Samtel Thales Avionics Ltd (STAL), a joint venture between Samtel Avionics and French firm Thales, has successfully dispatched the first batch of multi-function displays for Mirage 2000 upgrade programme of the Indian Air Force from the newly-commissioned production facility in Greater Noida.
The upgraded Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft will be installed with India-made multi-function displays under an Indo-French partnership, as part of a programme to enhance the operational life of multi-role fighters by around 20 years.
Samtel Thales Avionics Ltd (STAL), a joint venture between Samtel Avionics and French firm Thales, has successfully dispatched the first batch of multi-function displays for Mirage 2000 upgrade programme of the Indian Air Force from the newly-commissioned production facility in Greater Noida. Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Joint Development of 3rd Generation Man-Portable Anti – Tank Guided Missiles (MPATGM) leading to its subsequent production for the Indian Army.
With Government of India asking Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to engage with the French firm MBDA missile systems for the development of short-range surface-to-air missile system (SRAM),Senior serving Indian Air force officials told idrw.org that they are firmly backing DRDO’s Akash Mark-II project, on contrast to governments decision. Indo-French $6 billion surface-to-air missile systems project has been in doldrums for last Five years. Project was initiated in 2007 and a MoU to co-develop the surface-to-air missile (SRSAM) was signed nearly two years ago but Army has refused to officially comment on the program, While Indian Air-force have officially remarked that it is unwanted Project and is firmly backing DRDO’s Akash Mark-II and Indo-Israeli Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) Project instead . sources close to idrw.org in past have pointed out that Akash Mark-II equipped with seekers will not require any ground-control interference and will have Aerodynamic improvements which will improve current range of 25kms found in Akash Mark-I to 35-37kms in its Mark-II avatar, which is too close to 40km Interception range of SRAM missile system which France wants to develop with India,which IAF feels is duplication of work and Inventory. Akash Mark-II (35km) will bridge the gap between Akash Mark-I (25km) and MRSAM (70km) till planned long-range Surface to air theater defensive system (200km) currently under development by DRDO is ready by turn of this decade . Akash Mark-II Program has 3 years deadline and IAF might have requirements for 8 more Akash squadrons ( Mark-II ) said IAF official.. SOURCE: IDRW NEWS NETWORK (INN) Israel and Russia have started creating two aircraft for Airborne Early Warning and Control for India. Work has already started in Taganrog, where they are installing Israeli radar on an IL-76.
The Military Gazette wrote that Israel and Russia have started creating two aircraft for Airborne Early Warning and Control for India. This is the joint project called Falcon – an airborne early warning radar system created by Elta, installed on the IL-76 aircraft manufactured by the Ilyushin Company. A prototype BrahMos-II hypersonic cruise missile, currently under joint development by Russia and India, may be created in six to seven years, head of Russian-Indian BrahMos Aerospace enterprise Sudhir Mishra said Tuesday.
“Research work on this project is underway in India at the Indian Institute of Science and in Russia at the Moscow Aviation Institute. This new missile is envisaged as a revolutionary new weapon,” Mishra told RIA Novosti. “The exact configuration of the system has yet to be defined, the creation of a prototype hypersonic BrahMos missile can take six-seven years.” SOURCE: Sputnik India and Australia will focus on anti-submarine warfare in their first joint naval exercises, signalling a growing strategic relationship to counter China’s increased activity in the Indian Ocean.
The war games starting on September 11 off India’s Visakhapatnam? port in the Bay of Bengal will include exercises to protect a tanker from a hostile attack submarine. The area is near waters where China deployed a nuclear-powered submarine for the first time last year, as well as the Sri Lankan port where another unit surfaced twice. That caused a diplomatic uproar. There is “potential for increased security tensions in the Indian Ocean”, said Captain Sheldon Williams, defence adviser at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi. “We sit right in the confluence of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. We have a significant responsibility for its security. That’s how we’re looking at it now.” The drills – first discussed a decade ago – come as global powers vie for greater influence. The Indian Ocean’s sea lanes account for nearly half of the world’s container trade, including 80 per cent of China’s oil imports. “We’re seeing a genuine power play in the Indian Ocean,” said Rory Medcalf?, head of the National Security College at the Australian National University in Canberra. “Indian security co-operation with the US and its allies is increasing, which rattles the Chinese.” Anil Dhirubhai Ambani owned Pipavav Defence & Offshore Engineering Co Ltd which recently signed an agreement with JSC Ship Repairing Centre Zvyozdochka, Russia, for medium refits and life certification of 877 EKM Kilo Class submarines in India.
Proposed JV will allow for undertaking similar work for large submarine forces of similar class deployed by countries like Algeria, Vietnam and Iran. idrw.org in an exclusive was able to get some more information on the proposed joint venture. Hindustan Shipyard Ltd., the largest shipbuilding enterprise under Ministry of Defence, and world’s premier shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) are likely to undertake joint construction of self-propelled fleet support ships (FSS) for the Indian Navy.
The joint collaboration with Hyundai is taking concrete shape after a visit to South Korea by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May. This was followed by a visit to South Korea by HSL Chairman and Managing Director Rear Admiral N.K. Mishra and the subsequent inspection of HSL by HHI Vice-President-Engine and Machinery and COO Jeong-Hwan Kim to Visakhapatnam. HSL has already signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with HHI early this year to introduce world’s best practices. HSL is confident of getting order for construction of five FSS, each costing Rs.2,000 crore. FSS will have a speed of 16 knots, can travel 12,000 nautical miles and have a service of 30 years with capability to carry ballistic weapons. Russia has completed the upgrade of all of India’s Ilyushin Il-38 anti-submarine aircraft to SD standard, Nikolay Talikov, Ilyushin general designer and deputy general director, said Wednesday.”We have completed this work, all five of the Indian Navy’s aircraft have been modernized to SD standard,” Talikov said at the MAKS-2015 International Aviation and Space Salon.
A global Request for Proposal (RFP) for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) for Indian Air Force was floated in 2007. An offset clause of 50 percent was built into this RFP. However, on 10 April 2015, owing to the critical holding of Fighter Squadrons in the Indian Air Force, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced direct purchase of 36 Rafale Fighter Jets in a fly-away condition as a Government to Government (G2G) deal with France bypassing the laid down RFP route. The announcement by the Prime Minister was a general direction for the way forward and the fine print of the agreement was to be worked out at the appropriate level by both sides.
The above announcement was followed up by negotiations between the two governments to reach mutually acceptable terms and conditions for the final agreement. In one such recent negotiation, the French Government has reportedly rejected India’s insistence for a 50 percent offset clause citing sharp cost escalation, and instead offered to participate in ‘Make in India’ projects to carry forward the talks for 36 Rafale fighters. There are indications that France has offered to manufacture Falcon business jets or Rafale Fighter Jets in India as part of this proposal. When it comes to diplomatic engagement, Pakistan is no match to Modi’s India.
According to an article published in The Dawn, the Islamic nation, which has sought parity with India and described resolution of the Kashmir dispute as the essential prerequisite for normal ties with its much larger neighbour, is suffering from diplomatic paralysis against its bete noire India. The report pins the blame on the country’s old-school diplomats, politicians and military thinkers of ignoring the changes in the global environment and their attitude towards arch-rival India and the world’s major powers. It says, Pakistan’s diplomatic policy is shaped by ideology instead of being based on pragmatism. While the Islamic nation boasts of its nuclear arsenal and their delivery systems vis-a-vis India, it hardly tells its citizens about the widening gap between the two countries in most fields including education, scientific research and innovation. Pakistan is aware that jihadi militancy since 1989 has failed to wrest Kashmir for Pakistan from India as has war and military confrontation. Still, the defiant nation supports Kashmir separatists and terrorist outfits to bleed India. Pakistan has already fought four wars with India and lost half its territory in the process, the erstwhile East Pakistan (Bangladesh ), in 1971 but the Kashmir dispute still rages on. Meanwhile, the Dawood Ibrahim issue has become the bone of contention between India and Pakistan. As it presently stands, India is assembling a dossier on Dawood Ibrahim ahead of NSA-level talks between India and Pakistan on 23-24 August. Intelligence shared by the UAE in this regard could be critical in building a solid case, and could very well be the “heavy price” It seems, the Kashmir Independence issue has become a day dream for Pakistan and the Free Kashmir slogan has lost its significance in the Cold War-era. India has proceeded to broaden its horizons to encompass traditional Pakistani friends like China, Iran and the UAE while the poor nation continues on its lonely path to nowhere. In the global market, India is viewed as too profitable a market to antagonise. As a major importer, as well as a popular holiday destination, it dwarfs Pakistan in the eyes of the whole world. The country has established over 20 strategic partnerships over the years with countries that include Russia, the US, France, Japan, Chin, Nepal and Bangladesh. Recently, both India and Bangladesh swapped control of some 160 small pockets of land on each other’s territory to end one of the world’s most intractable border disputes that has kept thousands of people in stateless limbo for nearly 70 years. The historic agreement proves that New Delhi is interested to bolster ties with its neighbour while the Islamabad has failed to do anything significant to grab the eyeballs of the international community – apart from promoting terror – to prove that it believes in peaceful coexistence. The Modi-Obama bonhomie after LeT chief Osama bin Laden’s assassination by US Navy Seals is a blot on the face of Pakistan also. To counter a US-India axis, an isolated Pakistan befriended China but the country could not tip the balance in Pakistan’s favour on its own. Its natural ally America to changed stance and joined hands with India while Pakistan sat fingers crosses. Pakistan, which was created on the basis of religion, has failed to fight against terrorism and is at cross roads — to fight Taliban or not. Meanwhile, India’s strategic partnership with UAE is expected to hit Pakistan where it hurts. While trade, investment and energy appear in the India-UAE joint statement, the dominant theme of the agreement by far, is security and counter-terrorism. Time has come for Pakistan to come out of the denial mode now. SOURCE: India today It is a known fact that the first aircraft carrier base of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is located at Dalian, in Liaoning province; the carrier ‘Liaoning’ was commissioned into China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy on September 25, 2012.
Open information emanating from China now confirms the completion of construction of a second aircraft carrier base at Sanya, off Hainan Island. These events need examination from a broader perspective as they have potentials to generate questions of geo-political importance as in the following – how to contextualize the events in terms of changes happening in China’s naval strategy? What could be the likely implications of such changes for the military situation in the Asia- Pacific region which remains affected by an acute territorial contest between China and other nations in South and East China seas? How these changes will impact on India’s sphere of influence, especially the Indian Ocean Region ? What follows is an attempt to find answers to these questions. At the outset, it would be necessary to flag key aspects already noticed on the Sanya base. Catching attention is a revealing signed article (August 4, 2015) in the flagship news paper of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the People’s Daily. Entitled “The reasons behind China’s decision to build Second aircraft carrier base in Hainan”[1] , it quoted the Chinese language Kanwa Defense Review of Canada as saying (July 2015) that the construction of the 700 meters long base, marking the longest carrier berths in the world, was completed in November 2014 and that it can dock large ships on both sides. From this, one gets a sense that the Sanya base at the same time can accommodate two carriers. In a bid to build domestic capabilities in defence and to link defence production with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign, India has relaxed its offset policy, exempting foreign firms from obligations, like declaration of Indian offset partners’ name, amount of FDI and value of equipment. Thus under the new deal, any foreign company will not have to declare name of its Indian partner. It can set up its factory in India under new offset rules without declaring FDI and value of machines installed there.
After been Cleared for Export by Ministry of Defence with firm backing of Indian air force which too has given its blessing, DRDO is working on exploring possibilities to hard sell its indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas to prospective buyers from overseas in 2016 on wards.
India is keen to set up a satellite monitoring station in Fiji and gradually turn it into a hub for sharing its space technology with the Pacific Island nations.
New Delhi is seeking to step up its presence in a region, where US, Japan and Australia compete with China for geo-strategic influence. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to host leaders and representatives of 14 Pacific Island countries in New Delhi and Jaipur this week; India will offer to share its space technology applications, particularly for weather forecasting and disaster risk reduction and management. Presidents and Prime Ministers of nine countries – Fiji, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tuvalu and Vanuatu – will attend the second summit of Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC). Vice-President from Micronesia and Deputy Prime Minister from Solomon Islands will also take part in the conclave. Cook Islands, Kiribati and Tonga will be represented by ministers and senior officials.The first summit of FIPIC was held in Suva in November 2014 when Modi was on a visit to the capital of Fiji. The second FIPIC summit in New Delhi and Jaipur may see India and the Pacific Island nations seeking to step up space cooperation. Officials told Deccan Herald that India would offer to share with the small island nations its experience in using space technology applications in communication as well as to “improve the quality of life of people”. A mechanism for sharing data collected by satellites for monitoring climate change, disaster risk reduction and resource management may be discussed in the summit in Jaipur. All the 14 Pacific Island nations have high climate change vulnerability and are also prone to natural disasters. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had stationed a team of scientists in Fiji to track its Mars Orbiter Mission Mangalyaan after its launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in November 2013. Sources said that if ISRO could set up a permanent tracking station in Fiji, it would not have to depend on Australia and US to monitor satellites over the Pacific. The tracking station in Fiji will help Isro track satellites and vehicles launched from India. It will, however, be an important strategic asset in a region, where China is steadily expanding its geo-strategic influence. Source:http://www.deccanherald.com/content/496170/india-satellite-tracking-unit-fiji.html The country’s armed forces have a potent weapon in their arsenal. In May, the army inducted India’s first homegrown surface-to-air missile system Akash. The missile can take on multiple targets up to a maximum range of 25 km and at an altitude of 20 km, aided by sophisticated radars and control systems. Last month, the Indian Air Force (IAF) formally inducted the 96% indigenously made state-of-the-art weapon system. The IAF has signed an initial contract for eight squadrons of the Akash defence system, with each squadron featuring two firing units and four launchers.
Aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, India’s biggest warship, will undergo its first refit next year and it is likely to be carried out at Pipavav shipyard, part of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group.
Defence sources said that the first refit of the 45000- tonne ship will be done after the International Fleet Review in February 2016. While the Russians, being the original manufacturer, will carry out the refit, the sources said it is likely to be conducted at Pipavav shipyard in Gujarat by both Russian and Indian engineers and workers. The French government has rejected Indian negotiators’ demand for a 50 per cent offset clause citing sharp cost escalation but offered to participate in ‘Make in India’ projects to carry forward the talks for 36 Rafale fighter jets that have hit turbulence.
According to The Indian Express, the United States has extended an offer to India to jointly produce a line of fighter jets to both enhance military ties as well as provide for India’s frontline fighter fleet shortage. This comes right after the Indian government announced that the MMRCA (Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) deal, originally signed with France’s Dassault Aviation, was, for all intents and purposes, over.
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