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Tuesday, November 1, 2016

11th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition Highlights

More Highlights
The hapless sod from the Pakistan Air Force (below) was seen seeking Allah’s intervention for the availability of the elusive JFT-17 tandem-seat OCU trainer.
 Just behind the main expo centre at Zhuhai, NORINCO this time has organised daily mobility demonstrations of its range of armoured vehicles.
As a spinoff from the R & D on the Y-20 military airlifter, AVIC is now developing the civilian freighter version, known as the Y-20F-100.
And then, there were these exhibits...
Some More Highlights
Now meet the MOUNTAIN CAT family of ATVs
New-Generation SLRs From NORINCO

153 comments:

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

Judging from the camouflage paint patterns, it is obvious that China is going all out to woo customers from the Middle East & North Africa--regions where Beijing already enjoys some notable successes since the mid-1990s.

Sumit sen said...

Where is our namica ? Why our products looks bulky in front of Chinese products? Take namica for example.

The Seeker said...

Seems like the AH-4 light howitzer hasnt been junked after all.

Samar said...

Sir,

Do you have any info on ultra light gun 155mm promised by Kalayani group. If it is available then why GOI is interested to purchase ultra light guns from BAE.

I would like to know your views on recent info about bribes paid by MIG and BAE in defense deals.

Thanking You,
Samar

DAshu said...

Impressive in one word.

DAshu said...

They are showing quad pack for UAV, here failing to have a decent quad ejector on fighters

dineja said...

This is a old news. I would like your comment on this?
http://www.livemint.com/Industry/jAe9q8d6V8v85RtCCgCzFN/India-is-sharing-secrets-of-its-predatorlike-Rustom-drone-t.html.

Is this news true that DRDO have transferred the drawings to L&T. If it is true are they providing same to others indian private sector also?
What is the purpose of doing this? In a optimistic way?Are they looking for some open ended collaboration with private players?

Millard Keyes said...

Just like you said Air show is in name only plenty of hot air about land weaponry.
Incidentally I came across this article http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/what-america-can-learn-from-russias-cheap-but-deadly-t-1540829820 - I liked it. especially the T90 now in MS version is even better.

Millard Keyes said...

Reading https://www.quora.com/How-does-the-Arjun-MBT-compare-with-other-battle-tanks-in-the-world: not being an expert a bit disappointed when reading the cons. You probably would have a better knowledge - what do you say Prasun?

Unknown said...

Dear Prasunda

Keeping with the theme of the recent Chinese air chow and the J-20, can you do a detailed post on the J-20 aircraft itself. How the IAF is expecting this aircraft to be deployed against India, what equipment/tactics counters can be employed against it etc. The way you did the previous post about Knowledge based manuouver warfare was an excellent piece and if something on those lines can be posted on this Chinese aircraft.

Vijay said...


Dear Sir

Some Chinese people are claiming that JF 17 BLOCK 3 will have an
AESA RADAR called KLJ 7 A

What do you make of this news

Does J 10 have an AESA yet

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To JYOTI SEN: NAMICA bulky? LoLz! It looks bulhy because the turret is mounted on the BMP hull that visually makes the turret look oversized. That’s why such a turret requires a MBT hull, like the T-55’s hull that’s available. Then one also acquires the space for hosting a raisable hydraulic mast housing the Commander’s panoramic sight. In the NAMICA’s case the ARDE & VRDE screwed up big-time in terms of systems engineering. The BMP presently has only a 300hp engine whereas such a weapon system requires a 600hp powerpack.

To THE SEEKER: The devil always lurks within the detail. Seek it out. What I had said was the PLA had junked this UFH. What is being shown is for export only. So, delve into the devil & overlook/disregard it at your own peril. Like the Govt of India on one hand insists that a Voter’s ID card (which is proof of one’s Indian citizenship) is a prerequisite for acquiring an Aadhar YUD card but on the UID card itself it’s written that it is proof of only one’s identity but not of one’s citizenship!!! So now what other card is required for proof of citizenship? Is everyone reqd to carry an Indian Passport as proof of citizenship??? These clowns at the helm of India’s bureaucracy leave no stone unturned to ensure that India becomes the world’s laughing stock!

To SAMAR: LoLz! As ‘promised’, Kalyani group only showed a full-scale model of the 155mm/39-cal UFH at DEFEXPO 2016 in Goa last March. But can that model even be considered a technology demonstrator? So far it has not been test-fired nor has its mobility been demonstrated. If Kalyani Group wants to demonstrate them it will have to seek approval from the MoD for usage of the various test/firing ranges now being used by the DRDO & Army. The DRDO & Army will say that these ranges are fully booked & there’s no slot available for testing new weapons developed by the private-sector. So how can anyone expect anyone from the private-sector to deliver anything at all? Just look at why the LW-155/M-777 UFH procurement is stalled: on one hand BAE Systems has teamed up with Mahindra Defence to have this UFH licence-assembled in India while the MoD is arguing that only the OFB via nomination has the right to assemble any type of 155mm howitzer to be acquired for the IA. ‘Creative Dysfunctionality’ at its epic best is now being witnessed & played out at the cost of India’s national security!

To DASHU: VMT. There’s far more to come. If for an expo like DEFEXPO or Aero India I consider taking some 1,500 photos as being adequate, then for an expo the size of this at Zhuhai, a minimum of 3,500 is considered adequate since it involves walkaround photos of the several weapons platforms on display. It is, however, humanly impossible to upload all those.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To DINEJA: LoLz! People indeed have short memories. The DRDO had promised that the Rustom-1 would be available for service-induction in 2013. The Rustom-2 is a decade away from service-induction since its diesel engine0based powerpack is nowhere to be seen. Hence, all those DRDO fanboys daydreaming about the emergence of the Rustom-2’s armed version are only being delusional.

To PIERRE ZORIN: You had asked this once before as well & my answer remains the same: the Arjun family of MBTs was developed to meet the IA’s operational reqmts, & not win export orders on a competitive basis. Thus, for the type of manoeuvre warfare envisaged by the IA on future battlefields, nothing can be better than the Arjun Mk.1A. In adsdition, technological advances have ensured that such heavy MBTs can easily be retrofitted with smoothbore 120mm larger calibre cannons or even 140mm cannons.

To SARABVIR SINGH: Kindly rest assueed that the J-20 is still a decade away from service induction by the PLAAF. Its definitive China-developed turbofan is nowhere to be seen, nor has its mission avionics suite been fully developed as yet. Consequently, all it can do is engage in flybys in clean configuration just like the Tejas Mk.1 has been doing. There’s thus no need to go ga-gas over it since it remains years away from morphing into an effective operational weapons platform.

To VIJAY: LoLz! I had already clarified last year itself that the J-10B has Phazatron JSC’s Zhemchoug PESA-MMR. Anyone attempting to develop AESA-MMRs has to first develop such a radar for use by LRMR/ASW platforms, followed by helicopters & UAVs & only then attempt developing AESA-MMRs for combat aircraft. Has China to date anyone such AESA-based radar variants for other platforms? No. Is China’s NRIET attempting to develop such radars? Yes. When will such radars enter service? Only in bthe middle of the following decade at best.

Gopu said...

1) So by your estimates, will the J-20 be an effective operational platform in 10 years? Is the J-20 at the same stage of development that the F-35 was in 2006? Also how does the J-20 of today compare with the Japanese (and Korean) 5th gen TD(s)?

2) You have mentioned that industry organizations like ASSOCHAM, FICCI, and a couple of other organizations waste a lot of their efforts second guessing what the MoD's directives are. I don't see why these groups form a special defense consortium that acts as a special interest group to pressure the MoD to actively collaborate with the group and privately reveal RFI and RFP tenders ahead of public announcement. The DPSUs could also be members of this group to prevent the DPSU from derailing such groups.

Additionally, this RM seems totally unaccountable for the defense of India. Nor does the defense secretary hold any liability; after all, what legal consequences have previous defense secretaries ever faced in light of India's defense being compromised? There's simply no positive momentum to reform this seriously maligned institution. Is there any way the PMO can intervene to fix this slowly sinking boat?

Seriously, the RM is a complete imbecile. This clown needs to be sacked.

http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/goa-beaches-good-incentive-for-french-defence-technicians-manohar-parrikar-1478008
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/my-dress-better-than-previous-defence-ministers-manohar-parrikar-1473404

3) Did the MoD ever clarify what strategic partnerships are, as stated in the DPP-2016? Has this document even superseded the older DPPs?

4) http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/punjab-congress-chief-amarinder-singh-seeks-removal-of-defence-minister-manohar-parrikar-3727353/

Your comments on downgrading the rank of the armed forces' officers against the bureaucrats?

Pratap said...

1) Why is army so keen to buy more T-90 MBTs when more advanced Arjun mk2 is available? www.defenseworld.net/news/17520/Indian_army_to_buy_464_t_90_battle_tanks_worth_Us_2b#.wbj8_s197iu


2) Which foreign naval defence firm will India partner with for next gen missile corvettes project? DCNS, Fincantieri or Russians? timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/navy-scouting-for-corvettes-under-make-in-india-banner/articleshow/55183375.cms


3) Our focus always remain on big stuff like tanks, aircrafts and submarines. No one talks about outdated combat gear of our troops. What happened to F-INSAS successor project?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To GOPU: 1) It all depends on whether or not China will be abl;e to develop new-generation turbofans using rare-earth materials like Rhenium. This technology continues to elude the Chinese R & D community. If you speak to Russian & Western engine manufacturers, they all will say that China won’t be able to meet the R & D challenges even in the next decade. Japanese & South Korean R & D communities have the benefit of associations & partnerships with their Western counterparts, whereas the Chinese don’t have this luxury. 2) That approach won’t work to fundamentally change existing mindsets. History has provfen that Indian political decision-makers make radical changes only when they have their backs to the wall, such as a deep financial meltdown or unavailability of adequate financial resources for force modernization due to the rising expenditure on the revenue accounts. The present RM, like all his predecessors, can’t be expected to outperform because he forms part of the vicious cycle that prevents creative thinking & solutions from emerging. To therefore label him as an imbecile will actually tantamount to paying him a compliment! 3) Not yet. That piece of paperwork is still in progress & what’s uppermost in the minds of both the politicians & bureaucrats is the safeguarding of the monopolies of the various DPSUs on one hand, & preventing the DPSUs from emerging as publicly-listed OEMs. 4) That was only to be expected. Politicians in India generally seek to milk the cows & once the cows run dry, they then resort to handing out sunthetic lollypops! At the end of the day, they all come fcrom the very society that we all make yp & they therefore can’t be expected to be radically different from us, can they?

To PRATAP: 1) That’s because the IGA signed in 2001 had stated that ultimately the IA will acquire more than 1,600 T-90s in various versions. It’s nothing new. Despite this, there market is still there for procuring at least 700 Arjun MBTs since the sanctioned MBT strength of the IA is more than 4,000 units. 2) That depends on what the reqmts are & what degree of sophistication is reqd by the IN. Prinsipal competitors will be the Russians, Germans, French & Swedish. 3) What makes comb at gear outdated? Last week during bilateral exercises with Myanmar, the PLA brought in a Type 59 hull (T-55) modified to act as a bridgeklayer that looks remarkably similar to the DRDO-developed Sarvatra bridging system. So why can’t India do the same with its hundreds of T-55 hulls? Where’s the need to import TATRA vehicles from Slovakia via BEML? Is this the only way of keeping BEML busy & productive?

The Seeker said...

Sir,

All I know is Voter's ID is not a prerequisite for an Adhaar card as minors can also apply for Aadhar. Even I dont have a voter's ID but still got a Adhaar card. And even Voter's ID has a very low acceptability and reliability as ID and address proof and is not considered the primary proof by various agencies because there is no mechanism to authenticate it instantly like Aadhaar. And there are millions of defunct, invalid, fake Voter ID cards. Read this:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Passport-alone-no-proof-of-citizenship-Bombay-HC/articleshow/22244467.cms
http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/are-you-a-citizen-or-resident-of-india-115011900002_1.html

I guess the onus is in you to prove your citizenship! Not the govt! So much for an Identity crisis!

The Seeker said...

Sir,

If the AH-4 is for export only then why is it being shown in military green paint scheme? Also has the supersonic YJ-12 ASCM been inducted?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To THE SEEKER: What's a paint-scheme got to do with whether or not it has been inducted into service by anyone? How many products from Kalyani Group or TATA Power SED or Punj Lloyd or L & T in olive green paint-scheme were shown at DEFEXPO 2016 despite not a single one of them have been inducted into service in India? YJ-12 has been fitted on the PLAN's two Type 956E DDGs imported from Russia 16 years ago, i.e. the DDG 136 & DDG 137.

The Seeker said...

What about the YJ-12s on the H-6 Bombers?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

H-6K carries only AKD-20 LACMs & C-802A ASCMs, & not YJ-12s as yet.

Raman said...


Wow !! unbelievable...........China's Military R&D/Industry has really progressed in the last 10 years.....we are (light)years behind and with no sign of any catch up.....except perhaps on the last 3 photo segment !!

Excellent coverage......the photo's are worth a thousand words or more......

Millard Keyes said...

Sorry I should have clarified. I had asked once how does Arjun compare seeing the paintwork etc looked a bit shoddy. The question above was - the cons pointed out in that forum what is your expert opinion on those e.g. of the excerpt: The manufacturer of the Arjun MBT claims that its "Kanchan heavy composite armor" is on par to the British Chobham armor from which it was developed. The Arjun MkI&II can also use locally manufactured ERA blocks, said to equal the performance of Russian Kontact-5 ERA from which they were developed as well.
So theoretically, the Arjun´s armor uses excellent materials. The problem here is the design of the armor itself.
The arjun´s gun shield is significantly thinner than other modern MBTs. In addition, the primary gunner sight does not have a extra armor module.
Notice how the left side of the turret is completely bereft of any composite armor (those white layers on the other side of the turret front). The gunner sits behind 250mm of spaced steel armor, and that´s it. Any modern APFSDS round will cut through that like it´s butter and vaporize the gunner.
Notice the huge weak spot created by the primary gunner sight.
So the turret front is terrible. But the turret sides are even worse.
Notice how the vaunted "Kanchan heavy composite armor" (the white layers of armor) leave 2/3rds of the turret sides exposed. The turret sides of the Arjun I&II are literally paper thin. Worse, contrary to what the manufacturer claims there are no blowout panels on the Arjun MBT, nor is it equipped with a separate ammunition compartment.
Where is that separate ammo compartment you´ve been talking about?
This means that virtually round penetrating the turret will ignite the tank´s ammunition and vaporize it in a big fireball

RAT said...

Hi Prasun,
Thankyou for the exibits (last 2 pictures) LOL. But thankyou for the updates from the exhibition and the info on it. Also have a question why does Chinese stealth look similar to the now stalled Mig 1.44? Please elaborate Thanks

madforexbii said...

One technical question.... How does one make cockpit instruments, IRST apertures and electronics not reflect radar returns.....?????
Use a mixture of gold, indium and tin obviously as a transparent coating to shield all the RF energy along with certain radiations too....
But Where's that in our so called low observable prototypes we're looking at here..... Does any one have them?? Nope.. The stealth-mocking UCAV does provide a full access window hatch to all it's internals for an upcoming radio wave sporting that unusual glass window for EO pod i presume. And the big guy J-20, well i seriously hope they get sane about how huge rcs hotspot a variable canard can be at times.
BTW thank you Prasun Sir for the amazing pics. Still haven't seen all of them...

Sumit sen said...

So F16 IN is Comming?? F16 or gripen? And any time lines?

madforexbii said...

At Pierre Zorrin,
Sorry man, i know the question was for Prasun but i could not let myself do a little research on what you just copy pested from quora. And i found out that the LOS thickness behind gunner sight window is actually in the range of 400mm+ compared to the 250mm figure you put up.
So that's not a very good figure to start with but it's kinda okeish though..
Then there's a catch, the position is such that only a highly stabilised round like APFSDS will/can only hit that sweet spot of gunner's sight window which is infact protected from the sides naturally. So the attacking tank has to be in the cross hairs of the friendly gunner to find a sweet spot for him to fire. That's interesting right!!?? Infact the LoS thickness of the gun assembly shield is also around 450mm thick. But yeah more thickness in this part will be a huge welcome. BTW on the Mk.2 in the front end of turret the LOS thickness in general runs around in the figure of 1100mm+ easily. So it's still better protected even without any ERA blocks. Yeah the ammo bin needs a blowout chamber along with some slat type prtection on the rear sides too. I believe Prasun sir can better answer on this

Varunn said...

Its amazing how China has managed to develop range of weapons - missiles, UAVs, Helicopters, Transport aircrafts and jets in such a short span of time and achieved self sufficiency. I'm at loss of words. Its almost a miracle.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To RAMAN & VARUNN: VMT indeed. Will continue uploading more inages till November 6.

To RAT: Traditionally, the foundations of China’s military-industrial complex was laid with massive Soviet assistance & the dependency on Russia continues till this day, be it for MRCAs or SSNs or SSBNs. Chinese R & D personnel prefer to compare their products/achievements with those of their Russian counterparts. The MiG I-44 was conceived as a non-stealthy MRCA without internal weapons bays, whereas the J-20 is an attempt by China to incorporate the kind of airframe designs found on the F/A-22 Raptor & Russia’s T-50 PAK-FA.

To PIERRE ZORIN: That comparison relates to the Arjun Mk.1 & most of the deficiencies have all been sorted out on the Arjun Mk.1A. Even the Kanchan armour package has undergone several iterations & now ceramics-based composite armour tiles along with shaped ERA tiles are on board. There are 2 well-protected ammo compartments now: one in the hull & the other on the turret that has blowout panels. Slat armour is reqd for the rear for protecting the engine compartment from RPGs & LAWs.

To MADFOREXBI: The solution has always been to make use of RAM coatings comprising both customised paint as well as composites-based materials on the airframe skinb itself. The J-20’s canard configuration is poorly engineered when compared to what the Russians have achieved with the T-50 PAK-FA.

To JYOTI SEN: I sincerely hope not. For if they come that will be the end of the LCA programme.

To THE SEEKER: In response to your query in the previous thread, the Kh-55 pro0liferation affair was only helf the story, the remaining & more critical part was the military-industrial partnership of Ukraine & China under which China acquired allo the IPRs for the Korshun LACM from Kiev & this design then evolved into the CJ-10/Babur LACM. That’s precisely why Ukraine since 2003 stopped marketing the Korshun & now this LACM does not feature in any military hardware marketing/exporting directory of Ukraine.

Satya said...

I like the Chinese they hacked into American defence firms and obtained data on F-35 and F-22 to develop J-20 and J-31 in no time. India should do the same thing instead of waiting 20 years for AMCA

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To SATYA: Almost everyone assumes that China hacked into US servers to obtain design data on F/A-22, F-35 etc etc in order to copy the designs. In reality, that's not what the Chinmese were after at all by any stretch of imagination. One can easily acquire such data by examining industrial patents. What is far more crucila is how to produce any engineered product & that's why China's No.1/highest priority in industrial espionage has always been to have access to industrial robotics. The same was the situation with the former USSR in the 1980s: they knew how to design & engineer the best submarine propellers but were totally inept in precision machining & that's why they launched the now-famous industrial espionage operation to acquire CNC machining equipment from Japan's Mitsubishi & Norway's Kongsberg. And this operation was highly successful.

madforexbii said...

I was talking about transparent coatings over canopy areas and the IRST pod windows.

Gopu said...

Regarding industrial robots, are you referring to the Chinese acquisition of KUKA?

Meanwhile Indian conglomerates have loaded bad debt on the banks and are more focused on nepotism and family ego than actual value added... I question what organizational benefits a conglomerate can offer when it manages services that range from infrastructure to media.

Also couldn't the PMO technically delink the MoD from the DPSUs by specifically expounding the responsibilities and bureaucratic duties of the MoD. The MoD should not be involved in a DPSU's internal management. The PMO should also delink the MoD from managing the procurement of consumables, and allow the forces to directly approach the MoF for procuring such items. Furthermore, by expounding the MoD's roles, the PMO will have to enunciate the nation's strategic objectives that need to be addressed through the military and military-industrial complex. This will spell out what the forces will need to prepare for and will define the necessary power projection requirements. Thus, the MoD will be required to coordinate jointmanship between the forces.

The only way to deal with the mindset problem in the MoD is to inject dynamic, outside-the-box leaders into the system. After all, there are plenty of capable candidates, but unfortunately certain Indians in charge of organizing the government have forgotten that the varna system was originally not a disparaging social order but a way of organizing and distributing roles to a society. It seems like the modern day cretins think that the solution to varna is to invert it and have the blind lead the blind.

Moreover, the Chinese (whose modern-day scholars keep going ga-ga with praise for the great Confucius) have perfected the art of copy-paste far earlier in recorded history than previously anticipated.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_occupations

Gopu said...

Let's see what Mr. "I dress better than my predecessors" has to say about this.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/178467/indian-mod-audit-finds-kickbacks-in-hawk-engine-deal.html

This follows right after the Embraer exposé.

Aditya said...

Prasunda,

Can bae & hal respond to the restricted rfi with the combat hawk?

How long before we see the combat hawk prototype?

Are all the current hawk ajts in iaf going to be upgraded as well ?

What are the total numbers of bae hawks both ajt & combat version the IAF intends to procure in all.

Also, is the IAF looking at ordering more su30mkis over and above the 272?

I feel if f16s are acceptable to IAF then why not 200 more su30mkis instead?

Afterall the sukhoi is newer & better than the f16 at practically everything and the price is also more or less the same

Why not have 400-500 su30mki by 2025 by when fgfa will be ready?

I feel having more su30mki is always better than having a new fighter of 1960 vintage design with American strings attached.

Iaf is already like a zoo. It would be better off without adding yet another animal to it.

Maintenance costs can't be justification enough for setting up yet another assembly line, mro, simulators, training... With the added downside of killing our indigenous LCA.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To GOPU: LoLz! As usual he will be totally clueless about the contextualisation because even the CAG report fails in this respect. So let us help him gather his wits, shall we? This RM should firstly note that the Adour turbofans are standard fit on all Hawks & Rolls-Royce is the sole OEM producing such engines. Therefore, logically, there was NEVER any need or compulsion to pay sales commissions since there wasn't any competing supplier of alternate engines. That then leaves us all with only 1 option: the commissions were reportedly paid for some other reason. What could that be? Perhaps they were meant for promoting the Rolls-Royce offer for supplying turbofans for the A330-220 MRTTs for which there were competing turbofan suppliers. Another possibility, i.e. where the Singapore angle comes up, is for using the money for ensuring that all RR-supplied turbofans used by military aircraft/helicopters of India end up at a MRO facility located in Singapore, instead of being sent elsewhere. A third possibility is for promoting the sales of RR-supplied industrial marine gas turbines for the ONGC's offshore oil rigs that present use outdated RR-supplied Avon & Dart engines.

So, armed with all these, the RM should pay heed to what may not know at all about how such investigations are carried out. For starters, he should pay heed to this: "We have made it clear that Rolls-Royce will not tolerate business misconduct or inappropriate behaviour of any kind and in recent years we have intensified our focus on ethics and compliance, which are foundations of our culture. Our Global Code of Conduct, which applies to all of our employees, makes it clear that we have zero tolerance to bribery and corruption. In 2014 our Anti-Bribery and Corruption compliance team, working with internationally respected independent authority on ethics and compliance Lord Gold, completed a thorough review and update of the Group's anti-bribery and corruption policies including those concerning the use of advisers and intermediaries. Concerns about bribery and corruption involving intermediaries remain subject to investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and other authorities. We are fully co-operating with the authorities and we cannot comment on ongoing investigations. It is for the SFO or other investigating authorities, not Rolls-Royce, to comment upon the scope and nature of the allegations they are investigating. Our decision not to comment on any allegation or claim put to us is not an admission or confirmation."

The Seeker said...

Sir,

Can you go on to the who's and how's of the proliferation affair? Or just point out the article dealing with that Walmart episode?

Also, why do you say that the LMRCA deal will end the LCA programme when it should be just the opposite as the IAF sees the MII-LMRCA supplementing the Tejas? Wont India infact save a lot of by going for the local production of F-16/Gripen instead of the earlier envisaged twin engine MMRCA and the deal will help close the immediate shortfall in the IAFs operational gaps in an earlier timeframe not to say the competitiveness it will help bring in to HAL which was always lacking?

Hasnt theIAF already committed 140+ Tejas not including the naval version? Woudnt the MII LMRCA throw a lot of momentum into our nascent private aerospace industry and the TierI/II/III suppliers which should nevertheless go on to benefit the LCA Mk2/3 and AMCA programme, at a time when China is concurrently developing multiple jets at a breakneck speed?

I havent heard anyone from the IAF or the industry including HAL complain in any way about the upcoming LMRCA deal.

Please justify your view on the LMRCA deal WRT the Tejas.

Devopriyo said...

Hi Prasun,

your thoughts on this
http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2016/11/india-changing-policy-on-blacklisting.html

rad said...

hi prasun
I have a crazy idea, why cant we import 2nd hand f-16 from usa as an interim gap rather than spending billions on a new single engine fighter.This is until the lca mk2 comes of age .
I seriously suspect that the j-20 is the mig 1.42 , whose design was bought for billions from cash strapped russia just like the lavi of israel . your comments. some russians feel the same . The jf-17, j-20, cz-10 all have russian inputs.

The Seeker said...

@Gopu

When you said about injecting dynamic outside-the-box leaders into the system you must have meant something like this :

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/857710/s%20ecretary-carter-names-additional-members-of-defense-innovation-advisory-boar%20d

Lets see if he can innovate something better than his predecessors.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To THE SEEKER: Everything I wrote about the LACM proliferation affair is in the open domain & there’s nothing new to add. If you read my previous posts on the Ra’ad & CJ-10 LACMs, everything will become clear. As for the L-MRCA issue, can you show me any other air force in the world that has to date succeeded in fielding & maintaining 2 parallel & contemporary fleets of L-MRCAs? Is that humanly & financially possible? If not, then why only in India are such logically indefensible alternatives being suggested or even contemplated? Has anyone in authority even given any ballpark figure of how much the acquisition & life-cycle costs of two types of L-MRCAs will be? In a country that’s finding it difficult to even dish out the OROP funds that are now legally compulsory, do you really think money is available for procuring 2 types of L-MRCAs? How can you compare the L-MRCA with the M-MRCA when the 2 have completely different roles? Can you show me any example so far in which HAL has succeeded in delivering more than 16 fourth-generation MRCAs per annum? If not, then how can any ‘immediate’ shortfall in combat aircraft assets be met in say 5 or 10 years? Has the IAF started paying HAL for any Tejas Mk.1A, even its prototypes? Where’s the confirmation of firm orders being placed for Tejas Mk.1A? And exactly how can any licenced-production effort be of any benefit for the country’s military aerospace industries when that same argument has been shown to be already flawed & financially unviable for the M-MRCA project? Can anyone in this world prove with figures that acquiring an imported platform through licenced production has always been cheaper than procuring that same platform off-the-shelf from its OEM?

Answers to all the above questions will reveal to everyone how & why parallel procurements of the Tejas L-MRCA & imported-design L-MRCA is impossible from every possible angle of argument & is unaffordable.

To DEVOPRIYO: I had already stated several times before that blacklisting itself is a terribly flawed concept & it needs to be replaced by one in which the foreign OEM is fined & made to pay liquidated damages in case of wrongdoing, as seen in the case between Taiwan & THALES.

To RAD: LoLz! If by your own admission that idea is crazy, then how can it even be considered or imagined?

The Seeker said...

Sir,

I agree that 'it happens only in India! as I guess India is the only country facing adversaries on two fronts.

No offence, but still, the IAF is fielding and is maintaining two parrallel fleets of twin-engined MMRCAs, Why cant it maintain 2 LMRCAs if they both are manufactured & assembled in India? BTW Thailand maintains F-16s as well as Gripens.

A few days ago CAS Raha Said on being asked that.. "As the number of combat jet requirement is large, larger than what it was 10 years ago, foreign manufacturers, Boeing, LM and Saab have offered Make in India projects. They have made presentations to the Govt, IAF and Media. Has a selection process begun? This also raises another question on the choice of single or twin engine machines. Your observations on the possible IAF preference please?"

He said.. "Government is preparing the roadmap for induction of fighter aircraft in the IAF in order to attain the sanctioned strength at the earliest. Various options are being considered for induction through the ‘Make in India’ route. Suitable aircraft will be selected based on certain guiding principles that will govern manufacturing of these aircraft in the country and meet IAF’s operational requirements. Combat aircraft procurements will be distributed over the entire spectrum of heavy, medium and light weight categories, as well as weaponry for various air campaigns and twin/single engine configurations."

On Rafales & LCA, He said.. " Since we are procuring only 36 aircraft, we do need to procure additional aircraft. Manufacturing of an additional type of fighter aircraft under the Make in India initiative is being considered by the government. To enhance combat capabilities and operational relevance, the upgrade of Mirage-2000, MiG-29 and Jaguar fleets has commenced. The LCA has been inducted and the IAF has ordered a total of 120 Tejas fighters to replace the MiG-21s."

And then came the Request for single engined LMRCAs. I guess most of the Answers lie in that 'Roadmap' being prepared by the Govt and Im sure all deals are on the table & the govt must be figuring out where put the 'Rokda' into.. Dont you think?

The Seeker said...

Sir,

This answers my earlier query of C-17s landing on ALGs if you remember

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/indian-air-force-lands-c-17-globemaster-in-arunachal-pradesh-at-an-elevation-of-6200-feet-3735679/

G Manoj said...

Hi Prasun,

1 IAF was in need of more C-17s however Boeing has said it won't be able to sell any more. Will the IAF now look for another heavy lift transport aircraft?

2 The Chinese armed drones (looks similar to the Predator drone) pics of which you have uploaded will find a ready market in Pakistan, who will then use it for surgical strikes against India. Don't you think so?

3 The pic of the Rafael Typhoon AAA on a Vijayanta hull that you had uploaded - Is this a prototype displayed by Rafael?

Thanks, G.Manoj

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To THE SEEKER: Again you’re making baseless asumptions. For instance: 1) I guess India is the only country facing adversaries on two fronts------------Really? Isn’t China facing adversaries in its northeastern, southern & western fronts? Isn’t Pakistan facing threats from India, Afghanistan & now Iran?

2) IAF is fielding and is maintaining two parrallel fleets of twin-engined MMRCAs.------------At what cost? At the cost of procuring additional Rafales when the French itself had stated way back in 2006 that procuring Rafales was a far better option for the IAF than upgrading the Mirage 2000s. That well-intentioned advice fell on deaf ears & today India’s paying the price for her folly. And what’s the operational availability of the upgraded MiG-29UPGs as they share a common turbofan design with the MiG-29Ks? I guess you need to wait for the upcoming CAG report on the MiG-29UPG project that will reveal the figures.

3) Thailand maintains F-16s as well as Gripens.-----------What’s the fleet strength of each type? How many hours do the Gripens log in every month? Do you have the figures to prove that both MRCA fleets enjoy the same availabiulity/serviceability status?

4) ACM Raha NEVER stated that two different typoes of L-MRCAs are being considered for procurement & so far all offers from the US & Sweden have been UNSOLICITED. His answer also means that the Tejas Mk.2 is also compliant with the ‘Make in India’ scheme.

5) ACM Raha’s last statement: IAF has ordered a total of 120 Tejas fighters to replace the MiG-21s.---------Which version of the Tejas was he referring to? Mk.1 or Mk.2 or Mk.1A? The IAF’s CAS obviously has good reasons for giving such vague answers without going into the details, which is where the devil always lurks.

6) As for ALGs, both Menchukha & Tezu are now ‘commercial’ airports capable of accepting commercial airliners & therefore do not qualify as ALGs. On April 25, 2012 history was made when the first chartered flight carrying eight tourists took off at 11am from Guwahati, followed the Guwahati-Jorhat-Lilabari-Aalo route to land at Menchukha at around 12. 30pm. S simple check on GoogleEarth of the various ALGs will reveal which can accommodate C-17As & which cannot.

To MANOJ G: 1) The C-17A’s production can resume if sufficient orders are received, this being normally more than 20. If not, then it remains an uneconomical exercise. 2) LoLz! Pakistan is already the export launch customer of that drone, the CH-5 Wing Loong-2. One of them had already crashed near Mianwali a few months ago. 3) Nope. That was my ‘conceptual’ photoshopping.

The Seeker said...

Sir

I agree but take the case of Taiwan... When it was developing the indigenous F-CK-1 fighters following the US's refusal to sell the F-16s in the 1980s, which anyway entered service the next decade, still the ROCAF later subsequently obtained F-16s from the US as well as Mirage 2000/5 fighters from France, due to anticipated delays in their domestic fighters. I think India is now on the same precarious position except that it is spoilt for choice and wants the jets to be Made in India with Tech transfer.

As for ALGs, I dont think commercial flights at ALGs rids them off their ALGs status, mostly built for IAF purposes. And Menchukha is still not an 'airport' as their is no civil flight movement yet. Though Ziro, Pasighat, Along & Tezu ALGs in AP are considered as 'airports' due to occasional civil flight movements. Though they are still categorized as 'Non-Operational Airports'.

http://www.aai.aero/allAirports/airports.jsp

The one on 2012 must be a probing flight to explore the aviation possibilities there. Just a few months ago the AP CM urged the centre to allow the ALGs for dual use. The matter is still stuck I assume.

http://www.arunachaltimes.in/pul-asks-centre-to-allow-alg-for-civilian-use/

The Seeker said...

Also, you said, "so far all offers from the US & Sweden have been UNSOLICITED. His answer also means that the Tejas Mk.2 is also compliant with the ‘Make in India’ scheme."

I guess that the offers from LM and Saab were UNSOLICITED until the day the Restricted RFI was issued. Also how can the Tejas Mk2 be compliant with the MII-LMRCA scheme when its detailed design isnt ready yet?

The Seeker said...

Also ACM Raha must be referring to 40 LCA Mk1 & 80 LCA Mk1As for the total of 120 Tejas Fighters. Correct me if I am wrong here.

Senthil Kumar said...

Dear Prasun,

Very good Videos of How International Currency System Functions and how it is
going to Collapse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFDe5kUUyT0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyV0OfU3-FU

My Opinion, India needs to start buying more Gold instead of keeping all its reserves in dollar.

Thanks
S.Senthil Kumar

Aditya said...

Prasunda,

You seem to have missed my question.
Here it is again.

Can bae & hal respond to the restricted rfi with the combat hawk?

How long before we see the combat hawk prototype?

Are all the current hawk ajts in iaf going to be upgraded as well ?

What are the total numbers of bae hawks both ajt & combat version the IAF intends to procure in all.

Also, is the IAF looking at ordering more su30mkis over and above the 272?

I feel if f16s are acceptable to IAF then why not 200 more su30mkis instead?

Afterall the sukhoi is newer & better than the f16 at practically everything and the price is also more or less the same

Why not have 400-500 su30mki by 2025 if the only real aim is to maintain squadron strength. by then fgfa will be ready.

I feel having more su30mki is always better than having a new fighter of 1960 vintage design with American strings attached.

Iaf is already like a zoo. It would be better off without adding yet another animal to it.

Maintenance costs can't be justification enough for setting up yet another assembly line, mro, simulators, training... With the added downside of killing our indigenous LCA.

The Seeker said...

SAAB-KALYANI seems very confident of winning the SRSAM tender deal:

We expect the bids to open by this autumn. Then by next spring, there will be an L1 declaration and then in about 18-24 months, we hope to win the L1. The production line will be decided by KSSL. But it may come up in Satara. Right now technology transfer is going on,” Bo Almqvist, who heads Saab’s air defence systems, told BusinessLine.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/saab-kssl-gear-up-for-indian-armys-2billion-surfacetoair-missile-project/article9301267.ece

Will this take off? How many such systems does the IA need for the air defense programme?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To THE SEEKER: Apples cannot be compared with oranges. Unlike the IAF, the ROCAF does not require H-MRCAs or DPSAs or strategic transports or aerial refuelling tankers. Consequently, financial resource availability has NEVER been a constraint for the ROCAF. As for commercial flight operations to & fro ALGs, any charted passenger flight is a civil commercial flight. It is different from scheduled civil flight operations, but it definitely qualifies as a civil flight. There are no proving flights involving paying passengers. Probing flights are always conducted by DGCA, & not any charter or scheduled aircraft carrying paying passengers. The reason why some ALGs in AP have no other choice but to be converted into dual-use airports is because (believe it or not!) the then President of India in 2007 did the stone-laying ceremony for a new airport in Itanagar & then the DGCA & AAI realized back in 2012 that the site where the stone was laid was the wrong one & wasn’t suitable for airport construction! That should explain what kind of buffoons are running the shows at DGCA & AAI!!!

RFI is never indicative of the commencement of any formal procurement process. Several hundred RFIs are released every year. It is just an information-gathering exercise for paper evaluations. The formal procurement process kicks off ONLY AFTER the MoD’s DPC authorises the release of RFPs or global tenders. Hence, there’s a long road to be traversed before the RFP comes out. Hasn’t anyone realized that as yet? When was the first time the IN began emitting soundbytes about the ‘imminent release of RFP for Project 75I? And where is the RFP as of now? As I stated earlier, ACM Raha NEVER said anything about Tejas Mki.1 or Mk.2. He only used the term ‘Tejas’. So there’s no need to second-guess what he was implying. As to why he prefers to be vague, that question must be put to him. As for the Kalyani Group, good luck to them. Let’s see how they can competer against RAFAEL’s SpyDer-SR.

To ADITYA: The restricted RFI is for a 4th generation L-MRCA. Combat Hawk is for a totally different reqmt, i.e. the immediate need for a CAS platform. The prototype should roll out during Aero India 2017. All current Hawk Mk.132s are used only as AJTs & there are plans for upgrading them in future during their mid-life refits. Reqmt for CAS aircraft is more than 120, considering that the IAF had at one time been operating 95 MiG-23BNs & 165 MiG-27Ms as combined CAS/tactical interdiction aircraft. Total nos of Su-30MKIs reqd by the IAF is 350.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/enforcement-directorate-issues-notice-to-arms-dealer/article9301423.ece?homepage=true

Looks like the elusive Russian firms are at last going to be unmasked. The Choudhrie Brothers were agents of Rosoboronexport State Corp & they were instrumental in introducing the Su-30K & later the Su-30MKI to India, with their marketing efforts beginning in 1993. No wonder Rosoboronexport has always declined to sign any MoD contract that contains the Integrity Clause. Now let's see what the RM has to say since he keeps on claiming that G-to-G contracts are clean & devoid of corrupt practices, even if the contracts are opaque & are not open to public scrutiny. Let's now see how far he goes in trying to defend the indefensible.

Kambar said...

Why can't RFI Ishapore make "next-gen modular gun system" like Norinco? Why do Eastern Europeans and Chinese make guns cheaper and better than us? Maybe army should just shop for guns in Malda.

And can you please answer yes or no for these questions?

Will Tejas mk2 look like F-16XL? Will it get a 360 degree bubble canopy? Will there be a diverterless supersonic inlet? Will there be stealthy S-duct shaping? Canards? Thrust vectoring? Retractable refueling probe or are we copying Dassault's signature non-retractable probe? Will it have strakes/LERX/chines in addition to LEVCONs? Will extra wing area carry more fuel? Stealthy sawtooth edges/extensions?

Are the avionics all finished development or will we run into the case where they dont fit after we built the limited series production? Which jammer will be used? Which DIRCM? ECCM? How do ADA techies make it a product for IAF pilots to fly in combat and HAL engineers to produce and maintain instead of a product for scientists?

Kambar said...

How does Kh-55 Korshun compare with 3m-54 Club? Which is better one for India?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To KAMBAR: Of course any OFB factory can make such SLRs, provided their designs by ARDE are frozen after the mandatory user-trials. What is being built in Malda are WW-2 design 9mm carbines whose engineering drawings were procured from Ishapore through some enterprising OFB employees who wanted to do part-time tax-free business. Now even country-made handguns firing 7.62mm rounds have been made. Will Tejas mk2 look like F-16XL? No. Will it get a 360 degree bubble canopy? What for? Can any human being’s head turn 360 degrees or do you want a second crewmember facing rearwards? Or want the Tejas Mk.2 to look like a flying saucer with 360-degree transparent bubble canopy? Even Lord Shiva’s all 3 eyes have frontal field-of-view. Will there be a diverterless supersonic inlet? No. Will there be stealthy S-duct shaping? No. Canards? No. Thrust vectoring? YES. Retractable refueling probe or are we copying Dassault's signature non-retractable probe? Retractable actuated probe. Will it have strakes/LERX/chines in addition to LEVCONs? No. Will extra wing area carry more fuel? Of course. Stealthy sawtooth edges/extensions? No. Are the avionics all finished development or will we run into the case where they dont fit after we built the limited series production? All avionics LRUs have been selected & their dimensions & volumes have been incorporated into the detailed design of the airframe. Which jammers will be used? DARE-developed ASPJ & ELT-568. Which DIRCM? None. ECCM? None. How do ADA techies make it a product for IAF pilots to fly in combat and HAL engineers to produce and maintain instead of a product for scientists? Elementary: go back to the basics & learn from what GE Aero Engines had proposed as the airframe design way back in 1987, & above all, use the divinely fitted COMMON SENSE instead of letting it rot. Kh-55 isn’t Korshun. The latter was an all-new design that the Ukrainians call KORSUN while the Ruskies call 3M54E1 Club & the Indians call it Nirbhay while the Pakistanis call it the Babur & the Chinese call it CJ-10. They all have the same identical airframe design. Only the powerplant & avionics differ.

Optional said...

Why does the Z-11B carry a combo of SW-6 air-deployable mini-drones in its hardpoint? For surveillance/recon mission or to conduct communications relay or jamming? What other aircraft will it be deployed in future?

Millard Keyes said...

"And can you please answer yes or no for these questions?"- Now that they are done the witness is excused Your Honour.
Judge: - Mr Sengupta, you are excused; you may step down.
Do you wish to cross examine any other blog users Mr Kambar? If not the Court is adjourned!

Andrei said...

"The Choudhrie Brothers were agents of Rosoboronexport State Corp & they were instrumental in introducing the Su-30K & later the Su-30MKI to India, with their marketing efforts beginning in 1993."

Do you mean the millions of dollars they received from Mig Corporation in early 2010? As far as I know they dont have any link with the Su30 buy.

Mark1 said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WghbM_2VgvU

Aah.. Good Yaar...kya landing hai!..Mast!...Ek number!! (At 3.10 onwards)

If the C-17A can land at the Mechuka ALG, Shoudnt it be able to land at all other upgraded ALG in the eastern sector as the one at Mechuka is among the highest there? But being very close to the border what kind of air defence assets does the IAF have there against a chinese attack? what do you think will be the chinese reaction to this open demonstation by the IAF?

Ved said...

Dear Prasun,
Since BJP came to power, which weapons got and are getting inducted in armed forces. I am talking about defence contracts awarded by this Govt.

Arpit Kanodia said...

Sir,

Dont you think NORINCO totally copy pasting FN SCAR, even FN SCAR's marketing color?

RAT said...

Prasun thanks for the reply after reading your blog and some other and analysing the present and near future situation here's what I feel
1. Will India get second single engine figher? Yes only it is AJT upgraded for CAS.
2. How many type of LCA's and what number? 2 squadrons of LCA 1 (includes ABC variants) 10 sqds of LCA 2 also 4-5 sqds of LCA navy.
3. MCA when and how many? 2-3 technology demonstration vehicle then we join Ger-Frank 5 gen project
This is just logical analysis based on financial restraint, availability of platform, teetering issue and time to next event(you know what I mean) this is my view please let me know if I am wrong where and why. Thanks

SUJOY MAJUMDAR said...

PrasunDa,

1. Former R&AW head Vikram Sood wrote an article last week about how China is helping Pakis design their tactical nuclear weapons. Ergo, is it possible that Pakis have more tactical nukes than India?

http://www.orfonline.org/expert-speaks/india-china-relations-frozen-worsening/

2. Also in the same article Vikram Sood writes that China's main intention behind China-Myanmar-Bangladesh-India corridor as part of its OBOR project is to flood eastern parts of India with Chinese immigrants just like it has done in Russia, Kazakhstan and other neighbouring countries. Please provide your comment on this.

3. Some "expert" commentators are suggesting that China is actively funding Naxals in India. Is there any truth in such statements?

Thanks,

Sujoy

Millard Keyes said...

Pakistan is salivating and so are the Pak sponsored terror groups because these small arms on show will definitely end up in their hands. MBRL on an 8x8? Now that is an innovative concept. India should develop and expand its ATV range - armed and reconnaissance capable fleet.
BTW have you noticed how the Scorpene leak saga suddenly nosedived from the media coverage?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To OPTIONAL: As the visual clearly shows, that mini-UAV does not have any comms antennae & it has only a belly-mounted TV camera. Such mini-UAVs can be launched from helicopters at higher altitudes so that the mini-UAV does not have to burn fuel for its own powered liftoff, therevy increasing the endurance, especially over areas that are not demarcated & delineated, such as the LAC where both China & India have a CBM about not using manned aircraft platforms over their respective claim-lines, but UAVs are exempt from this CBM.

Tp PIERRE ZORIN LoLz! I was baffled by his question on the 360-degree bubble canopy. What on earth made him ask such a question boggles my mind! And then the DIRCM, when even the F/A-22 Raptor & T-50 PAK-FA don’t possess such fitments.

As for salivating Pakistan, just look at what is being recovered from its main financuial hub Karachi:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKP4sIzDF_4

All these were stolen from the 19,000 NATO containers due for Afghanistan that never made it Afghanistan & instead they disappeared inside Pakistan while in transit!

AS for nosediving investigations, it’s the Scorpene as well as the AW-101. But data now coming out of India WRT Russian corrupt practices is interesting because no self-respecting Western OEM that believes it has been wrongly blacklisted due to mere allegations is going to sit by & do nothing. Rather, a band of such OEMs from different countries could well pool their resources in order to disrupt what is India’s most assured supply-chain for weapons, i.e. the Russian OEMs, which will put bthe Govt of India in a bind & caused severe gloval embarrassment to the Indian MoD & its present-day decision-makers. So do watch this space for more revelations to emerge in a selective manner in the days to come.

To ANDREI: That’s right, you know only as far as you may want to know. Indian magazines like SUINDAT way back in the 1990s like SUNDAY had printed scores of articles about the brothers & their linkages with Rosoboronexport Corp. I have knbown them, have met them abroad during aerospace expos & am well-versed with their linkages/associations/partnerships & dealings & I also personally know the official from Rosoboronexport who began the Su-30’s marketing in India in 1993 & how he went about it. The same person was also instrumental in marketing the Su-30MKM in Malaysia since 1998.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To MARK1: Only someone who is a moron will insist that one size fits all! That’s why I had stated earlier & even yesterday that a simple search with GoogleEarth’s help will show which ALGs can host C-17As & which cannot. Why? Elementary laws of physics: any aircraft’s ability bto land & takeoff from any airport/air base/ALG is determined by A) the runway’s length. 2) the MTOW of the aircraft & the altitude of landing/takeoffthat in turn dictates the runway length reqd. 3) the availability of ground refuelling facilities & POL storage facilities. One cannot expect a fully fuelled C-17A with full cargo load to take off from Agra & fly non-stop to an ALG in AP & then takeoff from the ALG with enough fuel reqd for its ferry-flight back to Agra. Thus, as everyone can now see, there are several variables involved & it is not just about the ALG’s altitude.

To VED: Since mid-2014, priority has been given to A) immediate replenishment of war wastage reserves, & 2) placing contracts for items that are being made in India. Thus, 62% of all orders placed so far inj terms of money value has gone to Indian companies for Made in India products, like Dhanush howitzer, 120mm & 155mm ammo rounds, etc etc.

To ARPIT KANODIA: What is interesting is that the PLA too, like its Indian counterparts, is i8nterested in 7.62 x 51 SLRs. As for colours, they’re all being targetted at Middle Eastern customers & also in the US, where the gun lobby led by the NRA accounts for sizeable purchases of such weapons by private US citizens.

Andrei said...

As you know so much about them, met them abroad during aerospace expos & am well-versed with their linkages/associations/partnerships & dealings, Why dont you help the Enforcement Directorate to nail him?

Mark1 said...

which ALGs can host C-17As ?

Talking of variables, all the upgraded ALGs with extended runways can host C-17As in a few years as runway widening & extension, new generation hardened aircraft shelters, new storage areas and hangars has been approved in all these bases, afterall the C-17 did a short field landing in Mechuka ALG! And why should it take off from Agra when Panagarh has been approved for the basing 6 C-17s?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To MARK1: Only a moron (like SPYKAR & his mirror-image reflection THE SEEKER etc) will ASSUME that all ALGs are being subjected to & being provided with runway widening & extension, new generation hardened aircraft shelters, new storage areas and hangars. Show me 1 statement from anyone from the MoD or IAF that confirms all this as taking place. Re-paving of runways & strengthening them is all that's taking place, along with building of limited-size aprons & tarmacs. That's why you are perhaps disinclined to seek GoogleEarth's help to see for yourself what's going on in all these ALGs. Either you are too damn lazy or too damn stupid as well (again, like that SPYKAR fella & his clone THE SEEKER), since Panagarh has been approved NOT for six C-17As, but for six C-140H-30 Super Hercules.

To ANDREI: Who has ever told you that the ED is even trying to nail the Choudhrie brothers? The ED is trying to nail their India-based relatives. The ED has no legal jurisdiction over the London-based Choudhrie brothers since they are UK citizens & not Indian citizens & all their financial transactions were done in the UK through UK banking channels & thus no Indian laws were violated. It all therefore comes under the UK's Serious Fraud Investigations Office. Do you really think any serious businessman from the UK or Russia will be so stupid as to indulge in any financial crime on Indian soil & that too on this scale? If yes, then you're being IDIOTIC fo sure. For your sake, I hope you give up such sick & regressive ways of thinking (in other words, don't make creatures like SPYKAR or THE SEEKER your role-models) & instead seek recourse to common-sense.

And as I had earlier explained above to PIERRE ZORIN, the more the UK's Serious Fraud Investigations Office shares data with the ED on sales commissions being paid by Russia for securing arms deals in India, the greater the problem will be for India for trying to suppress such information & eventually Indian authorities will be compelled to undertake disciplinary actions against Rosoboronexport, like blacklisting it. Can you then imagine what will happen? It will be far far worse than any arms embargo ever imposed against India.

Don't expect the Brits or Italians to just turn their faces away & forgive all Indian actions that lead to contract cancellations & cause unemployment levels to increase in these countries, all due to knee-jerk Indian actions that have no legal basis. If the Italians & Brits are feeling the hurt from the Indian RM's irrational actions, then expect the Italians & Brits to retaliate & exact their respective pounds of flesh & blood with extreme prejudice by exposing the corrupt practices of the Russians & their India-origin & UK-settled Indian lackeys like the Choudhrie brothers. You will be surprised to know how many such India-origin lackeys are now UK citizens.

flanker143 said...

What are your views regarding this sir - http://idrw.org/breaking-news-40-pak-soldiers-killed-oct-29-strike-sources/

Sir in a recent drdo tech focus article it was reported that a quad rack was being developed for su30mki and jaguar that would enable themto carry four saaw which are 139kg munitions. - https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ClPb9jmUsAAeU81.jpg:large
What i wanted to ask is whether is this saaw the same dew weapon that was jointly develped with israel ??

Is uprating kaveri and resolving its issues a part of the rafale offsets package ?? If yes then has safran started working with drdo since it i supposed to power the tejas mk1a which everyone is excited about since fe404 is not available.
Imo im just skeptical of the mk1a becuz it is supposed to be a stopgap before mk2 is ready and if kaveri's troubles cannot be sorted in this limited time frame (also the fe404 is not available anymore) then why bother wasting time on mk1a in the first place !!??



Ashish Gautam said...

Hi sir,
Kuch time phle I have read on defense website that India on sidelines of BRICS summit ordered a highly Mobile & version of buk-m3m SAM along with S400. Buk is ordered in undisclosed no.s. Site claimed deal to b "secret one". But I think that article was removed from site & I also didn't found anything related to it on net. Do u have any information about any such deal?

Kambar said...

The reason I asked about the bubble canopy was because the technology experts at DFI had proposed a bubble canopy Tejas mk2 and I needed to cross reference my sources.
So they screwed up on bubble canopy.... but all of their other predictions are correct.

http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/myallpictures/LCAMk-1MK-2FMK-2FT_zps7c20c6f9.jpg

http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/myallpictures/LCALSP-3duringmaidenflightPhSedMK-2MK-2FT_zps3cbd8522.jpg

Yes, the LEVCONS on those pics are awfully drawn. ADA will maek better LEVCONS than that.

Also, the mods there said that ADA has refined RAM coatings for mk2 (see article). Can you confirm this? How do we compare vs Chinese and Europeans? Will Tejas mk2 be in the 0.75-1m^2 RCS range?

http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx345/myallpictures/LOLCA_zps86e2bfcc.jpg

By DIRCM, I got the wrong term and meant DRFM, like Gripen BriteCloud. So does Tejas mk2 have DRFM to decoy SAMs? Does Tejas mk2 have Laser warning receiver? Does mk2 have something on par with DDM-NG that also detects MANPADS? Which IRST has been selected? Will mk2 supercruise with light weapons load? Can mk2s be upgraded to a future 110kN F-414 to supercruise with moderate weapons load? Will the cockpit get sensor fusion and modular IMA (Integrated modular avionics) architecture?

Is the Nirbhay (1000kms) engine inefficient? The Club and Cj-10 are 2500kms. Is our avionics behind for Nirbhay bcause we dont have DSMAC and terrain matching software?

Pierre Zorin, are you actually French? It's such a strange ID for this blog.

rad said...

hi prasun
could you explain the fine difference between eccm and jammers?

SUVO said...

PRASUN DA,thanks for the reply.Read this:
1) http://idrw.org/when-dealing-with-china-the-dalai-lama-is-a-strategic-asset-to-india/#more-113721
2) http://idrw.org/india-must-counter-chinas-aid-games/#more-113780
3) Why Indian gov. not issuing passport to the residents of Gilgit Baltistan? There is technically no passport issued under the name of Azad Kashmir nor Gilgit-Baltistan. Jammu & Kashmir is NOT a formally recognized disputed territory by the United Nations Security Council. This has been the stand of UNSC since 2010.
4)Why airforce was not deployed in Aksai chin area in the past to recapture it? The Aksai chin was on traditional silk route of Tibet and India. Aksai chin provides connectivet from Tibet to Xinjiang.

Millard Keyes said...

@ Kambar: Est-il important mon ami?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

An excellent eye-opener for all those who always blindly assume that the approval from the MoD's DAC automnatically translates into a procurement conbtract:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Border-tense-but-red-tape-hits-Army-acquisition-of-big-guns/articleshow/55268818.cms

And for those interested in spooky tales:

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/india-pakistan-border-army-soldiers-sarwan-dass-13739243/

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

Excellent debates & assessments:

India’s Inland Waterways: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkcuABO39w8

OROP Imbrolgio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_2IRsh4uHU

Devopriyo said...

Hi Prasun,

You have mentioned a number of times that war with pakistan is not possible at this moment. Please share your thoughts on

http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/massive-pak--army-build-up--along-loc-ib.html

Gessler said...

Your opinion, sir ji?

http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/massive-pak--army-build-up--along-loc-ib.html

flanker143 said...

Prasun sir,

rafale is already selected then are why are we not choosing the rbe2 aesa and orf package over elm 2052 radar for mk2, isnt it the obvious choice from the maintenance pov ?

what is going on with tejas mk1, mk1A and mk2 ?? what is the status of these projects as of now ?? what are the reasons due to which these projects are facing delays ??

Srinivasa Nanduri said...

Hi Prasun,

Recently MK Bhadrakumar wrote an article castigating modi govt for letting hambantota port be sold to Chinese company. Equating it as a strategic listening post for China against our national assets.

How true is that analysis.

Regards,
Srinivasa Nanduri

sbm said...

Prasun, a question: did the IAF ever procure substantial numbers of the increased range R-77?

Another thing - way, way back when you used to write for Military Technology - you did some articles on T-55 and Vijayanta upgrades.

What was actually done wrt guns, fcs and armour on each type in Indian service. I mean we all see the 105mm L7 on the T-55 but any upgrades to FCS ? One photograph exists of an uparmoured Vijayanta and there are some suggestions 135 were so upgraded plus 1100 more with new FCS.

Any info you can add or clarifications you can provide?

Thanks

lachit said...

why the drdo fuuks cant produce or god damn copy the ergonomics and design of other countries rifles , indian rifles look crappy .

look at the chinese rifle, smooth finish, no rivets and all and look at the excalibur mk1c version .

i give hope to see world class rifles from these drdo/obf fuuks in my life time

Arpit Kanodia said...

Sir,

Whats your view on some reports that DAC cleared 464 T-90. Furthur, some reports saying india buying T-90 S, and not MS or AM. Thats shocking.

But even why we buying T-90? That mean Arjun project is dead?

flanker143 said...

Sir it seems that DAC has cleared the purchase of 83 tejas mk1a for nearly 50k cr !! (I am not confirmed)

At this time we do dont even know what all is going to be upgraded in mk1 to morph it into mk1a or will ada be able to actually deliever on its promise , no prototype is ready that can testify yet we have confirmed purchase of 83 mk1a !!??

Have we really ordered an aircraft for the which GE cannot supply the engine since f404 production has ceased ?

Or are we going to pay for restarting the production line for f404 ?

50k cr for 83 mk1a is too much(if it really is 50k cr for 83 mk1A) , since at this point it cannot include any training , weapons or maintainance package , so why such a high cost for ? Setting up dedicated production line, restarting f404 ?

or are we really confident that safran/snecma will be able to get kaveri up to the performance parameters required for mk1a in this time frame ( imo its next to immpossible) ?

Will tejas mk1A sport any irst with its aesa radar ?

Whats the future/scope for tejas mk2 ?


Sir we know you have posted extremely informative articles on tejas before but i request u to do a short post to clear the air regarding what is currently going with the tejas project and whats the way ahead ?





Anonymous said...


Hi Prasun da

DAC seems to have cleared 83 Tejas MK 1 today. Now whats going on? On one hand the govt offers to buy 200 single engine fighters from abroad with make in India and now also tejas to be procured. How many single fighters do they want. Has Parikkar completely messed up or is it the IAF?

Regards
Gourab

Ujjwal said...

Prasunda,
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/manohar-parrikar-m777-howitzers-rs-4500-crore-us/1/791659.html
Can we expect the deal signed in near future?
Thanks, regards

Ludwig said...

Sir, DAC has approved purchase of about 600 mini UAVs for Army. Sir do you think a tender will follow soon? And since this is Buy Indian category who will be the biggest competitors.

Will IDDM given preference here ?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To DEVOPRIYO & GESSLER: What the PA fears most is the unpredictability of India’s offensive options for a limited high-intensity war lasting not more than 10 days under the latter’s ‘Pro Active Strategy’, especially around what Pakistan calls the WB which includes the Chicken’s Neck area north of the Shakargarh Salient. If the IA were to exercise this option, then up to 3 armour-heavy IBGs from Pathankot’s direction & 2 Infantry Divisions from southern Jammu can within 72 hours capture the entire Chicken’s Neck area & next advance to converge at Chamb in order to sanitise the area from where major infiltrations have been taking place & will continue to take place. The captured areas would then be permanently annexed by India, which would state that since Pakistan always expresses its inability to eliminate or contain its so-called non-state actors, this by consequence means Pakistan is unable to imposed the writ of law in such areas & by consequence, Pakistan does not have the legal right to claim sovereignty over such areas. This argument will go down well with most of the world & it will be similar to what Israel had done in the early 1980s in Lebanon when it had occupied chunks of Shia-dominated Lebanese territory & had created a sanitized corridor with the help of Lebanon’s minority Christian Phalangists. In such a scenario the PA’s Corps-level formations in Sialkot, Gujranwala & Kharian will require mobilisation & what we are now seeing is a phased mobilisation of such formations in order to create strong defences against an IBG-spearheaded offensive by India. But one cazn rest assured that the PA won’t go on the offensive due to its far more important & critical commitments westwards in FATA. For it needs to be accepted that Gen Raheel Sharif’s crowning glory has been the cleansing of FAT A by eliminating all TTP safe havens there & he will never even contemplate anything that will ruin all the gains made in FATA under OP Zarb-e-Azb. For, the failure of this OP will translate into the failure of Gen Sharif as COAS.

Here’s last night’s video-clip of the PA COAS visiting Gujranwala: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BUcGbOx2kY

To FLANKER 143: Choosing RBE-2 & OSF means the IAF will also have to ditch the Derby/Python-4 combination in favour of the MICA. Then there’s the systems integration challenge that will also be cost-prohibitive & time-consuming. The EL/M-2052 on the other hand has been designed in such a way that all existing users of the EL/M-2032 can easily switch over to the EL/M-2052 & hence the decision was made to opt for the EL/M-2052 for both the Tejas LCA & Jaguar IS/DARIN-3 for which 270 Honeywell F125 turbofans will be ordered early next year.

To SRINIVASA NANDURI: Hambantota port project weas given by Colombo to Beijing when the UPA-2 was in power. It has nothing to do with NDA-2. M K Bhadrakumar has been prolific in belching out utterly flawed analysis & dire predictions regarding China’s & Pakistan’s influences over Afghanistan & Iran since the previous decade & we all now know how matters eventually turned out to be.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To SUBHO: LoLz! Yes they may well have fucked us in the face but we too offered on a silver platter all those very faces for getting royally fucked, don’t you think? And we still haven’t learnt anything from such episodes & hence are even more convoluted than ever & this then gives rise to nonsensical debates on whether or not to celebrate or honour a Rana Pratap or Tipu Sultan or Aurangzeb.

To SBM: LoLz! That depends on how your define the term ‘substantial’. After all, for some 800 will suffice while for others 2,500 will be perfect. WRT tank upgrades, the T-55s were upgraded with Polishg assistance for the upgunning, while the then Dutch company DELFT Instruments (previously known as OLDELFT & later Pilkington Optronics) supplied the gunner’s sights & ballistics computers that were licence-bui8lt by BEL. This same FCS was retrofitted on the Vijayantas as well, while 400 Vijayantas were retrofitted with a new powerpack from Germany, with the engines coming from MTU & the gearbox from RENK.

To LACHIT: LoLz! Good looks are the results of production engineering QC, & not design. Your ire & anger should therefore be directed towards the producer, i.e. OFB, & not the DRDO chappies.

To ARPIT KANODIA: They will be HVF-built T-90S, & not the T-90AM/MS. The latter’s production know-how was never asked for by HVF. If the IA wants to acquire T-90MS/AM, then they will have to be ordered off-the-shelf from Uralvagonzavod JSC. The need for additional T-90S is urgent because the first 310 T-90S are long overdue for mid-life upgrades but no work has started on it as yet. It may be recalled that in February 2001, India had bought its first batch of 310 447.5-tonne T-90S worth US$795 million, of which 124 were delivered off-the-shelf, 86 in semi-knocked down kits (for licenced-assembly by the MoD-owned HVF in Avadi), and 100 in completely-knocked down kits. This was followed by a follow-on contract, worth $800 million (or Rs175 million per unit), being inked on October 26, 2006, for another 330 T-90S that were to be built with locally-sourced raw materials. The third contract, worth $1.23 billion, was inked in December 2007 for 347 T-90S. The umbrella IGA of 2001 had stipulated that the IA will evgentually procure 1,657 T-90S. I’m reliably informed that after the IA HQ’s MGO Branch gives the final approval for the Arjun Mk.1A version before April next year, up to 400 more will be ordered over & above the 116 already ordered to date, plus some 12 Arjun BLTs & 24 Arjun ARVs.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To FLANKER 143 & GOURAB: LoLz! All kinds of speculative stuff is pouring out. For instance, the ‘desi bandaalbaaz’ is spreading a canard (http://www.business-standard.com/article/specials/navy-s-second-home-built-carrier-will-be-nuclear-but-will-come-only-in-2030s-116110600818_1.html) about the IN using a version of the NPCL’s 540mW PHWR on IAC-2 when none of the world’s leading operators of nuclear-powered vessels has even contemplated such a hair-brained scheme, choosing instead to opt for high-density PWRs. Then there’s another outrageously wild canard being spread about twin-engined MRCAs to be acquired (http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/boeing-says-iaf-inquiry-for-twin-engine-fighter-coming-soon-hopes-to-build-200-in-india-116110301446_1.html). So let’s therefore proceed on the basis on what are known factoids:

1) DAC approval means the matter will next go to the Defence Procurement Board for seeking financial allocations & issuance of order indent). The orders will be placed ONLY AFTER Tejas Mk.1A is certified by CEMILAC as a fully weaponised MRCA. So that brings us to whether it will be a Tejas Mk.1A or Tejas Mk.2

2) In the early 1990s, 11 GE-built F404F2J3s for powering the TDs and PVs were procured, followed by 17 85kN-thrust F404-GE-IN20s worth $105 million to power a limited series of LSP and production-standard aircraft, and two naval prototypes, followed by an additional 24 F404-GE-IN20s worth US$100 million being ordered on February 16, 2011 to power the first ‘Tejas’ Mk1 operational sqn. From this, we can conclude that the IAF will get only 20 (& not 40) SP-series Tejas Mk.1s that were ordered in 2007. In 2010, the IAF only PLEDGED/COMMITTED itself to another 20 SP-series Mk.Is, but they were NEVER converted to confirmed orders.

3) In 2011, the MoD sanctioned US$542.44 million (Rs2,431.55-crore) for ADA to develop the IAF’s Tejas Mk2 variant and the IN’s LCA Mk2 (Navy) variant. Consequently, 95 F414-GE-INS6 turbofans wsere ordered in 2012 & deliveries began in June 2015. The IAF meanwhile issued a revised ASQR in early 2012 asking for incorporation of ELBIT Systems’ CockpitNG option, AESA-MMR, IRST sensor, internal ASPJ & MAWS. Above all, IAF mandated that the Tejas will have to be ‘hot-refuelled’ within 14 minutes & should be able to unbdertake 3 sorties per day—something that any F-16 or Su-30MKI or Gripen can’t do. Only the Rafale can. ADA then said that the Tejas Mk.2’s design will be frozen by late 2016 & 1st prototype will roll out by 2018.

4) Tejas Mk.1A will be heavier than Mk.1 by carrying external EL/L-8222 ASPJ, piping & hydraulics for aerial refuelling but will be devoid of MAWS & IRST & CockpitNG. Furthermore, no orders have been placed for additional F404-GE-IN20s, while the number of delivered F414-GE-INS6s are piling up in Bengaluru.

Based on all of the above, it can safely be inferred that AON has been accorded for Tejas Mk.2, & NOT for any Mk.1A. The no tallies perfectly with the no of F414-GE-INS6s ordered for Tejas Mk.2 & LCA (Navy) Mk.2. The Mk.1A cannot host the heavier F414-GE-INS6s & its air-intakes cannot cater to the greater airflow reqmts.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

For those who have been persistently asking about FGFA & Super Su-30MKI, it is now known that the T-50 PAK-FA will enter flight-tests with new-design turbofans in the fourth quarter of 2017. The T-50 has been flying since 2010 on the power of NPO Saturn’s “Item 117” engines developing 14.5 tonnes (32,000 pounds) thrust and derived from the “Item 117S” engines found on the Su-35. But the new turbofans are a fresh design designated “Item 30” that has already begun bench-testing. The thrust is likely to be between 15 and 20 tonnes (33,000-44,000 pounds). Alexander Artyukhov, General Manager at United Engine, has confirmed that remaining R & D work on the new turbofans will be done between 2018 & 2020, with state acceptance trials set for 2020. This is also the very same turbofan that will power the upgraded Super Su-30MKIs.

sbm said...

Ok - AFAIK more than 3000 R-VV-AE were ordered for IAF. What about longer-ranged ones and numbers for IAF?

Any Vijayantas upgraded with additional armour? Were 135 so upgraded?

flanker143 said...

Thank you for the replies sir.

I am reposting these questions cuz i think u mistakenly overlooked them.

What are your views regarding this sir - http://idrw.org/breaking-news-40-pak-soldiers-killed-oct-29-strike-sources/

Sir in a recent drdo tech focus article it was reported that a quad ejector rack was being developed for su30mki and jaguar that would enable themto carry four saaw which are 139kg munitions. - https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ClPb9jmUsAAeU81.jpg:large
What i wanted to ask is whether is this saaw the same dew weapon that was jointly develped with israel ??

Can a ejector rack like this be developed for tejas as well which wud enable to carry 4 150kg class pgms ( 8 in total on just 2 inboard pylons) armed with a conventional warheads. ?? Something like this would go a long way in making tejas an extremely potent cas platform.

Can a aircraft launched version of helina be developed for cas aircraft ?

Sir u said in case of a limited high intensity conflict , priority for air refueling would be given to dpsa like jaguar and airsuperiority ac like mki so is it logical to develop CFTs for tejas mk2 so as enable it to carry more munitions while attaining longer endurance at the same time.

Is uprating kaveri and resolving its issues a part of the rafale offsets package ?? If yes then has safran started working with drdo since it i supposed to power the tejas mk1a which everyone is excited about since fe404 is not available. ??

All logic points to acquiring mk2s but then Acm raha publicly utters these confusing sound bytes that raises doubts
Did acm rally make these comments or is it some desi presstitudes trying to twist words ??

http://www.stratpost.com/navy-to-review-lca

rad said...

hi praasun
the cm-302 is going to be headache for india , how do we counter it?

you stated that the super sukhois will be re engined by the new item 30 engine . For such a drastic jump in thrust , will here be a requirement to enlarge the intakes of the sukhois?.
So i believe that the super sukhoi will be available only after 2020?
The air force is also to be blamed for adding piece meal additional requirement to the lca and then blaming hal drdo for the delay?

you stated that the gripen cant be hot refueled and do 3 sorties a day , but the brochure claims that the gripen has very fast turn around times with minimal manpower?
What are the qualities that are required to do hot refueling?.

where will the irst come from ? will it be israeli ? . In case israel i s unable to give us an irst , will the selex skyward be integrated?.








Ludwig said...

Sir Looks like Iranians are sending their Afghani forces for some training. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udPwe0QxaV0 at 1:16.

Also, sir DAC has cleared nearly 600 Mini-UAV purchases. Do you there is still time before they turn into tenders? Also since it's in Buy Indian Category who will be the leading competitor and will IDDM given any priority in this one?

Common Sense said...

Prasun,

Just wanted to know your thoughts on the U.S. elections? Having heard the kind of things about Hillary in the past two weeks, if she wins, a lot of Indians will have to apologise to Lalu and Rabri!

Yevgeny said...

Prasun,

What are your predictions on the future of the Russian military.
Will it be able to sustain its massive size in the future?
Her economy is going nowhere and her population is declining.
Most of her naval vessels are of 70's and 80's vintage.
Other than a few 100 aircrafts the rest of the airforce is also Soviet era.
50% of the Russian ground forces are conscripts who can't really be called soldiers.
Will a future Russia say 2 decades from now be a 2nd rate power with limited global influence and the influence will be mainly because of its nuclear arsenal and its UNSC seat?

flanker143 said...

Sir i have not come any article/news that confirms that a contract for 95 fe414 engines was awarded to GE.
Also no news regarding delivery of these fe414 engines ?

I request you to post references for both of these if possible.

Ada has been working on tejas mk2 since 2012 now, what progress has been made so far.?
When can we expect them to roll out the first prototype.?


Thanks in advance.

Unknown said...

Prasun Da

I want to ask you why the Air force would be getting LCH? What utility does this aircraft has with the Air force? Similarly shouldn't the Army also have the Mi-8/17/24s helicopters with them instead of the Air force? Should not army retain control over majority of the helicopters? How many Mi-8/17s Helicopter does Indian Military operate?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To FLANKER143: If there's no contract for F414s then what explains this:

http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/first-tejas-mark-ii-engine-to-arrive-in-september-115070600054_1.html

In addition, during Aero India 2015, GEAE posters announcing the delivery of the 1st F414INS6 to ADA were strung up on lamp posts from Bengaluru city right up to Yelahanka. Do you reckon GEAE was lying? Promised date by ADA for Tejas Mk.2's rollout is 2018. Quad-racks for Tejas Mk.2 aren't suitable. Dual & triple ejector racks are more suitable. HELINA's range will have to be increased to at least 14km if it is to be employed by fixed-wing combat aircraft. It can be done. Tejas Mk.2 will be MRCA capable for air superiority & tactical interdiction & therefore CFTs are not reqd at all. CFTs are reqd only for deep-strike interdictors & when CFTs are fitted, the aircraft loses agility.

To YEVGENY: Had already answered that a vfew times before. The future belongs to those countries that possess knowledge-based societies & who can go global. Those who have isolationist mindsets will be laggards. Has Russia to date been able to come up with any gloval alternative to Microsoft Word, WINDOWS or even the iPhone? That should be indicative of where exactly Russia stands today.

To LUDWIG: Companies by HAL (proposing NAL-developed mini-UAVs) & TATA Piwer SED (proposing mini-UAVs developed in Slovenia) will be the recipients of the tenders that will be released in future, after some 9 months.

To RAD: CM-302/YJ-12 or CM-400AKG or 3M-80, for all of them the Barak-8 LR-SAM will suffice. Air intakes of Su-30MKI are more than capable of catering to increased airflow reqmts for an engine offering 20%-30% greater thrust. JAS-39 Gripen can do faster turnarounds ONLY IF the ground support system of export customers is the same as that of the Swedish Air Force. Hot refuelling can be done for any existing combat aircraft. The Israelis did it during the 1967 Sic Day War. Today, safer & advanced pressure refuelling technologies are available. The Selex-developed Skyward IRST sensor is the most compact system available today. DATA Patterns is the Indian agent for it.

To SBM: New BVRAAMs are acquired as 1-for-1 replacements the moment the older stockpile's shelf-life expires. No Vijayantas were up-armoured.

Gessler said...

Thanks for the reply, Prasun ji!

I hope you're following the news about Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 denominations being removed from circulation and new Rs. 500 and Rs. 2000 notes coming in. This sure looks like a bold move toward curbing black money and/or fake currency atleast for the foreseeable future.

Any opinions on this?

flanker143 said...

Thanks for the replies sir.

Gessler said...

Donald J. Trump is the 45th US President!

Need your opinion on this too, Prasun ji. How do you see relations between India & US in his presidency? How will this effect relations between US & Russia, is there a betterment in sight? Like at least the relations between Obama & Medvedev?

US relations with Pakistan and other Muslim-majority countries, especially Turkey & Saudi Arabia?

asd said...

Dear Prasun,

As usual you had told once that GoI should think first about unearthing the black money within country on priority basis instead of looking abroad for show casing its fake attitude to deal with corruption. Exactly Modi government has given heed to your thoughts and did it. Awesome efforts!!!!!!!!!!!

SUVO said...

PRASUN DA,read this:
http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/11/07/donald-trumps-peace-through-strength-vision-for-the-asia-pacific/










Rajesh Mishra said...

What can be the effects of Trump,s victory on existence and/or operations of NATO. Pl. reply.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To GESSLER & ASD: If the idea & intent was to get rid of black money, then the GoI should have introduced only Rs.500 notes & that too plastic ones with hoplographic authentication features. Introduction of Rs.1,000 & Rs.2,000 denomination notes will provide only temporary respite from the menace of the parallel economy. If the idea was to usher in a near-cashless society, then RFID features should have been introduced in the Addhaar UID cards. Instead, the existing UID card contains a sentence saying “This is only proof of identity, & not of citizenship’. What boggles the mind is how is a person’s identity devoid of his/her citizenship? Every other UID card elsewhere in the world also serves the purpose of authenticating one’s citizenship, but not in India. Why? The RFID features in any UID card contain enough memory for data storage dealing with the holder’s personal data, like medical records, blood group etc etc, which can be rapidly accessed during medical emergencies. Nowadays, it is even possible to use such cards as debit cards or for topping up of credit balance inside the card & everytime the card is scanned at a tool-booth or any shopping mall, the amount gets digitally deducted. It can thus also be used for similar purposes when using mass rapid transportation systems like suburban metros, monorails, underground trainsm buses etc etc. That’s how one should go about conceptualising & designing UID cards, instead of the total mess created by UPA-2 & Nandan Nilekani. This then has negative trickle-down effects for law enforcement agencies as well.

If the GoI is seriously interested in curbing the existence of black money/parallel economy, then it must show the same alacrity for getting deported back to India from the UK the likes of Vijay Mallya & Ravi Shankaran as that displayed when some India-based backroom call-service clowns were recently found duping US taxpayers & they were rounded up with the FBI’s assistance. It cannot be that the GoI gets starts rolling at 4,000 rpm when protecting the interests of US taxpayers, but rotates at only 4 rpm when trying to protect the Indian taxpayer’s interests.

To GESSLER & RAJESH MISHRA: For reasons unknown to me as yet, folks in South Asia tend to ASSUME that all it takes to achieve full-spectrum national transformation is the emergence of just one guy in shining armour & clutching a magic wand! In the real world, there are no such fallen angels from the skies who will usher in deliverance/salvation. The same holds true for the 45th POTUS. During election campaigning, all kinds of promises & rhetoric are made/spewed out, but once in office, it all boils down to teamwork in pursuance of a country’s core national interests. Consequentl;y, President Trump will continue to do anything & everything ensure that the US remains the world’s sole superpower for another 50 years at the very least, instead of the mantra of isolationalism that he was previously preaching. India & Russia both have good reasons for be happy with Trump winning the elections, while the likes of Pakistan it is just gloom & doom ahead, rest assured.

For the Middle East, the sectarian faultlines between Sunni & Shia will now deepen further (as prophesised by the Holy Prophet) & this will prove to be disastrous for the Muslim Ummah. So how can India benefit from such turmoil? We will have to wait & see if, after the latest harvest season ends, the terrain becomes conducive for some 3 IBGs of the IA to be ‘cold-started’ from their peacetime forward concentration areas in northern Punjab & southern Jammu within 36 hours in order to wrest back the Chicken’s Neck area from Pakistan in a swift operation not lasting more than 72 hours.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To GESSLER: Here's a short video-clip of the brief flypast by 2 J-20s over Zhuhai on November 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ93nkl3N2s

And here's an update on what the PLA has been doing around India so far this year: http://forceindia.net/TheInvisiblePower.aspx

Puranic Knowledge said...

Many people are celebrating the Trump victory, including Vladimir Zhirinovsky. Zhirinovsky seems to predict that Trump will completely change US policy with Russia on Syria, the Ukraine, and NATO and usher in a new era of high relations.

Twenty years ago Zhrinovsky predicted that Akhand Bharat will happen. Will Russia-US coalition enable the BJP to create Akhand Bharat?

With Akhand Bharat, TAPI and IP pipelines can be constructed, and Russia has direct access to India. China's string of pearls hopes will be dashed too.

AJ said...

Prasun Da,

Correction to your comment on November 10, 2016 about UID, in the US SSN (Social Security Number) card is not a proof of your citizenship but it does have a status which says if its a permanent or temporary. Also, the SSN card can be given to greencard holders and H1B visa holders or Student Visa holders who are not citizens of united states.

I dont know about other countries but in US SSN card similar to UID is not a proof of citizenship. Although SSN should be transformed to be used for other purposes.

AJ

bhoutik said...

the video of the flypast by 2 J-20s - did the turn rate displayed in the video surprise you

Anonymous said...

@Puranic Knowledge,

Do you by any chance have a map of Akhand Bharat? Does it cover Mayanmar, Turkministan, etc...?

RAT

সুমন্ত নাগ said...

Prasun Da,

from your post in the Force Magazine :

" http://forceindia.net/TheInvisiblePower.aspx

This year’s exercises have also revealed unmistakable signs of the PLA’s Western Theatre Command’s efforts to develop two staging areas for offensive air-mobile campaigns: one in Qionglai air base in western Sichuan that will become the fourth permanent base for the PLAAF’s XV Airborne Corps; and Feng Huang Shan helicopter base to Army Aviation Brigades equipped with Z-19WZ ‘Black Cyclone’ tandem-seat light attack helicopters (LAH), plus Mi-17V-5 and Z-8K utility helicopters for ferrying the PLA Army’s Battalion-sized light mechanised infantry regiments (LMIR, or kuaisu fanyin budui, also known as Resolving Emergency Mobile Combat Forces, or REMCF) whose principal role will be to seize and hold the string of advanced landing grounds (ALG) and gapfiller air-defence radar stations belonging to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland. "

------Any way out there or possible counter measure can be taken by us ?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To PURANIC KNOWLEDGE: Akhand Bharat existed in anciemt times only under King Bharat, the son of Shakuntala & Dushyant. Jumping now to the 20th century when a couple of delusional clowns conjured up this notion of Akhand Bharat can only be viewed as an act of lunacy. In reality, on average most countries witnesses a change in territorial boundaries once every 50 years due to either natural phenomenon or man-made events/disasters & consequently the quantum of territory gets reduced. The trends therefore are in favour of contraction & not expansion, unless like China India starts creating artificial islands through offshore reclamation by thrn again UNCLOS mandates that such structures cannot be used for purposes of expansion of territorial waters or continental shelf or EEZ.

To AJ: I never even mentioned the SSN nor was I even dreaming about comparing any UID with the SSN. As the name suggests, SSN is meant for accessing certain services, whereas the UID by its very name has different applications & hence the incorporation of biometric features of the card-holder. The UID thus comes closest not to any SSN, but to a NID or national identification card of the types in use by citizens of Malaysia & Singapore, for instance, & the NADRA card by Pakistanis. Furthermore, Aadhaar UID card is not meant for non-Indians, i.e. foreigners who don’t have GoI-issued Voter’s ID card. Hence, if Aadhar UID card is ONLY issued to Indian citizens, then why exclude any mention of the card-holder’s citizenship in the card? What’s the logic behind this exclusion?

To BHOUTIK: Why should it be surprising? Only 2 of the 4 prototypes were flying & that too minus their definitive homegrown turbofans. Therefore, that limited flypast was only amusing & a shortlived attraction for fanboys, but by no means any show-stopper.

To SUMANTA: It’s elementary: beef up the forward layered air-defences & IACCCS’ airspace surveillance coverage throughout the North East.

Varunn said...

Sir, can we expect President Trump to squeeze Pakistan's balls?

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To VARUNN: Of course, not because Trump wants to personally, but because US national security interests demand it.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

BTW, INS Chennai, the 3rd Project 15A DDGs, will be commissioned in Mumbai on November 21. Her keel-laying ceremony took place in February 2006, the hull was launched on April 2, 2010, and her sea-trials commenced on November 12, 2015--a journey of 10 years & 9 months. An awfully long time indeed.

Siddharth said...

Prasun da,

http://idrw.org/lca-tejas-inherits-stealth-features-due-small-size-chinese-media/

How much authenticated is the content about Tejas stealthiness in the above article. Can you please shed some lights.

DJAC said...

Hi Prasun, India is buying ammunition and some weapons from Israel and Russia on emergent basis. Can you please shed light on what specific items are being purchased?

Manu Singh said...

Prasunda,

I understand you write in the 'Force' magazine. Still I want to seek your opinion on whether I should subscribe to this magazine. Are the other articles worth reading or am I going to subscribe the whole magazine for one article of yours? Is it the same case of fauzi cut-paste business in Indian military magazines?

Any other magazine coming from India that you recommend on military matters? There is one guy named Vijainder Thakur who is seeking 500 ruppes per year to give updates on Indian military issues through a google group. Is it worth it? Please suggest some avenues to know more about military issues of India.

Thanks

Unknown said...

Dear Prasun,

Please can you write an article reporting on on India's UAV and CUAV types in use and capabilities at present and for future, I humbly request you to do this article ASAP.

Thank you, regards.

NagaChandra Bhardwaj P

Unknown said...

Hi Prasoon. I have done some investigation on the governments recent move to remove high valued currencies and in the process black money/FCINR.

1) Suddenly stop high valued denominations like Rs. 5000 & Rs. 1000 notes
2) Introduce in a phased and measured way New Rs. 500, Rs. 1000 and Rs. 2000 notes to meet the sudden shortfall in liquidity
3) Force businesses/service/govt transactions/subsidy disbursal through formal banking channels. Alread subsidy reaching through jan dhan accounts.
4)Go for direct/indirect tax reforms like GST that incentivise tax compliance.
5) in a phased way (by making it clear to the public) remove the high value new currency earlier reintroduced
6) go for another phase of massive tax reform like Banking Transaction Tax to tax all online transactions. no income tax or indirect tax. only import duty like customs to exist.

To me above seems workable in the indian context, provided the present government gets another 5 years. whats your say given the circumstances in which india is placed where 20% transactions only are through banking channels

Thanks and lot

Kunal Kaistha

SUVO said...

PRASUN DA,
1) https://baluchsarmachar.wordpress.com/2016/09/19/exclusive-interview-with-shafi-burfat-jsmm-chairman-fighting-for-sindh-separation/

2)http://www.sharnoffsglobalviews.com/china-shaksgam-valley-191/

3) Akhand bharat is not possible in 20th century.But India and Afghanistan have traditionally been tied together by the Silk Route. Gilgit-Baltistan Chitral region is the gateway for India to Central Asia.There should be link between Kargil & Skardu.Wakhan corridor is a very important place.India should control this corridor.
.............Please Reply.












Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To SIDDHARTH: Small size? Small when viewed from which direction? It's relative, isn't it?

To DJAC: From Israel's IMI the 125mm M710 HE-MP-T APAM rounds for T-72CIA & T-90S are being acquired along with TCS trajectory correction systems for Pinaka-1 MBRL rockets, while from Russia urgently reqd spares for Su-30MKIs & 125mm 3BM42 APFSDS-T rounds are being procured for immediate replenishment of war wastage reserves.

To MANU SINGH: Lolz! What you're asking for is to choose the lesser of the evils from a whole bunch of available evils. No India-published magazine will ever give you 100% of what you desire. That's because they're all dependent on adverts for revenue generation & often have to publish paid news even if it isn't worth the read.

To UNKNOWN/KUNAL: The success of any well-intentioned move or policy decision depends on its implementation methodology & road-map. As has been the case of the recent demonetisation of Rs.500 & Rs.1,000, common-sense suggests that the majority (honest taxpayers) cannot be inconvenienced just for the sake of isolating & eliminating a minority (i.e. black money hoarders). But the ground reality is exactly the opposite due to faulty implementation procedures. It's all explained here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOL0bmFcOuE

To SUVO: Here's a brief look at Gilgit-Baltistan that's been illegally occupied by the infidels:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF1AFWukidw

Ganesh said...

Hello Prasun, regarding introduction of new 500 and 2000 rupees notes these are my points for whatever it is worth
1. With new bank accounts for resident Indians, money for once flows through bank channels to understand each net worth
2. Negate the existing currency notes and restart with new ones so those who cannot change for whatever reason looses out
3. Politically astute move to checkmate the opposition, an example of East India company mlas and Mr MP Amrinder Singh supposedly resigning his post since he is vying for CM post in Punjab. Similarly others of his ilk are totally stumped
4. Any revolutionary calling for hartal against reactionaries or their policies effects on the common man poor brothers and sisters is well known
5. Most importantly Peshawar printing press goes out of rotation for sometime
6. If the government mandarins market well, they can win big
Thanks, Ganesh

rad said...

hi prasun
i thought the trajectory correction system from israel was not available due to sanction and the mbda stuff was to be in corporated?.
do the Indian tanks have the FCS built in to effectively use the APAM rounds viz a viz the BMS and fuzing solution. ?

what is the cep for MBRL rounds fitted TCS?
ie pinaka 1 and 2.
The chinese have taken note of the fact that the LCA is made of composites by and large and give credit to it being small and more stealthier which seems to have been overlooked by many jingos. can radar waves pass thru the composites and reflect back after hitting underlying metal structures?.
Apart from the , engine rear end and forward slats nothing seems to be of metal.is it possible to make composite weapon pylons? How stealthy is the LCA?.
can you give more detail of the radar absorbing paint that was tested on jaguars some time ago was it effective?.


Vijay said...

Dear Sir

The News about TEJAS is that we will get 83 MK I A till 2028

Dr Christopher has said this

And MAY be Tejas MK 2 will also come ; But nothing certain or final

It is all in the realm of speculation

Now coming to the main point

That is since the Government has given firm orders for Tejas ;
Now they can BRING in F 16 ;
that is because we have to replace a very large number of planes

F 16 is surely coming ; I am sure TRUMP will use it as Leverage for SQUEEZING Pakistan

That is If India wants USA to impose SANCTIONS on Pakistan and declare it a terrorist state
Then India Must buy F 16

Ganesh said...

Hello Prasun, what do you think of it
http://www.firstpost.com/india/rs-500-rs-1000-note-ban-narendra-modis-demonetisation-move-a-death-knell-to-hawala-trade-3101610.html

madforexbii said...

To Prasun Sir...
With all due respect sir, only 1℅ or 1.25 crore of all Indians pay any income taxes whatsoever. Now you tell me sir is it entirely possible for a country such vast to be run by depending upon only the earnings of them. Not all farmers, shopkeepers earn less than 2.5 lacs a year. Most shops in rural areas don't even pay service tax at all. Infact in Bhubaneswar, where i live i've seen panipuri sellers earning more than Rs.1k profits easily a day. Don't you think they cheat the govt hiding there incomes. Every single one in my neighbourhood earns more than Rs 5 lacs a year. Bt most of them don't pay any taxes whatsoever as the earnings are all in cash. Don't you think that's injustice. And all of us cry out loud in names of corruption, blackmoney. If you've seen any good fast food sellers in most towns You would know that there sales easily cross Rs 10 k mark a day. And the profits ?? Well you can bet it's upwards of 40-50% of the sales figure. Do they even pay service tax ever ?? Hell no.
All other developed/rapidly developing countries are moving towards cashless transactions while we here are hell bent upon cash based transactions. My tea seller has a paytm payment option. Yeah he does. And so can anyone else. Afterall most of us use smartphones now a days. And only 15-20℅ of this contry at best would've been the persons without any access to bank accounts. But the govt had even tried welcoming them free of cost with jan dhan yojna i guess, a huge and world record holding mass bank a/c opening scheme. Still people didn't took the benefit of it. Why??
Now only SBI had got an deposit of old cash of 53,000 crore in the last two days .... Leave alone other banks..... So people in india were having multi billion dollars of cash in homes or pockets instead of having them in banks. This figure is set to rose to even hundreds of billions. Now all that cash coming into the mainstream economy will give financial institutions a tremendous boost. All these will give the banks power to help boost the growth of industrial/Service sector. Interest rates will come down and GDP growth will be in the double digit rates if you see the long term effects.
Now coming to the initial problems being faced, yes there's been a failure of implementation by the banks and even the govt institutions. But this will surely be a bygone once the initial panic settles down. Emergency managements in a populus country like India will never ever be fool proof. You know it better than me. But it will settle down in a fortnight for sure.

সুমন্ত নাগ said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Satya said...

Good news - India and US are set to sign deal for supply of 100 Avenger UCAVs to India during Carter's visit in December swarajyamag.com/insta/india-set-to-acquire-100-armed-avenger-drones-from-the-us

SUVO said...

PRASUN DA,Thanks for the vedio.Now read this:
http://idrw.org/bank-accounts-sale-west-bengals-malda/#more-115232

সুমন্ত নাগ said...

Prasun Da,

as you opined for beefing up the forward layered air-defences & IACCCS’ airspace surveillance coverage throughout the North East as a counter measure against future plans by Chinese Resolving Emergency Mobile Combat Forces, or REMCF, of Capturing and Holding the ALGs and Radar Stations during case of war, 1. is there any step has been taken towards it, Given the present state of Road Infrastructure in NE ? 2. Has any Air Defence exercise in this effect has been taken place or in the cards ? If not then what's the reason behind it.

Thanks in Advance.

Vijay said...

Dear Sir

Please answer my Two questions

1) How do you rate this new KLJ 7 A which is the new radar for JF 17


2)Is there any news about J 31

Millard Keyes said...

If Ajai Shukla was the Minister of Defence one could have seen Gripen -NG, F-35, F/A 18 Super Hornet, F-16 as well as MiG-29 & Tejas - all making up the 45 squadrons. How he could have sorted the MRO, spares, training funding issues only he knows! Bit like me bought 8 chainsaws and tempted to buy the 9th from the Stihl Christmas catalogue!
Thankfully he advocates Arjun tank over imports so that would have had a good boost.
To apply his logic as far as IAF is concerned: you go shopping in a Kia Sportage, a theatre/cinema in a Honda Accord, Fishing in a Suzuki Jimny Sierra, Beach drive in a Suzuki Grand Vitara, Trail blazing in a Jeep, Desert adventure in a Toyota Landcruiser, work in a Hyundai, visit to the hardware store in a Tata Telcoline or a Mahindra Pikup ...the possibilities are endless.

Ravi said...

Dear Sir

There was a news that Indian Army has Lost 4500 Soldiers in the last FIFTEEN years

So How many Pakistan Army soldiers we have been able to kill in revenge

The Indian Army release figures only of Terrorist Infiltrators killed on LOC and the
Hinterland

But what about those who give them covering fire

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

Yesterday's ceremony at Gwadar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEHWzV91mOU&hd=1

DAshu said...

Pak became KING of Asia from yesterday !!!

Kshitiz said...

Can u plz shed some light on IN MARCOS
1.their operational tempo(how much they r employed,do they c action,are they doing COIN operations in J&K),
2.their known operations,
3.Future
4.with availibility of PARA sf do local commanders resist from using them

joydeep ghosh said...

Prasun da

a little off topic this time

Demonitization is a ruse for upcoming Devaluation of Indian Rupee

How the Govt of India decision has been defeated

1. The moment PrimeMinister declared that 500/1000 has been banned people bought number of Raiway & Airline tickets then cancelled it making their stash of blackmoney White

2. People bought gold/silver to convert their blackmoney to white

3. Govt said it was needed to shut down fake currency racket, it did work but those involved will surely find a new way

4. Govt said it was needed to make Dawood Ibrahim's hawala business waste, but fact is few months from now he will go back to his once favorite business of gold/silver smuggling

5. Govt. as a last resort will be forced to devalue the Indian currency which i think will come by Budget2017

6. that demonitization has not served the purpose is evident from the fact that ATMs have run out dry

7. This newsreport in The Times of India proves it that demonitization had more to do with fiscal deficit than blackmoney
http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31809&articlexml=MINORITY-REPORT-Soaring-fiscal-deficit-prompts-Union-govt-14112016005021

now on topic

8. Bangladesh acquired 2 submarines from China does it reqaly need it

9. Excalibur is being sought by IA but is it a stop gap

10. nuke deal with Japan is a trap for India to accept CTBT, NPT already Japan say India going for test will cancel the treaty but India says no such biding

11. Donald Trump victory may result in many defence deals between India and USA, any idea which one

thanks

Joydeep Ghosh

Anonymous said...

Hi Prasun,
why China is so hell bent to save Masood Azhar ?
http://idrw.org/india-china-argue-over-masood-azhar/#more-115497

asd said...

Dear Prasun,

What's your view on Rustom 2 first flight. Please comment upon it.

Millard Keyes said...

strange in three days only 6 comments have been added! The usual norm is 6 per hour...what's going on?
People are going hoo haa about Bangladesh buying subs from China. Realistically though, given that country's economy how could they afford a Western sub; India can't meet her own requirements let alone lease or sell one to Bangladesh. If the leaders were visionary they would have made an alliance with Bangladesh in the same way as Australia has one with New Zealand and Iceland has with NATO mainly Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. Why the best model would have been the US-Japan contract. This would have ensured India is responsible for Bangladesh's defence whilst Bangladesh was free to develop her own self defence force. Same sort of deal should have been made with Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives as well. That way China would have had no ground to stand on.

Anonymous said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZHhhfUY8Q4

PA drill coverage , at 8:35 i see some chinese folks .
Are they present to witness the drills ? or to help installing chinese firearms that came as first consignment via CPEC ?

In case of War , how IA will block the CPEC route ? ... i assume the CPEC will become bloodline of PA very shortly.


Kabir said...

How come everybody talks bad with Russian tech? Their inferior warplanes did more damage than the fancy us,uk,french warplanes did over 2 years.

Please explain. Only explanation I see is US intentionally grew ISIS to fulfil NWO agenda.

I read your post on the alien technology. US is up to something fishy in Syria. Maybe theyre testing these weapons with Israels help?

When Russia launched an attack on Syria, they had to quickly withdraw their secret weapons.

Your view?

Senthil Kumar said...

Dear Prasun,

http://www.dawn.com/news/1296907/feto-a-threat-to-pakistans-security-turkeys-erdogan-rails-against-coup-plotter-gulen-in-islamabad

Turkey-Pak relation is more danger for India than China-Pak Relation.

http://defence.pk/threads/turkey-gives-green-light-for-military-technologies-transfer-to-pakistans-defense-industry.354820/

Turkey's Military industry is more advanced.

India need to be very cautious when dealing with turkey.

Please comment.

Thanks
S.Senthil Kumar

DAshu said...

Kindly bless us with your expert opinion on EX ‘Raad Ul Barq’ by KING of Asia .

rad said...

hi prasun
the take of video of the rustom 2 is un inspiring with a very slow rate of climb.Again i think it is overweight as usual . Please comment .
Joke of the day, Israel and US i s worried about t he rustom !!

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To RAD: You will find most of the UAV-related anszwers in the latest thread. TCS modules are being procured directly from IDF-Army stocks under a G-to-G deal & not directly from IMI. Those T-72CIAs equipped with Elbit’s TISAS DFCS can fire APAM rounds. CEP of Pinaka-1 is 80% better when equipped with TCS modules. Composites are not necessarily radar-absorbent. RCS depends very much on the FoV of the radar sensor & the airframe area that’s exposed to the radar sensor.

To DASHU: What was showcased yesterday was not the exercise, but just a mobility-cum-firepower demo for the PM & foreign diplomats. Especially amusing was the sight of Al Khalid MBTs having to come to a standstill prior to firing their 125mm cannons. Also shown were Z-10K attack helicopters in use & it is nopw confirmed that up to 20 of them will be procured to eventually replace the 20 AH-1F HueyCobras. So, no AH-1Z Vipers or Mi-35Ms, period.

To SENTHIL KUMAR: Yes, Turkey’s MIC is more advanced, but this MIC is all based on licenced-manufacturing, i.e. without approval from Western OEMs, Turkey cannot expoprt any weapons platform/system to anyone. Nor will Turkey want to invite the wrath of Iran by exporting its new-generation weapons platforms/systems to Pakistan.

To KABIR: LoLz! What kind of hi-tech is required to demolish civilian urban localities & that too against irregular forces that are neither professional nor adequately armed? Does ISIS possess MR-SAMs or LR-SAMs or 155mm tube artillery or 300mm rocket artillery or heavy main battle tanks in large numbers?

To ASD: The 1st flight of Rustom-2 was that of an experimental technology demonstration vehicle with no mission sensors. It is far too early to presume that it is a fully development platform & will perform as advertised. What has been the fate of the earlier Rustom-1? Is it anywhere close to service-induction? Why is the IN now desperately seeking Predator B/Guardian maritime ISR UAVs?

To JOYDEEP GHOSH: So you’ve now joined the band of those believing in conspiracy theories! 1 & 2 & 3) What else did you expect? Didn’t you know that Indians are No.1 in innovations when it comes to indulging in doh-numbari dhanda? Did you expect them to relinquish their No.1 ranking in this one arena to someone else? 4) Not possible. 24/7 coastal surveillance post-26/11 has since plugged that gap. 5) That will, if it takes place, make Indian exports cheaper. 6) Really? I have seen queues outside ATMs gradually decreasing over the past 48 hours. 7) Whatever be the reason, if it is in the general good, then it must be welcomed & embraced. 8) Why not? Myanmar already has mini-subs from DPRK. 9) Yes. But the Ghaatak SLR’s 7.62 x 51 variant will be inducted in future. 10) Nothing to worry on that score. Everyone knows that when extraordinary times come, extraordinary measures will require to be undertaken. 11) The deal for the M-777 UFGs & 22 Predator B/Guardian maritime ISR UAVs.

Prasun K. Sengupta said...

To RAVI: LoLz! There’s no comparison, because since 2004 6,000 PA soldiers have died & 17,000+ permanently handicapped, 6,000 Pakistani police personnel have been killed, more than 60,000 Pakistani civilians have been killed.

To VIJAY: The KLJ-7A is still a laboratory-level technology demonstrator that will take a long time to be fully developed. That’s why the PLAAF & PLAN have opted for the Zhemchoug PESA-MMR for their J-10Bs.

To SUMANTA NAG: Had any credible steps been taken so far, then by now we would have seen a lot of chest-thumping by the DRDO after an Akash-1 SAM had been test-fired at a location somewhere in the North East or in Eastern Ladakh. But such events haven’t yet taken place, have they?

To SATYA: Not Avengers, but Predator B/Guardians. Avengers won’t be approved until India signs this:

https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/10/262812.htm

More than 40 nations have joined the US in a joint declaration aimed at controlling exports of armed or weapons-capable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Major UAV-producing nations such as Israel, Russia, China and India are not among signatories to the declaration of broad principles, which is a precursor to setting more detailed standards. “The declaration is a political commitment by its signatories that underscores growing international consensus that UAVs are subject to international law,” said Mark Toner, deputy spokesman with the US State Department, announcing the agreement on October 5. It “stresses the need for transparency about exports and represents, we believe, an important first step toward comprehensive international standards for the transfer and subsequent use of UAVs.” The signatories and other nations that wish to participate will begin meeting next spring to hash out specific standards, Toner said. The “Joint Declaration for the Export and Subsequent Use of Armed or Strike-Enabled UAVs” allows that individual nations may already have laws or policies in place to control the export of armed unmanned aircraft. “However,” states the preamble, “recognizing that misuse of armed or strike-enabled UAVs could fuel conflict and instability, and facilitate terrorism and organized crime, the international community must take appropriate transparency measures to ensure the responsible export and subsequent use of these systems.” The signatories agreed to five principles: to apply the law of armed conflict and international human rights law to their use of armed drones; to engage in “responsible export” of such aircraft in line with existing arms control and disarmament norms; to stay consistent with existing multinational export-control and nonproliferation regimes; to practice “appropriate voluntary transparency measures” in reporting military exports; and to continue discussing how nations can transfer and use such technology responsibly.

rad said...

hi prasun
please give more dope on the abahy compact sonar and HUMSA -ng which seems to have found favour with he navy. it has been advertised that it has been developed for particular conditions of the indian shallow waters,
DRDO says it is making sea bed sensors as well, please give dope .
It is better to go in for collaboration with small US based rifle makers for our req rather than pamper our ego to keep sticking to workshop built insas clones in diff names!! please comment . China has taken the clue and copied the FN SCAR as per pics posted by you.