The AW-101 VVIP transportation
helicopters now being assembled for delivery to the Indian Air Force later this
year seem to be bristling with early warning sensors like radar/laser warning
receivers, missile approach warning systems, flares dispensers, and a directed infra-red
countermeasures system. Take a look below.
By the way, shown below is my company’s first
Kazan Helicopter Plant-built Mi-17V-5 (powered by twin Motor Sich-built VK-2500
engines) multi-role utility helicopter and its glass cockpit, which is
identical to the ones on board the IAF’s Mi-17V-5s. The bottom-most photo shows
the Honeywell Aerospace-supplied upgraded glass cockpit of the IAF’s 40 Mi-171s.
Prasun,
ReplyDeleteWrt the recent RFI sent out (again) for self propelled arty guns. Can you list the exact contenders. Also will the system selected be bought as is (truck and all) or will the IA take whatever system is system selected and mount it to their own choice of truck ie TATRA,TATA, M&M etc?
Also in regards to the Indian SOFs, thank you for answering my Q in your last post but even though the Indian SOFs started inducting Western standard equipment back in 1991 when will they MATCH the Western SOFs wrt equipment. I have to say recently Indoan SOFs seem to have come a long way but are still some way off the Western SOFs' standards in terms of kit like BPJs, helmets, assault weapons, MMGs, HMGs,NVGs, tactical gear etc Even the SOFs of nations such as Poland seem to be better equipped in some cases!!
I'm sorry to keep rabbiting on about this but what advantages a superiority does the ELTA MF-STAR RAN 40L combo give over other existing/planned systems? And if it is as impressive as you say why is this combo not being more widely applied to the IN fleet? Will this combo become the standard such system for all large surface ships of IN from no on? Will this combo be retrofitted during MLU on exisiting large ships such as the Delhi class? Will this combo be present on the IAC-2?
And if it is so impressive why was this combo not fitted onto the VIKRAMDITYA during the refit?
Can you tell me the differences between the VVIP versions and utility versions of the IAF AW-101 helos on order with the former apparently to be used by the SPG? Will the utility versions look superficially identical to the VVIP version? Will the utility version be equipped with the same kind of defences as the VVIP version as you have outlined?
Is it true that once the AH-64s are inducted into the IAF the IA AAC will inherit the Mi-35/24s? A
And what do you predict the eventual number of Apaches in service with India will be as it is clear 22 is not enough and India will look for more.
Also when will the Ch-47 deal be signed (it is a given it will win)?
Is the Rafale still on track to be signed this FY?
Do you buy into th erecent reports that IAI and Ilyshin have priced the follow-on 2 A-50 PHALCON AWACS out of contention for the IAF? Or will the deal be signed?
Thank you so much in advance for answering my Qs!!
Hi Prasun,
ReplyDeleteWhat's the website of your company ?
Thanks,
Hi Prasun, you have gotten me wrong. I am not talking of surface to air missile systems.Both these countries will use TBM,NLOS-BSM & LACM. Pakistan will use these weapons in huge nos to offset our numerical advantage. It will nt be as simple as Kargil war. I am not talking about any Pak TBM capable of targetting ships. Pak can use ordinary TBM to pound Mumbai ports.Like TBM are used against static ground targets, they can also be used to destroy ships when they moored in the yards and are in static position. I have gone through the IACCCS thread. IAF has begun buying so many radar sysytems in order to defeat NLOS-BSM, cruise missile, TBM threats. But substantial orders for sam systems has not been placed. IAF has placed bulk orders of Akashwhich can neither shoot down nlos-bsm nor LACM,ALCM. Orders for LRSAM are small-around 450 missiles. And IAF will induct them in 2016. By that time Pkistan will have a huge aresneal of ALCM,Babur,NLOS-BSM,TBM , standoff PGM. The no of sam systems that IAF have been prcuring or intend to procure which can defeat the above threats are so few in nos taht they cant be deployed to protect all the vital assets-airbases,ordance depots, logistics bases, infantry garrisons, atnk,artilerry storage areas. Basically the thinhs with which we will be able to wage a war.LRSAM alone wouldnt do. Iron Dome , PAC-3 are also needed for defeating every airborne threats. If in a sudden preemptive strike, Pak uses missile inventories to knock out our major war waging assests, we will be defenseless and sitting ducks. So, it is of paramount imp to deploy adequate air defense systems to protect the various assets, VA before its too late .
ReplyDeleteHello sir,
ReplyDeleteI have a question to ask you concerning the AW-101 helos, I know
that the original contract is for 12 helos, but I've heard that not just for VIP transport but IAF is also looking at utility version of AW-101 for SAR roles, etc. Is it true? Are all 12 helos for VVIP transport or is there a split order for VIP-SAR??
Sir , I am anon at 10:32pm.
ReplyDeleteA few more queries.
1. I wasnt able to find the ans i was lookin for in the Sukhoi upgrade thread. Only super Su-30 will have wing and tail L/X band aesa arrays and structural modifications to carry Brahmos. All the Su-30 will have Ariel TRD and the full IDS suite as standard package .???
2. When will Jaguar deep upgrade program commence?
3. What new air to ground attck standoff pgms are being procured from Western nations and Russia as part of Su-30 upgradation process.
4.Will MiL Mi-17v5 have chin mounted optronic sensors,MAWS and Ir jammer .
To Anon @ 11:26 AM. Trishul Aviation Services .
ReplyDeleteHi Prasun, some time back in one of your comments you said that Torbuster has been procured by IN. Whats the developement status of the hard kill torpedo system being developed by DRDO?
When will PRAHAR achieve operational status and be inducted in large nos by IA? Will Shauyra be approved for large scale production by MoD and be inducted by IA? Doe Prahar makes use of an IIR seeker for terminal stage guidance? Does Brahmos land attack variant have a terminal IIR seeker.
How many MiL Mi-17v5 are you purchasing? So, now you will roam across India in this brand new copter.
VMT for answering.
Thanks Rahul . But I Need the website (URL)
ReplyDeleteSorry, its TRIDENT AVIATION SERVICES. Just Google it.
ReplyDeleteSir,
ReplyDeleteYou have repetedly mentioned that Scorpene class subs are made from steel that are employed for SSN and so its diving depth is greater than any other SSK." they’re made of the same steel as that used for SSNs, the Scorpene’s diving depth is more than those of any other SSK."Also, since the Scorpene’s hull design is derived directly from those of French nuclear submarines, DCNI has the expertise reqd for building SSK hulls with greater diving depths. German shipbuilders do not have such experience. - Is this true for Indian Navy Scorpenes .Or they make use of inferior steel as they are being built in India. Among Type 212,214 Scorpene has the least diving depth. Why is this so . This contradicts the above saying. Why is Scorpene meant for littoral operations when it can go to such depths and its hull is built like a ssn. Can you pls tell the varioius ELINT , SIGINT hardware Indian Scorpenes pack . So they can be used for covert survellience missions .Are U212,U214 classes ocean going or falls in the same niche as Scorpene. Pls ans.
Prasun ji, are you an IITian?
ReplyDeleteHey Prasun,
ReplyDeleteWhat is your take on this georgian (?) blog post (posted a day before your post) ???
http://scout-thedeaddistrict.blogspot.in/2012/08/aw-101.html
To Anon^^^: That's quite a revelation, isn't it? Especially after UNKNOWN had yesterday had uploaded the AW-101's photolink in the previous thread (see: http://i966.photobucket.com/albums/ae146/yeovil06/a-13.jpg) & within minutes I had marked out the details on the photo & had it uploaded in this thread. And by the way, photos of the glass cockpits of the Mi-171 & Mi-17V-5were first published in page 80 of the March 2012 issue of TEMPUR, a magazine published from Malaysia, for an article drafted by me. I can upload that page 80 in JPEG format in case anyone wants to see the proof. And the Mi—17V-5’s photo was taken inside an indoor exhibit hall during the HELIRUSSIA 2011 expo, prior to delivery to my company. The pix of the MILDS AR-60V2 MAWS was taken by me during DEFEXPO 2012 at the ALPHA TECHNOLOGIES PVT LTD pavilion, while the SaabTech-built LWR was photographed by me inside Saab's hospitality booth during the Aero India 2011 expo. Have all the original "uncropped" photos to prove my claims, should anyone wish to challenge me.
ReplyDeleteTo Anon@11.26PM: I've already uploaded page 80 of TEMPUR's March 2012 issue above. Now you or anyone explain how I ended up with photos of the Mi-17V-5's & Mi-171’s cockpits five months before they appeared in this Georgian blog!
ReplyDeletePrasun could you answer some of the above Qs? I'm sure no one here suspects you of plagiarising.
ReplyDelete+ wrt the recent RFI by IA for self propelled guns, if a system is selescted, say the Nexter Ceaser, would the system come as one as is wiith the Renualt triuck and all or would the gun be mounted to an Indian truck's chassis such as TATA's 6x6 or AL's?
To UNKNOWN: I had already listed out the main contenders yesterday in the previous thread. The selected system will have to be truck-mounted & the key issue here is weight. The lightest contender is likely to emerge as the winner. The CAESAR is the favourite, since it is the only one to have demonstrated its ability to be airlifted by a C-130. Only HRTs are reqd to wear BPJs, not all SOF personnel. One can hardly expect SOF personnel engaged in high-altitude warfare to be wearing every conceivable protective gear. The RAN-40L is essentially a new-generation replacement for the LW-08, while the real advantage comes with the EL/M-2248 MF-STAR as a formidable volume-search radar with concurrent target engagement capabilities. This combination is already on board the Project 71 IAC-1 & is likely to be on the four Project 15B DDGs as well. The RAN-40L, on the other hand, will also likely find its way on board the four planned LPHs. The Vikramaditya deal called for an all-Russian hardware solution, & here India had no bargaining power at all. In fact, the Russians were insisting on fitting the Kashtan-M on board the Vikramaditya despite the IN’s preference for the Barak-1. The Ruskies had asked for a financially prohibitive price for fitment of Barak-1s & therefore the IN decided to forego the CIWS option on the Vikramaditya for the time-being, and is likely to install the Barak-1s AFTER the carrier arrives in India. All 12 VVIP AW-101s will have the same integrated defensive measures suite. After the 22 AH-64D Apaches arrive in-country, the Mi-25s & Mi-35Ps will be held by the IAF as reserves & will be deployed overseas for UN operations. About 33 AH-64Ds will be acquired this decade, although the reqmt is for 60 units. CH-47F deal & Rafale deal are due for signing later this year. Deal for the two follow-on A-50Is has already been inked.
ReplyDeleteTo Anon@11.26AM: Am in the process of designing a new company website.
To UNKNOWN: Better to stick to the Renault truck, since it is already certified to fit on to the C-130. With any other truck like BEML-TATRA,there will be problems of airlifting with C-130.
ReplyDeleteTo AK: The kind of TBMs in Pakistan’s possession do not have the kind of CEPs to strike VAs, leave alone VPs. Only liquid-fuelled missiles like the Ghauri will be used against cities like Mumbai & Delhi. The Baburs & Ra’ads (estimated to total no more than 200) are meant for striking strategic industrial & military installations & transportation nodes. For countering these cruise missile-based threats, SHORADS & LR-SAMs will suffice. Iron Dome is more suitable against MBRL rounds like those fired from A-100E. Even fir the Nasr-type BLOS-BSMs, the LR-SAM will suffice. A sudden pre-emptive strike by Pakistan is totally ruled out, especially over the next five years, since Pakistan will be busy with its western front. In addition, India’s strategic recce assets will by then increase to an appreciable extent, which will enable India to monitor with a high degree of accuracy every step that Pakistan climbs along the escalatory ladder.
ReplyDeleteTo Anon@12.20PM: The 12-tonne MRHs are being sought for the four projected LPHs & possibly also for the three Project 15A DDGs & four Project 15B DDGs. This is totally different from the 12 AW-101s that are being bought ALL for VVIP transportation.
To Anon@12.40PM: All the Su-30MKIs will have Ariel TRD and the full IDS suite as standard package. Jaguar IS deep upgrade project has already commenced with the DARIN-3 package installation. New PGM for the upgraded Su-30MKIs will be the Nirbhay long-range ALCM & the subsonic ALVM, most probably the Taurus KEPD-350. Mi-17V-5s have come hard-wired for accepting belly-mounted FLIR turret & IR jammer behind the main rotor hub, but no MAWS.
To RAHUL: Torbuster was being evaluated, but has never been acquired. The Mareech (decoy as well as its multi-barrel launcher) is already under series-production by Mahindra Defence. Prahaar still has to undergo five more test-firings. It will have an X-band monopulse SAR seeker, just like the BrahMos, made by Data Patterns. Its photo was uploaded by me in the DEFEXPO 2012 thread. Shaurya with tactical nuclear warheads is likely to be procured by the Strategic Forces Command. BrahMos-1’s Mk2 & Mk3 all use the SGH X-band monopulse SAR seeker. The plan is to procure about six Mi-17V-5s & four An-38-100s, all of which will be used for utility work in the North Eastern states. None of them are meant for my personal usage, do rest assured.
ReplyDeleteTo SAYAN: All six CM-2000 Scorpene SSKs of the IN are being built with HLES-80 high-yield stress-specific steel, which will allow the SSK to reach an advertised diving depth of up to 300 metres (1,150 feet) and achieve an average of 240 days at sea per year per submarine. But the actual maximum diving depth remains classified. By littoral operations one means the ability to operate in littoral waters at shallow depths, but in order to get to its area of operations, the Scorpene will be reqd to venture out into the high seas, if reqd. The same applies to the U-212/U-214 SSKs as well. ELINT & SIGINT suites of the IN’s Scorpene remains classified.
To Anon@10.38PM: No, I’m not, neither am I can NIITian, nor a GNIITian, nor a RECian.
I agree with all your points pertaining to the CAESAR-155/52. It is the smallest and the lightest (Weight 17.7T) but no less capable than the others. Can it be hoped that being semi-automatic, its prices will also be the lowest except for the ATMOS (Weight 22T). Kindly provide your opinion.
ReplyDeleteWhy not the Archer-155/52 is at all in your competitive list.
To Mr RA 13: The CAESAR also promises to be the cheapest (L-1) as it is already under series-production as of now for customers like France & Saudi Arabia, while Thailand already has six of them operational. The others, like the T-5 Mk2000, Nora & ATMOS are not in series-production. The ARCHER is the Rolls-Royce-standard among 155mm/52-cal motorised howitzers & boasts of a very high level of automation, which results in heavier weight & greater costs. While it is the best option for those countries with minimal human resources (like the Nordic countries), for India, such a degree of sophistication & automation (which are not critical operational reqmts) is a financial overkill & ought to be avoided.
ReplyDeleteThanx for your valued reply. Now the shares of Nexter must be soaring high. Lol...
ReplyDeleteNot only Nexter, but L & T too.
ReplyDeleteThanx, I forgot to include and complement them in advance. After all the Indian mentality. Lol...
ReplyDeleteNo worries, as long as der aye, durust aye (LoLz!).
ReplyDeletePrasun, you have said that the BAE ARCHER is the RR of SPGs but is not nessercary for the IA in part because of the high levels of automation and it is for this reasson not ideal for the IA with its surplus of human resources,surely the IA should go for the best possible and from purely an amateur glance it does seem the ARCHER is the best machine in the fray and the only downside is the weight. Is being C-130 transportable a mst for the IA? If so why should the ARCHER even bother entering the compettion and if it does surely it is an easy descion for the IA to turn them down as it simply is too heavy for the C-130s. But surely the fact it is transportable by C-17 makes up for this given, as yet, the C-130 in IAF service is purely for support of Spec Ops but C-17s are being procured for air-logistic sorties so the weight shouldn't be a huge issue as the IAF is getting the C-17 and right now it seems like it is going to get more C-17s than C-130s anyway.
ReplyDeleteAlso can you give a date when the following deals will be signed/concluded:
C295/C27J
MRTT (exactly how many AARs will the IAF acquire?)
M777
IAF/IA LUH (AS555 FENNEC)
Also you have said the all IAF MI-17V5s are hardwired for FLIR turrets but when(if ever) will FLIR turrets be fitted to these helos and which company will be delivering the FLIR?
thanks
+ when will the IA make a descion on the SPGs? Are these deals being "fast-tracked" now? Do you see this competition succeding where the others had failed?
ReplyDeletePrasun,
ReplyDeleteAre the IA's plans for a tracked SPG over then? Is the BHIM a no-go? Or any other such system?
What exactly are the IA's plans for arty ie what number are they looking for in total and what is the breakdown of this number ie SPG,ULH etc
Also will the number of ULH M777 the IA is interested in increase later beyond the current ~150 figure?
Have the the follow-on C-130s been ordered as I have heard they have but can't find any actual confirmation. Are IAF C-130Js currently under construction or is the order still yet to be signed?
Also do you buy into recent reports that VK Singh when COAS had set up a secret intel unit charged with spying on top policitcans and beauracrats and that it has no been disbanded? It sounds absurd and if it were true would there not be MASSIVE outrage by the babus?
Also it has been reported that the IAC-2 will almost certainly be CATOBAR configured so what exactly will the air group consist of for the IAC-2? Ie for AEW,SAR,ASW and fighter? Is the F-35C a contender? Is EMALS a possibility? Is the E-2D likely? Given the timeframe it will be inducted (2022-4)I can't see a N-PAK-FA/N-FGFA/N-AMCA being anywhere near ready to operate off this carrier.
Is there any likelihood of the A400 being bought by the IAF?
Also by 2025 where would you rank the Indian military as a whole in international rankings in terms of leathality and capabilities? It has got to be right up there surely? top 3? top 5?
Also where would you rank Indian SOFs wrt their international counterparts and training and capabilites? top 10?top 5?
To KSINGH: The highest levels of functional automation in any weapon doesn’t automatically make it the best. During DEFEXPO 2012, the Archer wasn’t even showcased by either BAE Systems or Mahindra Defence. There was a very good reason for that: the IA wants a lightest possible motorised 155mm/52-cal howitzer simply because throughout the LAC the road infrastructure is simply too obsolete to accommodate howitzers like the Archer. On top of that, due to environmental concerns, the Ministry of Forests & Environment has since 2000 not been according clearance for the vital lateral roadways & railways that are reqd for moving weapon systems like field artillery howitzers & armoured vehicles right up to their forward staging areas, and from there to their forward deployment sites (the old debate on exterior lines of communications & interior lines of communication). Consequently, the only alternative left is to rely on the IAF’s network of ALGs in J & K, Uttarakhand, Sikkim & Arunachal Pradesh. Hence also the decision by the IAF to double its fleet of six C-130J-30s. C-17As cannot operate to/fro ALGs. It was only after OP Vijay that the transportation infrastructure has improved to some extent in J & K, but in Sikkim or AP, nothing has changed since the mid-1970s, believe it or not!
ReplyDeleteI can’t give with certainty the probable dates of contract signature, since there’s an acute financial crunch prevailing now. The MRTT reqmt is for 10 units. The Mi-17V-5s have the ELBIT Systems-built mini-COMPASS FLIR turrets. This time around, my gut feeling is that the motorised 155mm/52-cal howitzer procurement programme will be fast-tracked in terms of user evaluations & shortlisting.
To UNKNOWN: The debate between motorised and tracked SPHs is still on-going & a lot will depend on the field evaluations of various motorised 155mm/52-cal howitzers, expected to commence in the latter half of next year. The total breakdown of 155mm howitzers was given in the narrative on the Eurosatory 2012 thread. In my personal opinion, we can totally do away with the tracked SPH reqmt if the motorised howitzers can demonstrate their mobility & firepower prowess in all types of terrain, something which should not be a problem at all with the CAESAR & ATMOS. The former has already been tried out in Saudi Arabia, Australia, Malaysia (I personally saw its firepower & mobility demo there in 2001), Brunei, the US & Thailand. The number of LW-155s to be acquired from BAE Systems via the US Army will be 145. This will suffice for heliborne rapid deployment purposes along the China-India borders in Uttarakhand, Sikkim & AP. What is now more urgently reqd are no less than 600 breech-loading rapid-fire 120mm mortars mounted on wheeled or tracked armoured vehicles (like the ones from Finland’s PATRIA & Switzerland’s RUAG). Follow-on six C-130J-30s have not yet been contracted for. I don’t buy the conspiracy theories associated with V K Singh. Similar rumours are floating around about the former IB Director Ajit Doval. IAC-2 is still in the project feasibility drafting stage & nothing’s been finalised. The priority now is for IAC-1 to undergo outfitting, followed by the LPH project. No prospects for the A400 in India, period. By 2025, India’s armed forces will be among the Top 4. As for SOF, it too will be among the Top 4, as they will continue to be engaged in low-intensity sub-conventional conflicts within the subcontinent & will thus maintain their envied status as combat-proven forces.
ReplyDeleteThanks a bunch for your quick respones to my Qs Prasun, much appreciates!!
ReplyDeleteWrt to the "finacial cruch" do you see this improving anytime soon and will this have lasting long-term affects on the MoD and military acquisitions (it is of course certain to happen but to what extent)?
And why are you so adamant about the A-400s lack of prospects in India? Surely it fills a nice gap between the C-130J/C-27J/C295 (depending on which one is selected) and the C-17s?
Can you report on the status of the F-ICV of the IA? What sort of timeline are we looking at and how successful do you rate this program so far and what is you prediction for its eventual success?
Read this first: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Navys-critical-requirement-for-Israeli-Barak-missiles-stalled-due-to-CBI-case/articleshow/15794688.cms
ReplyDeleteI don't see the financial situation improving anytime soon, unless drastic surgical steps are taken by the apex decision-makers, whiuch to me appears highly unlikely, since in India today I don't see anyone within the Govt of India who can take enlightened but difficult decisions without difficulty. The A400 is designed primarily for airlifting rapid deployment forces for power projection forces within a regional sphere of operations, as opposed to a sub-continental sphere. In India's case, the only cases for regional power projection is up to Maldives or Mauritius, a job that can well be done by C-130J-30s backed up by aerial refuelling. In addition, in today's world, it hardly makes sense for a country like India to have a varied fleet of transports. The A400 will primarily replace existing C-130E/H transports in most countries.
It is still premature to draw any firm conclusions about the FICV project, except for the fact that production deliveries are due by 2022. It has to succeed, period, for there's no other option.
Prasun, what do you think of this news:
ReplyDeletehttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Navys-critical-requirement-for-Israeli-Barak-missiles-stalled-due-to-CBI-case/articleshow/15794688.cms
Will this all be sorted out soon? The situation looks quite desperate espceially if it is affecting the IN's combat rediness. And is this having a negative impact on the devlopment and deployment of the BARAK-8?
(posted by mistake a second ago)
Barak-8 won't be affected. Only follow-on orders of Barak-1 for replenishing existing stocks will take a hit. In my view, this is the right time to go for IIR-based VL systems like VL-MICA, Sea Ceptor or IRIS-T SL. Such systems, after all, won't have the kind of post-installation EMI problems that plagued the P-15 Delhi-class DDGs & Kashtan-M-equipped Project 1135.6 FFGs. Mind you, the IAC-1, Vikramaditya & the four Project 28 ASW corvettes too need such CIWS & to date no CIWS has been selected for these vessels. On the other hand, the PLAN has already installed its FL-2000N laser-guided standalone missile-based CIWS on the Varyag & the Type 056 littoral patrol corvettes.
ReplyDeleteprasun sir
ReplyDeletei want to ask when additional(follow in order) phalcon radars comes to india............
prasun sir
ReplyDeletei want to ask several questions
1- how many p8i indian navy will get is 8 or 12.
2-is rafale is final for mmrca..bcoz there are some news that india will scrap the mrca deal & will reissue the rfp again for mmrca.is it right or wrong.......
3-which is best for india in heavy lift helicopters contenders is it chinook or mi 26..
4- how many c17 will india procure.......
prasun sir pls give the answer
ReplyDeleteHI Prasun
The buggers in the MOD should be shot for denying barak missiles to the navy. After all, Atony`s children nor the beaurocrats children dont serve in the navy ships that need the barak. The So called VVIP helicopters get all the protective measures to save ther arses from missiles while the poor grunt whose life is on the line is denied protection. It is bound that all the top defence firms are going to be banned in the course of time as politicians and beurocrats will take bribes as we have a criminal helping justice system . God save our country!.
prasun
ReplyDeleteWhy cant we ask the israelis to fit an IIR seeker on the barak and have our own long range IR missile rather than costly imports of newer IIR missile systems
@RAD
ReplyDeleteAgree with you. Mr AK Antony wants to keep his hands clean...But he is forgetting the fact that he is playing with national security.The army howitzer buy still in limbo.5 RFI s and no purchase.India has become a laughing stock.CBI is another culprit.Six years into investigation and no progress.What benefit will the MOD get by turning down Navy s request..The biggest problem is the UPA govt.which is in the backfoot after so many corruption charges.Everyone in the Govt. is playing safely..no matter what are the consequences..I feel sorry for our armed forces...
To ASHI JAIN: Total number of P-8Is ordered to date is 8. 4 more will be ordered in future. Rafale’s selection as the M-MRCA is final, period. CH-47F fits the bill perfectly. 10 C-17As have been ordered, up to 14 more will be ordered in future.
ReplyDeleteTo RAD: An IIR terminal seeker-equipped Barak-2 is an option worthy of consideration.
To RAD@11.10AM: Sadly, that is true. And it was for this very reason that during OP Vijay in 1999, the IAF's SA.315B Lama/Cheetah & Mi-8T/Mi-17 pilots refused to evacuate casualties from the frontline due to fears of being exposed to hostile MANPADS. It was the AAC's Cheetahs that then jumped in to fill the void, despite being totally defenceless against MANPADS. Even today, the Dhruv Mk3s of the IAF & AAC are devoid of LWRs & countermeasures dispensers.
ReplyDeleteDont worry guys. The time has come for UPA. They will surely go . Then we will get a new MoD. Antony wants to keep his hands clean and in meantime, our country's armed forces are paying the price. Day be day our enemies are getting stronger and we weaker. Antony should be given the Noble prize for wrecking havoc with the security of the country. UPA wants to keep its hands clean. And on other side A raja has already vanished 50000 crore of taxpayer's hard earned money. This time also Army Artillery procurement will be delayed. The new RFP will be cancelled and fresh ones will be called as our great CBI will againblacklist some companies. Each and every member of CBI'S governing body have PhD in blacklisting firms. They ahve blacklisted IMI, Rheinmetall to name a few. Who will produce APFSDS for ARmy tanks? They ? or MoD ? China and Pakistan are very happy with CBI & MoD for their spotless record and glorious achievements.
ReplyDeleteu hav got stalkers here
ReplyDeletehttp://forums.bharat-rakshak.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=542&start=160
To Anon@1.57PM: Read this: http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?programId=10350679&contentId=12298035&BV_ID=@@@
ReplyDeleteThings can't get any more worse, can they?
To Anon@3.56PM: Yup, indeed, because some of them were exposed last night, especially the one running this blog (http://vatsrohit.blogspot.in/2012/08/strategic-importance-south-punjab-and.html), who in his latest blog-thread has indulged in brazen cut-n-paste job of both text & maps from the book OP PARAKRAM: THE WAR UNFINISHED by Lt Gen (Ret’d) Vijay K Sood & Pravin Sawhney. Such ‘stalkers have no shame or regrets in crossing all norms of decency & ethics. And when such issues are highlighted in their discredited blogs, they retreat into the ‘comments moderation’ mode. Truth indeed hurts them (LoLz!).
ReplyDeleteTo Anon@1.57PM: Don’t just blame just the present-day RM. All the IA Chiefs after 1993 till to date, and a certain number of Navy & IAF Chiefs have to be blamed for blatantly lying to the Indian public every year since 1993 during their respective annual services day-eve addresses to the Indian media, when they falsely declared that India was ever ready & prepared to repel any kind of military challenges, when in fact there have been & continue to be severe shortages of materials & infrastructure deficiencies. How else does one explain what the former Army Chief had stated on January 14 this year, versus what he wrote to Dr MMS on March 11 this year? Why such contradictions? Why can’t the truth be stated & acknowledged, instead of engaging in needless false bravados?
ReplyDeleteSir, I am anon at 12:40 PM. Thanx for answering.
ReplyDeleteA few more things to ask.
1. What comprises DARIN-3 upgrade package ? When will the deep upgrade consiting of reenging with F-125,new EW suite,airframe relifing start ?
2. Why isnt IAF fitting Jaguar IS with AESA radars with SAR,ISAR,GMTI,terrain avoidance and IRST to amke it an all weather and upto date ground attack aircraft.
3.regarding Mil mi-17 you had previously said that a 3rd of Mi-17V5.In the AW-101’s case the IDAS includes a combined radar/laser warning receiver package that includes the Tarang Mk3 (developed by the DRDO’s Bengaluru-based Defence Avionics Research Establishment—DARE—and built by Bharat Electronics Ltd) and a laser warning receiver from SaabTech of Sweden, the AAR-60(V)2 MILDS-F MAWS from Germany-based Cassidian, and chaff/flare countermeasures dispensers from Vinten of UK. The photo below shows the installation areas of the AW-101’s combined radar/laser warning receiver and MAWS.In fact, this very IDAS suite has also been selected for installation on the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd-built Dhruv Mk4 (Rudra) helicopter gunship and the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), and will also be retrofitted in-country on to a third of the 139 Mi-17V-5 armed utility helicopters now being delivered to the IAF by Russia’s Tatarstan-based Kazan Helicopter Plant.
4.Is IAF dumb not to equip thses copters with MAWS when thay fly slowly, have less agilty and fly close to ground where MANPADS proliferate.
5. Apart from KEPD-350 will Boeing land attack Harpoon be bought ? And by standoff pgm, i meant AASM,H-4,MUPSWOW,JSOW type weapons. Replacements for dumb iron bombs and having a good standoff range.
6.Will new anti radiation missiles like ALARM and Deliah type loitering munitions be procured in bulk to equip the jets.
Hi Prasun , I want to know the status of the torpedo hard kill system which will comprise mini high speed projectiles and will employ hit to kill method. You said that such a system is being developed by DRDO. Mareech is a soft kill system.
ReplyDeleteEverytime when you talk about CIWS, why do you not mention RAM . Its block2 version has come up which boasts of a greater range. These missiles also have dual seekers. IRIS-SL has active seeker. Can a warship carry the same no of Iris missiles as it can carry RAM. Now is a very good time to istall the latest gen CIWS systems on the warships instead of Barak.
Shaurya besides being used as a strategic weapon can also be used as a conventional TBM. It has a long range and with aterminal seeker will have pin point strike abilties.
Whats the chances that 155mm/52-cal howitzer procurement programme will be fast-tracked. IA has already counducted trials and field evaluations of all gun systems. Now it can straightaway order the gun system which matches its specs.
Tracked SPH needs to be procured. Pakistan has 500+ M109. Pakistan already have a commanding lead over us in rocket and tube artillery.
Does NEXTER Caesar have rapid fire capabities like T-5, ATMOS.3 round fired in 8-9 secs.
Sir,
ReplyDeleteCM-2000 has aan advertised depth of 300m. Whereas Type 214,21 have an adverstised depth of 350-400m. Then how can Scorpene be the SSK with greatest operational depth.Is it possible that Scorpene has a greater operational depth but its classified.Among Improved Kilo, Qing class , Scorpene ,Agosta-90B whose operational depth is higher ? Why isnt Indian Navy going for ex Dutch subs which are lying unused in Malaysia. On full tank of diesel which can go further Kilo,CM-2000. And why only such a small no of Exocets have been orderd .
Hi Prasun da:
ReplyDeleteIndian Army has been scouting for towed artillery guns for a long time...Why not go for IAI JUMPER missiles..The system is awesome...8 canister hold missiles with INS/GPS guidence ...Range 45 Km like any other artillery..Can be transported by almost anything..Will require less personnel to deploy and operate...Your thoughts on this
Thanks in advance
so much security for our travel happy politicians.
ReplyDeleteSir , The Army has called an RFP for 180 wheeled howitzers. Under this category armoured gun systems are to be procured. Under mounted gun systems , truck mounted 20 ton howitzers are to be procured . Army should go for atleast 300 Archer type systems. Under tracked SPH Reinmetall PzH 2000 needs to purchased. Both these automated systems can provide an ultra high rate of fire. Tracked SPH can accompany the strike corps tanks when they venture into hostile lands.The requirement for towed howitzers needs to be decreased . Mounted truck systems need to be procured in more
ReplyDeletenos. When will RFP for mounted, towed and tracked
howitzers be issued. BAE systems is out of the game for towed guns. BAE FH-77Bo52 is the best among the towed guns. So, if Army wants to buy these guns can they do so from BAE . Straightaway and without delay orders need to placed .
Prasun,
ReplyDeleteHas HAL / DRDO roped in SAAB to help design the Tejas MK II given the fact that their own efforts have met with failures ? If yes, how will SAAB help?
While the IN today announcement the appointment of VADM Shekhar Sinha as the new FOC-in-C WNC, just read what the PIB says: http://pib.nic.in/release/phsmall.asp?phid=41923
ReplyDeleteOne confused lot these officials in Delhi are!!!
To Anon@5.14PM: DARIN-3 is just an upgrade of the navigation-and-attack system avionics, involving a redesigned glass cockpit, new HUD, Stormscope, Sigma-95N RLG-INS, new-generation HAL-built IFF & comms radios & a radar altimeter. Airframe relifing too is being done at the same time. F125 turbofans are for ‘drop-in’ installation & will be done later. I can’t answer Q.2. Along with Taurus KEPD-350, not Harpoon, but SLAM-ER is being evaluated. ALARM will not be ordered in bulk, perhaps less than 100. There’s a reqmt for air-launched & ground-launched loitering anti-radar drones for both Army & IAF.
ReplyDeleteTo RAHUL: The Mareech is being further developed as a hard-kill system. For CIWS, vertically-launched solutions are better as they’re omni-directional & have greater range than the RAM’s missiles. IRIS-T-SL is an excellent vertically-launched option. The Caesar has MRSI capabilities.
To SAYAN: The real max diving depth of the CM-2000 Scorpene is more than 300 metres, rest assured. The two ex-Dutch SSKs were disposed off as scrap by Malaysia a long time ago. 36 SM-39s for six Scorpenes is more than enough.
To Anon@6.44PM: Jumper is a NLOS-BSM & therefore is meant to be used for precision strikes on very high-value targets of opportunity. Field artillery howitzers are reqd for massed firepower on a sustained basis. For instance, in order to destroy minefields & dug-in infantry positions prior to an armoured assault, at least 150,000 rounds of 120mm, 130mm & 155mm ammunition will have to be fired over a 7-hour period.
To Anon@10.21PM: Today’s motorised truck-mounted howitzers offer the same mobility performance parameters as tracked SPHs, but are much lighter & are therefore far more easier & quicker to deploy.
To SURYA BANERJEE: No, that’s not true. ADA is doing all work on redesigning the Tejas Mk1 into the Mk2.
hi To,
ReplyDeletePrasun K. Sengupta,
TRISHUL AVIATIIN SERVICES.
Subject: Offer to build your company website free of cost.
Sir,
I am student of master computer application and in final year of my course. I am looking for live projects to mention them in my C.V. I have build many websites in java, c# and php languages. Some of them are running on web. They are::
1. www.tasvir.cu.cc in php/mysql
2. http://boson.somee.com/Default.aspx in .net/c#/ms-access
3. I T Help desk for IBM tgmc 2011 contest.
4. Core banking System in .net/c#/MS-Sql
Looking forward to your response. I have good knowledge of sql queries, providing security features like SQL Injection prevention, captcha and other.
Thank you
You’re sincerely,
Chitresh Verma
chitreshsrmcem@gmail.com
Prasun,
ReplyDeleteIs the Indian Army evaluating the ARCHER FH 77BW ? According to Wikipedia it is
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archer_Artillery_System
Dear Prasun, please let me know the present status of LCH, Rudra & IJT-36, Sitara . Also there is no news about Saras. The new prototype with reduced weight and more powerful engine is supposed to have test flown by now.
ReplyDeleteTo CHITRESH VERMA: Very many thanks & wishing you all the very best in all your endeavours. Creation of my company’s websites is an in-house affair, as per management policy.
ReplyDeleteTo DILIP LAHIRI: The Indian Army evaluated the ARCHER as far back as the year 2000 & found it unsuitable.
To SNTATA: The LCH is presently undergoing a series of flight-tests primarily aimed at validating the calibration & integration of its integrated avionics suite, plus the functional integrity of its powerplant package. Flight certification-related flying trials will be next on the list to be undertaken. However, development of a fixed-base simulator is a prime prerequisite for undertaking the flight-test programme anywhere in the world, but in the LCH’s case HAL’s has yet to come up with such a simulator. As for the Rudra, without finalising its weapons package, especially the selection of a suitable ATGM, its flight certification trials are incomplete as of now. As for the HJT-36 IJT, the existence of just a single flying prototype & the absence of another airframe for the mandatory structural integrity & fatigue monitoring tests can only further delay the flight certification of this aircraft. The IAF plans to base the HJT-36 at the air force base in Deesa, Gujarat. I don’t have any updates on the Saras.
ReplyDeleteHI Prasun
I would like to tell you and readers about the apathy in the armed forces . Some of you would have heard of the airforce Pilot SQdn ldr Perumal who was a recce pilot flying canberas from agra, he was the guy who survived a stinger missile hit on his plane during the kargil war and was awarded a shaurya chakra after many years due to discrimination, he being a south indian and from a poor family >he was a son of a textile labourer who went on to sainik school and NDA.
He had a sad story to tell about how MIG-29 pilots got medals and citations for getting a radar lock on Pak f-16 etc ! . Has any one heard of that any where in the world?.If You look up the list of kargil war awardees and for what they got citations it will be clear.
He told me that all along they knew that pak had set up bases inside the Indian LOC and no body bothered to pass the info along.when the War broke out and people were finger pointing for the lapse the then chief , i think La Fontaine called him and asked him about the intelligence and got the shock that the recce sqdrn knew about this a year ago and nothing was done .Any way things were hushed up .
During war he got hit by a stinger on his starboard engine, and with all elec systems gone managed to land in srinagar AFB. He got the shaurya chakra after many years!.
he said he had the gyro of the stinger with him as a momento as the missile parts had embedded in the engine. He came out as a group captain .He sadly passed away to cardiac arrest 6 months back.RIP
HI prasun
ReplyDeleteHaving a long range IIR barak would be deadly coupled with a datalink already there. As most kills are by IR missiles a salvo of active radar and IR barak missile towards an F-16 would ensure a 100% kill as the f-16 is also equipped with state of the art ew jammers and ir flares etc. Also dont you think turning the Barak into a advanced Radar homming missile like the HAARM would be deadly and bring down the cost as the missile is the same and only head has to be changed. Morover Israel has always been on the cutting edge of these technologies.
Please eplain if Quantum well IIR seekers are being developed else where in the world.
hi.
ReplyDeletewht's ths Brahmos blk.3? nevr got enough info on it.
Btw can u mail me contacts of sm ace aviators of both india n out. m working on a project on "advanced flares" & in dyin need of valued inputs frm fighter pilots.also a personal review & sm guidance abt d project's feasibillity frm u is most happily welcome.
well my id is "accidentallooser@gmail.com".
Hi Prasun,
ReplyDeleteWhy is there no Bengal Regiment in the Indian Army unlike the Bihar regiment , Madras regiment , Rajput regiment etc? Is it because of the historic belief of the Indian Army that Bengalis are an unruly & aggressive lot ?
Thanks,
Sumit Basu
Hi Prasun da
ReplyDeleteThere are media reports that Russia and India have signed for a joint mutition plant and for making 5 variants of SMERCH rockets by OFB. Is IA buying more smerch systems....Can u thro some light on it..
Thanks
Hi Prasun da
ReplyDeleteThere are reports in a defence website that the IAF MRTT tender has been dealyed again.This is insane...MRTT was to bought in 2009...but its 2012 and no sign of success...IA 197 helicopter and IN 16 MRH helicopter still hangs in air...This is likely becoz of gloomy economy..Indian economy is declining as much as to 5.4%...Shame on the Govt. and politicians
Sir ,
ReplyDeletehttp://idrw.org/?p=13650
http://idrw.org/?p=13654
What is all this about ? What munitions will the joint production facility produce apart from Smerch rockets. When will this facilty come up ? What are the five variants of Smerch rockets to be produced indigenously ?
"Joint munitions plant for making 5 variants of SMERCH rockets", now what they are up to?
ReplyDeleteSabotage in-house developed mid/long range SSMs like Prahaar?
Or is the incapability of DRDO to develop the same?
Just wanted to point out ...
ReplyDelete1. RUAG does not manufacture armoured vehicles, you might have meant MOWAG
2. Sea Ceptor does not have an IR seeker but an RF one. I fact I would like to know if there is any deployed IR anti air missile on board major western navies?
Cheers
To Anon@12.03AM: RUAG wasn’t mentioned by be with regard to any armoured vehicle, but regarding 120mm breech-loading mortar systems. Sea Ceptor’s feasibility studies include both RF & IIR seekers, just like the MICA family. The RAM is already deployed, as is the Umkhonto, while the VL-Mica and Iris-T-SL await customers.
ReplyDeleteTo RAD: Will post answers in the latest thread later tonight.
ReplyDeleteTo ACCIDENTAL LOSER: BrahMos-1 Block-1 is the 290km-range naval ASCM. BrahMos-1 Block-2 is the 290km-range ground-launched LACM. BrahMos-1 Block-3 is the ground-launched 550km-range LACM with top-attack capability, primarily optimized for use against targets in mountainous areas. Regarding IR countermeasures, no aviator will be able to give you either the physics or chemistry of such systems. For additional data, you need to approach OEMs like Vinten, Alkan & Cie, Vympel JSC, Lacroix, IMI, etc.
To SUMIT BASU: There’s the Bengal Sappers. In areas like Calcutta & Bombay, the Brits never recruited personnel for raising infantry regiments. Such regiments were mostly raised from land-locked areas. On the other hand, the maximum number of naval ratings & officers during the colonial era came from Calcutta, Bombay & Madras. Bengalis are as unruly and aggressive as any other Indian community, barring perhaps the Ladakhis, as evidenced by the recent pogroms in Assam & Mumbai.
To Anons@5.13PM, 9.51PM & VJ: Will find all the info you need in the latest thread.
Hi Prasun da,
ReplyDeleteDid the drdo and navy ever thought of modifying the kilo class sub in India or did they ever experiment with it's hull modification and installation of a nuclear reactor in it.
Does the navy have plans to get the barracuda SSN design from france