By the first week of next March, the
Indian Navy (IN) is expected to receive all responses to the RfP issued on
August 7, which calls for the supply of 56 armed light twin-engined multi-role
helicopters between 2016 and 2023. The RfPs, which have already been received
by Eurocopter SA, Bell Helicopter Textron, Boeing, AgustaWestland and
Rosoboronexport State Corp/OBORONPROM, are most likely to result in the
shortlisting of two contenders—in all probability the Bell 429 and AW-109P—following
which final selection based on the lowest bidder (L-1) will be made. As of now,
the Bell 429, MD-900 Explorer, A-109Power and AS.555 Fennec are the contenders.
The winning design (which I believe will be the Bell 429) will be required to
have a MTOW of 4.5 tonnes, be armed with 70mm unguided air-to-surface rockets, twin
lightweight torpedoes and a pintle-mounted 12.7mm machine gun, be equipped with
night vision-compatible glass cockpit avionics and a chin-mounted FLIR turret,
along with a nose-mounted search radar and an emergency floatation system. Also
to be acquired will be three simulators (of which one will be a full-flight
unit) and 28 spare engines. Of the 56 light twin-engined multi-role
helicopters, 46 will be of the armed-type, while the remaining 10 will be
utilised for flying training purposes. The 46 units will be deployed on board
the IN’s planned five 2,500-tonne AOPVs
now being built by Pipavav Defence & Offshore
Engineering Co Ltd, four NOPVs built by Goa
Shipyard Ltd (GSL), and the 16 stealthy 400-tonne shallow water ASW patrol
vessels of a foreign design (being proposed by Thyseenkrupp Marine Systems,
DCNS and Rosoboronexport State Corp), which are likely to be built by both GSL
and Hindustan Shipyard Ltd. The stealthy shallow-water ASW patrol vessels will
each be equipped with two twin-tube heavyweight torpedo launchers, hull-mounted
panoramic sonar, stern-mounted active/passive towed-array sonar, and a
VSHORADS-based point air-defence system like MBDA’s SADRAL.
In
another development, in response to a restricted RfP which my company, TRIDENT
AVIATION SERVICES, had floated a while ago (calling for innovative solutions for
a helicopter aircrew’s night-vision enhancement systems suitable for
Mi-17V-5-type helicopters), Italy-based SELEX Galileo Ltd, a Finmeccanica
company, has come up with the VIGIL-X airborne enhanced situational awareness
system, whose brochure is displayed below. Needless to say, such a system will
be a highly useful night-navigation tool worldwide for those medium-lift
helicopters that are engaged in flights over high-altitude mountainous terrain,
or for shipborne MRHs when flying over the high seas.
Meanwhile,
shipment of a new batch of 50 JF-17 Thunder MRCAs began three days ago to the
Kamra-based Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) for final assembly. The PAF’s
IL-78MKPs were spotted at Chengdu three days ago for loading the CAC-built
JF-17s in semi-knocked-down condition and ferry-flying them to PAC Kamra. My
appreciation is that the nine-member suicide squad of the Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) was trying to target the four IL-78MKPs that are involved in
airlifting the JF-17s from Chengdu.
But most astonishing is the fact that
50% of Pakistanis do not consider the 30 million Pakistani Shias to be Muslims,
this according to a recent opinion survey poll conducted the US-based Pew
Research Center. If this is indeed the case, then this would mean that the
founding father of Pakistan—Quaid-e-Azam Mohd Ali Jinnah—himself a Shia, isn’t
a Muslim anymore! (see: http://dawn.com/2012/08/15/who-gets-to-be-a-muslim-in-pakistan/).
Is Pakistan therefore now well past the incipient stages of an on-going civil
war?
Lastly,
fellow bloggers may be interested in watching a video (see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGweDRqj1iU) produced by the US-based Georgetown University for a recent arms
control seminar, which showcases the more-than 3,000 miles of underground
tunnels built so far by the PLA’s 2nd Artillery Corps for the
peacetime storage of its vast arsenal of rocket-propelled artillery assets. And
it appears increasingly likely that India too is following suit by initiating
the construction of 18 horse shoe-shaped 8.82km-long hardened weapons storage
facilities in Jammu & Kashmir (under the 13,400-feet Rohtang Pass on the Manali-Sarchu-Leh axis that is due for completion by February 2015,
followed by similar facilities in Zozi-La, Z-Morh, Razdhan Pass, Khardung-La
and Sadhana Pass), Sikkim (at Theng and Rangpo) and Arunachal Pradesh (at the Balipara-Charduar-Tawang axis). Site-selection of the first seven such hardened underground
facilities has already been completed. It is these facilities will house the 550km-range
BrahMos-1 Block-3 supersonic NLOS-BSMs and the projected 150km-range Prahaar
NLOS-BSMs.
87 comments:
Prasun,
Can you provide any schematics of the horse-shoe tunnels being built by IA. Who will construct these tunnels ? IA doesn't have expertise in tunnel building. Can we produce the blast doors for this storage bunkers in India
Will this sites be provided air cover ? They maybe hardened but theri entry and exit access paths will be vulnerable to NLOS missiles.
To Anon@3.29AM: I don’t have the schematics of such horse shoe-shaped tunnels, but construction can be done using local parties, provided the expertise is sourced from abroad from countries like South Korea and Serbia. Check out the YouTube filmclip & you’ll realise what’s reqd in terms of hardware & construction expertise.
What's up at MAKS?Started some photo shoots etc Prasun? As long as you don't fall for any honeytraps LoL!
Sir , will VIGIL-X be fitted on all MiL- Mi-17V5 helicopters . Has the IAF shown considerable interest in the system ?Will Mi-17v5 be the only platform where this will be fitted out ?
Why have your company called for RFPs ?
What about the threads on adhoc procurements of IN ; upgrading of PA and PLA tanks ? And when are you going to let us know about the various developements in MAKS 2012.
When did IA started thinking about superhardened underground storage facilties? When had consturction of these tunnels started ?
What are the various advantages that VIGIL-X provide over chin mounted FLIR ? The res of the images is very high . It will be perfect for IAF .
Prasun,
You can’t be serious about Phil Karber’s nonsensical report.
You may like to read report itself and more about it by others. A lot has been said about it on the internet.
The targets at Kamra were obviously the C-130 Super Hercules and four SAAB-2000 Erieyes. They did manage to damage nosecone of one SAAB-2000 Erieye http://tribune.com.pk/story/423709/analysis-the-bigger-questions-surrounding-kamra/.
The Il-78 was unluckily present there and obviously without the load. Don’t tell me that you think the TTP knew schedule of JF-17 delivery at Kamra.
Probably because of the scheduled delivery of JF-17s, there was an extra alert and Pak Army and PAF commandos were ready at the air base.
This in fact, implies that TTP timings were grossly wrong and they had no insider supporting them as was the case in Mehran.
Sir what is the status of hstdv , hal mta & hal fgfa & sir did u think india can buy mig 35?? and sir can india induct tank ex to its arsnel???.
To RAJ47: Nonsensical you say? Maybe for those who lead an Ostrich-like existence. And since when does the PAF operate ‘C-130 Super Hercules’ transports? Hercules, yes, but Super Hercules? And there was only one solitary Saab 2000 AEW & CS parked at PAC Kamra that day—as has been documented by several Pakistani press reports. And what about the report you’ve quoted, which has obviously been written by a discredited ‘analyst’? Take, for instance, the reference to the Pakistan Navy’s P-3C Orion, which according to this ‘analyst’ is equipped with the ‘Hawkeye 2000 AEW system’ (when it fact all it has on board is Update 3 mission avionics suite). Secondly, the PAF has two ex-Air France Saab 2000 airframes in-country for cannibalisation & therefore no damaged Saab 2000 will be reqd to fly back to Sweden for any kind of structural repairs. Also, no PAF air base is ever protected full-time by Pakistan Army personnel. The PAF has its own SWAT-type QRTs stationed at all its air bases. Lastly, you’ve evidently failed to connect this incident with what’s the present-day scene inside Pakistan (i.e. 50% of Pakistanis do not consider the 30 million Pakistani Shias to be Muslims), which itself is reason enough for many disgruntled Pakistani citizens to wage war against the State (it happened in 1988 due to which Gen Zia-ul-Haq was assassinated & again last decade when two attempts were made to assassinate Gen Musharraf). Only those who mischievously propagate the conspiracy theory of India, Israel & the US supporting & nurturing the TTP can write about the intentions & possibilities of the TTP attacking Pakistan’s high-value military hardware (at the behest of their ‘foreign sponsors’ in order to blunt Pakistan’s conventional war-waging capabilities) like the PAF’s non-existent C-130 Super Hercules & the three other Saab 2000 AEW & CS, which were not even at Kamra at the time of attack.
To PIERRE ZORIN: Plenty of photos but all of those FGFA-related products that were showcased last year during MAKS 2011. But plenty of news updates concerning the FGFA & Super Su-30MKI & MRTA emerged. And surprising as it may seem, honeytraps are privileges accorded strictly to state actors, & not non-state actors like moi (LoLz!).
To Anon@8.18AM: I don’t know whether or if the IAF will go for VIGIL-X. My company’s RfP is for the potential installation of such situational awareness enhancement devices for a privately-owned civilian Mi-17V-5 for an out-of-India customer. IA began planning for underground weapons storage facilities way back in 1998. Construction of such facilities for nuclear-capable ballistic missiles began in 2000. Chin-mounted FLIR’s imagery can only be displayed on cockpit-based displays & that too only for the aircrew. VIGIL-X’s imagery can be generated either on a wide-angle holographic HUD or on a HMD.
It is these facilities will house the 550km-range BrahMos-1 Block-3 supersonic NLOS-BSMs????
BrahMos range is 550 km?? are 290km?? pls reply
VMT Sir for your reply.I would like to ask
some more questions,hope you will reply.
1.How would you compare the performance
of US Marines in Vietnam and IPKF in Sri
Lanka??Who among these two performed
better according to you considering both
were fighting jungle warfare away from
homeland?
2.Between Viet Cong and LTTE-which
organisation do you think was the more
dangerous considering both used similar
tactics and terrain (atleast I think so)?
3.Talking about the LTTE,one incident came
to mind-what went wrong in that fateful
night of Oct 12th,1987 when an entire
platoon of Sikh LI was gunned down by the
LTTE rebels!Was it lack of training or
something else?!How could some insurgents
gun down an entire platoon of trained
personnel with that much ease?
4.How do you think our army fared against
the PLAGF in 1962?Here I am asking about
individual performance of Indian Army
infantrymen and JCOs/NCOs and not the
higher command.And why do you think IAF
was not used and do you think that use of
IAF might have turned the tide infavour of
India?
5.Do you have any idea about the numbers of
KIAs of PA in Kargil?
6.How do you think our infantrymen fare
against their Pakistani and Chinese
counterparts in terms of
training,performance and combat
effectiveness?I have recently come across
many Pakistanis who till tis day think (or
want to think) that 1 PA soldier equals to 3
IA soldiers-wonder what they teach them in
madrassas in Pakistan!
7.And lastly,I think the reason why Russian/
American soldiers don't come to operate at
such heights like Parvat Ghataks do may be
due to lack of necessity than lack of balls or
am I missing something here?
Please try to reply sir.I know that these
questions of mine are in no way relevant to
this thread but I am very eager to learn more
about these things.I could have asked these
questions to some member in B.R but the
answers would have definately been too
much biased as there is no one neutral like
you who is never ashamed to admit the
misdoings of our own
Sir, you are an Indian citizen. Why isn't there any branch of your company in India ? Most of them in USA. Are you also an American citizen ? You are engaged in aviation MRO business. So you must be an engineer specifically an aeronautical ir mechanical. Are you an IITian or NITian? There isnt any mention about you in TRISHUL AVIATIIN SERVICES . You should make a section about you there- company director.
When are you going to publish your book about IN ? Can you pls publish a thread about the recent developements , updates of FGFA,Super Sukhoi-30 mki ,mrta. Looking forward to them.
Whoa! What a reaction.
As far as Phil Karber report is concerned you obviously don’t follow Western experts on the subject.
So, I give up. No point in repeating things which have already been said world over.
I am sure; everyone knows how he adjusted his report after a strong proof provided by a team of experts on the plagiarized document his students quoted.
One aircraft damaged : please listen from 0:10-0:15.
The PA & PAF commandos present at Kamra : please listen from 7:45-7:55.
http://www.awaztoday.com/News-Talk-Shows/26388/Kamra-Airbase-Attacked-by-Taliban.aspx
I like you discrediting Pakistan Tribune, I am sure you would like to comment on their net.
You can check the aircrafts at 33 51 27 72 24 42 @ 6/8/2011 and 33 52 25 72 23 58 @ 6/8/2011, @ 6/14/2011 & @ 7/17/2011 on Google Earth. You will find 2 X SAABs @ 6/8/2011, 1 X SAAB @ 6/14/2011 and 1 X C-130 @ 7/17/2011. Decide for yourself what aircrafts they are.
As on 8/16/2012 at 02.10AM one SAAB was airborne and three were in hangars.
I would also like to hear your views on my comments posted at http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3545138702780178046&postID=6350972141526938269
Thanks.
Cheers!
To SARAN: I mentioned the range of only the BtrahMos-1 Block-3, not those of BrahMos-1 Block-1 & Block-2.
To RAJ47: Don’t need to take heed of or follow any self-styled ‘Western’ expert on the subject, since I’m quite well aware of what’s it all about, thanks to the published assessments of the US Defense Intelligence Agency. Regarding the incidents at PAF Minhaz & PAC Kamra, do listen at 00.54 in http://www.awaztoday.com/News-Talk-Shows/26402/Pakistan-Aaj-Raat-16th-August-2012.aspx
&
http://www.awaztoday.com/News-Talk-Shows/26419/Rana-Mubashir-Prime-Time-16th-August-2012.aspx
I never discredited PAKISTAN TRIBUNE, rather, it was the writer of the report that stands discredited. You obviously can’t expect anyone to believe that what was good for 2011 (regarding Saab 2000 AEW & CS deployments) still holds good for 2012. You’ll have to come up with something far better than that. And C-130 is never known as Super Hercules, only the stretched C-130-30 variants have the ‘Super Hercules’ tag.
Regarding your observations in the previous thread, they’re all way off the mark, since you’re obviously not exposed to what’s been reported by CCTV since August 2010 not only about combat aircraft deployments within TAR, but also about SAM test-firings involving the KS-1A & LY-80E. Had you been even remotely aware of the terms & conditions of the sale by Russia of S-300s to China since the late 1980s, you wouldn’t have dreamt up the S-300P deployment part at Shigatse.
Prasun,
It is also a well know fact that India's MUSLIM population is predominantly SUNNI and they are strictly against the SHIAS in India who they consider as NON MUSLIMS. So there is every possibility that lareg scale riots will break out in INDIA between Shias & Sunnis . Also, the states of the North East are vehemently against "Indian rule" and would want to disintegrate from India . That's hy there is always a bandh across North East during 26th Jan & 15th Aug.
Why ALH was not considered?
To B.RAMAN: I respectfully don’t share that assessment about Indian Sunnis & Shias, because the Indian Sunnis haven’t undergone the kind of ‘Saudisation’ that their Pakistani counterparts have undergone. Nor did India witness any sectarian strife between the two sects (of the type that was wantonly unleashed in the streets of Karachi) while the Iran-Iraq war was underway in the 1980s. As for the North East, while there are ‘breakaway’ factions calling for observance of ‘bandhs’, none of the principal communities/tribals there are in favour of secession from the Indian Republic, simply because tribalism worldwide has never even come close to comprehending the complexities of creating a sustainable nation-state.
To RAHUL: Because a 5.5-tonne helicopter like the Dhruv is considered too heavy for a 400-tonne vessel.
Hey Sir,why aren't you replying to my quaries on my above post?I was eagerly waiting for your replies.So please please please try to reply.
Thank you sir.
your faithfully
Arch Angel
In the name of self defense, China is really preparing for the WW-III.
Prasun,
I had heard a while back that the IAF/IA were interested in the QUADEYE NVG system for the Mil-17s and ALHs is this a firm interest and will we see these in service soon?
Also what rifle do you exopect to be the stadard issue rifle for F-INSAS? And will the various SOFs (IA/IAF/IN) adopt the same rifle or will they stick with their Tavors and M4s?
Also what is the progress on the Corner-shot weapon RFI for RR? Has it move foreward?
In the light of the recent aforementioned attack on a PAF base is it possible to draw any lessons for India? Are Indian bases prone to the same sort of threat and attack? Exactly how well protected is the average IAF/IN base? Are all Indian military installations secure from such an attack?
And as we saw, to the Pakistani's credit, the situation was brought under control relativley quckly with the aid of PA/PAF SOFs are there provsions and plans in place to have Indian SOFs respond quickly to such an attack on Indian bases?
Do Indian bases have well trained and equipped QRTs to respond to such an attack and repel it?
And you have said the N-LUH (BELL/AW) will be deployed on Corvettes and OPVs but the requirment is to replace the IN Chetaks right so will the N-LUHs also be deployed on ACCs given Chetaks are currently deployed on the Viraat for SAR/logisitics duties will the N-LUH as such be deployed on ACCs too?
And will the N-LUH for the IN eventually be widened to replce all ICG Chetaks too?
Given the IN is close to signing a deal for a N-MRH do you see this Western N-MRH being the standard rotary-wing asset on the IAC-1 as opposed to the Russian-dominated rotary-wing fleet on the VIKRAMDITYA?
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-16849-Damaged-Awacs-aircraft-repairable
HI Prasun
The pics of the emb-145 awacs are out, could you explain in detail the various projections and antennas that surround the awacs. What is the black portion ahead of the sat terminal on the roof
prasun
can you explain the ew ,esm com jam ,elint ,sat terminal ,datalink , active towed array etc on the awacs .How much is the israeli input in these areas. This is the first time we are integrating an awacs .Has the phalcon awacs contributed to this in way of software and others?
I have never come across the Iran supporting the running Civil War in Pakistan. Why it is so!
sir is inDian t-90 bhisma have active protection armour ?? does it is as good as other tanks of western countries????
Hi PRASUN, now that MoD has blacklisted Rheinmetall air defense firm , what are the chances that SA-22 Panstir from Russia is procured to meet the requirements of IA & IAF ? For those vital military installations close to border such as airbases, staging areas and logistics bases, ammo depots will counter PGM and counter RAM systems be deployed .For effectively countering RAM and PGM , both gun and missiles systems have to work in conjunction. A combo of SA-22 and IAI Iron Dome or MANTIS( if MoD remove Rheinmetall from blacklist) and Iron Dome. There is another Israeli option of Barak-1 and Phalanx 20 mm gatling cannon. Rheinmetall is based on Skyshield.These will be the inner layer of a comprehensive SAM coverage.
How close are we to purchasing Iron Dome & David's Sling ?
Prasun,
The 2007 Hyderabad bomb blasts have been carried out by "homegrown MUSLIMS" like the Muslim organization SIMI. While it is true that the majority of Muslims in India are patriots it is also true that organizations like SIMI can very easily turn their guns on the minority SHIAS. We have witnessed sporadic clashes between Shias & Sunnis in India .
Regarding the North East please allow me to inform you that majority of the tribes viz Khasis , Nagas , Manipuris , Mizos are vehemently anti Indian & I have spend considerable time out there to understand it . Majority of Indians who had settled in Shillong , Imphal, Guwahati , Kohima from other parts of India have been forced to leave these states or are doing business after paying a hefty "protection money" to the local tribes. Bandhs during 26th Jan & 15th Aug have always been very very successful with the full backing of the local tribals.
Thanks & Regards,
B.Raman
Prasun,
What HMDS will come with the PAK-FA/FGFA? Will it be the same for both platforms or will the Indian side want a different on for the FGFA?
Also can you confirm the IAF are moving away from a twin-seat design for the FGFA and purely going to upgrade avionics and th elike anf MKIise the PAF-FA with Indian,Israeli,French etc avioncis and equipment?
Also do you find the news that the first FGFA protoype will be delivered to India for in-country tests by 2014 credible?
+ will the Rafale come with a HMDS as standard when delivered to the IAF? And if so which one?
+ will the Mirage 2000 UPG for IAF include a HMDS?
Hi Prashun,
Are these shallow water crafts a replacement of Project 28A. Looks like high cost of P28A has forced IN to look at lighter options. What would be the cost range of these shallow water ASW ships. The Kora class was around USD 40 mn at 1400 ton while the Car Nicobar was 10 mn per ship (though lightly armed). Do you think that this ASW shallow water craft will be the apt platform for a cheaper option that can be build in numbers. Didn't know that they have a helicopter hanger.
Thanks
Hi Prasun ,you have met officials from Sukhoi OKB. What new have PAK-FA have you learnt from them . Will there be substantial changes to the airframe for all apect stealth performance .The frontal section VLO shaping is all right. But the aft and downside shaping are not upto the mark. In its present form , it can achive stealth similar to F-35 although not better. And wrt to f-22, it still has a lot to go in terms of VLO shaping. Why will there be a reduction in stealth prf in a 2 seater version . When will FGFA be inducted into service ? Whats the status of NIIP AESA radar ? Will it be present in upgraded Sukhoi. What is the antenna diameter ? How many TR modules will it have . Will AL-41F or Item 117S turbofans power PAK-FA or a completely new engine with flattened nozzels ?
Will you be posting updates on the PAK-FA/FGFA while you are in MAKs? aswell as the MTA status and such, a few brochures would be good too.
http://idrw.org/?p=13428
well sir , i find the above article absolutely stupid..& it's content does not directly matches it's headline..
but still i perosnally sometimes feel that a lot of indian Generals, JCOs, & many times even younf lts , capts & amjors are fat..whats the reaason for this ?
these guys(specially the young officers) are extremely fit & strong when they pass out of academies..but soon in a few months they start to loose strength greatly(speacially arty officers)..is the army not providing enough exercises in peace areas..doesn't this hamper their operational preparedness..they might have to physically fight..
in comparison almost all of the us army or marine corp officers NCOs etc look extremely fit & super strong..
To ARCH ANGEL: 1) One cannot compare the performance of USMC in Vietnam & IPKF in Sri Lanka, since the USMC were engaged in largely positional warfare in primarily rural agrarian terrain, while the IPKF was engaged in guerrilla warfare in urban terrain & jungle terrain. In addition, USMC had extensive aerial fire-support, whereas the same was absent for IPKF. You can read all about this in the book INDIA’s INTERVENTION IN SRI LANKA by Maj Gen Harkirat Singh.
2) Both the VC & LTTE were dangerous & highly motivated. But the VC had the advantage of manoeuvring throughout the hinterland of Vietnam, plus Laos & Cambodia, whereas the LTTE was severely constrained in terms of real estate availability. Had the IPKF been deployed in Sri Lanka till 1992, the LTTE would have been completely eliminated.
3) Even the best-trained combat unit can be ambushed if it is not familiar with the terrain of operations & is totally devoid of actionable field intelligence. The IPKF was never deployed to its areas of operations in one go, but in bits & pieces, which affected consolidation in terms of intelligence-gathering & coordinated ground operations. In fact, the rules of engagement were hastily hand-written on just two sheets of A4-size paper within a hour! That’s how rushed-up the entire IPKF deployment to SL was.
4) There’s no such thing as a good soldier & bad soldier. All soldiers are good. There are only good officers & bad officers.
5) Estimated 1,500+.
6) Training standards-wise, all three armed forces are evenly placed.
7) Russians & the Yanks are not so stupid so as to incur unnecessary casualties in such forbidding heights. What India should have done in mid-1999 was to buy some time & by late July launch a heliborne air-assault of Brigade-strength against Skardu & captured it, & follow it up by attacking Dansum via a coordinated IA-IAF operation. By that time, it was well-known that neither the PAF nor the PN had any stomach for a fight (since Pakistan’s reserves of diesel were only meant for lasting a week at most) & the IAF then had enough quantitative advantages to deliver persistent close air support & tactical air interdiction to virtually knock out the PAF & the PA forces under FCNA’s command in Gilgit-Baltistan. To do all this, however, requires daring, audacity & strength of conviction, which India’s political leaders lacked at that time.
To Mr.RA 13: You see, the PRC knows very well that true to its dictum of ‘teaching the enemy a lesson through punitive pre-emptive strikes’, usage of airpower or ground forces in strength & in depth will also get the PLA bogged down in a war of attrition. Therefore, the best option is always to have weapons that can be launched with little or no warning & which can easily fly over the airspaces of countries like Bhutan or Nepal or Myanmar & which, above all, will not pit the PLAAF & PLA Army in a grinding war of attrition against a foe like India. The best option, therefore, is the massed employment of long-range rocket artillery-based firepower. In India’s case, therefore, the 550km-range BrahMos-1 Block-3 needs to be backed up by Prahaar NLOS-BSM & most crucially, the motorised/containerised Shaurya TBM.
To KSINGH: Not the QuadEye, but Elbit Systems’ Colour Anvis NVG. A K Antony was wearing one when he commissioned the Mi-17V-5 into service on 17-02-2012. It is still too early to comment upon the future assault rifle/carbine for the IA. The SOF units will stick to the Tavors & M-4s. Deliveries of Cornershot are already in progress for RR as well as for SOF units of all three armed services. Of course IAF air bases can any day face the same kinds of threats as PAF Minhas in Kamra. The biggest problem is the co-location of several IAF air bases with civilian airports (as in Deesa, Lohegaon & Jodhpur). The two must be totally separated. The N-LUHs will replace the SA.316B Alouette IIIs wherever the latter are now based. Logically, all ICGS Alouette IIIs too ought to be replaced by N-LUH-type machines. IAC-1 has been designed to accommodate 10-tonne MRHs of Western design as well as Ka-31 AEW helicopters.
To RAD: It’s all there at: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_o_no4M2xEPY/SW2li0hvKZI/AAAAAAAAFnU/9OMqTQRPU2U/s1600-h/DSC01231-771390.JPG
There’s virtually no Israeli hardware inputs on the EMB-145I AEW & CS.
To Mr.RA 13: Why should they? After all, the Iranians know all to well that this is but a proxy war being waged inside Pakistan between Iran & Saudi Arabia since the 1980s & therefore it is far better to knock out once in a while in Karachi a Saudi diplomat, following which the Saudis will retaliate via the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. In addition, the Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar is widely believed to be supported by Iran & he in turn is reportedly supporting the TTP. And Pakistan of course is in denial mode about this & has been trying very hard to convince the world that the TTP is being sponsored by the triad of CIA, MOSSAD & R & AW.
To RAHUL: To neutralise PGMs like standoff LACMs, missile-based SHORADS is the best option. Other than that, the upgraded ZU-23-2s are still quite lethal, provided they’re deployed in sufficient numbers.
To B. RAMAN: In my 23 years of association with the North East, I have smelled trouble, mischief & gun-running only within the Imphal Valley & Kohima/Dimapur. Elsewhere in Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura & Meghalaya I’ve never come across any signs of trouble of the kind that you say takes place routinely.
To UNKNOWN: A brand-new HMDS is being developed for the FGFA, since the HMDS will be able to present a synthesised air-situation picture from both the front-end & rear-end IRSR sensors. There’s no moving away from the tandem-seat design for the FGFA. Single-seat makes sense only for air superiority operations, not for multi-role operations, as proven by the statements of those USAF pilots that have flown both the F-22 & F/A-18F. FGFA prototype will be ready only by 2016 at the earliest & 2018 at the latest. It is the FGFA’s powerplant development that’s behind schedule. The AL-31F42 turbofan for the Super Su-30MKI is now being flight-tested. Both the Rafale & Mirage 2000UPG will have THALES-built TopSight HMDS.
To AK: When NASA in the early 1960s was grappling with the issue of making of a ballpoint pen that could work in space, the Russians then came up with a novel solution: drop the usage of the ballpoint pen in favour of a pencil! The same goes for VLO technologies as well. Like the French, the Russians are working on far more cost-effective active cancellation techniques. The MIRES AESA-MMR is ready for installation on Super Su-30MKI albeit with a larger diameter antenna array. The FGFA’s MIRES variant will be octagonal in shape & will have close to 800 T/R modules.
To Anon@12.35AM: Yes, one can find several overweight & pot-bellied senior officers (Brigadier and upwards) in the Indian Army, & the Army Supply Corps is full of them! Officers of the Artillery & Signals branches do not slug it out like their Infantry & Armoured Corps counterparts & are therefore on the heavier side.
To Mr.RA 13: Kindly read this: http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/DRDO-s-Nag-missile-fails-in-user-trials/Article1-916075.aspx
Sounds like systems interfacing problems involving the NAMICA Mk2’s panoramic day/night target acquisition sight & the fire-control computer that feeds the target coordinates/imagery into the Nag’s IR-FPA seeker.
sir
i am the anon at 12:35am 20 aug..
sir does it mean only infantry 7 armoured corps officers are fit to the core ??
what about officers from other arms 7 services like Engineers , EME . intelligence , ordanance etc..
i mean whats the difference b/w there respective daily physical schedules..i mean its ridiculous how can they get fat(specially the younger lot)..when they are obligated to serve in the RR & AR..
isn't army doing sumthng abt it ..
sir i'll appreciate a lil detailed ans..
thank you
sir ,
do you recommend this book by gen harkirat singh as a genuine book.. good to read..
& also ecently there was a book on the rabinder singh episode by a former r&aw director..what was its name..do u recommend it as a good read.. ?
As earlier tests have been successful, so this failure can be attributed to further developments without properly catering for the changed situations at the interfaces. 1 out of 4 hitting the target may indicate that the error is not total but rather transitional and lying more within the unfavorable range due to some design or QC problems.
sir ,
why does the indian air force & the navy require a perfect eye sight for pilots ?
AFAIK the eye sight standards are very relaxed in the USAF & USN..
Like uncorrected vision is 20/70 for fighter pilots & 20/200 for WSOs..
but still i have never seen a USAF or USN pilot wearing specs.. ?
y so ?
Prasun ,
I can go at length but I think I will share with you ( and the readers of your blog) one of the most insightful article that I have read about the North East . This article shows the true color of the North East people.
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main53.asp?filename=Ne210712Northeast.asp
Regards,
B.Raman
This Raman Chap seems only interested in badmouthing N-E people.I wonder what's his motive...
Hi Prasun , Some changes to the airframe can be expected in the 2014 prototype.If active cancellation jamming techniques were good enough for stealth,then s Uncle sam wouldn't put so much effort into VLO shapinh of F-22 . Previously in on of your comments you said that French & Ruskies were 50 yrs behind USA in active cancellation. Taking into account the stealth shaping & active cancellation will Rafale have sugnificant stealth ?Will France include such high stuff into IAF Rafales ?
Will the Sukhios that are now being upgraded feature conformal aesa or radar arrays in the wings? Apart from the first 50 Super Su-30 mki , will the rest have such radar arrays in wig flaps.
When will the 1st Su-30 Upg be delivered to IAF? Can't this upgradation process be fast tracked for faster delivery? And what about the SUKHIOS of the 1st 3 IAF squadrons that ave gone to Russia for MRO ?
Will Ruskies provide us with an extra Sukhoi - 30 to compensate for the one that recently crashed?
Thanks for your reply Prasun,
Will the SUPER-30MKI UPG also have a HMDS and if so which one?
Also can you give more details on the HMDS for the PAK-FA/FGFA? Have pictrues been released of it yet? What will it be called and will it be up to Western stadards? Ie the IN is going for the THALES TOPSIGHT on the MIG-29K and same with the IAF and not a Russian option. Are the Russians capable in this field??
+
Will you be posting updates on the PAK-FA/FGFA while you are in MAKs? aswell as the MTA status and such, a few brochures would be good too.
I fail to understand what do these militants gain by destroying their own country's assets?
These highly expensive defense assets are purchased by taxpayers(ordinary Pakistanis) money.
Weight issues in non-combat IA units is an issue.
However, before branding all of the US military as fit, please read this:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8423112/ns/health-fitness/t/obesity-takes-its-toll-military/#.UDIwFaM37fg
Combat units, again, are fit - but obesity is a big problem in other units
Sir, http://idrw.org/?p=13452#more-13452 ,
Indian Forces to Counter attack in Kargil type Border clashes
What's this all about ?
Indian army which is raising a new Mountain strike Corp , which in future will be Inducting more then 89000 new soldiers along with 400 officers , with new Armored and Artillery Division in support of the New Strike Corp will likely be placed near china border . Is this mountain strike Corp an entirely new unit or an amalgamation of the two infantry mountain divisions that are now being raised. Will this strike Corp consist of rapid reaction forces like the ones deployed in TAR . Is this entirely China specific? Will this strike corp have artillery , armour , helicopter brigades? Also will it have any helibourne infantry assets? When will this corp raised. Pls tell something about it.
This will be an apt answer to PLA forces deployed in TAR. How can J&K GOVT simply stop a canal
constuction simply due to PLA infantry threat ?
Hi Prasun,
Few round of testings still needs to be done for the Barak LR-SAM and we are getting ready to induct INS Kolkata next year.Will it be devoid of any air defence systems for few years after its induction?
Regards,
Anand.
Hi Prasun , are all ZU-23-2 guns & L-70 guns radar controlled? The laying of the guns, the horizontal & vertical adjustment of the barrels were done manually during WW2. Now is the same practice followed or everything is automatic- done electrically without turning the usual set of wheels. Is the target detection to engagement an automatic process like Phalanx? When will IA & IAF purchase Iron Dome & David Sling? Guns are also required in C-RAM , C-PGM along with missiles. This makes SA-22 an ideal solution. A new target aquisition radar and more agile sam are required in SA-22 instead of the present ones .
To Anon@3.47AM: Tes, do read that book on IPKF, as well as the book by Maj Gen Sardeshpande called ASSIGNMENT JAFFNA. And don’t read that book on R & AW/Rabinder Singh, for it is a work of fiction.
To Anon@3.56AM: It used to be the case before, when target acquisition & weapons aiming was dine with the help of Mk1 eyeball. But not anymore, since today one has LDPs & IRST sensors to do such work.
To B.RAMAN: That’s why I had said earlier that tribalism does not take into account concepts like those of a nation-state or statehood. Maybe you missed it. All I can say is that I personally have never come across any form of resentment or discrimination from the local tribalfolk of the North-East. Quite to the contrary, I’ve always found them to be extremely hospitable & well-intentioned.
To AK: One can hardly compare the aerospace-industrial capabilities of the US with those of post-Cold war Russia or the EU. VLO shaping a very high level of machining precision, which is used mainly for space applications-related products like Space Shuttles & hypersonic space vehicles—products which only the US has successfully developed so far. What one therefore sees in the F-22 or F-35 are mere technological spinoffs from the US’ military space-related ‘black’ projects. Compared to the EF-2000 & Gripen NG, the Rafale through incorporation of active cancellation technologies will have a high degree of stealth. It will be made available for India once it matures & is ready for service induction, which is still a decade away. The Super Su-30MKis will have conformal AESA-arrays in the wings & tail-sections. Total no of Super Su-30MKIs to be procured has not yet been determined. It will be ready for service induction by late 2016. Russia can provide as many Su-30MKIs as India wants, but not for free.
To KSingh: The Super Su-30MKI may well have the same HMDS as that now being developed for the FGFA. No photos of that have been released thus far. It will be on par with the best that’s available right now. Will post some photos & updates on the FGFA & some latest Russian products in the near future.
To Anon@11.04PM: No one has sanctioned any money for any Mountain Strike Corps for the Indian Army. Only four new Infantry Divisions have been raised & that too for making up for the loss of 63 infantry battalions that now make up RR, plus compensate for the deployment of near-permanent deployment of 8 Mtn Div to J & K. It is impossible for any Army to have a mountain strike corps without procuring integral (& not IAF-owned) assets like heavylift & medium-lift helicopters, heavy attack helicopters, helicopter-gunships & LOHs. In addition, near-total absence of adequate road/railway infrastructure all along the Sino-India border means that in the event of hostilities, rushing swift reinforcements to areas of crisis will be impossible, even with a 2-week warning time.
To ANAND: Service induction of INS Kolkata is still two years away. Only warship delivery will take place next year.
To RAHUL: The L-70s are radar-controlled by Flycatcher radars, & they have electric controls/gun-laying mechanisms (see the photos of DEFEXPO 2012 in my threads of last April). The upgraded ZU-23-2s have optronic sensors for target search/lock-on. Iron Dome could be purchased by 2014.
To SBM & Mr.RA 13: Check this out: http://ajaishukla.blogspot.in/2012/08/navys-wavering-delaying-warships-by.html
“According to the CAG’s audit report, the Kashtan surface-to-air missile was replaced with the Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LR-SAM), which the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO) is still co-developing with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). To strengthen the destroyer’s anti-submarine capabilities, it was decided to include a bow-mounted sonar, the DRDO’s Humsa sonar. And the entire helicopter hangar was redesigned to accommodate a bigger helicopter.”
Now, what’s wrong with this above para???
For starters, the badly-written story (by who else, but a ‘desi’ journo of course) alleges that all the above-mentioned enhancements were done mid-stream, which is clearly not the case. Secondly, how can a close-in weapon system like Kashtan be replaced by the Barak-2 LR-SAM? In reality it is the Cashmere air-defence system (using the Shtil-1 MR-SAM system)--on the 3 P-15 DDGs, six Project 1135.6 FFGs & 3 P-17 FFGs—which on the 3 Project 15A & 4 Project 15B DDGs—has been done away with in favour of the Barak-2. Thirdly, the bow-mounted sonar installations began with the 4 Project 28 ASW corvettes & were from the outset specified for the 3 Project 15A & 4 Project 15B DDGs & 7 Project 17A FFGs (clearly visible on the photos I had uploaded in the DEFEXPO 2012 thread last April). The Project 17 FFGs, on the other hand, have hull-mounted panoramic sonars. Lastly, the helicopter hangar for P-15A DDG was NEVER redesigned. Instead, on all DDGs of the P-15 family, the hangars can accommodate 12-tonne multi-role helicopters, while all hangars of the P-17 family of FFGs are designed for only 10-tonne helicopters.
By the way, this is the very same journo who claims that CENTCOM (instead of PACOM) is in Hawaii (which for him may well be somewhere in or around Florida!!!).
OK. But then what causes the delays in these IN stuffs.
prasun sir
i want to ask several questions from you
1-sir is t-90 bhishma is as good as other tank of western tanks
2-sir there is any active protection in t-90 bhisma if yes then which is it???
3-did u think in equipment wise indian army , indian navy & indian airforce is comparable to china & pakistan..
4-sir what is the future of tank-ex
5-according to you which would be ideal choice for iaf in mid air refueling aircraft is a-310mrtt or il 78mki
so sir please give answer of it..
To Mr.RA 13: An excellent question! Many a time it is basic/fundamental questions like these that elicits some of the most most comprehensive answers from folks like me. I will expose the multi-headed hydra (which plagues the IN) tonight, kindly rest assured.
To ASHI JAIN
1) Not at all.
2) Not yet.
3) Against Pakistan, yes. Against China, no.
4) Inshallah it will have a glorious future.
5) Purely for mid-air refuelling, the A310-300 or B.767-300ER will be the best, followed by IL-476, that is, IF & WHEN it becomes available.
Wishing all those concerned & their loved ones a belated Id Mubarak & a joyous-cum-prosperous Lunar New Year.
Hi Prasun,
Why the IAF or IA not procuring the IAI Nimrod missiles.
"Nimrod has a semi-active laser guidance system, capable of day and night operation. Its flight trajectory can be set below obscuring cloud layers, while a forward scouting team uses a laser designator to direct it from up to 26 km behind.
Nimrod may be installed on a variety of towed launchers, light combat vehicle launchers, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft."
i thinkwith such specs neither the HELINA, Brimistone, Hellfire or PARS 3 can compete with it. Why we are not equipping our Rudras, LCH and Apaches with it ??
Hi PRASUN ,Very many thanx for replying.
The L-70s are radar-controlled by Flycatcher radars, & they have electric controls/gun-laying mechanisms.So, now there is no need of the two opeartors that are usually there in a L-70 gun carriage - one adjusting the controls and another firing. I have gone through your entire thread on DEFEXPO 2012. So L-70 is an automatic weapon system just like Phalanx. In many pics of Kargil war i find ZU-23-2 cannon manned by two person. So arent they similarly radar controlled. Previously you mentioned that they too are guided by radars.
By radar control i mean , the radar acquires and tracks the target, then passes on the firing solution to the electrical systems of the gun which then points the barrel in the target's direction .So there are no humans in front of the gun constantly adjusting and firing it.
How can have one good detection range with optronic sensors instead of radars ?So , L-70 can be used in C-PGM role to some extent .
Is the economic downturn postponinig the procurement ?
Sir ,
Among the 4 new infantry divisions that have been raised to make up for the battalions of RR , are the 2 new mountain divisons that are being raised included or they are separate from the mentioned 4.Will IA equip these divisions with new assault rifles, sidearms , grenades , body armour , night vision kit ? By supplying them with new rifles and equipment the army can gradually replace INSAS. Where will all the ammo and firearms come from ? Are new orders neing placed with OFB or they are being sorced from the Army's existing war reserves ? Is RR not a part of Army ? Will they not take any part in case of war with Pak, China .Will IA purchase Stryker MGS for fielding light tanks in Ladakh desert ? Will new IFVs,APC be ordered ? Is there any proposal for uparmouring BMP-1 BMP-2 ?
And are the desi journos paid for spreading wrong info to the public ( mountain strike corp , wrong info about Kolkata class destroyers ).
Prasun,
I thought newer generation radar replacing RAWL(probably RAN-40 L or SMART-L)will start entering service in IN from P-15a. But the latest pic from Shukla's blog, it appears RAWL has been fitted atleast to one ship! Any particular reason why IN didnt go for RAN-40L in P-15a, when it has already selected the same for IAC-1? ordering more no.s would have been decrease the cost too! Will P-15b follow the same suite? P-15b silhouette from def expo also shows RAWL will continue service in P-15b.
Thanks
P-15a destroyers have been floating in water for some time. There are still some uncolored parts left. The hull & some other portion of the superstructure are being corroded by seawater .When the Navy inducts them, are they to be subjected to a rebuild to repair the damaged portions and replace the corroded ones.
Thanx prasun sir for replying
prasun sir what is the status of india acquiring self propelled artilary & IJT & when india going to induct novator k 100 ,Maitry & barak 8 missile...what is the use bmp 1 & 2 indian army & pls made post on india israel defence cooperation & russia india defence coperation
To Mr.RA 13: As promised, the following the main reasons why India’s warship-building sector is in shambles:
1) Lack of coordination between the Principal Staff Officers at Navy HQ and the various professional Directorates in terms of deciding the force modernisation priorities & their implementation schedules within fixed timeframes.
2) Lack of coordination between the IN HQ’s Directorate of Naval Design (DND), Directorate of Indigenisation, Directorate of Quality Assurance (Naval), Directorate of Marine Engineering (DME), and the Directorate of Warship-Building & Construction. This leads to enormous delays in finalising a warship’s design and the suite of weapons & mission sensors, leave alone freezing it.
3) Lack of an independent design consultant to validate the detailed warship designs of the DND, due to which the DME always is at loggerheads with the DND.
4) The DPSU-owned shipyards are therefore helpless & have no other alternative but to resort to re-fabrication of redesigned modules & re-installment of cables & equipment like pumps & compressors, all of which result in loss of man-hours of work & wastage of raw & processed materials.
5) Smooth planning of production cycles & economic utilisation of skilled manpower is almost totally absent due to points 3 & 4 (above), as a result of which a shipyard’s skilled workforce is often idling.
6) Lack of due diligence by the Directorate of Indigenisation, Directorate of Warship production & the DPSU shipyard, which consistently fail to draft tenders for materials & assemblies with detailed specifications, and also fail to accurately calculate the provision of lead times needed for out-sourcing materials and assemblies from external vendors.
7) The obsolescence of DPSU-owned shipyards, which have no integrated & temperature-controlled modular warship-building workshops or open-air wet-basins for final outfitting purposes.
8) Near-absence of automated hull fabrication processes within DPSU-owned shipyards, which lead to over-reliance on human resources for activities like welding, thereby increasing costs & often resulting in skilled welders deliberately working slowly in order to claim overtime allowances.
9) The Indian Navy’s lack of dedicated test-vessels, as a result of which it is nearly impossible to undertake fool-proof systems integration of weapons/mission sensors & validate their systems integration architecture, leave alone guaranteeing their functionality under operational conditions.
10) The DRDO’s inability to deliver new-generation indigenised weapons/mission sensors on time-frames that it had earlier committed to.
11) Micro- and macro-management of the DPSU-owned shipyards by the MoD, which prevents the exercising of functional & managerial autonomy by the shipyards’ management team.
To BRADSHAW: The ARDE is developing a NIMROD-like laser-guided PGM as a spinoff from the Sudarshan LGB project.
To RAHUL: There will always be the need for human intervention for L-70 & ZU-23-2 for ammo loading purposes. These are not closed-loop systems like the Phalanx & therefore human intervention is reqd for ensuring gun alignment AFTER targeting cues are received from Flycatcher or optronic sensors. The latter can today look out to 15km & and can also receive early warning cues from radars like Bharani & Aslesha & I-Reporter.
To Anon@7.05PM: They’re included. Only four new divisions are being raised, not 6.
To SHAURYA: The RAN-40L as of now is only for IAC-1. It should have been ordered for P-15A/P-15B DDGs as well, but it is most bizarre that this hasn’t been the case as yet. Consequently, RAWL-08 is non the three P-15A DDGs. Also, there’s no missile-based CIWS on the P-15A DDG, IAC-1 & P-28 ASW corvette as per the scale-models shown during DEFEXPO 2012. Previously, Barak-1 had been shown on the P-28 ASW corvette in 2008.
To Anon@10.37PM: In all probability, yes. What a waste of resources!!!
Hi Prasun,
Your idea on how China in the next decade will behave internationally after it attains geopolitical clout after overtaking the US as the world's biggest economy. Will it substitute the US in the middle east.
Will it shape Africa as per its wishes.
Will it overcome the US containment policies in Asia
The problems explained by you are very grave in nature and almost insurmountable within the existing framework. But again they are the most normal and natural problems of our govt, bureaucracy, PSUs and officialdom. The only solution is to privatize and/or clip the wings of the non players. Delays in ordering & supply without any technical considerations shall be considered as a crime. The financial clearances shall be taken for longer periods in the field of defense as already highlighted by you.
Prasun,
Do you think it is likely that it will be TATA who license-builds the S-70B for the IN (if it is picked). Do you not think this is a big milestone for the Indian military industrial complex? This could surely have major positive ramifications for the defence sector as a whole and especially private pplayers.
And do you see the Black Hawk being procured by either the IA or IAF, apprantly Sikorsky has breifed the Indian military on it and much of the constriction could be done in India.
As a dedicated SOFs/SOAR platform for the IAF/IA it would be ideal. Has the Indian military got any plans for such a dedicated SOF/SOAR platforms specilised and custimised for the role??
Sir, I have a few queries .
http://idrw.org/?p=13548
Russia hopes India will refloat MMRCA tender
1.A top Russian arms trade official suggested that India may cancel the results of its tender for the purchase of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA).
“I wouldn’t say that the MMRCA tender is a closed issue. We have information that the tender is still up in the air,” said Vyacheskav Dzirkaln, Deputy Director of Russia’s Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation.
Is there some hitch in the process ? What is actually happening ? Will we afterallnot procure Rafale ?
2.Mr. Dzirkaln told the Interfax-AVN news wire on Tuesday that neither the Indian nor the French side were happy with the financial terms of the deal and the extent of technology transfer. Is this really true ? Has negotiations fallen through ? How much more time will it take for contract signature .
3.Now has Rafale failed to be L-1 bidder . If the tender is floated again , it will take another seven yeras for the 1st ac to be inducted. For which jet will IAF go ?
4.You mentioned that IAF will buy an additional 63 Rafale for a total of 189 . But nowhere there is news of this additional deal .
5. Has the no of additional Sukhois to be purchased been decided by IAF HQ ? Mr. Dzirkaln says another 42 are to be procured. Why isnt IAF ordering Sukhois in more nos like 80 or so instead of 42 ?
6. Will these Sukhis be Su-35 ?
prasun sir please give answer of my questions.......
Hi PRASUN , again a lot of thanx for answering. In L-70 & ZU-23-2 , humans are required for ammo loading. Besides this for gun laying are they required . After target detection , the radar passes the firing solution to the gun system. Then are there any system in the gun that automatically lays the gun , aligns the barrel in horizontal and vertical direction for having a shot at the target without the humans. Previously the operators had to manually rotate the gun barrel and elevate using crank wheels for aligning the barrel and gun laying. Now is this the same. ?? Or it is performed by other systems . And even if the operator had to lay the gun ., align the barrel does he do it manually or through electo-hydraulic systems ? There is some confusion in this and pls clear this for the last time.
HAL has the means of only producing only eight Tejas. Are there any probabilty of MoD asking Tata produce Tejas mk2 jets to increase production. Tata is already producing Sikor helicopters . And they have the means to produce 24 Tejas per annum .
KSingh Saheb,
Apache is a Boeing helo. So how can Sikorsky brief the Indian military on building it in India? Perhaps you meant Sikorsky briefed them about building the S-70B?
Ksingh Saheb,
Never mind. D-uh! I should read carefully before posting. You are talking about the Black Hawk not the Apache. Silly me.
Prasun,
Thanks for your reply.
So, no RAN-40L for P-15a/b, close to 9-10 years to induct from the day of hull laying ceremony, capping the no.s of P-28 ASW corvettes at 4, no AESA for Mig-29k, opting for different hull for almost every different surface combatants instead of standardizing them, placing of orders in piecemeal manner(only 2/3 vessel for every class of ship),.. it seems IN is upto setting a record of most bizzare decisions taken by any modern navy in recent times!
Phew.
Hi Prasun da
Few queries:
1)Navy s IAC-1 seems to be delayed to 2017 for induction..Very sorry state of affairs in DPSU s and MOD.Whom do u think is the main culprit behind such delays.
2)Reg tha Navy s Medium range maritime aircraft tender.Which one do u think will be the winner.
3)There has been recent media reports that sikorsky has offered the Balck Hawk helo to India..and has briefed the IA and IAF.Can u thro some more light on it
4)What do u think about the V22 osprey.The machine seems ideal for special operations especially in high himalayan altitudes..Is there any update that India will go for it
Thanks in advance...will be waiting for ur reply
Now this is another report in media saying the negotiations between India and France have fallen off
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/10bn-Rafale-deal-not-final-yet-German-leader/articleshow/15610312.cms
firstly, is it really true? if not what could be motive behind spreading these rumors? they are not gonna help them to win back the deal. And if its true? what could have made India let go such a lucrative offer from french? is India really out of mind that they will go for re-tender as suggested by Russians.
It is becoming hard to believe whats written in press these days.
Hello Prasun,
What's your take on this:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/NH23Df01.html
It seems that there is quite an issue at hand within the IA or are the few incidents being blown out of all proportions?
prasun Sir how many attack helicopter india have & which one are they??& sir is 22 apache is enough for india???
Prasun,
Why is the IAF not going for the G550 based Phalcon AEW&C instead of IL-76 follow-on order. IL-76 has its share of problems when sourcing from the Uzbekistan based supplier. IL-76 is high on maintenance so why not move on to a more reliable Western Air-frame ? Does the IL-76 AEW have any unique or high performance equipment which the G550 lacks. The only thing I can think of is the operator console space.
Personally I think half a dozen C-295 based AEW systems will bring more capabilities to the force then the Indian Embraer AEW when ever its ready.
To Mr.RA 13: I won’t blame the IN alone for such a sordid state of affairs, but also the MoD, which has for the past 20 years failed to upgrade the shipbuilding capabilities of its shipyards. Where the IN comes in for scathing criticism from me is its inability to create a dedicated pool of skilled consultants (like an independent regulatory board) for conducting ‘peer review’ of its warship designs. Had this been in place, then the DND & DME would never have clashed as frequently as they do now, and consequently there would have been no need to resort to constant redesign & rebuilding/re-painting of the warships’ interiors.
To Anon@11.32AM: Having the world’s biggest GDP does not automatically translate into becoming the world’s foremost industrial power or foremost military power. In fact, PRC may well become the world’s biggest consumerist economy but will still lag behind the US & EU in terms of industrialisation & urbanisation. The same goes for military power projection capabilities. Consequently, the PRC won’t become a substitute for either the US or EU in any corner of the world for at least the next 50 years.
To KSINGH: The S-70B-2 Seahawk deal is as good as a done deal, but they will all be supplied off-the-shelf in successive tranches. If at all they’re to be licence-assembled from semi-knocked down kits, then this job will in all probability will go to HAL, thanks to the prevailing mindset within the MoD of favouring the DPSUs. There’s no reqmt for the S-70i Black Hawk-type helicopter, since the IAF is already well satisfied with its Mi-17V-5s, which can also be used for CSAR.
To Anon@7.22PM: My understanding is that this Russian official was totally intoxicated when he engaged in such wild speculation. For the reasons he outlined are not the ones responsible for delaying the Rafale M-MRCA contract signature. And I also blame the ‘desi’ journalists for not even bothering to explain what exactly are the challenges of implementing the direct industrial offsets clauses, which is what is causing the delays. Firstly, the MoD’s Defence Offset Monitoring Wing (DOMW) & the Defence Offsets Facilitation Agency (DOFA) have been late to take off. Secondly, the rules & regulations governing the functioning of the involved SMEs are only being framed now. Thirdly, the Union MHA has insisted on very stringent industrial security guidelines that even go to the extent of installing CCTVs for 24/7 surveillance of the workshops of all such SMEs & also security vetting of the employees & management of these SMEs. Therefore, the do’s & don’t’s governing the functioning of these SMEs is a labourious process, especially in India where the MoD bureaucracy works at a snail’s pace. THESE ARE THE MAIN REASONS why any major contract involving an enormous offsets content will take a long time to be inked, even after product selection. And don’t blame me if the ‘desi’ journalists have failed to mention the follow-on reqmt for 63 Rafales, as was stipulated in black-n-white in the RfP. Maybe such ‘desi’ journos are illiterate or as usual fail to read the fine prints of a document. Any future orders for Sukhois will be Su-30MKIs, not Su-35.
To RAHUL: Movement of the guns in azimuth & elevation is now an electro-hydraulic affair, as opposed to a pneumatic affair previously. Target acquisition & lock-on semi-automatic when using optronic fire-directors, just as is the case with any MANPADS. Opening fire is done through manual means. TATA is not producing any Sikorsky helicopters, but is only producing fuselage parts—i.e. as a component manufacturer. It is still too early to talk about series-producing the Tejas Mk2. Let it first obtain its certification of airworthiness.
To SHAURYA: I won’t blame the IN alone for such a sordid state of affairs, but also the MoD, which has for the past 20 years failed to upgrade the shipbuilding capabilities of its shipyards. Where the IN comes in for scathing criticism from me is its inability to create a dedicated pool of skilled consultants (like an independent regulatory board) for conducting ‘peer review’ of its warship designs. Had this been in place, then the DND & DME would never have clashed as frequently as they do now, and consequently there would have been no need to resort to constant redesign & rebuilding/re-painting of the warships’ interiors.
To Anon@13.39AM: Your first question is answered above. For the MRMR/ASW aircraft, it all depends on whether the IN will go for turboprops or jetliners as the preferred platform. In my view, there’s no need for MRMR/ASW platforms, and the IN should instead increase its fleet of P-8I LRMR/ASW platforms to about 24. Coastal maritime patrol is the ICGS’ job & the IN should not get involved in this area. Everyone is always offering everything to everybody, so that’s nothing new, be it the S-70 or V-22. The V-22 is still some years away from becoming cost-effective, even in the West.
To Anon@8.08AM: These are indeed rumours & I’ve explained above what the real reasons for the delay in M-MRCA contract signature are. But what is true is that within India’s military-industrial print & electronic media, Eurofighter GmbH & even Saab Aircraft BV enjoy a huge clout since they both have spent a lot of money in advertisement/marketing campaigns in India, to the point that most of the military-industrial print/electronic media became totally intoxicated by such lavish spending of advertisement revenues between 2007 & early this year. Since February 2012, however, such spending has come to an end, & the local military-industrial print/electronic media are now feeling the pinch & are longing for the good old days. And the ‘losers’ of the M-MRCA competition are ever willing to spend money on those vested parties that will go to any lengths to malign the M-MRCA selection process, especially since Dassault Aviation throughout the M-MRCA competition period never courted the Indian press in as lavish a manner as its European, US & Russian counterparts—which even prompted some overzealous journalists/commentators to engage in conspiracy theories alleging that the selection of the Rafale was always pre-determined.
To SHER KHAN: Within such a large armed forces, these are indeed isolated incidents, but they still are incidents nevertheless that cannot be brushed under the carpet. Human resource management in the 21st century have to evolve further to be in sync with the dynamics of present-day & can no longer be the same as used to be during the days of colonial rule. Mindsets have to change & consequently wrk ethics too will be reqd to follow suit.
To Anon@4.57PM: About 20 Mi-35Ps & six Mi-25s. Of course 22 Apaches aren’t enough. At least 60 are reqd.
To SK: Going for the PHALCON mission sensor package on board a Bombardier Aerospace-built Global 5000 wide-bodied platform will be a logical choice instead of the A-50I option. But here one has to contend with the DRDO, which always has a veto say over whatever India’s armed forces want, & the DRDO has been insisting that its CABS-developed mission sensor suite be given the chance to prove itself first on the EMB-145I, & later on a wide-bodied aircraft like the Global 5000.
Sir, I am anon at 7:22 pm. THANX VERY MUCH forr answering in detail. Can you pls tell in the present manner of processing a deal , when exactly will the contract be signed ? Why not go for Su-35 . They are more advanced than Su-30 mki. And why only 42 Sukhois ? Will more be procured ?
To Anon@11.55PM: Who says the Su-35 is more advanced than the Su-30MKI? How can a single pilot of the Su-35 can do all that a pilot & weapons systems operator do on a Su-30MKI? I can't predict with certainty as to when any deal will be signed. Only another tranche of 42 Su-30MKI remains to be ordered. After that, no more, hopefully.
Prasun you have been saying that the no of Su-30mki to be procured havent been finalises yet. Why is IAF just buying only 42 acs? Why not more ? Why is another tranche being ordered? Besides the super sukhoi will the other sukhois have wing and tailaesa arrays. We can buy a two seater version of Su-35. Su-35MKI.
Dear Prasun, this is the first time I have heard that Brahmos-1, block-3, has a range of 550 km. How can the Russian collaborators violate Missile Technology Control rules?
To Prasun Sengupta
BrahMos Block-3 has 550km range??
Plz explain...
@ Prasoon...550km-range BrahMos-1 Block-3? Bullshit man.Even if it is true how the hell do u know about it?U think its so easy to get military information by any Tom Dick & Harry? Even if you were correct by chance, then by now you would have been behind the bars on some pretext or the other.So stop fooling people in the name of journalism.
@All Why do you people dont protest such nonsense? Do not trust in conspiracy theories, it will only make us sound like Pakistani's.
By ripples@rocketmail.com
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