quadbikeThey can always offer souped up 29Ks with 35 AESA OLS and other systems to the Indian Navy.
quadbikeActually among the Eurofighter and Rafale the latter is best suited for IAF needs. But like arthuro mentioned before the French may not be able to match EADS in offsets etc.
Times Now however is notorious for their reporting, recent gaffes include exaggerating the Chinese incursions among other things.
quadbikeNo mention of the Mirage 2000s operated by Greece, Egypt, Peru, Brazil, Qatar, Taiwan & the UAE, I see.
Yes its all centered around the French Mirages.
quadbikeRussian Smerch rockets, Milan missiles defective: CAG
New Delhi, Aug 6 (PTI) Russian-made Smerch rockets bought by India for Rs 2,633 crore for its Army were defective, due to which these “could not be fully operationalised”, government auditors have found. In a report tabled in Parliament today, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) also said the multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) system had several defects in its launch vehicles, outlaying fire controls and data transmission and there were defects in the Milan anti-tank missiles supplied by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). The Defence Ministry had signed two deals in December 2005, and March 2007, with Russian firm Rosoboronexport for importing 42 of the MBRL systems along with launch, transloader, command and staff, meteorological support complex and workshop repair vehicles. The supplies under the two contracts were completed in June 2007, and May 2009, but the audit found that the systems in the MBRLs were faulty, resulting in failure in operationalising them on time. It also found there was a delay in buying the logistics support equipment and formulation of war establishment. Moreover, four rockets were damage in transit from an Indian airport to the defence units due to the absence of a suitable material handling equipment, resulting in a loss of Rs 2.36 crore. In another instance of Defence Ministry buying poor quality weapons for its Army, the CAG found that it had ordered for 4,100 “outdated” 1970s vintage missiles for Rs 587 crore in 2008, from BDL, a Defence PSU, thereby “compromising the Army’s requirement.” In the report, it said the Anti-Tank Guided Missile Milan-2, a second generation missile with single warhead produced by BDL, had limited capability to defeat modern tanks, but it added that there was an upgraded version Milan-2T with tandem warheads that was more effective. Milan-2 has a range of 1,850 metres, whereas Milan-2T has a range of 2,000 metres. Though the orders were placed for Milan-2T missiles, BDL had supplied missiles that had a range of 1,850 metres under guidance phase while the last 150 metres were left unguided, the CAG said. .
quadbikeNuclear-powered Russian missile cruiser to dock at Goa
Russia’s heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser, Pyotr Velikiy, will dock at a port in Goa for six days from Friday during which the warship will also take part in a joint naval exercise with the Indian Navy. The missile cruiser is visiting port Mormugao Aug 6-11, an official in the Russian embassy here said.
According to the spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Defence (Navy), the cruiser will participate in joint exercises with Indian naval ships.
There will be air defence, gun firing exercises, manoeuvering and replenishment at sea.
The spokesperson, quoting Russian Navy General Headquarters, said the visit of the Russian cruiser “is another step in strengthening mutual understanding and cooperation between Russian and Indian navies”.
Pyotr Velikiy is one of the state-of-the-art and powerful attack ships in the Russian Navy.
It can hit big surface targets and has very effective air defence and anti-submarine capabilities.
The weaponry of the cruiser includes attack cruise missiles (range up to 550 km) air defence systems.
The cruiser has a powerful nuclear propulsion system and can sail at 32 knots (60 km/h). The service life of this system is 50 years.
The energy potential of the cruiser’s nuclear power plant enables it to provide energy for a city with population of 150,000-200,000 people, the spokesperson said.
Officers on board the cruiser will call on Indian navy officials in Goa also.
The personnel of the cruiser will go for sightseeing in the India port state and participate in volleyball matches and tug-of-war competitions with Indian naval officers and sailors.
quadbikeSAP secures Indian Navy automation contract
SAP AG has landed the turnkey contract from the Indian Navy for implementing an enterprise-wide, central online financial information system (FIS). Wipro participated in the tender and quoted SAP software as the best-fit solution that met the Indian Navy requirements, followed by an elaborate technical evaluation process. Key decision criteria for selecting the IT partner were its capabilities, functionalities, seamless integration and industry leadership and experience, which were able to address the administrative requirements of the Navy.
The Indian Navy needed to effectively and efficiently manage and control naval budgets and make timely decisions from the voluminous financial information available across multiple locations in the country. Central instance implementation of SAP solutions, including ERP Central Component, the Force Deployment for Defense & Security package and the BusinessObjects Access Control application, among others—commenced in March 2010. The project is expected to go live by September 2011. The Indian Navy will seek to unify its business processes and automated financial information systems to lower overall maintenance costs, improve management decision-making and resource management and enhance combat readiness.
quadbikeIAF flights from Chandigarh to Ladakh affected
The Indian Air Force (IAF) suspended flights to Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday after the Leh runway was inundated by floodwaters following a massive cloudburst, defence officials said in Chandigarh. “No flight has taken off from Chandigarh to Ladakh as floodwaters submerged the runway,” an
“We are monitoring the situation and are in touch with our counterparts in Leh. Right now it is difficult to say when the conditions will become normal,” Pardip Das Gupta, the defence spokesperson in Chandigarh said.
Officials say at least 59 people have been killed and over 300 injured in flash floods following the cloudburst. The floods have washed away several government buildings and homes.
quadbikeAmerican Football.
quadbikeDamning New Light On The Thing That Caused 2 HAL Dhruv Crashes, Nasty IAF-HAL Spat Detailed
A disturbing spat between IAF and HAL has been detailed in a new public document. A new report by India’s national audit watchdog, the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) has thrown fresh and damning light on how HAL dealt with a flight control phenomenon that has given its chopper division real nightmares over the last few years — cyclic saturation. The phenomenon caused two crashes of the Dhruv — the first, in February 2007 at Yelahanka and the second in October 2009 in Ecuador. Troublingly, the report reveals, it was this “limitation of control saturation” that caused Chile to pull out of a near final contract in July 2007.
Now, the really damning stuff. Revealed in the report, for the first time, is how the Indian Air Force reacted to the February 2007 crash, in which it lost two helicopter display pilots. According to the report, the IAF observed that (i) HAL has referred to this problem in the flight manual which is brief and lacks clarity; (ii) HAL has been reluctant to address this problem in totality as it feared disruption of ALH production process; (iii) This approach of HAL to safeguard its business even at the cost of a professional approach to solving the problem has serious flight safety and operational implications for the Indian Air Force (v) HAL, as an industry, has rarely looked to exploiting its aircraft. It has always focused on the captive Indian Air Force for its assured market.”
That’s the stuff you only hear about over beer with pilots. But here it is, utterly like it is. Well, HAL had its own input of course. It told the auditor “Control saturation is not a design deficiency but is a phenomenon that can occur during extreme manoeuvres. The precautionary notes and adequate cautions are part of the flight manual. [We are] in the process of incorporating control saturation warning system.”
The auditor concludes, “HAL’s reply leaves a doubt about the effective measures it has taken on the control saturation issue and the reaction of the customers will be known only on the field experience of the ALH to be supplied from the pending orders.“
quadbike‘Homemade’ chopper 90 per cent imported, reveals CAG
The myth surrounding the much-hyped advanced light helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, touted as an indigenously-built showpiece, has been laid to rest. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has revealed that 90 per cent of material used in it was imported. The Rs 2,103-crore project should have been at least 50 per cent indigenous.
What’s more, the 74 helicopters supplied to the armed forces fall short of expectations. Planned as a replacement for the Cheetah/Chetak fleet of the army and air force, the 5.5-tonne ALH has been found unsuitable due to its excess weight and underpowered engines.
Plans to equip it with the more powerful Shakti engines are behind schedule. The CAG said the engine was yet to be certified.
The armed forces had frozen their technical requirements more than three decades ago.
Limited series production kicked off in 2001. But non-freezing of the ALH design by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), according to the auditor, led to 363 modifications.
The HAL has orders for 159 ALHs from the army and air force. The navy, which has six of the helicopters, has found its anti-submarine warfare capabilities to be inadequate and is looking for a replacement.
“In the absence of a clear understanding between the navy and the company (HAL), the Rs 138 crore spent on the project has not resulted in any benefit to the customer,” the CAG report, tabled in Parliament on Thursday, said.
quadbikeAgni II to be tested in September
A “totally new missile,” called Agni II – is to be tested in September from the Wheeler Island, off the Orissa coast.
Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Agni II – has two stages and both are powered by solid propellants. “It has several advanced technologies,” sources in the DRDO said.
The missile, which can carry nuclear warheads, can be transported by both rail and road. Its range is between 2,750 and 3,000 km. It will thus fill the gap between Agni II, which can cover about 2,500 km, and Agni III that has a range of about 3,500 km. Agni I can hit enemy targets 700 km away. While Agni II and Agni III are two-stage missiles, Agni I is a single-stage one. All are capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
The Agni series have proved the re-entry technology developed by the DRDO. When the missile re-enters the atmosphere from the vacuum of space, the nuclear warhead has to be protected from intense heat.
quadbikeIAF’s pilot selection process gets high-tech and ‘accurate’
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will in another three years put in place a new system to select fighter pilots for its cutting edge and high performance aircraft fleet, it was announced on Thursday.
The computerized mechanism developed by India’s defence scientists “accurately” evaluates the multi-tasking qualities of a candidate, like psychomotor, information processing, coordination and visualisation skills, said Manas K. Mandal, director of the Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR).
The IAF and the premier Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) jointly developed the Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS) that took nearly 10 years to take a practical shape.
The IAF and DRDO signed an agreement Thursday, according to which 20 CPSSs will be installed at each of the three IAF selection boards at Dehradun, Varanasi and Mysore. Another 10 will be on standby.
It took DIPR of the DRDO, the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) and the IAF 10 years to develop the technology for the integrated new age selection system which conforms to the paradigm shift in piloting of new high-tech aircraft.
quadbikeALH Has Excess Weight, Underpowered Engine : CAG
For a consecutive second year, the CAG, in its report tabled in Parliament today, has slammed HAL for the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), calling the helicopter unsuitable owing to its excess weight and its underpowered engine, the indigenous Shakti, which is yet to be certified.
Other issues raised by CAG are that the weapon system integration (WSI) has not been developed even after a decade, and that technical requirements finalised in 1979 by the Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have not been fully achieved, which has resulted in the 74 ALHs flying currently in the armed forces with concessions.
The report tabled today in Parliament states that throughout its development and production the ALH has been dogged by quality issues, like the de-lamination of the tail rotor blade and main rotor blade, frequent failure of the integrated dynamic system and poor performance of the engines. Excess weight of the helicopter, integrated architecture display system, problems with the anti-resonance vibration isolation system, non-extension of collaboration agreement, and delay in certification, are other issues.
quadbikeSecond phase of coastal security scheme to be implemented soon
NEW DELHI: Strengthening of infrastructure for patrolling and surveillance — part of the second phase of the coastal security scheme — will be implemented soon.
“The exercise has been completed to finalize the coastal security scheme (phase-II) in consultation with Coast Guard and concerned coastal states and UTs. After obtaining final approval of the competent authority, the implementation of the scheme will be carried out,” M Ramachandran, minister of state for home told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Under the scheme, the Indian Navy has been designated as the authority responsible for overall maritime security which includes coastal security and offshore security. The Coast Guard is additionally designated as the authority responsible for coastal security in territorial waters including areas to be patrolled by the coastal police.
Compulsory registration of all types of vessels like fishing as well as non-fishing vessels, provision of navigational and communication equipments in all type of vessels and issuance of bio-metric ID cards to all the fishermen are among the provisions under the scheme.
quadbikeMORE C 17s !
India to buy six more C-17 airlifters from US
New Delhi. The Indian Air Force (IAF) will buy six more C 17 Globemaster III transport aircraft in addition to the 10 already being acquired.
Air Chief Marshal P V Naik has told India Strategic that these aircraft would also be purchased through the Government-to-Government route under the US Government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.
The US Air Force (USAF), which is the nodal agency for the aircraft sale in this case, has already demonstrated the capability of the C 17, and met the IAF requirements. One C 17 was also brought to India in June, and was made to land and take off from a short field in Himachal as also from Leh in Jammu & Kashmir.
Discussions between the two governments to finalise the IAF’s onboard equipment requirements, spares and service support and their duration – possibly over the lifetime of the aircraft – are still being held but likely to be finalized soon.
The C 17 can ferry more than 70 tonnes of load over long distances, and can also be refueled midair. IAF has categorized it as the Very Heavy Transport Aircraft (VHTAC) in its list of requirements.
At present, India has less than 20 IL 76 heavy lift aircraft, acquired from the Soviet Union in 1985. With a capacity of 45 tonnes, the IL 76 can ferry around 45 tonnes. It is being upgraded to obtain a life extension of 10-15 years.
The IL 76 has served the IAF well, giving its strategic capability for the first time in the 1980s. India could effectively assist the Maldives Government in 1988 against a coup attempt, and Air Marshal Ashok Goel, then a young officer and now India Strategic’s Editor Aviation, was among the first to land this aircraft at Hulule near the Maldivian capital of Male.
Russia does not make the IL 76 any more although there are reported plans by Moscow to possibly restart its production lines, which were earlier spread across the Soviet Union’s Central Asian constituents (and are now independent).
Asked if IAF would buy more C 17s, Air Chief Marshal Naik said that a decision could only be taken after some time, depending upon the requirement.
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