5 LRSAM FUs are none other than the S-400

Interesting programs, confirmed by the MOD which are contracted for are:

Himraj
The role of the Himraj is to intercept, monitor, analyse, and locate adversary’s radar transmission
in 70 MHz to 40 GHz band. DRDO is responsible for the system design, development of critical subsystems, and realisation of a truncated reference version of the engineered system for Ground Base
Mobile ELINT System (GBMES), which are being pursued towards production at BEL. The entire
system configuration has been finalised and realisation of engineered system is in progress.

Litening 4

Rafael is extending its Litening family of targeting pods for air forces looking to upgrade existing platforms.

Litening 4, the latest variant of the pod, has gone through major enhancements in sensors, resolution, image processing and algorithmic processing capabilities. “Litening has transformed from a targeting pod into a much broader sensor pack that extends the aircraft and pilot’s capabilities, far beyond target acquisition,” says Yuval Miller, manager of Rafael’s Air and C4ISR division.

The new version extends the effective observation range, enabling detection and recognition of targets from tens of kilometers away. “The [sensor’s] high resolution enables pilots to reliably identify the combat objects and consequently to avoid collateral damage” Miller told Aviation Week, noting the pod has a proven operational combat record in day, night and adverse weather conditions.

Many automated processes previously employed only in ultra-sophisticated reconnaissance systems are now implemented in the Litening, enabling fighter pilots to assume missions and capabilities far beyond lasing a target for smart weapons. In addition to ground attack the pod also assists pilots in the identification of aerial targets from Beyond Visual (BV) ranges.

http://aviationweek.com/defense/rafaels-litening-aircraft-upgrading

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/india-considers-additional-30-unit-hawk-buy-426642/

India considers additional 30-unit Hawk buy

23 June, 2016 New Delhi

India’s defence ministry is considering the acquisition of an additional batch of BAE Systems Hawk advanced jet trainers.

New Delhi indicates it could purchase as many as 30 examples of the Mk132 variant, which would be licence-built by Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL).

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar says the requirement, chiefly for the navy, is still to be fully defined. “We are negotiating for the price and once the price negotiations are over we can announce the final numbers.”

The proposed purchase is in addition to a previously announced need for 20 aircraft to be operated by the air force’s Surya Kiran aerobatic display team. That deal has yet to be concluded, however.

Parrikar also confirms the cancellation of a 2014 request for information for intermediate jet trainers, despite continued delays to its indigenous HAL HJT-36 Sitara programme.

However, he says that production of the HJT-36 has been halted to resolve issues with the type. “The HJT-36 has a lot of the stall-related problems that have been overcome. Spin remains a problem, we will not make any more IJTs until they overcome this problem.”

Thank you. It’s only eyeball engineering but the beam section looked thin to me . With that value for the weight it makes more sense. Probably High MPa Steel. Or simply a work model used for the display.

The design may have changed further. However, one set of trials have occurred and further are underway.

Ignore the journalistic yelling about better than JDAM etc, but the real details.

Jodhpur: India has actually taken a lead in the development and testing of its ‘First Fully Indigenised’ Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW). Highly placed sources in the Union ministry of defence shared exclusively that the SAAW was successfully test launched from a Jaguar aircraft towards the fag end of first quarter of May by the Aircraft & amp; Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) in Bangalore.

Officials shared that this SAAW weighs around 125-150 kgs and has a strike distance of 80-100 kms.

“It is a long-range, precision guided Air to Surface weapon and can be launched from Jaguar and Su-30 aircraft. In future, the same can be integrated to the French Rafale aircraft being imported by the IAF,” said the official.

This Smart Anti-Air Field Weapon will lend a supreme power to IAF since the high explosive warhead is capable destroying even the steel reinforced concrete runways and bunkers etc of enemy with deep penetration capabilities

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jodhpur/Indias-first-fully-indigenized-anti-airfield-weapon-tested/articleshow/52393362.cms

Its basically an Indian equivalent to the Spice 250 etc, a few hundred of which have been ordered by the IAF.

This, the NGARM and Astra are critical for the IAF to maintain any sort of air superiority going forward.

The IAF actually diluted requirements that it had itself laid down for the HTT-40’s design, when it wanted to import the basic trainer from abroad..a scam wherein an indigenous product was held to far higher standards than the imported equivalent. So one set of requirements for its indigenous program, and a far lower, relaxed set of requirements for the imported airplane. And then they fought tooth and nail to scrap this HTT-40 program and just go ahead and purchase more PC-7 Mk2s.

Clear case of favoring the imported basic trainer with remarkably diluted requirements..the IAF would’ve summarily rejected the HTT-40 with such features as 0-60 ejection seat, or non-pressurized cockpit or not meeting glide ratio or take-off distance parameters it set.

the same folks seem involved. same arms agents in westland adn same methods used.

I did track the reporting and I am aware that Parrikar briefed Modi on the status of the MMRCA deal. That’s still a ways from Parrikar recommending or endorsing a two squadron Rafale purchase. When the MoU was announced, Parrikar (dutifully) welcomed it as the PM’s decision – “It’s a great decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on better terms and conditions“.

Again, how do you know Parrikar wasn’t part of the process based on what MOF said it could endorse? He went to the PM and said the previous process is broken. He says now it is upto you. IAF provides input or select officials are sounded out about minimum necessary in the short term to boost combat power. DAE et al are tapped along with MEA who would have been working with the French otherwise to see what would get the French to transfer tech to L&T from Areva for future nuclear plans.

Jaitley (FM), Modi (PM), Parrikar (DM) and MEA (Swaraj) plus delegates and officials from HAL, BARC, DAE, NPCIL etc sit together and devise a plan which PM takes to the French, with a range of options. Modi then sits with Jaitley and sees what can be afforded.

This is how GOI decision making is done.

Not Modi decides 36 planes are good.

While there’s no way to prove or disprove the extent of his involvement, given Parrikar’s record and statements so far (particularly on conserving the public purse), I’m disinclined to believe he devised (& presented to the PM) a plan resulting in a commitment to purchase an aircraft –

i) before terms & conditions were known (let alone cost),
ii) without playing it off competing vendors and,
iii) without seeking commonality with the follow on purchase (for locally assembled aircraft).

All Parrikar has said is that he will get India the best possible deal. He has been working ten different things at one go because this is not sequential. He knows previous process was flawed (deliberate or otherwise loopholes in the non technical sides of the deal, financing etc). He wants that fixed. IAF is screaming at top of its lungs for MMRCA.

Meanwhile Parrikar fixes Tejas plan (120 in first tranche), restarts other options (as fallback) and works the Rafale. Big focus is on Su-30 serviceability.

This is how things happen in realtime to meet IAF requirements.

Possible since Parrikar had only been in office for 3-4 months and perhaps didn’t have a handle on the business yet, but I believe its unlikely.)

Or Parrikar went to Modi and said, this is the problem, here are the range of options and their price which I have worked out with MOD finance and Finance Ministry since per the larger discussion we need to give the French something for the Areva deal since NPCIL/DAE/BARC etc are keen on it & French Govt won’t intercede unless they get something else overall.

Assuming Dassault doesn’t, or with the best of intentions can only put a relatively pricey deal on the table (think Mirage upgrade), what options does the GoI have after investing over an year in the effort?

What if Dassault, having secured this contract, bids high for the subsequent ‘Make-in-India’ program? Would the MoD turn it down in favour of a different and logistically incompatible entry? And if so, how wise would it be to operate just 2-3 squadrons of a unique aircraft for the next 35 years (Mirage redux)?

MOD has a range of options on its table. While not ideal, the IAF would certainly be boosted by 2-3 squadrons of Rafale with weapons and systems compability with the Mirage. We can buy more over time.

The issue folks aren’t getting is the depth of dysfunction Modi has inherited economically. He is working a dozen things to kickstart the economy, but the basics remain the same, investment in core sectors at a massive rate – electricity, roads, ports, infra, hygiene. Without which nothing else works. That means the funds available for defence have to be optimized.

UPA was spending our tomorrow for their today.

The basics were simple. Announce a fake budget for the defence forces and R&D and PSU/MIC/Pvt sector.

Work with MOD Finance to delay select big ticket acquisitions so funds are returned unspent. Ask PSUs to not invest in capex (hence Tejas delay as HAL waits for IAF to fund it, IAF kicks ball back to HAL, ADA sits and watches) and has that returned as dividend or repatriation of funds to MOD which then goes back to MOF. MOF – the great PC, spends it on his signora’s vote catching schemes. Many of which were mired in corruption but ignored because regional satraps needed to be placated to remain in power.

Now, rationalization is going on, decisions are being taken. This means some hard choices. IAF is taking LCA, that & a boost in Su-30 serviceability adds far more immediate punch than the MMRCA, hence only 36 as a first buy is still doable. Why the Rafale only though? That was all the IAF. But now Parrikar is seeing other options too & again, that means Modi has given him that autonomy.

In fact more than S-400, I’d be more happy if they fixed the revenue budget to get the IAF serviceability and availability to 75% +. Which is apparently the first priority for this Govt.

In terms of capex budget and SAMs, in terms of SAMs we have 15 squadrons of Akash coming in, some 3-4 squadrons of SpyDer and once final trials are fixed this year, some 9 squadrons of MRSAM (Barak-8). The first two are committed already. Plus the remaining Pechoras (some 8-16 squadrons plus will be upgraded).

While none of these are a hybrid LR/BMD system like the S-400, from the IAF perspective that’s still a huge step up. We have some space.

I suspect S-400 is being procured for a “rough and ready” BMD system for the Metros while the local BMD program can be deployed once it clears Phase 2 as well (missiles of 2k km+ class).

This makes it a “political priority” to withstand the saber rattling from Pak and give India the space to put conventional warfare back on the table vis a vis Mumbai type terror attacks.

WRT to S-400 the MOD State says deal has been done , Russian says no deal has been signed …….Parrikar says 5 system are being procured.

Considering the urgency and secrecy surrounding the deal , I wont be surprise it might just get a pass through earlier than the usual time MOD would take. Recently Parrikar media mentioned of Parikar streamlining MR-SAM contract since it over laps S-400 capability

Funding is the issue here. If Rafale deal is signed, we simply dont have enough budgeted in the Capital Budget for this to happen this year (IMO).