That’s exactly what may well be
happening, if one takes a look at the poster above (that was publicly showcased
by HAL during the DEFEXPO 2012 expo last April in Delhi’s Pragati Maidan), which
clearly shows the unarmed version of the Predator UAS along with the Searcher
Mk2 and Heron-1 UAS. And since none of the three armed services of India are
known to be operating the Predator, then the only other possible operator is
the Aviation Research Centre of the Union Cabinet Secretariat’s Research &
Analysis Wing (R & AW).
Shown
below are photos of an unarmed Predator UAS that was on display at an aerospace
and defence expo in South Africa earlier this year.
103 comments:
Sir, Your thread on Project Sanjay. Where is it ?
Dear Prasun,
According to Wikipedia Rustum-2 is a weaponised version of Rustum-H. Here is the actual quote:
"Rustom-II: An unmanned combat air vehicle based on Rustom-H model. It is often compared with Predator drones by Indian scientists and media.[9][11][12]"
So Rustum-2 and Aura are one and same or different?
Dear Prasun,
What is the status of Nag and Astra missile development?
Hi PRASUN, I checked a lot of pics on MiG-29UPG in flight.I also compared it to MiG-29B-12. I couldnot spot any differences in the wing. I also checked out MiG-29K's pic. MiG-29K has a larger wing and hence a larger area. MiG-29UPG has same length wing.It also seemed to have the same breadth of Mig-29B-12. So i cant see any increase in wing area. In IAF's MiG-29UPG Upgrade Package Detailed there isnt any reference to modification of wings. Another thing i noticed is that the no of hardpoints per wing remains the same at 8. Can you give some link mentioning the increase of wing area. And if there is at all any increase in wing area then the wings must be larger than that on SMT. MiG-29UPG flight shows no changes to wings. The changes to airframe are there in yellow colour.
You have many friends in many aerospace companies. You frequqently visit def expoes. You can ask RAC MIG people on this. Pls clarify this. I have been watching a lot of pics but couldnt find anything.
Hello..........is it likely that some one at HAL placed the picture of the Predator on the poster by mistake ?? Such goofups have happened before..............
Sir, Can you pls tell where to look for the retirement ages , uptill what age is flying allowed in Indian Airfoce official website .
Sir, one suggestion...
Your blog comments' page always contains all the great info about military stuff and sometimes the comments run into 100s, this makes it difficult for those who maybe searching for a particular piece of info on your threads that they must have forgotten to copy/paste earlier, so Is it possible
to add a search feature in the comments page where we can type a particular searchword, say "9M317ME" for example and find out wherever that word has been mentioned in the comments page?
There is a search feature in the blog but it only highlights part of the stuff as description under the thread title and it again becomes difficult to scroll through all of the page to look for the needed stuff. I could copy/paste the entire comments page on WordPad and search there but my PC is quite slow and it takes many minutes to paste large amount of data at once.
Im sure there must be others like me around...so Im here requesting a search feature on the comments page...waiting for your views.
Prasun Da
great !! i love read ur blog !! would u be able to provide ur email id
Sir , Thanx for answering my queries.
1. A few weeks ago when I asked you that EL-8222 pods are old ones. You said that I was the only one in the only world who would tell that EL-8222 is an old one. I said in reply that many advancements were there in transmitters,exciter,processor. So apart from new EW threat libaries, the hardware remains the same in case of EL-8222 pod or other such pods.
2.What hardware subcomponents are upgraded in block upgrades of radars such as EL2032 ?
3.Are there any orders for Airstar radar for IA,IAF ?
4.When will Prahaar NLOS-BSM be inducted into service ?
Sir,
What is the status of the indigenous aircraft career being built by India? When it will be inducted into the service?
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/unidentified-flying-objects-ufo-seen-in-ladakh-jammu-and-kashmir-by-indian-army-itbp/1/227372.html
Any idea about what it could be?
Sir, what are ur views w.r.t PRC's SAC J-31/FC-60's first flight? Will it force MoD and DRDO to speed up the R&D on AMCA? We still think it can be achieved with full efforts by pvt. Sector and various institutions such as IITs/NITs..
Sir is IAF still looking at an indigenous MMR for Tejas Mk-1? Will Mk-2 have Indian or Italian AESA radar? What is the progress on indigenous development of fighter-based AESA radars in-country?
Any progress on development of frameless bubble canopies for Tejas Mk-2 and FGFA? IMO FGFA/PMF's canopy will be Indian, am I right?
When is the N-LCA NP-2 going to fly, the single-seat fighter version of NP-1?
When is the scheduled ski-jump takeoff of N-LCA? Have all landing gear problems been fixed?
Is the F414-GE-INS6 a version of the F414 EPE? What is its maximum flatout thrust? Will both land-based and carrier-based Tejas Mk-2 have the same engine?
What is taking DRDO so long to integrate Derby VCRAAM into Tejas? Integrating Israeli missile with Israeli radar should not be a problem.
What is India's contribution in the hybrid EL/M-2032 MMR for Mk-1 Tejas?
Thanks in advance, sir.
Sir, Can a combat ac takeoff when it is raining ? The acs that are palced on scramble duty,will they take off when it is raining moderately and an intuder is detected ?
Does the HUD of MiG-29 also double as a radarscope like the one of MiG-23 ?
Sir will you post any articel on FINSAS in near future?
Sir do you have any idea about when LCH PV 3 will: have its frist flight.
though I don't question your belief, but are you saying this only based on this pic of HAL only.Or you have seen them with your eyes . I guess DRDO and all DPSUs are known for this kind of blunders in pic.
I think that your deductions in the above article are correct and R&AW mostly may be using the said version of the Predator.
Hey prasun are u sure about this predator report? or is this another goof up by these copy paste guys of PSU`s
Hi Prasun,
Here are the figures I have collected from various sources as to how much CH-47F is costing each international customer.
Canada orderd 15 CH-47Fs worth $1.15. Cost per unit $77 million.
"Boeing will match every dollar spent by the Canadian government in acquiring its CH-147 fleet by partnering with and issuing contracts to companies in Canada."
Netherland ordered 6 CH-47Fs worth
$506 million including all avionics, Honeywell T55-L-714A turbine engines, etc. Cost per unit $84 million.
Australia ordered 7 CH-47Fs + 2 Simulators, and associated spares worth $470 million/ Cost per unit $67 million
UAE ordered 16 CH-47Fs (38 T55-GA-714A Turbine engines, 20 AN/APX-118 Transponders, 20 AN/ARC-220 (RT-1749) Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio Systems (SINCGARS) with Electronic counter-countermeasures, 40 AN/ARC-231 (RT-1808A) Receiver / Transmitters, 18 AN/APR-39A(V)1 Radar Signal Detecting Sets with Mission Data Sets, flight and radar signal simulators, support equipment, spare and repair parts) worth 2 billion. Cost per unit $125 million
Cost includes support, spare engines, parts, simulators and other goodies. Some countries are ordering more spares and extra suport than others. For example, UAE is ordering a lot more spares than others.
It is obvious that this deal was FUDGED under US pressure to favor Boeing. Even with life cycle cost the MI 26 is a lot lot cheaper. Now the same thing has been done for the A 330 deal as well .
Regards,
To Anon@7.34AM: PROJECT SANJAY will be uploaded soon, AFTER I’ve finished digesting all the latest revelations made by Dr A Q ‘Bhopali’ Khan during a Pakistani current-affairs talk-show over the past 48 hours.
To SNTATA: That report is totally erroneous. There are only two Rustoms: Rustom-1 that is flight-controlled by line-of-sight data links, & the Rustom-2, whose plywood-made full-scale mock-up was first shown during Aero India 2009 & which will be flight-controlled by SATCOM-based data-links. Both Rustoms will be unarmed MALE-UAVs. The first Made-in-India UCAV will most probably NOT BE the AURA, but another vehicle powered by the GTRE-developed Laghu Shakthi turbofan.
To Anon@12.39PM: At http://www.migavia.ru/eng/military_e/MiG_29_SMT_e.htm the airframe modifications are not explained properly, hence the prevailing confusion. However, if you check out the photos of MiG-29UPG prototypes KB-3123 & KBY-3301, the new-build wings with larger wingtip sections are clearly visible in grey colour.
To Anon@1.03PM: That would happen to persons who would not bother to ask around & talk to the concerned HAL officials about the visual depiction. As I’m clearly not one of them, the obvious can be safely be deduced as being the truth. In addition, you need to recall the intensive aerial surveillance undertaken by ARC during 2004-2006 periods of that portion of the LAC along Pakistan’s Northern Areas during which it was the ARC that first reported the existence of a convoy of Toyota Landcruisers that originated in the Neelam Valley & terminated at an area close to Manshera. Subsequently, Afghanistan’s intelligence agency determined that this was the convoy that transferred OBL to his final destination in Abbotabad.
To Anon@2.32PM: VMT. Will try to seek some solutions in this matter.
To Anon@3.54PM: There have been many advancements were there in transmitters, exciters & processors for MMRs, but for EW pods, the only reqd upgrade is the interface between the RWR & EW’s mission processor, & updating of the RWR’s EW threat library. Everything else stays the same. That’s why the ALQ-99 EW pods are still used by EA-18G Growlers, for example. For block upgrades of slotted-array MMRs, usually it is only the programmable signals processor that requires replacement once in 10-15 years. Prahaar NLOS-BSM’s SAR terminal seeker is still under development & won’t be available for another two years, in the very least.
To Anon@4.06PM: IAC-1 will be inducted into service after 2017.
To Anon@7.28PM: They are most probably unmanned UFOs that have been known to emerge from underground bases located in central Tibet & around Lake Mansoravar. And they have always been observed in & around areas where WMD storage/deployment-related activities have been known to take place. But these UFOs are definitely not piloted recce platforms like the USAF’s TR-3A Black Manta.
To MAYUR M MANAPURE: Both the J-20 & J-31 are years away from being operationally inducted. Secondly, while China has made technological breakthroughs in areas like panoramic AMLCDs & IRSTs with the help of Ukraine, Belarus & some CIS republics & CAR states, in crucial areas like sensor-fusion & high-end dual-mode optronic sensors, it is far behind the West. A stealthy airframe alone is not enough to achieve low-observability. Sensor-fusion & net-centricity are far more important factors, something the Rafale M-MRCA & FGFA will both have in abundance. The AMCA is still a very far way off. IITs & NIITs can hardly produce the kind of skilled & experienced human resource talent required for developing fifth-generation MRCAs.
To Anon@9.34PM: Why not? Every HUD gives fire-control information derived from MMRs.
To JEET SINGH: Yes. First-flight of LCH’s PV-3? Dunno.
To DASHU: That would happen to persons who would not bother to ask around & talk to the concerned HAL officials about the visual depiction. As I’m clearly not one of them, the obvious can be safely be deduced as being the truth. Even visually speaking, the chances of HAL correctly depicting the Searcher-2 & Heron-1 & confusing the Predator with Searcher Mk1 are extremely dim, even to a layman.
To MR.RA 13: VMT. What the poster ALSO reveals is that unlike the MRO facilities available at HAL for all mission-sensor LRUs & powerplants of the Searcher Mk1.2 & Heron-1, such corresponding facilities as yet do not exist for the Predator, which means two things: the number of such UAS is too small in number, & 2) servicing is done by the US-based OEMs through a system of field-service representatives that are available on-call, with HAL only providing infrastructure-support like its hangars in the northeast.
To Anon@12.37AM: How can anyone make such a ludicrous claim when no acquisition cost figures of the Mi-26T are produced? In addition, does the Mi-26T come available with cockpit procedures trainer or flight simulator? Does the Mi-26T come along with maintenance simulators & CBTs for aircrew & ground-crew? Does the Mi-26T feature a chin-mounted or belly-mounted FLIR pod? Above all, is the Mi-26T SOF-qualified, because that was one of the principal reqmts of the IAF? Such deals cannot be fudged because the results of the competitive evaluations are made fully known to both the winner & losers, with the loser having the right to legally contest the conclusions, but being barred from making follow-on counter-offers, this being the prevailing international norm.
This is an excellent analysis & objective self-introspection: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-unlearned-lesson-of-1962/article4055276.ece?homepage=true
Dear Prasun,
What is the status of Nag and Astra missile development?
Hi , Do you want to mean that there are underground bases of aliens deep inside Tibet and around Lake Mansarover and they are keeping tabs on QMD deployments to see how far we have become destructive . Underground bases in Tibet and even the Chinese have no clue about it .
Hi PRASUN, I have viewed many pics of MiG-29UPG prototypes , those you have mentioned and compared it with MiG-29K. MiG-29SMT doesnt sport a new wing with increased wing area. Its wing area remains the same as MiG-29B-12. And if you see a flying UPG from below where the wings are visible you can see that thw wing remains the same.
@Prasunda
yes very well analysed. Thanks a lot cuz seeing from you we can also learn a lot.
I would like to ask you only one question
As these UFOs originate from the Tibetan and Lake Mansarovar ragions. Does it mean that China has got any role in such UFOs?
If not then who or what do these UFOs belong to? The fact that these can be seen near places where the WMD deployments have taken place, I strongly suspect these could actually be covert surveillance operations
Sir, Can the UFOs be balloon or other such of lighter than air craft with a potent light source within . Or are these real UFOs? I once read in a book that somewhere in Tibet there is a huge underground repository of high tech stuff-weapons included. All such stuff were used a long long time ago and they nearly wiped out the planet. The Lamas are like Republican Guards , guarding these secrets with their lives so that mankind doesnt stumble upon them. In another book i read that Krishna,Shiva and some other of our Gods are from some other planet. They are different from us by the blue colour skin. And yet in another book i read that a huge stuff on aerodynamics is there on Upanishads,Rig Veda. Our very early ancestors were even technologically advanced than us. They had mastered anti-gravity tech. The supposed kidnap of Sita by Lanka was through one such vehicle. And sometimes I think if this is at all possible .
Sir, Thanx a lot for your explanation which was enough to clear my doubts.
1. IAF has on order 10 Harop systems .How many Harop loitering missiles are there in these 10 systems?
2.How many Airstar 2083 radars have been ordered by IAF & IA after the initial two .
3.JSOW is a gliding standoff munition with no engines. How it can have a range of 120 km ?
4.Why can't a SAR seeker of Russian origin be user in Prahaar NLOS-BSM to fasrtrack induction .
5. Are the T-90 tanks of IA to be upgraded to AM standard. Any decision regarding this has been taken ?
6. Are you absolutely sure that there will be no conventionally armed version of Nirbhay or ADM ?
Hi Prasun ,
1) Did the KA 52 loose out to the Apache because the Apache emerged as L1 ?
2) Will Textron transfer the technology related to the designing of CBU 105 to India ?
3) Will just 15 Chinooks suffice or do you think that the IAF will order 15 more ?
Many Thanks,
Anil K
Hello Prasun,
1) Does the US maintain any listening posts in India ? For example Echelon in UK .
2)Does the US uses the facility in Mizoram to carry out any kind of military operation.
Thanks,
R.Kapoor
Prasunji,
What are the design specifications of FMBT. Rafael type Active Protection System, Counter Anti Tank Missile system (Wire Guided with limited range ~400 meters integrated with APS), ERA and NERA. Human less turret (Completely automated). 50 tons. 3 crew (Commander, driver/navigator, Gunner) configuration with multi function displays. Even sporting anti air warfare capabilities. new Light weight engine (Wankel type, because of its high power to weight ratio) mounted in front like the Merkava IV. Please share with us with some further details.
Also please share some information about FINSAS and the two new Infantry multi caliber rifles under development. Thank you again prasunji.
Sir , How many Kh-59M were bought in weapons package of Su-30 mki deal ? As more Su are being purchased , more AGM as well as AAM must be ordered. As new Sukhois are being purchased , are land attack missiles like Kh-59ME with 200 km range and Kh-59mk2 with 285 km range being procured?Kh-59ME and MK2 with inertial navigation,a variety of terminal seeker like mmw can well be the principal ground attackweapon of SU-30 of our airforce .
Dear Prasun,
Thank you very much for the clarification on Rustum-2 and Indian UCAV.
1.Do you think the development of a small Gas turbine engine by HAL and Laghu Shakti engine in partnership with NPO Saturn by GTRE will enhance the country's prospects of developing a better engine for fighter aircrafts?
2.There are unconfirmed reports that DMRL has developed advanced nickel based alloys and single crystal blade technologies. Have you any information? If true will it not give a big boost to our capabilities in development of Gas turbines?
Sir,An additional nine EL/M-2083 Airstar radars are on order as you reported in IAF’s Multi-Phase IACCCS Being Enhance . Any news on LRSR competition ?
Hi , Is BAe Sea Eagle ASHM still in service with IN helicopters , and the maritime patrol acs ? Kh-35 has the lowest range and lowest warhead weight in its class of ASHM . Dont you agree. So a new ASHM is needed for IN P-15 DDG and the helicopters and MPA ? What chopper does Shivalik class uses for ISAR & over the horizon targetting .
Prasun, In which IN warship is 9M38M1 operational ? Which version of Shtil missile has 45 km range ? In UN registar on Con Arms is everything correct especially the nos. There it is mentioned that 9M38M were purchased.
UFOs can be anything from modern R&D items during all periods of times to various types of visual Mirages especially in the cold regions, EM field lights created by pressurized tectonic plates or by subtle variations in earth magnetism.
In physical terms, I still recollect the TV video clipping of the film by Dr. Kulkarni, wherein the object is a humanoid or a shorter man in the fully covered dress like an astronaut, who is wearing a mechanical structure around his waist. This structure holds three or four smaller balloons and a much bigger balloon is above over the head. This live object moved very fast on the downhill and moved a bit slower on uphill, may be due to gravity. But once in the air, it moved up so rapidly as if pulled up through a rope by a moving distant aircraft overhead.
However in the pure theological terms the UFOs can be at the visible interface of the ancient surviving Indians who have either moved to other dimensions as well and/or have achieved invisibility and invincibility and they do not want directly to return to this ever increasing unrighteous world. Lol...
Prasun da
I had one idea for the air to air missile which could take out multiple aircrafts at long range ... some thing like a bhramos which could be air launched and which would spray toungsten dust into in coming aircrafts ... i think this will form fist round shield and reduce the incoming aircraft count
Regards
Aditya
Hi Prasun ,
Since the F 22 uses both Infra Red and Radar to track hostile missile launches are there any countermeasures in place to fool the F22's systems , i.e DAS + APG 81 .
Thanks,
Jagadish
To Soubhagya,
http://www.google.com/url?q=http://tarmak007.blogspot.com/2011/12/bvr-astra-missile-warming-up-for.html&sa=U&ei=00-WUODSCIOnigK96IDYCw&ved=0CCMQFjAD&usg=AFQjCNGtMyq3Z2MmrvGKuDLSGS1jaaaASw
Sir, What is the Belarus India defense cooperation all about ? Uptill now in what fields we have cooperated with Belarus and what defense equipment was imported from Belarus ?
Hi Prasun ,
It is a well known fact that the US inserts malware . There was this report of possible malware in the P8I ( link below) :
http://livefist.blogspot.it/2009/09/exclusive-devil-in-details-bogey-in-p.
SO why is India still buying Apaches, Chinooks from the US .
To SOUBHAGYA: The 50kg Nag ATGM is overweight by 15kg, while the Astra Mk1 has been rejected by the IAF & IN as it does not even come close to the R-77 in terms of performance. Hence, the Astra Mk2 is now being developed & it will eventually be a re-engineered version of the Vympel R-77 RVV-AE. You can read all about the R-77 at:
http://trishulgroup.blogspot.in/2008/10/vympels-r-77-bvraam-revealed.html
&
http://trishulgroup.blogspot.in/2008/10/r-77-is-superior-to-mica-em.html
To Anon@10.33AM: Once photos of the MiG-29UPG doing a knife-edge pass vecome available, the new wing design will be evident.
To ABS & SAYAN & Mr.RA 13: China too has no clue about the origins of such UFOs flying out of TAR. There are several ancient Tibetan holy texts chronicling the existence of far more advanced civilisations that have existed underground in TAR & it was in the early 1920s that Indologists from Scandinavia, Russia & Germany first came across such ancient texts, followed by some missionaries (monks who were followers of Ramkrishna Paramhansa & Swami Vivekananda) who went to Lhasa to do more detailed research on such texts. It is believed that these texts were smuggled out of Potala Palace at around the same time when the Dalai Lama fled from TAR in 1959. These are well-documented facts, while as far as rumours go, they were born after the release of the movie ‘The Lost Horizon’ in 1937 in which the existence of the mythical kingdom of ‘Shamlaba’ or Shangri-La somewhere deep within central TAR was the main subject of the movie.
Coming now to the issue of such advanced technologies available with ancient civilisations, the following two video-clips will be of interest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlRG7k2tVrg&feature=related
&
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HbWPumsTzo&feature=related
It seems there are three types of ‘flying machines’: one capable of inter-platenary travel, one capable of inter-stellar travel, and finally one capable of inter-galactic travel. While the first type makes use of the kind of plasma-physics principles that have been mastered to date only by the US (, for instance the triangular TR-3B, through reverse-engineering), the latter two make use of the principle of ‘symbiotic propulsion’ whereby the vehicles are propelled, navigated & guided by ‘thought-control’, & therefore there are no moving components or machinery or electronics in such vehicles. All three types of flying vehicles were known to have existed during the time of both ‘Ramayana’ & ‘Mahabharata’, as were 46 different types of guided-weapons, mostly missiles & directed-energy weapons, or beam weapons, whose present-day analogues would be high-power lasers, tactical nuclear weapons & EMP-generating weapons.
More clues & revelations could well emerge in future if more archaeological excavations are carried out about 70 miles ahead of the present-day Dwarka, as well as in the Gulf of Khambat, which will shed more light on the original Dwarka that existed 32,000 years ago.
To Anon@6.29PM: 1) Each HAROP system has only one flying vehicle. 2) No more EL/M-2083 aerostat-mounted radars have been ordered by anyone in India, although the reqmt is for 70 such systems for all three armed services. 3) JSOW, if launched at high-altitudes from B-52s or B-1Bs or B-2s, has a 120km-range 4) Miniaturised SAR seekers of the type reqd for Prahaar are not available from Russia. 5) T-90S can indeed be upgraded to T-90AM/MS standard. 6) Yes. That’s why they’re referred to as being ‘strategic weapons’ in official literature from HAL & DRDO.
To ANIL K: The Ka-52 was never offered by Russia. It was the Mi-28NE that was on offer. It makes no sense to ask for the CBU-105’s design if only less than 600 rounds are being procured. The total reqmt for CH-47F Chinook-type helicopters is 40.
To R. KAPOOR: 1) Not that I know of. 2). No.
To HUNT: Final GSQRs for the FMBT haven’t been drafted as yet since the IA itself is not sure what exactly its FMBT ought to be, & is therefore still the subject of doctrinal debates. To me, the FBMT ought to be close to 70 tonnes in weight, be powered by a 1,800hp gas-turbine engine, completely do away with ERA tiles & instead incorporate APS, completely do away with anti-helicopter missile capabilities since the AAC will from now on have enough LOHs & Rudra helicopter-gunships armed with Mistral ATAMs, have a turret-mounted auto-loader that will make a three-man crew complement possible, use a 49-cal 140mm smoothbore cannon & have an integrated vectronics suite using MIL-STD-1553B digital databus.
To SNTATA: No, the Laghu Shakthi’s R & D cycle won’t have any impact on future development of turbofans for combat aircraft, because the Kaveri is already far more advanced & it can easily power HALE-UAVs of the same size as the Global Hawk. In fact, the DRDO ought to have launched a programme for developing a Rustom-3 HALE-UAV instead of squandering its limited resources on the AURA. The DMRL has indeed developed such alloys on a laboratory-scale. Doing it at industrial levels is a different challenge altogether.
To Anon@11.23PM: Sea Eagle was decommissioned from service almost seven years ago. Kh-35E is still far better than the MM-40 Exocet Block 1 orAM-39. For P-15 DDG’s SLEP, BrahMos-1 Block-1 will suffice, while for shipborne MRHs, Konbsberg’s HSM will be an ideal choice. There are no shipborne MRHs for P-17 FFGs or P-15A DDGs as yet.
To Anon@11.38PM: If that is the case, then the 9M38 refers to the missile round meant for the Shtil-1 naval air-defence system.
T o Aditya: The supersonic BrahMos-1 isn’t a stealthy missile & will therefore be detected by any airborne MMR. Consequently, the targetted combat aircraft formation will be able to take evasive measures much faster since the BrahMos-1 at supersonic cruise speeds has g-limitations & therefore isn’t as manoeuvrable as combat aircraft.
To JAGADISH: No, there aren’t. The only other alternative is to launch a swarm of missiles (air-to-air or ground-to-air) to overwhelm the F/A-22’s self-defence systems.
To SAYAN: The optronic fire-control systems on the T-90S MBT have all come from Belaruss PELENG.
RAM: That report itself was full of malware, i.e. speculative without any firm proof being produced by the report’s author.
Sir i'm the Anon at 8:20PM on November 02. Have you missed out my questions sir..?
Sir a lot of questions -
1) I've heard many times that the Indian FGFA will be "unvieled" in 2014, but when will it fly for the first time?
2) How much funding has the ADA/other companies have recieved from Govt for design research work on AMCA?
3) What info do you have regarding the Tikhomirov N-050 AESA radar of PAKFA, will FGFA have the same radar? Can you share any specs if available?
4) Whats the progress on developing flat-nozlles for Russian PAKFA? The Soviets did some research on flat nozzles long ago, is that being utilised now?
What type of nozzles coudl the Indian FGFA end up with?
5) What is maximum G-stress tolerence of LCA as yet? And the meaximum AoA? Ive heard from you that LSP-4 or LSP-7 is being used for experimenting increased AoA on Tejas.
6)The P-15 DDG has a full-load tonnage of 6,900 tons. What will be the full-load of P-15A Kolkata DDG? Wikipedia says 7,000 but I don't believe it, how can it be just 100 tons more than P-15? Also what are the real dimensions of the P-15A? Length, Beam and Draught?
7) When is the scheduled SLEP of P-15 DDG going to start? When could the upgraded P-15s sail out?
8) Do you have any info regarding China's indigenous aircraft carrier? Will it be a replica of Varyag? Or CATOBAR?
Any timelines revealed?
9) What is maximum aircraft-carrying capacity of Vikramaditya? I think 16 fighters and 10 helos is the standard loadout.
10) Any progress on selecting ATGMs for Rudra and LCH? Has HELINA been rejected?
11) Will BrahMos-II hypersonic missile also have land-attack and anti-ship variants just like BrahMos-I? What will be their respective ranges?
12) Any chance P-17 Shivalik FFGs could be upgraded with the VLS-launched 8M317ME SAM? Will P-15 DDG SLEP include the integration of this SAM? P-15 so far only has the arm-launched versions of 9M317.
13) What could be defence-related deals/accords that be signed with Japan in the coming months/years? Japanese PM has asked New Delhi to cooperate with Japan to tackle China together. What will our response? Any progress on that front?
14) Any chanches of another Indo-Chinese border skirmish in the coming months? IA must get revenge for 1962 humiliation somehow, maybe grab some of Yunnan Province or TAR.
15) Whats the progress on the AD-1/2 interceptor missiles? Is DRDO planning any test of AAD-1/PAD/PDV against an Agni-1/2 missile?
16) What advanatges does DSI offer over a traditional inlet?
Sir,An additional nine EL/M-2083 Airstar radars are on order as you reported in IAF’s Multi-Phase IACCCS Being Enhance . Any news on LRSR competition ?
Sir, In your thread , "IAF’s Multi-Phase IACCCS Being Enhanced." You wrote . 'The IAF is now gearing up to induct new-generation S-band long-range surveillance radars (LRSR), an additional nine ELTA Systems-built L-band EL/M-2083 ‘Airstar’ aerostat-mounted high-power radars (HPR) to add to the two already in service, and 18 L-band EL/M-2082 ADAR 3-D active phased-array airspace surveillance radars.' So is this data erroneous ?
@Prasunda
very many thanks indeed for the links. I believe rather than focussing on conventional means of pursuing science and technology development, India's GOI should provide ample funding to create R&D clusters that research the evidence of such hi-tech stuffs from our ancient civilization. The main motive of these R&D institutions should be the concepts of "parallel universe".
I just read a few articles posted in the Chinese media, with an emphasis on strengthening the relationship between the two countries. It seems China has taken stock of its military inadequacies along the border vis-a-vis India, and hence going from a more assertive stance to a more accomodative stance.
To Anon@10.52AM: The data was not erroneous. Follow-on orders were to be placed last year, but were never placed, due to product-support problems with the aerostats. Now, efforts are on to procure only aerostats through global competitive bidding & after the aerostat’s selection, the follow-on EL/M-2083s will be mounted on the selected aerostat.
To ABS: VMT. The new Chinese leadership that will take over later this month has articulated a ‘Look West’ policy that is likely to be implemented over the next 5 years. But this is not due to any inadequacy prevailing along the Chinese side of the LAC. On the contrary, the border transportation infrastructure of China remains years ahead of India.
Sir, I think that there is a strong resemblence , relation between our Gods and the Extra terrestrials,UFOs .All our Gods were from other planets. This is not only true for us Indians and Hindus. Mayans,Aztecs had also worshipped gods which dont exactly look like humans. Mahabharata,Ramayana are not mythologies but real historical records. Our ancient civilisations were generations ahead of us in science and technology. Hitler was very obsessed with India especially Indian mythology,Hindu scriptures. The Nazis spent a lot of wealth in acquiring,decrypting and translating Vedas,Upanishads, and other scriptures. They also tried to reverse engineer a lot of tech,devices .
Which TR-3 are you referring to ? Northrup Grumman TR-3 Black Manta. Is it capable of inter-planetary travel ? Americans have got their hands on a few spaceships that have crash landed. Area 51 and the nearby facility not only is the R&D centre for top-notch spy planes but also a major R&D centre for reverse-engineering UFO technologies.
PLA 2nd Artillery Corps have created hundreds and hundreds of underground tuneelling in TAR to protects their missiles. Havent they come across any such signs of an underground UFO base. How deep is the underground base that you are talking about . Extra terrestrials have co-existed with us for a long time.
Sir, is it true that Pakistan has 90-110 nuclear warheads and their nuclear inventory is greater than ours ?
Army set to try more lethal T-90 tank. The requirement is for 340+ tanks. A total of 236 latest Russian origin tanks have been ordered. So why a lesser no of tanks were ordered ? Is this the latest T-90MS variant ? When will the rest of the fleet be upgraded ?
Which MAWS system will be fitted to which AAC helicopters ?
Sir , How many Kh-59M were bought in weapons package of Su-30 mki deal ? As more Su are being purchased , more AGM as well as AAM must be ordered. As new Sukhois are being purchased , are land attack missiles like Kh-59ME with 200 km range and Kh-59mk2 with 285 km range being procured?Kh-59ME and MK2 with inertial navigation,a variety of terminal seeker like mmw can well be the principal ground attackweapon of SU-30 of our airforce .
Prasun, when could the J-20 really be operational?
Dear Prasun,
1. You have said that the FMBT should be at least 70 tons in weight. But it seems from reports that the Army is not able to find a suitable role for Arjun Mk-2 because it is too heavy [67 tons] and cannot be deployed in desert areas of Pak border or Punjab border where the terrain is criss-crossed with rivers and canals, nor can it be operated in the mountainous regions of JK or can it be airlifted by any aircraft, despite the fact that Arjun Mk-2 is a very good tank, with very good speed, mobility and fire power including missile firing capacity. Is it not the current trend to make the future MBTs lighter, some what in the category of 45-55 tons?
2.Regarding UFOs: when we think of UFOs, we think of alien civilization keeping an eye on our planet. There is also another theory that the remnants of previous high-tech civilization [Atlantic civilization]that was destroyed long time back, has gone underground and keeping an eye on us [in league with Spiritual Masters] to prevent a WW-3 and nuclear holocaust. The second theory appears to be more plausible because, so far, there is no evidence of extra-terrestrial life, whereas there are scores of evidences pointing to, now extinct, Atlantic civilization.
To Sntata. Who told you there is no evidence of extra terrestrial life ? Who do you think helped the Egyptians build pyramids ? Who do you think was behind the UFO sighting in Tibet ? Who do you think Krishna was ? Go through the Upanishads and you will find scores of references to Vimanas , flying objects . Have a read of Doctor from Lhasa. If you go through it you will find that there is indeed some extra terrestrial base in Tibet .
Sir, Thanx again for answering.
1.When hammer AASM is launched from high alltitude can't it also have a 120 km range like JSOW ?
2.Where are the two Airstar radars deployed ?
3.When will BMD phase 1 be deployed ?
4.What happened to protecting critical military infrastucture , airbases , supply depots from massed NLOS-BSM,TBM,,IRBM,TBM ? Isn't IAF aware of the grave threat ?
5.Aren't the T-90S of IA be upgraded to MS standard with a new engine, fire control system ?
6.SAR seeker of Brahmos can be fitted in the nose of Prahaar .
7. Why is the order for twenty more Tejas mk1 not placed ?
Hi Prasun ,
( 1) Does the APG 81 radar on the F 35 use stealth waveform that are on all the time, like spread spectrum modulations?
(2) Do more TR modules in an AESA radar mean more radar emission ?
Thanks,
Jagadish
Hi Prasun,
I found this Asia times article interesting explaining the mc Mohan line anybody can understand
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/NK06Ad01.html
Hello Prasun ,
Is there a treaty between the USA and India whereby if an Indian citizen is wanted in the US the Indian Govt will extradite that person to the US ? I recon the NDA Govt had signed such a treaty .
Thanks,
Ram
To SAYAN: In the Mahabharata itself it is written that there are some 400,000 planets like Earth within our own Galaxy—the Milky Way. The Northrop Grumman TR-3A is the Manta. The Lockheed Martin TR-3B Astra is a triangular flying vehicle about which one can find out more at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh9MMl-Svtw&feature=related
The underground bases I’m referring to exist several km below the surface. There are such bases deep within the Pacific Ocean as well along the Mariannas trench, some as deep as 25,000 feet.
Regarding Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, the latest revelations on TV by Dr A Q Khan dispel all myths about the country having up to 100 n-warheads. The reality, once it emerges, will be quite devastating even for Pakistanis. As for ordering T-90AM/MS MBTs, the number to be ordered has not yet been finalised. For far, only the MILDS-F MAWS has been selected for installation on Rudra helicopter-gunships.
To Anon@6.51PM: The no of Kh-59Ms ordered was less than 50. The IAF prefers to procure CALCMs like Taurus KEPD-350, instead of Kh-59ME.
To Anon@9.03PM: By 2017.
To SNTATA: As I had already explained earlier, the problem is not the Arjun MBT’s design, weight or performance specifications. Instead, it is the lack of adequate rail/road transportation infrastructure within those states of India that border Pakistan. The ‘alleged’ cock-ups that have been highlighted recently about the Arjun MBT family are not what they seem, but they’re being perceived as performance deficiencies of the MBT, when they’re clearly not. Add to this the misconceptions that are arising due to the inability of the writers of such reports to convey the true operational picture. Kindly allow me to explain it all in layman’s terms: India’s MBT fleets during peacetime are stored in the hinterland far away from their wartime staging areas close to the border. This means to get to the border areas the almost all MBTs have to be transported by railways, this being known as exterior lines of communication. Once these MBTs arrive by rail in their respective theatres of operation, they then have to disembark & be re-loaded on road-mobile motorised trailers in order to reach their respective staging areas, typically 40km/70km away from the border, and this type of road connectivity is known as interior lines of communication. It is this transfer of lines of communication (from exterior to interior) that is time-consuming, as witnessed during OP Parakram. Within the interior lines of communication, most of the roads & bridges are not MLC-70-class, meaning while they can cater for loads of up to 50 tonnes (which augurs well for MBTs like the 46-tonne T-90S & 38-tonne T-72M1s), they cannot cater for loads for heavier MBTs like the Arjun. There are two logical options for overcoming the above-two limitations. One calls for prepositioning a substantial number of MBTs closer to the border so that they do away with the need for using exterior lines of communication & make use of only interior lines of communication. Secondly, within the interior lines of communication, all bridges & roadways ought to be upgraded to MLC-70 standard. Now, in both cases, this calls for acquiring real estate (land) from state governments for establishing several new Army cantonments containing warehouses & workshops for mechanised & motorised vehicles & their spares inventories, plus housing quarters, along with the commencement of a massive road transportation upgrade programme. It is THIS that is the main hurdle that is extremely difficult to overcome, since land is a state subject & therefore the states & the Centre tend to spend years haggling with each other before the land can be acquired by the MoD. For upgrading the interior lines of communication too, it is the state’s responsibility & if the state is unwilling to spend money, then there’s very little that the MoD can do. Therefore, it makes no sense for the IA to acquire any state-of-the-art heavy MBT if such MBTs are not able to be deployed at short notice whenever & wherever they’re needed. This is what the problem is all about, & it has nothing to do with any performance parameter (like battlefield mobility) of the Arjun MBT.
To SNTATA: In case of a future round of hostilities between India & Pakistan with a nuclear backdrop, the traditional areas for the clashing armoured forces will be the Thar/Cholistan deserts & the Chhamb area within the Shakargarh Bulge (Chicken’s Neck area), both being areas devoid of any man-made obstacles like ditch-cum-bundhs (DCB) & irrigation canals. The Arjun MBT has therefore been optimised for operating precisely in these areas & the IA has no complaints about it at all. But at the same time, the Army finds both its hands tied behind its back when it comes to the improvement of interior lines of communication in states like Rajasthan, Punjab & J & K, simply because it is totally helpless & can’t do anything at all to make things better. Only the Centre, its MoD & the concerned state govts can offer solutions, which they’re not willing to at the moment. Therefore, if anyone is to be directly blamed for sabotaging the Arjun MBT programme, it is not IA HQ, but the MoD & state govts. It is these two entities that are seen to be conspiring to condemn the IA to live with & operate lighter underperforming tanks like the T-72CIA & T-90S, instead of going for the best that the country’s military-industrial entities have painstakingly developed for both operations in the plains (Arjun Mk1/Mk1A) & in the mountains (TANK EX).
Regarding global design/performance trends for FMBTs, countries like the US, Russia, Germany, France & Ukraine are ALL resigned to the prospect of developing heavier versions of their existing MBTs. Germany has even developed a 140mm smoothbore cannon & Russia is developing one now. Both Ukraine & Russia have officially stated that their FMBT designs will be heavier than what is now available & will be powered by 1,800hp engines. I therefore do not see India’s FMBT going against such established wisdom & trying to achieve the impossible. It will be truly sad if the CVRDE tries in vain to design/develop a 50-tonne FMBT.
Regarding extra-terrestrial life, in the Mahabharata itself it is written that there are some 400,000 planets like Earth within our own Galaxy—the Milky Way.
To Anon@10.01PM: 1) Of course. 2) Jammu & Barnala in Punjab. 3) It will never be in its present state. 4) All that is still work-in-progress & will take at least a decade to reach fruition. 5) That’s the proposal from Rosoboronexport State Corp & Uralvagonzavod JSC, but this will take time for the HVF Avadi to deliver, hence IA’s preference for importing the first 340 T-90AM/MS off-the-shelf. 6) Nose diameter of Prahaar & BrahMos are totally different. 7) What’s the use of ordering an interim Mk1 variant of a single-seat MRCA when it has been universally acknowledged that it will be under-powered & would therefore have to be superceded by the F414 turbofan-powered Mk2? Far better therefore to reduce the Mk1s to be ordered. Instead, only tandem-seat Mk1s ought to be ordered for use as LIFTs.
To JAGADISH: 1) In all probability, yes. 2) Not more radar emissions, but multiple transmissions in multiple directions for interleaved operations, as well as far higher MTBFs for the AESA-MMR.
To Anon@12.04AM: VMT.
To RAM: You mean a Mutual Extradition Treaty?
Hi Prasun da
Project Sanjay pls ....Waiting eagerly
Hello Prasun,
The way I understand the Indo US extradition treaty is that the US can get anyone extradited from India however the opposite is not true . Therefore India could not extradite Anderson And David Headley . Infact the US presurises India to not even issue an extradition treaty .
Thanks,
Ram
To RAM: No such treaties are one-way affairs. The norm of reciprocity always governs such treaties. As for those not being extradited to India, it is for India to request their extradition. If such requests are not even made, one cannot point any accusing finger at the US. As for David Headley, the NIA was granted access to question him & there's nothing more that can be obtained from him even if he were to be extradited to India. What ought to be far more important is the unravelling of the truth concerning the supply of near-precise actionable intelligence of US-origin concerning 26/11 to both India & Pakistan by October 2008 and why, despite this, 26/11 could not be pre-empted.
Sir, Kh-59ME is not a CALCM. It is more of a longer range ground strike weapon with 200 km range. Kh-59mk2 is a CALCM as is Storm Shadow, Tauras. What is the point in acquiring such a few no of standoff precision guided AGM ? It would have been better if none were brought. All Western airforces which are smaller than IAF spent a huge sum in procuring standoff PGM in masses. Many Asian airforces such as those of Taiwan,South Korea,Japan ,Turkey ,Saudia Arab has a lot of precison guided bombs,CALCM such as SLAM, AGM like Popeye. TuAF has bought 500+ Popeye AGM. RFP was issued for light standoff PGM like JSOW.AASM . What is the status of it ?Will CALCM also be bought in such small quantities ?
Hi Prasun Da ,
If Russia is attacked by say NATO or maybe China and Russia requests military help from India , do you think New Delhi will oblige ?
Thanks,
SUjoy
@Prasunda
what do you think?
1)Is the RAW or even the DIA and any other intelligence agency, providing support to the Balwaristan and Balochistan movements?
2)How would you rate our intelligence accumulation and actionable intelligence accumulation and accumulation vis-a-vis the a)The Chinese along the Sino front?
b)Along the Pakistani front?
Your detailed views are highly awaited.
Sir,
1. Why has the aerostat mounted radar deployed in Barnala ? What is special in there ?
2.Will there be a cut in defense budget ? How is it going to affect modernization of armed forces ?
3.Why doesnt IA go for 4 km range fire and forget Spike instead of Konkurs ATGM ?
4.Isn't the weight of T-72M 41 t? Is it adequately protected to withstand a TOW 2 attack ?
5. Is IA interested in upgrading the whole T-90 fleet to AM standards ? Kanchan composite armour can be part of the package. The Russians can be asked to complete part of the upgrade.
6. When will LW 155 deliveries start ?
7.When will upgrading of MiG-29 start in India by 11 BRD ?
BTW, who is winning and who is good for India.
I think Obama fits better in prophesies, but Romney practically fits better. :)
Prasun
1) Any abstracts from the recent AQ Khan interviews with your opinions.
2) In a hypothetical situation is it possible to replenish, re-fuel and re-arm (At least torpedoes)a submarine while its submerged. Perhaps in a modular way. If this is possible then SSBN/SSGN's can have unlimited range with very low detection. Can any country currently posses the capability to build such submerged replenishing vessels...along with receiving equipment in the submarines.
Sir , COAS will brief CCS on the need of a Mountain strike corps.Two mountain divisions have already being raised . The strike HQ , is it more mountain infantry divisions ?
What effect will 10% disinvestment have on HAL ? Will it speed up production of aircrafts & speed up R&D and increase quality ?
Has A330MRTT being finalized for IAF Tanker reqmt ?
Dear Prasun,
Thank you very much for your clarification on heavy futuristic tanks. But all the same, keeping in view the difficult terrain and poor or non existing infrastructure in the forward areas of JK, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, don't you think the country's defences along these borders will be better served by light tanks, which can be easily airlifted to forward air-bases? It seems the country is neither interested in making or purchasing light tanks.
Between India much delayed ABM by DRDO and outright purchase of system like Patriot PAC-III from USA can a option on middle ground be looked at. Like joining the MEADS development or Arrow-3, through this expertise will be gained in developing highly advanced system and fielding them quickly.
Sir how does the Arjun Mk-2 compare against M1A2 Abrams and Al-Khalid MBTs?
What is the tank in IA that the AK can be compared most favourably against?
Why hasn't CVRDE installed side-protection for wheels for Arjun MBT?
How many Anza MANPADS were fired in the Kargil War actually? How was it that a MiG-27 was shot down by a MANPAD? Was it while flying low?
Between the DRDO AEW&CS and the SAAB Ericson Erieye, what is the better radar? Surely the EMB-145I platform is better than the SAAB-2000 turboprop anyway.
And how does DRDO AEW&CS compare against the chinese KJ-200 AEW&C system?
What is the maximum detection range of the IAI Phalcon AEW&C system for a fighter-sized target with an RCS of 2 square meters? And that of AEW&CS of DRDO?
Are the detection ranges/performance of the ground-based LSTAR AESA superior or inferior to that of the airborne AEW&CS AESA?
Thanks in advance, sir.
Sir has the LUH tender for 197 helos (competitors are the Eurocopter AS-550 C3 Fennec and Kamov Ka-226T) been cancelled? Or is it on the verge on cancellation?
Will this be favourable for HAL to develop its own LUH instead?
Please explain...
T72 of all kinds are described by one word "JUNK", (even up amoured ones-->too slow, sitting ducks)especially when they come up against the likes of Arjun/CII, AT weapons of the last decade. IA has nothing to worry about though: because PA is also full of these JUNK's (from T-59 to T-85). AK especially the latest one is a different beast but will almost make no impact on the battlefield because PA is full of JUNKs.
Infact in SouthAsia, the armies are still fighting the wars of 1950's, mainly infantry (with armour support). Even the Amourd formations are too light/vunerable and easily destroyed by the AT weapons. I bet you a US amoured corp will run through the entire IA. Only the courage of the IA infantry will save them!!!
Disinvestement in HAL to happen http://idrw.org/?p=15518 Something which u were asking since long back. Looks like weak Finances forced the Govt to do this
Hi Prasun, Has the defense spending already been reduced . A newspaper article says,The armed forces have been asked to schedule major excerises in a way that their formations can be rotated ij the field every three years. The Army for ex has drawn up a timetable that exercises each of its corps fully only once every three years. The airforce has had to defer a countrywide exercise named Livewire from this year to the next. Won't the decrease in exercises of a whole formation lead to degradation in training & readiness of the troops. The same applies for the airforce. The more one practises & engages in realistic exercises the more experienced & capable will the troops become .
Sir, The SFW cluster weapon is meant ti be used against moving armour column. Since it uses IR source to acquire and lock on its target it can be used against only mobile tanks,apc. If no targets can be found the warhead will self destruct in air at a safe distance from ground. So it can't be used against stationary , perked tanks,Ifv as the engine ain't running and their is no heat source,. It also can't be used against parked acs, vehicles,artillery pieces. An ordinary cluster weapon can be used in this case but due to the safety features. So it is very limited in its use .
To SUJOY MAJUMDAR: Presently, there’s no mutual military assistance treaty between India & Russia, except for the commitment by both India & Russia to enter into mutual consultations in case either is attacked. Therefore, this is a grey area that could be subjected to changes in accordance with the prevailing dynamics of a future conflict scenario.
To ABS: To the Balwaristan movements, India is providing both political (i.e.financial) & moral support, while for the Baloch nationalists, India is ‘sympathetic’ to their pleas for justice, if not for outright liberation. But no overt or covert military aid is being supplied to either movement. However, for Balochistan, it would be logical for India to render all forms of assistance in case the internal security situation in J & K deteriorates in future, which I doubt it will since the Pakistan Army will be engaged for at least close to a decade along its western frontiers along the Durand Line.
Along the Sino-India front, information-gathering is almost exclusively SIGINT-, COMINT- & ELINT-based, since due to the language factor, HUMINT resources are nil. Along the India-Pakistan front, appreciable HUMINT resources exist, while SIGINT-, COMINT- & ELINT-based capabilities are reliable & redundant.
To Anon@11.14PM: 1) It is one of two locations from where Pakistan’s TBM & IRBM test-launches can be monitored. 2) Most unlikely. 3) Konkurs-M is quite effective against the targets it is envisaged for use. 4) No, it is not. But the T-72M1 Ajeya variant is. 5) Keeping the time-factor in mind, it is best that the T-90S is selectively upgraded by CVRDE by installing the new Cdr’s panoramic sight, adding an APU, & installing an APS. As for T-90AM/MS, the best option is to import some 340 of them off-the-shelf.
To SK: The recent Dr A Q ‘Bhopali’ Khan interviews conclusively reveal that: 1) The ERL facility in Kahuta was essentially a giant cover-up operation as part of a strategic disinformation campaign, while the real work involved setting up a massive uranium enrichment plant between 1976 and 1978 using the latest European technologies at Hanzhong, 250km south-west of Xian, in China. 2) The two nuclear devices given by China to Pakistan in 1984 each used 32 detonators for setting off the nuclear chain-reaction, i.e. they were bulky devices that could only be delivered by C-130 Hercules-type aircraft. 3) The reqmt in 1984 was for obtaining 30 n-bombs. 4) It was in 1989 that Dr A Q Khan was directed by Benazir Bhutto to officially approach China for importing M-11 tactical ballistic missiles & Dr Khan was appointed the Project Director for establishing an M-11 final assembly plant at Khanpur along the Karakoram Highway. 5) Even till this day, there’s no human resources capability existing within Pakistan for indigenously designing or fabricating plutonium-based nuclear warheads.
As for SSGNs & SSBNs, there’s no need to refuel them at sea since they have adequate fuel on-board to function non-stop for 8-10 years. AS for re-arming, at sea, this can only be done at the moment by submarine-tender vessels.
To SAYAN: The IA’s COAS will brief the NSA (not the CCNS) on the following: 1) the need for setting up a new Mountain Corps HQ at Panagarh, & this Corps will have the two additional Mountain Divisions that are now being raised. 2) The need to designate at least two Brigades of one of these Divisions as tactical air-assault formations for which the IA is requesting that the AAC too be authorised to procure Mi-17V-5s. 3) The need to expedite the restructuring & re-equipping of the 54th Infantry Division as an Airmobile Division.
As for strategic divestment in DPSUs, nothing less than 55% will work. 10% divestment is nothing but useless & futile window-dressing.
To SNTATA: IN J & K inclusive of Ladakh, MBTs like Arjun Mk1As can easily be forward-deployed in peacetime & be stockpiled there using air transporters like C-17A Globemaster IIIs. However, in Arunachal Pradesh & Sikkim, in the absence of all-weather lateral road networks, even light tanks & ICVs will be useless in such states. In addition, since there are no all-weather airports in either Sikkim or Arunachal Pradesh, even aerial logistics won’t be able to deploy any kind of armoured vehicles in these two states.
To Anon@2.35AM: Going for off-the-shelf imports of systems like Patriot PAC-3, or THAAD or S-400 or MEADS or Arrow-3 won’t enable anyone in India to develop any kind of indigenous BMD system. There is therefore no other alternative but to continue with R & D work on developing the PDV & AD-2 family of interceptors. Nor is there any kind of rush to develop such interceptors since India does not suffer from any existential threats from any of her nuclear weapons-armed neighbours, thanks to the prevalence of credible nuclear deterrence. However, in terms of immediate military threat perceptions, there’s the need for procuring AD-1 interceptors meant for use against NLOS-BSMs. Only if the AD-1 is not available within a defined schedule should import of Patriot PAC-3s be seriously considered.
To Anon@11AM: The tender ought to be cancelled, since the AAC’s entire ORBAT will now have to be restructured, now that it is empowered to acquire & operate attack helicopters in tandem with armed LOHs. As an interim measure, HAL-developed Cheetals can be utilized as LOHs pending the arrival of the HAL-developed RSH.
To Anon@11.47AM: 22 AH-64Ds is just a minimum baseline capability, since the total projected reqmt is for 64 units. However, things can take a better turn PROVIDED the LCH is re-designed & re-engineered as the LAH, so that the final product is something resembling the AgustaWestland A-129 Mangusta. The LAH, armed with no less than 12 ATGMs like the PARS-3LR, will be an excellent attack helicopter that will function in conjunction with either the AH-64Ds, or with battlefield surveillance helicopters like a Mi-17V-5 equipped with a belly-mounted ISAR.
To ABHIJIT: As for strategic divestment in DPSUs, nothing less than 55% will work. 10% divestment is nothing but useless & futile window-dressing, since the management of HAL will still be micro-managed by the MoD. What HAL’s Board of Directors needs is total financial autonomy & the freedom to raise project financing from the global capital markets in as much the same way as EADS/Cassidian, BAE Systems, TATA & L & T do so. It is only this type of financial autonomy that will enable HAL to recruit high-quality human resources, undertake industrial infrastructure expansion/upgradation on a war-footing & develop both a national & global vendor/supplier chain through sub-contracts.
To Anon@8.22PM: There’s no foreseeable decrease in defence spending. On the other hand, there’s been no increase either in making investments in advanced simulation technologies. For instance, the establishment of a tri-services national wargaming simulation centre is long overdue & without it, creation of the planned integrated tri-services theatre commands will remain a pipedream.
Sir, The SFW cluster weapon is meant ti be used against moving armour column. Since it uses IR source to acquire and lock on its target it can be used against only mobile tanks,apc. If no targets can be found the warhead will self destruct in air at a safe distance from ground. So it can't be used against stationary , perked tanks,Ifv as the engine ain't running and their is no heat source,. It also can't be used against parked acs, vehicles,artillery pieces. An ordinary cluster weapon can be used in this case but due to the safety features. So it is very limited in its use . Sir, your views & comments pls .
Dear Prasunda,
Are there any plans or projects to redesign the LCH to LAH to support the apache fleet
1. Sir when could the sea trials of the IAC-1 begin?
2. Are all MiG-29K carrier trials on Vikramaditya completed?
3. IS the Kashtan-M an automated CIWS system like Type-730 on chinese ships? I think AK-630M is a directed CIWS system. The Batch 2 Talwar FFGs have Kashtan-M. Any plan to retrofit Shivalik, Kolkata DDG and Kamorta corvettes with the Kashtan-M?
Hi , What is the no of hardpoints on Mi-17V5 ? Mi-17v1 can carry 6 rocket pods whereas the video on livefist showed Mi-17v5 to carry only 4. Why isn't there any Maws , iR jammer in in Mi-17v5 ? When are they to be fitted ?
What is the use of having armour plates around the cockpit? The cargo bay can be easily penetrated by bullets and the cargo,troops can be harmed. Bullets can also destroy the engines , main rotor blades and tail rotor . They are not bulletproof .
What is the use of a weather radar ? Can gen 3 nvg be used during day to see through smoke,fog,smog .Will not a stabilised turret mounted optronic sensor package having Flir be fitted to have situational awarness dyring poor vsibility conditions .
Hi Prasun, Isnt it of utmost important to procure and deploy a significant no of PAC-3,THAAD & S-400 combo to protect vital military facilties,assets along LAC and also in the hinterland. As you observed in your reports that a massed fire-assault involving NLOS-BSM,TBM,MRBM, IRBM, heavy MBRL will predate any hostilies between us and China . After everything has been destroyed,pulverished to ground will manned military ops begin on their side. Our most important assets may not survive long enough to be play their part in the battle or see the second day of war. Deployment of ABM systems like PAC-3,THAAD combo will ensure that our assets survive keeping in mind the existential threats .It is another 6-7 years at least for AD-1,AD-2 to emerge . Such a layered BMD system will also serve as a CMD.
S-400 can act as a vital area denial system. If a fighter - bomber is not allowed to come within 150 km of its target , it wont be deploy any of its ordance except may be LACM . This means in Pakistan context, no H-4,H-3,MAR-1 & glide bombs cant be deployed .
At the same time R&D on the indigenous BMD system must continue at the same pace. Having all faith on DRDO's BMD system is not a very commendable thing. Instead the focus must be balanced and rely on substantial foreign systems as well since the threats that Indian BMD is to neutralise is already present whereas BMD system is still far away.
SPAAG systems especially C-RAM such as SA-21,Skyshield or such systems must be deployed to counter PGM, anti radiation missiles,tactical AGM, LACM that have leaked through the layered system and such threats such as H-3,H-4 whose interception with Barak-2 is not an economic one. SPAAG also uses a gin element and will come in handy . These systems must be deployed to gurad vital radar sites,airbases, LRSAM units, central ordance depots.
What do you think ?
Sir , In your thread ,"Mi-17V-5 Still In Great Demand" , The Mi-17V-5 features a loading ramp (instead of the traditional rear clamshells), a starboard door (which has necessitated moving the auxiliary power unit above the door), and a ‘Dolphin’-shaped nose section under which a stabilised pod containing a thermal imager/TV and laser designator is fitted for fire-control of the Vikhr/Shturm-V/Ataka anti-armour guided missiles. The entire airframe features a high degree of ballistics tolerance and is crash-resistant. It also comes equipped with an emergency flotation system.For anti-armour operations, the Mi-17V-5 has six external hardpoints that can carry four missile launchers. But sir, where is thermal imagers,laser designator, ballistic tolerant airframe in Indian airforce Mil 17v5 that were ordered way back in 2008.
Hi Prasun,
Did you see this video of the Russian ambassador touching the feet of L K Advani
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brdhSdjZmuY
Thanks,
Anil
Hi,The air search radar of Shivalik class , is it El/m-2238 STAR or 2282 ? Is this radar also present in godavari & Brahmaputra class ?
Shivalik has the MR-790 Fregat M2ME "Top Plate" 3-D radar from Russia.
Besides Fregat there is another radar . I am talking about that .
Elta STAR is a secondary radar (EL/M-2238) is also included.
Elta EL/M-2221 STGR radar is yet another one also on board.
Yes that's what I wanted to know. But earlier here in Trishul I read that 2282 was on board.
Sir, Very many thanx again for the replies.
1. So Airstar radars act as early warning systems in case of ballistic missile launches. Warning will be available for any TBM , IRBM strikes against India.
2. More such radars need to be purchased and positioned aling border. They will be able to look into Pak territory and give info on troop movements as well as low flying aircrafts and cruise missiles.
3. The very best should be there in T-90 upgrade incorporating both Indian and Russian components. Though it will take time a deep upgrade needs to be done.
4.Can a T-72M1 withstand a TOW-2 strike without ERA and not get blown away .
5.MoD is struggling with financial problems. So, new equipment for units being raised is coming from existing stocks.
6. What use is of frigates like Talwar class. Heavily armed ships like Aegis class,South Korean G destroyer with a huge missile compliment and Tomahawk missiles are needed . These ships are like fortresses with a large SAM armament.
6. What is the use if shtil missile. No attacking aircraft will come as close to 100 km of the ship . So short range shtil missiles won't be needed.
To Anon@11.14AM: Not to the best of my knowledge. In fact, the IA has yet to even officially state its interest in the LCH programme, let alone the LAH.
To Anon@1.30PM: 1) If all goes well, then by 2018 the IAC-1 will put out to sea. 2) Not yet. 3). Yes, the Kashtan-M is an automated system. Batch 2 Project 1135.6 FFGs don’t have Kashtan-M, only four AK-630Ms. Project 17 FFGs & Project 15 DDGs have Barak-1 & AK-630M on board & therefore don’t require Kashtan-Ms. Project 15A DDGs don’t require Kashtan-M since AK-630Ms & Barak-2s will engage inbound ASCMs. Project 28 ASW corvettes have AK-630Ms but no missile-based CIWS. There’s a need for equipping them with a VLS missile-based CIWS, but not Kashtan-M since the Kashtan-M’s operation has been problematic in Indian waters.
To Anon@4.01PM: The IAF’s Mi-17V-5s come equipped with four stub-wing mounted hardpoints. Adros KT-03UE IR jammer is mounted aft of the main engine mount. MAWS could well follow at a later stage, if reqd. It is the cockpit that is the key to the Mi-17V-5’s (or for that matter any other helicopter’s) survival, for it is from that flight-control is effected. Furthermore, hostile ground fire against helicopters is always directed against the cockpit for this very reason. Hence the need for extra ballistics protection. Weather radar is used for detecting stormy weather conditions so that the Mi-17V-5 can avoid them. It has nothing to do with visibility, but more to do with avoiding turbulence & lightning strikes. During poor visibility conditions, Gen-3 NVGs will more than suffice.
To AK: As far as immediate threat perceptions go, the immediate need is for a theatre-wide deployment of LR-SAMs capable of taking on & neutralising the threats posed by NLOS-BSMs. To this end, the Barak-8 LR-SAM along with EL/M-2258 APAR will come in handy. For neutralising long-range MBRLs, air-defence systems like the Iron Dome will be reqd in fairly large numbers in the years to come. I’m not too worried about TBMs & MRBMs since counter-strike options for India are already available, such as the Shaurya & in the near future the Nirbhay, which will ensure a fair bit of conventional deterrence. AD-1 & AD-2, along with the Barak-2 MR-SAM (all three of which will be using the EL/M-2258 & EL/M-2084 Arufhra APARs for target acquisition & fire-control, will ensure adequate protection against CALCMs & MRCAs equipped with glide-bombs & ARMs. Consequently, SPAAG-based systems will slowly but surely become irrelevant in the years to come.
To Anon@6.10PM: For anti-armour operations, the Mi-17V-5 has FOUR (4), not six external hardpoints. The laser designator is on the portside stub-wing.
To ANIL: Yup, saw it yesterday on NDTV.
To Anon@8.39PM: The Project 17 FFGs all have ELTA Systems-built EL/M-2282 AD-STAR. Project 16 & Project 16A FFGs & INS Viraat have EL/M-2238 STAR.
To Anon@11.15PM: 4) No, the Indian T-72M1s are export versions that are degraded variants of the Russian T-72M1s & therefore they won’t be able to withstand a TOW-2. 5) There are no financial problems. All that is reqd is some belt-tightening & re-structuring for reducing the teeth-to-tail ratio. Presently, the IA is bloated & unwieldy. 6) FFGs like Project 1135.6 FFGs are excellent escorting vessels for carrier battle groups & given their gas-turbine propulsion systems, are excellent SSK hunter-hillers. Shtil-1 can effectively engage inbound ASCMs like C-602s that are not sea-skimming. Sea-skimming ASCMs like C-802A can be effectively intercepted like Barak-2 MR-SAM.
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