Below are information posters and visuals pertaining to the Astra BVRAAM that has been under development for more than a decade. One really wonders why the DRDO at the very outset did not resolve to develop a medium-range air-launched anti-radiation missile (ARM) variant as well as a vertically-launched SAM variant for a futursitic land-mobile/shipborne SHORADS system.
Below are the posters dealing with road-mobile TELs developed so far by both the DRDO and Larsen & Toubro for NLOS-BSMs and TBMs, as well as for strategic ballistic missiles.
Below are visuals of supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles that have already been developed to date by China (air-launched YJ-12), Japan (air-launched ASM-3) and Taiwan (shipborne Hsiung Feng-3).
Below is the DRDO-developed Ku-band active radar seeker (laboratory-model) for the PDV exo-atmospheric interceptor missile that is still under development.
Posted below is data pertaining to the T-72 Combat Improved Ajeya and Arjun Mk1 MBTs, plus data on their indigenously developed APFSDS ammunition. R & D is now underway to introduce 125mm and 120mm APFSDS rounds capable of penetrating 600mm of RHA.
Below is data on some of the indigenously developed enhancements and import-substitutes for T-72M-1982, T-90S and Arjun Mk1A MBTs.
Further data can be found below on the range of mini-UAVs (MAV) developed indigenously thus far.
The CLGM (below) and not HELINA, should be the favoured standoff precision-guided munition of choice for the HAL-developed Rudra helicopter gunship as well as the projected HAL-developed Light Attack Helicopter (LAH). In fact, this lightweight CLGM also ought to arm the re-engineered NAMICA tracked vehicle.
Posted below is data on the range of IRDE-developed and BEL-built multi-function hand-held thermal imagers. More than 10,000 of each type of such sensors are now being ordered for both India's armed forces and the Central Armed Police Forces.
Below is the data on Tejas MRCA’s Integrated Life-Support
System, built by Larsen & Toubro.
Lastly, here’s the multi-calibre assault rifle now being developed
by DRDO.
Mr.Prasun, what engine is used on the T-72M1 CIA?
ReplyDelete1) what is the engine's power rating?
2) What is CIA's power-to-weight ratio?
3) How many CIAs are in service?
4) What is it's muzzle velocity for HEAT and APFSDS rounds?
5) What ATGMs does it fire?
6) Does it have APS? If so, which one?
7) How many MMs thick is CIA's armor?
8) What is it's max Rate of Fire with the autoloader?
9) Its max road speed & off-road speed?
10) Maximum range with & without add-on fuel drums?
11) Do all T-72M1s in IA service have IR searchlights now?
Im doing a research paper on Indian Army main battle tanks past & present and any info from you would be helpful.
Thanks in advance,
Abhijit
how much truth behold this video?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30qeTDT05BA
third pic from top-- is that the seeker developed by DRDO, or is it imported ?...i feel like it to be a copy of Russian missile 'R-77 '
ReplyDelete//" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R-77_(missile) "//
//" http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Seeker_Vympel-R-77-maks2009.jpg "//
"One really wonders why the DRDO at the very outset did not resolve to develop a medium-range air-launched anti-radiation missile (ARM) variant as well as a vertically-launched SAM variant for a futursitic land-mobile/shipborne SHORADS system."
ReplyDeleteWhile your logic is good but as far as i know, no ARM ever built was based on a air-to-air BVR. But yeah it can be done and it will be a good option for us.
I have one question, we have VSHROADS(which we have and which will be procured), followed by Spyder SAM & Akash SAM, then comes MRSAM/LRSAM and finally comes BMD.
Where do you think this VL-Astra based SAM fits in multi-layer air defence system ?
Also please share some information and progress on our own LRCM. Wan't there a sub launched version prepared with Israeli help ?
ReplyDeleteAlso did you read a new article about DRDL, according to which drdo is preparing for test of HSTDV by the mid 2013 ? Please share some inside info on the next gen project including the scramjet engine projects in the country.
Why is there an AGAT seeker on the Astra when they've already developed one for the PDV? Surely a figher cannot maneuver faster than a ballistic missile?
ReplyDelete1.If the report of peak 5353 true then what is the battle of tiger hill false?
ReplyDelete2.When will the arjun mk 3 will come to light?
3.By what time agni 5 be inducted,is their any secret ICBM called SURYA?
4.What is the status of operation green hunt will it be successfull?
5.Was the purchase of Beretta MX 4 a good purchase or bad
i
don't see any use of a 9mm carbine?
6.What is the status of Project 75i?
ReplyDeleteWhich one do u prefer ammong contestants?
7.What AIP is in Scorpene?
8.Why is india going for Rudra,don't we have LCH?
9.What is the induction time of LCH?
sa9.What is status of ASTRA?IS it comparable with other missiles like AMRAAM?
ReplyDeletePrasun you wrote a response about missile boat that it should be catamaran. Considering soon IN will replace its fleet of missile boat, is there some design that naval design beaureu is working on or some foreign design they are looking at ? I am asking because you are about catamaran design which is also looked at by US, Chinese and Indonesian navy.
ReplyDeleteSir, Few months ao, you said that PDV ias a hit to kill interceptor employing an IIR seeker from Israel and no RF seeker. Then why do you say that DRDO is developing RF seeker for PDV ?
ReplyDeleteWith the recent order of 42 Su-30 doesnt tghe total no goes up to 311 as said by you. If another 50 Super Su-30mki are ordered this no will go up to 363 . Why do you say eventually 340 Su-30 will be ordered ?
@Prasunda
ReplyDeleteA very interesting insight, I hope such voices are heard in Pakistan.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIjydcEHnFA&NR=1
"One really wonders why the DRDO at the very outset did not resolve to develop a medium-range air-launched anti-radiation missile (ARM) variant as well as a vertically-launched SAM variant for a futursitic land-mobile/shipborne SHORADS system.
ReplyDeleteWhom do you think shall be technically, manageably, or theologically responsible. Or can it be said that even the best PSU's really do not have least possible vision.
my calculation states india's current muslim population at 13.9 percent i.e. 169 million ,sorry to say it is increasing decade after decade both in quantitative and percentage terms.i don't know how you came to point that after 1980's it is decreasing.hope you reply.
ReplyDelete11.sir,Why does SU 30 MKI have no AESA is their any plans of it?is the l band radar really good as it is reputed to track Stealth planes,will any be fitted on SU30 MKIs,is the BARS radar on it good?
ReplyDeletePrasunDa,
ReplyDeleteI have a few ideas pertaining to business development which I want to share with Indian Defense & Aerospace companies . Can you please advice how I can reach out to the BDMs of these companies .
Many thanks.
-Sujoy
sir ,
ReplyDelete1) how many aircrafts would INS VIKRAMADITYA & VIKRANT carry..can u provide the break up ?
2) are there any plans as of now to fit the 1200 km LACM onboard any surface combatant like future project 15 b ?
3) regarding this article "http://ajaishukla.blogspot.in/2013/01/none-so-blind-as-those-who-will-not-see.html"
a) how many NVD's are required for IA infantry ?
b) what is the ideal no. of holding of portable & helmet attached NVGs in the indian RR & normal battallions & how many of these do the currently possess?
are these equipment also available to soldiers during peace time ?
c) can u provide the TOE of indian infantry , arty . or armoured regiments..if it not too much to ask for..w/o getting into too muchh details..as these issue is very touchy..
thanks in advance sir :)
Sir ,
ReplyDeletethe indian army is looking for new NVGs with FOM greater than 1700..
do you think it would be like this technologically.."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN/PSQ-20" - AN/PSQ-20 ??
b) or atleast like AN/PVS-14
To ABHIJIT: Kindly check out the posters that I have just uploaded above. The T-72M was originally powered by a 780hp diesel engine, while the T-72M-1982 comes powered by a Model V-84MS four-stroke 12-cylinder multi-fuel engine developing 840hp and offering a power-to-weight ratio of 18.8 hp/ton. A total of 692 T-72Ms have been upgraded to ‘Combat-Improved Ajeya’ standard & are powered by Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant-built 1,000hp V-92S2 diesel engine, the same engine that powers the T-90S. None of the T-72 have APS but all of them have IR searchlights.
ReplyDeleteTo Anon@7.49AM: About 70% is true.
To Anon@8.23AM: The active seekers of the Astra Mk1/2 & R-77 are one & the same. Astra uses imported Agat JSC-built seekers.
To Anon@9.36AM: Both AGM-45 & AGM-88A make use of the airframe that was originally developed for the AIM-7 Sparrow BVRAAM. I was opining about the option of using the Astra’s airframe as the baseline airframe from which to derive an optimised ARM airframe. The VL-Astra SHORADS, if developed, can well meet the IAF’s & IA’s SR-SAM & SL-QRM requirements & replace the existing OSA-AKMs & Strella-10Ms.
To Anon@9.44AM: From an Israeli standpoint, the LRCM is being developed by RAFAEL into two distinct versions: an air-launched missile armed with a tactical nuclear warhead, and an anti-ship strike missile that is both ship-launched & air-launched. From an Indian standpoint, both versions are required as well. SSK-launched version of LRCM will not be a good option for the IN, since the IN already has 3M-54E Klub-S. More data on HSTDV will be available during Aero India 2013.
To Anon@11.17AM: Agat JSC-built seeker was selected way before the DRDO began R & D work on the Ku-band ARSEEK for the PDV. This had to be done in order to freeze the Astra’s design a couple of years ago.
To KSHITIZ: 1) No. 2) by 2016. 3) By 2017. No. 4) Hopefully. 5) Good. 6) Waiting for RFP release. 7) None. 8) Rudra is for IA, LCH is for IAF. 9) By 2016 at best. 10) Astra Mk2 will be comparable in performance to the R-77.
ReplyDeleteTo Anon@2PM: I never claimed that missile gunboats or corvettes ought to be catamarans. What I had stated was that waterjet-powered FAC-Ms & catamarans are more ideally suited for swift maritime interdiction. As per present plans, the IN has no intention of replacing its fleets of guided-missile corvettes. Instead, there are plans to upgrade them & re-arm them with new-generation ASCMs. As for catamarans, the IN has thus far only committed to a fleet of catamaran survey vessels of the Makar-class.
To Anon@6.54PM: The PDV will have dual sensors for terminal homing: a Ku-band active radar seeker as well as an IIR sensor. The AD-1/AD-2 on the other hand will both have only IIR seekers. Details of the final tranche of Su-30MKIs to be ordered are still being worked upon. The figure of 340 is just an estimate.
To ABS: VMT. Yes indeed, for it offers an objective assessment of historical facts that rightly ought to be prescribed in the history text-books for school-going kids of the subcontinent. However, there are still certain gaps in a chronological sense, since the UK had as far back as 1900 (and not in the mid-1940s) decided to balkanise India. The untold story is actually about the lessons the colonial Brits learnt after the Sepoy mutiny of 1857, how a covert study & analysis group was created by the UK’s Foreign Office immediately after 1857 to analyse the Sepoy mutiny & its future ramifications & possibilities for similar incidents occurring again. It was this group that had conceived of the divide-and-rule policy of the colonial raj (that enabled no more than just 200,000 Brits ruling over 20+ crore Indians at any given time) & eventually by the early 1940s this policy had morphed into a formal balkanisation plan. But what is most galling & unpardonable is that (according to declassified records of the UK’s Foreign Office) most of the then leaders of the Indian National Congress who were negotiating the independence of a trunciated & divided India between 1945 and 1947 FULLY KNEW about this grand design of the Brits. In other words, they were all voluntary accessories to this act of balkanising India—all except Subhas Chandra Bose, who could well have been the only one of stature to upset the apple-cart & it is for this reason that Bose was declared by the entire Allied Command (comprising the Brits & the US)—even after August 1945—as the most wanted person in the far East. And there are strong grounds to believe that Bose never perished in an air-crash in Taiwan, but instead he was safely escorted by Japanese military intelligence via Dairen (now Dalian in China, but known before as Port Arthur before WW-2) to the Embassy of Free India at Irkutsk (one of some 25 embassies that had been established worldwide by the Southeast Asia-based India Independence League which the INA was a part of), where he was kept under house arrest for quite some time till the early 1960s. If the Kremlin’s archives are made available to organizations like the Asiatic Society, it will clearly emerge that Stalin was extremely pissed off with Nehru for making no effort to request Bose’s release from the USSR & consequently, both the then-USSR & PRC had always suspected that Nehru & his colleagues of the Indian National Congress were no more than stooges of the colonial Brits.
ReplyDeleteTo Mr.RA 13: The singular authority who should be held accountable for his intellectual deficiencies should be the Scientific Adviser to the RM & concurrently DG of DRDO at that time, i.e. Dr V. S. Arunachalam & his successor, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam. The DPSUs come into the picture only when series-production commences & therefore they cannot be held responsible for lapses in weapon-related R & D.
ReplyDeleteTo JAI: I was going by figures of 2007 when the GoI’s Union MHA had estimated that the population of Muslims in India is no more than 110 million.
To SUJOY MAJUMDAR: Your best route is through ASSOCHAM or the CII or FICCI, all of which have liaison offices in New Delhi.
To Anon@11.59PM: 16 x MiG-29Ks, four Ka-31s & four Ka-28PLs. 2) No. 3) More than 300,000.
To Anon@12.09AM: Yes.
sir ,
ReplyDeletesaw the last 5 pics of the various optics..these all look extremely bulky..& it seems they would do more harm than good..specially under fire..they weigh more than 3kg each..when the an/psq-20 weighs less than a kg..
don't u think suchh hardware should be helmet attachable ?
how can a unit under fire use them efficiently ?
To Anon@4.07AM: Of course they’re bulky, because they’re hand-held night-vision devices (NVD) & not night-vision goggles (NVG). HHTIs are NVDs, not NVGs.
ReplyDelete"The VL-Astra SHORADS, if developed, can well meet the IAF’s & IA’s SR-SAM & SL-QRM requirements & replace the existing OSA-AKMs & Strella-10Ms."
ReplyDeleteIts strange. WHy do you need BVR missile for that ? Wouldn't it make it expensive also ?
I think drdo should also go for smaller range A to A missiles like python, derby and mica. We are spending billions on purchasing these missiles for our combat aircraft. Both IAF and NAVY needs them. You can use these to fulfill the requirement of OSA-AKMs & Strella-10Ms as you mentioned above. You need a cos-effective solution for this not an expensive one because they will be procured in bulk and also its not necessary and it leads to wastage in everything. This is the reason why you don't have QRSAM being built by BVR, yes you can use it to build a MRSAM.
In short, its like shooting a bird with a grenade.
Prasun, if we have this SAMHO missile, then why is IA insisting on purchasing expensive missile like Javelin ?
Also i think NAG project should continue. Its an impressive missile and we could find the 4th gen ATGM missile in it. Of-course they need to reduce the weight of the missile first but as for as i know they are working on it.
"From an Israeli standpoint, the LRCM is being developed by RAFAEL into two distinct versions: an air-launched missile armed with a tactical nuclear warhead, and an anti-ship strike missile that is both ship-launched & air-launched. "
ReplyDeleteIs there a JV with India or not ? If not, i hope we will be able to purchase it ?
"SSK-launched version of LRCM will not be a good option for the IN, since the IN already has 3M-54E Klub-S."
Yeah its a very good missile but doesn't it has a medium range ?
" I never claimed that missile gunboats or corvettes ought to be catamarans. What I had stated was that waterjet-powered FAC-Ms & catamarans are more ideally suited for swift maritime interdiction."
My bad...Sorry
"As per present plans, the IN has no intention of replacing its fleets of guided-missile corvettes. Instead, there are plans to upgrade them & re-arm them with new-generation ASCMs."
What about purchase of 20 guided missile corvette for which MEKO CSL and Visby were in fray ?
http://trishul-trident.blogspot.com/2011/12/indian-navy-swears-by-its-tavor-family.html
Please tell me we are prchasing MEKO CSL design.
Thank you very much for the informative posters, Mr. Prasun!
ReplyDeleteHave a good day.
Abhijit
Hello Prasun, Im back at your blog!
ReplyDelete1) How many Nag ATGMs and how many CLGMs would IA procure ultimately?
2) How many Rudras would IA AAC finally end up with? 70 or 120?
3) When would the 350-km version of Prahaar be tested first?
4) Will the moving LEVCONs be available onlt for the naval versions of Tejas or is it being implemented into Air Force-version Tejas Mk-2 as well?
5) What is the external stores capacity of J-10B and F-16C Block-52+ respectively?
Many thanks Prasun Da.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Sujoy
All DRDO publications i've seen till date state Astra's weight as being ~160Kg. Kalam too said it in his book. So from where did this 300Kg figure pop up?
ReplyDelete@Prasunda
ReplyDeleteVMT for your revelations. Retrospeting now, I realise how the nation has always been made to worship people who in effect were "traitors". Including the so called "father of the nation", Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. I would rather spit on him and Nehru and co., than pay them respect.
It seems Pakistan and India shares this rueful commonality.
Why CLGM, why not Helina? Some clarification with pros and cons would help us a lot, preferably (a request) in the main article.
ReplyDelete1.sir,Why does SU 30 MKI have no AESA is their any plans of it?is the l band radar really good as it is reputed to track Stealth planes,will any be fitted on SU30 MKIs,is the BARS radar on it good?
ReplyDelete2.What is the use Beretta MX4 for BSF i see it as a stupid deal?
Hi prasun
ReplyDeleteI dont see the relevance
of laser guided anti tank missiles in the indian scenario because the battlefield is going to be obscured by dust and smoke and laser designation is going to be difficult if not impossible , the nag would be better at any rate with IIR .Please explain why a laser guided missiles has been developed ?, is it becasue of cost or becasue it is a dual role m issile in the anti heli role as well.
Prasun da,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to ask you for your comments regarding the L-band AESA RADAR for the wings on the T-10 airframe.
Would such an arrangement be able to detect stealth aircraft as claimed?
Thanks
There are many ways to look at things. However one thing is clear to any person who is objective. Sub-Continent never existed as a nation state and never will. This cohesion is simply not there. Mughals and rulers before realised very quickly who to bring into the forces and put a sort of federal structure aka mordern day europe. I think this would have been the result if there hadn't been such as animosity against the muslims. The Brits realised this in the Sepoy mutiny, that muslims who at the time numbered so few but had such command and dominance to influence events...so they turned the tables, they picked the more pliant hindus...they went about creating hatred. This is still there, even on this blog!!!!
ReplyDeleteJinnah is loved in pakistan, just visit Pak and you will know. If Ghandi had lived and had more influence over the congress i do not think you would have the situation today. He is the only indian leader respected and dear i say loved in pak by some. His vision was centuries ahead of the morons we ended up getting.
Fact is, it is very easy to sell hatred. Indians(hindus) still want revenge for the last 1000yrs. In Pak we say "bring it on"!!!!
To Anon@8.23AM: What’s so strange about that? Derby, AIM-120 AMRAAM, R-77, Iris-SL, all BVRAAMs, have been successfully used as SHORADS as well. What’s so surprising about it? In fact, some of the above are E-SHORADS, i.e. with engagement ranges of up to 35km. A SAM like Akash desperately requires range enhancement of up to 40km. And contrary to popular perception, an IIR-guided AAM costs a lot more than a fire-and-forget BVRAAM. Javelin is shoulder-launched, whereas the CLGM isn’t. Manportability is not the same as shoulder-launched. As for Nag, the best option is to re-engineer it into an air-launched ATGM equipped with MMW seeker. But for this version too, the four thrusters must be done away with.
ReplyDeleteTo Anon@8.36AM: There’s no JV company, but a cooperative R & D agreement for LRCM. And it makes no sense to acquire a SSK-launched LRCM if the SSK itself isn’t able to detect & track targets at long-range. The IN has decided to acquire 24 coastal ASW corvettes, a decision that was revealed last year by the outgoing CNS Admiral Nirmal Verma last July.
To GESSLER: 1) Not sure about Nag ATGM, but at least 10,000 CLGMs will be procured. 2) About 160. 3) There’s no such version of Prahaar NLOS-BSM. 4) Only for LCA (Navy). 5) More or less the same for bith models.
To Anon@11.43AM: Check out the topmost visual in this thread.
To RAHUL & RAD: Why not? After all, the CLGM is multi-role as it can engage both armoured vehicles & helicopters, is much more lighter than the Nag & HELINA, & can therefore, just like LAHAT, the CLGM can be carried in greater numbers by the Rudra (at least eight), instead of just four HELINAs on the Rudra.
To ABS: Do browse through this: http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/specials/Netaji/netaji.htm
ReplyDeleteCLGM ?? where it is come from and why.
ReplyDeleteis there parallel testing of two ATGM
Interesting read: -
ReplyDeletehttp://idrw.org/?p=17785
Part of the above article: -
"Meanwhile, Saraswat also said that the DRDO has conducted a flight of “guided bomb”. “It’s a bomb which can fly for about 40-50 or even more kilometres in a guided mode and it can be released from an aircraft,” he said
He said the guided bomb is a totally indigenous effort, from designing, development and realisation including explosive content in them, as also guidance and control. "
I guess ^^that is the new Sudarshan version? Hope it will be unvielled in Aero India 2013.
And this too: -
ReplyDeletehttp://idrw.org/?p=17787
Dear Prasun,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for feast of products.
1.You have said "One really wonders why the DRDO at the very outset did not resolve to develop a medium-range air-launched anti-radiation missile (ARM) variant as well as a vertically-launched SAM variant for a futursitic land-mobile/shipborne SHORADS system."
Does it mean they are developing them now?
2.You have said "the CLGM (below) and not HELINA, should be the favoured standoff precision-guided munition of choice for the HAL-developed Rudra helicopter gunship as well as the projected HAL-developed Light Attack Helicopter (LAH)" Is this CLGM developed by DRDO? So HAL is also developing a LAH in addition to Rudra and LCH?
3.when will LCA mark 2 come to limelight?
ReplyDelete4.any more details on the modular gun system developed by DRDO?
Hi PrasunDa,
ReplyDeleteRegarding this Western practice of balkanizing India is it still possible that the US & UK are still trying to divide India into different countries ? If India disintegrates whatever little challenge the West faces in the form of BRIC will disappear . I have spend 20 years in the UK and I can state emphatically that the Brits do NOT like us . Infact you will find that most Pakistanis have favorable opinion of their Indian neighbour than the Brits . Till date Britain states that India is not one country . Former CIA chief Panetta has said not once but thrice that India is a potential challenge .
Therefore , I think that the West will definitely try their best to extend the Arab spring to India .
Thanks,
Akhil Suri
to raw13,
ReplyDeletethat depends upon what you call as a nation state. If your criteria of calling nation state is a centrally and integrally administered state continuously governed, almost none of the modern nations pass the cut. Be it UK, USA, EU, Russia, China. If the definition is for federally administered nation, then subcontinent easily passes it from as early as 1000 BC (Maurya empire). Due to geographic and demographic factors integrated nationhood is fairly modern concept with modern transportation and communication methods (except in small nations). It is not true that the 1857 rebellion was an organised uprising rather than anger or a cultural shock. And one of the central reason the rebellion failed is the lack of an organized leadership and lack of command from Bahadurshah Zafar-II. More than indaddition to relegious divide the British adopted a hierarchical divide where the elite class in all relegion were promoted so as to rule through the erstwhile rulers. and the hangover is still felt all over the subcontinent. And it is not true that India is to exact revenge from Pakistan, since except in a few hardline circles people barely bother about Pakistan. From an Indian perspective a political unit of Pakistan is a much better alternate to disintegrated and rebellious nation states there. So where exactly the revenge comes from. It is high time Pakistan and India comes out of outdated cold war mentality and benefit through economical transactions. Today world doesnt run any further through weapons but through knowledge and money. It is better to vie for that than the cheap fanaticism in either place.
Sreenivas
I too believe that if Subhash Chandra Bose had survived and resurfaced, then here would not have been any division of India. So here had been no pakistan, no bangladesh, no Sindh and no Baluchistan etc.
ReplyDeleteObviously Jhinna was the real traitor, but it was pathetic to see that Gandhi and Nehru did nothing to checkmate him.
To SARAB aka MIRZA: Details of the CLGM were first posted by me at: http://trishul-trident.blogspot.in/2013/01/snapshots-of-drdo-exhibits-at-iscs.html
ReplyDeleteBut it seems you’ve missed it. Kindly allow me to explain further: The CLGM is a 120mm multi-role missile capable of being launched from both rifled-bore 120mm MBT gun-barrels, as well as from manportable launchers. Development of this missile was initiated in 2005 for the Arjun MBT project & it was meant to be both an anti-armour round as well as an anti-helicopter round. The CLGM was formally unveiled at DEFEXPO 2008. Since the CLGM could not be delivered in time for the Arjun Mk1A’s user-trials, the LAHAT had to be imported from IAI as an interim solution. In future, however, the CLGM will: 1) Replace the LAHAT on Arjun Mk1A MBT 2) Replace the Milan-2 & Konkurs while using the existing manportable launchers of the Milan-2 & Konkurs; & 3) It is also being evaluated by the IA as a possible substitute for the existing NAMICA-launched NAG ATGM. 4) Since the CLGM is much lighter than HELINA, helicopters like the Rudra (Dhruv Mk4 WSI) will be able to carry at least eight such ATGMs (similar to the Dhruv Mk4 WSI prototype armed with eight LAHATs that was showcased in past Paris & Farnborough Air Shows by Israel Aerospace Industries in the previous decade). 5) The CLGM, being laser-guided, can be easily vectored toward its target by either heli-borne laser target designators or infantry-operated manportable laser target designators. Because of such operational flexibility, the CLGM can easily arm Light Strike Vehicles operated by SOF units.
To GESSLER: Yes, that’s the rocket-powered version of the Sudarshan that I had referred to as far back as last year. It is similar to the laser-guided AASM from France’s SAGEM & uses FINGS for in-flight navigation as well. As for Tejas Mk1 LSP-8, on one hand, Aeronautical Development Agency’s (ADA) Director P S Subramaniam claims that the LSP-8 is tailor-made to suit the pilot’s needs, while on the other, he had earlier said that the Tejas currently incorporates technologies from 2005 and later, meaning, a radical makeover is required in terms of the avionics architecture. In my view, the existing cockpit avionics & mission avionics architectures are good enough for a Tejas Mk1 LIFT variant for both the IN & IAF. However, for the Tejas Mk2 & LCA (Navy) Mk2, nothing short of the Cockpit NG from HALBIT Avionics will be acceptable to the end-users. Then, there’s the issue of indigenising the LRUs & LRMs that are presently of imported origin, a task that will take at least 6 years to complete (2019), followed by another three years of flight-tests (2021) & only after all this has been accomplished will the SP-series of Tejas Mk2 be available for delivery, i.e. by 2022.
ReplyDeleteTo SNTATA: Not yet, since thus far only the ARM variant has been approved for R & D. The CLGM is indeed developed by DRDO & I had first uploaded its DRDO poster earlier this month at: http://trishul-trident.blogspot.in/2013/01/snapshots-of-drdo-exhibits-at-iscs.html
HAL has not yet received any formal sanction for developing the LAH version of the LCH, but I’m told it (sanction) is in the pipeline.
To KSHITIZ: 1) Tejas Mk2 will be unveiled by 2018, but will enter service after 2022. 2) Check out the visual above.
To AKHIL SURI: The idea of pre-independent India being balkanised was implemented at a time when the Cold War had begun in the mid-1940s after Stalin’s imposition of an iron curtain over eastern Europe. In the post-Cold War era, India does not have to fear any such threats.
To SREENIVAS: Very well-explained.
By the way, do watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itYsIg3zOZ4
To Mr.RA 13: That Bose had survived can no longer be disputed. But he was also not allowed to resurface, a fact that can be proven only if the Govt of India officially approaches Russia for accessing the archives of the Kremlin, something which successive Gocts of India have been unwilling to do so.
In a way, it is similar to the tamasha now being staged on national TV news-channels about whether or not David Coleman Headley's extradition ought to be sought by India. But don't be surprised if it is India herself that is averse to Headley being extradited to India for an obvious reason, which is: despite being supplied with actionable intelligence in advance by the US to India about the India-bound journey of the fishing vessel 'Al Husseini' from Karachi, this information was apparently stuck at the desk of the then NSA for 48 hours for as-yet-unexplained reasons, which in turn led to a lowering of the guard by Mumbai Police, & which also prevented the IN & ICGS from mounting coastal surveillance patrols aimed at tracking down the Al Husseini prior to 26/11. And none of the 'desi' news-channels are interested in following this line of investigation.
As a child I always hoped and wished for the return of Bose. Please remember Uttamchand Malhotra and Shoulmari Ashram etc.. Suddenly one day I remembered that if Bose returns he shall be 100 by now and almost a non possible event physically for him. I controlled my long hidden emotions.
ReplyDeleteRegarding David Coleman Headley's case I can only say: OMG!
1.sir,Why does SU 30 MKI have no AESA is their any plans of it?is the l band radar really good as it is reputed to track Stealth planes,will any be fitted on SU30 MKIs,is the BARS radar on it good?
ReplyDelete2.What is the use Beretta MX4 for BSF i see it as a stupid deal?
u missed these questions sir.appreciate it if u can answer in detail.
3.what is the status of gun shown in ur last pic,by what time will it come to limelight?
ReplyDeleteJinnah was a traitor but so were the leaders of the INC. These leaders figured out there is going to be only 1 PM and it is better to create two nations than miss out on the 1 top leadership.The fact Nehru and co were stooges of the UK showed when they covertly expelled Netaji Bose from the INC.Not 50% or 90% but 100% of India's problems are self made - Leaders who looked after their own interests above the nation's. Every country has problem with its leadership for they vie for party political interests above their nation's but in India this is extreme.I reckon an Indian Judas would have done the same job for 3 pieces of silver instead of 30!And this is exactly the same story in the entire subcontinent.A perfect example of this, more than any other place, is the state of West Bengal and the city Kolkata.often I wish the British left India AFTER they built Kolkata like Hong Kong.I still recall mobs of people waiting at a bus stop where rivers of piss running under their feet from the wall behind them.
ReplyDelete"The IN has decided to acquire 24 coastal ASW corvettes, a decision that was revealed last year by the outgoing CNS Admiral Nirmal Verma last July."
ReplyDeleteSo is it fair to assume that the order book of GRSE will increase from 4 Porject 24 ASW corvettes (Kamorta class) or IN will be stupid enough to go for 6 separate designs for the same role. I am just joking but is the order for Kamorta class gonna be increased or after 4 Kamorta class In will go for 20 ASW corvettes with a whole new design ?
"What’s so strange about that? Derby, AIM-120 AMRAAM, R-77, Iris-SL, all BVRAAMs, have been successfully used as SHORADS as well. What’s so surprising about it? "
ReplyDeleteDerby missile is used in the MR version of Spyder while Python is the one used for SR version.
AIM-120 AMRAAM is used in the MRSAM and SRSAM/QRSAM. Its also being offered to india.
R-77 is used by which SAM ? I am sorry, i am just a amateur.
IRIS-T Family consist of 3 missiles. IRIS-T is air-air missile(its a short range missile like Python), IRIS-T SLS is the short range missile for QRSAM about which you talked before also(its surface launched version of IRIS-T) and IRIS-T SL which is enhanced rocket verion which is used in MRSAM.
In short what i pointed out is BVRs are only used in MRSAM like Derby in MR version of Spyder, AIM-120 AMRAAM again in MRSAM and so is the IRIS-T SL in MRSAM version.
India needs 60km and less range missiles like Python,IRIS-t or MICA also and we can use it for QRSAM and Astra which has longer range (80-110km) could be used for MRSAM/LRSAM variant and drdo should have started the ASTRA project with this thing in mind.
Its really not good to depend on israel for everything especially for air defence. Our radars are from them and now interceptors are also from them. We have to get self sufficiency in air-defence otherwise Abottabad could happen on Indian soil and we won't be able to do anything.
Hi
ReplyDeleteNew Assault Rifle developed by DRDO is for FINSAS or the CQ Carbine which Army is looking to procure ??
Is it developed using TAR21 or indegenous design ??
More news on LSP-8 -
ReplyDeletehttp://idrw.org/?p=17746
Quote from above article: -
"“The production line of Tejas at HAL has been moved to a new premises with a built-up area of around 28,000 sqm of Hangars, engineering and administrative blocks. Upgrade and augmentation of production tooling, which is expected to be 2.5 times of prototype requirements, is underway to enhance the rate of production and to expedite delivery of the aircraft,” Tyagi said."
Any comments on that?
" To SREENIVAS: Very well-explained.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, do watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itYsIg3zOZ4 "
this link is not working
and regarding David Headley ... humm so both India Pak knew of this from the beginning
ReplyDeletePrasun Sir,
ReplyDelete1) I believe that the GRSE was undergoing a Rs. 5.3 billion upgrade program, expected to be completed by March 2012, has the upgrade been completed? And if so then what new capabilities have been added to their repertoire? (Link mentioning the program- http://www.grse.nic.in/CHAIRMAN'S%20STATEMENT.PDF)
2) "Another plan was to integrate Astra-III with Sukhoi." This is a quote from the 4th para- 2nd line of the following article-(http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-01-19/india/36431317_1_v-k-saraswat-long-range-cruise-missile-agni-iv). Misinformed reporting?
3) Any idea when the Sudharshan derived dive bomb will be tested and/or revealed?
Hi Prausn
ReplyDeleteIts hard to believe that drdo developed the laser guided anti tank missile all by itself when it seems to be strikingly similar to the lahat missile
saraswat says that india is going in for a larger awacs design , boeing 767 with israeli tech seems to be the option , any suggestions?.
the guided bomb that has been flight tested seems to be a gps guided winged bonb like the jdam or the chinese LS-6 , please give inputs
Prasun
ReplyDeleteIt strikes me that we can add a canoe antenna on the 767 like the jstars and have ground surveillance SAR MTI radar as well given the huge space available in a 767 , That would be fantastic. The trend has been set by the C-295 awacs that has airborne dish antenna on top and a surface radar below the aircraft .
prasun
ReplyDeletesaraswat in his interview claims that the emb-145 has SAR capability as well! this is new . So is it a awacs cum ground surveillance radar platform?
To DASHU: Try this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E9cXw-TXBI
ReplyDeleteTo Anon@9.51AM: The coastal ASW corvettes will displace between 400 tonnes & 600 tonnes only. Therefore, such vessels can’t compare with the much larger Project 28 ASW corvettes.
ReplyDeleteTo Anon@10.10AM: SpyDer-SR indeed uses both Derby & Python-5, while for SpyDer-MR the Derby has been modified to incorporate a booster rocket. Due to technological advances today, SAM versions of fire & forget BVRAAMs can easily engage targets as far as 35km, while MR-SAMs can go out to 70km.
VISAKH: It is for FINSAS & is an indigenous design.
To GESSLER: He’s referring to existing production infrastructure, which in no way constitutes what the actual reqmts are, i.e. the creation of a high-tech environmentally controlled final-assembly facility.
To BHASWAR: 1) Yes. 2) Astra Mk2, not Astra-3. 3) Already tested & revealed. Only the rocket-powered derivative has yet to be revealed.
To RAD: The new AEW & CS platform will be the A330-200. The rocket-powered version of Sudarshan LGB isn’t GPS-guided, but laser-guided & uses FINGS for inertial navigation. As I have stated in my DEFEXPO show report threads, DRDO is already conducting R & D on AESA antennae capable of SAR/GMTI operations. Even in Europe, the SOSTAR project aims at developing a belly-mounted AESA antenna that is capable of conducting AEW, SAR/GMTI & maritime surveillance operations.
1.sir,Why does SU 30 MKI have no AESA is their any plans of it?is the l band radar really good as it is reputed to track Stealth planes,will any be fitted on SU30 MKIs,is the BARS radar on it good?
ReplyDelete2.What is the use Beretta MX4 for BSF i see it as a stupid deal?
3.what is the status of gun shown in ur last pic,by what time will it come to limelight?
u missed these questions AGAIN sir.appreciate it if u can answer in detail.PLEASE ANSWER THEM
Hi Prasun da
ReplyDelete1)Reg. the IAF MID. Range transport aircraft, u have said CJ spartan is the favourite,but dont u think airbus c295 will eventually win keeping L1 vendor in mind
2)Reg. IA air defence, Akash SAM is till a radar guided missile,dont u think it is stupid idea to buy such missiles in today s modern warfare..
3)Reg tank Ex , smaller tank proj, do u see IA ordering DRDO tank ex or will eventually buy foriegn ones..VMT
Hi
ReplyDeleteWhen is the CQ carbine competition Going to get finalized and vendor picked up .
next financial year
Any dates released , I think in March we can have some news . What is total quantity of rifles are we looking for .
I think TAR21 would be eventual winner .
Prasun Sir,
ReplyDeleteSo far I've only seen the baseline Sudarshan LGB. That is to say that I've come across no pictures or information regarding the Glide-bomb. Could you please provide any details/specs and pictures?
Sir, Three IAF officers conferred Vayu Sena gallantry medals.
ReplyDeleteWing Commander Sohal displayed sheer courage in attempting the recovery of an Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft which yawed and rolled viciously to the right after take-off.
He ejected after ensuring that the aircraft would not fall into an inhabited area.
Does this mean that a fourth Su-30 had been lost to crashes ? I didnt read anything abiut any Su-30 crashes recently.
Is IA importing 3rd gen APFSDS rounds from IMI Israel ?
To Anon@9.08PM: 1) The mid-range turboprop-powered air transport aircraft requirement is likely to be cancelled as it is unviable & unrealistic in terms of its industrial objectives & instead several more C-130J-30s are likely to be ordered. 2) The Akash SAM is still a viable & effective product, but its range needs to be enhanced to 40km if possible, but no less than 35km. 3) No foreign Light Tanks will be procured & instead, once the Arjun Mk1A MBT’s series-production gets underway, the option of acquiring re-engineered Tank EX medium tanks will be taken up by Indian Army HQ.
ReplyDeleteTo VISAKH: By this year’s end. Quantities to be procured will exceed 40,000.
To BHASWAR: The rocket-powered version of Sudarshan LGB is a guided-bomb, not glide-bomb. Only the original Sudarshan LGB is a glide-bomb.
To Anon@1.15AM: That was the last (3rd) Su-30MKI crash. All imports of 125mm APFSDS rounds from IMI were terminated last April.
The truth about the IAF’s projected strength of AEW & C fleet finally emerged from the DRDO-ADA media briefing in Bengaluru on January 25, 2013. According to the DRDO’s top decision-makers, the IAF, which has three A-50I PHALCONs at present, will acquire another two A-50Is in future. To this will be added ONLY three (and not 15 as speculated earlier) EMB-145I AEW & CS, which CABS will deliver. After receiving these eight (five A-50Is & three EMB-145Is) platforms, CABS will commence R & D on developing a new type of AEW & CS that will make use of the Airbus A330-200 airframe. If successful, then four such platforms will be ordered for the IAF.
ReplyDeleteWatch this interesting debate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2gb24TrTnI
ReplyDelete"After receiving these eight (five A-50Is & three EMB-145Is) platforms, CABS will commence R & D on developing a new type of AEW & CS that will make use of the Airbus A330-200 airframe. If successful, then four such platforms will be ordered for the IAF."
ReplyDeleteIs the airframe fixed ? Why such an expensive platform ? The platform alone 140 million$ +. I know it might have something to do with Airbus MRTT. I really hope we go for Embraer or Bombardier, even Boeing has some cheaper options or we can go for A318-321, all of the are almost half the price of A330 and they are pretty big.
How many of these big AWACS IAF will purchase ? Did they talk about IN? IN is planing to purchase some AWACS and a couple aerial tanker too. I heard they were interested in the DRDO AEW&CS.
"The mid-range turboprop-powered air transport aircraft requirement is likely to be cancelled as it is unviable & unrealistic in terms of its industrial objectives & instead several more C-130J-30s are likely to be ordered. "
ReplyDeleteI think we should just stop purchasing these aircraft. They are way too expensive. If IAF will purchase 25 C17, the whole expenditure will be closer to MMRCA. So we have to think before purchase. Thee C17s, C130j and Chinook should be transferred to the new SF commands planned. Then we should purchase the newer version of Antonov air-crafts in bulk.
India has the biggest voluntary military. For tranport we need aircrafts in bulk especially considering don't have roads and railways too.
"No foreign Light Tanks will be procured & instead, once the Arjun Mk1A MBT’s series-production gets underway, the option of acquiring re-engineered Tank EX medium tanks will be taken up by Indian Army HQ."
ReplyDeleteI don't know about light tank purchase but i do know one thing, IA is not purchasing tank ex. The idea of purchasing it never entered their mind. MOD forced IA to purchase Arjun and then arjun mk2. IA is not purchasing anything else. They clearly said look at the future now, for time being we can purchase from Russia for our remaining requirement. A couple hundred more arjun mk2 might be purchased but thats it.
"The coastal ASW corvettes will displace between 400 tonnes & 600 tonnes only. Therefore, such vessels can’t compare with the much larger Project 28 ASW corvettes."
ReplyDeleteMy bad, i didn't read. So visby ?
Also are we still on for those guided missile corvette that you wrote about last year ?
"It is for FINSAS & is an indigenous design. "
Whats the status of the project? IA is going to purchase multi calibre assault rifle, is drdo competing ? wHO IS PURCHASING THESE GUNS ?
Hi Prasun da
ReplyDeleteur comment"Mid range transport aitcraft likely to be cancelled"..
Few concerns:
Procuring 40 cj super hercules instead of 56 cj spartan/c295 will be much expensive..If private industry does nt come up for this mid range trnasporter project, MOD can alawys relax offsets and give HAL the resonsibility..ur thoughts pls
Prasun Sir,
ReplyDeleteIs the HAL AMCA being designed as a LO platform or a VLO platform? I know that any concrete returns from the program are a few years away so this might be a question requiring much speculation but could you please provide your opinion.
If the report I had mentioned earlier does mention the Astra Mk2 then what are its specs. The Astra MK1 was just tested and is yet to be fired/tested from any operational aerial platform, in light of this how can DRDO claim that it shall be looking forward to integrating the Astra MK2 onto the SU-30MKI in 2013?
When can we hope to see the launch of the first satellite which shall be part of the IRNSS satellite constellation?
Why have we only opted to purchase only 3 DRDO developed AEW&C systems, earlier mentions had referred to the purchase of at least 9 such systems?
Hi Prasun ,
ReplyDeleteWhich countries according to you are allies of INDIA ?
Thanks,
Anil
Hi Prasun,
ReplyDeleteWhat's this K-5 with a rane of 1500 km that was test-fired today?Never heard of it.
Regards,
Anand.
Dear Prasun,
ReplyDeleteThe K-5 missiles test firing today is supposed to be the 11th one, though the first 10 test firings were not reported. It was supposed to be ready for induction into submarine platforms, as told by Saraswat to reporters. The range is 1500 km and not >4000 km as reported in previous reports. Will you please clarify on the range?
To Anon@9.15AM: It’s elementary: the IAF wants an AEW & C platform that can stay in the air continuously for 14 hours, meaning 12 hours of mission-flying that’s backed up by aerial refuelling. For a typical 12-hour mission, at least three sets of mission management crews will be required, something that cannot be accommodated by A318, A319, B.737NG, EMB-190 or even a B.767 or A310-300. The A330-200 therefore is the optimum choice. Present plans call for four such platforms to be procured for the IAF. The IN wants only shipborne AEW & CS platforms. It has never been & will never be seriously interested in shore-based platforms, simply because shore-based platforms while flying over to provide AEW & C cover for a CBG will easily reveal the CBG’s location in the high seas.
ReplyDeleteNo one said that the IA will procure Tank EX as it now exists. In fact, what I had previously stated is that the IA is likely to procure a RE-ENGINEERED Tank EX. DRDO-developed multi-calibre assault rifle is meant purely for the IA.
To Anon@2.13PM: Far better then to await the arrival of IL-214 MRTAs. Also, the present-day C-130J-30 Super Hercules features greatly improved STOL capabilities. Therefore, trying to procure smaller platforms like C-295 or Spartan will translate into a colossal waste of money.
To BHASWAR: Astra Mk2’s specs are all listed in the topmost poster. First IRNSS satellite is due for launch this May/June.
To ANIL K: No country, India included, will ever have permanent friends, enemies or allies. All one will ever have are permanent interests.
To ANAND & SNTATA: What was tested today was a 10-metre long K-15/B-05 solid-fuelled SLBM with a 700km-range. Its R & D had begun in 1998 by an Indian Navy-led team, since at that time the DRDO has only some 200 missile scientists & engineers, none of whom had any experience in developing solid-fuelled rockets. The R & D project, known as Sagarika/PJ-08, saw the development of various sub-systems of the K-15 that were tried out between 2004 & November 2008 in 10 different test-firings at various shore-based establishments off Balasore. The first fully-integrated test-firing of the 10-tonne K-15/B-05 was conducted in January 2010 followed by another one in January 2011, another one in January 2012 & today’s test-firing, in all totalling 4 test-firings of a fully functional SLBM from an underwater pontoon. Two more test-firings are due in future, these being conducted from the Arihant SSBN sometime next year. Today’s test-firing saw the K-15’s first-stage solid-fuel rocket booster being ignited inside a pontoon-based silo 20 metres under water & being lifted up to an altitude of 7km. Then the second-stage solid-fuel rocket ignited & lifted the K-15 to an altitude of 40km, following which the K-15 adopted a depressed trajectory flight-path.
ReplyDeleteBeing developed now is the follow-on 20-tonne 10-metre long K-4 SLBM which will have a 3,500km-range. This will be followed by an enhanced 12-metre-long version of the K-4 SLBM with a 5,000km-range.
Dear Prashun,
ReplyDeleteDoes YJ-12 nullify the advantage that we might have with brahmos... looking at the scale YJ looks more compact. ... do you see any specific advantage that brahmos might hold,Once YJ-12 is deployed
why are we investing on an AEW&C heavily for the next decade when we presently dont have enough. why produce only 3 of the EMB-145 based AEW&C instead of producing more and fill the gap though they may not be of sufficient capability now. We can have a better system proceeding as R&D now to be delivered next decade but what for the gaps of present. Why only 2 A-50 Phalcon for follow on, why not atleast 5 even if it means a renegotiation, especially since IAF is satisfied with its Phalcons. you yourselves told atleast 20 of AEW&C are required. Even in next decade we wont have half of what is required.
ReplyDeleteSreenivas
To Anon@12.32AM: The YJ-12 was originally designed as an air-launched long-range ASCM & the LRCM being co-developed by India & Israel is very similar in concept. The BrahMos on the other hand was originally designed as a submarine-launched & land-launched supersonic cruise missile. Therefore, it will not be appropriate to compare the BrahMos with the YJ-12, instead, the YJ-12 ought to be compared with the LRCM in terms of performance parameters. Long-range missiles like the TJ-12 & LRCM will surely morphe into different versions in future, like air-launched tactical nuclear warhead carriers, plus ship-launched & air-launched anti-ship cruise missiles. BrahMos, on the other hand, with a more powerful warhead, will be more handy as a land-launched NLOS-BSM & SSGN-launched anti-ship cruise missile.
ReplyDeleteTo SREENIVAS: As per the IAF’s roadmap prepared in 2003, the original plan was for procuring eight A-50I PHALCONs. The DRDO then barged in & claimed the right to develop smaller AEW & CS platforms like the EMB-145I, which the IAF never desired or wanted. Since the MoD cleared the plan for the EMB-145Is, the entire AEW & CS procurement roadmap of the IAF has now gone haywire. The IAF from the outset was against EMB-145I-type platforms since they typically possess less endurance (only six hours on station) & due to their limited interior cabin volume, can’t carry extra mission management crew. Furthermore, they tend to require more aerial refuelling tanker support than what a A-50I or an A330-200 will require. Therefore, with the benefit of hindsight, it would have been far better if the IAF was allowed to procure eight A-50Is while the DRDO was instructed to develop & deliver eight A330-200-based AEW & CS platforms, instead of wasting money on the EMB-145I project.
To SNTATA: K-15/B-05 solid-fuelled SLBM with 700km-range is 10.22-metres long & has a launch weight of 6.5 tonnes. Its cannister is built with glass-cpmposites material.
ReplyDeletePictures of the missile -
ReplyDeletehttp://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/854/k15slbm1.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/843/k15slbm2.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/835/k151.jpg/
Beautiful isn't it?
Prasun, you have stated above that Sagarika/K-15 was once called PJ-08.
ReplyDeleteWe all know that BrahMos is called PJ-10.
Does Nirbhay also have such an alphanumeric designation?
Ajai Shukla should reconsider the reliability of his sources in the MoD. He'll soon be out of a job if he continues to rely on them.
ReplyDeleteIndian Express interview says HAL's chairman denies the MoD has rejected the HTT-40! He even rubbished Shukla's claim that the HTT-40 would cost twice more than other trainers. What a plonker!
sir ,
ReplyDeletethere are programs going on to find a replacement for insas rifle in IA service as well as CAPFs..
many rifles are mentioned to be under consideration..but i have never heard FN SCAR "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FN_SCAR#FNAC"
OR HK 416 "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HK416#Individual_Carbine_Competition"..
These 2 rifles can fire different calibre rounds & could easily be the best available..still never read anywhere that it is being considered..why ??
the indian order could easily be the biggest for these companies...
i guess these 2 rifles along with TAR 21 are the best 3..what's your take..
Hi Prasun ,
ReplyDeleteBut aren't the US , UK and Australia permanent friends and allies though I understand that they have the same DNA . Regarding India do you think that Bhutan and Russia are allies ?
Thanks,
Anil
To GESSLER: What one has to note is that firstly, the term ‘PJ’ stands for the initials of the then Secretary DRDO Dr A P J Abdul Kalam. Secondly, the term ‘PJ’ also stands for those weapon systems that have been ‘JOINTLY’ developed by India and Russia. Thirdly, the first media-revelations about the PJ-series of missiles & Project Sagarika emerged between 1993 and 1995 in the West, meaning they were deliberately ‘leaked’ by the US since, between 1991 and 1996 when Andrei Kozyrev was the Russian Foreign Minister under President Boris Yeltsin, the US State Department had several of its own staff posted or attached with the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry till 1998, apparently to advice the latter about its transformation in the post-Cold War era. Therefore, it was extremely easy for the US then to acquire first-hand knowledge about India-Russia military-industrial cooperation in strategic areas. That is how the US succeeded in preventing Russia from undertaking ToT for cryogenic engines required for the GSLV satellite launch vehicle, but permitting the off-the-shelf export of only eight cryogenic engines. Fourthly, a close visual examination of the commonality shared by various on-board sub-systems of both BrahMos and K-15/B-05 will clearly reveal all technological linkages between the PJ-8 and PJ-10 projects. Lastly, since the Nirbhay cruise missile project was initiated not by Dr Kalam but by Dr V K Saraswat & that too as an in-house effort without any external help or expertise, the project is not part of the PJ-series of R & D efforts.
ReplyDeleteTo Anon@10.13AM: Whatever your conclusions may be, the fact remains that the MoD has withheld all R & D-related financial sanctions for the HTT-40 project, based on undisputable inputs from IAF HQ. The time to indigenously develop a BTT was in the early 1990s & opportunity never knocks at one’s doors twice.
To ANIL K: They’re all allies, but not of a permanent nature. None of them have ever used the term ‘permanent’. Russia is an ally & partner of India, but Bhutan is an Indian protectorate.
Dear Prasun,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the clarification regarding launch of SLBM. Then do you mean to say that the news item erred in both the designation [K-5] as well as its range [1500 km]? The news item actually quotes Saraswat as follows:
"The medium range K-5 ballistic missile was test-fired successfully today from an underwater pontoon and all parameters of the test firing were met," DRDO chief VK Saraswat told PTI from the undisclosed test area." The news item further elaborates on other Sub launched missiles as follows:
"India is also developing two more underwater missiles including K-15 and Brahmos with strike ranges of 750 kilometres and 290 kilometres respectively."
Are you sure that the news item is another piece of 'screwed up desi journalism'? Here is the link:
http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NEWS/newsrf.php?newsid=19881
To SNTATA: The news item you've quoted is just another piece of discredited 'desi' yellow journalism, kindly rest assured.
ReplyDeleteHello Prasun,
ReplyDelete1. Between Arjun Mk-2 and M1A2 Abrams, what would be the better tank overall?
2. How many combat-ready troops can Rudra helo-gunship carry while having full weaponoad?
3. Any updates on JF-17 Block-2?
4. Now that rocket-powered Sudarshan is on the anvil, I don't think India needs to import AASM from France. Am I right?
5. What could be Shaurya/K-15's max terminal velocity when diving from 50km altitude?
Prasun Ji,
ReplyDeleteI read your blog every week as I have tremendous interest in Aerospace&Defence and am therefore planning to do my BE in Aerospace from Russia. Since you visit Russia often do you think it is a safe place for Indians as I hear that non whites are randomly targetted by Neo Nazis and nationalists . the only reason I want to do my BE there is because the cost is a lot lower than in India.
Thank You
Ravi
Sir, How can the EW suite of MiG-29UPG be superior to the ones of F-18 Super Hornet ? F-18 has expendable towed RF decoys whereas MiG-29 has none ?
ReplyDeleteIn near future will MiG-29 UPG get pylon mounted MAWS ?
Will there be test of PDV this month ?
Are there any plans of increasing gun calibre of Arjun tank from 44 to 55 calibre to increase firing range ?
Are the ERA developed by Drdo as good as Kaktus type Russian ERA ?
IMI produces some of the best 3rd gen APFSDS . From where will IA import such rounds? DRDO APFSDS are not as good as the foreign ones .
How many hand held IRDE developed multi function sights will IA eventually order ?
Are there any plans of converting CLCM to a fore & forget 3rd gen ATGM by fitting an IIR seeker ?
You had previously said that 120 Jaguar IS will be upgraded to Darin 3 standards . But you said that 68 will be upgraded . Why ?
What ASW helos batch 2 Talwar class have ?
What happaned to plans of ordering a 3rd batch of Talwar class and BMP-3, 348 T-90MS.
Prasunda,
ReplyDeleteIs the 5000 km version of the K4 our final SLBM or is there a 6000+ km SLBM planned in the future ?
Dear Prasun,
ReplyDeleteGood God, here is another fantastic piece of 'desi journo syndrome' about K-5 launch:
http://defenceforumindia.com/news/india/
Hi Prasun da
ReplyDeleteToday media broke a news abt Indian navy tender for more then 120 NMRH..Is this apart form the current 16 NMRH(S70 vs NH90)..kindly give details..Regards
how much would the a330 awacs cost? How many prototypes will they build with the sactioned 1 billion usd?
ReplyDeletethe IN is about to issue RFP for 120 NMRH..an on going project will equip IN with 16 NMRH..earlier i read a total of 75 helos would be procured..so has this been increased??
ReplyDeletewhat is the breakdown in no.s sought according to weight..like no. of 10 tonne , 12 tonne..etc
thanks
To Anon@8.12PM: 1) Between the Arjun Mk1A & M-1A2 Abrams, the latter will triumph. Between the projected Arjun Mk2 & M-1A2, both will be evenly matched. 2) None. 3) None. 4) AASM is much more versatile than Sudarshan family of LGBs. The AASM offers the operator a choice of three seekers: laser-guided, IR-guided & GPS-guided. 5) More than Mach 6.
ReplyDeleteTo RAVI: The Russian nationalist vigilantes mostly target those members of the CIS that reside in ghetto-like areas & work in the services & tertiary sectors & generally don’t target foreign students.
To Anon@11.13PM: 1) Super Hornet does not have towed expendable decoys as standard fit. It is an optional accessory & even the MiG-29UPG has this option. 2) 2) No. 3) Dunno. 4) Not for Arjun Mk1A. 5) Yes. 6) DRDO is hard at work developing corresponding 125mm rounds capable of penetrating 600mm RHA. 7) Tens of thousands. 8) No. 9) 120 will be re-engined but 68 will have DARIN-3 nav-attack avionics suite. 10) Ka-28PL. 11) These are all on-paper proposals.
To Anon@11.17PM: No. The IN has specified a 6,500km SLBM as well for S-5 & S-6 SSBNs.
To Anon@12.34AM & Anon@2.02AM: Be it 4.2-tonne helicopters or 10-tonne helicopters or 12-tonne helicopters, they’re all NMRHs in terms of function—something which the ‘desi’ mass-media entities can’t figure out! For the first weight category, 56 are required (for which the Bell 426 is the frontrunner). For the second, about 40 are required & for the third, about 16 are required. That is how one derives the figure of 120 NMRHs, & therefore the figure of 120 does not stand for a single helicopter requirement for a particular weight category. Thus, for the 10-tonne category NMRH, the S-70B Seahawk & AS.365M Panther are being offered, while for the 12-tonne category NMRH, the AW-101, HH-92 Superhawk & Eurocopter’s EC-725 Cougar Mk2 are on offer.
To Anon@1.33PM: At least US$300 million, inclusive of the cost of procuring an airframe off-the-shelf. Only one functional production-standard prototype will be built.
"For a typical 12-hour mission, at least three sets of mission management crews will be required, something that cannot be accommodated by A318, A319, B.737NG, EMB-190 or even a B.767 or A310-300."
ReplyDeleteForget about all this. I was just reading the specs of A330-200. It is truely a new gen aircraft. The fule capacity is freakishly large, sometimes as much as 5 times the similar aircraft and fuel economy is no doubt the best. I know one thing for sure, flying and maintaining a fleet of AWACS is also as expensive as purchasing them. Its a cool choice, even better than Dreamliner.
Hey Prasun Da,how are you doing??
ReplyDeleteI had a few questions to ask:
1.What is the CEP of Sudarshan LGB kit and how does it fare with western systems??
2.Any idea when IAF may induct this kit into operational service??
3.There is a lot of talking going on wrt to replacement of INSAS assault rifles from IA service with a foreign made rifle.But don't you think that it would have been much more reasonable and economical to instruct ARDE to further develop the newer all black INSAS 1B1 (about 600 gm lighter than the 1B) with multicaliber capabilities,picatiny rails and various sights developped by IRDE??What is your take on that??Even the USMC did the the same with their M 16 rifles and are still using it!!
4.Don't you think that the IIR seeker of the Nag ATGM should be permanently dropped in favor of milimetric wave seeker as the infrared seekers have limted all weather capabilities??
5.Any update on Helina ATGM??Any idea when it might be integrated with combat helos??
6.Most of the Pakistanis believe that India actually lost in 1965 war and as proof they always brag about supposed PAF victory over IAF and battle of Chowinda-What do you think about the result of 1965 war and who won??And what do you think might have been the reason behind the supposed below average performance by IAF??
7.According to Ret Major Agha Humayun Amin,the objectives of the IA in western front during 1971 war was not achieved but how can that be when IA had reportedly been captured over 5500^2 mile of western Pak and besieged Sialkot army base??
8.Many Pakistanis claim that during 1965 war,IA infantry had outnumbered them by more than 4:1 ratio and 2:1 interms of Armored forces but don't you think that this number is grossly over exaggerated??
9.Is there any new 120 mm FSAPDS round for Arjun tank??Can't we import the penetrators of DM 51 rounds from Germany and produce them under license??
10.Do you have any idea about the level of ballistic tolerance of LCH??Upto which caliber rounds its body can resist 12.7 mm or 14.5 mm 0r 20 mm??
11.Do you know how many ordnance factories in India produce 155 mm artillery ammunition and what is the approximate total amount of rounds produced in India per year??
THANX in advance......................
By the way Prasun Da,do you have any info whether or not any heavy metals like Tu or DU was used in the Kanchan armor modules??Or is there any plan to include them in Mk2??
ReplyDeleteIs there any add on NERA module developed for Arjun up armoring??
Sir,have you seen this
ReplyDeletehttp://publications.drdo.gov.in/ojs/...e/view/334/195
By the way,why is the minimum engagement range of CLGM is 1.5 km??That means a soldier can not engage a tank or other targets at clo0ser ranges!!
Check out these two links:
ReplyDeletehttp://dawn.com/2013/01/29/kargil-adventure-was-four-man-show-general/
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/columns/06-Jan-2013/putting-our-children-in-line-of-fire
The exposures by Gen Aziz are the foremost among all such previous matters.
ReplyDeletePrasun,
ReplyDeletewrt the ALH WSI/Rudra- which HMDS will be used on the helo to be used to aim the turret)? And will both pilots or just one wear this HMDS?
Also will the ALH WSI be used to support/insert Indian SOFs?The abilty fight your way in drop off SOFs and then fight your way out is surely pretty attractive to Indian military?
Can you see the IN operating the ALH WSI at a later stage to be used off their future LHD/LPD??
Prasunda,
ReplyDeleteThen will the 5000 km version of K-4 still fit S3/S4 ? Will K-4 carry MIRVs ?
To ANURAG: Welcome back! 1) The CEP is comparable to those of its Western counterparts. 2) Within the next 24 months. 3) The Multi-Calibre Weapon now being developed will ultimately be inducted into service. While imported assault rifles, LMGs & carbines are all right for immediate requirements or exigencies, selection of an imported assault rifle solution for the entire Indian armed forces will be downright demoralising & therefore totally unacceptable for any self-respecting armed force from both the military & political angles. The INSAS-1B1 with holographic aiming sight is well-liked by the Indian Army as well as by the CAPFs. 4) I agree, since IIR seekers are also susceptible to expendable IR countermeasures & obscurants. In my view, the 50kg Nag ATGM, designed in the early 1990s, needs to be urgently re-engineered & made lighter & those thrusters need to be got rid of. 5) HELINA as it now exists has the IIR seeker, which both the IAF & IA are against & therefore want the MMW seeker so that HELINA’s standoff target engagement range can be increased to 8km. Therefore, the DRDO-developed MMW seeker will be certified for the HELINA by 2015 at best. 6) The 1965 war was officially a standoff for both sides because India gave away the captured Haji Pir Pass. Had India refused to give back this strategically vital area in Tashkent, then India’s victory would have been undisputed. As for the IAF’s performance, it must be noted that the IAF post-1962 was undergoing an appreciable expansion-cum-restructuring on all fronts, which did lead to some dilution of its operational prowess from a human resource standpoint. 7) In 1971, there were no major offensive plans conceived at either strategic or operational levels since the political directives issued by August 1971 by the Govt of India clearly stated that the centre of gravity lay in East Pakistan, i.e. all-out offensives in the eastern front but a holding operation in the western front, something even the USSR had then insisted upon in order to justify the Soviet vetoes of any probable UNSC resolutions that the US was then expected to sponsor (in fact, the Soviets did veto two consecutive US-sponsored resolutions). 8) In fact, it was the other way around since the PA then had two armoured divisions, compared to the IA’s sole armoured division. 9) New 120mm & 125mm APFSDS rounds with 600mm RHA penetration capability is now in an advanced stage of development. 125mm APFSDS round with 500mm RHA penetration capability is already under bulk production. 10) Those parameters will be available during Aero India 2013, hopefully. 11) That data will be available at OFB’s website. 12) Tungsten-based & nicked-based super-alloys are used for Kanchan Mk2, along with advanced ceramic-based materials. DU is not used at all. Technologies for NERA are still being perfected & have not yet entered bulk production. 13) CLGM was originally conceived as a high-velocity projectile that is not only capable of engaging armoured vehicles, but also helicopters. Had its flight-speed been slower like that of the Milan-2, then it would have been possible for the missile-firing crew to guide the missile after traversing 75 metres.
ReplyDeleteLot of water is being shed over what is CLGM wrt LAHAT? Please clarify. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteBTW Desi Yellow is reporting this.
ReplyDelete"Meanwhile, Saraswat also said that the DRDO has conducted a flight of "guided bomb". "It's a bomb which can fly for about 40-50 or even more kilometres in a guided mode and it can be released from an aircraft," he said"
Plz comment. Thank you!
I failed to understand that why shiny odd bright orange color was chosen for INSAS rifle furniture?
ReplyDeleteTo RAHUL: It's all explained above in this very thread.
ReplyDeleteSo Gen Mush was the culprit. Will he ever be taken to court for treason & killing soldiers? Nehhh.. That is Pakistan where Army is above the angels of Allah...
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine such a scenario in Indian Army.
Anyway, Gen Mush has lied to the whole world. What was his intention? In his autobiography he said that Kargil war brought Kashmir into the world media.
But Kashmir was already on the world media before that. In fact after Kargil, the voice for Kashmir independence reduced drastically and now only a feeble mourn from a bunch of separatists. APHC has lost its shinning and now the main intention of it is to milk money in the name of Kashmir.
Then in Pakistan, he was awarded by his fellow senior officers by staging a coup and posted him as the "Chairman" of Pakistan, Inc. So basically this shows that the senior officers do not just care about the fellow soldiers in Pakistan Army. Ohh Goodness!
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ReplyDeletelaser cutting machine price.