Arjun Mk.2 In Desert Trials

India to store missiles near Pak & China borders

India has launched a major plan to construct underground shelters for storing missiles, rockets and ammunition close to the borders with Pakistan and China. Apart from providing better logistics on the front in the event of a war, these underground dumps will also ensure critical war-fighting ordnance is better protected from enemy attacks as well as the weather.
Sources said Army chief General Bikram Singh is keen that at least 2,000-2,500 metric tonnes of ammunition that is "expensive and operationally important'' should be stored in such underground shelters in the operational areas of the Northern and Eastern Army Commands, a report in the Indian media said.
With Beijing being considered the "real long-term threat'' despite the current tensions with Islamabad along the Line of Control, two pilot projects have been taken up for construction of "underground and tunnelled'' storage of ammunition in Leh and Sikkim along the "northern borders'' with China.
Initially, Army, DRDO and other experts had selected five sites in the north-east and two in J&K for the underground shelters. The choice was narrowed down to a site each in Leh and Sikkim with the help of "geo-technical reports'', which looked at 40-50 parameters, for the pilot projects.
"Once the first two projects take off, similar ones will be undertaken along the western border with Pakistan. The underground shelters will make it difficult for the enemy to detect and destroy our ammunition dumps. Both China and the US store most of their ammunition in tunnels, caves and other underground shelters,'' said a source.
At present, only around 4.5 lakh of the 8 lakh tonnes of ammunition authorized for the Army has proper storage facilities in the shape of modern and fire-resistant ammunition storage sheds or storehouses.
The rest is stored mostly in the open, exposed to the weather. This often leads to explosions, fires and "mishandling of ammunition incidents'' causing regular deaths as well as destruction of ammunition. A devastating blaze at the Khundru ammunition depot in J&K in August 2007 had killed over 20 people and destroyed several thousand tonnes of ammunition.

Indian Small Arms System

Indian INSAS Rifle (5.56 mm) with Fixed and Foldable Butt

INSAS Excalibur Mark-I rifle (5.56 mm)

India's Arjun Mk.2 Tank Revealed

After more than three decades of development, India’s Arjun Main Battle Tank (MBT) has literally emerged like a phoenix from the ashes, surprising even its most sceptical observers. Last year, the Arjun outgunned the Indian army’s T-72 and T-90 MBT’s, when trials were conducted with the respective units putting up their best tanks and personnel.
FORCE visited the Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (CVRDE) for an exclusive insight into the programme. We learnt that while the Arjun Mk-2 is substantially improved and more capable than the Arjun Mk-1; it is too heavy, limiting areas where it can be deployed by the Army. And that renders it unsuitable for the army’s operational requirements for a Main Battle Tank (MBT). According to P Sivakumar, Director CVRDE, “the weight of the Arjun prevents it from being deployed in all the areas required by the Army”.
Keeping this in mind, the Arjun Mk-2’s improved performance seems to have put the Army in a spot. What does one do with a tank that is fast, can shoot accurately on the move and is relatively well protected but is too heavy to be deployed in the deserts near the Pakistan border as a replacement for the T-72 or T-90? Paradoxically, while the tank itself has demonstrated high speed and mobility, its weight precludes it from being able to operate anywhere the army wants it to. The Arjun Mk-2 will weigh around 67 tonnes and this fatally limits the tank’s operational effectiveness for the Indian Army.
The tank is too heavy to be deployed across the border with Pakistan. It is unable to effectively traverse terrain filled with natural and/or artificial obstacles. Or areas criss-crossed with rivers and canals. That rules out most places in Rajasthan, Punjab and the mountainous terrain of the J&K sector.

Indonesia Introduce Pindad Komodo Tactical Vehicles

 PT Pindad panser which exhibit two vehicles in the Car Free Day diproduksinya (CFD) in Jalan Dago, Bandung Djuanda Ir, Sunday (08/05/2012). The presence of two PT Pindad panser it was very attractive to visitors CFD.

Based on a review INILAH.COM, all visitors who pass through two panser the parking in front gardens do not miss Dago to pose with their mobile phone camera. The vehicle displayed PT Pindad start at 6:00 pm to events CFD disorderly Dago.

                                Besides looks, and the Komodo

                      

India currently has 80 to 100 nuke warheads

India is not converting all its weapons-grade plutonium into war heads but it currently has 80 to 100 nuclear warheads for its emerging Triad of air-, land-, and sea-based nuclear-capable delivery vehicles.
India is estimated to have produced approximately 520 kilograms of weapons-grade plutonium, sufficient for 100 to 130 atomic warheads; however, not all of the material has been converted into warheads, a pti report said quoting Director of the Nuclear Information Project Hans Kristensen and senior fellow for Nuclear Policy Robert S Norris wrote in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

Indian Police Set To Operate Locally Developed UAV

The Chandigarh Police in North Western India as well as specialised police team are set to be the first Indian police force to operate locally developed UAV cutomised for police operation. They will be used for monitoring large rallies and marches, providing bird’s eye views of the law enforcement officer and improving situational understanding.

 DRDO Golden Hawk will be the first UAV to be operated by the police and shall be followed by DRDO Netra .

Indian armed forces to get 95 UAVs capable of aerial surveillance and air strikes

The Indian defence ministry today announced that a total of 95 mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will be purchased in the near future, to improve the aerial surveillance capabilities of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy (IN). Sources close to the ministry said that the process for the procurement has already started, and that the bidding process is likely to be initiated by the beginning of next year.
So far the defence ministry has not revealed whether they will give preference to the local defence manufacturers during the procurement process. If local equipment manufacturers are not given the priority, then the Israeli UAVs, like the IAI Heron (Machatz-1) and the IAI Searcher are likely to be the strongest contenders to win the bid. The Heron drones are currently operated by the Armed Forces in a number of nations, including Brazil, Canada, France, Turkey, and the United States. The IAI Searcher is also used by nations such as Russia and Thailand.
The Indian officials said that they intend to procure 60 UAVs for the IAF, while the remaining 35 units are meant for use by the IN. The defence ministry have already placed certain conditions for the future UAV deal, insisting that the weight of the UAV should not be more than 5.50 lb and the entire set, including the operational kit should not weigh more than 33 lb.
The Indians hinted that they want the UAVs to be light-weight, so that a single soldier will be able to operate them. The current version of the IAI Heron weighs more than 550 lb, and it is not clear whether the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will consider manufacturing a miniature version for export to India.

Akash missile fails a routine test flight

India's defense industry experts are investigating the failure of the surface-to-air missile Akash to lift off during a test in which it was to hit a target in flight.

The medium-range Akash was launched from the Integrated Test Range at Balasore in Orissa state to hit a target pulled by a pilot-less Lakshya aircraft flying over the Bay of Bengal, a report by The Hindu newspaper said.

The missile failed to launch from its mobile land launcher and immediately tumbled onto the ground. Five minutes after the first missile's failure, a second missile was launched and hit its target, IBN said.

The flights of the Akash missiles were part of routine post-induction user test, and more similar tests are planned for the missile that was developed for the army and air force by the government's Defense Research and Development Organization.

Air Force version of 'Akash' missiles successfully test fired

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, June 1, IRNA -- India Friday successfully test fired its two indigenously-developed surface-to-air 'Akash' missiles of Air Force version with a strike range of 25 km from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur near Balasore in Odisha state.
"Two Air Force version Akash missiles were test-fired from the ITR in quick succession. Both the trials were successful and met all the mission objectives," ITR Director M V K V Prasad said.
The anti-aircraft missiles, with a strike range of 25 km and capable of carrying warhead of 60 kgs, were test fired from a mobile launcher at launch complex-III of the ITR.
The trial, which formed part of the country's routine air defence exercises, was conducted at around noon, pti reported quoting an official of Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) associated with the Akash missile project as said.
To re-validate the technology and operational efficacy of the missile, defence forces conducted the trial with logistic support provided by the ITR, the official said. The Akash weapon system, which has its Army version too, was inducted into the armed forces in 2008.
Today's test-fire came after similar trials conducted from the same test range on May 24, 26 and 28.
"During the trial, the sophisticated missiles were aimed at intercepting floating object supported by a pilotless target aircraft at a definite altitude over the sea," sources said.
Akash, an anti-aircraft defence system, can simultaneously engage several targets with 'Rajendra' radar developed by the Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), a DRDO laboratory in Bangalore.
'Rajendra' does the surveillance, tracks the target, acquires it and guides the missile towards it.
The development of Akash missile took place during 1990s under the country's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) and after many trials, it was inducted into the armed forces.
The DRDO has developed both the Air Force and Army versions of the Akash missile.
Rajendra is a 'passive phased array radar'. It is a multifunction radar, capable of tracking as many as 64 targets and controlling up to 12 missiles simultaneously.
Defence experts have often compared Akash missile system with the American MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system.
They claim that similar to the MIM-104, the Akash is capable of neutralising aerial targets such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), fighter jets, cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles.

Indian Air Force to get first off its 10 Boeing C17 Globemaster III in June 2013

 

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will get the delivery of its first Boeing C17 Globemaster III airlifter in June next year and the rest nine will join the force by August 2014.

“The test flight of the first C17 for India will begin in January. The certification will be done by May and the delivery will start in June. The training of IAF representatives will begin from May this year,” said Patrick Druez, business development (mobility) at Boeing Defense, Space & Security.

In June 2011, the Indian government approved the purchase of 10 C17s, amounting to $4.8 billion. The C17s will replace the IAF’s 17 Il-76 transports, which are only able to carry around 50,000 kg, compared to C17’s 74, 000 kg.

Being able to operate from short, mud-paved landing strips, such as those on India’s borders, the C17 can lift 75-tonne payloads to anywhere in China, Central Asia, the Gulf countries and much of Southeast Asia, without refuelling. Capable of carrying 188 passengers, or 102 fully-kitted paratroopers, the C17 can also transport a battle-loaded Arjun or T-90 tank, or a Chinook helicopter with its rotors dismantled. The IAF is in the process of upgrading its transport fleet, and recently took delivery of six Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules, to be used for special operations. It is also developing a medium transport with Russia and seeking new tanker aircraft.

The delivery of Boeing P8I, long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine aircraft, is also set to happen by the end of this year. The aircraft completed its first flight in September 2011, and is set to be delivered by December.

To upgrade military equipment, India plans to spend $100 billion over the next decade. One of India’s most ambitious projects is its joint development of a stealth fighter with Russia, based on the Sukhoi T-50. India will start taking delivery of 250 aircraft by 2015.

India's Rustom UAV Makes a 14th-Flight

DRDO Statement: The indigenously Designed and Developed RUSTOM-1 made icts 14th Successful flight this morning at about Kolar flying at 11.500 ft AGL Above and speed of 140-km / h DURING 2 hrs 10 minutes of cruise. The highlights of the flight include: a) Use of lean mixture in the engine control system for flights at high altitudes, b) Take-off weight heaviest so far, c) Achieved max altitude of 3.5 km, about 11,500 ft and d) Extended Range of about 50 kms Tried out for the first time. The waypoint and track was perfect takeoff and landing so Were. The Rustom-1 is built for a maximum altitude of 22.000 ft and endurance of 12-15 year Hours with operating range of 250 Kms When fully Developed.

why the Agni-V falls short

Now that the celebrations are over, it’s time for the hangover. Okay, let’s get this straight – India’s brand spanking new Agni-V is not an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM). I’m not making this up – by definition a true ICBM must have a range that’s over 5500 kilometre. India’s latest Agni falls well short of that mark. Definitions cannot be tweaked at the whim of politicians or flacks, which brings us to the ominous conclusion that India does not have an ICBM today and won’t have one in the near future.

I’m not suggesting that the Agni-V is a dud. The missile, in fact, plugs a big gap in India’s defence. But first chew on this: in 1971 China test fired the Dong Feng-5 missile that had a range of over 12,000. So 40 years after living under the shadow of the DF-5, India’s political leadership has finally greenlighted a missile that can hit China’s coastal areas – its economic and demographic heartland. Should we be thankful to New Delhi for a missile that is really an extended intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) that’s four decades late? Or should we ponder if our political elites have any grasp of strategy?

Going ballistic over a missile

India’s strategic community and the military have been clamouring for decades that to have bullet-proof security, India needs an ICBM that can reach every major country on the planet; that is, a missile with a range of at least 12,000 kilometre. 

Now there are many people on the other side of the debate who question whether ICBMs are such a big deal. Their reasoning is that India’s furthest rival is China so there’s no need for a missile that travels further than that country. Plus, they argue, the US and Europe aren’t inimical to India so why provoke their ire by developing missiles that could potentially target these benign fellows?

Such thinking ignores a basic precept of defence – a nation must forever wage peace but keep its powder dry. ICBMs are strategic weapons and without a global-range missile, India will be unable to break out of its regional context. It’s as simple as that.

The ICBM is the doomsday weapon that separates the men from the boys in the global slugfest. While it is true that economic strength plays a key role in shaping international power equations, strategic missiles alone can guarantee fail-safe national security. As the Federation of American Scientists says, “Regardless of the origin of a conflict, a country may involve the entire world simply by threatening to spread the war with an ICBM.”

The supposedly horrendous cost of building and maintaining ICBMs is also touted as a reason why nations should avoid them. However, for decades China has strutted on the global stage on the strength of just 20 silo-based ICBMs. Today, of course, it has nuclear armed submarines and road mobile ICBMs, but those 20 venerable missiles have given it strategic parity with the US and Russia who both possess hundreds of missiles.

Clearly, strategic missiles are one reason (the other being the permanent seat at the UN Security Council) why regional chipmunks like France and Britain continue to talk big whereas Germany and Japan despite their massive economies remain fringe players. Without a credible ICBM force, India will be looked upon as nothing more than a subcontinental bully – a country that aspires to play hardball with the giants but ends up relegated to the minor league.

Stunted development

The problem with India’s missile development programme is that there is no clear strategic policy or urgency regarding deployment. India is the only country in the world that has developed a range of missiles but which remain either on the drawing board or have got stuck at the demo stage.

In the case of virtually every Agni series missile, after a couple of tests the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) declared that development was complete. The impression conveyed was the missile was ready to be handed over to the army. But then the DRDO went in for an improved version, for the cycle to begin all over again.

Missiles need to be tested dozens of times under all sorts of operational conditions to validate their performance and reliability. Take the Agni-IV, which failed its first test in December 2010. This missile was not tested again until November 15, 2011.

It’s as if the scientists are sent on a long holiday after each launch. This is not how von Braun or Sergei Korolyov worked to build strategic missiles for the US and Russia. This approach will not ensure the reliability of India's missile force, but it drives many Indians, well, ballistic.

5000 kilometre red line

Who knows, perhaps the scientists are indeed being sent on extended holidays. The chief reason why India’s ICBM development has proceeded at the speed of snails is intense American pressure. According to the Centre for Land Warfare Studies, New Delhi, in the late 1990s India had to postpone the Agni test flights on more than one occasion under US influence.

It is also well-known that back in 1992 the US had asked President Boris Yeltsin to stop the transfer of Russian cryogenic engines although the complex cryogenic technology is of little use in ballistic missiles.

There are two reasons why the US wants to scuttle India’s ICBM plans – one, America’s hopelessly inadequate (some say unworkable) missile defence systems will have the additional task of monitoring Indian ICBMs. Secondly, plain arrogance – a former Cold War opponent shouldn’t be allowed to develop missiles that could target good ole American folks. America has, therefore, drawn a red line that it will not tolerate India crossing, and that line is the 5000 kilometre mark.

It is in this backdrop that the Chinese, despite their usually shrill rhetoric, were right when last week they claimed that under NATO pressure India had limited the Agni’s range.

Under the sea, under-powered

The same goes for India's nuclear submarine under construction. The Arihant, which will be launched in a couple of years, will also be hampered by the 700 kilometre range of its submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM).

By its very definition a nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed submarine must be undetectable and strike from unpredictable ranges. It could be lurking in the South Pacific, for instance, and yet be able to launch a missile at New York, London or Beijing, or all three at the same time. However, armed with a short range IRBM, the Arihant will have to get up close – and vulnerable – to the enemy to launch its missiles.

No other country in the world has developed such a short-range SLBM; if India has a new nuclear doctrine we’d like to know what it is. At any rate, after pouring in billions into the nuclear submarine programme, that’s very little bang for the buck.

Missile mislabelling

So why is everyone calling it an ICBM? Two reasons: recently the spat with the army chief has exposed the Indian leaders as irresponsible wimps who have seriously hampered the army’s war fighting capacity. (Where else on the planet can you find an army with a million troops, but with ammunition barely enough for four days of fighting?)

So the political leadership is hoping the Agni-5 with an ‘ICBM’ tag will distract voters long enough so they forget how the same politicians have been eroding India’s combat readiness. MBAs couldn’t have done a better marketing job.

The second reason is that the majority of the Indian public doesn’t care about geopolitical matters. According to a survey conducted by the Delhi-based Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in 1999 – only one year after the Pokhran atomic tests – 53.5% of India's electorate had never even heard of the nuclear tests. Moreover, 35.6 percent of the respondents had never heard of China, India’s leading rival.

The last reason is that the media, whose job is to inform is itself misinformed. Barring a few exceptions, the Indian media is ignorant of defence matters. Many of the defence correspondents are chest-thumping stenographers of the government. Take this amateurish drivel from NDTV a day after the test: “Tipped to be a game changer, Agni-V will make the world fear India.”

You get the picture.

No stopping now?
If there’s some good news it is that missile development has an irresistible momentum of its own. The DRDO insists it won’t cap the missile programme, and is reportedly developing the 16,000 kilometre Surya ICBM, an anti-satellite missile, a reusable heavy lift rocket and a hypersonic aircraft among others.

Bharat Karnad, one of the authors of India’s 1999 draft nuclear doctrine, told Arms Control Today: “The technological momentum driving the Indian missile programme is going to take it well beyond the 5,000 kilometre range Agni-5 and into producing genuine ICBM category delivery systems, if only to match China.” And he added, “Longer range, more accurate missiles will be developed by India as a technological imperative.”

One can’t but detect a trace of desperation in Karnad’s statement. He and other members of India’s strategic community have long voiced such opinions in the hope that the Indian public will demand more urgency and accountability from the political leadership.

Tata to Pitch Trucks to Malaysian Armed Forces

New Delhi — Vehicles major Tata Motors announced Monday that it has signed a cooperation agreement with a Malaysian firm to develop, promote and market the Indian company's high mobility military trucks for the Malaysian armed forces.

"Tata Motors and DRB-HICOM Defence Technologies Sdn Bhd (Deftech), a wholly-owned subsidiary of DRB-HICOM Berhad, Malaysia, have signed a cooperation agreement to enable both Deftech and Tata Motors to develop, promote and market Tata Motors high mobility 4x4 trucks with payloads ranging from 2.5 tonnes to 5.0 tonnes for the armed forces of Malaysia," a Tata release said here.

In the initial stage, DEFTECH will be working on two of Tata Motors proven models -- LPTA 715 and LPTA 1623.

"These vehicles are suitable in various configurations including troop carriers, command post, ambulance, reconnaissance missions, as an armoured carrier communication shelter and others," the release said.

Tata Motors has been associated with the country's off-road defence and security forces since 1958 and has supplied over one lakh vehicles to the Indian military and paramilitary forces so far.

The company offers its products and services that not only meet the needs of the domestic market, but are also positioned to meet most stringent requirements across the world. Tata Motors exports its range of specialised defence vehicles to the South Asian, South East Asian and African regions.

Tata Motors also has multi-axle range such as 12x12, 8x8 and 6x6 trucks that it has started supplying to leading missile original equipment manufacturers across the world, the firm said.

The company is also a supplier of specialist vehicles for UN peacekeeping missions.

India To Test Agni-V Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) capable of reaching entire Chinese mainland between April 15 and 20

The missile, capable of covering 5,000 km, can carry nuclear warhead

Amid the sylvan surroundings of coconut groves, shrubs, lawns and cottages on the tiny Wheeler Island off Odisha coast, hectic preparations are on for the launch of Agni-V missile any day between April 15 and 20. The three stages have been integrated horizontally. It will then be made vertical and electrical connections given. If the current schedule holds good, the missile will soar into the sky from a road-mobile launcher during the launch window of April 15 to 20. 

Capable of covering 5,000 km, Agni-V is India's longest-range missile which can carry a nuclear warhead. If the test-flight is successful, it will catapult India into a select band of countries possessing the technology for Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM).

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has designed and developed it.

Agni-V is 17 metres tall and weighs 50 tonnes. Its diameter is two metres. All its three stages are powered by solid propellants. It can carry a nuclear warhead weighing 1.1 tonne and a dummy payload. The entire flight will last more than 1,000 seconds.

“Game-changer”

 

Avinash Chander, Chief Controller (Missiles and Strategic Systems), DRDO, described Agni-V's technology as a “game-changer” for strategic options. Except the U.S., Russia, France and China, no other country had designed and developed this range of systems, he said.

India Bans Six Defence Firms For 10 Years

India on Monday banned six defence firms, including four foreign companies, from doing any business in the country for 10 years beginning 2012, following the chargesheeting of a former Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) chief in a graft case.
 
The companies banned are Singapore Technologies,Israeli Military Industries, German Rheinmetall Air Defence, Russia Corporation Defence and two Indian firms, defence ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar told reporters in New Delhi.
 
The ban will be effective for 10 years beginning 2012, he added.The Indian firms are TS Kishan and Company Private Limited and RK Machine Tools, they added.
 
The action follows the Central Bureau of Investigation chargesheet against former OFB chief Sudipto Ghosh, and the probe agency’s recommendation for blacklisting the six firms.
 
The firms were issued a show cause notice and after perusing their replies, the government decided to “debar” them, Kar added.

$ 10-16 billion dollar deal : India on Tuesday selected the French Fighter Rafale over the Eurofighter Typhoon in a multi-billion dollar contract for the supply of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA)

India on Tuesday selected the French Fighter Rafale over the Eurofighter Typhoon in a multi-billion dollar contract for the supply of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) — the country's largest defence deal to date.

Interestingly, for a company that faltered at the start, with the Defence Ministry indicating that the Rafale was out of the race, Dassault made a comeback and went on to win the bid.

The decision to open exclusive negotiations with Dassault was acclaimed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who praised the “very high-level, fair and transparent competition involving the two European finalists.”

While expressing disappointment over the development, Cassidian — the defence and security division of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, which manufactures the Typhoon — maintained in a statement that it had offered the IAF the most modern aircraft available.

Sources in the Defence Ministry said the product was picked up on the basis of it being the Lowest Bidder (L1), a decision arrived at after complex calculations, including the life-cycle costs. The two aircraft were chosen from a list of six, including U.S. Boeing (F/A18) and Lockheed Martin (F-16), Russian MiG-35 and Swedish Saab (Gripen), in April last year.

The deal is estimated to be worth $10.2 billion (Rs.54,000 crore). The plan includes acquiring 126 aircraft, 18 of them in fly-away condition and the rest to be made in India at the Hindustan Aeronautics facility under transfer of technology.

For France, the deal is the third big defence contract that has come its way. In the current financial year, the Government of India cleared the $2.4 billion upgrade of 51 Mirage-2000 aircraft and the $970 million supply of MICA fire-and-forget missile for the same aircraft.

MiG-29K gets on board Indian aircraft carrier - Source Flightglobal

With work on the Indian navy's future aircraft carrier the INS Vikramaditya now 90% complete, an RSK MiG-29K fighter has been placed aboard the vessel for the first time.

According to Sevmash, the Vikramaditya will start sea trials in May 2012, with these to involve take-offs and landings using two industry-owned aircraft. One is a purpose-built MiG-29K, while the other is a MiG-35D two-seat demonstrator now being modified after the crash of a MiG-29KUB trainer during trials in 2011.





 Pictured on the carrier's deck at the Sevmash dockyard in Severodvinsk, northern Russia during November, aircraft Side 311 was deployed using a crane to serve as a mock-up only.
Originally introduced to service with the Russian navy in 1987 as the Baku, but deactivated in 1992, the modified Vikramaditya now features a "ski-jump" ramp and three arrestor wires to support fighter operations. New Delhi's total investment in the ship is worth around $2 billion, with Sevmash expecting it to be commissioned into service on 4 December 2012 - Indian navy day.

Russia has so far delivered 11 of the 16 MiG-29K/KUBs ordered for the Indian navy under a 2003 deal worth $530 million, with the remainder due to be shipped to Goa before the end of 2011.
India also this year firmed up an option for 29 more navalised MiG-29s to equip its future homegrown aircraft carriers.

India gets indigenous bomb disposal unit

The Indian army's corps of engineers has taken delivery of the first six indigenously made, remotely operated vehicles designed for bomb disposal.

In 2009 the army ordered 20 of the ROV Daksh from the Defense Research and Development Organization, the government's main military equipment developer, a report by The Times of India said.

The Daksh has been designed and is being manufactured by a consortium of public and private sector businesses, led by the DRDO's robotics group at the Research and Development Establishment laboratories in Pune. Other companies include Tata Motors, Dynalog India, Theta Controls and Bharat Electronics.

"We will hand over the remaining 14 units of the order in a year's time," S. Sundaresh, DRDO's chief controller of armament combat engineering, said at a news conference following the handover to the army.

"The ROVs will be deployed in the northern and eastern command areas of the army and, based on the feedback, the DRDO will develop a further improvised variant called Daksh Mk-I," Sundaresh said.

Alok Mukherjee, head of robotics at Research and Development Establishment, said a basic ROV bought from the United Kingdom in 2002 cost around $335 million whereas the basic Daksh costs about $188 million. Around 90 percent of the machine is made in India.

"But the R&DE is providing added features including an X-ray investigation system and a mounted gun and the entire package costs $329 million," Mukherjee said.

Rakesh Bassi, director general of combat engineers, took delivery of the battery-powered and wheeled Daksh. He also monitored the field trials of Daksh at the military base in Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir state in 2008.

"The army sought modifications in the ROV, like an additional camera in the rear, a cordless operating system and a carrier vehicle suitable for all-terrain operations. All these have been met by the R&DE," he said.

It was in the early 1990s when the Indian army started to think about using ROVs "following instances of indiscriminate use of (improvised explosive devises) by terrorists and anti-nationals. We had to acquire 45 such vehicles from the United Kingdom, while the DRDO was asked to develop the ROVs," he said.

The ROV includes a mounted shotgun to shoot open locks on doors and other objects. The X-ray system locates the bomb and the vehicle's gripper arm will handle the bomb to safely dispose of it. Operational distance is more than 1,500 feet in line of sight from the controller.

It also has a radio frequency shield that when turned on jams incoming remote signals sent by a terrorist operator of the bomb or from an automatic sender that would trigger the bomb.

Indian Navy Will Issue A Global Tender For Six Next Generation Submarines

The Navy will issue a global tender for procuring six next generation submarines worth over Rs 50,000 crore by the end of this year.
"The government has cleared Project-75 India which is the next lot of six submarines... At the moment we are going with the Request for Information (RFI) process, I hope within this year we would be able to push off the tender," Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma told reporters on the sidelines of a submarine seminar.

Project-75 India is a follow on of the Scorpene submarine project, six of which are being built by the Mazgaon Dockyards Limited (MDL) under a Rs 20,000 crore deal with French company DCNS.

With a depleted submarine strength, the Navy is planning to induct over 12 submarines in the next 10-12 years. The plans have also suffered a setback in view of the delays in the construction of the Scorpenes in Mumbai.
Talking about the capabilities of future submarines, the Navy chief said, "It will be a different boat in the sense that we are revising its Qualitative Requirements. Along with better sensors it will also have better hiding capability, improved detection range and combat management system."

He said the Navy would go for the Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems for the submarines, which would enhance their capability of remaining submerged in water for a longer time period.