BEL missile seeker venture with Israel's Rafael may come through this year

Madhumathi D.S.

Bangalore, April 23

Bharat Electronics' long-planned venture to make missile seekers in the country with an Israeli partner looks set to come through this year.
The tie-up proposed between the navaratna defence enterprise and Israeli major Rafael Advanced Defence Systems has been in the works for some time.
Although the two companies signed a term sheet more than two years ago, it looks an easier prospect now than before as Rafael is agreeable to holding a lower equity of 26 per cent in the proposed venture, according to Mr Ashwani Kumar Datt, Chairman and Managing Director of BEL.
At present, the Government limits foreign direct investment in a defence venture to 26 per cent.
“We are trying to re-do the business plan and finalise (the details of the proposed joint venture),” Mr Datt told Business Line.
He did not mention the likely investment – which is expected to be at a couple of hundred crore rupees – saying, “Money is not the issue but others, such as self-reliance with limited dependence on imports.”
Mr Datt said missile systems had a good market potential in the coming years and would be an integral part of the Rs 5,000-crore company's business.
BEL is also part of a consortium that will make Akash anti-aircraft missiles worth Rs 4,600 crore for the Air Force.
The venture, when it comes through, may involve technology transfer, manufacturing at any of BEL's nine facilities, as also co-development of seekers for other missiles. Apart from meeting the needs of the two countries, the MoU of February 2008 had also a provision for exports.
A seeker or ‘homer' is a mini precision guidance radar or device that is virtually the brain of missile. It detects enemy targets in air or on ground and guides the missile to destroy them.
Seeker technology, according to Dr V.K. Saraswat, Director-General of Defence Research and Development Organisation and Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, who spoke at a recent event in Bangalore, is a very important but weak link that the defence R&D establishment was trying to bridge.
As the missiles portfolio development plan got enlarged, a variety of seekers would be needed in future, he had said.
The home-made Akash anti-aircraft missile, for example, does not use a seeker and is controlled and commanded from ground continuously.

War games over Maoist belt

Jayanta Gupta , TNN, Apr 24, 2010, 04.57am IST

KOLKATA: Come October and the skies over Jangalmahal will resonate to the sound of powerful jet engines. Pilots of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in Eurofighter Typhoons will match their skills against the IAF's flying aces in Indradhanush 2010 the third in a series of joint air exercises between India and the UK.

This is the first time that the RAF would be participating in war games at Air Force Station Kalaikunda.

"The IAF will fly Sukhois, Mig-29s and Mirage-2000s. Till now, the RAF has maintained that Typhoons and Tornados would participate. They are looking forward to their visit as Kalaikunda offers a lot," an IAF officer said.

Kalaikunda is close to the Bay of Bengal that allows uninterrupted flying and firing practice without interfering with civilian air traffic. The air base has also been upgraded to accommodate contingents of pilots, airmen and support staff. The Eurofighter Typhoons flown by the RAF is among the aircraft offered to India.

IAF officers are not too concerned with the Maoist activity in West Midnapore though Kalaikunda is on the fringes of Jangalmahal and very close to Lalgarh. They say the Maoists have not posed any threat to the airbase or other installations, like the radar station at Salua, till now.

"The foreigners will certainly not leave the premises without escort. Moreover, all our bases are equipped to handle attacks by jehadi groups. We are already experienced in putting up guests from abroad and we don't foresee any trouble," the officer said.

The IAF which will send fighters to France soon for air exercises is certainly keen to take on' the RAF on home soil. Though officers categorically state that such exercises are not competitive in nature, fighter pilots are constantly on the lookout for challenges.

REPORT ON "Helicopters"

New Delhi: The Navy has initiated the process for procurement of new Light Utility Helicopters(LUHs) to replace its ageing fleet of Chetak choppers.

"We are on the look out for a twin-engined helicopter of modern airframe design and fully integrated advanced avionics to replace our existing fleet of Chetak helicopters, which were inducted about 30-35 years ago," Navy officials said here.

The Navy recently issued a global Request For Information (RFI) for an unspecified number of new LUHs, asking the vendors to reply within next three weeks with details of their products.
The next step, the global Request for Proposal (RFP), is expected to be issued by the middle of this year to chopper majors like the European consortium Eurocopter, Italian Agusta Westland and the Russian Kamov.
These companies are already taking part in the field trials of the USD 600 million tender to supply 197 LUHs for replacing the French-origin Cheetah/ Chetak fleet of the Army and the Air Force.
The IAF and the Army will get 384 LUHs over the next decade, of which 197 would be procured from foreign vendors and the remaining would be indigenously produced by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
As per the RFI, the Navy wants the helicopters to have controls for two pilots but it should be capable of being operated by single pilot also.
"The new choppers would be used to carry out search and rescue, casualty evacuation, observation and surveillance and limited electronic intelligence gathering," officials said.
The choppers should have the capability to carry out anti-submarine warfare attack with torpedoes and depth charges besides anti-terrorism and anti-piracy roles.
The Navy wants twin-engine choppers to provide more survivability to its crew while flying over maritime zone.
The helicopters will be used for both shore-based and offshore operations and the Navy has specified they should be capable of operating from small decks and larger decks (up to aircraft carrier) in adverse weather by day and night.
It also wants the choppers to be operated from snow-covered surface, sleet, sand, water and slush.

The thruster that fell into sea

A file picture of GSat-4 at Sriharikota
M. Ramesh

Chennai, April 24

Amid the din of big rockets and cryogenics, a small but very significant step into space, which plunged into the sea along with the GSat-4 satellite, went completely unnoticed.
Even its mention in the brochures and other publicity literature was so unobtrusive and couched in jargon that perhaps an enthusiast would probably have glossed over its significance.
We are speaking of the ‘plasma thrusters'.
Fuel is the key
First a little background. A satellite is put in a particular orbit the choice of which largely depends upon what the satellite is meant to do. In that orbit, it keeps circling Earth at a particular ‘orbital velocity', which is a function of Earth's gravity acting upon it. But, since in the cosmos a body is acted upon by a number of gravitational forces, a body like the satellite, often swerves from its orbit and could either crash into Earth's atmosphere or slowly spin away into space.
In order to prevent a satellite from thus getting lost, small engines are fitted in and these can be fired by signals from Earth. When a satellite begins to go astray, its trackers on Earth fire one of these engines to nudge it back in line. But once these engines run out of fuel, the trackers can't do this and the satellite goes out of control. Therefore, the fuel these engines contained determines the life of the satellite.
Typically, in a satellite, half the space is occupied by these engines, leaving only the rest for equipment such as transponders or cameras.
The GSat-4 was a little different. Instead of conventional chemical engines, it had four ‘plasma thrusters.' Because of this, the life of the satellite would have been seven years, instead of 4-5. At optimum use, these plasma thrusters could enhance the life of a satellite to even 15 years.
A plasma thruster is an engine that uses the discharge of plasma to propel an object. Plasma is a gas in which some electrons have been ripped off their atoms by the application of external energy. These electrons and the (remainder) ions co-exist, and this state is often referred to as the fourth state of matter, after solid, liquid and gas. Plasma exists everywhere. The sun, for instance, is a huge chunk of plasma.
Plasma, electrically charged gas, is influenced by magnetic field. In a plasma thruster (to put it in very simple terms), you create a magnetic field, with the help of which you can direct a jet of plasma out through a nozzle. A thrust, in the opposite direction, results.
Plasma thrusters are nothing new. They have been used off and on, even as early as the 1960s. There seems to be some resurgence in interest in them now. However, the GSat-4 was the first instance of them being used in India.
4 thrusters
The GSat-4 satellite had four of these thrusters – two made by Russians and two ‘made in India'.
Satellites launched by ISRO in future may be expected to use plasma thrusters for maintaining ‘attitude', or orientation. These thrusters last much longer than the chemical rockets used today, as they are powered by electricity that the solar panels generate from sunlight. Consequently, not only will the satellites live long. Also, more on-board space will be freed for instruments.
The GSat-4 would have been a good learning experience. Alas, it's gone!

Navy Seals seal a bond

|OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT |Sunday , April 25 , 2010|

New Delhi, April 24: A US navy flotilla reached Goa yesterday for the latest edition of the Malabar series of exercises with the Indian Navy in which the two forces will practise anti-submarine warfare and special operations.

India does not conduct such large-scale naval exercises with any other country. The two navies believe they are “inter-operable”.

This is the first time the US Navy has sent its special forces, the Seals, with its frontline units for the exercise. The 14th round of the Malabar exercise will continue till May 2.

The ships from America’s Seventh Fleet include a guided missile cruiser, the USS Shiloh, destroyers USS Chaffee and USS Lassen, frigate USS Curts, a Los Angeles class nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Annapolis, two P3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft and a 28-member US Navy special forces team.

From the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet, the guided missile destroyer, INS Mysore, and three guided missile frigates, the INS Godavari, INS Brahmaputra and INS Tabar, a submarine, the INS Shankush, Sea Harrier fighter aircraft, and helicopters are to participate in the bilateral exercise.

“Naval co-operation between India and USA epitomises the long-term strategic relationship between both countries. Both navies have, over the years, undertaken diverse bilateral activities such as training exchanges, information exchanges, and technical co-operation. Our nations have significant convergence of interests, especially in the maintenance of maritime security,” a statement from the Indian Navy said.

India and the US signed a Framework for Maritime Security Co-operation in 2006.

During the current edition of the exercise, the two navies will practise, apart from anti-submarine warfare, surface firing, maritime interdiction operations and Visit Board Search and Seizure.

“The interoperability achieved over the years as a result of such exercises has proved to be operationally beneficial, particularly during the ongoing Anti Piracy Operations in the Gulf of Aden as also during Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations such as the tsunami of 2004,” the navy statement said.

HAL,BEL beat pvt rivals to win Rustom project

K. Raghu

Bangalore: State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) have jointly won a bid to design and build Rustom, an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, for India’s defence research agency.

Unmanned aerial vehicle: DRDO’s Rustom prototype
displayed during Aero India 2009 at Air Force Station Yelahanka, Bangalore. Hemant Mishra/Mint

HAL and BEL edged out private firms in the race for the project—the first Indian military aircraft programme to invite the private sector to design and build a plane. Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T), Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) and Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd were the other contenders.Rustom would be a medium-altitude, long-endurance aircraft, to be designed to fly at least 250km at a stretch.
It’s the third large Indian defence project in the race for which private firms lost out to public sector rivals. India opened up defence equipment development and manufacturing to the private sector in 2002 in a move aimed at stepping up indigenization of military equipment. India still imports nearly 70% of its weapons and aircraft.
In the US, the government encourages private sector firms such as Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. to compete for military projects and funds only the development cost of planes and weapon systems.
“HAL-BEL gave us a clear road map for manufacture,” said Prahlada, chief controller of research and development at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). He goes by one name.
In 2008, HAL was preferred over Godrej, L&T and Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd to build Saras, a 14-seat passenger plane, by National Aerospace Laboratories after its main customer, the Indian Air Force, insisted on the military plane maker.
BEL was selected in March this year to build the Indian Army’s tactical communication system, a contract of at least $1 billion (Rs4,450 crore). It was to be the biggest military project till date thrown open to domestic private companies. Seven firms, including L&T, the Tatas and Roltas Thales Ltd, a joint venture of Roltas India Ltd and France’s Thales Group, bid for the contract.
“This is a disappointment for us since we had been told that the projects would be open for participation by the private sector on a competitive basis,” said M.V. Kotwal, vice-president for the aerospace and defence business at L&T, India’s largest engineering firm. “Otherwise we would not have spent the time and efforts in preparing for the bids. Detailed plans for execution had also been presented as required,” he said.
L&T, which makes submarines and ships for the Indian Navy, bid for all the three contracts. TASL did not respond to emails for comment.
A defence ministry official, who is familiar with two of the three projects mentioned, said decisions were taken in favour of the defence public sector undertakings after assessing the capability of vendors for specific projects. He did not want to be named due to the sensitive nature of the business. An HAL official, who did not want to be named, said though the firm had been invited for technical talks, the Aeronautical Development Establishment, a DRDO agency, is yet to place an order.
In the Rustom contract, firms need to invest Rs400 crore in prototypes and trials that could take at least a decade, but there was no guarantee of an order from the armed forces once it is completed, said one official at a private firm who did not want to be named or his company to be identified. An HAL official confirmed this.
“If there is no assurance of an order, why should the private industry come forward and invest? We know it takes time to profit, but at least we don’t want to lose money,” the same company official said.
Analysts say that it would take time for the defence ministry to involve private participation in equipment design and manufacturing.
“The process does take a little time. There are efforts made in DPP (the defence procurement procedure) to involve private industry. But I think much more can be done,” said N.S. Sisodia, director general of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. He did not comment on individual contracts.
The defence ministry has brought in a made-in-India category in its latest DPP, which favours local firms in defence equipment design and manufacturing.

 

US Congress notified on C-17 transport aircraft sale to India

PTI, Apr 26, 2010, 05.00pm IST

NEW DELHI: The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency has notified the Congress of a potential sale of 10 Boeing C-17 transport aircraft to India.

The notification of the sales of the aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) was submitted to the US Congress on April 22, according to an official release here.

"This is an important step forward in the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process and is a necessary prerequisite to negotiations on the deal," the release from the US embassy said.

After hearing of the notification, US Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer said, "The potential sale of C-17s strengthens the growing partnership between our two countries demonstrates our enduring commitment to sharing the world's best technology with India."

He said, the sale would offer economic benefits for India and the US and is likely to include significant job creation in both countries. "India is a leading partner in our efforts to promote regional stability, peace and economic growth," Roemer added.

The C-17 is the workhorse of the US Air Force transport fleet and has proven to be highly reliable in the harsh environments of Iraq and Afghanistan. The IAF would use the C-17s to modernise India's armed forces with new cargo capabilities and as a replacement for its ageing Russian IL-76 fleet.

With a 75-tonne payload, the C-17 can take off from a 7,000-foot airfield, fly 2,400 nautical miles in one go, and land even on a small, austere airfield at 3,000 feet or less. In addition to the US Air Force, the C-17 is currently in service with the British Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, the Canadian Forces, NATO and Qatar. The UAE too has placed orders for the aircraft.

Although the official notification to Congress lists the potential value as USD 5.8 billion, this represents the highest possible estimate for the sale, and includes all potential services offered.

The actual cost will be based on IAF's requirements and is yet to be negotiated. In addition to the C-17 airplanes themselves, if the IAF desires, it could purchase services that could include training for aircrew and maintenance personnel, spare parts, test and ground support equipment, technical assistance, engineering services, IAF-specific unique modifications, logistical and technical support. 

ISRO to launch Cartosat-2B on May 9

26 Apr 2010, 2046 hrs IST,PTI

BANGALORE: India's advanced, high-resolution remote-sensing satellite Cartosat-2B would be launched on May 9 at 9.23 am from Sriharikota spaceport, ISRO said today.

"It will be launched at 9.23 am on May 9 by PSLV-C15," Indian Space Research Organisation spokesperson S Satish told PTI.

The highly agile satellite is expected to give a boost to the tasks of infrastructure and urban planning. The on-board camera would provide scene specific spot imageries for cartographic and a host of other civilian applications.

Satish said the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle would carry onboard four more satellites along with the Cartosat-2B -- an Algerian satellite weighing 117 kg, one nano satellite each from Canada and Switzerland, and StudSat, a pico satellite (under one KG) developed by engineering students from Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Weighing around 700 kg, Cartosat-2B is designed for an operational life of five years and would give pictures of 0.8 metre resolution.

Meanwhile, ISRO has constituted a failure analysis committee to probe the recent failure of the GSLV-D3 mission whose main objective was to flight-test the indigenous cryogenic engine and stage for the first time.

S Ramakrishnan, ISRO's Director (Projects) at Thiruvananthapuram-based Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, would chair the committee, which has been asked to submit the report within two months, sources in the space agency said.

The national panel of experts which included former chairmen of ISRO and eminent personalities, would then look into the report and the recommended corrective measures. This panel, after a thorough review, had given the go-ahead for the GSLV-D3 mission.

2 CRPF Bns replace army on JK highway

BY-Shabir Dar|Jammu, April 22|

Two well trained paramilitary CRPF battalions have replaced army on the Srinagar-Jammu highway, the only road link connecting Kashmir with rest of the world.

“Two CRPF battalions have replaced some of army contingents along the highway upto 145th km. Two more battalions would also be deployed between 145 to 204 kms to relieve the army men from guarding the vital highway,” Director General (Special), CRPF, Jammu N K Tripathi told Rising Kashmir.

He said the CRPF deployment is part of Government of India’s policy of trimming army’s presence on Srinagar-Jammu highway. “CRPF is ready to take over any role at any time in the State”.

Tripathi disclosed that CRPF men had undergone two weeks of training from Army and CRPF instructors before taking over the charge of independently securing the strategic NH 1-A between Jammu and Ramban (up to 145 km along the 294-km-long highway).

“After the training period completed, the CRPF men carried out joint road opening drills with army men on vulnerable locations for two weeks. On March 26, they took over the role of guarding a portion of highway from army,” he said.

DG CRPF, however, said army will still mark its presence along the highway in the form of its sophisticated surveillance equipment used on daily basis to sanitize the only road link connecting Kashmir with rest of the world. “Through their sophisticated gadgetry, they would detect the presence of any explosive/IED material near the culvert/bridge or under the ground”.

“The CRPF has initiated the process of procuring its own surveillance gadgetry, but for the time being it is relying on the Army,” he added.

BSF fires in air over suspicious movement along Indo-Pak border

PTI, Apr 23, 2010, 02.37pm IST

JAMMU: The BSF fired in the air following suspected movements of militants along the Indo-Pak border in Samba and Kathua districts in the wee hours.

According to officials, the troops of forward Chak Faqira border outpost observed some movement of infiltrators near the International border in Hiranagar belt of Kathua.

The troops fired a few para bombs to light up the area and then fired 15 to 20 rounds in the air, they said, adding there was no response from the other side.

In another incident, troops fired in the air after picking up movement near Manyari border outpost along the IB in Samba.

The BSF has launched search operations in the areas, they said.

This is the fourth such incident along the border line in Jammu, Kathua, and Samba districts in last five days. The first incident took place in Hiranagar belt on April 19 followed by a similar one in Akhnoor's Majota Border outpost on April 21.

Indian Light Combat Aircraft’s LSP – 3 takes to skies

By admin | April 23rd, 2010 |

Indian military aviation R&D got a boost today as the Limited Series Production (LSP) # 3 aircraft, the ninth test vehicle joined the flight line to undertake development flight trials of the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas towards operational clearance for induction in the IAF by the end of the year. Successful, copy book maiden test flight of LSP-3 is significant on many counts.

The LSP-3 is a quantum jump in terms of the equipment fit on the aircraft. It is almost the final configuration including the new air-data computers, Multi Mode Radar, new communication and navigation equipment and radar warning receiver. With this successful flight, the LCA (Tejas) programme is very close to the Initial Operations Clearance, which is to be completed by December 2010. The remaining effort is mostly the flight testing and demonstration of sensors and weapon performance.

LCA Tejas LSP-3

The test aircraft was flown by Wg Cdr G Thomas, VM of the National Flight Test Centre (NFTC) at ADA. As per procedure the first flight was accompanied by a chase aircraft which was a Tejas Trainer flown by Gp Capt RR Tyagi, the Chief Test Pilot and Wg Cdr (Retd) PK Raveendran SC, the Group Director (Flight Test). The test flight was conducted from the Telemetry station by the Test Director, Wg Cdr S Toffeen, under the supervision of Air Cmde Rohit Varma VM, the Project Director (Flight Test). The flight took off from HAL airport in Bangalore and all the objectives of the flight were met within the duration of 52 minutes.

With this flight the total number of test flights accumulated across nine test vehicles of the Tejas programme has reached one thousand three hundred and fifty and has logged about 800 hrs of flight.

On the successful flight of the LSP-3 Director – ADA, Mr PS Subramanyam has said that this is the “culmination of the efforts of the Tejas Team comprising of members from HAL, IAF, CEMILAC, DG-AQA, DRDO labs, PSUs, coordinated by ADA”.

Indian conducts Coastal Security Exercise – Triton II

By admin | April 23rd, 2010 |

The Triton II Coastal Security Exercise conducted from 19th April to 23rd April in Kerala by the Commander in Chief Coastal Defence has achieved all its objectives. In a special briefing conducted for the media, chaired by Commodore MR Ajayakumar, Naval Officer in Charge, Kerala along with representatives from all participating agencies, the Commodore expressed satisfaction at the gains accrued.

Exercise Triton II which saw massive mobilization of all the participating agencies involved in Coastal Security was executed by District Headquarters No 4. The second edition of Triton also had deployment of 6 Ships of the Indian Coast Guard, 2 ships from the Indian Navy, aerial assets of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard as well as assets of the Kerala Police and other agencies. 9 groups of personnel drawn from different agencies enacted the role of anti national elements whilst others fulfilled the role of Coastal Defence. The planning and execution of the exercise catered for scenarios typical to Kerala. The lacunae and shortcomings observed during the exercise are being collated for future corrective action.

The briefing was attended by representatives from Kerala Police, Intelligence Bureau, Fisheries Department, Port Department, Customs, Central Excise in addition to Commodore MS Chandrashekhar Chief Staff Officer (Operations ), Southern Naval Command and DIG BK Loshali, Commander Coast Guard District Headquarters No 4.

Money spent on Gorshkov akin to price of similar warships

Last Updated: Apr 23, 2010

NEW DELHI

(PTI): Government said the USD 1,783 million to be spent for refurbishing and repairing the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier "compares well" with the price of similar warships built in other countries.

"The repair and refurbishing cost of about USD 1,783 million (USD 1.78 billion) of the ship compares well with the cost of other aircraft carriers of similar capabilities being built elsewhere in the world," Defence Minister A K Antony said in written reply to a Rajya Sabha query Friday.

India and Russia recently signed a fresh deal worth USD 2.33 billion dollars for the Gorshkov, which was originally to be procured at a cost of USD 974 millions under a 2004 agreement.

Pointing out the reasons behind procuring the Russian-built aircraft carrier, he said,” requirement of two operational aircraft carriers for the Navy has been considered essential to perform its mandated tasks. Further, aircraft carriers are not easily available."

Antony added, after taking these aspects into consideration, the induction of the aircraft carrier was finalised to enhance the combat capability of the Navy.

Meanwhile, answering another query, the Minister said in last four years only one accident had taken place during the aerial display of defence aerobatic teams.

A Kiran Mk II aircraft of the Navy had crashed on March 3 this year at Hyderabad at an air show. While two defence services personnel died in the accident, two civilians were injured.

Indo-US naval wargames begin in Arabian Sea

23 Apr 2010, 1717 hrs IST,AGENCIES

NEW DELHI: The ten-day long Indo-US wargames began on Friday in the Arabian Sea, strengthening the relationships between the two navies to maintain peace and stability.

The thrust of the Malabar CY 10 exercise this year would be on Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Surface Firings, Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO), Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) and Submarine Operations.

Malabar CY 10, conducted from April 23 to May 2, is the fourteenth series of the Malabar round of exercise. The US Navy's frontline units of 7th fleet and Indian Navy's Western Fleet are participating in the exercise.

The scope of Malabar exercise includes diverse range of operational activities at sea. During Malabar CY 10, the US Navy will be represented by ships from CTF 70 of the USN 7th Fleet which is based at Yokosuka, Japan.

The CTF will include the Cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67), Destroyers USS Chaffee (DDG 90), USS Lassen (DDG 82) and Frigate USS Curts (FFG 38). In addition, one Los Angeles class nuclear powered submarine, USS Annapolis (SSN 760), two P3C Orion aircraft and a 28-member US Navy Special Forces team will also participate in the exercise.

INS Mysore, an indigenous Delhi Class guided missile destroyer and three guided missile frigates, INS Godavari, INS Brahmaputra and INS Tabar, will represent the Indian Navy. In addition, one Shishumar class submarine, INS Shankush, Sea Harrier fighters, other fixed and rotary wing aircraft are also scheduled to participate in the bilateral exercise.

"Naval cooperation between India and the US epitomises the long-term strategic relationship between both countries. Both navies have, over the years, undertaken diverse bilateral activities such as training exchanges, information exchange, and technical cooperation.

"Our nations have significant convergence of interests, especially in the maintenance of maritime security," said a statement released by the Indian Navy.

The annual Malabar series of exercises commenced in 1992. Thirteen such exercises have been held so far.

India says to have fifth-generation jets in 2018

23 Apr 2010, 1941 hrs IST,REUTERS

NEW DELHI: India will introduce an advanced fighter jet it is building with Russia in 2018, a move that will bring sophistication to its air power but could also spark unease among neighbours China and Pakistan.

New Delhi has watched warily as China has made rapid strides in defence, worried that Beijing's long-term strategy for the region could involve encircling India. Indian military commanders have stressed greater firepower as a counter-measure, particularly for the air force.

The fifth generation fighter aircraft joint project with Russia is part of that strategy. "The fifth generation aircraft would possess technologies which would provide it (India) the edge over adversaries in future air warfare," PV Naik, the Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF), said. "China is rapidly modernising its air force ... On our part, the IAF is reviewing its tactics regularly to increase its combat potential," Naik said.

India's plans to bolster its air force include upgrading more than 50 airbases along the Chinese and Pakistan border, he said. Traditionally, any move by India to acquire new weaponry has been met with similar moves by Pakistan, putting already fragile regional security under further strain.

The fifth-generation fighters, billed as a competitor to the US F-22 Raptor, can fool sophisticated radars and will be able to take off from short airstrips and remain in the air for longer than the current fighters, air force officials say.

India's air force says it has more than 800 active combat aircraft but is dwarfed by China's, which has more than 2,000 fighter aircraft. Arms procurement is a painfully slow process in India because of red tape and charges of corruption in winning tenders.

India plans to procure at least 200 of the fifth-generation fighters, each valued at $100 million, in a deal which analysts say is watched with unease by neighbours Pakistan and China. India is looking to spend more than $50 billion over the next five years to modernise its largely Soviet-era weapons systems.

The governments of Russia and India have already signed the deal for the advanced jet, although the two companies that will build them have not.

Officials say that is just a formality and will be completed this year. Production of the stealth jet fighter is a 50-50 joint venture between Russia and India's state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which will build a mission computer, cockpit displays and other navigation systems. India is also buying 126 multi-role fighters and will pare down the number of bidders for the $11 billion deal by June or July, Naik said. That contract is one of the world's biggest arms deals.

LCA Tejas makes successful flight

PTI, Apr 23, 2010, 07.47pm IST

BANGALORE: The maiden test flight of the most advanced of the nine 'Tejas' aircraft was today successfully carried out, bringing the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme "very close" to the Initial Operations Clearance.

It is the ninth test vehicle to join the flight line to undertake development flight trials of the LCA Tejas towards operational clearance for induction in the IAF by the end of the year, Defence Research Development Organisation said.

"Successful, copy book maiden test flight of Limited Series Production-3 (LSP-3) is significant on many counts," it said in a statement.

"With this successful flight, the LCA (Tejas) programme is very close to the Initial Operations Clearance, which is to be completed by December 2010. The remaining effort is mostly the flight testing and demonstration of sensors and weapon performance," it said.

"This is the culmination of the efforts of the Tejas Team which included members from HAL, IAF, DRDO labs and PSUs coordinated by ADA," Director, Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) P S Subramanyam said.

The LSP-3 is the quantum jump in terms of the equipment fit on the aircraft and is almost the final configuration including the new air-data computers, multi-mode radar, new communication and navigation equipment and radar warning receiver.

The test aircraft was flown by Wg Cdr G Thomas of the National Flight Test Centre at ADA.

As per procedure the first flight was accompanied by a chase aircraft which was a Tejas Trainer.

The flight took off from HAL airport in Bangalore and all the flight's objectives were met within the duration of 52 minutes, DRDO said.

"With this flight the total number of test flights accumulated across nine test vehicles of Tejas programme has reached 1,350 and has logged about 800 hrs of flight," it said.

LCA Set To Fly With Israeli Radar

Apr 22, 2010

By Anantha Krishnan M. Bengaluru

India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) is set to fly today for the first time with the Israeli Elta Multi-Mode Radar (MMR) onboard. An Indian defense ministry official confirmed to Aviation Week that “weather permitting, we are aiming for the flight on April 22.” Preparations are in full swing at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd’s (HAL) military airport for the critical flight, with last-minute mandatory safety checks underway. Airport sources confirmed that all flying activities would be stopped during the Tejas flight. “We are all set to fly the limited series production [LSP-3] aircraft ... with MMR for the first time,” an official said. “All preflight checks are over, including high-speed taxi trials and engine ground runs.” India opted for the proven Israeli Elta radar in May 2007 to enter the full-throttle weaponization stage of the program, and the radars arrived for integration in 2009. India looked toward Israel after homegrown joint efforts by HAL and India’s Defense Research and Development Organization to develop MMRs were delayed. The Tejas LSP-3 flight comes in the wake of recent criticism by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defense over delays in the program. The panel expressed its desire that engine delays be sorted out and the fighter made operational as soon as possible. India’s Aeronautical Development Agency and HAL have so far clocked 1,341 flights, and the Indian Air Force is hoping to induct the first squadron by 2014-15. Light Combat Aircraft photo: Rahuldevnath

Nishant UAV Undergoing Confirmatory Trials

Apr 22, 2010

By Anantha Krishnan M.

India’s Nishant UAV is undergoing crucial confirmatory user trials at Pokhran. The trials began April 20 and will last for one more week. Nishant previously underwent stiff user trials at Pokhran in August 2009. The UAV was developed by the Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), along with two other Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) laboratories. A senior official overseeing the program at DRDO headquarters in New Delhi confirmed to Aviation Week that the UAV’s confirmatory trials are crucial for the Indian Army. Senior scientists and engineers from DRDO and the India Army are witnessing the flights. During the last trials, the Army wanted to improve some features which are being tested during the current trials. Two flights have been completed and four more are planned in the coming days, the official said. A senior Army official at Pokhran said the trials are moving forward in a very satisfactory manner. “We are checking three crucial parameters: video quality, tracking ability and fall of gunshot [missed distance after firing]. These input performances are critical to our operations in the forward areas,” the official said. All four limited series production UAVs are taking part in the Pokhran trials. Sources said that senior officials from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Punjab police are witnessing the trials. DRDO has delivered the first four UAVs to the Indian Army at a cost of 800 million Rs ($17.9 million). The UAVs earlier underwent trials at Kolar, near Bangalore. Nishant can stay aloft for nearly five hours and has a maximum speed of 185 km. per hour. It is a multimission day/night capability UAV with advance payloads, a jam resistant command link and digital down link. Nishant is compact and can be easily deployed for battlefield reconnaissance, target tracking and fine-tuning of artillery fire. It is launched using a mobile hydro-pneumatics system and can be recovered with the help of parachutes. Nishant UAV photo: DRDO

Human error, faulty design behind Saras crash: probe

April 22nd, 2010 - 9:18 pm ICT by IANS

Bangalore, April 22 (IANS) Wrong selection of mode switch or failure to re-start the engine during the flight trial of the faultily designed light transport aircraft Saras led to its crash March 6, 2009, the investigation by the Indian aviation regulatory authority said Thursday.
“Either wrong selection of mode switch or non-pressing of start switch is the most probable cause for turboprop engine not relighting (restarting) during the test flight of the Saras P2 aircraft, resulting in its fatal crash,” the final report of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) concluded on the accident.

The two pilots of the Saras and an engineer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) were killed when the aircraft plunged to the ground near Bidadi, about 30 km from here.

The twin-engine second prototype, designed and manufactured by the state-run National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), was test flown by chief test pilot, Wing Cdr.K. Praveen, test pilot Dipesh K. Shah and flight test engineer, Sq. Ldr.S.Illyaraja of the IAF’s Aircraft System & Testing Establishment (ASTE).

The board of inquiry, instituted by the DGCA to investigate the crash, also pointed out that NAL failed to design suitable control surfaces to attain the prescribed limit and prior to formulating the Pratt & Whitney engine relight procedures in air.

“Design improvement on control surfaces is required even for flight testing purpose to enable the crew fly the aircraft manually without getting into fatigue level,” DGCA’s inspector of accidents C.P.M.P. Raju said in the 75-page probe report.

The regulator also recommended NAL to consult other aircraft manufacturing industries to explore the convenient limit of control forces for easy manoeuvrability by pilots.

Flying the experimental Saras for the first time, the pilots attempted to switch off and relight in midair (about 9,000 feet) one of the two engines (PT6A-67) as part of the mandatory flight development programme requirement.

“After ascending to its designated height of 9,000 feet, the left engine was switched off. When the crew attempted to relight or restart it after a minute, it failed, resulting in the aircraft losing height, going out of control and crashing,” the report said.

All the three on board were charred to death and were on their seats. There was evidence of fire after the crash, while the aircraft fuselage was broken from rear of the main plane and found in an inverted position. The aircraft was completely destroyed due impact and fire.

“At about five minutes prior to crash, when some abnormal behaviour of the aircraft was felt by the pilots, the co-pilot was hilariously telling commander ‘road is there for emergency’ and also advised FTE (flight test engineer) for placing readiness of parachute for emergency.

These parachutes were not used by the pilots/FTE in the accident. It is not known whether the pilots were trained to operate the parachutes in case of exigencies. Records provided to the investigation are insufficient to show their training on parachutes exercise,” the report said.

Incidentally, NAL flew the same aircraft at the Aero India 2009 air show in Bangalore without the DGCA’s permission.

The multi-role Saras was developed for use by the military and civil aviation sector at an estimated cost of Rs.150 billion though the project was conceived in the mid-1990s.

Named after the Indian crane, the airframe of Saras-PT2 was built with lighter composites to reduce its overall weight by about 400 kg from its first prototype, which was overweight by about 900 kg.

Private contractor developing Saras: Report DGCA report into prototype’s crash slams National Aerospace Laboratory

Shubhadeep Choudhury
Tribune News Service

Bangalore, April 22
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) report into the crash of the Saras prototype aircraft during a March 2009 test flight has found fault with the project’s management and work practices of its developers, the National Aerospace Laboratory here. Apart from design changes, the report has asked the laboratory not to employ private contractors for designing the country’s first civil aeroplane.

The report has accused the premier laboratory of subcontracting the design and development of Saras to a private agency, Aircraft Design and Engineering Service (ADES) Ltd, Bangalore. “The work schedule of the project indicates that almost complete work on design and development of Saras project is being done by the contractor, including flight testing analysis,” it said.

The laboratory made sure that it would retain the sole right of patenting the design and inserted a clause in its contract with ADES. However, it did not pay much attention to confidentiality and ignored adequate safeguards in case of leakage of technical information by the subcontractor.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said that since the 14-seat Saras was a national project, utmost care should be taken in its implementation. “The concept of employing a private contractor in the design and development of the Saras Project requires to be discontinued immediately. Only support for parts and appliances should be obtained from them,” the report said, adding that the contracting system followed by the laboratory needed to be reviewed.

Probable cause of the crash, according to DGCA, could be the incorrect re-light of the second engine by cutting off the live first engine at an insufficient height leading to rapid loss of altitude - a procedure devised by the designer and adopted by the crew.

Lack of crew coordination and cockpit procedures, handling of controls, non-aborting of flight by the crew in coordination with the flight test director after failure of first relight attempt and devising engine relight procedures by NAL without consulting the propeller manufacturer were the contributing factors for the tragic incident, DGCA said.

The report also added that Saras was the first civil turboprop plane being flown by pilots from the Indian Air Force’s Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment. “Assessment of crew for human factor is important. Human factor of the flight crew were not assessed by NAL for the civilian cockpit and flight operation environment (of Saras) as the test pilots are basically from the Air force environment,” the report said. It also pulled up the IAF and said the “management committee” jointly set up by IAF and NAL for monitoring the test flight did not play the role that was originally envisaged for it.

Accident inspector MP Raju submitted his report to DGCA authorities last December. It was put on the public domain today.

BSF fires in air over suspicious movement along Indo-Pak border

PTI, Apr 23, 2010, 02.37pm IST

JAMMU: The BSF fired in the air following suspected movements of militants along the Indo-Pak border in Samba and Kathua districts in the wee hours.

According to officials, the troops of forward Chak Faqira border outpost observed some movement of infiltrators near the International border in Hiranagar belt of Kathua.

The troops fired a few para bombs to light up the area and then fired 15 to 20 rounds in the air, they said, adding there was no response from the other side.

In another incident, troops fired in the air after picking up movement near Manyari border outpost along the IB in Samba.

The BSF has launched search operations in the areas, they said.

This is the fourth such incident along the border line in Jammu, Kathua, and Samba districts in last five days. The first incident took place in Hiranagar belt on April 19 followed by a similar one in Akhnoor's Majota Border outpost on April 21.

Indian Light Combat Aircraft’s LSP – 3 takes to skies

By admin | April 23rd, 2010

Indian military aviation R&D got a boost today as the Limited Series Production (LSP) # 3 aircraft, the ninth test vehicle joined the flight line to undertake development flight trials of the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas towards operational clearance for induction in the IAF by the end of the year. Successful, copy book maiden test flight of LSP-3 is significant on many counts.

The LSP-3 is a quantum jump in terms of the equipment fit on the aircraft. It is almost the final configuration including the new air-data computers, Multi Mode Radar, new communication and navigation equipment and radar warning receiver. With this successful flight, the LCA (Tejas) programme is very close to the Initial Operations Clearance, which is to be completed by December 2010. The remaining effort is mostly the flight testing and demonstration of sensors and weapon performance.

LCA Tejas LSP-3

The test aircraft was flown by Wg Cdr G Thomas, VM of the National Flight Test Centre (NFTC) at ADA. As per procedure the first flight was accompanied by a chase aircraft which was a Tejas Trainer flown by Gp Capt RR Tyagi, the Chief Test Pilot and Wg Cdr (Retd) PK Raveendran SC, the Group Director (Flight Test). The test flight was conducted from the Telemetry station by the Test Director, Wg Cdr S Toffeen, under the supervision of Air Cmde Rohit Varma VM, the Project Director (Flight Test). The flight took off from HAL airport in Bangalore and all the objectives of the flight were met within the duration of 52 minutes.

With this flight the total number of test flights accumulated across nine test vehicles of the Tejas programme has reached one thousand three hundred and fifty and has logged about 800 hrs of flight.

On the successful flight of the LSP-3 Director – ADA, Mr PS Subramanyam has said that this is the “culmination of the efforts of the Tejas Team comprising of members from HAL, IAF, CEMILAC, DG-AQA, DRDO labs, PSUs, coordinated by ADA”.

Indian conducts Coastal Security Exercise – Triton II

By admin | April 23rd, 2010

The Triton II Coastal Security Exercise conducted from 19th April to 23rd April in Kerala by the Commander in Chief Coastal Defence has achieved all its objectives. In a special briefing conducted for the media, chaired by Commodore MR Ajayakumar, Naval Officer in Charge, Kerala along with representatives from all participating agencies, the Commodore expressed satisfaction at the gains accrued.

Exercise Triton II which saw massive mobilization of all the participating agencies involved in Coastal Security was executed by District Headquarters No 4. The second edition of Triton also had deployment of 6 Ships of the Indian Coast Guard, 2 ships from the Indian Navy, aerial assets of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard as well as assets of the Kerala Police and other agencies. 9 groups of personnel drawn from different agencies enacted the role of anti national elements whilst others fulfilled the role of Coastal Defence. The planning and execution of the exercise catered for scenarios typical to Kerala. The lacunae and shortcomings observed during the exercise are being collated for future corrective action.

The briefing was attended by representatives from Kerala Police, Intelligence Bureau, Fisheries Department, Port Department, Customs, Central Excise in addition to Commodore MS Chandrashekhar Chief Staff Officer (Operations ), Southern Naval Command and DIG BK Loshali, Commander Coast Guard District Headquarters No 4.

Money spent on Gorshkov akin to price of similar warships

NEW DELHI (PTI): Government said the USD 1,783 million to be spent for refurbishing and repairing the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier "compares well" with the price of similar warships built in other countries.

"The repair and refurbishing cost of about USD 1,783 million (USD 1.78 billion) of the ship compares well with the cost of other aircraft carriers of similar capabilities being built elsewhere in the world," Defence Minister A K Antony said in written reply to a Rajya Sabha query Friday.

India and Russia recently signed a fresh deal worth USD 2.33 billion dollars for the Gorshkov, which was originally to be procured at a cost of USD 974 millions under a 2004 agreement.

Pointing out the reasons behind procuring the Russian-built aircraft carrier, he said,” requirement of two operational aircraft carriers for the Navy has been considered essential to perform its mandated tasks. Further, aircraft carriers are not easily available."

Antony added, after taking these aspects into consideration, the induction of the aircraft carrier was finalised to enhance the combat capability of the Navy.

Meanwhile, answering another query, the Minister said in last four years only one accident had taken place during the aerial display of defence aerobatic teams.

A Kiran Mk II aircraft of the Navy had crashed on March 3 this year at Hyderabad at an air show. While two defence services personnel died in the accident, two civilians were injured.

Money spent on Gorshkov akin to price of similar warships

NEW DELHI (PTI): Government said the USD 1,783 million to be spent for refurbishing and repairing the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier "compares well" with the price of similar warships built in other countries.

"The repair and refurbishing cost of about USD 1,783 million (USD 1.78 billion) of the ship compares well with the cost of other aircraft carriers of similar capabilities being built elsewhere in the world," Defence Minister A K Antony said in written reply to a Rajya Sabha query Friday.

India and Russia recently signed a fresh deal worth USD 2.33 billion dollars for the Gorshkov, which was originally to be procured at a cost of USD 974 millions under a 2004 agreement.

Pointing out the reasons behind procuring the Russian-built aircraft carrier, he said,” requirement of two operational aircraft carriers for the Navy has been considered essential to perform its mandated tasks. Further, aircraft carriers are not easily available."

Antony added, after taking these aspects into consideration, the induction of the aircraft carrier was finalised to enhance the combat capability of the Navy.

Meanwhile, answering another query, the Minister said in last four years only one accident had taken place during the aerial display of defence aerobatic teams.

A Kiran Mk II aircraft of the Navy had crashed on March 3 this year at Hyderabad at an air show. While two defence services personnel died in the accident, two civilians were injured.

Indo-US naval wargames begin in Arabian Sea

23 Apr 2010, 1717 hrs IST,AGENCIES

NEW DELHI: The ten-day long Indo-US wargames began on Friday in the Arabian Sea, strengthening the relationships between the two navies to maintain peace and stability.

The thrust of the Malabar CY 10 exercise this year would be on Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Surface Firings, Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO), Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) and Submarine Operations.

Malabar CY 10, conducted from April 23 to May 2, is the fourteenth series of the Malabar round of exercise. The US Navy's frontline units of 7th fleet and Indian Navy's Western Fleet are participating in the exercise.

The scope of Malabar exercise includes diverse range of operational activities at sea. During Malabar CY 10, the US Navy will be represented by ships from CTF 70 of the USN 7th Fleet which is based at Yokosuka, Japan.

The CTF will include the Cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67), Destroyers USS Chaffee (DDG 90), USS Lassen (DDG 82) and Frigate USS Curts (FFG 38). In addition, one Los Angeles class nuclear powered submarine, USS Annapolis (SSN 760), two P3C Orion aircraft and a 28-member US Navy Special Forces team will also participate in the exercise.

INS Mysore, an indigenous Delhi Class guided missile destroyer and three guided missile frigates, INS Godavari, INS Brahmaputra and INS Tabar, will represent the Indian Navy. In addition, one Shishumar class submarine, INS Shankush, Sea Harrier fighters, other fixed and rotary wing aircraft are also scheduled to participate in the bilateral exercise.

"Naval cooperation between India and the US epitomises the long-term strategic relationship between both countries. Both navies have, over the years, undertaken diverse bilateral activities such as training exchanges, information exchange, and technical cooperation.

"Our nations have significant convergence of interests, especially in the maintenance of maritime security," said a statement released by the Indian Navy.

The annual Malabar series of exercises commenced in 1992. Thirteen such exercises have been held so far.

Light Combat Helicopter Makes Six Flights

By Anantha Krishnan
BANGALORE, India

India’s new Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), which had its first unofficial flight on March 29, has made five more test flights ahead of its first official outing in May.

Its makers at the Bangalore-based Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) are currently putting the helicopter through initial flying lessons. Insiders confirmed to Aviation Week that so far six flights have been made, including an aborted one owing to bad weather.

Based on the proven Dhruv platform, the slim and sleek aircraft has a tandem configuration, embedded with stealth features and glass cockpit. “The performance has been excellent so far and the entire team is pleased. It’s a very steady platform,” HAL chairman Ashok Nayak told Aviation Week.

Aviation Week has learned that the pilots, for the first time, flew over nearby areas of HAL airport, including a fly-past over the airfield runway. Reporting flight details for the first time, program sources said that they shifted the LCH flights from the Alpha helipad (inside HAL’s fortified helicopter complex) to the nearby airport, after gaining confidence in the aircraft’s systems and performance.

The pilots accelerated close to 150 kph from one end of the runway to other and checked the performance of the aircraft. In later flights, they flew over the airfield and within a flight-test sector, did turns and came close to maximum speed, sources said.

The pilots also flew without the armament wing to test the performance in forward flight, briefing designers about the results. The designers were delighted on hearing that LCH had very little vibration and gave excellent aiming options.

The pilots opened up the envelope hoping to perform minimum maneuvers during the much-awaited inaugural flight. HAL is tight-lipped over the exact date of the official flight, but it is expected in May.

Short supply of fleet haunts Navy

New Delhi, April 21, DHNS

Just after the 1962 war with China, the centre zeroed in on the optimal level of naval fleet strength for securing India. Nearly half a century down the line, the navy still has not been able to achieve that level.

The emergency committee of the Union Cabinet had accepted a force level of 138 ships for navy in 1964. The current strength level is 129 ships including vintage submarines, which in any case are being phased out. The navy currently has 37 major war vessels (carrier, destroyers, frigates), 16 submarines, 59 minor war vessels and 17 auxiliary ships. Another minor vessel – an anti-submarine warfare corvette – was launched in the water from Kolkata on Monday. The vessel will be inducted after sea trials. The submarine fleet is the worst lot among all warships. It is not only down in numbers but the serviceability of these is down to half. Navy officials admit that induction of submarines hasnot kept pace with the de-induction schedule. Senior officers have told a Parliamentary panel that the Centre approved a 30 year long term submarine plan in 1999, which entails construction of 24 modern conventional diesel-electric submarines by 2030. Following the 1999 plan, the navy signed a Rs 15000 crore ($ 3 billion) deal in 2005 with French company DCNS to build six submarines at Mazgaon dock in Mumbai. The first submarine was to delivered by 2012. This programme is lagging behind schedule due to protracted delay in supply. The delivery is now expected to commence in 2015 and the entire fleet should be available by 2018, a navy official told the committee. The Navy, meanwhile, is looking for a shipyard to start building the second line of six conventional submarines with foreign collaboration. The remaining 12 are likely to be completely indigenous. The much awaited naval satellite is set to be launched between December 2010 and March 2011. The Rs 950 crore satellite, being developed by ISRO, will not only enhance connectivity between various ships and shore-based command units, but also improve navy’s surveillance capability.

Eat dosa, sink enemy

New Delhi, April 21: India’s first warship with a chapati-maker and a dosa-maker on board is scheduled to be commissioned next week, signalling that the naval headquarters has decided to put crew-comfort on its list of priorities along with firepower.

The modular furnishings in crew quarters — designed for the navy by a private company in the business — will also allow for modifications should the government, at a later date, change policy and allow women on board warships. Women’s quarters would have attached toilets.

The navy’s older warships are either of Soviet/Russian vintage or based on designs that discounted comfort for the crew (except for the senior officers). This meant that crew often had to “hot bunk” (share a bunk) in beds tucked into nooks and crannies that were available after the machinery and weapons were mounted.

The INS Shivalik (Project 17) is the first “stealth” frigate — so called because it is expected to be more difficult to detect by enemy radar — to be made in the country, at the Mazagon Docks Limited in Mumbai. The vessel’s architecture has been conceived by the navy’s own design directorate.

“We have modular accommodation for the crew which will mean more comfortable and hygienic living conditions,” the director-general of the Naval Design Directorate, Rear Admiral K.N. Vaidyanathan, said here. Vaidyanathan has been with the project since its designing began in 2000.

The chapati-maker in the fully air-conditioned galley (kitchen) will turn out nearly 500 rotis per hour. The ship will have a crew of about 250, including 35 officers. The first commanding officer is Captain B. Suresh. In the navy’s other (older) warships, the crew includes a larger complement of cooks and helpers than the Shivalik will need.

Like every other piece of equipment on board, the chapati-maker and the dosa-maker have been configured to remain steady despite the rolling and the pitching of the ship as it sails and conducts manoeuvres.

Vaidyanathan said the new interiors for the crew would be a standard in the warships that are being built now. Among them are two more frigates of the Shivalik class (the INS Satpura and the INS Sahyadri) and the larger destroyers of the INS Kolkata class (three).

The INS Kolkata is now moored in the Mumbai docks— it was put out to sea because of a shortage of berths — and is awaiting trials before being commissioned in 2012.

The Shivalik was delayed partly because the Obama administration last year asked the US firm supplying the gas turbines for it to wait for a go-ahead. India negotiated that roadblock and the frigate now has a Cobog (combined diesel or gas) propulsion system capable of powering it to 30 knots (more than 50 kmph).

At the heart of the 5,600-tonne frigate is a ship-wide integrated data network and a combat management system. Every surface of the ship is “slanted” to deflect radar signals.

Commodore Anil Kumar Saxena, the project director, said stealth features also incorporated technology to suppress heat emitted from the engines, noise from the propellers and the vibration of the machinery. The deck, on which the guns are mounted and the missile-silos embedded, is fully covered.

The Shivalik, whose keel was laid in 2002, is estimated to have cost Rs 2,300 crore. The entire project of three frigates could cost more than Rs 8,000 crore. The second vessel is scheduled for commissioning in November this year and the third in mid-2011.

40 Indian fighter jets to be fitted with BrahMos missiles

BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, which is a joint venture of India and Russia, will be fitted on the Indian Air Force's 40 Su-30MKIs fighter aircraft.

CEO and MD of BrahMos Aerospace Dr A S Pillai said: "The inclusion of BrahMos cruise missile will make the aircraft unique in firepower."

Dr Pillai was speaking to a Russian news agency at the Defence Services Asia-2010 exhibition here.

He also added that the first trials of the air-launched version were set for 2011 and the first test-flight with the missile on-board is scheduled for 2012.

The supersonic cruise missile has a range of 290-km and flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach.

The BrahMos missile is a successful joint venture of India''s Defence Research and Development Organisation and Russia's NPO Mashinostroeyenia.

BrahMos missiles sea and ground-launch versions have already been successfully tested and put into service by the Indian Army and Navy.

Navy to have air enclave at CIAL

S. Anandan

KOCHI: With an eye on its future aviation requirements, the Navy plans to carve out an air enclave on the sprawling campus of the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL).

Eleven acres of land adjoining the airport's cargo complex have already been acquired for this purpose.

“Fencing work has begun and funds have been allocated by the MoD [Ministry of Defence] for the project. However, the construction work will have to be done in coordination with CIAL without upsetting its own expansion drive. We hope to complete it by end-2011,” sources said.

The enclave would house maintenance hangars capable of sheltering the Navy's future air assets, especially the medium range maritime reconnaissance aircraft that it is scouting for. The hangars would also have the capacity to provide back-end support to the operation of a squadron from the enclave.

They will also be equipped to back up full-load operation of the long range maritime reconnaissance aircraft, Boeing P8-I, if required. As per the contract that the Navy has signed with Boeing for the purchase of eight P8-I aircraft, the delivery of the first would take place in 2013.

Besides the maintenance hangars, the enclave would have an administration complex and a taxi link to connect it to the CIAL runway.

Currently, Garuda, the Naval Air Station under the Southern Naval Command here, has two runways — with lengths of 6,000 feet and 4,500 feet — which may not suffice for the operation of bigger, heavier aircraft that would find their way to the Navy's inventory in the future.

One missile to rule them all

With China engaged in ambitious missile force modernization and the US building new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) as part of its “Prompt Global Strike” programme, the question we need to ask is: When will India develop its first ICBM? Without such capability, India has little hope of emerging as a major power.

ICBMs are the idiom of power in international relations. Even as economic might plays a greater role in shaping international power equations, hard power remains central both for national deterrence and for power-projection force capability. For example, all countries armed with intercontinental-range weaponry hold permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council, and all aspirants for new permanent seats have regionally confined military capabilities.

India has glaring deficiencies on both the deterrence and power-projection fronts. It urgently needs a delivery capability that can underpin its doctrine of minimum but credible nuclear deterrence. The current heavy reliance on long-range bomber aircraft is antithetical to a credible deterrence posture.

Such a posture bereft of long-range missile reach only helps typecast India as a subcontinental power. In fact, in the absence of “strategic” or long-range missile systems, India’s deterrent capability remains sub-strategic.

If India seriously desires to project power far beyond its shores in order to play an international role commensurate with its size, it cannot do without ICBMs. Indeed, the only way India can break out from the confines of its neighbourhood is to develop intercontinental-range weaponry. With its current type of military capabilities, India will continue to be seen as a regional power with great-power pretensions.

To embark on an ICBM programme, India needs to shed its strategic diffidence. The National Democratic Alliance government told Parliament: “India has the capability to design and develop ICBMs. However, in consonance with the threat perception, no ICBM development project has been undertaken.” That policy inexplicably remains unchanged under the United Progressive Alliance government, even as India faces a growing threat from the new ICBMs in China’s increasingly sophisticated missile armoury.

An ICBM has a range of 5,500km and more. Rather than aim for a technological leap through a crash ICBM programme, India remains stuck in the intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) arena, where its frog-like paces have taken it—more than two decades after the first Agni test—to Agni III, a sub-strategic missile still not deployed. Even the Agni V project, now on the drawing board, falls short of the ICBM range.

No nation can be a major power without three key attributes: (1) a high level of autonomous and innovative technological capability; (2) a capacity to meet basic defence needs indigenously; and (3) a capability to project power far beyond its borders, especially through intercontinental-range weaponry.

India is today the world’s largest importer of conventional weapons, ordering weapons worth at least $5 billion per year. Far from making the nation stronger, such large arms imports underscore the manner in which the country is depleting its meagre defence resources and eroding its conventional military edge. The Indian military today can achieve many missions, including repulsing an aggression and inflicting substantial losses on invaders. It can even carry out limited pre-emptive or punitive action and fend off counteraction. But it cannot do what any major military should be trained and equipped for—decisively win a war against an aggressor state.

The reason is not hard to find: Modernization outlays mainly go not to develop the country’s own armament production base, but to subsidize the military-industrial complex of others through import of weapons, some of questionable value. None of the weapon mega deals India has signed in recent years will arm its military with the leading edge it needs in an increasingly volatile and uncertain regional security environment.

Its military asymmetry with China has grown to the extent that it has fostered disturbing fecklessness in India’s China policy, best illustrated by external affairs minister S.M. Krishna’s recent Beijing visit. And in the absence of a reliable nuclear deterrent, India has become ever more dependent on conventional weapon imports. Among large states in the world, India is the only one that relies on imports to meet even basic defence needs.

Last year’s launch of the country’s first nuclear-powered submarine, INS Arihant, for underwater trials received a lot of media attention. A nuclear-powered, ballistic missile-carrying submarine (known as SSBN) is essential for India to bridge the yawning gap in its deterrent force against China. But even if everything goes well, India’s first SSBN will be deployed in the years ahead with a non-strategic weapon—a 700km submarine-launched ballistic missile now under development. That would further underpin the regional character of India’s deterrence.

Without hard power, India will continue to punch far below its weight and be mocked at by critics. One well-known India baiter, journalist Barbara Crossette, claims: “…today’s India is an international adolescent, a country of outsize ambition but anemic influence.” That India still does not have an ICBM project—even on the drawing board—is a troubling commentary about the lack of strategic prudence. China built its first ICBM even before Deng Xiaoping initiated economic modernization in 1978. A generation later, the Indian leadership has yet to grasp international power realities.

India Navy to get 16 stealth frigates in 10 years

NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy is to get 16 stealth frigates in the next 10 years, with 10 being built indigenously, three imported from Russia and another three on order, an officer said on Wednesday.

The first indigenously-built stealth ship, INS Shivalik, will be commissioned on April 29. The 6,000-tonne ship was built at Mumbai's Mazagaon Docks Limited under Project 17. Two more such vessels - INS Satpura and Sahyadri - are under construction and are likely to be commissioned in the next one year.

The cost of each frigate is nearly Rs 2,300 crore. The stealth features prevent a ship from being easily detected by radar, reduce underwater radiated noise signatures and ensure infrared suppression.

The ship is fitted with state-of-the-art technology and bristles with a sophisticated system of radars and weaponry. Its armaments include the Klub surface-to-surface missiles and the Shtil and Barak air defence missiles, rocket launchers and indigenously designed sonar systems meant for detecting and attacking submarines.

Shivalik, which has a crew of 250, "is equipped with a judicious mix of Russian, Western and indigenous weapons and sensors. The indigenous effort accounts for over 60 per cent of the ship's cost," Rear Admiral KN Vaidyanathan, director general (Naval Design), told reporters in New Delhi.

"Besides design and construction, which is totally indigenous, the ship incorporates technologically advanced indigenous systems such as the integrated versatile console system, ship-wide data network and the jointly developed (with Russia) combat management system," he added.

According to naval officers, the Shivalik class vessels will be the mainstay frigates of the Indian Navy in the first half of the 21st century.

The ships also have the indigenous Kavach chaff-dispensing system to counter incoming missiles, as also indigenous sonars and anti-submarine warfare systems.

Vaidyanathan pointed out that for the first time, an Indian Navy ship would be powered by combined diesel or gas (CODOG) technology. "The propulsion plant combines the long endurance of diesel propulsion with the high-power of the gas turbine for high speeds."

He said designing is in an advanced stage of the Project 17A vessels, a follow on of the Shivalik class frigates with advanced weapons and sensor suites and improved stealth features. Seven such vessels will be built.

"Acceptance of necessity (AON) has been accorded in June 2009 for building seven ships of this class," he added.

The Indian Navy operates three stealth frigates - Talwar, Trishul and Tabar - bought from Russia. Three more are being built in Russia and likely to be commissioned by next year. With the completion of Project 17A, the Indian Navy will have 16 stealth frigates in its fleet.

IAF team flies Gripen Demo in Sweden with operational AESA radar

21 Apr 2010 8ak: One of the few benefits of the ongoing flight ban over parts of Europe meant that 8ak got extra time when we caught up with Eddy de la Motte, Director India for Gripen (Saab). Mr Motte confirmed that India had sent an IAF team to Sweden 2 weeks ago and flew the Gripen Demo making it the only foreign air force to have flown the advanced version of Saab's Gripen Demonstrator. IAF pilots did about 10 flights in Linkoping. Mr Motte said that in mid-May 2010 the Gripen Demonstrator will be sent to India and confirmed that the Gripen Demo was flown with a fully operational AESA radar developed jointly by Selex and Saab Microwave (Formerly Ericsson Microwave).

There was some controversy last month when the FMV (Swedish Defence Materiel Administration) blocked Saab from sending the Gripen Demo fighter to India on the basis that the only plane was needed by the Swedish Air Force for further testing. The RFP for the MMRCA states that the plane offered in response to the tender should be the one that is used for trials but as per Ajai Shukla, the IAF+MoD will give Saab some leeway in this. While this may cause the competitors to cry foul, it is a good sign that the IAF+MoD are using their discretion, where allowed, to assist them selecting the best fighter and this could work to advantage of others as well. For example, Eurofighter, for one is hoping that the dreaded 'L1' (lowest bidder) clause would not be the deciding factor where multiple fighters qualify in the final round.

To clarify, Saab's Gripen aircraft has 4 versions from A to D, then comes the Gripen Demo which is a demonstrator aircraft (and hence different to Gripen D) for the next generation version planned for India interchangeably called the Gripen NG or IN.

To date, Saab has conducted about 20 flights in India, mostly in Bangalore's Aircraft Systems & Testing Establishment (ASTE) where 2 Gripen-D fighters did low-level, high-speed supersonic tests. In Jaisalmer the 2 aircraft did a weapons release test and one aircraft sent to Leh did landing, engine cold start and take off with full internal fuel plus 2.6 tonnes external load.

Manu Sood, Editor, 8ak mentioned that the American components in the Gripen, mainly the GE F414 engine, is viewed by India as its biggest drawback. Motte said that if that was a genuine concern, then India would not have bought the P-8i and C-130-J aircraft which will play a crucial role in future conflicts and the IAF would not have considered the two U.S. fighters in the MMRCA competition nor the same GE F414 engine for its Tejas LCA which is now in the final stages of a race between that and the Eurojet 200.

Asked what he thinks is Saab’s strongest point, he said "Gripen is the only option that will make India completely independent of the need to purchase combat aircraft from other countries. Gripen IN is equipped with futuristic warfare technologies developed specifically for India and a perfect match to the IAF". He further mentioned that the low operational cost will translate in to more training hours and he believes Saab is the only company to not only offer a complete ToT on the source codes of the AESA radar (though Russia has promised something similar) but also joint development.

Saab did not comment on the issue of revising the bid price. Earlier AviationWeek had reported that since the commercial bids were valid for 2 years ending Apr 28, 2010, this meant that the vendors could now revise their commercial bids. Given the worsening economic situation globally and huge competitive pressure on this large and geo-politically important deal, surprisingly it means that the bids would be revised downwards! However, a person familiar with defence acquisition told 8ak that "sometimes a simple procedure like collecting certificates from vendors saying we are ready to give the same price also fulfils the need".

India to arm Russia-built jets with BrahMos missiles

KUALA LUMPUR: The Indian Air Force will arm 40 Russia-built Sukhoi fighter jets with BrahMos missiles, a top official has said.

The addition of the missiles to India's fleet of Su-30MKI Flanker-H fighters will make them "absolutely unique" in firepower, Sivathanu Pillai, head of BrahMos Aerospace, said here Wednesday at the Defence Services Asia (DSA)-2010 exhibition.

The first tests of BrahMos air-launched missiles were set for 2011, while the first fighter test flights with missiles on board are scheduled for late 2012, he said.

The BrahMos missile has a range of 290 km and can carry a warhead of up to 300 kg. It can effectively engage ground targets from an altitude as low as 10 metres and has a top speed of Mach 2.8, which is three times faster than the US-made subsonic Tomahawk cruise missile.

The BrahMos Aerospace, an Indian-Russian joint venture established in 1998, produces BrahMos supersonic missiles, sea and ground-launch versions of which have been successfully tested and put into service by the Indian Army and Navy.

Indian Air Force phasing out MiG-21s: Antony

NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is gradually phasing out its older MiG-21 combat jets, many of which have been lost in crashes, parliament was informed Monday.

"The MiG-21 is a very old aircraft. It is now in the process of being phased out," Defence Minister A K Antony said during question hour in the Lok Sabha.

"The normal life of an aircraft is 30-34 years," he added.

The IAF currently operates a little over 200 MiG-21s. Of these, 121 have been upgraded to the Bison version and are likely to fly till 2017, an IAF source said.

The remaining 80-90 aircraft will be phased out in the next two-three years, the source added, requesting anonymity.

The IAF first acquired MiG-21.

Between 1966 and 1984, the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) built four variants of the aircraft, initially from completely knocked down kits and eventually from Indian-made components for a total of 658 planes.

In the mid-1990s, despite a series of crashes, the IAF decided to upgrade 121 planes of the fourth variant, the MiG-21bis, to the Bison category.

The complete phase out of the MiG-21 was also linked to the acquisition of new aircraft, the IAF source pointed out.

Towards this end, the IAF will induct two squadrons - 16 aircraft each - of the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) and another six squadrons of the plane within six years.

Then, the IAF will, by the end of April, complete its evaluation of the six jets contending for its order of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) in a deal worth $10 billion.

"If all goes well, we should be able to zero in on the winner within 18 months, with the first aircraft arriving about a year after that," the IAF source said.

Around the time production of the MiG-21 seized, the IAF had felt the need for a suitable replacement and made known its requirements for a LCA to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The first LCA prototype flew in 2000 but there are still major glitches with its engine which are in the process of being ironed out.

Even so, the IAF is known to be not entirely happy with the aircraft, which is why is had ordered a mere six squadrons.

The delays in the LCA project prompted the IAF to embark on the MMRCA programme.

GRSE launches first anti-submarine warfare corvette

Kolkata, Apr 19 (PTI) State-owned Garden Reach Shipbuilders Ltd today launched the first anti-submarine warfare corvette in the presence of Union Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju here.

The ship named 'Kamorta' meant for the Indian Navy will be equipped with excellent stealth characteristics and very low underwater noise signature.

With the indigenous component of the ship at 85 per cent, it will be ready for deployment in mid-2012.

GRSE officials said four ASW corvettes would be delivered by 2015 with the size of the order being Rs 7,000 crore. The current order book of GRSE is Rs 8,000 crore.

Raju said GRSE capabilities will be strengthened after the ongoing Rs 500 crore modernisation programme was complete by 2011.

He said all PSU shipyards for defence production were undergoing modernisation.

"We are trying to offer a level playing field and hope that large domestic corporates will soon enter defence production," Raju said.

BrahMos Ready for Launch from Submarines

The Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos cruise missile is ready for launch from underwater platform to enable it to be used in a submarine, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

Defence Minister A K Antony, in a written reply, told the House that the missile, which can hit targets 290 km away, had recently proved its capability to be launched vertically from a naval warship and manoeuvred to hit the target ship, thereby meeting the Navy's requirements.

BrahMos, the world's only supersonic cruise missile that touches speeds of 2.8 Mach, was developed initially as an anti-ship version for launch from ship-to-ship for the Indian Navy and inducted into service, he said

Later, land-to-land version was developed for the Army and Air Force, he said, noting that this version was already inducted into the Army and is under production for both the Army and Air Force.

Antony said test was also carried out from ship-to-land target recently.

The air version of the missile was under development for IAF's Su-30MKI fighter jet, which would be ready in 2012.

"Some parts of the missile components and the airborne launcher are currently being produced in Thiruvananthapuram complex of BrahMos Aerospace. It is planned to set up the integration complex in the adjacent land belonging to IAF, so that the manufacturing of the missile can be from the Thiruvananthapuram complex," he added.

The DRDO has recently provided Rs 50 crore as the first instalment for the facility realisation.