India is within rights to carry out Air Strikes in PoK

A day after martyrdom of eight CRPF personnel in Pampore ambush, BJP’s firebrand MLA Ravinder Raina, joined by others, sought in Legislative Assembly, air-strikes on terror modules in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. While National Conference tried to silence them by browbeating, the PDP’s silence too reflected disapproval of what its alliance partner demanded BJP legislators are within their rights to seek surgical operations against terrorists in PoK, an integral part of Jammu and Kashmir. 

The NC and PDP have never disowned PoK, which is substantiated by the fact that 25 seats are still reserved for the representatives of that part of the state. Therefore, by not endorsing sane demand of the BJP, both, the PDP and NC, are actually showing no interest to end the scourge of terrorism, which has hurt Kashmir the most.  

The PDP and NC should not forget that on 21st May 2014- deadliest air-strikes killed 60 terrorists and wounded hundreds others, including civilians, in Mir Ali area of North Pakistan. The fierce strikes were carried out by the Air Force of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the targets were Muslims (though terrorists have no religion) having allegiance to Taliban and al-Qaeda terror modules. The death and destruction did not invoke any sympathy or protests across Pakistan or in the Kashmir Valley, on this side of the border, either. 

That being the case, why so much hullo bulla over the condemnation of lunatic terrorists, who spilled blood during the holy month of Ramadan. The terrorists have no religion, no nationality and no identity as a human even. That is what the Kashmiri intelligentsia and the political class, especially National Conference, is making out in the wake of matter-of-fact statements over cowardice act of terrorists. Lot of politics is being played over this issue in Kashmir these days. 

The Pakistan apologists in Kashmir leave no opportunity in describing deadliest terrorists as ‘misguided youth’ but at the same time ensure that thousands participate in their funeral processions as martyrs. If ‘misguided’ then how come they become martyrs? Second and most important, the terror monsters who cause attrition to security forces or innocent Kashmiris in the Valley are projected as ‘misguided youth’ and when the same lot of zealots commit sacrilegious acts in the Jammu region, every effort is made to let them off as lunatics or mentally unsound. Remember, how the Aap Shambu desecrator is being provided olive branch by proving him to be an insane youth by a segment of the State Administration without ascertaining his credentials and motives behind committing the offence, which could have serious ramifications but for the sagacity of the peace-loving people of Jammu. 

Kashmir has many contradictions, the biggest being attitude of some people towards terrorists and terror sponsor Pakistan. When hurt voices (in the aftermath of martyrdom of eight CRPF personnel in Pampore) sought surgical operations against terror havens in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, commotion was witnessed in some political outfits. They generated euphoria over ‘war hysteria’ being created over the issue, ignoring the fact that tackling terrorism is fundamental duty of a sovereign nation. 

India is within its rights to carry out operations against terrorists, wherever they are, including Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Those objecting to this right are forgetting that PoK is part of Jammu and Kashmir and as many as 25 seats continue to remain reserved for them in the Legislative Assembly. 

India is committed to ‘liberating’ PoK and restoring it back to Jammu and Kashmir. The unanimous resolution passed by Parliament on 22 February 1994, inter allia resolved, “This House notes with deep concern Pakistan’s role in imparting training to the terrorists in camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir, the supply of weapons and funds, assistance in infiltration of trained militants, including foreign mercenaries into Jammu and Kashmir with the avowed purpose of creating disorder, disharmony and subversion: reiterates that the militants trained in Pakistan are indulging in murder, loot and other heinous crimes against the people, taking them hostage and creating an atmosphere of terror; Condemns strongly the continued support and encouragement Pakistan is extending to subversive and terrorist activities in the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir”. 

It is, therefore, not a question of tackling terror in PoK alone but also crushing it with iron fists in the Valley, which is the primary duty of the nation. The weak-kneed policy of New Delhi might have prolonged elimination of terrorism in Kashmir for 26 years but India has not forfeited its right to use appropriate force, including air-prowess, to crush militant modules in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. If Islamabad can do it in Waziristan, what stops India from moving towards Muzaffarabad to crush the snake in its backyards?    But the rulers that may be in the national capital won’t do so as they believe pumping of funds may win them war against terror in Kashmir.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source

India Working on Strategy to Divide Pakistan into Four Pieces

Addressing the students of Lovely Professional University (LPU) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and newly nominated Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy said "India would never want to declare a war against Pakistan. He also said that if Pakistan desires war, India is ready for it. Pakistan has no power. It is frustrated and weak. Their civilian government is useless. It's a dummy government. If the military wants a war, we are ready, but we are not going to declare a war."

He also added, "We have always been a country which has never gone to war with any country unless the war is forced on us. Pakistan government is useless and lacks confidence. On the other hand, India is confident, we have already ripped them apart into two last time, next time we will break them into four pieces." Concluding this, he claimed, "India is already working on a strategy to divide Pakistan into four if the neighbor didn't mend its ways." 

Subramanian Swamy, who is well known for his straight forward and controversial remarks, also added "The groundwork has begun , thought tomorrow my party may call it my personal opinion but we are all working on it" although no one at the government level admits to what he said. Source

Stay tuned for more updates! Jai Hind!

Combat Capable Rustom-II UAV to be tested in Chitradurga

The first flight of India's new combat-capable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Rustom-II is scheduled to be held by the end of July in Chitradurga test flight range.

Scientists at the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) would move to the test range later this week for the trial as a window between July 28 and August 2 would be kept open for the flight in the presence of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

Once ready, the medium-altitude, long-endurance (Male) UAV is likely to be an asset for the military not only for its surveillance capability, but also for its ability to be used as an unmanned armed combat vehicle in the line of the US’s Predator that New Delhi is interested to buy.

“Rustom-II is a very big platform with a range of 250 km. However, for the first flight we will be flying it up to a distance of 50-100 km,” said a source associated with the UAV’s development.

Compared to Rustom-I that was test flown for the first time in November 2009, Rustom-II will be having Electronic Intelligence, Communication Intelligence, Medium and Long-Range Electro-optic Payloads and Synthetic Aperture Radar that will enable it to see through the clouds.

“Rustom-I is a primitive vehicle with minimal capabilities. Rustom-II, on the other hand, has several capabilities, including the ability to carry weapons,” G Satheesh Reddy, Scientific Adviser to Raksha Mantri.

Once fully ready, Rustom UAVs are meant to replace Israeli Heron unmanned aerial vehicles being used by the air force and the navy. The aircraft is named after former Indian Institute of Science professor Rustom Damania, who pioneered aviation research in India in the 1980s.

Addressing a seminar on UAV in Delhi last November, an ADE official stated that the three services initially projected a requirement of 76 of these platforms.

However, like many other defence research and development organisation (DRDO) projects, Rustom-II is also facing time overrun as the production schedule, first fixed for 2016, has now been pushed to 2017 with the possibility that it may get further delayed.

The biggest challenge faced by the scientists is the excess weight of the airframe. The airframe had a weight of about 2,400 kg by 2015 end, which ADE scientists would have to bring down to about 1,700 kg in the final version for accommodating every sensor package.

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and Bharat Electronics Ltd partners DRDO in the development of Rustom-II and has committed several hundred crores as financial support.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source

French help likely to boost prospects of Kaveri Engine

The Defence Ministry may revive the stalled Kaveri engine project with French support with Paris offering technical assistance on the indigenous engine. The development has come as one of the offsets for the multi-billion dollar contract to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Air Force.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) folded up its three-decade-old Kaveri gas turbine engine project after spending nearly Rs 2,000 crore as the indigenous engine could not generate adequate thrust required for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft. The French experts who examined the Kaveri project felt about 25-30% development work on the engine remains, which can be completed in the next 18 months to make the engine flight worthy by 2018.

Once the engine is ready, then future upgrade of Tejas could have them in their cores rather than buying jet engines from abroad. Failure of the Gas Turbine Research Establishment, Bangalore, to deliver the Kaveri engine forced the Defence Ministry to pick up 41 US-made GE 404 and 99 GE 414 engines for Tejas.

The Kaveri engine revival may be done by French specialist Safran, which manufactures the M88 engine for Rafale as a part of the offset. Other French majors like Thales, MBDA and Dassault, too, could be a part of the deal, which is being negotiated between the two governments.

A previous attempt by the DRDO to rope in the French company as technical consultant to revive the engine did not work out due to objections from the IAF that felt more time would be lost if the DRDO once again tries the collaboration route after spending two decades with the Russians with no result.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source

India moves to bolster its Anti-Submarine Warfare Capabilities

India’s Cabinet Committee on Security last week has cleared a $1 billion U.S. order of four Boeing P-8I Neptune maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) for the Indian Navy. These will join the Indian Navy’s eight existing P-8Is.

The Indian Navy also ordered 73 indigenously developed Varunastra heavy weight torpedoes for $132 million developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory and manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited, the Varunastra will arm the Indian Navy’s surface warships.

Comment and Analysis

The Indian Navy has been engaged in improving its anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities, namely in the form of the P-8I Neptune MPA and Kamorta-class ASW corvette. The Indian Navy commissioned its second Kamorta-class corvette, the INS Kadmatt, in January 2016. Two additional Kamorta-class ASW corvettes, the Kiltan and Kavaratti, are expected to enter service in late 2016 and early 2017.

South Asia’s naval environment has become relatively dense in terms of ASW systems. This is not just a result of the Indian Navy, but Pakistan as well, which operates a fleet of P-3C Orion MPAs and is seeking four MILGEM ASW corvettes from Turkey. In light of this, it is likely that both countries will seek to ensure that their conventional submarines are as quiet (i.e. low-acoustic) as possible. This will be of particular importance to Pakistan, which is hinging its anti-access and area denial strategy on its submarine fleet.

India is planning to equip the two of its six planned Scorpene submarines with air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems, while the Pakistan Navy has eight AIP-equipped submarines on order from China. India has an indigenous AIP system (via the Defence Research and Development Organization or DRDO) in its late stages of development, while the approach Pakistan will take in terms of AIP with its Chinese submarines has not been disclosed. In any case, the challenge posed by the P-8I, Kamorta-class corvette, as well as the Indian Navy’s ASW-capable frigates and destroyers is significant.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source

Prithvi Missiles to be retired and replaced with Agni Missile Series

Missile Man and former President APJ Abdul Kalam's dream project Prithvi will now be replaced by Agni series and other missiles. Prithvi, India's first indigenous ballistic missile, has served more than its intended use and will now be phased out.

The new Agni series will include Agni-1 (700 km), Agni-2 (2,000 km), Agni-3 (3,000 km), Agni-4 (4,000 km). Agni -5 is expected to have the longest striking range of 5,000 km.

Sources in the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) say that Agni-1 will be used to shoot targets at a range of 220 km. The Prithvi series would strike targets at a distance between 150 to 350 km.

While Agni-1 was to be replaced by another ballistic missile Prahar (with a striking range of 150 km), the idea was rejected by users, fearing that such a short-range missile could trigger a nuclear war. The enemy might panic at the sight of a ballistic missile of a short-range and could launch a nuclear attack in retaliation.

However, while the missile has been rejected by the Army, it has attracted a few countries who are now approaching India to export them.

With the Agni series and cruise missile BrahMos, India can now take care of targets between 30 to 5,000 kms. The BrahMos can take down targets from 30 to 300kms while the Agni can take care of the ranges beyond that.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source

India and US preparing for a 'Big War' against Pakistan

Hafiz Saeed, 26/11 mastermind and chief of the banned group Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), today said that India and US are signing agreements against Pakistan and are preparing for a “big war”. Saeed made these remarks while leading Eid prayers at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. He said that Muslims must unite “to fail the design of infidels”.

He said international players are conspiring against Pakistan’s nuclear programme. “The United States and India are signing agreements against Pakistan and there has been a preparation of a big war”, he said, alleging “drones are parked at Indian airports and our rulers are engaged in a fight with opposition.”

Saeed, who has a $10-million bounty for his capture, termed Pakistan and Saudi Arabia’s growing distance with the US as a “blessing in disguise”. “It is a blessing in disguise that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are getting distanced from America. This will lay foundation of the Islamic Union which is the need of the hour for the Islamic world,” he said.

He condemned the terror attack in Saudi Arabia and alleged the involvement of “foreign hands” in destabilising the Muslim world. A large number of people offered their prayer behind Saeed amid tight security with police personnel and JuD security wing members deployed in and outside the stadium. Saeed has been leading the Eid prayers at Gaddafi Stadium for the last many years.

India has repeatedly asked Pakistan to bring Saeed to justice for allegedly masterminding the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which were blamed on Lashkar-e-Toiba, a group Saeed founded. He has often been seen addressing anti-India rallies in Pakistan, but Islamabad says it has no proof against him.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source

India will become a defence ‘Export Hub’, Manohar Parrikar

The recent relaxation of foreign investment norms in the defence sector will transform the country into an “export hub” for weapons and armaments in the future, according to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

"The government has taken a big step in defence sector by permitting 100 per cent FDI in the sector. This has been done so that India becomes export hub over the years as well as self reliant," Parrikar told FICCI here on Monday.

On exporting various defence items from India, he added that several countries have already shown interest in buying weapons from India.

“It has tentatively been decided to export 10 per cent of them to countries who were interested, while keeping the remaining 90 per cent for use by India,” Parrikar said.

The minister also highlighted to the fact that big-ticket investments in the defence sector are in the pipeline.

"Allowing of 100 Per cent FDI in defence is just an enabler, major global defence companies will invest when they are sure of orders from India and other countries. Tie up of foreign companies having technology with major Indian companies including TATA’s and Mahindra are already on and huge foreign investment is in the pipeline in defence sector," he said.

Addressing a session by the FICCI Ladies Organisation, the Defence Minister said the armed forces will see larger participation of women especially in the Navy. He added that new ships are being modified with infrastructure to accommodate women in the Navy.

He said an all women battalion is also on the cards. “An idea of having all women battalion is also mooted and steps are being taken to accomodate women in National Defence Academy (NDA) and Sainik Schools. Women entrepreneurs in corporate houses can play greater role in defence production, research and support and take advantage of new government policy of greater private participation,” he said.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source

'Operation Bunker Buster' conducted by the Indian Army in Arunachal Pradesh

India has stepped up its defense preparedness along the borders with China in Arunachal Pradesh, following last month's transgression by nearly 250 soldiers of the Peoples' Liberation Army in the northeastern state's East Kameng district, from the 15,000-foot-high Line of Actual Control. Barely few kilometers from the boundary, the Indian Army conducted its first ever exercise code named 'Operation Bunker Bust' over the weekend.

BOOSTING TAWANG SECTOR'S FORWARD POST

The drill, aimed at boosting surveillance and response from the Army dugouts in the forward posts of Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang sector, was witnessed by an India Today TV team.

Indian troops, highly-placed military sources said, have been ordered to force the PLA back in case they attempt to overrun Indian territory again.

SOLDIER'S ARSENAL

Soldiers used the indigenously built 105-mm field guns in this weekend's Operation Bunker Bust. As part of the exercise to ensure combat readiness, infantry troops fired light-machine and sub machine guns to destroy enemy bunkers in coordinated strikes. Troops were also seen using high-tech surveillance equipment from under the bunkers to keep track of the PLA's activities.

At Bumla, the furthest of army posts in Tawang district, more than 100 Indian soldiers have been trained in the Chinese languages, senior military officials said.

CHALLENGES DISCOVERED

The Chinese, said Tawang Brigade commander DS Kushwaha, must realize the presence of Indian troops in these areas. "They also must realize that we are keeping an eye on their movement," Brig Kushwaha told India Today TV. The LAC, he insisted, remained under intense Indian surveillance. But the India Today TV crew found inadequate infrastructure posed a momentous challenge to Army movements from Guwahati to Tawang.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source

Russian & Indian Co's may sign agreement on joint production of Coastal Missile Systems by end of 2016

India’s Walchandnagar Industries and Russia’s Morinformsistema-Agat Concern are close to signing an agreement on joint production of coastal missile systems in India, Manas Kumar Das.

Walchandnagar Industries’ director for defense and aerospace programs, said. Walchandnagar Industries is currently in negotiations with Morinformsistema-Agat Concern on joint production of coastal missile systems, and a Russian delegation will arrive in India shortly to discuss the final details, he told Interfax. 

He said he expects that the sides will reach an agreement before the year is over. 

Das said that his company is also negotiating the joint production of naval artillery systems with Russia’s Arsenal Design Bureau. 

He said that the details of the agreements with Morinformsistema-Agat Concern and Arsenal Design Bureau will be discussed at the International Industrial Trade Fair INNOPROM 2016 in Yekaterinburg on July 11-14, of which India is a strategic partner country. 

The possibility of cooperation with other Russian weapons manufacturers is being considered and Walchandnagar Industries is ready to participate in joint production of submarines and tanks, he said. 

Walchandnagar Industries also intends to sign a memorandum of understanding with Rosoboronexport, he said. 

Walchandnagar Industries is one of the largest manufacturing holding companies in India, which produces, in particular, equipment for the defense sector, thermal power Engineering and the nuclear power industry.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source

The deadly combination of Su-30 MKI's with the BrahMos Missile draws Global interest

Still in the development stage, the kind of unprecedented business interest the Sukhoi 30-BrahMos missile combo is generating among different countries has sparked off the possibility that it might turn into a huge money-spinner for both India and Russia from exports.

Business enquiries have started, particularly after June 25, when Indian scientists created history by flying the heavyweight missile BrahMos for 58 minutes (45 minutes in flight) with a state-of-the art Sukhoi-30 executing a perfect takeoff and smooth landing at HAL Nashik, that sparked imagination about the lethality of the integration and the huge force-multiplier implications.

“Irkut Corporation of Russia, that manufactures Sukhoi-30 fighters, has received immense business enquiries on the Sukhoi 30-BrahMos combo. A lot of countries have already expressed deep interest on purchase,” an official source told this newspaper on condition of anonymity.

Asked about the business agreement with Russia for the BrahMos missile, Sudhir Kumar Mishra, CEO & MD of BrahMos Aerospace, told this newspaper: “As it is a joint venture entity with a 50.5 per cent Indian share and 49.5 per cent Russian share, the proceeds will be divided accordingly between the two partners.”

On the next step, Mr Mishra said: “Now we plan to carry out a few more flights and drop tests with a dummy missile before firing an actual BrahMos air-to-ground missile from the Sukhoi. As of now, the actual test-firing of BrahMos is expected by October-November this year.”

Explaining the process, he said: “The missile, fitted in the Sukhoi-30 fuselage, will be released from the aircraft first. Once it drops clear of the aircraft, the missile’s booster engine will ignite, propelling the weapon to its target.”

Essentially a land-attack and anti-ship cruise missile system with stealth characteristics that was developed for multiple platforms, the BrahMos can fly at a speed 2.8 times faster than sound for a 290-km strike range with a 300-kg explosive payload.

It is the kinetic energy of the missile due to its very high speed along with the warhead that makes the BrahMos a deadly weapon. The missile’s high supersonic speed all through the flight, its low flight range with a variety of trajectories and its low radar signature enables it to straightaway bang on the target with pinpoint accuracy without being detected by enemy radar systems.

The demand for the BrahMos is quite high in the Indian armed forces too. “The Army has already operationalised three regiments. The Navy’s 10 frontline warships have deployed the missile. The Air Force has acquired the land-attack BrahMos. Now the Brahmos air version will power many Sukhoi fighters of the IAF,” an official said.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source

IAF likely to get fully-loaded Tejas version it wants by 2020

The Flying Daggers, the first squadron of the Tejas indigenous light combat aircraft, which currently comprises two jets, will touch its full strength of 20 by 2018. 

Though it has been inducted, the Tejas is not completely combat-ready. It is equipped with close combat air-to-air missiles, helmet-mounted display and precision-guided bombs. The final version will incorporate beyond visual range (BVR) missiles, improved stand-off weapons, and mid-air refueling capability. IAF also wants an active electronically scanned array radar and advanced electronic warfare suite. The Air Force will begin to get the Tejas it really wants only by 2020. 

Group captain Madhav Rangachari, the first commanding officer of the Tejas squadron, completed the first 20-minute flight after Tejas was inducted. The squadron will have seven officers, 42 air warriors and 20 non-commissioned officers to begin with. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his congratulations with: "Induction of indigenously made Tejas fighter jet into the Air Force fills our hearts with unparalleled pride & happiness." 

The Flying Daggers will remain in Bengaluru for about two years before moving to its permanent base in Sulur in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore district in 2018. HAL is expected to deliver the next two aircraft in the next few months and three more by mid-2017. The fourth generation aircraft, Tejas has the best record (with no crashes) for any new fighter platform in the world, having flown 2,029 hours in 3,187 sorties. 

Air Marshal Walia said: "It is our aircraft and we will get more of it. The final operational clearance (FOC) is expected in March 2017 and by 2018-end we should have 20 aircraft (including four trainers) as part of the squadron, when it goes to Sulur." 

While Team Tejas -Aeronautical Development Authority (ADA) and HAL -maintains the official cost of Tejas MK-I at Rs 9,000 crore, the Centre, citing delays, has put the overall cost at Rs 57,000 crore. 

The IAF has committed to acquiring 40 Tejas aircraft, 20 in the initial operational clearance configuration and 20 in the FOC configuration, and the IAF is expected to increase orders to 80 aircraft.Team Tejas has built prototypes of the naval version.A single unit of the upgraded Tejas is expected to cost Rs 275 crore to Rs 300 crore. 

Tejas, which compares with the best in its class, will prove much cheaper than imported jets over time. It will reduce the country's strategic vulnerability to foreign-weapon supplies being choked in times of conflict.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source

Varunastra, India gets its first indigenous torpedo

Working as a major boost for India’s defence and a huge step towards ‘Make in India’, Varunastra, India’s first indigenous torpedo, has been launched.

Having almost 95% indigenous content, Varunastra is capable of targeting quiet and stealthy submarines, both in deep and littoral waters in intense countermeasure environment.

Developed by Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), a premier lab of DRDO, Varunastra torpedo is an indigenous state-of-the-art heavy weight ship launched anti-submarine electric torpedo. 

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will formally hand over the torpedo to the Indian Navy today, 73 such torpedoes have been ordered by the Indian Navy.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source

Indian Armed Forces get Converged Communications Network

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday dedicated to the nation an indigenously-developed converged communications network for the armed forces, a major step towards ensuring their network centricity.

The state-of-the-art, fully secure Defence Communication Network (DCN), developed by IT major HCL Infosystems, is the largest single satellite network in the Indian defence forces, spread across the country, a company statement said.

This integrated communication architecture between the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force "bolsters the prowess of the defence forces during both critical operations and rescue missions. DCN is a major step towards ensuring network centricity across the three services, the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) headquarters and the Strategic Forces Command (SFC)," the statement said.

Speaking on the occasion, Premkumar Seshadri, Executive Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, HCL Infosystems Ltd. said: "This is a moment of great honor for us. HCL Infosystems is proud to design, develop and deploy the first ever converged tri-service communication and IT network for the Indian Defence Forces."

"The network has been entirely designed and developed in India. We have made significant investments in creating defence communication technology practice, involving design of critical technology systems for military communication. HCL Infosystems is privileged to have the opportunity to successfully partner in yet another mission critical program of national importance," Seshadri added.

HCL Infosystems has had a long association with the Indian defence sector. The company has closely worked with the Indian Air Force to deploy the Air Force Network (AFNet) and AFCEL (Air Force Cellular Network). AFNet is the first network of its kind for Indian defence institutions, which interlinks major installations throughout the country on a high bandwidth network. It incorporates latest traffic transportation technology in the form of internet protocol.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source

Indian Navy launches Water Jet Craft in Kolkata

The Indian Navy on Thursday launched the last of the series of the Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (WJFAC) ship at a ceremony in Kolkata. The WJFAC vessel was launched in the waters by wife of chief of logistics, Vice-Admiral Jayant Korde, at Raja Bagan dockyard, a facility meant to build small ships.

The fighter craft is capable of attack missions and is also used against smuggling and poaching activities. Vice-Admiral Korde said that WJFAC will play an important role in maintaining maritime security.

"It's a great occasion. Water Jet FAC (Fast Attack Craft) is need of the hour today because the kind of threat scenarios we are facing here in our country and to maintain our security, maritime security. And that maritime security is directly linked to the economic security of our nation. So, therefore Water Jet FACs play very important role," he said.

The ship is named Tarasa, after an island in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. All the necessary equipment and systems will be installed in the ship after being put to sea for trials before being inducted in the navy later in the year. The 49-meter long vessel weighs 315 tons and is designed to reach a maximum speed of 35 knots.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source

MoD concludes deal with L&T for K9 Vajra-T Howitzers

India is set to award its largest order for military equipment to the private sector, with the Ministry of Defence concluding negotiations with Larsen & Toubro for 100 new mobile artillery guns that may be deployed along the western border to blunt the edge that Pakistan has with US-supplied weapons.

The Rs 4,500-crore contract for the K9 Vajra-T howitzer, which had been under price negotiations since the beginning of this year, has been finalized and the defence ministry is set to move it to the Cabinet Committee on Security for approval.

Besides being the first artillery gun to be made by a private firm in India, only the Ordnance Factory Board has produced howitzers in the past, the value of the contract makes it the largest to be entrusted to the industry.

"The deal has now been frozen as the price negotiations have been completed. A Cabinet approval for the contract is expected to come through over the next month or so, following which the order will be placed," a person involved in negotiations said.

L&T, which has Samsung as its technology partner for the contract, will produce the guns in India under a JV company. Close to 50% of the gun will be indigenized and manufactured in India at L&T's Strategic Systems Complex at Talegaon near Pune. The 155-mm artillery guns are specially designed for operation in the desert areas bordering Pakistan and have been a long-standing requirement of the Indian Army.

The mobile artillery guns will take on a Pakistani battlefield edge on the back of artillery guns supplied by the US. Concerns over Islamabad acquiring a conventional edge heightened in 2009 when the US supplied it 115 of the modern M109A5 cannons as a 'reward' for its assistance in the war on the Afghanistan border.

While the initial order is for 100 guns to be delivered within four years of signing the contract, the number may double as the deal has a follow-on clause. L&T won the bid for the army's contract last year in a global competition against a Russian company, which failed to clear technical trials.

Industry experts said the contract would boost the private sector, which has been scouring for orders from the defence ministry. "This proposed contract, which could well be the single largest inked by an Indian private sector player, will have a multiplier effect not just on the revenue but also on the confidence of the relevant tiered participants of the indigenous defence industrial base. In addition, it will serve as a beacon for other private players when it will eventually get signed," said Ankur Gupta, vice-president A&D at EY India.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source

Indian pilots will fly Russian 5th-gen FGFA

Indian pilots will finally get to fly the Russian prototype of the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) once the contract between New Delhi and Moscow on the joint development of futuristic combat jet is finalized.

Access to the Russian next-generation jet was one of the key sticking points between the two countries leading to the enormous delay in the project taking-off. Cost escalation and questions on serious technical deficiencies in the offer on plate were other breaking points.

The issue was resolved after intervention at the highest political level after officials failed to break the deadlock that had threatened to derail the much-anticipated project that would have addressed Indian Air Force's requirement for a futuristic fighter jet. It is an important breakthrough as New Delhi had been trying to have a closer look at the Russian prototype (T-50) of PAK-FA on which the Indian version, called the Prospective Multi-Role Fighter (PMF), is based. 

Despite India paying $295 million for the preliminary design, Russia was not keen to share technical details of the prototype. Six prototypes of PAK-FA are currently flying. The project, which started in 2007, has now been resurrected. The projected cost agreed in 2011 was $10.5 billion.

India had found several problems in the preliminary design as it was worried about the maintenance, the engines, stealth features and the weapon carriage system. Sources said that once the research and development contract is finalized, for which negotiations were underway, the Indian pilots will get to fly the prototype. The aircraft forms part of the IAF's future fighter matrix. Under the initial plan, it was proposed that 94 months will be taken after the signing of the agreement to complete the development program.

With the plan already running significantly behind schedule, the inductions will have to wait until the contract is finally sealed. As reported by Mail Today, Russia had held a demonstration flight of the aircraft for the Indian experts which ended in disaster as the plane caught fire.

The incident had added fuel to the Indian concerns about the platform. The political push now has provided fresh thrust to the program. India had initially sought around 40 trainer versions of the FGFA but the plan was later shelved as Russia developed single seater combat jets.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source

Boycott Chinese goods for blocking India's entry in NSG

Peeved at China voting against India's bid to enter Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) on June 24, social media was flooded with messages for complete boycott of Chinese products.

Young Kanpurites, who generally do not take much interest in politics, took this issue seriously and targeted China with their sharp comments on Facebook. They even circulated messages on Whatsapp groups and asked their friends to stop using Chinese products to register their protest. They also pulled the dragon into trolling zone on social networking sites to express their anger over China's move in opposing India's membership of NSG. Many people directly blamed China for thwarting India's bid to NSG while others raised questions on the fact that if three out of five BRICS nations had voted against India then why India is still a part of BRICS group.

"Some countries who control the NSG are like shopkeepers who sell fruits at the front door but make more money by running a butcher shop at the backyard, and China is one of them", wrote Subham Singh, a student, on the Facebook.

"China, Brazil and South Africa were against India's entry in NSG. South Africa relented in the last hour. Does India have to be part of such a treacherous organization where three out of five countries have stabbed us in the back?" questioned a young entrepreneur on his social blog. Few of them commented that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visits to different countries have completely failed as they had stabbed India by not supporting her in the NSG membership bid.

"It is surprising that our PM visited almost all countries like Brazil, Switzerland, Turkey, Austria, Ireland, New Zealand to get their support. Even after giving assurance, these countries did not support India. We should stop going to these places for vacationing," wrote Faiz Anwar on Facebook. "US has not signed, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), but it is an important member of NSG. People should start a movement in India for boycotting Chinese goods," said Mayank Verma.

Besides, using social media to stand against the dragon, few youth, representing an NGO, came out on road and launched a signature campaign in the city in the hot sultry weather on Sunday. "Out of 48 members, 38 countries supported us and the move was vetoed by just 10 member nations. Are these 10 countries so strong to veto 38 others? I also strongly feel that we should stop buying Chinese goods", said Mohammad Nasir, who was a part of the signature campaign.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source

IAF plans to put LCA Tejas in combat role by next year

The Indian Air Force plans to put much-delayed Tejas in combat role by next year after raising in July the first squadron of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft which it counts "Superior" to Pakistan's JF 17 fighters. 

State-run HAL handed over the first two Tejas aircraft to IAF on July 1 which will make up the 'Flying Daggers' 45, the name of the first squadron of the LCA which will be based in Bangalore for the first two years before being moved to Sulur in Tamil Nadu. 

The idea is to have a total of six aircraft this financial year and about eight in the next. Tejas will feature in combat plan of the IAF next year and will be deployed in forward bases also, IAF sources said. They asserted that Tejas, which still has at least 19, mostly related to maintenance and easier operations, of the 43 deficiencies that the force had highlighted earlier, is "one of the exceptional single-engine fighter aircraft in the world". 

Asked how the aircraft fared in comparison to JF 17, jointly developed and built by Pakistan and China, the IAF said it was "better". "It is a better one since it is mostly made of composite which makes it light and very agile. It also comes with smart ammunitions and bombs which help it to hit targets in a precise manner," a source said. 

Sources also said that Tejas will replace the MiG 21s and will be used for air-to-air fight and ground attack and could also be a compliment to bigger fighter planes such as Su 30 MKI. All squadrons of Tejas will be made up of 20 planes in total, including four in reserve. As per the plan, while 20 would be inducted under the "Initial Operational Clearance," another 20 will be inducted later with Beyond Visual Range Missile (BVR) and some other features. 

The IAF plans to induct over 80 aircraft with better specifications known as Tejas 1A. The upgraded version of Tejas, with Active Electrically Scanned Array Radar, Unified Electronic Warfare Suite, mid-air refueling capacity and advanced beyond the vision range missiles, will cost between Rs 275 crore and Rs 300 crore. 

While the idea to have an indigenous fighter aircraft was conceptualized in 1970s, the actual work started only in the 80s and the first flight took place in January 2001. The IAF sources said that Tejas is also equipped with helmet-mounted display and fly-by-wire, a semi-automatic and computer-regulated system for controlling the flight of an aircraft or spacecraft which makes it a 4.5 generation plane. 

Meanwhile, sources said the LCA will not be flown by India's first women fighter pilots as only experienced pilots will be flying them initially. IAF sources stressed that beyond visual range missiles were a must for the Final Operational Clearance version of Tejas. They admitted that another requirement - mid-air refueling capability - is likely to happen only in the Tejas I A version which they hoped will come out in 2019. 

The sources maintained that Tejas will be a shot in the arm for the IAF which has seen its strength dwindling because of phasing out of old planes. The IAF currently flies with 33 squadrons as against the sanctioned strength of 42. Tejas is designed to carry a veritable plethora of air-to-air, air-to-surface, precision guided and standoff weaponry. 

In the air-to-air arena, Tejas carries long-range beyond visual range weapons, with highly agile high off-boresight missiles to tackle any close combat threat. A wide variety of air-to-ground munitions and an extremely accurate navigation and attack system allow it to prosecute surface targets over land or at sea with unparalleled accuracy, giving Tejas a true multi/swing role capability.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source

India seeks to purchase Drones from US to patrol the vast Indian Ocean

India has sent a letter of request (LoR) to the US seeking to purchase patrol drones for protection and vigilance of its maritime assets in the Indian Ocean, sources said. The letter of request (LoR) sent by New Delhi a week ago comes less than a fortnight after India was inducted into Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and recognized by the US as a “major defense partner” after the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama, earlier in June.

This is part of Modi Government’s effort to fast track its goal to secure the country’s maritime assets particularly in the Indian Ocean and detect any untoward intrusion like Mumbai terrorist attack. The letter seeks purchase of state of the art multi-mission maritime patrol Predator Guardian UAV’s (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) from General Atomics, they said. It provides high altitude wide area and has long-endurance maritime ISR capability which will help India to safeguard its maritime assets in the Indian Ocean, both east and west coast.

Flying at an altitude of 50,000 feet these drones have the capacity to fly non-stop for more than 24 hours and monitor the movement of objects as small as a football, sources said. India had previously shown interest in purchasing these drones from the US, but the Obama administration was unable to process these request as India was not a member of MTCR.

After India got the MTCR membership earlier in June, the US has started looking into the proposal and is believed to be moving ahead with the next phase of letter of acceptance. “Earlier this month, President Obama and Prime Minister Modi affirmed their support for US-India cooperation in promoting maritime security,” they said. The issue of drones was discussed by the Prime Minister with President Obama who gave a favorable response.

Referring to the India-US joint statement on June 7 at the White House, the sources said the two leaders reiterated the importance they attach to ensure freedom of navigation and overflight and exploitation of resources as per international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and settlement of territorial disputes by peaceful means.

It is estimated that India could be looking at over 250 UAV’s over the next few years estimated at over $5 billion. “Its Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) mode provides a quick and easy method for locating moving vehicles,” Dr. Lall, an aerospace scientist said.

“The radar’s Maritime Wide Area Search (MWAS) mode provides the capability to complete a variety of maritime missions successfully, including coastal surveillance, long-range surveillance, small target detection, and search and rescue operations. These are also equipped with an Automatic Identification System (AIS) for identifying vessels at sea,” he added.

Stay tuned for more updates! Do Share your Thoughts in the Comments section below and Do Not forget to Check Out our Trending Now section! Jai Hind!

Source