Vehicle-mounted sub-systems of the IAF’s first Akash squadron, nearing completion at BEL, Bangalore. The first Akash squadron will be deployed at Gwalior Air Base by March 2011.
First Akash missile system to fill gap in air defence
by Ajai Shukla
Business Standard, 23rd Nov 2010
BEL, Bangalore
With crucial Indian defence and nuclear establishments and vital infrastructure facilities open to an enemy air strike, many in India’s military consider the shortage of anti-aircraft guns, missiles and radars as our single greatest security vulnerability.
For two decades, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has blocked overseas purchases, to allow the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) to indigenously develop anti-aircraft missile systems for replacing the obsolete Russian weaponry currently dotted around key headquarters, air bases, atomic power plants, nuclear installations and facilities like the Bhakra Nangal dam.
It has been a dangerous gamble. If war had broken out, the ineffectiveness of these Russian systems, especially the 50-year-old Pechora missile, would have forced the Indian Air Force (IAF) to use its combat aircraft more for defending Indian ground forces against enemy fighters than for attacking targets in enemy territory.
But that gamble is finally beginning to pay off, with India’s first modern air defence system readying to roll off the assembly line. On an exclusive visit to Bharat Electronics (BEL) in Bangalore, Business Standard was given the first-ever media look at an operational Akash missile system, which will be delivered to the IAF by March 2011. This first Akash squadron will protect the Gwalior Air Base, where the IAF bases its Mirage-2000 fighters.
BEL will follow this up quickly with a second Akash squadron by December 2011, which will safeguard Lohegaon Air Base at Pune, a major base for the front-line Sukhoi-30MKI fighters. Meanwhile, another defence public sector undertaking, Bharat Dynamics, will build six more Akash squadrons, most of these for the IAF’s new fighter bases along the Sino-Indian border, including Tezpur, Bagdogra and Hasimara.
“BEL is building two Akash squadrons for Rs 1,221 crore,” says Ashwini Datt, BEL’s Chairman and Managing Director. “The ground infrastructure would cost another Rs 200 crore, so each squadron effectively costs about Rs 700 crore. That is not just significantly cheaper than foreign procurement, but also permits better maintenance and allows for continuous technological improvements.”
DRDO and MoD sources say the Indian Army is close to ordering a high-mobility version of Akash, mounted on T-72 tanks, that can move alongside tank forces. One of the army’s three strike corps, which attack deep into enemy territory, has no anti-aircraft “area defence system”; the other two strike corps are equipped with the vintage Russian SA-6, designed in the early-1960s. This makes them dangerously vulnerable to enemy fighters if they advance deep into enemy territory.
The Akash – developed by the DRDO, in partnership with BEL, under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme – is a sophisticated amalgam of systems working in concert. The heart of the Akash is a mobile Rohini radar, which can detect an aircraft when it is 120 kilometres (km) away; automatically, a coded electronic interrogator ascertains whether this is an IAF aircraft, or a civilian airliner. With the target identified, the Rohini radar alerts the Akash squadron headquarters, which then controls the engagement.
As the enemy fighter races in at about 15 km per minute, the task of shooting it down is allocated through a secure digital link to one of the squadron’s two missile “flights”, which are normally about 25 km away, to cover the maximum area. The designated Flight Control Centre locks its sophisticated 3D phased-array radar onto the enemy fighter and calculates the launch parameters for an Akash missile to shoot down the target at its maximum range of 25 km.
Meanwhile, the flight’s four Akash launchers raise their missiles to the launch positions and swivel automatically towards the incoming aircraft. At the calculated time of launch, the Flight Control Centre electronically passes a launch order to one of its four launchers. An audio signal starts beeping and the missile operator presses the launch button, which is quaintly labelled “MARO”. A “ripple” of two missiles roars off the launcher, seconds apart, to increase the chances of a hit. The 3D radar guides the missiles throughout their flight, homing them onto the enemy aircraft. The DRDO claims that a two-missile “ripple” will destroy an enemy fighter 98 per cent of the time.
The dangerous shortage of India’s air defence resources has been known to Business Standard for some time, but can only now be publicly revealed, with the induction of the Akash remedying the situation. The number of installations that need protection – each is termed a Vulnerable Area (VA) or a Vulnerable Point (VP), depending upon how large it is – has steadily increased. In a letter written on December 4, 2002, to the MoD, the IAF’s Air Marshal Raghu Rajan pointed out that a study by the military’s apex Chiefs of Staff Committee, ordered by the Cabinet Secretariat, had identified 101 Indian VAs/VPs in 1983. That went up to 122 in 1992; to 133 in 1997; and is now understood to be well above 150.
Without the anti-aircraft resources needed to protect these VAs/VPs, the outdated Pechora missiles, which began service in 1974 with a designated life of nine years, have been granted repeated extensions. The Russian manufacturers extended the life to 15 years; when they refused any further extensions, the DRDO extended it unilaterally to 21 years. By 2004, only 30 Pechora units of the 60 originally imported were still in service.
On January 15, 2003, the IAF boss, Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy, wrote to the MoD saying that 60 per cent of India’s VAs/VPs could no longer be provided anti-aircraft protection. The IAF’s top officer wrote: “By 2004… terminal defence of VA/VPs would be only notional… We need to import minimal number of systems to meet our national defence needs.”
Seven years later, the roll-out of the Akash from BEL will begin to fill this gap
http://ajaishukla.blogspot.com/2010/11/first-akash-missile-system-to-fill-gap.html
Photographs from Ilyushin IL-76MF First Flight on September 30th 2010
2010-10-07 As reported earlier, the upgraded IL-76MF heavy lift transport aircraft made its first flight in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on September 30th 2010. This new generation plane is intended to make a strong case for sale to India as New Delhi has been acquiring U.S. C-17 and C130J Hercules aircrafts which are more expensive than the Russian air lifter.
India has an estimated requirement for over 25 military heavy lift planes over the next 10 years. Here are exclusive photographs from the first flight of the Ilyushin IL-76MF in Tashkent.
PAK-DA not for us : IAF Official
BY: IDRW NEWS NETWORK
Denying rumors a serving Indian air force official have told idrw.org that , “IAF never ever considered nor did Russians ever presented any proposal on it ” has quoted by a serving IAF official when asked on rumors of India’s interest in PAK-DA development or purchase .
PAK DA (or PAK-DA), is a next generation strategic bomber which is being developed by Russia. It stands for Perspektivnyi Aviatsionnyi Kompleks Dalney Aviatsyi which means Future Air Complex for Strategic Air Forces. The PAK DA is going to be heavily based on Russia’s current supersonic bomber Tupolev Tu-160 and is expected to have it’s maiden flight by 2015. and enter service by 2020-25 time frame .
Currently, the Russian air force has Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers, as well as long range Tu-22 bombers. Indian Navy is past was interested in renting four Tu-22M bombers , but officially no explanation was given byIndian Navy on backing out, but sources close to idrw.org have told us that high maintenance cost and further expenditure on up-gradation of this aircraft’s which had to be borne by India and it is been also told that Tu-22M on offer where not in best of shape in terms of maintenance and airframe life where possible reason why Indian Navy turned away from this aircraft’s.
Rumors of Indian interest or Russian proposal of PAK-DA sparked of lately when India’s Strategic Nuclear Command requested to have its own separate fighter bombers for nuclear platform , Russian offer or PAK-DA purchase seems to be pure media speculation and doesn’t hold ground . but demand of SNC for immediate purchase of new aircraft’s for this jobs is still under review by Goverment of India .
Top Contenders for Indian Strategic Forces Command (SFC) Nuclear Strike Fighter
BY: IDRW NEWS NETWORK
Indian Strategic Forces Command ( SFC) surprise decision to have its own Mini-air force and its plans to acquire 40 fighter planes capable of delivering nuclear weapons have raised some eye-brows in fighter aircraft manufactures around the world . Indian Strategic Forces Command ( SFC) which was first created in January, 2003 has already submitted a proposal to the defense ministry for setting up two dedicated squadrons of fighter aircraft which will act as “mini- Air Force”.
It will be first time for the SFC to possess its own nuclear strike fighter force. At present, the SFC has to depend on the Indian Air Force for carrying out the nuclear tasks under its command.
SFC is is responsible for the management and administration of the country’s tactical and strategic nuclear weapons stockpile. at present nuclear-capable fighters such as the Mirage 2000, Su-30 MKI and Jaguars form the back bone of SFC aerial nuclear platform .
TOP Contenders for SFC Nuclear Strike Fighter as per defence expert Rakesh sharma along with IDRW TEAM are
*Su-30MKI- Russian designed Su-30MKI fighter jets are “possibly the best logical ” choice for SFC Aircraft requirements since Indian air force is already operating them in large numbers , it also will be easy to maintain and operate this aircraft’s because IAF already has huge infrastructure in place for their serviceability and maintenance.
* RED HOT
*Su 34- The Su-34 (also known as Su-27IB) fighter bomber, designed specifically for carpet bombing and carrying of large weapons payload ,The two crew members sit side by side in a large cabin like a large bomber , it also has greater space for longer flights and comes with its own toilet for crew , this aircraft is best utilized for bombing missions and shares lots of spares commonality and ground tools ,machinery with Sukhoi-su 30 mki which IAF operates.
* HOT*
*Dassault Mirage 2000 – 5 – Indian Air force currently operates around 50 of this jets and under recent Indo-French deal all older variants will be brought up to to DASH 5 Standards , Mirage-2000H at present represent nuclear strike force of Iaf , but production of this jets have long been stopped by French but United Arab Emirates which operates around 60 plus Mirage-2000-9 and Mirage – 2000E is looking to sell them and instead buy French made Rafale omni role fighter aircraft , Aircraft’s will be quite similar to current standard of mirage 2000-5 aircraft’s operated by IAF , which in turn will keep the cost of operation and serviceability down .
* MILD*
*Rafale : Repeated offer by French for direct purchase of 40 aircraft’s off the shelf and requirements of exact same numbers by SFC did raise eye brows in Indian defence community , is MMRCA path has been already been predicted and French will get a consolation prize in terms of 40 orders for Rafales ? well its yet to be seen which path government of India takes ,advantage Rafale has is that many of the ground machinery and support tools have commonality with Mirage-2000h which Iaf currently operates , but major disadvantage will be that cost of purchase which will be huge since Rafale comes with huge price tag ,and it will like Su-34 be easy spot for enemy to recognize them has nuclear carrying aircraft even if they are heavy escorted by other air superiority jets .
* LOW*
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