Here is what we do or like to do:
And what follows below is how it is done by a superpower:
He was reportedly the most
successful and valued agent/asset the United States had run inside the Soviet
Union in two decades. His documents and drawings had unlocked the secrets of several
of the USSR’s radars and guided-weapons R & D years into the future. He had
even smuggled circuit-boards and blueprints out of the R & D laboratories
where he was working. His espionage thus put the US in a position to dominate
the skies over hostile airspace and confirmed the vulnerability of USSR-developed
air-defence networks. The agent was Adolf Tolkachev, an engineer and specialist
in airborne radars who worked deep inside the Soviet military-industrial
complex. Over a six-year perriod, Tolkachev met with his CIA handlers 21 times
on the streets of Moscow. Tolkachev’s story has now been detailed in 944 pages
of previously secret CIA cables about the operation that was declassified
without condition for the forthcoming book, ‘The Billion Dollar Spy’. The CIA did not
review the book before publication. The documents and interviews with the participants
offer a remarkably detailed picture of how military-industrial espionage was conducted
in the USSR during some of the most tense years of the Cold War. Tolkachev was
driven by a desire to avenge history. His wife’s mother was executed and her
father sent to forced-labour camps during Stalin’s Great Terror of the 1930s.
He also described himself as disillusioned with communism and “a dissident at
heart”. He wanted to strike back at the USSR, and did so by betraying its military
secrets to the US.
His CIA case officers often
observed that he seemed determined to cause the maximum damage possible to the
Soviet Union, despite the risks. The punishment for treason was execution.
Tolkachev did not want to die at the hands of the KGB. Therefore, he asked for
and got a suicide pill from the CIA he could use if caught. The US Air Force
estimated at one point in the operation that Tolkachev’s espionage had saved
the United States $2 billion in weapons R & D. Tolkachev used to smuggle
most of the secret documents out of his office during lunch-hour hidden in his
overcoat, and photographed them using a Pentax 35mm camera clamped to a chair
in his apartment. In return, Tolkachev asked the CIA for money, mostly as a
sign of respect. There wasn’t much to buy in shortage-plagued Moscow in those
days. He also wanted albums of Western music—the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Uriah
Heep and others—for his teenage son. Tolkachev thus became one of the CIA’s
most productive agents of the Cold War.
Documentation supplied by Tolkachev by late 1983 had
included: complete sets of engineering and technical data-packages of Phazatron NIIR’s 385kg N-019
Rubin RPLK-29/Sapfir-29 pulse-Doppler radar with twist-cassegrain antenna and its successor, the NO19MP
Topaz—both meant for the MiG-29B-12 and MiG-29B-13; complete sets of
engineering and technical data-packages of JSC V
Tikhomirov
Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design’s N-001 Myech/RPLK-27 X-band pulse-Doppler radar
with twist-cassegrain antenna for the Su-27SK; complete sets of engineering and
technical data-packages of the Zaslon RP-31/N-007
PESA radar on-board the MiG-31; complete
sets of engineering and technical data-packages of
the Shmel 3-D radar for the Beriev A-50 AEW & CS from NPO Vega; and complete sets of
engineering and technical data-packages of both 2K12
Kub MR-SAM family
and the Buk-М1 MR-SAM.
328 comments:
1 – 200 of 328 Newer› Newest»Replies to queries from the previous thread:
To SIDDHARTH: Best to stick to the Su-30MKI. IN any case, the Super Su-30MKI upgrade package will continue to ensure its superiority over the Su-35.
To RAVI IN: One reaps what one sows—that’s the moral of this episode.
To ASHUTOSH: NH-90 is way too expensive for the MoD’s purse-strings. What is being proposed is the Dauphin 3 MRH that will be competing against the Naval Dhruv ALH Mk4.
To S THAKUR: You can read all about it in:
http://www.amazon.in/Neither-Hawk-nor-Dove-Pakistans/dp/0670088013/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436039432&sr=8-1&keywords=Neither+a+Hawk+Nor+A+Dove
To VED: Are you kidding? LCA (Navy) Mk2 just like the Tejas Mk2 will be a totally new-design airframe with greater wing-area for increased lift to compensate for the F414's greater weight. This means an all-new aircraft flight-test regime running into 2,000 hours for each of the two variants & involving no less than 6 flying prototypes for each variant (no one has to date even stated how many flying prototypes of each will be built) for the sake of calculating the airframe's agility metrics parameters with full weapons-load. This has so far not been achieved even by the Tejas Mk1/LCA (Navy) Mk1!!! All Tejas Mk1s are flying with subsonic drop-tanks & not a single supersonic drop-tank has even been built so far! Do read up all you can about aircraft agility metrics calculations & how painstakingly they are derived & only then will you get some idea about how big a deal it is to optimise airframe design in sync with the prescribed operational performance parameters. Realistically speaking, the flight-test regime of both the Tejas Mk2 MRCA & the LCA (Navy) Mk2 won't be completed until 2022. So let us stop day-dreaming about unattainable project targets & get a hard doze of reality by speaking to experienced experimental test-pilots. And FYI, the IAF and Navy already talking about incorporating either canards or thrust-vectoring nozzles for the Tejas Mk2 MRCA & the LCA (Navy) Mk2 to ensure attainable agility parameters during supersonic flight regimes.
To SUKHBIR: 2K12 KUB stopped being produced in the mid-1980s itself. It was replaced by ther Buk-M1. But both systems have been compromised as far as OPSEC goes, as narrated above.
To Anon@7.40PM: And what is China asking for in return? Sovereign guarantees for payment returns? Can the Govt of Pakistan pay back such loans?
To Anon@2.16PM: Says who? Neither the AESA-MMR nor IRST have as yet even been flight-tested on any FC-1 or JF-17. And BTW, the existing KLJ-7 MMR is actually the Zhemchoug MMR, which was developed by Phazotron NIIR of Russia in cooperation with China’s AVIC for both the J-10 and FC-1. It is a version of the Zhuk-M MMR with CETC-developed IFF. Substantially lighter than the Zhuk-M at just 180kg, its planar-array antenna helps keep down costs and weight compared to phased-array designs. It detects simultaneously 20 targets, selects the 4 most dangerous of them & tracks and them. Detection range is 80km, lock-on range is 60km.
To RAD: LoLz! Do you really think the US has parted with its latest technological assets or products? Even now all the microchip processors used on MMRs & digital flight-control computers & mission computers (developed in India, Russia & China) are INTEL 486. The US is probably using Pentium 9/10/11 chips on its advanced platforms & weapons & they will become public knowledge only a decade later.
* http://www.idealistrevolution.org/the-ruins-of-the-soviet-space-shuttles/
anything of value there for ISRO?
* does the IN operate platforms with LIDAR, radiation detection, acoustic sigint capabilities? if not - are they under development? and where do they stand with respect to US, Rus and Chini?
* lot of critical pieces on the F35 coming out. how do you rate it?
from above.....
as they did in the Case of Lakhvi ?
Prasun Da, also requesting your view on this article,
http://idrw.org/kashmiri-youths-joining-militancy-funds-flow-from-gulf/
in the back drop of Saudi funding for spread of Wahhabi ideology in India
http://www.oneindia.com/india/wikileaks-how-saudi-funded-rs-1-700-crore-wahabi-influence-india-1787820.html
Hi
the IAF and Navy already talking about incorporating either canards or thrust-vectoring nozzles for the Tejas Mk2 MRCA & the LCA (Navy) Mk2 to ensure attainable agility parameters during supersonic flight regimes.
As per your comments neither TVC or Canards are possible as GE Engine doesn't have Tvc and ADA has already frozen the design for Aircraft with canard requiring change in FCS of TEJAS.
Please can you substantiate this by providing any links ??? or Possible ways to implement ????
Prasun Sir
Could you shed light on the significance of the PMs visit to central asia and Russia ?
Will the north south transport corridor finally move forward ?
Hi
Indian Army is going for Excalibur Modified INSAS Rifle , What about Ghatak and MCIWS Rifles ???
What is number of Rifles expected???
Prasunda,
The recent cancellation the Assault Rifle RFP, has created a confusing array of news reporting. Could you clear the fog with a short response? What does the Army require? The Excalibur, the AR2 or the Modified Insas Rifle? Where does it require the MCIWS and what is the MSMC? Which is compatible with 5.56 and which with 7.62? What do the paramilitary forces require? When will all this be done, tentatively? A one small treatise with your realistic perspective that clears it all up would be very nice for reference? Many thanks - Ashish
Actually on the Lakhavi issue, by voting against India, China got heavily exposed by itself.
To ASHISH & VISHAKH: There’s no confusion at all & it is indeed welcome news that the 5.56mm Excalibur has been selected for replacing the INSAS, after competing against the Amogh. Similarly, the 7.62mm Ghaatak has been selected after competing with the Trichy Assault Rifle. The JVPC/MSMC carbine too has been selected. All 3 will now be series-produced for fulfilling the reqmts of both the armed forces & CAPFs, which run into millions of units. Thus, common-sense at last is staging a comeback after a almost 2 decades of exciting India! The MCIWS was an impossibility & no one in the world will dare to induct such a weapon. The entire MCIWS saga was a repeat of the type of fiasco witnessed in the late 1990s when the motorized 155mm/52-cal howitzer reqmt was broken up into2 ludicrous reqmts: one for the MGS & the other for a wheeled system. Consequently, the selection process of the MGS dragged on till 2014. It is indeed the best practice to allow the DRDO to design a conceptual weapon & then hand it over to the various OFB factories to do the detailed design & fabricate with customised refinements them for competitive evaluations. It is this process was followed for evaluating the Excalibur against the Amogh, & the Ghaatak against the Trichy Assault Rifle. This same process should also be applied for GPMGs & AGLs & pistols. Everyone will then realise that India has enough skill, talent & resources reqd for indigenously developing & series-producing small-arms & ammo of all types. Foreign consultancy can always be sought & obtained from firms based in Austria or Switzerland for specialist ballistics databases, & specialised telescopic sights can be licence-built, but nothing more needs to be sourced from abroad beyond those.
To PRAV: NaMo’s visit to all the CARs is aimed at formally launching the North-South & East-West trade corridors. After getting an enthusiastic thumbs-up from 14 stakeholder countries in the region in January 2012, experts from all the countries had met in New Delhi on March 29, 2012 to put final touches to the project known as the International North-South Corridor. The project envisages a multi-modal transportation network that connects ports on India’s west coast to Chahbahar in Iran, then overland to Bandar Anzali port on the Caspian Sea; thence through Rasht and Astara on the Azerbaijan border onwards to Kazakhstan, and further onwards towards Russia. Once complete, this would connect Europe and Asia in a unique way—the distance will be covered in 25-30 days in what currently takes 45-60 days through the Suez Canal. In the January 2012 meeting, Sanjay Singh (Secretary East, MEA) and Rahul Khullar (Commerce Secretary) had told Iran that India would take charge of the project, including building the missing sections of the railway and road links in Iran. One of the best ways of paying for Iranian crude oil imports is through infrastructure projects like the corridor, which serves economic and strategic interests of all states concerned. Simultaneously, India is eyeing two other transit and transportation networks from Central Asia—all of them going through Iran. One is a Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan Corridor–a 677km railway line connecting these countries with Iran and the Persian Gulf. It will link Uzen in Kazakhstan with Gyzylgaya-Bereket-Etrek in Turkmenistan and end at Gorgan in Iran’s Golestan province. The second comes in from Uzbekistan through northern Afghanistan, known as the Northern Distribution Network through which the US and NATO routed 70% of their supplies for the ISAF forces. By 2016 India plans to extend this route to link-up with the Zaranj-Delaram road that enters Iran. This has been a win-win proposition for India since the North-South Corridor agreement was signed between India, Iran and Russia in September 2000. Meanwhile, 11 other countries, including all the Central Asian Republics, have joined up. China has been building an extensive road and railway network through Central Asia, aiming to touch Europe. While this has made Central Asia accessible to China and others, it is worrying these countries no end. Over the past few years, Central Asian states have repeatedly approached India to play the balancing role. Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan actually gave an oil block, Satpaev, to India on strategic considerations.
Cont’d below...
The North-South Corridor comprises the following three routes: Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan section (about 2,200km) via Shir Khan Bandar & Ai Khanum going to Turkam, Spin Buldak & Ghulam Khan; Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan section (about 2,900km) via Hairatan going to Turkham, Spin Buldak & Ghulam Khan; Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan section (about 3,200km) via Aquina going to Turkham, Spin Buldak & Ghulam Khan.
The East-West Corridor comprises the following three routes: Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Iran section (about 2,800km) via Islam Qala or Zaranj going to Chabahar; Uzbekistan-Afghanistan- Iran section (about 3,200km) via Islam Qala or Zaranj going to Chabahar; Turkmanistan-Afghanistan- Iran section (about 2,600km) via Islam Qala or Zaranj going to Chabahar.
Kabul -Jalalabad-Torkham 224km on-going construction
Kabul–Gardiz 125km survey completed
Gardiz – Khost 105km design completed
Khost –Ghulam Khan 70km planned
Jalalabad–Asmar 130km Survey completed
Kandahar -Spin Boldak 104km (funded by ADB) completed by by end-2004. The first layer was completed by end of December 2003
Dileam–Zaranj 212km survey Completed
Haeat –Islamqala 120km completed
Heart-Torgundi 119km planned
Pulikhun –Sher Khan Bandar 169km on-going construction
Pulilhum–Hairtan 265km on-going construction
Ring-Road of 2,237km road now being constructed to connect most of the provinces to each other:
Kabul –Kandahar 485km completed
Kandahar–Herat 456km on-going construction
Herat–Andikoy 550km on-going construction
Pulikhun–Dushi 43km planned
Dushti–Kabul on-going construction
For all of the above-mentioned projects, several Indian firms are involved & it is for this reason that Indian consulates are located in Herat, Kandahar, Mazhar-e-Sharif & Jalalabad. Of course the buffoons in Pakistan won’t comprehend all this & therefore tend to jump to erroneous conclusions.
Cont’d below…
The Chabahar port is in the east of the Strait of Hormuz at the intersection of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is 72km from Pakistan’s strategic port of Gwadar (under development by China) and 1,400km to Mumbai in India. Through Iran’s network of railways and highways, the port provides access to Afghanistan to the east and nearly all of Central Asia and the Caucasus to the north of Iranian plateau and, depending on the destination, it can cut the time it takes to transport products and goods by between third and fifth of what it presently takes. Iran has already constructed the route from Chabahar to Milak on the Iran-Afghanistan border, which passes through Iranshahr and Zahedan. From Milak, this route is connected to the Zaranj-Delaram highway. Most major road routes at the moment run from Chabahar to northern Iran close to the Afghanistan border and then enter Afghanistan (through either Zaranj in southwestern Afghanistan and then connect to Highway A77 to Kabul and Kandahar or through north western Herat province), Uzbekistan (via Afghanistan’s Herat province to Tashkent) and Tajikistan (via Turkmenistan). The construction of phase-1 of Chabahar port began in 2002 with $86 million in initial investment from a joint venture by two state-owned Indian port authorities: Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and Kandla Port Trust. The two companies are investing a total of $300 million in the port’s construction. India’s first foreign port project, Chabahar carries high geo-strategic value for India—and increasingly for other Asian countries—as the port connects the Indian subcontinent to Afghanistan and Central Asia. A number of other initiatives are now in the process of completion. These include the Chabahar-Faranj-Bam railway, the rail link between Hajigak and Chabahar and the Chabahar-Zahedan-Mashhad rail link, which will be further extended to Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif and be finally connected with Termez in Uzbekistan. Once all this is completed in the near future, exploitation of rich mineral deposits in north and central Afghanistan, including Hajigak (iron ore mines in Bamiyan, (where India’s Iron and Steel Consortium has won mining rights), will commence.
Here’s the map showing the transportation corridors:
http://www.idsa.in/images/Chabahar_BehuriaRizvi.jpg
To VISHAKH: How can the design of Tejas Mk2 or LCA (Navy) Mk2 be frozen when only the preliminary design has been undertaken, & detailed design work has not even commenced, as per the interview given by the recently retired Director of ADA? And why did ADA then publish brochures of the Tejas Mk2 MRCA way back in 2011 & why did it show its scale-models back then as well during Aero India 2011 & again in 2013 & earlier this year? Is this ADA's way of taking people for a ride??? How can someone show scale-models of a product that hasn't even been designed in detail? This is the reason why most people WRONGLY assume that designing & developing the Tejas Mk2 or LCA (Navy) Mk2 will involve minimal extra R & D!
Further complicating matters are the totally WRONG news-reports being belched out by India's 'Ucchattam/Sarvottam/Param Swadesh/Desi Bandalbaaz' in news-reports like:
http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/ajai-shukla-stop-the-dithering-with-washington-115060801249_1.html
Defence ministry bureaucrats I have spoken to express bewilderment at the notion that there is a strategic dimension to choosing defence equipment. They believe equipment should be evaluated based on its performance in trial evaluations, rather than on the strategic relationship that comes with the equipment, or even on aspects that become clear only later, such as operational availability percentages or maintenance costs. An example is India’s desire for hot engine technology, which US engine-makers say is hardly realistic given that this involves the fruit of billions of dollars and decades worth of fundamental research, design and development. Proposals mooted by the Pentagon are pooh-poohed in South Block as less than high-tech (and, truth be told, many of them are). Simultaneously, the Pentagon views New Delhi’s proposals as overly demanding. Consequently, the DTTI is ending up validating both sides’ worst fears of each other.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/carter-to-face-indian-demand-for-engine-technology-115060100021_1.html
Indian officials are focused on another engine --the General Electric Aviation (GE) F-414 jet engine that will power a more powerful version of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), the Tejas Mark II. The Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO) wants GE to help it up-rate the F-414 engine to power India’s futuristic Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), which is still on the drawing board. But India wants cutting-edge. Defence ministry sources say they want GE to partner the DRDO in upgrading the F-414 to deliver 110KN of peak power to the AMCA, allowing its twin-engines to deliver 220KN of peak power to the fighter. GE is sees enormous commercial benefits in this co-development, which would capture the engine market for 200 Tejas and 200 AMCA. Since a fighter engine’s life is about 1,500 hours and the aircraft itself lasts 5,000-6,000 hours, each fighter consumes 3.5 engines during its service life. GE is looking at supplying 700 engines for the Tejas and 1,400 for the AMCA over their service lives.
Cont'd below...
In reality, IAF & IN force structure planners that I have spoken to in seminars since later last year BOTH believe that the proliferation of lethal point-and-shoot WVRAAMs has prompted interest in controlled flight at angles of incidence well beyond that for maximum lift. High-rate manoeuvring in the low speed, high AoA part of the flight-envelope is popularly referred to as supermanoeuvrability. Though supermanoeuvrability is motivated by the same new weapons technology and is being investigated by many of the same researchers, it is fundamentally different from aircraft agility. The successful application of supermanoeuvrability will depend on control effectors, pilot aids and propulsion performance that will be available before 2020. An example of such a product can be viewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgWJH8Vx8BQ
Agility Metrics, on the other hand, are intended to quantify and, eventually, influence the way MRCAs manoeuvre today in conventional flight while engaged in air combat. Agility Metrics includes short time-scale transient agility metrics and longer term functional metrics that are driven by aircraft performance rather than agility. The new metrics are classified according to type of motion involved, i.e. translational (axial), longitudinal, and lateral. Large increases in lateral agility (increased roll rates and smaller roll time constants) have failed to produce statistically significant combat improvements. The world’s leading airframe designers/manufacturers are therefore using trajectory optimisation approaches using supermanoeuvrability to look for manoeuvres which best use the capabilities that enhanced agility might provide.
Based on the above, it is clear that for an MRCA that is due to enter service in 2025, it will have to incorporate A) either canards or a much larger wing in order to attain the ASQR-/NSQR-specified agility metrics; & B) thrust-vectoring nozzles. In addition, retractable aerial refuelilng probe, OBOGS, IRST sensor, AESA-MMR, MAWS, data-links & internal self-protection jammer too will have to be accommodated internally. All these are not on board the Tejas Mk1/LCA (Navy) Mk1.
Cont’d below…
The ‘desi bandalbaaz’ WRONGLY REPORTED that India is seeking ‘hot section/engine core’ technology from GE Aero Engines. In reality, India is only seeking US approval for integrating the F414 turbofan with the KLIVT TVC nozzle developed by Russia’s Klimov JSC. This is because the KLIVT will also in future find its way on board the MiG-29UPGs & MiG-29Ks. Whether or not the US gives approval to GE Aero Engines to share F414-related design data with Klimov JSC remains to be seen, but it appears unlikely even if the Cornyn-Warner amendment to the US National Defense Authorization Act is passed by the Obama Administration. This then leaves only 1 option: adoption of the Eurojet consortium’s TVC nozzle, which will be acceptable to the US. In fact, SNECMA Moteurs too is likely to end up adopting this very same TVC design for its future planned upgrades of the Rafale MMRCA’s M88 turbofans.
Lastly, the ‘desi bandalbaaz’ has again WRONGLY REPORTED that turbofans have TTSLs of 1,500 hours. In reality, Russia-origin turbofans so far have TTSLs of 2,000 hours, but Western turbofans have TTSLs exceeding 5,000 hours. Even the turbofans being developed by China haven’t been able to exceed the 2,000-hour service-life figure.
To PINTU & BHOUTIK: Will revert back to you with answers later today, rest assured
Hi Prasun da,
Good morning,
Really refreshing explanation on the query of Visakh on the Tejas mk2 and AMCA supermaneoverility and engine upgrade.
Keep it up.
Do you see Dassault collaboration on the final design work on the Tejas mk2?
With regards,
Pallab.
HI PRASUN
your in depth knowledge of the situation in iran viz a viz chabar port and infrastructure is amazing , no where is such clear truth published.
now the desi bofors 45 cal gun seems to b e in production, and they are going to manufacture 1 a month!!?. some sort of joke or what, cant the arsholes in the mod and realize that it will take decades to full fill the need. why cant it be manufactured b y 4 or 5 entities like kalyani, tata, mahindra etc after all the design details is owned by the MOD and they can give to any one.just like the m-16 rifle which is made b y many in the US. The British SAS have switched over to the 7.62 x52 mm scar rifle after the Afghanistan ops, is there a message for us.?
why did russia vote against india in an anti jud laskar resolution , what are they getting at?.
the ghatak is a knockoff o f the ak-47 so whats the big deal in its selection with its inaccuracy and bullet drop after 300 meters??? it would b e cheaper to import knockoff from Romania and other eastern European countries with better quality control.
the MSMC has been selected,you mentioned no one in the world would do that,under what context?.Is the gun a failure ? what ails it, why are we not seeing videos of it if is is so good?.
Fantastic article.
TO
Dear Rad,
MSMC and MCIWS are fifferent abbreviations of different guns.Please verify by reading Prasun da's statement again. The MSMC carbine has been accepted or inducted. It is the MCIWS or Multi Calibre Individual Weapon System which might have been cancelled
Regards
Dhruv
Prasun da,
1. A naive question (might not aware of the term): What is the term TTSL and how it is different from service life considering in context of the turbofan.
2. If Indian Armed Forces go for the improved Insas - Modified INSAS Rifle - 5.56mm Excalibur, what will happen to MCIWS - will be scrapped or developed further - ergonomically looks better plus ambidextrous.
@RAW13,
from your mentor
"Just as we will never give up J&K even if the whole world advocates it, China also considers Tibet to be an integral part of that country."
http://blogs.rediff.com/mkbhadrakumar/2015/07/05/tibet-card-who-stands-to-gain/
Thank you for that detailed write up .
I have a question ... how can anyone claim that countries like Kazakhstan are interested in balancing China when they give clear preference to China when it comes to bidding for energy projects .. (it seems they used their right to first buy the gas field and then transfered the field to China at the same price that India was offering .. they then throw us scraps of other less productive fields . Is there any proposal to include a gas/oil pipeline on the north south corridore.
Hi
1) The DRDO developed MWICS multi caliber Gun for FINSAS with interchangeable barrels will be rejected and stopped development if Excalibur is selected ??
2) IS Excalibur able to match all Barreta 160 and Israel GAlil Ace in terms of features and future requirements ???
3) Excalibur is very heavy at 3.8 KG but Galil Ace is 3.4 KG , also this Excalibur will solve troubles of Breaking of Bullet cases , stoppages and accuracy and Barrel Overheating problems of INSAS??
4) Will this be a KIT over older Gun INSAS or New Gun Itself ??
Hi
1) Do you have any links for good specs for Excalibur???
2) if MCWS/JVPS Gun is selected then won't IA require TAR21 or its variant ??
3) Are you planning report on OFB and its small arms >??
PKS SIr,
By Excalibur induction we can conclude this that IA already shredded any future prospect of MCIWS? And IA arm its whole 1.2 million soldiers with Excalibur instead of MCIWS.
Prasun sir,
Very nice post and superb explainations to the questions posted. As always, its great to read your blog. Without the insight that you provide, it would have been impossible to make sense of anything that one reads in the Indian news & media. Indian media houses,news channels and newspapers in general and especially the self proclaimed defense analysts in particular are grossly incompetent and shamelessly ignorant about everything they claim to be an expert on.
Its really depressing to see the state in which Indian media is in.
@Prasun,
MWICS, was it issued for limited trials ?
Will the program continued ?
MWICS in book, looks better on multiple parameter against current Indian alternatives. What is the probability of MWICS modification and subsequent adaption without Multiple Caliber Option ?
... Can Anything salvaged from MWICS project?
Hi Prasun
1) The days of highly maneuverable ac to dodge missiles is a by gone as todays missiles can out run and out turn any ac ie inside the kill envelope.. Your note that missiles have been trajectory optimized like the python 5 is an indicator .It seems no ac can dodge the python 5 after lock on. Why arent people talking of dircm for protection ac .we should collaborate with israel to make an ac mountable pod for the purpose. This with an aesa jammer , spectra ,virgilius etc can make our ac totally safe. just my 2 pence thought.
2) The excaliber has been selected as it seems to have proven reliability , but no mention about accuracy has ever been published,please comment.
Please post video links of the MSMC firing.
3) Regarding processors, china seems to have developed a processor which seems to b e the mainstay of it tianhe super computer
It was announced that india did make a processor for defense needs , please comment. What are the road blocks that are effecting india`s place in the top makers of super computers?.We had a good run and suddenly everything tapered off.?
What an encyclopedia ! It is highly encouraging to have you support to the indigenous small weapons. Now even I also know that they really work satisfactorily.
dear prasun sir,
1 if i am not wrong wasn't drdo developing the multi caliber "bull pup" assault rifle ?
2 has army officially selected the excalibur and ghatak ar as its standard rifles ?
3 since army wud have huge stockpiles of insas rifles , will these rifles be eventually transferred to the CAPFs ?
4 whats the status of the finsas project ?
5 is the sudarshan lgb kit applicable for only 400kg class bombs or can these kits be used for others aswell ? are we developing this lgb kit any further ?
6 have we started using icl 20 in our munitions ?? , if yes then which missile or air dropped bombs have been equipped with these explosives ?
7 drdo was developing a family of guided munitions for 120mm mortars , whats the status on that ?
Hi
Why is Indian Army not waiting for MCIWS to mature as Excalibur is not Ambidextrous ( Left and Right Hand Supported) , It can't support Electronic payload as not storage capacity for battery in GUN . ??
Hi Prasun,
Here is something on INDIAN semiconductor fabs.
_http://punechips.com/india-semiconductor-fabs-white-elephants/
This post seems to be right considering our government's past track record in big projects.
Hi
1) How much effort time and cost wise for incorporating TVC to F414 Engine with Airbus TVC ??? Will this be available for 2018 deadline ???
2) What are the advantages for TVC ??? will this be useful in BVR missile and AWACS ???
3) I couldn't find any link to Airforce or Navy looking for TVC , can you provide the Link ??
4) What level of changes are required for TVC in FCS of Tejas ??? In Hours of Testing and Cost ???
Thanks Prasun for an enlightened reply.
By the time both the Tejas versions will be operational, perhaps some 6th generation stuff will be begging to get in the air.
Prasun, how is the project AURA doing?
Also in full intensity conflict is it advisable to use 155mm 52 Cal. Howitzers or MBRLs? Say at range of 30-40 Or 40-45 KMs... Which will have more destructive power?
To PALLAB: It is indeed a distinct possibility, but not exactly a collaboration, but more of a consultancy in terms of reducing the Tejas Mk2’s direct operating costs through optimisation of MRO support reqmts. Dassault possesses uniqye expertise in this area because the Rafale has been designed in such a way that it will never have to depart its parent air base for any form of upgrades, thereby doing away with the reqmt for base repair depots. This concept is quite new to the IAF & thus the IAF has a lot to learn & gain from Dassault’s expertise.
As for the Rafale MMRCA deal, the contract draft now being finalised calls for the procurement of 36 Rafales in flyaway condition & another 44 to be supplied in semi-knocked-down condition. Therefore, this contract will encompass a total of 80 Rafales in the 1st tranche of orders placed. More tranches will follow in future.
To SIDDHARTH: 1) TTSL = total technical service life. 2) MCIWS is still under development & its R & D process can continue till 2020, if need be. Infantry soldiers prefer the 5.56mm option while SOF units prefer the 7.62mm option. Therefore, there’s no pressing need to have an assault-rifle whose barrel is interchangeable. No one in their right mind will pause to change barrels when the battles are underway.
To PRAV: One can’t blame Kazakhstan if India is unable to secure overland routes to access the raw materials from Kazakhstan. The UPA-2 govt is to blame for its failure to expedite the pipelines from Kazakhstan right up to Chahbahar. It is now crystal-pclear that the TAPI transit pipelines will remain just a pipedream. Instead, the transit pipelines from Central Asia up to Chahbahar & then on via Oman to India over the seabed is the most viable & secure option.
To RAD: Actually, there’s been quite a lot in the open domain on India-Central Asia connectivity, such as:
http://www.idsa.in/idsacomments/ModisVisittoCentralAsia_pstobdan_060715.html
http://www.idsa.in/system/files/monograph44.pdf
http://www.idsa.in/system/files/PB_IndiaandCentralAsia.pdf
As for series-production of the Dhanush, it will take about two years to ramp-up production & it will also help reduce costs if the IA places orders for 414 units in one go. So far, only 114 have been ordered. If the orders for total reqmts are not placed, this will then have negative trickle-down effects on reqmts of OFB-produced ammunition & BMCS production by private-sector companies.
AS for small-arms, special operations forces of the IA & CAPFs will be using the Ghaatak. R & D on MCIWS can continue until it becomes an affordable option, but now is not the time to go for it in large numbers. That’s why no one else in the world is going ahead as well.
China’s & Russia’s votes are just pre-choreographed actions in concert with India. It is called the ‘Good Cop-Bad Cop’ stratagem, designed to keep Pakistan on tenderhooks. The stage is thus being set for India to go all out on the offensive for the very first time in the forthcoming UN General Assembly session this September, when India will put the onus on Pakistan to vacate its illegal occupation of PoK, so that the UN resolution of January 1949 can be implemented. In other words, after several decades, India will finally catch the bull by the horns & call Pakistan’s bluff. After all, one must remember that the UNJ resolution does not call for any plebiscite. The issue of plebiscite was mentioned (not even mooted or promised) by Pandit Nehru only during a speech given to India’s Parliament. A speech like that does not constitute either a promise or firm commitment or firm intention, but merely a wish that is dependent on several variables.
Miniaturised DIRCMs mounted conformally in an underbelly configuration or at the base of the vertical tail is indeed technologically possible & feasible, & the pioneer in this area is ELBIT Systems, which has already developed such systems for application on combat aircraft.
Very interesting disclosure:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/07/06/how-a-billion-dollar-spy-stole-soviet-secrets-and-helped-the-u-s-air-force/
To VISHAKH: 1) Nope. R & D will continue. 2) Yes, of course. 3) Not true. The final end-product will comply with all the laid-down GSQRs of the IA. 4) Older INSAS of 1996 vintage are long overdue for replacement due to natural wear-and-tear. Excalibur’s specs should be at the OFB’s website. 5) TAR-21 was meant for use by Rashtriya Rifles of IA & COBRA battalions of CRPF, APART from the SOF units of the IA, IN & IAF at a time when the Excalibur & Ghaatak were still under development. Hence, only limited quantities of TAR-21s were imported & licence-assembled. 6) Nope, no such report can be expected. 7) Excalibur has the Picatinny Rail & it can therefore support any kind of electronic gear, sensor or power-source. 8) For integrating Eurojet’s TVC with F414-GE-IN56, integration work will have to be done by GE Aero Engines in the US. Then a Tejas Mki2 airframe will have to be shipped to the US so that the turbofan along with its TVC nozzle are integrated with the airframe. Then that aircraft will have to be flown there (& not in India) since all of GE’s flight-test & systems validation test-benches are located in the US. But to get all this going, selection of the TVC supplier needs to be finalised by this year-end at best. Nothing else will move ahead without attaining this first milestone. TVC is used for flight regime trajectory optimisation in defensive & offensive air combat. It has nothing tyo do with either AWACS or BVRAAMs. 9) There are no such links available, just as there were no links available in 2011 when I had first written about the IAF seeking a radical redesign of the Tejas Mk2. You will therefore have to wait for official data to start flowing in sometime in 2018, because none of the ‘desi’ journalists are even near to finding out about the real R & D challenges that await the Tejas Mk2’s R & D effort. If you happen to know some of them, by all means do plead with them to do some serious investigative journalism for a change.
To KAKU SH: MCIWS is still under R & D. Presently, there’s no pressing reqmt for any such weapon.
To JAY BHANUSHALI & RAJESH MISHRA: VMT.
To S NAIR: Explanations provided above will answer all your queries regarding MCIWS.
To FLANKER143: 1) Yes it was & it still is. Nothing wrong with that at all. 2) YES. 3) YES. 4) Still under development. Limited field-trials are now in progress. 5) No one in India is developing any type of lightweight PGM, which is quite sad. 6) Not yet. 7) Nothing meaningful has emerged so far.
To VED: AURA is still on the drawing-boards. Both howitzers & MBRLs can be used. They are always used simultaneously, albeit for different objectives & against different target-types.
To PINTU: China’s & Russia’s votes are just pre-choreographed actions in concert with India. It is called the ‘Good Cop-Bad Cop’ stratagem, designed to keep Pakistan on tenderhooks. The stage is thus being set for India to go all out on the offensive for the very first time in the forthcoming UN General Assembly session this September, when India will put the onus on Pakistan to vacate its illegal occupation of PoK, so that the UN resolution of January 1949 can be implemented. In other words, after several decades, India will finally catch the bull by the horns & call Pakistan’s bluff. After all, one must remember that the UNJ resolution does not call for any plebiscite. The issue of plebiscite was mentioned (not even mooted or promised) by Pandit Nehru only during a speech given to India’s Parliament. A speech like that does not constitute either a promise or firm commitment or firm intention, but merely a wish that is dependent on several variables.
And BTW, do watch this:
BHATKAL Connection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf7tsoVk390
Perhaps, during his whirlwind tour of the CARs, can learn a few things about how exactly these CARs have succeeded in wiping out their respective 'domestic' Jihadi movements/sentiments & how they regulate their respective Madrassas.
On a more serious note, India today has no other option but to make massive investments in electronic eavesdropping technologies of the type possessed & operated by the USA's NSA & the UK's GCHQ. The main challenge here, however, is the lack of skilled human resources. A small country like Israel, for instance has close to 6,500 PhD-holders specialising in cellular communications technologies alone. In contrast, despite the gigantic size of India's cellular telecommunications market, exactly how many Indians have to date acquired PhDs in various aspects of this arena? How many Indian firms are today suppliers of indigenously developed hardware to India's telecommunications industry? Answers to these I'm afraid will reveal India's Achilles Heel, just as the fact that India's domestic infrastructure & human resources can at best meet only 10% of the country's requirements in the field of commercial aircraft/helicopter MRO. A very sad state of affairs indeed.
Hi Prasun da,
Thanks for the reply.
What do you think how much the canards or TVC can help a 5th generation fighter aircraft in defensive maneuvers against a highly agile and maneuverable missile like the Python 5 missile? I think even if an aircraft with canards or TVC or both be able to dodge 1 or 2 missiles but not a salvo of 3 to 4 of such missiles. I have seen the promo video of the Python 5 missile on you tube where the live interception of an Iranian UAV was done by the not Python 5 missile but the Python 4 missile. It may be an UAV but I was impressed by the high maneuverability of the missile. The Python 5 has more advanced software than the Python 4 missile to control the similar motor. With the Python 6 or FAAM to follow which will be even more deadly than the Python 5, God save the enemy aircrafts. Fortunately for the IAF it will have to fight with those missiles not against them.
What do you think? Please correct me if I am wrong.
With regards,
Pallab.
Prasun, please tell me why would China cooperate with India vis a vis Kashmir when it has shortest route to oil/commerce through Pakistan, moreover India is a natural competitor and once India has access to central Asia through Iran or otherwise there is immense potential of lucrative trade
PKS Sir,
http://defence.pk/threads/pakistan-will-join-brics-china-russia-south-africa-and-brazil-are-agree.384774/
Pakistanis have very high hope that they join the BRICS within year. Lolz. But there is any hope they join this?
@Prasun, Any ongoing plan to build up on current gained expertise to heavier guns, sniper etc
Prasunda, 1.www.millenniumpost.in/NewsContent.aspx?NID=140859 Is it for some other rifle than Excalibur and Amogh? 2. There is a buzz for quiet sometime that most of the Arjun MBTs of IA are practically out of active service due to poor maintainance and lack of spare parts and Govt may curtail Arjun future variants in favour of FRCV. Is it true? What is the current status of Arjun Mk2 and what is the future plan of Arjun family of MBTs? 3.GoI has given a number of licences to private firms recently for various defence equipments. If any private player is ready to come up with a modern facility to produce good quality small caliber ammunitions? Because, in recent past IAF, IN and various CAPFs has imported bulk amount of5.56mm ammo for their Tavors and other guns from BAE systems as Production of OFB has declined and quality is also not upto the mark. Thanks in advance...
To Prasun K. Sengupta : I'd like to share a link which contradicts one of your responses given below :
"To PRAV: One can’t blame Kazakhstan if India is unable to secure overland routes to access the raw materials from Kazakhstan. The UPA-2 govt is to blame for its failure to expedite the pipelines from Kazakhstan right up to Chahbahar. It is now crystal-pclear that the TAPI transit pipelines will remain just a pipedream. Instead, the transit pipelines from Central Asia up to Chahbahar & then on via Oman to India over the seabed is the most viable & secure option.
July 7, 2015 at 4:32 AM"
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/stuck-in-the-pipeline-a-4-billion-deep-sea-gas-project/
Plz do share your thoughts
To GOMZ: That news-report is deeply flawed. Within an EEZ, there is complete freedom of navigation as well as transit-rights for both oil/gas pipelines & fibre-optic cables. Only inside one's territorial waters can a country object or prevent the laying of such hardware. And within EEZs & extended continental shelfs, there are no sovereign territorial rights; just the UNCLOS-mandated right to exclusive exploitation of the natural resources on & below the seabed through underwater mining; & exclusive right to police the EEZ against any act of criminality. This was all clearly explained in a Pakistani current-affairs programme on this issue, whose YouTube link I had posted in the previous thread.
To UJJWAL: 1) No RFIs would be issued for SLRs. 2) Arjun Mk1's serviceability is affected due to the absence of regional MRO centres/workshops that need to be set up by the IA's EME Corps. It is similar to the situation faced by the IA's AAC. Read this:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/for-better-upkeep-of-army-choppers-mod-okays-two-heli-hubs/#sthash.rttXNuhf.dpuf
FRCV is a long way away, at least for another two decades. Arjun Mk2s will therefore be ordered in greater numbers, rest assured. 3) Kalyani Group is participating in the JVPC programme. Ammo for the Tavors had to be imported because the sanctioned industrial modernisation programme of OFB at that time had not been completed. Matters today are far different & have taken a turn for the better. In fact, the various OFB facilities should be corporatised & the MoD should gradually reduce its shareholdings in them. Next, these facilities should be encouraged to become domain specialists, like one excelling in the development & production of 155mm howitzers, another one focussing exclusively on assault rifles & sniper rifles, another one on GPMGs & automatic grenade launchers, another one on pistols, another one on aiming & telescopic sights etc etc.
To ANUP: When? No one knows for sure as yet. Even the follow-on four Scorpene SSKs have yet to be ordered, as are the 4 LPHs.
To S NAIR: Laboratory-level R & D activities are underway in all these arenas.
To KAKU SH: Well, if Pakistan can contribute anything tangible, then by all means let it try its luck. But since this is highly unlikely & it will for the foreseeable future be laden with mounting circular debts, it will have only a begging bowl on its hands. And therefore no one will entertain its membership application.
To GANESH: That's because the Chinese always place their mercantile interests before everything else. China knows only too well that Pakistan will never be able to get out of its chronic instability for the next few decades at the very least. In fact, instability will only increase as time goes by. Why? Because of Pakistan's education system that offers its teenagers & youngsters a totally warped sense of history & worldview that is no different from the Wahhabi & Salafist schools of thought. Nor are there any moves being undertaken to reverse this trend & change the academic syllabus. Consequently, there has been a sharp increase of such brainwashed Pakistanis or people of Pakistani origin that have been apprehended & sentenced on various charges of terrorism or attempted terrorism. This trend will keep increasing with every passing year & China will definitely feel the heat from all this--either directly through Xinjiang, or through some of the CARs via Afghanistan. Already the Chinese are now realising that they were recently taken for a bitter ride by Pakistan & this bercame evident when the Afghan Taliban's Quetta Shura refused to recognise & approve the parleys that were held between China & a few Afghan Talibans (chosen & paraded of course by Pakistan) in Beijing & Urumqi. And to further complicate matters, 48 hours ago news surfaced that Pakistan's favourite Afghan Mujahideen poster-boy--Peshawar-based Gulbuddin Hekmatyar--is likely to swear allegiance to the ISIS Caliphate.
Therefore, if China wants to reap the fruits of its economic investments in the CARs & further westwards, then it has no choice but to join forces with India & Iran.
To PALLAB: By 2025, for defensive manoeuvres, the only available countermeasures against WVRAAMs will be either flares or DIRCMs. In air combat, there's always only 1 WVRAAM launched, & never a salvo. Even the existing R-73E WVRAAM is highly effective in off-boresight attacks when used in conjunction with the HMDS. Therefore, the only effective self-defence then becomes the combination of MAWS & miniaturised DIRCM, with the former automatically activating the latter. Israel's ELBIT System has already developed such a conformal system.
Why they are demanding AMCA. Is there really any problem with the FGFA/T-50. Now which Engine they are anticipating for the AMCA.
To KAKU SH: Pakistan's plot involving forged documentation is now unravelling:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-9-327657-Documents-and-priorities
And will anyone be sane enough to admit such a country into BRICS:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1193085/sc-given-list-of-150-scams
To RAJESH MISHRA: I don't know whether to laugh or cry after reading all the recent outpourings concerning the AMCA. One may recall that all those in ADA involved with the LCA's R & D effort have pretty much confessed since 2011 that their single-biggest mistake was to kick matters off by developing the Tejas Mk1 for the IAF, instead of first developing the LCA (Navy) Mk1. Now, it seems, history is repeating itself: all the buzz about AMCA now concerns only the IAF. Maybe a couple of years down the line they will once again realise that it would have been better to first propose the development of a carrier-based naval version of the AMCA! And why will this happen? Elementary. The IN wants to see the Tejas Mk2 MRCA developed not for operational deployment on any aircraft carrier, but rather to develop & acquire the knowledge-based database modelling expertise that's required for acquiring an indigenous MRCA. For, having gone for twin-engined 4th generation MRCAs like the MiG-29K, the IN would definitely opt for a twin-engined 5th generation carrier-based MRCA. In addition, only 99 F414-IN56 turbofans have been ordered from GE, which is just about enough for 6 Tejas Mk2 prototypes, 4 LCA (Navy) Mk2 prototypes & 83 Tejas Mk2s for the IAF. These figures cannot be disputed.
So once again, should one laugh or cry whenever one reads anything nowadays about the AMCA?
Hi
Is IN looking to lease Yasen Class Submarine from Russia as per news report instead of AKULA sub ?? Is it a good move ??
@Prasun,
Are we pursuing any development of major weapon systems under Black Projects ?
If yes how is the fund getting diverted ? small insight sufficient.
PKS Sir,
Lol, now they threatening with nukes.
http://www.defencenews.in/defence-news-internal.aspx?id=iSzEuJ1%24%24ykU%3D
But point is why Indian MEA is sleeping, when its a golden chance to expose Pakistanis idiocies in international community?
On other question, how we deal with a nation like Pakistan whose whole national policy is based on "Fidayeen" in diplomatic term. This is like "khud to dubenge aur dusro ko bhe leke dubenge".
Prasunda,
1. What is the current status of procurement of Mounted Gun System? What are the Guns participating in this competition?
2. Some 10 years back, Denel was contracted to make seven types of 155mm artillery shells at OFB,Bolangir. But, later it was cancelled. If India is now self reliant in producing those seven types of ammunition? If not, from where those are being procured?
3. After closure of CBI case against Denel, if the firm is now being considered for any defence projects like AMR, artillery or ammunitions?
4. What are the status of cases against ST kinetics, IMI and Rheinmetall Air Defence?
5. If electro-optical products like riflescope, holographic sight, night vision devices made by Indian firms like Alpha Design Technologies or OFB are of similiar quality with those of market leaders i.e. Schmidt & Bender or Zeiss?
6. Which AIP system would be the best for IN Scorpenes?
Thanks in advance.....
http://dailytimes.com.pk/national/08-Jul-2015/raw-establishes-new-set-up-to-sabotage-cpec-sources
Maybe this is never ending circle.
Hi Prasun,
Apart from Excaliber and Ghatak, which LMG and HMG is currently being used and which ones are proposed to be inducted? Which is the sniper rifle used by IA?
Why was AIP option not taken right from the first Scorpene?
Why not build SSNs armed with Nirbhay and Brahmos instead of P75I Subs?
mr Sengupta
do you think kejriwal's full statehood referendum"
will work as morale booster for kashmiri separatist?
http://www.hindustantimes.com/newdelhi/cm-kejriwal-asks-for-referendum-on-statehood-for-delhi-now/article1-1366231.aspx
Dear Prasun,
Once I had asked a question related to performance issue of INS Arihant. It was about some sort of yellow journalism published few months ago. It was said that Arihant is a sitting duck due to sub-optimal power generated by its nuclear power plant. Mostly it is going to be used as a training platform.
To SOUBHAGYA: Just do a comparative analysis of exactly how many years each n-submarine-building country took to induct into service their very first n-powered submarines. That will explain why India cannot be the exception to an evolutionary process.
To DUSHYANT HARDAHA: That's like comparing apples with oranges. Delhi is a quasi-state, but J & K is an extraordinary state. especially with Article 370. No other country in this world has ever been so liberal as India in terms of granting special rights to states. Just look across the border into PoK to see how bits inhabitants have been & are being denied their fundamental rights to adult suffrage. Given Delhi's size, it doesn't even require a Chief Minister nor does it deserve to be a state. All it requires is a Mayor.
To VED; LMGs & MMGs are OFB-made, while HMGs are few in number & are of imported origin. Sniper rifles are Dragunovs from Russia. The MESMA AIP module for the Scorpene was on offer, but the DRDO claimed it could develop a 'better' AIP option based on fuel-cells & it thus succeeded in denying the IN the funds reqd for AIP modules to be imported. SSNs never carry any cruise missiles for land-attack. They carry only ASCMs. LACMs are carried by SSGNs.
To KAKU SH: This is very good news, because the more Pakistan engages in nuclear sabre-rattling, the more the world will become convinced that Pakistan is an irresponsible n-weapons state & the quicker the denuclearisation of Pakistan will take place.
To VISHAKH: LoLz! Given Russia's present economic state & its tensions with the West, Russia is in no position to spare assets like the Yasen SSGN for long-term lease to anyone.
To S NAIR: Black Projects? Such terminologies don't exist in the DRDO's dictionary. Especially for a publicity-hungry DRDO.
To UJJWAL: 1) The offersd are still under evaluation. 2) First to be contracted was Day & Zimmermann of the US. After May 1998 DENEL was brought in & by 2003 production started. Not 7 types of artillery rounds. Only about 4 types are being produced. OFB's website has the info. 3) LoLz! Only yesterday the visiting COAS of the PA Gen raheel Sharif was briefed on the Condor 155mm/52-cal MGS that is being proposed for the IA by TATA Power SED. DENEL today doesn't have anything significant to offer to India. Nor has DENEL's product-range increased in terms of size & quantity. Almost all the Caucasian Afrikaners who were in charge of R & D in DENEL have since migrated to the West or Australia. 4) They have not yet been taken off the blacklist. 5) LoLz! Who said ALPHA Systems makes such devices? They are all imported & ALPHA is only their local distributor/after-sales product support provider. So far, only the IRDE lab & TATA Power SED have made tangible investments in developing such devices. 6) Stirling Engine. It is the cheapest & most economical for navies that have more than 1 submarine bases to operate from.
Prasun da,
http://idrw.org/tejas-mark-ii-aeronautical-development-agency-needs-to-have-realistic-goals/
Interesting article - Somebody is very much inspired of Shukla Ji logic.
Dear Prasunji,
" All R&D African caucasian migrated to West Australia". I am really impressed by your this noting. In fact I observed this point 2 years back when I was planning a camping trip in Australia from Adelaide to Uluru unfortunately it didn't materialised. I noticed that Australia particularly western & South Australia has large numbers of SA whites. on further googling I found that they are migrating to australia in large numbers and hi-tech industry like defence, nuclear, IT and even Banking has severely suffered as result of this migration.
Prasun sir I am very frustrated at the moment after having Read some recent defence stories
1) the S-70b looks to be dead as the MoD fucktards have gone so slowly that Sikorsky can not keep the orginal bid submitted years ago valid (sounds familiar doesn't it!??). So now what? A MLU for the Sea Kings? I doubt we will see see new N-MRHs in the IN before 2020 now.
All this whilst China (and specifically its subs) are making forays into the IOR and the IN is inducting and operating ships with empty hangers!!
2) similarly the C-17 production line was closed some time ago, most of the remaining 10 "white tails" have been snatched up by clever nations (Canada, UK and Austrlaia) and whilst the IAF has said they want/need 6-10 more C-17s at least the MoD has done NOTHING to meet this demand and thus the C-17s will be lost to us FOREVER. In 5 years time when the 16 or so il-76s are retired we are FUCKED as 10 C-17s are nowhere near enough.
3) confounding this issue is the MTA which is still NOWHERE and it doesn't look like the IAF will be getting any before 2025
4) where are the Chinook and Apache deal signatures?? Just like Sikorsky Boeing cannot keep their orginal bids valid indefinitely and these deals look likely to fall into the same death spiral. I now doubt we will ever see either helicopter (or the S-70) in Indian service
5) apparently the Rafale talks have run into issues to do with offsets and thus it doesn't look like we will get a single Rafale let alone 80.
the MoD is populated by utter retards and the new GoI have been nothing but a HUGE disappointment. All talk and no substance, how many deals have actually been signed in the last year? Next to zero.
"To VED; ...... SSNs never carry any cruise missiles for land-attack. They carry only ASCMs. LACMs are carried by SSGNs."
This is not TRUE!... later variants of US SSN-688 class and new Sea wolf class + the New Virginia class , all with Hull classification - SSN, are capable to launch Tomahawk Cruise Missiles both through tube and VLS. Even new Astute Class of the Royal Navy is capable.
To G: The hull classification that you refer to was done particularly for n-submarine families originating from the USSR/Russia. Such classifications don't apply to Western n-submarines & hence the term SSGN is not used by the West in terms of designation.
To PAWAN: Between 1991 and 2000, South African Caucasians were migrating to Australia at a rate of 2,000 families per annum.
To SIDDHARTH: They are all falling prey to the trend of 'the blind leading the blind' & are therefore advocating the construction of a multi-storey building on top of a foundation of bamboo stilts! The fundamental organisational & institutional shortcomings need to be taken care of first. As to what they are was beautifully explained in 2013 by Air Commodore K A Muthana, Indian Air Force [IAF], Technology Director [Flight Test] in a presentation, which can be viewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IetllK9z65s&hd=1
Prasun Da,
(1) It seems Bandalbazzi has taken a toll on the IAF
http://www.janes.com/article/52826/indian-air-force-ad-invites-recruits-to-fly-aircraft-it-doesn-t-operate
(2) For the benefit of your readers will you please provide some insights on the status of the FGFA. Word is that IAF is not happy with its stealth features & engine even now. So IAF may pull off.
Thank You
Vikram
To VIKRAM GUHA: 1) Not just the IAF, but the In too. Remember the time when the IN unveilled the first drawings of Project 71/IAC-1 which showed F-15Es on board? 2) There is a far greater fundamental problem in such joint R & D projects: starting with the LCA project, both the IAF & IN have embraced only NATO MIL-SPEC standards & these have in turn percolated down to all the India-based industrial vendors, especially HAL. Open up any RFI issued by any service HQ & you will find NATO MIL-SPEC compliance standards being specified. Obviously the Russians have their own MIL-SPEC standards, but if the three service HQs don't incorporate them, then it means that all interested Indian industrial vendors too will shy away from adopting them. So, if this is the case, then how can anyone expect HAL or anyone else to participate in the design & development process of any platform of Russian origin? Nor is it technologically or financially possible to incorporate MIL-SPECs of both Western & Russian origin & end up with a hodgepodge of MIL-SPECs & standards.
Bottomline: all 3 armed services clearly prefer NATO/Western MIL-SPECs to their Russian counterparts. That's why all home-grown platforms like the Dhruv ALH & LCA & Arjun Mk1 & IN-designed warships all without fail conform to NATO design, certification & operating standards--the Arihant being the sole exception. Consequently, it can safely be inferred that Russian technologies & platforms are by & large regarded as being inferior to their Western counterparts by all three armed service HQs of India.
If I'm not mistaken, this fella was given the shut-up call & he promised to keep his mouth shut. But it now appears that he is unable to keep his word:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/After-Bofors-defence-ministry-to-purchase-guns-again-Parrikar/articleshow/48005822.cms
Many thanks PrasunDa.
So is this the end of the road for the FGFA? Will IAF opt for another foreign stealth fighter? Thanks again.
To VIKRAM GUHA: No, that won't happen, because India is already financially committed to the FGFA project. But deliveries will definitely get delayed well into the following decade. And given the steady proliferation of new-generation VHF/UHF airspace surveillance radars plus on-going R & D into active RCS measurement cancellation systems (thanks to AESA-based EW jammers), it's very much doubtful if the existing parameters defining 'stealth' will apply in the following decade.
Dear Prasun,
What will be the role of Tejas MK I in the event of war with Pak/China??? How will it perform when it faces JF 17, J 10A, and J 10 B while providing close air support???
Hear from A S Dulat how a R & AW warning based on specific intelligence regarding a Jaish-e-Mohammad assassination plot saved the life of Pakistan's then President & COAS Gen Pervez Musharraf in 2004:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_bgVM923co&hd=1
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/project-to-build-new-improved-version-of-tejas-fighter-may-be-given-to-private-sector/articleshow/48010908.cms
Request your opinion on the above article.
@Prasun da
a few observations
1. long time since i have said India will go for 350 Su30mki (you endorsed),
2. I said India will opt for atleast 250 Rafales the current deal for 80 in tranche 1 (will mostly come by 2020) this means that 2nd tranche (80 SKD by 2025) 3rd tranche 80-90 CKD by 2030)
3. I said that MCIWS is illogical, who will waste time on changing barrels & ammo (you endorsed)
4. The big China stock crash that wiped out over US$2 trillion (much more that Indias total market) is a precursor for the impending crash that everyone dreads
5. I had said FGFA, PAKFA wont be ready before 2025 and you said Tejas mk2 will not be ready before 2025 (both of us are right)
6. Feel there is no need for 3rd batch of Talwar class frigates
7. The MCA tail less concept that morphed into AMCA looks very similar to 6th gen concept jets
8. I feel there is need for Apache, LCH, Rudra for use in 4 LPH as also by the 15k marine force that will come up next decade
9. Feel thailand sending 100s of Uighurs back to China is bad as these people may die in chinese labor camps (much like tibetans), feel India should also help the uighurs fleeing China
10. When we can develop Ghatak, Excalibur guns why can we develop LMGs/MMGs/HMGs/UMGs
11. AJK PM Chaudhry Abdul Majeed opposing GB as 5th province is good news for India
12. India will finally get 4 more LRMRs, but nothing heard on 24 LRMRs (as per you)
your views
thanks
Joydeep Ghosh
Hi prasun
Is Russia`s offer to help build nuke subs in india a ploy to clinch the future sub contract or it is a commercial deal?.
Now we hear that the gov is gong to b uy foreign howitzers,?
What would be the best option for india to get the guns in large numbers be it bofors or any other gun. Baba Kalyani says he can start manufacturing guns in a month! which is such a pleasure to hear amidst the drdo/ofb idiots claim.
why is PM modi talking to sharif,we all know it is going to be of no use. at least taking a tough no nonsense stance will put forth a message.This claim of no talks with pak unless terror sub sub sides is meaningless then.
Is stealth fighters likethe f-22 immune to vhf-uhf radars? china claimed that they tracked the f-22 in exercises in japan?.Israel is also following suit to develop vhf /uhf radars.I believe it will b e easier to make them as high power discreet components are available off shelf in the commercial market. what would b e the most difficult thing for india to make uhf radars? If they are not immune to vhf radar then the concept of stealth shaping and material and billions will go waste
Then why is the the Los Angeles Class is designated as SSN- 688 class?... these Hull classification is used by the USN for all their shipping!
People always says that the LCA is better than the JF-17. Could you tell us in which area's its better:
Combat Range
Avionics
MAWS
Weapons package
Situational awareness
Pilot friendly
AoA
RCS
Agility
If Pakistan do get the su35, it will be a stab in the neck for India. India has completely ignored Russia and fallen in the lap of Obamba. Maybe Putin is going to sell to Pakistan. su35 will kick su30 all day long. It is a far superior aircraft in a2a. Is this why everyone is licking pakistanis ass to talk to them again.
To VIKRAM GUHA: LoLz! Despite all the hoo-haa last November about the PLAAF acquiring 24 Su-35s, it was confirmed at the Paris Air Show last June that no contract has as yet been signed with China. Therefore, any statement about Su-35s destined for Pakistan needs to be consumed with a fistful of salt.
To G: LoLz! SSN- 688 is the hull pennant no, & is not a classification of any kind. You nheed to do some homework.
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/russia-may-build-india-new-super-advanced-submarine-13297
Is this a possibility?
To Anon@3.51PM & SOUBHAGYA: This comparison of apples with oranges will not get anyone anywhere, because the goals & objectives of the developmental paths of the two aircraft are totally different. For India, the LCA project was aimed at staging a comeback into the arena of aircraft R & D (after a 25-year gap) and creating a supporting an industrial eco-system that would own the majority of the IPRs generated by this R & D effort. The spinoffs of this effort can today be seen in the Su-30MKI project & the projected Super Su-30MKI project & the Jaguar IS/DARIN-3 programme & in future ther Tejas Mk2 project. The JF-17 on the other hand does not exemplify any such military-industrial objectives. It’s a product of a commercial deal involving China-origin R & D, with Pakistan benefitting from aircraft deliveries in flyaway condition. The Tejas Mk1 as it exists today is a superlative LIFT as well as an all-weather ground-attack aircraft when equipped with Litening-2 LDP & today it can be armed with a range of low-cost & lightweight PGMs for carrying out close air-support missions. In fact, if the Tejas Mk1 is armed with Russia-origin OFAB/ODAB gravity bombs, this will amount to a gross under-utilisation of the Tejas Mk1’s combat potential. On the other hand, the JF-17 can lob only gravity bombs & it has yet to demonstrate its ability to fire PGMs that are targetted by the WMD-7 LDP.
And why should a Tejas Mk1 during CAS missions have to contend with JF-17s or J-10s or J-11s or anything else when it will have friendly escorts in the form of Su-30MKIs?
To FINANCEBLOGGER: Having a 2nd final assembly-line for Tejas Mk2 makes sense if accelerated deliveries through multiple tranches is the need of the hour. But please do rest assured that the private-sector firms will not be involved in any form of R & D activity for the Tejas Mk2/LCA (Navy) Mk2 projects simply because it makes no sense to replicate the kind of R & D labs that the DRDO already possesses.
To JOYDEEP GHOSH: 1) LoLz! It’s the other way around. I had first mentioned ther figure of 350 way back in early 2009. 2) 250 is neither projected nor reqd. 3) LoLz! Again, it’s the other way around. 4) There will be no crash, just a slowdown.
To RAD & VED: Never fall for a story that contains lots of ‘ifs’, ‘can’, & ‘could’. They’re all highly speculative. The IN wants to own & operate SSNs, not SSGNs. Russia does not produce SSNs anymore. Best option for howitzers is the Caesar 155mm/52-cal system mounted on an Ashok Leyland truck.
Why NaMo is talking to Nawaz Sharif? The photos of the trio (NaMo, Sharif & Afghanistan’s Ashraf Ghani) is ample proof of what has been going on for the past 60 days. India’s relations with all other SAARC countries are the best ever, thanks to India’s economic diplomacy. Secondly, India has clearly demonstrated & signalled to Pakistan that proxy wars waged by the Rawalpindi-based GHQ will be answered through brutal retaliation (a process that had begun back in 2009). Third, India is more than willing to strengthen the hand of the civilian political elites of Pakistan by supporting Nawaz Sharif’s call to end all forms of terrorism in South Asia. Fourth, India has conveyed that it is more than happy to expand direct trade & commerce with Pakistan at a time when unemployment is rising inside Pakistan. Fifth, India has for all intents & purposes neutralised Pakistan’s negotiating card of terrorism waged through ‘Sarkari Jihadis’ by opening multiple fronts in kind against Pakistan with the help of Afghanistan & Iran. Sixth, India has told China that it is perfectly willing to support China’s One Belt One Road concept so long as it is in conformity with India’s ‘Act East’ initiative. And most importantly, seventh, India has visibly pushed China into a corner by going public over the issue of Lakhvi. China has been taken aback & when it officially responded, it formnally stated that ‘both China & India are victims of terrorism’. To be noted is that Pakistan’s name was not included & it was deliberately left out, which runs contrary to Pakistan’s frequent assertions that it has been the greatest victim of terrorism. What does all this tell you? China is now on the defensive & this is quite embarrassing for Beijing & therefore, behind-the-scenes, Beijing applied a lot of pressure on the Pakistan Army to crack-down on & dismantle the ‘Sarkari Jihadi’ networks. Lastly, both Beijing & the US have collaborated to box-in Pakistan by creating the 2 (Afghan govt & Afghan Taliban) + 1 (Pakistan) +2 (China & the US as observers) formula in order to force the Taliban to come to the negotiating table, instead of lurking within shady & unacknowledged Shuras in Quetta & Islamabad. The end-result is the joint statement of yesterday, which states that the NSAs of both India & Pakistan will now go into a huddle for a series of discussions & negotiations aimed at conflict resolution. An excellent result-oriented strategem of India in which China, the US, Afghanistan & Iran were co-opted to force Pakistan (which is today fighting unwinnable wars on 3 separate fronts) to see the light of day.
Regarding the envisaged private sector proposed for the MRCA, shall it reconsider the review over the old Tejas designs or shall it start afresh with a clean slate.
Prasun,
How many Israeli Zittara rifles does Indian Army has? Are they with better range/accuracy/firepower than Excalibur or INSAS? Who is producing them in India or they are just being assembled?
I read in some Pakistani forum that they were waiting to capture a Zittara rifle to copy it. CAn you detail about it?
Whats happened to this project Abhay IFV ?
To RAJESH MISHRA: Private-sector vendors will have no role at all in any redesign. All design work for Tejas Mk2/LCA (Navy) Mk2 airframe, avionics & accessories will be carried out by ADA & HAL.
To RAKESH: How many? Thery're mainly with the CAPFs like the CRPF's Cobra Battalions. They have been assembled by OFB. Quality of Excalibur & Ghaatak is comparable. They're not inferior by any chance.
To Anon@5.53AM: It's been consigned to the DRDO Museum where it now rests in eternal peace & tranquility.
Pakistani analysis of the NaMo-Nawaz Sharif meeting at UFA:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YD2_g7s3XU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c7zWQH-SZE
Also, meet India’s angriest man Paramjit Pamma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPIAi7tnGiE&hd=1
HI prasun
you suggest that the excaliber is equal to the tavor , in what context?
please explain the vulnerablility of a stealth fighter to a vhf/uhf radar
Hi Prasun,
My goodness, modi's statment in asghabhat about north south corridor was like a deja vu of what you said few days ago. Amazing. Exactly word to word. He even spoke of chabhar port.
Regards l,
Srinivasa N
So what you are saying is that LCA is really a technology demonstrator which has made india self sufficient in:
Composite materials
EW technologies
Engine technology
Aircraft radars
A2A weapons
Aircraft manufacturing systems and processes
what is the point of a multirole aircraft if it needs su30 to protect it? We might as well use the c-130 to cas, it can carry far more bombs and can stay in the air longer than LCA. It too can be protected by su30. Do you think LCA has served its purpose and can now be put in the museum?
Whereas the JF-17 is really an aircraft designed to actually fight. Pakistani say 58% of the aircraft is made in Pakistan. Do you think they are lying? I read somewhere that they are testing the HOBS with JF-17. What will be the impact of that? I think it can already carry 2-6BVRs in the pics you uploaded. One final question, do Pakistani's make money when JF-17 is sold to other countries?
Anonymous@3:19 Are you high? C-130 for Close Air Support? From when a tactical airlifter become an aircraft for CAS?
On other note, Pakistan says many thinsg, even they claim they converted the HEU bomb to Pu bomb in a night. LoLz.
To Anon@3.19PM: The LCA programme was a national R & D mission aimed at playing technological catch-up, i.e. painstakingly creating modelling & developmental databases of not only the airframe, but everything else inside the airframe as well. This had never been attempted before & therefore it is both highly expensive & time-consuming as well. There are no known & validated short-cuts to such an evolutionary path. Same is the case with the S-2/Arihant. Now, as to why the Tejas Mk1 or Arihant hasn't been able to enter operational service, only those from officialdom who have been/are responsible for irresponsibly blurting out estimated service-induction dates can answer this & must be held accountable. After all, it takes almost a decade in India to acquire land & set up the necessary R & D infrastructure. And yet, since the mid-1980s till today, there are critical deficiencies in this area. For instance, does the DRDO or IAF possess a dedicated air base for hosting & mentoring experimental R & D projects? Is there a corresponding instrumented firing range? Why did the IAF draft an ASQR for a light MRCA & concurrently has not yet specified the reqmt for small air-to-ground PGMs? Why did the DRDO not test-out & flight-certify all the indigenously developed LRUs in a dedicated airborne testbed (possibly a legacy combat aircraft) & insisted on doing all this on Tejas Mk1 prototypes? Did this not result in avoidable delays in Tejas Mk1's flight-test schedule? Why is the Tejas Mk1 not being re-moulded as an operational LIFT-cum-CAS platform when the Hawk Mk132 AJT is being remoulded as a CAS platform? ALL THESE BASIC questions remain unanswered till this day & even the CAG's critique of the LCA project has failed to provide acceptable answers. If these deficiencies are not addressed, then even the Tejas Mk2 project will flounder.
C-130Js can always be used for tactical interdiction missions at night just like the An-12Bs were used in both 1965 & 1971. But CAS??? Not even the AC-130 Spectre is used for such missions during daytime over a high-intensity battlefield. As for the JF-17 & what it is all about, it has already been explained in detail in the previous thread & I need not repeat the explanations & clarifications here.
Prasunda,
Given the fact that Sikorsky has emerged as the L1 for the Indian Navy's helo contract why is Airbus & Mahindra planning to jointly produce NH 90 in India.
I get it that they may want to export it from India but apart from that is there any other reason? Are they hoping that the deal with Sikorsky will fall off?
Thank You
Dear Prasunji,
Sindh DG ranger tweeted that operation will continue un-interrupted no matter what Sindh Govt or Islamabad say.
Your comment on AS Dulat's statement that getting back PoK is not likely?
How can India connect to CIS without PoK? Chabhar may be good for some years but we need our land back.
Rgds
To SUJOY MAJUMDAR: Planning to do something does not mean anything concrete. Because such plans are always subject to certain pre-conditions being met first, such as selection of the NMRH platform. In case of the 10-tonne NMRH reqmt, the S-70B Seahawk has been selected & advanced negotiations are presently in progress. One must understand that when a price-and-availability quotation is submitted, it is only for the platform & does not include anything else like training packages, medium-term/long-term product support packages, weapons packages, training & simulation hardware packages, etc etc. All these packages come under the category of supplemental quotes. But when it comes to the contract negotiations phase, both the main contract & its supplementary packages are all negotiated & finalised at one go, with orders being placed sequentially at a staggered rate. This is what makes the entire exercise time-consuming. This practice has been adopted by all 3 armed services in order to keep the contract values low. For, if all the packages are finalised all at once, then the financial value of the contract becomes too big for the Union Finance Ministry to swallow. That's precisely the reason why contracts for the IPMS & SUBTICS CMS simulators haven't yet been inked by MDL, even though conversion type-training for the IN's Scorpene SSK crew complement should have begun in-country by now. Similarly, contracts for various simulators for INS Vikramaditya or Project 71/IAC-1/INS Vikrant haven't yet been inked. Such a state of affairs is highly undesirable & can be changed for the better only if a sovereign non-lapsable defence modernisation fund is created & maintained in the interests of long-term financial planning in support of force modernisation. But alas! No such steps are forthcoming.
To PAWAN: 'Not Likely' in the immediate future, medium-term or long-term? This cannot be answered by just one person, but by unfolding geo-political developments in that region. Even if PoK is reunited with India, this will not ensure viable land connectivity with the CARs due to the mountainous nature of the terrain in an earthquake-prone region. But contiguous air-connectivity will be ensured because India-registered transport aircraft won't need to transit the airspace of other countries while flying into Afghanistan & the CARs. The only viable land connectivity route connecting India/J & K with Central Asia lies through Kargil, Skardu & thence on to Kashgar in Xinjiang & from there to Tajikistan & Kazakhstan. This is the so-called 'synergy-based' enmeshing of India's geo-economic initiatives regarding Central Asia, & China's 'One Belt One Road' initiative.
To PAWAN: Do read these:
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/7/11/chinese-company-taliban-battle-afghanistan.html
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/6/24/mes-aynak-savingafghanistansculturaltreasures.html
PKS Sir,
Whats your thinking on this
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/07/11/419818/India-Finance-Iran-Rail-Tracks-Exports
India going to finance 15000 Km railway lines in Iran.
Prasun Da,
Thanks for the in depth explanation. On a similar note, do you think it is advisable for a Small & Medium Enterprise to start a defense & aerospace business in India? And if yes, what are the areas they should focus?
As ever, thank you.
Hi,
Prasun, who is this guy ,Dr. Amarjit Singh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qsv1kxPU0Y
What's his deal?
Is he a reliable source of info and analysis, or just another quack?
prasunda;
i know you have written about this before, but in light of NaMo, Jaitley and Parrikar being more decisive and supportive of indigenous integration/manufacturing - why has this not materialized in large(r) scale orders for Arjun? What is the IA and MOD waiting for, has the ORBAT changed such that we do not need as many tank regiments, is the battle theater going to be dominated by fixed wing CAS or LCH/Rudra supported motorized, fast moving troops, or does limited war/punitive pushes not excludes plans with tank movement? My question is the Arjun issue a technical one, a cost one, a continuing apathy (and lack of planning), or is it the change in strategy? or is it all of them?
Many thanks - Ashish
http://defense-update.com/20140206_tata-introduces-kestrel-8x8-armored-scout-vehicle.html#.VaEXxPnvPDc Your views on this
apparently Indian EMB-145 AEW&C aircraft spotted in Algeria for the second time. true? if yes - for refueling or potential sale?
Israeli UAV crashes in Lebanon for 2nd time in 3 weeks. what brought them down?
PTI reports BSF foils exfiltration bid, arrests 5 Bangladeshis in Jammu. Bangladeshi or rohingya? if the latter - is it a common mistake?
Hi Prasun,
http://idrw.org/india-to-soon-float-tenders-for-six-new-submarines-for-navy/
What is this charade about floating tender for P75i?
Best Regards
Raj
To BHOUTIK: About the EMB-145I AEW & CS, watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB0Wk6GebTs
About the Rohingyas, do browse through these:
http://www.outlookindia.com/article/a-name-with-no-place/294780
http://www.outlookindia.com/article/the-rohingya-of-rakhine/294781
http://www.outlookindia.com/article/theres-no-persecution-just-that-govt-will-not-use-rohingya-in-official-national-documents/294782
http://www.outlookindia.com/article/more-die-of-hope/294783
http://www.outlookindia.com/article/not-a-kon-tiki-adventure/294784
To PAKISTANI: He's just a quack. If you want to read some serious stuff on such a topic, then I suggest you go through these:
http://www.outlookindia.com/article/allegory-of-the-lamp/294696
http://www.outlookindia.com/article/i-asked-karkare-to-carry-out-his-dharma-like-a-true-hindu/294785
hi prasun
its quite pleasant to hear that the helina hit the target 2 out of three times, at least we are going some where, not that the reliability i s perfect. They are attributing it to a new IIR detector, is it desi , israeli tech or french. dont you think at this stage we should encourage the drdo to go all the way to make a good missile rather than import ht every expensive german one?.
I believe the Israeli spike also failed in the desert to discriminate targets in hot conditions, please comment.
why is the next project 75 sub marine so expensive?.
Sir there is news in pakistan forums that they have chosen t-84 oplot over mbt-3000 in trials as new addition to PA armored corps.Is this true.
Its also being said oplot is superior to all t-90 versions and will put IA at quality disadvantage?
We need to give respect to Pakistan ... They will do no matter what world says about them.
They really don't care anyone other than themselves. Really a headstrong nation.
They milked US, they are fooling China and no need to mention India as we all know how they treat India. Such a tiny nation but massive courage and skill .
@Abhishek Dhar
Here
http://defence.pk/threads/congratulations-t-84-oplot-m-the-new-war-horse-of-pakistan.385519/
Its on all Pakistani Defence Forums.
Pakistan666 appears to be a brave nation, because they do not belong to their nation and their nation does not belongs to them. Their people do not belong to them and they do not belong to their people. They are only looters and plunderers, killers and destroyers. Actually just for nothing, they have lost everything. Deep inside them, they have deepest sense of remorse even more worse than that of the native Americans. They do not have any Israel to defend. They are the worst defeated people in the history of the world and still have to survive ashamedly and pull on their lives for the "Papi Pet ki Khatir". They think they have no way out, except to convert themselves in to the Global Muslamic Terrorist Leaders.
Dear Prasunji,
Do you having clue about what has transpired in Ufa. Why and How of it?
Please share with us your views.
Regards,
Pawan
@ Rajesh Mishra
Please stop commenting on things that are beyond your ability to understand.
The earlier comment too, is a half baked analysis. They are not a "headstrong nation" nor a country with
" massive courage and skill"
Dear Prasunji,
Isn't ridiculous that Govt has funds to buy P8I but not for buying enough towed Sonars and bullet proof jackets for army.
Rgds
hey pradun da ....
i posted a comment on your blog 2 days ago, but you've deleted it. i can't understand why ? was something wrong with my post ?
well, it hardly matters. all i wanted was to thank you for all the knowledge i've gained from you.
Thanks again da...
To PIYUSH DAS: I did not delete any of your comments. I mostly tend to delete posts of 'Anonymous' entities.
To PAWAN: Between the 3 armed services, the IA's bureaucracy is the worst. That's why the IA HQ's Directorate of Mechanised Warfare (DMW) failed to include the Master General Ordnance (MGO) Branch during the Arjun Mk1 MBT's user-evaluations. That's why after the DMW approved the Arjun Mk1's service-induction, another user-evaluation was thrust upon the Arjun Mk1, resulting in 93 additional modifications being asked for. This could clerarly have been avoided & all of the MGO-specified modifications should have been specified after evaluating the pre-production prototypes. Had this happened, it would have been possible to order 350 Arjun Mk1s, 56 Arjun Mk1 ARVs & 24 BLT-Arjun bridgelayers.
As for UFA, Pakistan's TV anchors are going ballistic about non-mention of the 'Kashmir' word in the joint statement. So, what led to this? What kind of international pressure pakistan was under? And pressure from whom? Bit by bit the info is now coming out. Apparently the Chinese exerted a lot of pressure WRT both the on-going Taliban offensive & WRT to 'sarkari jihadis' like Lakhvi.
To ABHISHEK DHAR? Really! Just one in-country field evaluation of that MBT & everyone concludes that this MBT will be ordered! That's convoluted thinking to me. And even if it were to be true, then can one now safely conclude that the PA has no intention of ordering further Al Khalid MBTs?
To DASHU: Pakistan may well have milked the US, but it is also indebted to the US for economic survival. 60% of every annual budget of Pakistan since 2008 has gone towards debt servicing to either the WB or IMF. China being merchantile in nature never gives any grant-in-aid; only loans that have to be paid back. What this merans is that both the US & China continue to milk Pakistan. No wonder those with money in Pakistan have since 2009 been repatriating their hard-earned or ill-gotten money to the UK, Germany, Canada & Dubai. Close to US$200 billion have taken flight. Even the garment manufacturers of Faisalabad are relocating to Bangladesh!
To RAD: LoooooLz! Of course if any ATGM is fired in the blistering heat of the Thar Desert it won't function as specified--Nag or HELINA or Spike or Javelin. Can anyone honestly envisage the PA undertaking an armoured thrust in this desert in the afternoon's blistering heat??? If the IA doesn't do it, I'm pretty sure the PA won't either. So why in the hell is the IA's GSQR hell-bent on a functional ATGM that works in the blistering afternoon heat??? Be it in North Africa during WW-2 or at Longewala in 1971, armoured/mechanised thrusts were always confined to dusk-till-dawn time-windows. Only artillery duels took place during daytime. So, it's high-time every discerning Indian citizen asked an elementary question: why does the IA want ATGMs to function perfectly in the afternoon blistering heat of the Thar Desert when there will not be even a single worthwhile target to be destroyed at that time on the battlefield.
To BHOUTIK & RAD: After watching the NDTV interview of the new DG of DRDO (YouTube weblink posted above), some important queries have arisen. For instance, why were the icing/de-icing tests of the EMB-145I conducted in Alaska? Couldn't such tests have been conducted at Leh, which is good enough for similar tests conducted for the Tejas Mk1? Or is it because Embraer has got access to such test-facilities under some arrangement with the US FAA & NTSB?
And since when has any discerning & experienced marketeer named any prospective export customer? In theory, many countries express interest in many products on a non-commital basis, but this does not mean that they should be named. Since 2001, many claims had been made about the Dhruv ALH & BrahMos-1 ending up in Chile, but nothing happened. Then at the DEFEXPO 2012 TATA Power SED proudly told me that its 155mm/52-cal MGS (actually a Denel land Systems product) would be exported to Indonesia. Nothing like that ever happened & Indonesia eventually ordered the Caesar.
To RAJ: I've been hearing about the release of the RFP for the 6 P-75I SSKs for the past four years. Just like it was told in December 2011 by the then CNS of the IN that the S-2/Arihant will commence operational patrols by 2012. So let's just wait & seed when this RFP is issued.
To BHOUTIK: It is indeed possible to jam the data-links of any UAV from the ground & this is what most probably happened with the IDF's MALE-UAVs while cruising over Lebanon's coastline.
Prasun Da,
Do you think it is advisable for a Small & Medium Enterprise to start a defense & aerospace business in India? And if yes, what are the areas they should focus?
Thank You
To SUJOY MAJUMDAR: Of course, why not? Look at all such companies that have mushroomed in Bengaluru & Hyderabad since the mid-1980s. Generally, such companies flourish whenever they're located close to DRDO lab clusters. In the years to come another such cluster will come up in & around Pune & SMEs located there too will benefit.
Excellent debate on the UIGHUR issue in Xinjiang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAr4IYehG2s&hd=1
Ground report from Xinjiang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7RIA0KNduI&hd=1
Today I spotted a EMB-145 AEW&C aircraft flying in Bangalore.
Lately I have noticed a surge in Air -activities in Bangalore and almost Daily I hear and see jets flying mostly LCA.
@sweet
I do not know whether you are from Pakistan or what, but my opinion is my opinion.
oh !
yeah prasun da ...
that post was'nt from my google account.
BTW , why don't you host advertisements here ? i mean you can easily use this knowledge for monetary benefits.
OR
start your own website !!! it will be a hit. especially comment & discussion section.....
Prasun da,
Request your take on Namo's central asia trip, anything concrete happened or all tall claims ?
Trip to Afghanistan didn't happen, didn't hear anything about Ayni too
I mean any material gains or not ?
Thanks
Vivek
Prasun Da,
A great read about the crap hole that is the North East. Clearly explains how people from other parts of INDIA have to deal with the day to trauma of living in the North East. The article is about Manipur, but it applies to other NE cities as well notably, Shillong, Aizwal etc.
Please ,do read if time permits
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/in-manipur-tension-outsiders-feel-the-heat-781339?pfrom=home-india
PrasunDa,
Today the MoD cleared proposals worth Rs.30,000 crores. They mention 23 Combat Management Systems for the navy, for installation on smaller ships.
(1) Which company is going to supply these combat management systems?
(2) Which ships will be using these combat management systems?
Thanks,
Vikram
Here is the link
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/489244/govt-clears-defence-proposals-worth.html
Hello Prasun,
Do you have any more information regarding subject below,
http://idrw.org/made-in-india-chips-may-become-mandatory-for-defence/
Investments, facilities being set up, locations, etc?
Thanks,
USAK
To PIYUSH DAS: maybe I don’t require any such monetary benefits.
To VIVEK: There were tangible deals struck in Kazakhstan & Turkmenistan. Uzbekistan & Tajikistan are waiting for NaMo to visit Iran before anything concrete can be inked upon. Afghanistan was not on the trip itinerary this time. But NaMo has already been invited to open the new Afghan parliament building later this year.
To SUJOY MAJUMDAR: VMT. But such troubles will exist even in sparsely populated states that have yet to see the fruits of economic development. When a country’s PM visits Nagaland after a 13-year gap, what else can one expect? Try making the same kind of investments like those being committed to J & K & you will see the scenario take a turn for the better. Laying the foundation stone for an airport for Itanagar in 2007 & realising much later that the site for this airport wasn’t the right one does not send the right message, does it?
To VIKRAM GUHA: Here are the answers: for the 428 AA guns the contenders are Punj Lloyd teamed with Yugoimport SPDR of Serbia for brand-new Zu-23 guns with upgraded fire-control systems, & Bharat Forge teamed with RAFAEL offering the Typhoon system with Rheinmetall’s 35mm cannon. Air/surface search radars for P-25 corvettes are likely to be supplied by the TATA/TERMA team. The 3 Project 15 DDGs to undergo mid-life upgrade-cum-refit will have the VL-Shtil installed along with the latest version of the Kh-35 Uran-E ASCM. Batch 1 Project 1135.6 FFGs will undergo mid-life refits, starting 2017 & they too are likely to receive the VL-Shtil (this is also being offered for the 3 Batch 3 Project 1135.6 FFGs to be procured in future). 23 CMS are meant for smaller vessels like NOPVs & X-FACs. Imported data transmission/storage systems of German-origin (via L & T) for warships concern the data-links & their servers that will be connected via GSAT-7 to the IN’s Operations Directorate. Indigenous systems from DRDO have proven to be a failure due to slower speeds that result in data/imagery buffering. Rangeless ACMI pods (EHUD) from Israel Aerospace Industries are for the MiG-29UPGs & Hawk Mk132s. Samyukta Mk1 will be upgraded by BEL to Mk2 standard for the IA. Multi-spectrum camouflage nets (like the Barracuda used by Arjun Mk1 MBTs) will come from SaabTech. 3.5 lakh modules of BMCS will be supplied by France’s NEXTER Systems.
To USAK: Never believe a story or news-report that contains words like ‘may’, ‘if’ & ‘could’.
To VIKRAM GUHA: Minor corrections: Punj Lloyd is offering the Artemis A30 from Greece & Kalyani Group is offering the Typhoon. Both are 30mm systems.
what will be the impact of Iranian nuclear deal with west?
who will benefit the most in the region? Are we looking at resumption of activities between iran and west again?
Does this mean that pakistani and saudis influence in afghanistan and in the region will diminish significantly?
What will be the new security paradigm shift in the region and internationally too?
Is this the decades most happening foreign policy change of the west? Considering saudis and israel's long standing objection?
Should India be worried or look forward to it?
Prasunda,
It may sound silly but how much safe are modern sensitive electronics in defence industry. No doubt modern electronics in combat systems has resulted in greater accuracy, effectivity & automation. But at the same time they are also prone to external noise, heat & dust, emf in extreme combat environment. At the same time advances in jammer technology, e-bomb can cripple electronics equipments. Incidents like display blackout, software malfunction, improper patch update can ground an entire fleet. Does any other backup system like mechanical systems are also present in modern combat systems like aircraft,tanks,submarines to tackle it.
Dear Prasunji,
Thanks very much for details of items cleared by DAC.
1. Why India has not opted for Barak-II in place of Shtil system?
2. Is Rafael Typhoon better than Rheinmetall's Skyskield combo of Radar and 35MM gun?
3. What are chance the chances that now Western countries+iran will push for "PakDeal" or "IsraelDeal" on the lines of Irandeal
Lastly I have just a small observation- I noticed that since Ufa meeting Pakistani commentators especially pro-PA seems rudderless and flabbergasted
Regards,
Pawan
Hi
The new 6 subs with nuclear power are going to be clean design as per IN .
1) Is this true it will be new design from scratch ??
2) The quality of sub is based on its Steel and overall Design , which we don't have . who is going to provide the steel for submarine ???
3) What about testing facility for submarine line stress testing of components , we don't have ???
We need to "Make in India " these things then only sub program will pass ....
4) Is there foreign ship yard expected to provide consultancy ?? Like Russia or France ???
PrasunDa, thanks for the elaborate explanation.
Just one question about the 23 CMS.
(1) Why are they not imported directly from Germany instead of being purchased via L&T? And which German company is this?
(2) A great video about the use of RAIL GUNS made by General Atomics. WOnder why Indian Navy does not look into such technologies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xeHfxzjThQ
Regards,
Vikram
To all bloggers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERB0DnN8-IY
Hi
Is IN looking for Hard Kil measure against Torpedoes , if Yes which companies have reponded ?? and how many pieces are expected to be purchaced??
Which is best option for hard kill system for IN ships ???
Russian Navy has 2 Talwar class ships under construction which they are planning to offer IN due to non availability of Engines from Ukraine for Russia due to war between them but no prob if ships are send to IN . Is it good but with 3 more ships make in India ????
http://thediplomat.com/2015/07/china-to-offer-23-billion-for-us-chip-company/
Will the US allow such a deal to happen? Why cant Indian conglomerates like tata or reliance et al bid for such companies? What are your thoughts on this?
Prasunda, IN is exploring the possibility to procure Russian Project 21300 class deep sea rescue ship. Is it better than Singapore's Swift Rescue? Because, Swift Rescue is designed by James Fisher Defence, the very same firm from which IN is going to procure DSAR submarine rescue vehicle. Kindly give your opinion. Regards.
Prasun Da,
Remember a couple of weeks ago you were discussing about the IN's fleet strength 10-15 yrs from now. Guess what, (a)either your estimates are bang on; (b) the IN visits your blog or (c) both a & b.
The IN today has come up with similar estimates that you had forecasted:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/indian-navy-aiming-at-200-ship-fleet-by-2027/articleshow/48072917.cms
One interesting thing that I noted was that when asked whether the IN will go in for additional Scorpene submarines apart from the 6 being built currently in Mumbai, the IN refused to answer.This could mean the IN will not go for more than 6 Scorpene submarines.
Thank you for all your valuable insights.
-Sujoy
PrasunDa,
I am now convinced that there is some university somewhere in India where they are giving out Phds in BANDALBAZZI.
Our friend Dr.Bandalbaaz has just found out a way to wear a helmet-mounted sighting system and carry out BVR conflict. This is what he has written
The pilot detects enemy aircraft with its Elta EL/M-2032 multi-mode radar beyond visual range, and fires Israeli Derby and Python air-to-air missiles through a "helmet-mounted sighting system" that locks onto a target merely by looking at it
The rest of the circus can be found here
http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/will-the-tejas-get-foreign-help-115071401389_1.html
To VIKRAM GUHA: LoLz! He also fails to explain how exactly & with what will the 300kg ballast weight be replaced with in order to maintain optimum CG-levels. Primarily, as the report reveals, he fails to draw the distinction between an excellent flying machine & an operationally optimum MRCA. Any aircraft can have superlative flying handling characteristics for aerobatics, but what about these characteristics when the aircraft is loaded with subsonic drop-tanks & a modest armament load? Till today, no supersonic drop-tanks have emerged for the Tejas Mk1 & already ADA is on record for admitting that the so-called FOC date has been postponed to March 2016.
And here's more bullshit from him:
http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/navy-looks-to-russia-for-three-more-frigates-as-domestic-shipyards-lag-115071400002_1.html
Firstly, Gregorivich-class FFGs are optimised for Russian operating conditions & are not tropicalised like the three Batch 1 & three Batch 2 Project 1135.6 FFGs. Secondly, NATO--not Russian--classification of such FFGs is IMPROVED KRIVAK-3. Thirdly, the 3 Batch 1 FFGs were built at Baltisky Zavod Shipyard, while the 3 Batch 2 FFGs were built by Yantar Shipyard. Fourthly, he contradicts himself when he says on one hand that the IN could go for some of the 6 Gregorivich-class FFGs now being built at Yantar, & on the other he says these FFGs are to be built by an Indian shipyard. Fifthly, Sea King Mk42B & Ka-28PL & Ka-31s are all 12-tonne helicopters. No IN warship has ever carried two 12-tonne helicopters on-board. It has always been a combination of a single Sea King along with a SA.316B Chetak on all India-built FFGs & DDGs. Sixthly, the 3 Batch 1 Project 1135.6 FFGs & three Project 17 FFGs carry the 3M54E Klub ASCM, while the 3 batch 2 Project 1135.6 FFGs carry the BrahMos-1 ASCM. Lastly, the Ka-31 can perform BOTH AEW & over-the-horizon surface target acquisition role. Only mission it cannot perform is ASW, for which the Ka-28PL has to be used.
To SUJOY MAJUMDAR: VMT. Those remarks help clarify several issues. For instance, it is obvious that up to 6 (not 3) Project 1135.6 FFGs will be built in India, most probably by L & T at Kattupali. These FFGs will be different from the Gregorivich-class FFGs because the former will carry the BrahMos-1, which the latter doesn’t. It is also clear now that the 3 Project 15 DDGs & three Batch-1 Project 1135.6 FFGs will have VL-Shtil as part of their mid-life upgrade. The 6 Batch 3 Project 1135.6 FFGs will also be armed with the VL-Shtil-1. Why 6 & not 3 FFGS? Because it is highly uneconomical to build only 3 locally under a ToT scheme. To break-even, any shipyard in this world needs to built a minimum of 6 such vessels. So, if this is the case, then why the hell is the MoD telling MDL to build only 4 Project 127A FFGs & GRSE only 3 more. Would it not be better if MDL was authorised to build all 7 P-17A FFGs, while GRSE was told to build another four Project 28 ASW corvettes (as Batch 2) along with the projected 26 SW-ASW vessels?
Most interesting is the answer on submarines. It is now a given that India cannot afford to concurrently acquire both six new-design SSKs with AIP & another six SSNs. There’s simply no money available for making such a pipedream a reality. So a call has to be taken on whether to spend on acquiring additional 4 or 6 Scorpene SSKs with AIP under Project 75I (thereby doing away with the options of acquiring a new-design SSK & further deep-upgrading the existing Type 877EKM SSKs). If this option is exercised, then & only then can the IN muster the financial resources reqd for the 6 projected SSNs, which, by the ay, will also have to be slightly larger & broader (7.3-meter diameter pressure-hull instead of the Scorpene SSK’s 6.2-metre) derivatives of the baseline Scorpene design. Only this will make the SSN project financially viable & their deliveries too will then take place at a quicker rate. If the IN goes for an all-new SSN hull design, then the project’s complexity & costs will increase enormously. Therefore, logically, in terms of life-cycle costs & financial viability, India needs to build up on the existing Project 75/Scorpene SSK licenced-production effort & use it as ther spinoff for the P-75I SSK & SSN projects.
To UJJWAL: Deep-sea rescue ship can easily be built by HSL or L & T or CSL. There's no need to have the entire ship built abroad. Or, as another option, an existing proven design can be selected & then licence-built at an Indian shipyard.
To JAY BHANUSHALI: It will be interesting to see whether or not the US will allow this to happen. But there are other alternatives available to China in both Europe & South Korea. Indian industrial giants like TATAS or even VIDEOCON need to adopt a smarter route & forge joint venture industrial tie-ups with semiconductor manufacturing OEMs located in Taiwan & South Korea.
To VISHAKH: From which platform will such hard-kill weapons be launched? If it is from submarines, then the Torbuster is already available & even the Maareech can be further developed to become a submarine-launched hard-kill system. As for hard-kill systems for warships, the RBU-6000 is already there on-board.
To RD: There are a few electro-mechanical back-up systems, but not everything is backed-up. Instead, EMP hardening is resorted to for critical sensors & servers. All combat aircraft have standby electro-mechanical attitude indicator, airspeed indicator, & radar altimeter.
To PAWAN: 1) Barak-2 works only with the EL/M-2248 MF-STAR. The VL-Shtil, on the other hand, works perfectly with the existing four MR-90 Orekh target illuminators, and the Salyut FSUE-built E-band MR-760 Fregat M2EM 3-D radar. 2) RAFAEL’s Typhoon is a rapid-fire cannon located inside an armoured turret that also hosts an IRST sensor & this entire turret can be mounted either atop a BMP-2’s hull, or even at the back of a Stallion truck. 3) There will be no similar deals with Pakistan simply because Iran inked the deal with the US, EU, Russia & China as a signatory to the NPT, whereas Pakistan is not a signatory to the NPT. But in the coming months & years, there will be increasing pressure on Pakistan to de-nuclearise. That’s precisely why Pakistan along with the Afghan Taliban are insisting on the withdrawal of all US bases now in Afghanistan prior to the inking of a peace agreement between Kabul & the Afghan Taliban. But will Afghanistan accept this? In my view, NEVER. Iran too will not accept the prospect of living next to a nuclear WMD-armed Pakistan. Even China, with its enormous financial power, will be unable to change this equation, because India & Russia along with Iran & the CARs will together present a viable alternative to China’s appeasements. For China, accessibility to the CARs is not the destination, but merely a transit route to the final destination, which is Europe. On the other hand, both Russia & India perceive the CARs as their respective destinations in terms of geo-economic outreach.
To VIKRAM GUHA: It is not exactly the CMS. It is a combination of the bridge control system & the data-link encryptors & their related servers. They will be imported from Raytheon’s Germany-based unit & also from CASSIDIAN. L & T will provide only after-sales product support.
This is hilarious:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pakistan-says-Indian-spy-drone-shot-down-India-denies/articleshow/48087863.cms?
Now Pakistan is accusing India of using China-origin drones for aerial surveillance! The ISPR should have first checked up matters with the Muzzaffarabad-based United Jihad Council (by asking if the drone belonged to some Jihadi outfit). BTW here are the drone's specs:
http://www.dji.com/product/phantom-3/feature
http://www.dji.com/product/phantom-3/spec
@ Jay Bhanushali
"http://thediplomat.com/2015/07/china-to-offer-23-billion-for-us-chip-company/
Will the US allow such a deal to happen? Why cant Indian conglomerates like tata or reliance et al bid for such companies? What are your thoughts on this?
July 15, 2015 at 7:30 PM".
Any such takeover poroposals are vetted by the FTC and the DOJ and given the political sensitivities surrounding China in the U.S, any such proposal without exception will be scuppered. Rest assured the same fate will befall any attempts by Indian companies to buy out any failing U.S based chip maker. So, your only option is to invest a few billion and start your own fab units with tech incubated out of your own labs or the IITs.
Latest documentary on the PA's SSG & its combat/survival training regime, which was aired yesterday:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxjaoqvTOKk
To Anon@7.26AM: A similar incident had taken place in the late 1980s when Thomson-CSF (now THALES) was prevented by the US from buying over LTV/Vought Aerospace. At that time, France wanted to develop a SHORADS using hyper-velocity missiles (for replacing the Crotale), but the US prevented this from happening. Eventually, France on its own developed the Crotale-NG, then shared some of its technological know-how with China's CPMIEC under the FM-80 & FM-90 SHORADS R & D projects, while the hyper-velocity missile developed by LTV/Vought Aerospace ended up with Canada-based Oerlikon Aerospace for the ADATS SHORADS system.
It seems pripav has won the right to build the Russian frigates .
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/biggest-warship-project-russia-selects-anil-ambanis-pipavav-to-make-frigates-for-indian-navy/articleshow/48091024.cms
Prasun Sir Why build more russian frigates as opposed to improved Shivaliks ?
Prasun Da,
(1) Can't hold a candle to you when it comes to MRO, however I found this guidebook for aircraft MRO interesting
http://www.tinker.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070314-040.pdf
(2) Goa Shipyard is holding talks with both South Korean yard Kangnam Corporation and Italian shipbuilder Intermarine for tech transfer related to mine sweepers. Why do they need to do this when Kangnam had already won the competition & they can provide the tech?
(3) Vice Admiral P. Murugesan told the press last Tuesday that Project 75I submarines could be built at more than one shipyard, suggesting that multiple types of subs maybe acquired under the project.Does this mean IN intends to purchase from 2 foreign OEMs? I think Germany & Russia has a chance because IN already uses their subs and France is already supplying the Scorpene.
(4) I read in Vijander S Thakur's twitter feed that Eurofighter has consistently outmaneuver Su-30mki. Is it true?
http://militaryaircraft-airbusds.com/PressCenter/LatestNews/TabId/176/ArtMID/681/ArticleID/376/Flight-test-of-Eurofighter-aerodynamic-upgrades-completed.aspx
VMT
PKS Sir,
Is the ISPR that much idiot to claim a toy as Indian Drone? Further summoning Indian ambassador in Islamabad.
What they want? India accept a Chinese toy is being used by IA as MilSpec Drone.
Further Pakistan officially said "An unilateral action wont change the disputed nature of Kashmir".
Are they really afraid of Indian unilateral action in PoK?
@Prasun da
last week i said we dont need 3rd batch of Talwar FFGs, but if MoD builds those FFGs in India:-
1. It will lead to humongous cost escalation
2. With Pipavvav (not L&T) building those 6 FFGs (no. by you) GRSE and L&T will cry foul
3. 12 FFGs (supposedly) of same class will make war planning a lop sided affair in their favor
4. Unless more enhancements are made into the Talwar FFGs made in India from the existing ships, it doesnt make better sense
a few querries
1. Why IA doesnt go for 6 wheel jeeps/ATV
2. You said INS Vikramaditya though has capacity to carry 30 jets will carry 18, considering 10 helos for SAR, ASW there seems to still space, is by any chance IN will park E2D EreieEye on the ship
thanks
Joydeep Ghosh
Prasunda,
Not sure if you have a copy, so here is the link for the entire Iran deal
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2165388-iran-deal-text.html
Prasun Da, another question
(5) The Indian Navy has now released a Letter of Request(LoR) asking for proposals from Lockheed Martin; BAE Systems, DCNS, and Rosoboronexport to help in designing a 65,000 tonne carrier that would be about 300 metres long
http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/india-specifies-65-000-tonne-aircraft-carrier-with-catapult-115071700032_1.html
Just last month the IN had detailed discussion with the US on this, so why are they issuing a fresh LoR? Infact a team from US Navy was supposed to come to India to help with the construction of the IAC 2.
Thanks You
Prasun sir,
Vmt for the reply. I have a few questions regarding our missiles program and nuclear warheads.
1)How many agni series of missiles are in service?
2)What is their production rate ?
3)Are agni 1,2,3,4 all under series production and how do they compare with foreign missiles from us, russia and china in terms of accuracy,precision,reliability and capacity to evade ABMD ?
4)Are we still manufacturing prithvi series ?
5)How many bhramos does the army have in service and what is the production rate for the same?
6) what is the shelf life of all these missiles?
7) how many of each of these missiles do the indian armed forces need for their longer term goals,and have we miniaturised the warheads enough to have 6-10 mirv of 200 to 500 kt on a single agni-v ?
8) what according to your assessment should be the ultimate force level of the SFC in the medium to long term (post 2030 and beyond)
9) how many warheads are enough for a credible deterrence?
10) does china really have only 250 to 300 warheads?
11) in case of a Pakistani first strike do we really have a solid 2nd strike capability as of today and what delivery vehicle will most likely be used in case such circumstances do arise?
12) do you see any chance of a nuclear confrontation in the short to medium term in the subcontinent or anywhere else in the world?
I am Very sorry for such a long list of questions.Hope you dont mind.
Vmt in advance.
hi prasun
why are we buying harpoons still?. It is an an old missile and being sub sonic can be easily shot down by todays defense. why pay 8 mill$ for it .
Positive development
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/in-a-first-drdo-transfers-technology-to-private-player/
The Telegraph has reported an incident involving the Tejas in Jaiselmer where its "under carriage was down".
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150719/jsp/nation/story_32472.jsp#.VasY3CFViko
its being described as a major set-back.
DO you have Any details of this incident?
@ Ram Bharadwaj
This news , coming from the same set of jokers who said , "Tejas was handed over to the airforce without training manuals ..." LOL... :)
and think abt it!... a fighter aircraft (any aircraft) , flying all the way from Jaisamler (In the North) to bangalore (in the south)!!!!.. is a bit absurd !!.... unless any other source is there confirming this !.... im taking this as Hogwash and im guessing the reporter saw the Tejas landing at the airfield and assumed there is a fault.
@ Ram Bharadwaj: And according to gentleman Author LCA was suppose to be delivered in 1993 ...
But i m sorry i was not able to find a single example when 4gen fighter was delivered in just ten year from start of its project feasibility study anywhere not even in case of USA..
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/tejas-with-radar-jammer-flies-maiden-sortie-115011000732_1.html
this article contradicts with CAG report.
is there really(possibility of) internal jammer on tejas mk1.
& prasun da what can we expect from tejas mk2, in terms of payload, range & advanced tech integration ?
thanksss......
http://www.punemirror.in/pune/others/Advanced-jammers-to-help-Tejas-evade-enemy-radars/articleshow/45845038.cms
here's another article reporting probably the same incidence. BTW whats basic difference between ew pod & ew suit ?
in this article an iaf officer says that radar jammer helps us avoid detection by enemy radars. can ground based radars also be jammed ?
regards sir...
To PAWAN: Watch this excellent documentary on the religious faultlines of Pakistan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K9GpCbi8WQ
To KAKU SH: Maybe the ISPR are riding high after smoking the Tirah-1 variety of heroin! Nowadays, if they find medicines or packaged food in the possession of the TTP< then they automatically conclude that India is extending material assistance to the TTP & that Indian field hospitals are providing medical assistance to the TTP foot-soldiers. Just watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x99p0SrrK_A
Then, by the ISPR’s logic, India too can accuse China & Bulgaria of supporting the TTP just because all the small arms & ammo being used by the TTP are of Bulgarian & Chinese origin! Will the ISPR accept this as being a fact-of-life??? BTW, here’s the promotional video of the DJI Phantom 3 drone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4qrYYJDKyk&hd=1
To JOYDEEP GHOSH: 1) Of course not 3 but 6 more Project 1135.6 FFGs are reqd. Just look at the number of warships that are being flogged beyond their service-lives & which need to be decommissioned ASAP. Today there is cost erscalation in every sphere, because we can no longer procure platforms by merely engaging in barter trade & paying for such weapons with undergarments being made in Ludhiana, as was the case with the USSR in the 1980s. 2) Neither MDL nor GRSE has any spare capacity for building these 6 additional FFGs.L & T is busy building SSBNs. 3) Because 4 x 4 ATVs are good enough. 4) How can E-2D take off from a ski-jump???
To VIKRAM GUHA: In the end, only BAE Systems & DCNS will present realistic proposals, because both the CVNs of the US Navy & Russia’s future projected supercarriers will be far larger in size.
To PIYUSH DAS: Tejas PV-1’s internal bulkheads are substantially different from those of the LSP-series & SP-series airframes. Therefore, the PV-series airframes are used primarily for flight-test & evaluation of on-board systems, accessories & avionics that are destined for fitment inside the projected Tejas Mk2 MRCA. Hence, any of the 40 SP-series Tejas Mk1s can never be modified internally to accommodate anything that is now being flight-tested on the PV-1 airframes. EW suite is inclusive of all internal & external systems /sub-systems. EW jammer (internal or pod-mounted) never helps in avoidance of detection by hostile radars. There is always detection. Only real-time 3-D tracking & lock-on is avoided.
To G: Tejas Mk1’s LSP-standard aircraft was indeed handed over in February 2011 to the IAF as part of the IOC-1 tamasha & at that time all 34 manuals inclusive of 6 flight manuals, MRO servicing manuals, &
1st line & 2nd line servicing schedules were not ready till February 2013, nor were the 2nd line man-portable testers.
To RAM BHARADWAJ: That story is very badly written. It does not explkain whether the landing gear was un-rectractable after takeoff from Jaisalmer. If that was the case, then the aircraft could easily have gone back to Jaisalmer. It could not have flown with its landing gear down all the way to Nagpur & from there to Bengaluru. .
To JAY BHANUSHALI: If indeed the DRDO is so confident of exporting the Lakshya PTA to Singapore, Malaysia and Israel, then why has the IAF & IA since 2011 been using the Mirach 100 PTA of Italian origin, which is represented in India by Jahagirdar Aero Products?
To RAD: The Harpoon’s AGM & UGM versions are by no means obsolete. They are in ther same league as the Kh-35UE ASCMs acquired by both the IN & IAF.
To JAY BHANUSHALI: 1) About 24 of each type. 2) Production rate is about 4 per year. 3) Only Agni-4 & Agni-5 are in series-production. China’s MRBMs & IRBMs are road-mobile, while the Agni-4/5 are not yet. 4) Nope. That ended in 2009. 5) Those are not known. Annual production rate should be 15 units. 6) 10 years. 7) They are reqd in the hundreds. That level of miniaturization has not yet taken place. 8 & 9) That will depend on the strategic targetting priorities & what type of missiles are to be used for such vectors. 10) Yes. 11) That capability has existed since the mid-1990s itself. 12) No.
PKS Sir,
I watched the video, the Pakistan Army seems decently equipped.
Are the IA infantry soldiers are equipped with same kind of gears?
on other thing, why all 3 armed forces of india is so much media shy. Never show there operational capability which is required for country moral and stop the Indians from perceiving Chinese as 9 feet tall.
Armed forces are NOT media shy at all. However our media is utterly incompetent in reporting such matters unless some juicy scandal or live incident is involved. Very boring to report facts you see...even on the rare occasions they do report...the 'quality' of the coverage is so amateurish and laughable and one could argue that from a propaganda perspective it does more harm than good.
Prasun, Just a quick follow-up to Jay Bhanushali's question - do you mean 24 each of Agni-1, Agni-2, Agni-3, Agni-4 and Agni-5 are in service ? Or is it just Agnis 1,2 & 3 with smaller numbers of 4 and just a few of 5 ?
Thanks
To SBM: 24 of each (barring the Agni-3, Agni-4 & Agni-5) were built. Agni-4 is still under production to replace the Agni-2, while Agni-5 is still under development.
To KAKU SH: Not all infantry units are similarly equipped. Only those destined for direct combat are issued such hardware. As for news-reporting by the 'desi' journalists, they are a lazy lot & don't even have clue about wehat's transpiring in India's immediate neighbourhood. That's why we have to rely on Doha-based Al Jazeera to learn all about what's transpiring inside Gilgit-Baltistan. For instance:
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/06/gilgit-baltistan-rebels-against-pakistan-201462984334940614.html
&
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/07/pakistan-sedition-sweep-gilgit-baltistan-150714141113082.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+aljazeera%2FPArY+%28AL+JAZEERA+ENGLISH+%28AJE%29%29
https://html1-f.scribdassets.com/55wwvrm5mo3ppzro/images/5-aeeeb76e23.jpg
this image is claimed to show bangladesh military training rohingya militants. is it real?
how do you think the rohingya issue can be solved? how much are ideas of race playing into this issue in myanmar if at all?
To BHOUTIK: Bangladesh has no reason to train any Rohingya militants because Bangladesh & Myanmar don't have any outstanding territorial scores to settle. Historically, the Rohingyas were from pre-partition Bangal working for British-owned plantations. Legally, they are Myanmarese citizens & even Myanmar doesn't deny that. The problem is all about religion, not race. In countries like Myanmar & Thailand, Buddhism is like the state religion & whenever there is any state religion, there will always be religious tensions. For instance, all those countries that have declared themselves as 'Islamic Republics' (Afghanistan, Iran & Pakistan) are in perpetual internal turmoil.
IISS Fullerton Lecture: India, the United States and China
President Obama’s visit to India on its Republic Day in January 2015 and the Modi–Xi meeting in Xian in May 2015 highlight a more active Indian foreign policy. Strengthened by a return to higher growth rates and a stronger political position, the Modi government is also directly linking its diplomacy to its development programmes at home. These developments portend a shift in the Asian strategic picture and are of particular interest to ASEAN that occupies its crossroads. In his Fullerton Lecture, India’s Foreign Secretary Dr S Jaishankar discussed these possibilities and challenges and spoke on the interplay of India, the US and China in Singapore yesterday:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et2ihw8jHaY&hd=1
Looking Backward, Looking Forward
R Nicholas Burns of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Shyam Saran of India’s National Security Advisory Board, and Philip Zelikow of the University of Virginia, all senior participants in the negotiation of the US-India 123 nuclear accord, told the story of how the deal came about and discussed what lessons can be drawn from it for future diplomatic efforts. Stephen E Biegun of the Ford Motor Company moderated:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fozy0ldIzo
even without territorial claims support could've been given. it could've come during zia or BNP regime. i don't know - so i was asking. anyway, i understand the problem is religious, i just worry that it could graduate to racial ideas of us & them. there's been some rhetoric like that. easy to go down to base instincts.
i had to look-up 'bangal' btw.
As in your replies, realistic proposal would be from BAE Systems and DCNS for aircraft carrier design. Can it be inferred that EMALS on aircraft carriers have been ruled out as EMALS is an American technology?
@Prasun da
1. Whats the problem with Pak; shots its own drone accuses India, raids MQM in Karachi to dig out India connection, refuses customary eid sweets, accuses India of fomenting trouble in Balochistan, crushes defiance in GB, the PM says different altogether despite the Ufa statement
2. Pertaining to E2D will INS Vikrant/INS Vishal (IAC 2) will have it, if so will 1 each be enough and if used will that make Kamov helos useless
3. You have said Prithvi missiles are no longer in production, does it also include the Prithvi 3 NLOS BSM @600 km range
4. Aljzeera/alarabiya both dont show kashmiir map correctly (donT show Aksai Chin as part of India/occupied by China; sometimes show kashmir as India occupied) why do they are still allowed broadcast in India
5. credit should be given to ex PM singh for getting the nuclear deal signed, learnt he had called off the deal when the others wanted to keep just 2 reactors outside inspection, btw how many reactors are outside inspection and how many in future are expected to remain outside
6. Instead of 6 more Project 1135.6 FFGs, wont it be a better idea to build 12 P17A frigates (all at private yards)
7. Some say Russia which is making 6 more Project 1135.6 FFGs at Yantar is actually unable to fit in engines (Ukraine supplied) so they want Indian shipyards to persuade Ukraine to supply engines for first 3 that are almost complete but without engine, will Ukraine still supply engines to Indian shipyards if Pipavav does that work
8. Still feel any Indian shipyards that builds 6 more Project 1135.6 FFGs should be allowed to make further enhancements in terms of weapons/electronic/storage
9. there are 2 designs of littoral combat ships in US navy (if correct) whats the purpose
thanks
Joydeep Ghosh
Hi
http://ajaishukla.blogspot.in --> "The ghost of Gorshkov" isn't making P17A better idea than making Krivak frigates more or even P17 frigates more orders ????
The doco by Mr. Khan is one of a number that have been made over the last 10 years or so. You can search for them on youtube or pakdefence forum. By the way in PA the unit retains all its equipment when it moves back to it peace time location (apart from MRAPs). PA/FC have quite a large fleet of MRAP's now and more are coming from next door ;-). The structure of the PA has changed over the last 15yrs, now NCO's are playing a big part. Much more flexible integration at lower levels and the officers being promoted are much younger and mainly doers. Its all about battlefield experience. What you are seeming in the video are the changes started by Pervez Musharraf for GI.
Prasun,
China is selling its JIangkai II frigates at 360 million USD which has similar technology as Russian Project 11356 frigates, maybe even better.
Then why is India buying another three Talwar class for USD $ One Billion a piece? Is India paying for something which is not being shown in public? This is bloody ridiculous and being paid to whom - Anil Ambani ???
I tend to agree by Shukla's argument as why not build Shivalik which is better and local at that price??? Is MoD going back to UPA days?
To SK & VISHAKH: Firstly, the P-17 & P-17A FFGs are both far more costlier than the Project 1135.6 FFGs. Secondly, The Batch 3 Project 1135.6 FFGs will all be brand-new. They won't be those already built for Russia. I had already explained earlier above that the Russian FFGs are not tropicalised, whereas the Indian FFGs will need to be. Thirdly, these Batch 3 FFGs will have BrahMos-1 on-board, just like the 3 Batch 2 Project 1135.6 FFGs. Fourthly, the seven P-17A FFGs will take a decade to come off the production line. Fifthly, Since these are brand-new designs, they will take a long time to be validated & tested. Therefore, no private-sector shipyard will opt for a fixed-price contract calling for the production of such FFGs. Lastly, no MoD-owned shipyard has the space or capacity to build extra P-17 FFGs as their order-books are full. The only option therefore is to select a proven design & have it series-built at a private-sector shipyard.
To RAW13: What I saw were NLI infantry battalions being used for capturing the high-altitude positions in the Tirah Valley & then dominating the valley & its four passes. What this means is that the PA does not have regular battalions that are acclimatised for high-altitude warfare & therefore NLI battalions have to be sourced from FCNA. And since they have to be relocated from the traditional positions along & around the LoC, their replacements in the form of plains-based infantry battalions that are now deployed along the LoC are extremely jittery & this accounts for the firing violations along the LoC that one has witnessed since the latter half of 2013.
There also appears to be intelligence failure on the PA's part in terms of gauging the enemy's motivation & training. For instance, every PA officer interviewed has claimed that the enemy could not have engaged in positional warfare through the usage of IEDs unless it received outside help from conventional armies. In reality, the enemy forces the PA was/is facing are battle-hardened Chechans who are experienced in mountain warfare, plus the Uzbeks, Tajiks & Turkmens--all of whom are disciplined & experienced because in the countries they hail from, there is compulsory military conscription which lays special emphasis on mountain warfare.
To SK: US$1 billion per Project 1135.6 FFG? Where did you get that figure from? China's two shipyards in Shanghai & Guangzhou have so far built about 20 Jiangkai-class FFGs & therefore, taking into account economies of scale, their acquisition costs will definitely be much lower.
To FINANCEBLOGGER: E-MALS is a modular US product that can be installed on-board any aircraft carrier as long as there is an adequate supply of electrical power generated by either gas-turbines or nuclear PWRs. Thus, even French or British aircraft carrier designs can accommodate E-MLAS without any complication.
Prasun Da,
Vice Admiral P. Murugesan told the press last Tuesday that Project 75I submarines could be built at more than one shipyard, suggesting that multiple types of subs maybe acquired under the project.
Does this mean IN intends to purchase from 2 foreign OEMs?
I think Germany & Russia has a chance because IN already uses their subs and France is already supplying the Scorpene.
@raw13
http://www.ndtv.com/opinion/modi-tried-to-solve-pak-alone-and-made-a-mess-783234?pfrom=home-opinion
Maybe you gonna like this, your favorite Mani Shankar Aiyer returns again. LoLz.
Hi Prasun,
Whats the exact specification /version of Indian Rafales?
Which AIP do chinese use on Yuan class subs?
Are the yuan class stand upto scorpenes?
To VIKRAM GUHA: What he meant was that 01 (one) selected design would be concurrently series-produced in two different shipyards. For instance, if the Scorpene SSKs are now being produced in MDL & if in future a modified version of the Scorpene with AIP was selected, then MDL would build three while a private-sector shipyard (most probably Pipavav) would build the remaining three, not sequentially, but concurrently. One may recall that for the first three MDL-built Scorpenes, all the plate-bending was done at Pipavav.
BTW, do browse through & watch this:
http://indianexpress.com/article/trending/video-shashi-tharoor-brilliantly-argues-why-britain-owes-india-for-200-years-of-brutal-colonialism/
https://youtu.be/f7CW7S0zxv4
To VED: Same specs as that of the standard Rafale, but it will be able to use India-specific hardware like Litening LDP, plus armament like Griffin-3 LGBs. The Type 041/S-20 Yuan-class SSKs have been built in 3 batrches so far. The first two batches don't use any AIP. The Batch 3 SSKs use Stirling Engine AIP developed in-house by China. Scorpene is leagues ahead of the Yuan-class or any other class of SSKs possessed by China. Chinese CMS & IPMS suites are a generation behind those of their European/Scandinavian counterparts, & the Yuans are noisier. Their sonar suites too are not up to the mark. Lastly, the Yuan being double-hulled is slower than the single-hulled Scorpene.
To KAKU SH: LoLz! As an former IFS officer who is clearly batting for the IFS cadre, MSA can't even distinguish between Ayatollah Khomeini (who is no more) & Ayatollah Khamaeini. Secondly, the meeting in Ufa was not a summit-level meeting, but a courtesy call on the sidelines of the SCO summit-level meeting. The real reason MSA has written this piece is to register his disapproval of the Indian NSA directly speaking to both the Pakistani High Commissioner in Delhi & the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad, instead of allowing the Indian Foreign Secretary to do such talking as is the agreed-upon norm. But as a clear-cut sign of vindictiveness, he focusses all his anger against NaMo, instead of the Indian NSA.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Final-operational-clearance-for-Tejas-again-delayed-till-next-year/articleshow/48152959.cms
So now it appears that FOC for Tejas Mk1 is postponed to mid-2016 (from March 2016) & Tejas Mk2 is still on the drawing board, with only the preliminary design review being completed till now. The critical design review is far off. Which means there was no justification whatsoever to display scale-models of Tejas Mk2 since 2011 nor was there any justification to distribute 4-page leaflets showing the Tejas Mk2's design configuration, nor was the design of the Tejas Mk2's cockpit as shown during Aero India 2015 the final design. So why were all these displayed in the very first place??? Who was trying to fool whom???
Hi Prasun,
This is the doco I was talking about:
http://defence.pk/threads/eid-on-the-front-wajahat-saeed-khan.386968/
The unit taking part is 35 Punjab in Khyber I & II. Elements of LCB were also used. These are tier II SF specialising in Air assault.
@Kaku Sh,
Thing is Modi played a hand which was weak. He forgot something, that we are not the people who blink even when we know we are going to lose. We think different. He and his supporters can make all the noises they like but it makes no difference and actually all their noises have only made our position more entrenched and we ended up looking more mature:
Have a read of these. Main thing is we have to stop shouting and start talking seriously and solve the elephant in the room, Kashmir and the rest will fall into place.
http://atimes.com/2015/07/irans-look-east-policy-takes-wings/
http://atimes.com/2015/07/mk-bhadrakumar-responds-to-david-goldman/
To RAW13: The link you posted is ancient news. Here's the latest showing the NLI battalions like 10 NLI:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2yo6b1_dunya-special-part-2-20th-july-2015_news
To RAW13: Your 'mentor' M K Bhadrakumar is way below the curve, perhaps because he doesn't watch Pakistani TV channels. Fact-of-life is that Pakistan is buying LNG from Qatar at exhorbitant rates & has totally ruled out the IP pipeline being built. Secondly, M K Bhadrakumar doesn't realise that a deep-water port can never become a naval base. Only shallow-water ports can. And Gwadar is a deep-water port. Obviously M K Bhadrakumar like his Pakistani admirers is an ardent believer of warped conspiracy theories of the kind that has no takers from discerning people. Lastly, the monsoons have just started in Pakistan & let us all reserve our judgements to see the unfolding geological & ecological developments in Gilgit-Baltistan. If disaster strikes again like it did in 2010, then only Mother Nature--not China or India--will have the ultimate say in determining the future state of the CPEC.
As Tejas-Mk2 is not going to be operational before 2030-40 and by that time it will be already redundant, so what is the option except for the purchase of the Rafale in various tranches.
To RAJESH MISHRA: LoLz! It will happen by 2025, & won't drag on till 2040, rest assured. Matters get very confusing because the officials-in-charge from both the MoD & ADA have consistently & prematurely bragged about matters & had given unrealistic timeframes, instead of spelling out the truth.
Excellent debate on Pakistan's water problems, largly self-inflicted due to absence of planning & short-term opportunism:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waX-3AH_ojc&hd=1
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