Barett\'s .50-calibre M95 gun and Beretta\'s .338 Lapua Magnum Scorpio TGT
With sniping posing a major operational challenge for Indian troops along the 778-km long Line of Control (LC) with Pakistan and the adversary\'s soldiers equipped with modern Remington modular sniper rifles, the Indian Army has gone in for an emergency purchase of a very small number of advanced sniper rifles, with longer ranges as well as modern telescopic sights.
The new sniper rifles – Beretta\'s .338 Lapua Magnum Scorpio TGT and Barett\'s .50-calibre M95 guns – with an effective range from 1,500 to 1,800 metres, are being purchased under the Northern Army Commander\'s Special Financial Powers in the Buy Global category. The ammunition for these will be initially procured from abroad; subsequently it will be manufactured in India.
There will be licensed manufacture of five million rounds of .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition under a transfer of technology to India’s state-owned Ordnance Factory Board and private-sector manufacturers.
The larger "capital procurement" of 5,719 new 8.6mm sniper rifles to equip all the 382 infantry battalions in the over 12-lakh strong Army - each unit is authorized 10 sniper rifles - will, however, take another two years.
Last December, Ministry of Defence (MoD) had invited responses from global manufacturers to its request for proposals (RFP) for 5,719 8.6 mm sniper rifles and 10.2 million rounds of ammunition for the Indian Army and Indian Air Force in a deal worth $ 150 million.
Terrorists belonging to the Jasih-e-Mohammad (JeM) had hit at four separate locations in Kashmir using sniper rifles in September and October 2018. They had mounted the US M-4 carbine (also used by the Pakistan Army) with a telescope and night vision devices were used to locate potential targets. The weapon can fire with precision at a target from 600 metres.
Currently, Indian infantry soldiers are equipped with Russian-origin 7.62mm Dragunov semi-automatic sniper rifles of 1960s design, with a kill range of 800 metres. In the absence of Picatinny rails, the Dragunov rifles are also incompatible with several modern essential accessories like magnification and sight systems. The Dragunov sniper rifle, which uses 7.62×54-MMR cartridge acquired from Russia in early 1990s.
The Army\'s Para-Special Forces units, however, are equipped with advanced sniper rifles like Israeli Galils and are also getting long-range Finnish Sako sniper rifles, which have a kill range of around 2,400-metre.
SiG Sauer\'s SiG 716 Rifle and Caracal\'s CAR 816 carbine
In an effort to equip the soldiers on the border with modern and more effective equipment, procurement of three main personal weapons, i.e., Rifles, Carbines and Light Machine Guns have been fast tacked.
The MoD has also floated a tender for 6.80 lakh assault rifles for the three Services. These will cost an estimated Rs 12,280 crore and replace the Army\'s existing three-decade-old INSAS.
Around 18 months ago, the Army had rejected an assault rifle built by the state-run Rifle Factory, Ishapore, after the guns miserably failed the firing tests.
The procurement of assault rifles has witnessed significant delays due to a variety of reasons including the Army\'s failure to finalise the specifications for it.
In a bid to partially replace the problematic and incredibly controversial 1B1 INSAS, the Indian Army’s current standard-issue assault rifle, the Indian Ministry of Defence will soon enter a three-month negotiation period with US-based arms giant SIG Sauer Inc. to procure over 72,000 SIG 716 battle rifles.
Marking a shift from 5.56 NATO with the 1B1 to the larger-caliber 7.62 NATO with the 716, the Indian Army hopes to give its troops a more reliable weapon which it currently sorely lacks.
SIG’s 716 uses a short stroke piston-driven operating system with a heavier pushrod than its smaller brother, the 516 (chambered for 5.56 NATO), and a 16 inch hammer-forged free floating barrel.
The second part of the multi-million dollar contract will ultimately go towards Caracal International LLC, a UAE-based defense contractor offering their CAR816, a carbine analogous to the M4, firing the 5.56 NATO round. Similar to the SIG 516 and the 716, the CAR816 uses a short-stroke pushrod gas piston design, and comes with a 16 inch barrel.
Carbines and LMGs
India\'s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has invited responses by 4 February to its supplementary request for information (RFI) regarding the planned acquisition of 360,000 5.56×45 mm close quarter battle (CQB) carbines and 40,000 7.62×51 mm light machine guns (LMGs) for the country\'s armed forces.
The RFI, which is addressed to local manufacturers, was issued on 4 January and follows similar RFIs released in October 2017 and August 2018 for both weapon types.
Both weapon types are being acquired under the \'Buy and Make\' category of the MoD\'s Defence Procurement Procedure-2016.
The Army has started to strengthen the infantry’s night fighting capabilities by issuing a tender worth around $1 billion for the purchase of thermal imagers for rifles, machine guns, recoilless rifles/rocket launchers, handheld devices and others. It is looking to purchase 3,500 night sights for 84mm Carl Gustaf rocket launchers that can detect hostile tanks at a minimum distance of around 1000 metres. The 84mm Carl Gustaf rocket launcher is the Indian Army\'s standard anti-tank weapon authorised to each infantry platoon. Its effective range varies from 500 to 800 metres.
The first interaction with interested vendors was scheduled for 1 February, before a formal tender is floated in May 2019.
The Uncooled Thermal Imaging Sight desired by the infantry should be a lightweight and ruggedised device to enable accurate engagement of vehicle and human target by use of 84mm rocket launcher at night/hours of darkness/poor visibility, the request for information issued by the Indian Army said.
The Indian Army also wants the night sights to be capable of facilitating the firing of other in-service ammunition, such as 84mm high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) 551 rockets, high-explosive armour penetrating rockets, as well as smoke and illumination shells.
In the past, India has imported thermal imaging (TI) sights for T-72 tanks from Poland.
Soldiers of the People\'s Liberation Army in Southwest China\'s Tibet Autonomous Region attend a training mobilization meeting with new PLC-181 self-prolled howitzers
Lightweight Battle Tank
China has put into service a new-generation tank, identified as Type-15 lightweight battle tank, which the PLA seeks to deploy in the mountainous regions, like Tibet, to boost its combat capabilities in the high-altitude areas.
The tank was displayed for the first time at an exhibition in November 2018 to mark the 40th anniversary of China\'s reform and opening up, at China\'s National Museum as part of new weapons developed by the country.
The indigenously-developed tank had undergone combat ready exercises on the plateaus of Tibet in June 2017.
The lightweight battle tank is equipped with a hydro-pneumatic suspension system that ensures good manoeuvrability and survivability in mountainous regions. Its main weapon is the 105 mm gun that can fire armour-piercing shells and launch guided missiles.
The Type 15 tank has a 1,000 horsepower engine which is significantly lighter than the PLA\'s other main battle tanks in service, and weighs about 32 to 35 tonnes, compared to the Type 99 tank, which weighs 54 to 58 tonnes, and the Type 96 one weighing about 42.8 tonnes.
The current Type 62 tank only has about 500 horsepower and an 85mm main gun.
Mobile Howitzers
Chinese ground forces in Tibet bordering India have been equipped with new PLC-181 vehicle mounted howitzer to improve their combat capability.
The equipment was used in an artillery brigade in Tibet during the 2017 China-India stand-off at Doklam, Chinese media reported.
The howitzer has a 52-caliber cannon with a range of over 50 kms and shoots laser-guided and satellite-guided projectiles.
\'Mother of All Bombs’
China\'s defence industry giant North Industries Group Corporation Limited (NORINCO) for the first time showcased the aerial bomb, the country\'s largest non-nuclear bomb, said to be the country\'s answer to the US-built \'Mother of All Bombs\', as reported by Global Times on 3 January.
The bomb was airdropped by an H-6K bomber and caused a gigantic explosion, showed a promotional video released by China (NORINCO) on its website at the end of December.
This was the first time the new bomb\'s destructive powers were shown in public.
In 2018, while waging war against militants in Afghanistan, the US military dropped a GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) weapon, more commonly known as the "Mother of All Bombs," on the Islamic State.
The bomb is approximately five to six meters long. The massive blast can easily and completely wipe out fortified ground targets such as reinforced buildings, bastions and defence shelters.
It can also be used to clear a landing zone for troops on helicopters to rappel down, in case the area is covered by obstacles such as forests.
NORINCO has clarified that the bomb is not a thermobaric weapon.
Advanced Naval Warships for Pakistan
China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) is building the first of four "most advanced" naval warships for its "all-weather ally" Pakistan, at its Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai, as part of a major bilateral arms deal to ensure among other things "balance of power" in the strategic Indian Ocean, according to China Daily.
The unspecified type of warship (Pakistan has identified it as Type 054AP) is equipped with modern detection and weapon systems, it will be capable of anti-ship, anti-submarine and air-defence operations. The under-construction ship is a version of the Chinese Navy\'s most advanced guided missile frigate.
The ship has a fully loaded displacement of about 4,000 metric tonnes and is equipped with advanced radars and missiles. About 30 Type 054As are in service with the PLA Navy. The ship is the largest and most powerful combat vessel China has ever exported.
The ship will have vertical launch cells that can fire Chinese HQ-16 air-defence missiles and other kinds of missiles. Vertical launch cells will bring flexibility to the user in terms of weapons portfolio, thus giving it a stronger fighting capability.
Once constructed, the warship "will be one of the largest and technologically advanced platforms of the Pakistani Navy.
Stealth Bomber Programme
The US Defense Intelligence Agency\'s (DIA) latest China Military Power report, which the Agency released on 15 January 2019, has publicly confirmed the existence of not one, but two Chinese stealth bomber development programmes for the first time. In addition to the much-reported H-20 stealth heavy bomber program, China is also working on a smaller, regionally-focused stealthy bomber, commonly referred to as JH-XX. Information contained in the report was updated in November 2018.
"These new bombers will have additional capabilities, with full-spectrum upgrades compared with current operational bomber fleets, and will employ many fifth-generation fighter technologies in their design," the review says broadly. A footnote confirms that the "long-range stealth bomber" in question is the Xian H-20. This aircraft is widely believed to be a flying wing design very loosely analogous to the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit. This aircraft will reportedly have a roughly 4,000 to 5,000 mile combat radius, be able to carry heavy weapons loads internally, and, according to DIA, have an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar to better spot targets, threats, and other hazards.
The Agency\'s report also says it will be able to carry vague "precision-guided munitions." This will likely include a wide range of weapons, from direct attack smart bombs to standoff weaponry such as land attack and anti-ship cruise missiles. With a load of CJ-10K or CJ-20 land-attack cruise missiles, both of which can carry conventional or nuclear warheads, the H-20 would give China a completely new strategic capability and a new way to hold targets across the Pacific and Asia at risk.
With anti-ship missiles, the stealthy, long-range bombers could present a new and significant threat to hostile warships, especially American carrier battle groups. This would give the Chinese an additional means of denying access to certain portions of the Pacific during a crisis or at least force its opponents to reassess their risk calculus, which might prompt them to change or slow their advances. Even acting as a long-range sensor platform and targeting node alone, the H-20 could provide targeting information to other weapons located hundreds or even thousands of miles away.
The report includes a table showing Chinese fixed-wing aviation developments, including both the H-20 "Strategic Bomber" and the JH-XX "Tactical Bomber." Some have suggested that the JH-XX was Shenyang\'s bid for the strategic bomber programme, which then lost out to the H-20. DIA\'s report indicates that these are, in fact, two distinct projects.
China may be getting close to fielding both a long-range stealthy flying wing and a stealthy deep-penetrating regional strike platform as soon as 2025 with the initial rollout of the H-20 possibly occurring as soon as the end of this year. The US Department of Defence (DoD) has long underestimated China\'s determination, espionage capabilities, and technological resourcefulness.
ITBP HQs Relocated For Better Coordination with Army Over Chinese Threat
Posted By: Kunal Kaushik
Feb 17, 2019
ITBP personnel patrolling on the Northern borders
Amid growing concerns over the Chinese military buildup along the eastern flank of the country, the formations of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP), mandated for the peacetime management of the border with China, are being reorganised and relocated.
The ITBP, tasked to guard the 3,488-km long Sino-India border in peace time, will have a new command structure from April 1, with the force’s border guarding elements being segregated into two commands, one for the western theatre and the other for the eastern theatre.
According to instructions issued by the ITBP Directorate General in mid-January, the Western Command and the Eastern Command will comprise two Frontier HQ each. A frontier, headed by an officer of the rank of Inspector General (IG), equivalent to a Major General rank in the Army, will have three Sector HQ, headed by a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and comprising three to four battalions under them.
A command will be headed by an officer of the rank of Additional Director General (ADG). Positioning of officers for these posts would be done once the pending cadre review is finalised. In addition, an ADG posted at Force HQ in Delhi will exercise control over the Bhopal-based Central Frontier and some other establishments. Consequently, Western Command will have 25 battalions and Eastern Command 19 battalions, and ADG, Delhi, 12 battalions and four specialist battalions under their command.
At present, the force is divided into five Frontiers that report directly to the Force HQ, along with other training, logistic and administrative establishments, through an ADG based in Delhi. The ITBP has a total strength of 56 service battalions and four specialist battalions, of which 32 are deployed in border-guarding duties, 11 in internal security and eight in anti-Naxal operations.
The Western Command will control the Dehradun-based Northern Frontier comprising of Shimla, Dehradun and Bareilly sectors and the North-West Frontier, presently at Chandigarh, that comprises Srinagar and Ladakh sectors.
The North-West Frontier is being relocated from Chandigarh to Leh with effect from April to better exercise command and control over ITBP units in the area. The MHA had approved the move in February 2015, but it could not be implemented due to administrative reasons. The establishment of a new sector HQ at Almora had been approved earlier, but was kept in abeyance since 2014. This is now being revived and moved to Chandigarh as a new Sector HQ with a battalion each at Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Patiala. Sector HQ Delhi with four battalions, is being moved out from the jurisdiction of the North-West Frontier and is being placed under the control of IG (HQ) functioning under the ADG, Delhi.
The Leh district in the mountains of Jammu &Kashmir is the base for the Army’s 14 Corps that is headed by a Lt General-rank officer and the new shift will allow a better interaction between the two forces “for strategic and defence planning.”The army, which carved out a separate Corps in Leh after Jammu and Srinagar following the Kargil intrusion in 1999, has been demanding operational control over the ITBP, a proposal rejected by the government time and again. Having the ITBP and the army at the same operational location will resolve these issues as well.
The ITBP had recently inducted a mechanised column of vehicles, communication equipment, artillery and combat paraphernalia, which will move to Leh, that has both road and air connectivity. The force also has sanctions to create and refurbish 40 Border Out Posts (BoPs) in the icy heights of Ladakh, where personnel have to face hostile weather as the mercury slips to as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius and the altitude ranges from 8,000-14,000 feet. Modern “composite” BoPs with weather control mechanism and facilities for better drinking water and rest &recuperation were being created for the ITBP troops in the region.
The government had moved the North East (NE) frontier of the approx. 90,000 ITBP force from Shillong in Meghalaya to Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh in 2016.Both the Arunachal Pradesh and the Leh regions have seen frequent incidents of incursions, standoffs and few instances of physical pushing and shoving between the troops of the Chinese PLA and the ITBP and the Army personnel over the last few years.
2018 saw an about 60 per cent decline in these incidents all along India’s border with China.
Commissioning ceremony of INS Kohassa at North Andaman island on 24 January 2019.
INS Kohassa was commissioned, on 24 January, as the third Naval Air Base in the Andaman & Nicobar (A&N) Islands after INS Utkrosh at Port Blair and INS Baaz at Campbell Bay, to enhance the operational capability of A&N Command (ANC). The forward operating air base (FOAB) at Shibpur near Diglipur was, thus, upgraded from Naval Air Station.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) also has a base at Car Nicobar Island, at the centre of the 750-km-long Andaman chain. No fighter aircraft is permanently stationed at Car Nicobar, but the IAF rotates fighters on detachment through the airbase.
INS Kohassa has been named after a White-Bellied Sea Eagle, which is a large bird of prey endemic to Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Naval Air Station
The NAS Shibpur was set up as a FOAB for surveillance in North Andaman. It was established in 2001 for short-range maritime reconnaissance (SRMR) aircraft such as the Dornier-228 to monitor the northern Bay of Bengal, where India shares maritime borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar. Located in the northern most part of the islands, the airfield holds strategic importance not only for the security of the islands but also for its overall development.
SRMR aircraft and helicopters from Shibpur undertake EEZ (exclusive economic zones in the maritime area) surveillance, anti-poaching missions, search and rescue and humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions within the ANC area of responsibility.
The close proximity of Coco Islands (Myanmar) and wide expanse of Indian EEZ makes the base a very vital asset.
The navy has long pushed for extending the 3,000-feet strip at INS Baaz into a 10,000-feet runway that could allow fighters to be over the Malacca Strait, less than a hundred nautical miles away, in minutes. However, the development has been delayed by land acquisition issues and inter-ministerial wrangling with the ministries of home affairs and environment.
With the addition of this airfield, the ANC\'s ability to operate independently from all the regions of A&N Islands will get a great boost.
NAS Shibpur was identified by NITI Aayog as one of the \'Early Bird\' projects as part of holistic island development. As part of Phase II expansion plan, the runway length would subsequently be extended to 3000 metresto allow the navy\'s long range maritime reconnaissance (LRMR) aircraft, the Boeing P-8I Poseidon, which currently operates from Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu, to stage through INS Kohassa. Being able to refuel and rearm at Kohassa, instead of doing the three-hour round trip to Arakkonam, would greatly increase the P-8I\'s persistence over these waters. This will also enable the operation of wide-bodied civil and defence aircraft in the future.
Tri-Services Command
India\'s only tri-services operational command also exists in the A&N Islands. India wants to develop a model similar to the ANC to create Theatre Commands. The ANC has a large units of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, who practice amphibious warfare.
India has been steadily upgrading its military capabilities in the A&N territories for the last many years. Due to the strategic location of the island territories near the mouth of the Malacca Strait from where over 70 per cent of the merchant ships, carrying $3 trillion worth of trade annually, operate. They are very important in the Navy\'s game-plan to keep control over the activities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Military Infrastructure Plan
India has virtually finalised an exclusive Rs 5,650-crore military infrastructure development plan spread over 10 years for the archipelago, which will allow stationing of additional warships, aircraft, drones, missile batteries and infantry soldiers there against the backdrop of China’s rapidly expanding footprint in the Indian Ocean region.
The initial plan was pegged around Rs 10,000 crore but a decision was taken to focus largely on land that was already available or under acquisition by the ANC. India has already taken to deploying fighter jets like Sukhoi-30MKIs, long-range maritime patrol Poseidon-8I aircraft and Heron-II surveillance drones to the archipelago on a regular basis now.
China\'s Reaction
China\'s People\'s Liberation Army (PLA) has said India is within its rights to set up a surveillance base in the A&N Islands, playing down reports saying the base\'s focus will be to monitor the Chinese navy\'s increasing activities in the maritime region.
The PLA\'s website said with the setting up of the base, "Some foreign media are provoking the situation, saying that India intends to \'confront China\'"…"the Andaman and Nicobar islands, adjacent to the Straits of Malacca, are overseas territories of Dominion of India and that it is a normal move for the Indian military to establish military bases there," Ding Hao, deputy director of the Asian-African Military Affairs Office of the PLA\'s Academy of Military Sciences, said.
Ding added that China has always advocated enhancing strategic mutual trust with India at all levels, so it is not necessary to exaggerate Indian military use of their third naval base or Chinese Navy\'s entering the Indian Ocean.
Ding said that the main purpose of the Chinese Navy\'s entering the Indian Ocean is to maintain the safety of the maritime channel.
Strategic Significance
The strategic importance of A&N Islands lies in the geographic location which offers options to counter Chinese encirclement of India, close proximity to Strait of Malacca, a sea lane of communication (SLOC) critical to trade and movement of oil from Gulf to South China Sea, East China Sea and the Pacific.
The two archipelagos consist of 572 islands, islets and rocks that form a chain gives India its strategic and economic importance in the Bay of Bengal as well as in the Indo-Pacific region.
These islands also provide India with tremendous economic potential for tourism, fisheries, forests and enable India to add about 30 per cent of its additional Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) post UNCLOS III of 1982 which will bring future benefits from undersea mining and potential oil and gas.
The advantage of India\'s settled maritime boundaries with its neighbours in the east, coupled with India\'s membership of regional groupings in the region, provide potency to its Naval diplomacy and defence initiatives in the Indo-Pacific.
Historical Significance
C Raja Mohan, Director of Institute of South Asian Studies, University of Singapore, tracing the historical significance of the islands wrote, "In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Andaman Island chain and its waters were the site of contestation between European colonial powers - Portugal, the Netherlands, France and Britain. After the Napoleonic wars in Europe, the Indian Ocean turned into a British Lake through the 19th century."
"Britain, which occupied the islands at the end of the 18th century in search of a permanent military base, put them on the back burner in the 19th. From a potential platform for power projection, the islands became a penal colony for the Raj. The challenge for Britain came this time from the first Asian great power in the modern age - Japan. The imperial Japanese forces raced through Malaya, ousted Britain from Singapore, Burma and the Andaman Islands."
“It took the combined efforts of the British Empire, the US and nationalist China to reverse Japanese aggression. After the Second World War, the partition of
The IAF has placed an order for 40 LCA jets and had issued a single vendor Request for Proposals (RFP) to HAL for another 83 Mark 1A LCAs, in December 2017, after the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) had given the go-ahead for the Rs 50,000 crore programme in November 2016, to replace its vintage fleet of MiG-21 and MiG 27 planes but has had to postpone their phasing out in view of the delays in the LCA and other fighter aircraft procurement projects. The Acceptance of Necessity (AON) given by DAC was revalidated twice that led to a delay in subsequent issue of RFP.
HAL submitted its first technical and commercial response to it in March 2018 and had been complaining that Air HQ was sitting on the go-ahead. Now comes news that the HAL proposal has been repeatedly found non-compliant with its requirements. There were three major defects in their response to the RFP. HAL offer on price and other aspects was valid only for 12 months whereas the procurement procedure mandates it to be minimum 18 months and the delivery schedule offered by the HAL was not in compliance with our requirements, according to IAF officials.
The endurance levels or the amount of time for which the aircraft can fly have also not been found to be very optimal. The IAF had told HAL that the ferry range of the aircraft was not compliant with requirements mentioned in the tender. The matter was discussed in the IAF commanders conference in October 2018 and HAL had been asked to rectify the problems in the tender proposal. Responses received from HAL were not in line with IAF\'s requirements.
The Technical Evaluation Committee report had been finalised and the delivery schedule proposed by HAL remained non-compliant.
Meanwhile, HAL has got final operational clearance (FOC) for the Tejas Mk 1 from the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC), based on design documents submitted by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). The IAF has ordered 123 Tejas, of which 20 are the initial operational clearance (IOC) version while another 20 are the FOC version. The remaining 83 are Mark 1A.
The first FOC plane will be produced by end-2019. The CEMILAC clearance was needed as it would take some 10 to 12 months to start ordering various components. About 10 to 11 IOC-configured Tejas have been inducted by the IAF.
The Mak 1A version will have mid-air refuelling, AESA radar, electronic warfare suites, a variety of bombs and weapons, among other facilities.
The IAF is planning to induct two more Phalcon AWACS, mounted on the Ilyushin-76 heavy-lift aircraft.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to induct two more Phalcon Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS), mounted on the Russian Ilyushin-76 heavy-lift aircraft. A proposal was being examined by the finance ministry after receiving approval from the defence ministry. The Proposal will require approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security.
The deal for two Phalcons from Israel is likely to cost over Rs 5,700 crore (AWACS) aircraft from Israel. The first three Phalcon AWACS were inducted by the IAF in 2009-2011. The deal inked by India, Israel and Russia in 2004 was worth a $1.1 billion.
India has lagged in this crucial sector. Compared to its three Phalcon AWACS and two indigenous “Netra” mini-AWACS, China has around 30 such systems, including Kong Jing-2000 “Mainring”, KJ-200 “Moth” and KJ-500 aircraft. Pakistan, in turn, has eight Chinese Karakoram Eagle ZDK-03 AWACS and Swedish Saab-2000 AEW&C, and is on course to get more from China.
IAF Has No Option But to Depend on Delayed Upgrades
Posted By: IMR Report
Feb 17, 2019
Given the distinct ability of fighter aircraft purchases to sap military budgets, many governments are increasingly preferring upgrading legacy aircraft with capable airframes such as the MiG-29 to expand their features and to increase service life by about 50%. The cost of converting the IAF MiG-29 to the MiG-29UPG is said to be US$15 million each, far short of the cost of buying new aircraft which could be upwards of US$50 million for an all-new MiG-35, the Russian successor to the MiG-29.
Mirage 2000 Upgrade
The upgrade on the aircraft include a night vision goggle-compatible glass cockpit, advanced navigational systems, advanced Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system, advanced multi-mode multi-layered radar, fully integrated electronic warfare suite besides others. It also includes a new firing system for Air-to-Air MICA missiles.
HAL is slated to upgrade 110 Mirage and Jaguar jets. Of the 51 Mirage-2000 planes, only 11 have been upgraded so far. The contract with the HAL is to upgrade 47 Mirage-2000s. As of now, the programme is two years behinds schedule. The entire lot was to be upgraded by July 2021 and the deadline was rescheduled to December 2022. So far, the HAL has delivered 9 planes, including two done by Dassault. Going by the contract, by now 25 of the planes should have been upgraded and handed over to the IAF.
The upgrade includes new Thales radar, allowing long-range engagement of targets in the air, automatic tracking of targets and mapping of targets on the ground. The pilots now have a display inside their helmets. A clutch of new weapons and beyond visual-range missiles is being added and kits for all the add-ons have been supplied.
The Mirage 2000 that crashed on 1 February in Bengaluru while testing was the 10th upgraded by HAL and the 12th overall if the two done in France are counted. The crash dealt a heavy blow to the Indian Air Force and the ambitious Make in India initiative. The upgrades are also likely to face delays.
Jaguar Upgrade
The IAF is pushing its plans to upgrade the capabilities of the Jaguar deep penetration strike aircraft by equipping them with new engines under a deal worth over Rs 5,000 crore, which has been stuck for more than six years now. Though the planes are almost three decades old, there is still plenty of life left in them and they will help India maintain force levels in critical times.
The Jaguar upgrade is crucial for the IAF as the squadron strength is declining as a result of delays in acquisition of replacements for MiG-21s and delays in deciding on the new fleet of multirole combat aircraft.
On December 19, 2011, the UPA government had stated in the Parliament that the Jaguar upgrade would be completed by December 2017, but that deadline has expired and decision has been taken on the issue.
Dr Subhash Bhamre, Minister of State for defence, stated in Parliament, on 2 January, that the Contract for upgradation of 61 Jaguar Display, Attack, Range and Inertial Navigation-I (DARIN-I) aircraft to DARIN-III standard was signed with HAL in December 2009. Contractual timelines for Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) and Final Operational Clearance (FOC) were December 2012 & June 2013 respectively. Contractual timelines for delivery of all the series upgrade aircraft was December 2017.IOC has been obtained in February 2017. FOC has not yet been achieved. The delay in the project is due to following reasons:-
• Introduction of certain new requirements projected by IAF, which required additional software design, implementation and flight trials efforts.
• Delay in supply of certain Buyers Furnished Equipments by IAF.
• Up gradation of certain equipment like Smart Multi-Function Display sought by IAF.
• The development of Mission Computer was taken up by HAL through its Joint Venture Company, HAL Edgewood Technologies Limited (HETL). After some initial delay, the development of Mission Computer has now been completed.
• On Smart Multi Function Display (SMFD), as per the revised requirement of IAF, a suitable alternative has been identified by HAL. This SMFD has also attained certification.
Earlier, Dr Bhamre had said in Parliament, "The IAF will have 32 fighter squadrons and 39 helicopter units by 2020." The Air Force currently possesses 32 squadrons but, as the minister put it, "Three squadrons of MiG-21 aircraft will be phased out by 2020."
The IAF has six squadrons of Jaguar planes, totalling 120 planes. Only 80 of them will be equipped with new engines from American firm Honeywell to maintain the present force-levels up to 2035. The older 40 Jaguars will stay with original Rolls-Royce engines until their retirement in early 2020s.
The Jaguars are currently powered by Rolls-Royce Adour 804/811 engines, which are to be replaced with Honeywell\'s F-125N engine. The new engines are supposed to provide almost 1.5 times the power the existing engines provide to the aircraft. A number of sticky issues with Honeywell have been sorted out and it is expected that there will be some movement forward in the coming months.
The Jaguar\'s current Rolls-Royce Adour 804/811 engines deliver a maximum thrust of 32.5 kn. Honeywell\'s F-125IN engines generate 40.4 kn each, with full afterburners.
Honeywell, which is the sole vendor in the project, is demanding an exorbitant price to replace the Jaguar\'s existing Rolls-Royce engines. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), which is leading the project, has written to Honeywell protesting its "high and unacceptable quote", which HAL says will "kill" the plan to re-engine the Jaguar.
Rolls-Royce declined to participate in tender, since they do not have an engine that meets the IAF\'s specifications for the Jaguar.
It is learnt that Honeywell has quoted $2.4 billion for 180 engines - which include 160 engines for 80 twin-engine Jaguars, and 20 spare engines. That amounts to $13.3 million (Rs 95 crore) per engine. It is believed that the new quote is double that of 2013, when the plan was to buy 275 F-125IN engines from Honeywell to include integration, flight-testing and certification, developing a new alternator to power the other aircraft systems and providing maintenance knowhow.
Now upgrading the engines will cost Rs 230 crore per aircraft, which includes Rs 20 crore per aircraft that HAL will charge to integrate the new engines and to test and certify them.
HAL claims that it can do the integration and certification job at lower cost, having built more than 145 Jaguars under license over the years. Installing the F-125IN requires 10-12 relatively minor modifications.
For the time being the process to obtain Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) under the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP), has been put on hold. If the project does not go through, six Jaguar squadrons will retire, delivering a blow to the IAF.
Upgraded MiG-29UPG
The MiG-29, one of Russia\'s most exported military jet has been upgraded in India that expands its capabilities from an air superiority fighter to a multi-role aircraft. The IAF revealed the upgrade, called the MiG-29UPG in October 2018.
The maiden flight of the upgraded MiG-29UPG took place on February 4, 2011. JSC Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG (part of the United Aircraft Corporation) began to supply upgraded MiG-29 fighters to the IAF in December 2012.
The contract provides repair and modification of aircraft for the purpose of extending the life up to 3,500 flight hours and service life - up to 40 years.
Smoke bellows from the wreckage of a Mirage 2000 jet which crashed on take-off, 1 Feb 2019. Since Independence, 17 test pilots and engineers have lost their lives in air accidents during the testing.
Squadron Leader Sameer Abrol and Squadron Leader Siddarth Negi, both test pilots from Indian Air Force\'s (IAF) Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE),were killed after they ejected from a Mirage 2000 fighter during its take-off run at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) runway in Yemalur in Bengaluru on 1 February. The accident happened four days after a Jaguar aircraft went down in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh.
The French-origin Mirage 2000 T1 trainer aircraft, manufactured by Dassault Aviation, was equipped with \'zero-zero\' (zero speed, zero altitude) ejection seats which enabled the pilots to bail even as it took off. Officials said that the pilots had ejected from the plane but landed on its wreckage.
The aircraft was on an acceptance sortie after an upgrade by the HAL. The IAF operates 50 French-made Mirage 2000 fighters, which are in the process of being upgraded. The fighters started entering service in 1985.
First inducted into IAF in 1984, the 1 February crash was the 11th accident involving the Mirage 2000 fleet. The IAF is now left with 48 Mirage 2000 fighters.
India had in 2011 signed a $2.4-billion (Rs. 17,547 crore) contract with Dassault Aviation and Thales to upgrade 51 Mirage 2000 fighters with new weapons, radars and avionics. The first two aircraft were upgraded by the firms in France followed by another two at HAL in Bengaluru, while the remaining 47 fighters are being upgraded by HAL in Bengaluru. The crash was the first one involving an upgraded Mirage 2000 TI aircraft since these fighters began being delivered to the IAF by HAL in 2016. HAL test pilots had successfully flown the ill-fated aircraft six times and certified the aircraft before handing it over to ASTE.
The crash could not have come at a worse time for HAL, as questions have been raised about the capabilities of the state-owned company that is going through financial trouble. Several HAL projects are running years behind schedule, including the Mirage 2000 upgrade programme, much to IAF\'s dismay. The Mirage 2000 upgrade is five years behind schedule.
Since Independence, 17 test pilots and engineers have lost their lives in air accidents during the testing and evaluation of indigenous planes such as Marut, Kiran, Ajeet, Saras and AWACS (airborne warning and control systems) prototype aircraft.
Former Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash, a naval aviator himself, sought accountability from the political leadership and HAL brass after the crash, providing fresh fuel to the debate over the state-run aircraft maker\'s work ethics. He tweeted that the military has for decades flown poor quality HAL machines and often paid with young lives.
He also said that "HAL bashing may be justified to a point, but (it\'s) time to question elected reps (representatives) too. 35 defence ministers have overseen this giant DPSU since 1947. While pampering its union, none demanded quality, productivity & aeronautical innovation of HAL or hand-picked a dynamic CEO."
In recent months, there have been a slew of crashes, including a Jaguar aircraft, a MiG-29 and Sukhoi 30 MKI. Though the overall annual crash rate has come down after the induction of the British Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT), it hovers close to the red line, as the bulk of our air frames are, alarmingly, over two decades old. Some Sukhoi-30 squadrons are the exceptions.
Mirage 2000 was first inducted into the force in 1984 and proved its worth during the Kargil War with its accurate bombing runs that snapped the Pakistani supply line to intruders on mountain-top fortifications.
Several of IAF\'s projects, including the Mirage upgrade, are trailing behind schedule. As imports often lead to political fracas, which delays replacements, India must pump in funds to reduce foreign dependence.
The IAF has a severe shortage of aircraft. It\'s down to 31 fighter squadrons, which in another few years will be whittled further to 26. In contrast, much smaller Pakistan will have 25 fighter squadrons by 2021. IAF\'s woes are due to a combination of ageing aircraft, tardy progress on indigenous production, and slow pace of induction of foreign imports. This has created a situation where decades-old aircraft like the Mirage 2000 have to be upgraded to extend their operational lifespan.
India’s military modernisation will continue in its usual slow and haphazard manner, with the annual defence budget registering a measly 6.87% hike over last fiscal’s revised estimates. This just about caters for inflation, leaving the armed forces once again without any hope for a concerted military modernisation drive on all fronts.
The Interim Budget for the financial year 2019-20, presented by the Shri Piyush Goyal intheParliamenton 1 February,envisagedatotaloutlayofRs. 27,84,200 crore. Out of this, Rs 3,18,931.22 crore has been earmarked for Defence (excluding Defence Pensions).This accounts for 11.5 per cent of the total Central Government expenditure for the year 2019-20.
With a Rs 210 lakh crore GDP estimate, the proportion spent on defence amounts to 2.05 per cent. But if we count only the revenue and capital expenditures, and minus the Rs 17,000 crore spent on the Ministry of Defence, as per convention, the proportion is an alarming 1.4 per cent. It has come down from 2.08 per cent, when the Modi government assumed office in 2014-2015.
Out of Rs. 3,18,931.22 crore allocated for the financial year 2019-20, Rs. 2,10,682.42 crore has been allocated for Revenue (Net) expenditure and Rs. 1,08,248.80 crore for Capital expenditure for the Defence Services and the Organizations/ Departments under Ministry of Defence. In the previous year, 2018-19 the allocations were Rs 1,95,947.55 crore for Revenue and Rs 99,563.86 crore for Capital Expenditure.
The Capital Allocation of the Ministry of Defence under BE 2019-20 is 32.19% of the total Central Government Capital Expenditure, which is Rs. 3,36,293.00 crore.
The allocation of Rs.3,18,931.22 crore represents a growth of 7.93% over Budget Estimates (2,95,511.41 crore) and 6.87% over Revised Estimates (Rs.2,98,418.72 crore), respectively for the financial year 2018-19. The higher revised expenditure on Revenue account occurred due to higher requirements for transportation of stores and works, etc. At least no funds were surrendered unutilised.
Service-wise the allocations were: Army Rs 2,67,098 crore, Navy Rs 56,788 crore and Indian Air Force Rs 79,635 crore, all including pensions.
In 2018-19, the ratio of Revenue:Capital outlay was 66:34. This year the percentage works out to 67:33.
For Defence Pensions, which is over and above the outlay mentioned above, an amount of Rs. 1,12,079.57 crore has been provided in BE 2019-20. This is 1.05 per cent above the BE 2018-19 of Rs. 1,06,775.14 crore.
The defence allocations in the interim budget 2019-20 have again been a disappointment. Overall the budget in real terms after allowing for inflation is far lower than the previous year, but provisions have been made in the Capital allocation for big-ticket items for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy. The government will have to find ingenuous ways to provide for committed liabilities and new schemes. The industry will not be amused.
While the capital outlay has crossed Rs 1 trillion for the first time, it hardly represents any hike over the revised figures for 2018-19 once inflation and rupee depreciation — since roughly 70% of our weapons are imported — are accounted for. On the other hand, the bill on salaries and pensions has ballooned, thanks to the large size of the Indian armed forces and the implementation of one rank one pension.
The reality is that India is a developing country with multiple competing demands over scarce capital. It is tough to make a case for higher defence allocations without hiving off resources from some other programmes, which, too, require urgent funds. But equally, it is also a reality that India lives in a precarious neighbourhood with two hostile nuclear powers, one of which aims to be a global hegemon and the other is a breeding ground for terrorists.
The answer does not lie in reducing the size of the army simply because new generation equipment is not being inducted and replacing obsolescent platforms in adequate numbers. Our armed forces are more equipped to fight yesterday’s wars and not tomorrow’s, which will require less manpower but greater technological prowess, including in new age domains like cyber and space. However, the armed forces can look at its own assets — land, property, etc. — to squeeze in extra resources. They need to take a hard look at their war doctrines and defence planning.
The nation\'s security establishment has to be on board on defence planning. Bad planning has led to the IAF being 11 squadrons short of the mandated 42 to fight a two-front war. If India spends so much money on buying so many aircraft, what will be left for the army and the navy?
Last year, all three Services complained that they were not even provided enough money to pay for ongoing acquisitions. The fact that the government has increased the capital outlay by nearly 10 per cent to Rs 1.03 lakh crore means little. During the last four years of the present government, approvals amounting to over Rs 4,00,000 crore have been given by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) for new equipment. When allocations have not been made, the exercise remains theoretical.
Where is the money going to come from for the approvals given for a submarine project worth Rs 40,000 crore, Rs 1,200 crore for the Milan anti-tank missile, four Talwar class frigates and Brahmos missiles for Rs 3,000 crore, Rs 9,100 crore for Akash missiles and some other schemes, 111 utility helicopters for the Navy worth Rs 21,000 crore, besides many other approvals. Payments have also begun for the 36 Rafale deal, more instalments will come up in 2019-2020.
The DAC cleared‘Project 75I’ submarines in January for the third time in the last decade, which has also, uncharacteristically, seen the overall cost of the project coming down in each instance.
The system of defence allocations cannot be efficient without deep reforms. That requires political will.
Pay and allowances of the defence personnel, including civilians work out to roughly Rs 1.25 lakh crore. Defence pensions figure at Rs 1.22 lakh crore that is nearly one-third of the defence expenditure. One should not grudge the ex-servicemen their pensions and their right to OROP. But the government cannot make that as an excuse to underfund the military.
If the recommendations of various over the years are diligently implemented and not selectively as has been done so far, like real integration of the three Services, joint logistics, training and housing, substantial savings can be made.
Its time also to look at the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Defence did recommend a compulsory five-year service as a pre-condition for jobs in the Union and state governments. There are tremendous advantages for national security, which merit examination.
While budgetary allocations are required for critical areas like health and education, most other countries are spending much higher percentage of their GDP for defence. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has compiled a list (released in 2018) for military expenditures for 2017. USA spent 3.1% of GDP, China 1.9%, Saudi Arabia 10%, Russia 4.3%, France 2.3%, UK 1.8% and Pakistan 3.7%. Considering the above figures, and the fact that India is under threat of a two-front war, most analysts have suggested increasing the defence budget to at least 2.5% of GDP. This is the only way to somewhat bridge the huge modernization gap. Meanwhile, China is pulling way ahead of India in all military domains.
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Revenue and Capital Outlay by Service
The Revenue allocations excluding pension allocations compare as follows:
Author, by Lt Gen (Dr) VK Saxena Director General Army Air Defence Corps
26 Oct 2016
This book fills a long standing void of a quality reference material in the ever-evolving domain of Ground Based Air Defence. The author, in his selection of topics, has covered the entire continuum of issues that may engage the mind of a professional air defence warrior today.
Includes Air Defence Against UAVs - Manned and Unmanned Teaming - Ballistic Missile Defence - Stealth and Counter Stealth - Air Defence Weapons: Future Kill Options - Electronic Counter Measures - Air Defence Gun Ammunition - Key Trends in Integrated AD Systems Concept - Air Defence Battle Management Systems - Simulation in Ground Based AD Training - Air and AD Campaign of the Gulf War 1991 - The WZ10 vs AH 64E Debate - Air Attack - Air Defence Cause Effect
The author has dealt with each topic with great diligence and scholarly rigour, picking up the threads from the past, highlighting the contours of the present and making a reasonable prognosis by peeping into the future. This makes the book highly readable, besides providing a vast repository of some excellent reference material. A thoroughly professional work that provides an excellent coverage of contemporary issues in Air Defence.
Dr. D Bhalla, a serving IAS oficer of the Nagaland cadre, clearly has the knack of sifting the chaff from the grain when it comes to narrating facts about the North East. The geography, demography, and economic potential have all been presented with the author's own personal attention to essentials. The author's data and statistics are unmatchable in their integrity and analyses. He is an experienced writer with a number of excellent books to his credit.
It has been said wisely that those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it. To that end, the book is a must-read. You may not come across a better-encapsulated narration of history of each state as in this book.
Tourism is one of the important keys to development of North East. One could not have a better scholar than Dr. Bhalla to dwell on this aspect simply because he is an authority on tourism in North East and has two published works on this topic to his credit.
While there are many published works on north-eastern states available in libraries, none is more contemporary than this work. Conflict resolution itself has reached a stage where North East is, hopefully, about to usher in an era of peace and prosperity. While political stability will always demand attention in a very politically aware population; international developments and other socio-economic aspects are undergoing changes, which make earlier works dated. I commend this book to all who are interested in the beautiful North Eastern part of India.
Duels of the Himalayan Eagle: First Indo-Pak Air War 1965
Author, by Air Marshal Bharat Kumar
26 Oct 2016
This book was commissioned by the Indian Air Force. The Duels of the Himalayan Eagle describes the First Air War between India and Pakistan. Commencing from an analysis of the two air forces and their concept of operations, every significant aerial and ground engagement has been covered in detail. These include Pakistani raids on Pathankot and Kalaikunda, Indian ventures into Sargodha, Badin and Peshawar as well as various aerial engagements. These stories are based on the narratives of the air warriors involved in the operations or records maintained on a daily basis in the squadron diaries by various units during the period of the War.
Pakistani disastrous para drops near Pathankot, Adampur and Halwara in the West and Gauhati in the East have been covered in detail. The travails narrated by seven air warriors, who became POWs have also been included.
Finally, the author has dissected the entire air war and has put down his own conclusions – probably the first such attempt by an Indian author.
