Killer in the Queue

Interview of Mr. A.S. Pillai – CEO BrahMos

Russian president Putin visited the BrahMos design centre during his visit to India. Will it help the missile programme in any way?

Both the governments have appreciated the progress the joint venture has made in a short time and acknowledged it as a role model for any future joint ventures in strategic partnership. President Putin’s visit has given the go-ahead for the air-launched version of the missile to be developed and integrated with Su-30MKI. His visit to the BrahMos Weapon Design Centre and his meeting with the CEOs of the consortium of industries of BrahMos gave a major impetus to this programme, including the export component.

President Kalam gave some marketing tips to Team BrahMos. What’s the missile’s marketing mantra?

President Kalam said the missile should be marketed aggressively and exported in a year to take advantage of the already established product leadership. He also said competition will come within the next four to five years and hence production and marketing goals have to be fulfilled immediately. We are fully geared to fulfil his wish, as the joint venture has already established production centres, weapon complex design centre, international marketing group, training and documentation centre and participated in many international exhibitions to sensitise the market. BrahMos Aerospace is a total solutions company and our marketing mantra for BrahMos is: Many missions, one missile.

How is BrahMos different from other missiles?

In recent times, subsonic cruise missiles have been the most dominant weapon system in tactical warfare. The ability of BrahMos to fly at three times the speed of sound in a variety of trajectories, from multiple platforms against multiple targets with high precision, and to remain undetectable due to low radar cross section, makes it the most potent weapon system ever developed.

The Su-30MKI is said to be an ideal platform of BrahMos. Did you have to modify the missile to achieve this?

The present missile with certain modifications has been conceptualised to be an ideal weapon for Su-30MKI. The modifications ensure lesser weight of the missile for same performance, utilising the initial velocity of the aircraft. Design and development has just commenced. Interface details with the platform are being finalised involving partner institutions and the user.

Court case closed, HDW wants to work with navy

NEW DELHI: Leading German defence firm HDW on Thursday signalled its desire to re-establish links with the Indian Navy in the wake of a court here closing a case related to the alleged payment of kickbacks for a submarine deal in the 1990s.

Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW), which owns Germany’s largest shipyard and is considered the builder of the world’s most modern non-nuclear submarines, came under a cloud in the late 1980s following alleged payment of kickbacks to clinch a contract to sell four submarines to India.

In a statement here, HDW said: “During the long and thorough investigation by the Indian jurisdiction, the case was examined from all angles by CBI and no evidence could be found to prove or establish the allegations.

HDW’s move to “re-establish” links with the Indian Navy comes at a time when the maritime force is set to ink a major contract to build several submarines at a state-run shipyard in Mumbai.

The submarine building line at Mazagon Dockyard in Mumbai was created in the late 1980s to build vessels using technology and expertise provided by HDW.

However, only two submarines were built there before the kickback allegations surfaced and the facility has remained idle since then. The German firm was blacklisted and could not bid for any further contracts with India’s armed forces.

Referring to the closure of the court case, HDW said it was “now cleared to re-establish its good relations to the Indian Navy and is interested together with its partner MAN Ferrostaal Aktiengesellschaft to follow up the Indian Navy modernisation programme”.

The Kursk instrument makers developed new onboard systems for the fighters MiG-29K being supplied to India

OKB “AviaAvtomatika” and JOINT STOCK COMPANY “instrument” within the framework of supply agreement with India of the party of fighters MiG-29K (KUB) have developed for these aircraft the system of control of weapon SUO-29K, the system of control of the ejection of countermeasures 20SP- M -01 and integrated onboard system of control and registration of the flight information of new generation “Carat- B -29K”. “The system of weapon control SUO-29K is intended for control of preparation and application of all types of the weapon, placed on the aircraft. It has the centralized structure on the base of digital computer BCVM -486-2K-03 HIGH SPEED DIGITAL COMPUTER and ensures the exchange of information with BREO (onboard radio-electronic equipment) on the digital interfaces “, said the representative of the press- service OF OKB ” Aviaavtomatika “. The developed by Kursk instrumentmakers system 20SP- M -01 ensures control of the ejection of the passive infrared and dipole means for the purpose of the protection of flight vehicles from the attacks of the controlled air-to-air missiles both with the radar and infrared homing, and also protection from the antiaircraft missile systems. System is mated with the station of electronic reconnaissance RWR “TARANG” and by the systems of aircraft on the digital interfaces and ensures both the implementation of the programs of shooting upon commands of station RWR and programs, introduced into the memory of system with the preflight training of aircraft. Integrated onboard system of control and registration of the flight information of new generation “Carat- B -29K” consists the unit of the collection of aircraft parametric information BSOI-YK and three information storage, which according to its functional possibilities and weight-dimension characteristics it is corresponds to the best foreign analogs. The development of integrated onboard system of control and registration “Carat- B -29K” is conducted into the cooperation with the enterprises OF JOINT STOCK COMPANY “tekhpribor” (Saint Petersburg) and GosNIIAS (Moscow), they noted by the press- service.

Translation credits Igorr.

Indian Naval training ships in Sri Lankan waters

Three Indian Naval training ships, INS Krishna, Sujata and Taringini are now in Sri Lanka on a goodwill visit. The ships arrived yesterday and will depart on March 22 after spending about 10 days in the shores of Sri Lanka.

The ships usually based at Kochi in the State of Kerala providing sea training to the officer cadets of the Indian Navy will take on board Sri Lankan Naval cadets for a sea training from 14 March to 19 March under the India-Sri Lanka cadets’ Training Exchange Programme. The Sri Lankan cadets will be exposed to various facets of naval operations at sea during their five-day training period.

The training ships enable the naval cadets to undergo training in aspects covering a variety of subjects, which leads them to assume higher responsibilities. The primary focus is on teaching the young cadets to become seafarers, to develop qualities to take up all challenges that the sea could pose.

Besides professional training, the cadets are exposed to various adventure sports and activities designed to develop their ability to operate and survive at sea. The officers and sailors who train the cadets are some of the finest and most capable men in the Indian Navy. The training ships maintain the highest maritime, professional and personal traditions.

Besides calling on the High Commissioner for India in Sri Lanka, the commanding officers of the ships are scheduled to have a formal meeting with senior officers of the Sri Lankan Navy.