meant that just 29 Hawks have entered service against the scheduled induction of 44 Hawks by now.



A much needed strategy for training IAF pilots has now become clear. Before the trainers to implement this plan are obtained, several years of makeshift training lie ahead for the air force.

[malushahi]

[url="http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100405/jsp/nation/story_12303357.jsp"]India, US plan record 9 army drills[/url]



SUJAN DUTTA





New Delhi, April 4: The Indian and US armies will have nine joint drills this year, a record of sorts even at a time both countries have been increasing the complexity and frequency of military exchanges.



Some of the drills planned for this year will be war games built around battle scenarios and the others briefing sessions on battlefield tactics.



A separate programme of exchanges for the air forces and the navies of the two countries is being discussed. With no other single country does the Indian military have as many exchanges as it does with the US.



“We have reached a historic threshold with our relationship between the two countries,” the commanding general of the US Army Pacific, Lt General Benjamin R. Mixon, said. “The operations we do together are reaching a complexity of the highest level.”



The top brass of the Indian Army and the US Army Pacific, Marine Forces Pacific and the Special Operations Command decided on the programme of the exercises for 2010-2011 at meetings of the executive steering group (ESG) of the two sides in the Indian Army’s western command headquarters in Chandimandir, near Chandigarh, last month.



Mixon led the US delegation. The Indian team was led by the director-general of military operations (DGMO), Lt General A.S. Sekhon.



Some of the drills will involve amphibious operations, meaning the US Marines, the Indian Navy and a brigade of the Indian Army will take part in landing operations from the sea.



The India-US ESG was set up in 1995 but meetings were suspended after the Indian nuclear tests in 1998. The relations were revived in 2002.



The ESG is one of the committees under the overarching India-US defence policy group (DPG).



“This forum provides senior leaders the opportunity to come together to chart out a programme of exchanges for the US and Indian armies,” a US Army Pacific statement quoting the commanding Mixon said.



In the Chandigarh conference, representatives of the two sides exchanged notes from their operations on the ground.



“It was good to glean information from the Indian Army officers about their immense experience with IED (improvised explosive devices) threats,” a statement quoting Colonel Ed Toy, director, IED Fusion Center, said.



Most US casualties in Iraq have been caused by IEDs. In Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian Army has been dealing with IEDs used by militants for more than 20 years now.



In the nine drills that have been planned, the types of forces to be involved will cover the mechanised infantry, IED detection and disposal squads, artillery, aviation and psychological operations.



Last year, the two armies held their largest joint exercise ever in Yudh Abhyas for which the US carried out the largest deployment of Stryker vehicles outside Iraq and Afghanistan.



The multi-role ground operations vehicles were shipped and flown to Babina, the Indian Army’s armoured corps range.

[malushahi]

[url="http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100403/jsp/nation/story_12297450.jsp"]Navy gears up for Singapore drill[/url]





New Delhi, April 2: Four Indian Navy warships, a submarine and two Singaporean vessels have assembled near the Andamans for fortnight-long war games starting tomorrow.



Indian naval helicopters and surveillance aircraft will also participate in the drill that will be held in two zones, the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.



The SIMBEX (Singapore Indian Maritime Bilateral Exercise) is an annual drill that began in 1994.



“The exercises have graduated from purely training oriented anti-submarine warfare exercises to complex exercises, involving multiple facets of operations at sea,” navy spokesperson Commander P.V. S. Satish said.



The 2010 edition that will end on April 16 will incorporate complex three-dimensional (under-surface, surface and air) threat scenarios.



For the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), a frigate, the RSS Intrepid, and a corvette, the RSS Victory, will participate in the drills. The Indian Navy’s deployment involves the INS Batti Malv (fast-attack craft) and INS Mahish (landing ship tank) from the Andaman and Nicobar Command, IN ships Ranvir (destroyer), Jyoti (tanker) and a submarine from the Eastern Fleet.



The Singaporean warships will anchor at Port Blair and Visakhapatnam during the exercise.