Russia to Deliver Over 1,000 Cruise Missiles to India

Mosnews | Feb 6, 2007
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Over 1,000 BrahMos cruise missiles will be delivered to the three services of the Indian armed forces and also to some other countries within the next few years, a top official of Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia, which has developed the missile in partnership with India’s DRDO, said on Monday, Feb. 5.

“Money has already been paid to us for several hundred missiles, built in accordance with some previously concluded contracts,” Gerbert Yefremov, Director-General and Chief Designer of the Moscow-based company was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass.

“The high standard of our weapons has already won contracts for three frigates, which Russia will build for India. Their cost tops all the potentially possible profits from the sale of missiles. These orders, adding up to many billions, were won thanks to our joint work with India and thanks to BrahMos deliveries. The situation will apparently shape up in the same way with submarines in the near future,” Yefremov noted.

“Our joint work is yielding splendid results. One thousand or even two thousand missiles may seem to be an overwhelming number, but it is necessary to bear in mind that approximately 12,000 missiles of previous generations will have to be replaced all over the world within the next fifteen years,” Yefremov said in a statement on the results of the company’s work in 2006.

Work on the BrahMos venture, with the participation of Russian and Indian plants, began in mid-1999.

The first launch of such a missile from a coastal site was successfully carried out on June 12, 2001.

India successfully tested a new modification of the supersonic BrahMos missile on Sunday, Feb. 4.

Communist rebels kill 54 in assault on Indian police post

By Henry Chu
Tribune Newspapers: Los Angeles Times
Published March 16, 2007
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NEW DELHI -- Communist rebels besieged a police outpost in eastern India on Thursday, killing 54 people and wounding nearly a dozen more before fleeing into the surrounding jungle under cover of darkness.

The early morning raid was one of the bloodiest attacks in years by the so-called Naxalites, Maoist insurgents who have waged an armed campaign against the Indian government for the past four decades. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called the group the nation's No. 1 threat to public security.

Police said that at about 2 a.m. Thursday as many as 500 rebels descended on the remote outpost in Bijapur, near the southern tip of Chattisgarh, which has borne the brunt of Maoist violence. The guerrillas opened heavy fire and hurled grenades and homemade gasoline bombs at the station, which was manned by a joint force of police and members of a state-sanctioned anti-Maoist militia.

The rebels seized a cache of 33 weapons and then vanished into the thick forest that blankets the area where Chattisgarh meets the states of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Some probably fled across state lines, said police Supt. Prabir Das, who is in charge of Chattisgarh's anti-Naxalite operations.

"Boundaries exist for us; they don't exist for these guys," Das said by telephone from the state capital, Raipur.

He said 38 militiamen and 16 police were killed out of a total force of about 75 people at the station. Going in to rescue the injured, recover the dead and hunt the attackers was complicated by the typical guerrilla tactic of strewing the vicinity with land mines.

It was the single deadliest eruption of communist extremism in India since July, when insurgents stormed a government-run relief camp in Chattisgarh, killing at least 32 people.

The New Delhi-based Asian Center for Human Rights estimates that 749 people, including 285 civilians, were slain last year in Naxalite violence.

This month alone, at least a dozen other police in Chattisgarh have died in Maoist-related incidents. And March 4, a member of parliament in neighboring Jharkhand, another poor state where the rebels have made inroads with their ideology of peasant revolt, was shot to death by suspected Naxalite assassins.

Analysts warned that the rash of violence could presage an increase in attacks across the "red corridor," a swath of land from Andhra Pradesh in the south up to the Nepalese border in which the Maoists have established a strong presence.

At a meeting at the end of January, rebel leaders decided to expand their operations, said Ajai Sahni, executive director of the Institute for Conflict Management.

"This suggests this is the beginning of a much wider operation. That is a very clear intention," Sahni said.

Officials also accuse the communist rebels of having had a hand in rural unrest in West Bengal that led to a clash with police Wednesday in which 14 protesters were killed. Farmers in the state's Nandigram area are upset with government plans to acquire their land to set up an industrial park.

The Naxalite movement was launched in 1967 in West Bengal. Named after the district of Naxalbari, where the uprising began, the insurgents claim inspiration from communist Chinese leader Mao Tse-tung's teachings of rebellion in the countryside.

To supplement the police, the government two years ago began sponsoring the anti-Maoist militia known as the Salwa Judum. But critics say the group has aggravated the conflict instead of mitigating it.

The worsening violence has displaced about 50,000 villagers.

India Facing Brain Drain from DRDO

(Source: Indian Ministry of Defence; issued April 26, 2007)

During the last five years (2002-2006), 1007 scientists have left their jobs from DRDO due to increased opportunities available in private sectors The rate of attrition is marginally higher compared to private sector industries.

There has been no substantial impact of such attrition on completion of DRDO projects. The deficiencies are made up through regular recruitments.

A comprehensive proposal of incentives to arrest exodus of scientists has already been submitted by DRDO and is under active consideration by the Government. Comprehensive proposal has also been submitted to the Sixth Central Pay Commission.

DRDO has adopted a dynamic approach for recruitment of talented people with desired competency. DRDO conducts campus interviews in reputed institutions, like Indian Institute of Technology and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

DRDO also recruits scientists through Scientists Entry Tests (SET) and fresh Ph. D scholars under Registration of Students with Scholastic Aptitude (ROSSA). Image building exercise has been strengthened to attract young talents.

This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Asaduddin Owaisi and Smt Sumitra Mahajan in Lok Sabha today.

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First Initial Production LCA Makes Maiden Flight

(Source: ddi Indian Government news; issued April 26, 2007)


The first aircraft in the Limited Series Production of Tejas, indigenous Light Combat Aircraft, (LSP-1), has made its successful maiden flight at HAL airport in Bangalore. LSP-1 would be the first aircraft to roll out of HAL production hangar, marking the beginning of series production of Tejas for induction into the Air Force.

The flight in Bangalore on Wednesday lasted for 47 minutes, during which all the systems of the aircraft functioned "perfectly well", Defence Research and Development Organisation said.

Flown by Group Captain A P Singh, the aircraft has covered an altitude up to 11 km at a supersonic speed of 1.1 Mach, DRDO said in its release.

This is the first time in the country that any aircraft has gone supersonic in the very first flight, it said.

As is customary for the first flight of a prototype, the flight was chased by another Tejas (TD-2).

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Russia Hands Over Upgraded Sub to Indian Navy

(Source: ddi Indian Government news; issued May 9, 2007)

An upgraded Kilo-class submarine fitted with Club-S underwater to surface missile was handed over to the Indian Navy by a Russian shipyard for sea trials in the White Sea.

The submarine INS Sindhuvijay was "undocked" for sea trials at a ceremony in the Severodvinsk based 'Zvyozdochka' nuclear submarine repairs shipyard in the presence of Deputy Chief of Indian Mission in Russia Divyabh Manchanda.

INS Sindhuvijay with displacement of 2,300 tonnes, length of 72.6 metres and speed of 17 knots was built in St. Petersburg in 1990 and is the fourth Indian submarine to be upgraded in 11 years by the 'Zvyozdochka' shipyards.

The submarine has been modernised with Indian-made equipment including USHUS sonar complex and the CCS-MK radio communications system.

INS Sindhuvijay, now equipped with Russian Club-S missile complex is designed to destroy warships and land targets at a distance of up to 200 kilometres.

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Indian 'User Trials' Begin for Prithvi Tactical Missile

(Source: ddi Indian Government news; issued May 9, 2007)

India's most sophisticated medium range surface-to-surface missile 'Prithvi' has been test-fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, about 15 km from Balasore in Orissa.

Mounted on a mobile Tatra Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL), the indigenously developed missile was fired at 10:04 hours in overcast conditions.

Prithvi has already been inducted into the Army and the test undertaken involved one of the products picked up at random from the assembly line.

Scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) who, along with personnel of the Indian army, jointly conducted the test, described it as a "user's trial".

The transporter-mounted missile can be taken close to the forward line over any kind of terrain, defence sources said adding it had been designed to deliver advanced conventional warheads deep into enemy territory.

According to a defence analyst, this version of Prithvi's main use would be in destroying troop concentration, crippling air bases and striking at large static installations and headquarters when required.

It is a reliable, rugged and relatively low cost battlefield missile produced in short time.

Considered to be a world-class missile in the medium range category, Prithvi, with a striking range of over 150 km, had been inducted into the armoury of the defence in 1995.

The Army has a specially trained missile group, 333, to handle it.

User's trial was meant to further fine-tune the missile's delivery, control and guidance system, DRDO sources added.

The missile, weighing 4.6 tonnes, is equipped with an on-board computer and an advanced inertial navigation system and it can use both solid and liquid propellant.

The sources said there had been some improvement in the critical peripheral equipment and DRDO scientists had worked out installing the Global Positioning System (GPS) in the missile to enhance its accuracy.

Scientists are hopeful that the indigenously developed missile's accuracy, technically known as Circular Error Probable (CEP), would be around 10 to 15 metres.

The 8.56 metre high and one metre thick missile, capable of carrying a payload of 1,000 kg, is part of the country's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) the other four missiles being the Agni, Akash, Trishul and Nag.

Sources remarked that this Army variant of Prithvi could take just 300 seconds to reach the target located at a distance of 150 km.

The flight trial of the missile was tracked by a sophisticated system of radars, optical tracking telescope, different telemetry stations and a naval vessel positioned in the Bay of Bengal close to the impact point.

The first test launch of Prithvi was conducted on 22nd February 1988 at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh while the last trial was undertaken from the ITR at Chandipur on 19th November 2006.

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*Since the 'India & Pakistan' thread has been deleted...(sigh)...we will now use this one to post news pertaining to the relationship between these nuclear rivals.

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More India war games on Pakistan's borders

Agence France-Presse | May 9, 2007
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New Delhi: India is deploying battle tanks and combat troops for the second major wargames in a month along Pakistan's borders, the military said Tuesday.

The four-day exercise beginning Friday will be carried out by the million-plus army's largest strike corps on the arid plains of Jullandhar in the northern state of Punjab, the defence ministry said.

The event is seen by analysts as one of the most hawkish military moves since 2001, when Delhi deployed thousands of troops close to Pakistan after an attack by Islamist rebels on the Indian parliament left 14 people dead.

Codenamed Shatrunash or Death to the Enemy, the latest exercises will involve more than 15,000 troops backed by around 150 Russian-built T-90 tanks, artillery and helicopter gunships, commanders told AFP.

The defence ministry said Shatrunash will also test newly-acquired electronic warfare systems.

"The technological developments in recent times have opened a large number of avenues for creating computer-enabled support systems which reduces the decision-making time of the commanders," it said.

"Shatrunash is therefore designed to cater for integration of modern real time surveillance devices such as UAVs (drones), long-range observation systems, modern radars and air-space management systems."

The Indian military, the largest buyer of hardware among emerging nations, has recently acquired radars and drones and is currently shopping for long-range surveillance aircraft.

New Delhi is also due to finalise a contract for 126 combat aircraft worth seven billion dollars and artillery systems worth 900 million dollars.

India's recent big-ticket acquisitions, including six French submarines, a refurbished Russian aircraft carrier and Israeli Phalcon AWACS aircraft, have raised concern in neighbouring Pakistan.

Last Friday India concluded a smaller-scale military exercise along Pakistan's borders.

Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence in 1947, including two over their unresolved dispute about Kashmir.

Indian Defense Briefs: Update on Missile, UCAV

(Source: Indian Ministry of Defence; issued May 11, 2007)


--Akash Missile System

Representatives of the Indian Air Force had participated in the development trials of the Akash Missile System conducted by DRDO, as observers and provided user’s inputs for improvement in the system performance.

Some trials at the development stage had not been fully successful. User’s trial are likely to commence shortly. No decision has been taken so far by the Government for induction of Akash Missile system in the Army.

This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Prof Mahadeorao Shiwankar in Lok Sabha.


--Test Flight of Pilotless Combat Aircraft Lakshya

The Government has conducted the test flight of pilotless combat aircraft the ‘Lakshya’ recently. Two Lakshya development campaigns were conducted at Integrated Test Range (ITR), Balasore during 3-5 January 2007 and 5-9 March 2007 to fly digital Pilot-less Target Aircraft Lakshya in autonomous mode and evaluate engine performance with one tow and one stow configuration, respectively.

Both the campaigns met with the broad mission objectives.

This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Pankaj Chowdhary in Lok Sabha.

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Indian Defense Briefs

(Source: Indian Ministry of Defence; issued May 17, 2007)

-- Delay in Delivery of Aircraft Carrier Gorshkov
The aircraft carrier Gorshkov is scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2008. The Russian side has assured at the highest level that the ship will be delivered as per contract. The aircraft carrier is undergoing necessary repairs / modifications in Russia at present.

The project is being closely monitored by the Empowered Apex Committee headed by the Defence Secretary and the Steering Committee headed by the Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition.


--Trishul Missile Project
Trishul missile system is not a failure. Technically it has met the performance objectives as per original Qualitative Requirements (QRs) though delayed. The main reason for this delay are technical problems in achieving perfect 3-beam guidance and obtaining millimetric wave components from abroad.

Trishul missile project is required even after the successful test of firing of Agni-3 Missile. Trishul missile is a low-level, quick-reaction, short range, surface-to-air missile against air targets whereas, Agni-III is a long range surface-to-surface missile against fixed strategic targets.

As the realization of Trishul missile system got delayed, users (Army, Air Force, and Navy) resorted to acquisition from abroad as the QRs and operational requirements got modified over time.

Dialogue is still on with Air Force to accept the system developed and produced for deploying in certain locations and for training/fire control/air defence practices.


-- Purchase of 155 mm. Cannon (Guns)
A decision has been taken to procure 155 mm guns and the procurement process has been initiated strictly in accordance with the Defence Procurement Procedure.

This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Santosh Gangwar in Lok Sabha today.


--Arjun Tank
At present there is no proposal to seek foreign technology assistance with regard to the production of Arjun Tank. Issues related to production of Arjun Tank are being resolved. Indian Army has placed an indent of manufacturing of 124 Tanks on Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) in March 2000. Five tanks have been handed over to Indian Army. Nine more tanks are under Joint Receipt Inspection.


-- Procurement of Night Vision Devices
The Defence Forces propose to acquire night vision devices. The acquisitions are proposed to be made through floating of Global Request for Proposals/Foreign Military Sales route. The evaluations/trials are in progress in some of the cases. Divulging the details in this regard on the Floor of the House would not be in the interest of national security. The procurement of these devices would enhance the night-fighting capabilities of the Armed Forces.


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US Prepares to Sell Six C-130Js to India

(Source: US Defense Security Cooperation Agency; web-posted May 29, 2007)

WASHINGTON --- The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to India of C-130J Aircraft as well as associated equipment and services.

The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $1,059 million.

The Government of India has requested a possible sale of:

- 6 Lockheed Martin C-130J United States Air Force (USAF) baseline aircraft including USAF baseline equipment
- 4 Rolls Royce AE 2100D3 spare engines
- 8 AAR-47 Missile Warning Systems (two of them spares)
- 8 AN/ALR-56M Advanced Radar Warning Receivers (two of them spares)
- 8 AN/ALE-47 Counter-Measures Dispensing Systems (two of them spares)
- 8 AAQ-22 Star SAFIRE III Special Operations Suites (two of them spares)
- 8 ALQ-211 Suite of Integrated Radio Frequency Countermeasures (two of them spares)
- 2 spare AN/ARC-210 Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio Systems (SINCGARS)
- 8 spare Secure Voice Very High Frequency/Ultra High Frequency Radios
- 4 spare Secure Voice High Frequency Radios
- 3 spare AN/AAR-222 SINCGARS and Key Gen (KV-10) Systems
- 1 KIV-119 Non-standard Communication/COMSEC equipment
- 2 ARC-210 Non-standard Communication/COMSEC equipment

Also included are spare and repair parts, configuration updates, communications security equipment and radios, integration studies, support equipment, publications and technical documentation, technical services, personnel training and training equipment, foreign liaison office support, Field Service Representatives’ services, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics personnel services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $1,059 million.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of an important partner and to strengthen the U.S.-India strategic relationship, which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in South Asia.

India and the United States are forging an important strategic partnership. The proposed sale will enhance the foreign policy and national security objectives of the U.S. by providing the Indian Government with a credible special operations airlift capability that will deter aggression in the region, provide humanitarian airlift capability and ensure interoperability with U.S. forces in coalition operations.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not affect the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractors will be: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, Texas and Rolls-Royce Corporation in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Offset agreements associated with this proposed sale are expected, but at this time the specific offset agreements are undetermined and will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and contractors.

Implementation of this proposed sale may require the assignment of 10 each U.S. Government and contractor representatives in India for a periodic of up to two weeks. There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law; it does not mean that the sale has been concluded.

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The Pentagon has agreed to sell India an initial batch of six C-130Js, subject to Congressional approval. (US Air Force photo)

Delivery of Brahmos Land System to Indian Army Begins

(Source: Indian Ministry of Defence; issued June 21, 2007)

In a landmark development in the defence history of the country, the President and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam handed over a replica of the mobile autonomous launchers of the BrahMos land system to the Chief of Army Staff Gen J J Singh, symbolizing the commencement of delivery of the supersonic cruise missiles to the Indian Army, at a function here today.

The missile is launched from a Transport Launch Canister (TLC) which also acts as storage and transport container.

The Government had approved induction of three regiments of BrahMos Missile system in the Indian Army out of which the Army had initially placed the requirement for one regiment. The delivery of this system was to start from July 2008. However, for early operationalisation of the missile system, the delivery of one Mobile Command Post and two Mobile Autonomous Launchers has been advanced by one year.

The function was attended among others by the Defence Minister Shri A K Antony, the Minister of State for Defence Shri M M Pallam Raju, Scientific Advisor to Raksha Mantri Shri M Natrajan, the Ambassador of Russia to India Mr. Vyacheslav Trubnikov and the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of BrahMos Aerospace Dr. A Sivathanu Pillai.

Speaking on the occasion, the President, Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, said “we have to aggressively market this world-class product which will have a market shelf life of not more than five years.” He said there will be competitors who would be developing contemporary products which will be detrimental to the market leadership. “No smart developer can afford to lose the competitive edge which he has generated and hence increasing the orders and continuously improving the products have to be aggressively pursued,” he said.

The President said the time has come for BrahMos Aerospace to work on Mark-II version of BrahMos so that it will still be the market leader in hypersonic cruise missiles. “In the emerging network centric warfare scenario, the fast deployment of hypersonic missile systems will be necessary to maintain our force level supremacy. I visualize long range hypersonic cruise missiles not only delivering pay loads but also returning to the base after the mission, leading to re-usable class of cruise missiles within the next decade. It is time that the three services work with the team of BrahMos Aerospace to evolve the QR for such a system in a time bound manner,” he said.

Describing the BrahMos joint venture programme between Indian and Russia as a “great template” for international cooperation, the President said it combined the core competence of the two countries for realizing a high-technology product in an extremely competitive global defence market with minimum investment from each side.

The President also handed over 61 documents relating to operation and maintenance of each system of BrahMos to Gen. J J Singh.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in a message on the occasion described the BrahMos system as one of the most advanced supersonic cruise missiles comparable to the best in the world and said, it is an excellent model of high technology cooperation between India and Russian Federation.

Defence Minister Shri A K Antony said that the induction of BrahMos weapon system will catapult India with the most powerful supersonic cruise missile which can precisely hit the target. He said the capabilities of the missile system which have been proved through a series of successful flight trials, will bolster the Indian Army and enhance the defence preparedness of the nation. “In the changing face of the war theatre, induction of BrahMos and similar high-technology systems will play a commanding role in protecting the nation’s interests.”

Shri Antony however said that production orders to the required quantity must be made to make the joint venture economically viable. In order to cater to the growing demands of the Indian and Russian Armed Forces and export market the production activities have to be geared up to meet the growing demands, he said.

The Chief of Army Staff Gen J J Singh said that he had witnessed two launches of the BrahMos system in the desert and was confident that the missile system will be a force multiplier in our strategic armoury.

Speaking on the occasion Dr. Pillai said, when all four versions of BrahMos (Ship, Mobile Complex, Air and Submarine-launched) missiles are used in a seamless integration among the various services, it will effectively destroy any kind of threat. “BrahMos will be a war winner and will play a crucial role in the future warfare,” he said. Dr. Pillai said that DRDO has played a very important role in the development of a number of systems for the missile and ground complex and continues to work on many developmental efforts including INS + Glonass integration, seeker, improved operational software in the network centric warfare, in close coordination with the Services.

BrahMos the world's best supersonic cruise missile has evolved out of the joint efforts of Indian and Russian scientists, under the joint venture company BrahMos Aerospace, DRDO and NPO Mashinostroyenia of Russia along with a consortium of Indian and Russian industries. The company came into existence consequent to an Inter-Governmental agreement signed between the two countries in Feb. 1998. The acronym BrahMos is perceived as the confluence of two great nations represented by two great rivers, the fury of River Brahmaputra of India and the grace of River Moscowa of Russia. The aim is to design, develop, produce and market the Supersonic Cruise Missile, BrahMos

The missile can fly at 2.8 times the speed of sound. It can carry warheads up to 200 kg in weight and has a maximum range of 290 km. The missile is capable of being launched from multiple platforms based on land, sea, sub-sea and air. The modular design of the missile and its capability of being launched at different orientations enables it to be integrated with a wide spectrum of platforms like warships, submarines, different types of aircraft, Mobile Autonomous Launcher and silos.

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Indian MoD Wants More Local Defence Production

(Source: Indian Ministry of Defence; issued July 17, 2007)

Defence Minister Shri A K Antony has called for aggressive Indigenisation in Defence Production. Addressing the Defence Ministry Consultative Committee Meeting on Defence Shipyards in Delhi today, he said this will not only include Defence PSUs but also the private sector.

Shri Antony said to achieve this both public and private sector must invest more on research and development. The Minister said the stress on Indigenisation is required because of delay in supplies from foreign vendors which sometimes happens due to change in policy. He said sometimes we find the quality of imported equipment is also not up to the mark. While advocating more and more cooperation between public and private sector Defence industry, the Minister cautioned that this will not be done at the cost of Defence PSUs.

The Defence Minister also directed the Defence Ministry officials to explore the possibility of setting up an institution to cater to the design needs of the Armed Forces related to ships, submarines, aircraft and other equipment. He said “I must also state that the design capabilities of Indian Defence Shipyards leave much to be desired. One of the major challenges, facing the shipyards is the lack of design capabilities.” Shri Antony said, shipyards and Navy should take immediate measures to upgrade their design house or tie up with well known global majors.

The Defence Minister said the Defence shipyards constitute an important element of India’s indigenous Defence production capabilities. The Minister informed the members that the total value of production of the three Defence shipyards during the year 2005-06 was Rs. 1430.33 crore, which rose to Rs 2557.51 in 2006-07. He said unlike other DPSUs, the Defence shipyard share a very close relationship with their customer i.e. Indian Navy.

The Defence Minister said the Navy has prepared a maritime perspective plan that outlines the total requirement of ships, submarines, etc. up to the year 2022. Shri Antony also informed the members that the three shipyards i.e. Mazagon Dock Limited, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd and Goa Shipyard Ltd are Miniratna category I and have shown consistent profits during the last three years.

India Mulls Israeli, Russian Joint Ventures

(Source: Indian Ministry of Defence; issued Aug. 22, 2007)


-- Joint Venture with Israel for Production of Missiles
The government has not decided on a joint venture with Israel for the production of missiles.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has earlier entered into a contract with M/s. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Israel to jointly develop a Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LRSAM) system for the Indian and Israeli Navy in January 2006.
The Government of India pursues bilateral cooperation with Israel in many fields, keeping in mind our national interests. Cooperation in the field of defence is one of the many dimensions of bilateral cooperation.
This is based on our sole national interest and does not come in the way of the warm and mutually beneficial cooperation that we share with friendly Muslim countries.



-- Joint Development Of Fighters With Moscow
Co-development of a Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) has been identified as an important area of cooperation between the Indian and Russian governments. Technical discussions to work out the details are in progress. Efforts are on for finalizing the draft Inter-Governmental Agreement in this regard.
The US government has not proposed to provide a fifth generation fighter F-35 aircraft to India.


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India's blue water dreams may have to wait

By Sudha Ramachandran
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BANGALORE - Even as the Indian Navy is making its mark projecting power in waters far beyond its shores, its ambitions seem likely to be impeded by delays in a string of big-ticket projects involving new acquisitions. Besides the delay in the delivery of a refurbished Russian aircraft carrier, the construction in India of an indigenous carrier has been hit by rough weather.

Under a deal that India signed with Russia in January 2004, the 44,570-ton Admiral Gorshkov, which is being refurbished at Russia's Shevmash shipyard, was to be ready for induction into
the Indian Navy as the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vikramaditya by next August. But Russian engineers apparently underestimated the length of cabling required to refit the aircraft carrier and are now unable to meet the delivery deadline. It will take an additional two years for the carrier to be ready for induction.

Meanwhile, another prestigious project is running late.

India is constructing a 37,500-ton aircraft carrier at the Cochin Shipyard on its west coast. The first indigenous aircraft carrier to be made in India was to enter service in 2012. However, it now appears that the earliest it will be ready is 2015. The project is running late "on almost all fronts", according to a report in The Times of India.

The 252-meter-long carrier will have two runways, a landing strip with three arrester wires (used to decelerate and stop aircraft), and a flight deck of about a hectare. It will carry 160 officers and 1,400 sailors and accommodate 12 MiG-29Ks, eight Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, and 10 helicopters.

When ready for induction, the indigenous aircraft carrier will be a feather in India's cap. But now it is giving Indian shipbuilders and the navy sleepless nights. The project has been up against formidable problems from the beginning.

The indigenous aircraft-carrier project received the government's green light in 2003. In April 2005, the symbolic cutting of steel took place marking the formal start of the project, but it was not until 19 months later that construction actually began.

Construction has been crippled by procurement woes. There were problems procuring 20,000 tonnes of high-quality steel for the carrier until India's largest steel manufacturer, Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), stepped in. Then came a delay in procuring the bulb bars.

These problems were subsequently sorted out, but new ones have cropped up since, contributing to further delays. The keel of the carrier was to be laid this October, but this has been put off for at least another year, the Times of India report said. This will push up the project cost "substantially".

"The delay in delivery has thrown India's plans into some turbulence," an officer in the navy's western command told Asia Times Online.

Since the decommissioning of India's first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant in 1997, the country has been left with just one carrier, INS Viraat. But Viraat (formerly HMS Hermes of Britain's Royal Navy), which was commissioned in May 1987, is aging. It underwent a major refit in the Cochin Shipyard from 1999 to 2001.

The refit was not just a facelift; it included upgrades to the carrier's propulsion systems, its radar suite, communications systems, and weapon systems. The result was that the aging warhorse - the 50-year old INS Viraat is the oldest aircraft carrier in commission in the world - received another lease on life for about 10 years.

India's purchase of the Admiral Gorshkov and the go-ahead for the construction of the indigenous aircraft carrier were aimed at finding replacements for INS Viraat before its decommissioning in 2010-12. The Indian Navy was hoping that INS Vikramaditya would be operational by 2009, well ahead of the Viraat's retirement.

According to this rather ambitious timetable, the Vikramaditya would join the Viraat and the two would be joined by the indigenous aircraft carrier in 2012.

"It did seem that the Indian Navy's dream of operating three aircraft carriers would be realized, albeit for a short time," the navy officer said. "With delivery schedules going haywire, that seems a bit unlikely in the near future."

The Indian Navy's force projections for the future have long envisaged the operation of three aircraft-carrier groups as essential for the protection of the country's maritime interests.

There are indications now that INS Viraat will have to soldier on for a few more years. In January, navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta indicated that the Viraat could remain in active service beyond 2010-12. "We are confident that she is in good condition for another seven years of service," he told the Indian Express.

The carrier's commanding officer, Captain Girish Luthra, said at that time: "The ship is in excellent condition. It is up to the Naval Headquarters to decide how long we use her, but I can say she is in top form."

Indeed, for its age INS Viraat appears to be in fighting trim. In June, it went on a goodwill voyage to several ports in Southeast Asia. Next month, it will be the star of the Indian fleet participating in the five-nation naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal.

Although naval officials are proud of INS Viraat's fitness, they are nonetheless annoyed with the perpetual delays in acquisitions.

"We are making do with a very old aircraft carrier," the naval officer said, adding that "INS Viraat is in fine condition, but only for an aircraft carrier of its age. Our ambitions cannot be realized if the navy finds itself constantly hamstrung by delays in procurement."

Meanwhile, India is looking to induct another aircraft carrier by 2017. This May, Defense Minister A K Antony indicated that this would depend on progress on construction of the indigenous carrier. The order for a third carrier, Antony said, would be placed only after construction of the indigenous vessel progresses "beyond a certain range".

It is not just delayed delivery of aircraft carriers that is annoying navy officials. The Scorpene submarine project - the acquisition of six Scorpene subs is part of India's "Project 75", which envisages the building of 24 submarines by 2025-30 - too is running late.

It took several years for India to negotiate the deal for the acquisition and building of Scorpene submarines. The Cabinet Committee for Security sat on the matter for two years before giving its assent. Finally in 2005, the deal for construction of six Scorpene subs was signed.

Under the deal, India's Mazagon Docks Ltd was to deliver one submarine a year beginning in 2012, but two years on, construction of the vessels is yet to start. Construction of a submarine takes a minimum of six years. This means that Mazagon Docks will not meet the 2012 delivery deadline.

What is worrying naval officials is that India's fleet of 16 diesel-electric submarines (10 Russian Kilo-class ships, four German HDWs and two Foxtrots) is aging and several are due for retirement. "By 2012 we will be left with only nine submarines, with more retirements to follow," the naval officer said.

In 2005, India's then naval chief, Admiral Arun Prakash, warned that India would have to begin building new submarines immediately to be able to replace the ones being retired. Several of India's neighbors were acquiring subs and "India seemed to be the odd man out", he said. Two years on, his warning has not been heeded.

Indian naval officials blame the political establishment and the bureaucracy for crippling the navy's modernization program. Indeed, almost all defense purchases have been mired in scandal. Contracts negotiated by one government have been renegotiated by the next, ostensibly to get a better deal but really for kickbacks. The officials have said acquisitions are being delayed with deals coming under the scanner for corruption.

The navy cannot, however, absolve itself of blame. Senior officers and their kin have been found leaking information and/or receiving bribes in connection with defense procurements. This has been the case with the Scorpene deal, for instance.

India's navy has great ambitions and plans to achieve them, but the hardware to do so is lacking. It seems a classic case of the spirit being strong but the flesh weak.

India Details C-130, Admiral Gorshkov Contracts

(Source: Indian Ministry of Defence; issued March 12, 2008)


--Purchase of Lockheed Aircraft:

The Government has signed a Letter of Offer & Acceptance with the US Government for the procurement of six C-130J-30 aircraft for the Indian Air Force.
The estimated value of the aircraft along with associated ground support equipment, ground handling equipment and the role equipment is 962,454,677 US$.
A Letter of Offer & Acceptance has also been signed with the US Government for procurement of weapons and equipment for the Special Forces of the Army.
This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Dharam Pal Sabharwal in Rajya Sabha today.


-- Cost and Delivery Schedule of Admiral Gorshkov:

Contracts and supplementary agreements comprising of repair and re-equipping, logistics supports, shore infrastructure, training of ships’ crew, repair and technical documents etc. were signed with Russia on 20th January, 2004 for acquisition of “Admiral Gorshkov” with delivery schedule in August 2008.
The cost of repair and modernization of Admiral Gorshkkov including Logistic Support, Training and documentation is US Dollar 974 million. It is, however, apprehended that delay may take place in the delivery of the ship.
The existing contract with Russia is still valid. The process of examination of the scope and necessity for additional works projected by the Russian side has been initiated.
This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri SS Ahluwalia in Rajya Sabha today.

-- Requirement of Aircraft for the Navy:

Government constantly reviews the security environment and accordingly decides to induct appropriate equipment including aircraft for Navy for adequate defence preparedness.
Reconnaissance aircraft are required for maritime surveillance. Sea Harrier aircraft are used for air defence of the fleet.
The need for reconnaissance aircraft has increased in the present context. The number of reconnaissance and Sea Harrier aircraft in the Navy has decreased over the past years. However, this shortfall is being met by induction of additional Dornier aircraft, procurement of MiG-29 K and Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft. Limited upgrade of Sea Harrier aircraft undertaken through M/s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is expected to be completed by 2009.

This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Ms Sushila Tiriya in Rajya Sabha today.

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India Updates LCA Flight Test Status

(Source: Indian Ministry of Defence; issued March 3, 2008)

Flight test programme of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is progressing as per the schedule. So far, 829 flight tests have been completed.

Efforts are being made to accelerate the flight tests. Regular review meetings are being conducted involving Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Indian Air Force (IAF) and other concerned agencies to take collective decisions and coordination.

Presently, no need is felt for strategic partner.

To complete the project at the earliest, a top level review is being conducted by the Chief of Air Staff once in every quarter and review by the Deputy Chief of Air Staff once in every month.

So far, Rs. 4806.312 crore have been spent on development of various versions of Light Combat Aircraft.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri A K Antony in a written reply to Shri Adhalrao Patil Shivajirao, Shri K.S. Rao and Shri Ravi Prakash Verma in Lok Sabha today.

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India Tests Brahmos Naval Cruise Missile

(Source: Indian Ministry of Defence; issued March 6, 2008)

A naval version of the Brahmos cruise missile was successfully tested off Andamans coast this morning. The missile was launched from the decks of INS Rajput at 10.30 AM and precisely hit a land target in one of the islands of Andaman and Nicobar.

DRDO scientists said the missile met all flight parameters during its launch, flight and zeroed in on the designated target among the group of targets, destroying it with a thunderous blast.

This mission is very important as it has established the sea to land attack capability of the formidable weapon system. It was the 15th successive successful launch of the Brahmos missile, developed jointly by India and Russia.

The Indian Navy's Andaman & Nicobar Command provided the logistics support to the missile test. The command deployed ten ships, three aircraft and three helicopters for mission support. The parameters set for the mission were kept extremely difficult including the positioning of the target to achieve maximum output. The 100 percent success of the launch once again demonstrated the tremendous capability of BRAHMOS weapon system.

Indian Army to Focus on Modernization

(Source: ddi Indian Government news; issued March 10, 2008)

The Army is focusing on areas like improved night-fighting capability, better command and control and precision-guidance systems for modernisation of the force, the results of which will be visible in the next two years.

"Improving missile capability and all-weather battlefield surveillance are other thrust areas we are looking at. In the next two years, we may see the fructification of our efforts in modernisation," Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Planning and Systems) Lt Gen Z U Shah said at an army-industry interaction organised by the FICCI in New Delhi.

Stressing on the importance of increased self-reliance in defence production, he assured the private sector of ensuring a "level-playing field". Shah said with the revision of the defence procurement policy 2006, the status of "grey areas" like the offset policy may also be cleared.

Replying to concerns raised by the industry, he said the Army will ensure "total transparency" on defence goods requirement and look into the issue of sharing information with the industry at the early stages of products.

The Army is planning to acquire artillery guns, air defence missiles and T-90 tanks, request for proposals (RFP) for which should be issued this year, he told reporters later.

"We are also looking for light helicopters, may be in the range of 200. We may need to import some and HAL also may step in at a later stage. The RFP may come in two months," Shah said.

India Signs $1 Billion MiG-29 Upgrade Contract

(Source: Agence Frace Presse; published March 10, 2008)

NEW DELHI --- India has awarded Russia a 965-million-dollar contract to upgrade its multi-role MiG-29 warplanes, officials said on Monday. The two post-Cold War allies Saturday signed the deal to extend the life of India's fleet of 70 MiG-29 jets another 15 years from their current 25 years, an air force official said.

"The project entails two to three years and only six of them would be re-fitted in Russia while the work on the remaining squadrons would be carried out by them at Indian bases," he said asking not to be named.

The pre-condition was a "precaution" against delays in the modernisation of the MiG-29s which are among the main combat planes in India's inventory.

"We learnt our lessons with the MiG-21 project," he added, alluding to years of delay in the promised upgrade by Russia of the jets, now labelled "flying coffins" and "widow-makers" because of frequent crashes due to engine failure.

Under the contract Russia will re-arm the twin-engined MiG-29s with air-to-air missiles, modern bombs, increased fuel capacity and the latest avionics, the contract said.

The MiG-29 deal came after India last month resolved a protracted dispute with Russia on the sale of the Soviet-era carrier Admiral Gorshkov to the Indian navy.

Russian export firm Rosoboronexport in 2004 signed up to refurbish the 44,570-tonne carrier for 970 million dollars but last year demanded India pay an additional 1.2 billion dollars.

The two sides buried the hatchet after India agreed to pay 900 million dollars more for the 30-year-old carrier which will now join the Indian navy in 2011.

Gorshkov is to fill a vacuum left by the scrapping in 1997 of India's first aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, which had been in service since 1961. The Indian navy has only one operational aircraft carrier, the INS Viraat, which is to be phased out in coming years.

Russia accounts for 70 percent of Indian arms supplies but late deliveries and commercial disagreements have led New Delhi to use other suppliers such as Israel, Britain, France and the United States.

Russia is in a race with Western rivals for a 12-billion-dollar deal to sell 126 fighter jets, artillery worth two billion dollars and 317 helicopters worth a billion dollars to India.

US and European military aircraft manufacturers have emerged as the forerunners to win the fighter deal which will enable India to junk the crash-prone MiG-21.

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India Hopes Gorshkov Project Will Be On Track

(Source: ddi Indian government news; issued April 10, 2008)

Though India and Russia are yet to break the deadlock over fixing a new price for aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, the government has voiced confidence that the key defence deal will be on track.

"The two countries are locked in intense negotiations over the price details," Defence Secretary Vijay Singh told reporters in New Delhi on Wednesday.

He said the work on the carrier was in progress in a Russian dockyard. "Technical assessment of the work needed on the carrier is still on," Singh said, adding final price proposal would soon be taken to the Union Cabinet for a fresh approval.

India has already agreed to a new price revision for the carrier at Russia's insistence.

The 45,000-tonne warship was to be delivered by August last year as per a USD 1.5 billion contract signed in 2004 but Moscow stunned India in November last year by demanding an additional USD 1.2 billion for refitting and other works.

The new conditions by Russia meant a delay of up to four years.


"It is difficult yet to put a firm figure on the price escalation," Singh said.

The Defence Secretary had recently led a high-level team to Moscow to inspect the aircraft carrier in a fresh bid to break the deadlock over its purchase.

"The original contract was sketchy," a Defence Ministry official said recently, indicating that India was ready to revise the contract upwards in view of Russian insistence.

The Russian demand was earlier opposed by Naval Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta, who had publicly said there should be no revision in the contract.

Russia had conveyed that "extensive" refit work would be necessary on the warship which would now have to undergo sea trials for a year in Russian waters under their experts, a Defence Ministry official said.

Sea trials would cost crores of rupees which would be borne by India, the Defence Ministry official said, making it clear that it would take three to four years for the carrier to be delivered after a nod is given for new refits.

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