I can live with that. Also, please sell away non critical PSUs and OFB unit by unit, which manufactures nothing that requires critical technology, something that was proposed with 1991 reforms but still hasn’t been done till date. Keep the units that perform well (BDL), reform those which are mediocre (HAL, BEL, all govt owned shipyards) and sell away the rest whose roles have been essentially been made redundant by the private sector (BEML, MIDHANI).

I agree. Put the fear of privatisation and accountability into some of these PSUs and their bureaucrats and watch how they perform.

The new govt. is moving really quick ! Could give a huge boost to the manufacturing sector in India.

Govt moves to hike defence FDI up to 100%

NEW DELHI: Within two days of taking charge, the Narendra Modi government has begun work on allowing up to 100% foreign investment in defence production, in a bid to send a strong signal to global investors as well as to try and move the production base of some equipment into the country.

On Tuesday, Arun Jaitley had spoken of the government’s intent to hike the FDI cap in the sector to 100% from 26% at present — a move that has been resisted by the defence ministry for years.

With Jaitley holding both the finance and defence portfolios, opposition may be muted this time.

In any case, during his election campaign Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced his support for greater private participation in the defence sector.

The commerce & industry ministry has suggested a graded foreign investment ceiling. It has suggested a cap of 49% FDI for companies that do not transfer technology, while in ventures where the foreign partner is willing to transfer knowhow, the government intends to allow up to 74% FDI, and there will be no cap (100% FDI) for companies engaged in manufacturing state-of-the art equipment and machinery or those undertaking modernization projects.

Apparently, PLAAF participated with just 1 J-7 and 1 J-10 in the Shaheen III exercise..strange to see such a small contingent from a force as large as the PLAAF..

Defense News article

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Though the location within Pakistan of the exercise has not been revealed, the Chinese are participating with a Chengdu F-7 and a Chengdu J-10 aircraft, along with associated support crews and equipment. The PAF is participating with JF-17 Thunder, Mirage and F-7PG aircraft.

Shaheen II was held in China in 2013 and lasted three weeks, but the PAF would not comment if Shaheen III will be held for the same duration.

Asked if the limited number of aircraft would hinder obtaining worthwhile experience from the exercise, former Australian defense attache to Islamabad Brian Cloughley said he did not think “the point of the exercise is entirely professional improvement but rather that it has political connotations.

“The fact remains that there is undoubted mutual benefit in joining with other air forces in practicing techniques and this is no exception. No doubt both the PAF and the PLA(AF) would have welcomed greater numbers from the latter, and it would be interesting to know the reason for the modest PLA contribution, but I don’t think there is anything deep in this,” he added.

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Shabbir did, however, highlight that the exercise marks the debut of both the JF-17 in the Shaheen series, and the first time the J-10 has participated in an overseas exercise.

The exercise comes at a time when speculation among analysts once again points toward a possible purchase of the FC-20 variant of the J-10B for the PAF. However, Shabbir believes this to be a little wide of the mark.

The speculation stems from reports in the Chinese media of negotiations involving the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), the home of Pakistan’s aviation industry, to co-develop or at least co-produce a variant of the J-10.

However, Shabbir is unsure if this means Pakistan will acquire the FC-20, a previously agreed advanced variant of the J-10B that appears to have been abandoned in favor of more surplus F-16s. He speculates the negotiations may be focused more on production capacity issues in China and Pakistan, with PAC hoping to repeat success it had with a similar deal with Turkey.

“PAC has been marketing itself as a facility that has unutilized capacity to produce various airframe parts and components on a commercial basis. That is how it [PAC] came to produce airframe parts for Turkish Anka UAV,” he said.

It is possible, he said, there will be a “similar setup … where PAC is just going to produce airframe parts and ship them to China for final assembly, thus reducing the pressure on the Chinese line.”

IAF to have Su-30MKI, MiG-21 Bison and MiG-27UPG participate in Exercise Garuda with the Adl’A – which will bring its Rafales to the exercise. Hope to see some great shots of the Rafale with these IAF jets.

Within days of taking over, India’s new defence minister will get a first hand opportunity to see live action from French fighter jets Rafale, selected by the UPA-II government as the preferred platform for Indian Air Force’s 126 fighter jet deal.

More than two years ago, the government selected Rafale and started the price negotiation process. Initially valued at $10.4 billion (Rs 42,000 crore), the fighter deal may rise to as high as $20 billion at the time of the commercial contract.

The outgoing defence minister A K Antony, however, recently hinted at the government having a relook at the “life cycle cost” offered by the French company Dassault Aviation, which manufactures Rafale.

As the IAF awaits a decision on the 126 medium multirole combat aircraft, four Rafale jets of French Air Force will be in Jodhpur between June 2-13 to participate in Garuda exercise between the two air forces. There will also be a KC-135 tanker from the French side.

The IAF participation will involve four Su-30 MKI, four MiG-21 Bison and four MiG-27 upgrades, said an IAF officer. The last Garuda exercise happened at Istres in France in 2010.

While the Air Force is likely to invite the new defence minister to visit Jodhpur, the delay in procuring 126 fighter will figure in the presentation, which IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha is likely to give to the new Prime Minister and Defence Minister.

article link

first firing of Astra BVR AAM from a Su-30MKI happened on 4-May.

India successfully tests Astra BVR AAM

India successfully flight-tested its indigenous Astra air-to-air beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile from an Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter off the Goa coast on 4 May.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said in a statement that the missile test had met all its mission objectives by proving successful separation from the Su-30. The test also proved the indigenously developed data link, onboard computer, inertial navigation system, and the fibre-optic gyroscope.

“Astra’s successful launch from the Su-30 combat aircraft is a major step in missile aircraft integration,” said DRDO chief Avinash Chander. “Extensive flight-testing that has preceded today’s air launch was indeed a joint effort of DRDO and IAF. This will be followed by a missile launch against an actual target shortly.”
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The DRDO successfully flight-tested the Astra’s avionics integration and seeker from an Su-30 in 2013 and flight-tested its propulsion system, aerodynamic performance, and main frame and flight systems modifications in January 2014.

Officials are now confident they can meet the Astra project’s revised completion date of December 2016.

The Astra is a single-stage solid-propellant missile that is 3.57 m long and 178 mm in diameter, with a 154 kg launch weight and a 15 kg conventional explosive payload. It has active radar terminal guidance, electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM), and smokeless propulsion.

The missile has been designed to be capable of engaging high-speed targets at short range (up to 20 km in tail chase mode) and long range (up to 80 km in head-on chase mode). At sea level it has a range of up to 20 km but could have a range of 44 km from an altitude of 8,000 m and 80 km if launched from an altitude of 15,000 m.

As well as equipping the IAF’s Su-30 fleet, the Astra is earmarked to equip India’s Dassault Mirage 2000H, Mikoyan MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum’, and the HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).

Astra Project Director S Venugopal said multiple agencies and private Indian companies had contributed to the missile’s success.

“HAL [Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd] carried out the modification of the Su-30 along with IAF specialists, and many Indian industries have an important and enabling role in the production of reliable avionics, propulsion system, materials, airframe, and software,” he said.

A Mk II variant of the Astra with a range of 100 km could be tested by the end of the year, he said. The DRDO previously said the Mk II would have a new dual-pulse solid rocket motor that it is claimed would more than double the missile’s optimum range to 100 km.

All weather capable. Has been capable of PGM delivery through the Litening pod and Paveway IIs for over a decade now. Primary platform for CBU-105 delivery.

The plan was/is to upgrade/refurbish it with a full glass cockpit, HOTAS, new avionics, radar, HMS, ASRAAM, Litening G4, a new Honeywell engine, Harpoons (for IM variants) and possibly the Derby. The engine & Derby are yet to be ordered, everything has been integrated (cockpit might only be partial glass though).

Jaguar IMs have been integrated with Harpoons already. There was a picture of one during a test flight from HAL airport in Bangalore.

another pic of the F-16IQ from an interesting angle..I quite like the camo scheme..different from the rest.

RIP 🙁