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Saturday, April 2, 2016

DEFEXPO 2016 Show Report-1

Without any doubt, from an organising standpoint, the expo was a perfect ‘Maha Satyanaas’, thanks to the Goa State Government’s functioning at neolithic efficiency levels. The following published comments aptly illustrate the ‘refusing to develop’ mindsets of those in the decision-making hierarchies of both the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Goa State Government.
It was refreshing to see the return to DEFEXPO of exhibitors like South Africa’s ARMSCOR and DENEL Group, and Italy’s FINMECCANICA.
However, all foreign exhibitors had nothing new to exhibit, unlike last February’s Singapore Air Show, where DEW-based air-defence systems were showcased.
Let us now take stock of some of the prominent exhibits that were displayed.

211 comments:

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Prasun K. Sengupta said...

One doesn’t require DARPA or R & D on the IAF’s part to come up with a logical solution. What you’re attempting is to find excuses for deliberate failures. When ADA was created was there any experienced aerospace designer schooled in air combat-related aerodynamics among the design team? None. Were there such skilled personnel in HAL? Definitely quite a few. So if you want to go to the root of the problem, then you will have to ask why did the Govt of India, MoD & DRDO totally reject the IAF’s & HAL’s plans (made as far back as 1973) for using the Gnat’s design as the baseline benchmark & increase its airframe size into an MRCA? Who were the luminaries who thought they knew more about MRCA R & D than the IAF & HAL? Those are the folks you should be questioning & attacking? Not me. Had the Gnat-derived LCA been developed by the early 1980s (when France’s SNECMA wanted to licence-build in India the same turbofan that was to power the Mirage F-1 while BAE Systems wanted to co-develop FBW-FCS with HAL for not only this aircraft, but also for the Jaguar IS), then there would have been no need to import MiG-23BNs, MiG-27Ms & MiG-23MFs & the HAL-developed, Gnat-derived aircraft would still have been serving with the IAF as an excellent tactical interdictor. This sordid saga has been well-documented in ex IAF COAS O P Mehra’s autobiography MEMORIES SWEET & SOUR, & are not my personal GUT feelings or perceptions or jingoistic daydreaming or speculation.

So yes, one does have to start somewhere, but this start must be based on rock-solid foundations based on logical reasoning. But all this was thrown into the trashcan by a cabal of entrenched bureaucrats & technocrats from the DRDO, whose only interest was empire-building. Obviously therefore the end-product was meant to be an aircraft built of, by & for scientists & techies with no background academic credentials in the arenas of aerodynamics or air combat. And that’s exactly the Tejas Mk.1’s design could not be frozen at the prototype development stage & consequently even the LSP-series aircraft had to be used for experimentation—a feat unheard of anywhere else in the world!

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To NIO707: It isn't an extended EEZ at all, but an extended continental shelf. And no it won;t have eny effect on any undersea pipeline from Oman to the southwestern part of India's western seaboard.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

o VIJAY: Please get real! Why should SAAB help India develop a competitor to the JAS-39 Gripen-NG??? Does it make any business sense to you or anyone else? Saab's ultimate intention is to prove to India that the entire LCA R & D effort has been futile & the only absolution now lies in licence-building the Gripen-NG, period! Is SAAB willing to guarantee that the GE Aero Engines' F414 turbofan will also be built in India? Is Saab willing to guarantee that the Gripen-NG's Selex-developed-and-made AESA-MMR & Skyward IRST sensor will be licence-built in India? And how exactly will India gain by just continuing to licence-build products that are designed & developed abroad? So please do ask such questions & seek their answers before jumping to any conclusion.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To G: LoLz! They were acquired way back in the 1970s.

To KASHYAP: Of course the LUH can be used for NDRF-related missions as well. The Ka-226T procurement is related less to the reqmts of the IA, IN & IAF, & more to do with financially bailing out Russia.

To RAVI: The transit time would have been shorter had the IAF contingent taken the Pacific route.

Dushyant hardaha said...

http://idrw.org/look-into-indias-upcoming-indigenous-qrsams-quick-reaction-surface-to-air-missile/
sir
when DrDO has already co- developed MR\LR sam
then why they are developing a QR SAM
and thanks for sharing US def secretary inv

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To BUDDHA, SUMANTA, BIRBAL, ARH93 & VIKRAM GUHA: And the very same to you & all your loved ones.

To BUDDHA: The following statements from the India-US Joint Statement bear closer examination:

A) new opportunities to deepen cooperation in maritime security and Maritime Domain Awareness

B) They agreed to commence Navy-to-Navy discussions on submarine safety and anti-submarine warfare.

C) finalization of government-to-government project agreements in the area of science and technology cooperation: Atmospheric Sciences for High Energy Lasers

D) Secretary Carter and I have agreed to set up a new bilateral Maritime Security Dialogue between officials from our respective Defence and External Affairs Ministries. We have also decided to enhance our on-going Navy-to-Navy discussions to cover submarine-related issues.

What these mean is that along with LEMOA, the CISMOA & BECA agreements too will be inked in sequence, which will enable India to become a full partner in the US-Japan ‘Fish Hook’ network of seabed-based surveillance sensors & this will finally plug the existing gap in the Andaman Sea. The mention of joint R & D on high-energy lasers is also interesting & it means that India & the US will join forces to develop high-energy laser systems for space tracking, with specific emphasis on China’s ASAT capabilities. And this is a dual-use system, such high-energy lasers also have applications for BMD.

Needless to say, the ‘desi’ press-corps seem to have completely glossed over such critical issues!!!

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To RAD & DUSHYANT HARDAHA: The DRDO is totally confused today & cannot make up its mind on whether it wants to develop an RF seeker-equipped SR-SAM with MBDA’s help, or an SR-SAM equipped with IIR seekers. Furthermore, any indigenous SR-SAM mounted on a rotating turret will be rejected by the Indian end-users & nothing short of a vertically-launched system will suffice. Iron Dome’s missiles use RF seekers & will not be highly effective against LACMs.

To GOPU: 1) Of course the plans are already been acted upon & are in various phases of implementation. Why else do you think the PA’s COAS 3 days ago in Gwadar stated that four external intelligence agencies are working against the CPEC? Obviously he was referring to Afghanistan, India, Iran & the UK. 2) Relax, the Rafale will indeed fly in IAF colours well before this decade ends. 3) That process has already begun. And that alone explains why Indian counter-intelligence agencies have in the recent past uncovered various ISI cells trying to penetrate Army Cantonments & IAF air bases located in UP, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh & J & K.

To R. SARATH KUMAR: 1) About 900. No more will be ordered. 2) at least 2,300 of each type are reqd & that’s only for the IA. For the IN at least 400 of each type are reqd. 3) Up to 400 in different variants, including ARVs & bridgelayers. 4) Too early to make any conclusions on that issue.

youngbengal said...

Prsaun Da, Subho naba barsho. C-27 is undergoing trial by IAF. Will it be the next MTA of IAF? Plz answer!

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To YOUNGBENGAL: VMT & the very same to you. The MRTA will be the IL-214 all right, just wait for the haggling with the Ruskies to get over after they give in to the IAF's demand for CFM56 turbofans being used instead of the PS-90A.

rad said...

hi prasun
you were suggesting that rf seekers were not so effective against cruise missiles , the US has decided to use surface launched amraams as the anti cruise missile weapon system.
Is there any reason for IIR being better apart from a silent attack ?.

youngbengal said...

Prasunda, thanx for your reply. I've one more question. Indian defense forces already started induction of amogh 5.56 mm carbine for cqb role which will replace existing 9mm carbine then who will be the customer for anamika 9 mm carbine developed by OFB? Thank in advance for reply.

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