Session 1: Inaugural Session

Maj Gen (Dr) Ashok Kumar, Director General CENJOWS, said that the deliverables are not fully visible in the Services as far as Surveillance & Electro Optics are concerned. Much more needs to be done. He further enumerated that the Surveillance & Electro Optics systems consist of one of the four components essential for warfighting and these are:

• Sensors -They are the eyes and ears that sense the situation in the air, land, and sea domain.
• Data and communication links through which sensor outputs are transmitted to the systems where it will be stored, analyzed, and acted upon.
• Command and Control Centre/ Data Fusion Centre, where the data will be processed and decisions are taken to respond.
• Shooter – is the final component which will react to the emerging situation.

The sensor is the most critical element of the loop, so surveillance using electro-optical sensors is the most important part of the chain. We need to investigate the spectrum and bandwidth the systems need to work upon efficiently. The systems must have the capacity to connect and work together with the three services, and the compatibility with the existing systems will improve their capabilities.

Lt Gen DS Rana, Director General Defence Intelligence Agency delivered the inaugural address stating that, electro-optical sensors harvest the capabilities of optics and electronics to analyze high-resolution visual images in real time. The current conflicts in Ukraine, the Red Sea situation, the South China Sea, the nuclear ambitions of Iran and firings by North Korea are driving the world into an unstable situation. In our neighbourhood, Pakistan is facing an economic crisis, and China, too, is increasing its footprints not only on land but at sea. The need for high-grade sensors onboard drones and space-based assets is proliferating. The role of commercial intelligence data by Maxar has helped Ukraine analyze the movement of Russian troops and counter the threat in time before the attack began. Ukraine has access to NATO-based intelligence, and Russia and Ukraine are continuously attacking the targets in depth using PNT. China has increased its space-based capabilities with EO imaging revisit of about fifteen minutes, two hours in SAR, near-continuous coverage of ELINT in the Indian region. It has ISR capabilities in geosynchronous orbit for round-the-clock coverage in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. China is developing a ground-based system in Pakistan that will enhance BeiDou accuracy to 15cm based on PNT to enhance its regional precision strike capabilities. The unmanned drones can conduct ISRs and are equipped with high-definition IR and SAR sensors. Pakistan is building up its capabilities for coverage of its land borders along Iran, India and Afghanistan using high-definition EO sensors fitted drones. HAPS are solar-powered drones that fly above 20 km for persistent capabilities for many months with a resolution of 15cm. Ground-based sensors can sense the movement of troops using acoustic sensors, and China has operationalized an EO grid along the Line of Actual Control for all weather coverage. The maritime role relies on various sensors, such as long-range patrol aircraft and acoustic sensors fitted on undersea autonomous vehicles. All these developments in the sensors onboard space, air and sea-based platforms have resulted in a paradigm shift in how intelligence is gathered. There is no shortage of data, and the use of data analytics and machine learning algorithms using AI will only help in analyzing the spatial data from a variety of sensors. The use of GIS for the fusion and visualization of spatial data is a growing field many intelligence agencies have adopted. The growth of MASINT (measurement and signature intelligence) is where data from multiple sensors capable of sensing data like electromagnetic, electro-optical, acoustic, and chemical composition are fused. Only the US and Israelis have this technology and our efforts to shore up this technology is the need of the hour. The next challenge is to fuse the data and generate the information using network nodes. These data can be shared in a secure grid to seamlessly counter emerging threats in various domains. He concluded by mentioning that the current global conflicts and geopolitical situations are driving the need for high-grade sensors onboard drones and space-based assets. Both China & Pakistan are developing space-based capabilities, including imaging and coverage in the Indian region. Further, the use of data analytics, machine learning algorithms, and GIS for spatial data fusion and visualization is becoming increasingly important. The growth of MASINT technology, which combines data from multiple sensors, is a priority for many intelligence agencies. The next challenge is to effectively fuse and share data to counter emerging threats.

The Keynote Address was delivered by Air Marshal Surat Singh, Director General Air Ops, Air HQ. He defined the emerging warfighting using the sensors in the following roles:

• Superior Battlefield transparency.
• Networking of all sensors.
• Shortening of OODA loop using automated data support loop.
• Swift response using agile weapons.

They are being done at the HQ level to enable the standardized operation of data formats, protocols, and interfaces. The aerospace domain requires the exploitation of space, air and surface-based sensors. The commercialization of space and dual-use technology must be used optimally. In addition, identifying threats in space, air surface and maritime has to be done almost on a real-time basis using private and public assets. The requirements for space-based solutions that the Air Force has met, are, Stratospheric and persistent platforms assets, Low-cost and fast deployable and expendable assets, Interface with the existing networks like the IACCS system. It enhances the space segment and sensors’ networking to provide sufficient early warning and intercept opportunities. He concluded by discussing the use of sensors in emerging warfighting strategies. These must be implemented for achieving superior battlefield transparency, shortening the OODA loop, integrating all sensors, through automated data support. The air and space domain requires the optimal use of space, air, and surface-based sensors, commercialization of space and dual-use technology. Real-time threat identification in various domains is crucial and can be achieved using both private and public assets. He concluded that the Air Force has successfully met the requirements for space-based solutions, including stratospheric and persistent platforms, low-cost and fast deployable assets, and interface with existing networks.

A Special Address was delivered by Dr BK Das, DG Electronics and Communication Systems (ECS), DRDO. He highlighted that DRDO was working on a comprehensive approach to monitoring warfare trends, both in the outer space and undersea domains. It will be a non-contact war with autonomous weapons with robotics and cyber playing an important role. The next engagement is characterized as zero physical touch, as it will involve use of autonomous weaponry, AI based robots and cyber warfare. Technology wars would require careful re-alignment between country’s tech capabilities, weapon manufacturing, and industrial infrastructure to sustain them. Prioritizing development and maintenance of technological edge is crucial to come out of reliance on the other countries. DRDO is deliberating various options for services, to include SAR and LIDAR technology, advanced radar technologies, and the concept of a “Digital Soldier as a System.” The Services will utilize AI-based electro-optic soldier, autonomous decision-making abilities, robotics capabilities, and its ability to network. Cognitive Warfare is using advanced technologies to disrupt or manipulate adversary’s cognitive processes, while first-person drones will be resistant to EI & RF Interference. He further spoke about how Quantum computing will be used for surveillance in multi-domain battlefields which will facilitate object detection and identification through data gathering, fusion, and analysis. In conclusion, he re-iterated that the DRDO is working towards a comprehensive approach to monitoring warfare, incorporating technologies like artificial intelligence, space warfare capabilities, nanotechnology, big data, and additive manufacturing.

Col K V Kuber, Director Defence & Aerospace, Ernst & Young gave the industry perspective. He said that interoperability was the key for a functional surveillance system with impunity. Indian industries must collaborate with global vendors to get competitive. To reduce Indian dependence on foreign countries, we have to pep up our industrial base and ecosystem. Investment in the indigenous industry is essential to reduce India’s reliance on resources of the other countries. Strategic partnerships are the key. AI will be applied in almost all domains for crucial inputs on data. Sensors in all domains will be used to boost situational awareness and manage information overload. He concluded by re-iterating that data is crucial for intuitive design and industry must develop advance technology in sensors globally. We must ensure that India should be fully prepared indigenously for potential confrontations and early use of weapon systems based on sensors in all domains.

Session 2: Terrestrial Surveillance

The session was chaired by Brig Anurag Asthana, Brig Ops, Artillery Directorate, Army HQ. He introduced the session by drawing inferences from present global scenarios and how countries are striving for military development. He referred to the 7 October 2023 attack launched by Hamas on Israel as an example of growing conventional and asymmetric warfare equipped with lethal weapons. Touching on the session theme ‘Terrestrial Surveillance’, he reiterated the significance of multi-sensors and how the Indian Army was continuously working to upgrade surveillance facilities. He said that future battlefields would be driven by miniaturized Unmanned Autonomous Systems (UAS) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), highlighting how AI was being used for reading huge data and had opened “new vistas.” He flagged the requirement of surveillance through deployment of sensors that would allow sufficient time to process data. Passive surveillance would remain beneficial than active surveillance and that the surveillance grid needs to have full proof communication systems.

Shri Madhukar DIG (Ops) Force HQ BSF covered the challenges being faced by the Border Security Force in managing the borders at night. His presentation showcased an overview of the responsibilities of the BSF, present facilities related to surveillance and future challenges that requires to be addressed. Stressing on the dynamic terrain and climate of the Indian subcontinent, the speaker elucidated on the peace time and wartime responsibilities undertaken by the BSF for each of the geographical commands. The Western Sector revolves around the increased use of UAVs, tunnelling across international borders, low visibility during winters, poorly lit areas and non- effectiveness of Surveillance equipment during winters. Similarly, the challenges in the Eastern Sector are specific to altitude and temperature. The BSF has incubated several responses that include Hot Interception Team, Naka cum Ambush, Foot patrolling, Anti-drone operations and even Boat Naka. He further highlighted several projects undertaken by the BSF and comprise of ‘Comprehensive Integrated Border Management Systems’ (CIBMS), ‘Electronic Surveillance of vulnerable patches’ (ESVP) and OCTS project. In the concluding remarks he reiterated continued collaborative measures between BSF with DRDO, IITs and agencies like NTRO for technical solutions with integrated security system at borders. Additionally, the introduction of smart fences will be a game changer with high tech surveillance devices such as sensors, ground-based radar systems, etc, to provide a holistic surveillance mechanism.

Col Sameer Babu, Colonel (C&R), Army AD Directorate, Army HQ, spoke on the Latest Developments in Tackling Threats and C&R for Air Defence, emphasized that Army AD was the largest user of radars amongst the three Services. He touched upon the threats emanating from various altitudes and speeds which call for a dynamic surveillance system in addition to the existing ones. He also highlighted the evolving air threat and the growing impact of air power with the need for an effective air defence capability for land operations. Advancements in radar technology was flagged. Development of passive radar technology will remain a game changer since it is highly cost-effective and compliments existing radar systems. Multiple Inputs, Multiple Output (MIMO) radar technology that has evolved from communications systems provides an edge by simultaneously radiating uncorrelated signals, improving coverage and signal quality. He also flagged the use of ‘Digital Beam’ technology that can be deployed to achieve higher angular resolution and wide coverage without mechanical moving parts. The usage of ‘Active Electronically Steered Array Radar’ and ‘Radar Digital Signal Processing’ were also discussed.

The session also saw participation by several industry players and start-ups who making strides in surveillance and electro-optics equipment.

Vaibhav Gupta, Director, MKU Ltd, spoke on Electro-Optics: Shaping Modern Warfare & Defense Strategies – Learnings, Lessons & Implication In 2024. He spoke on how electro-optics was shaping warfare and defence strategies by drawing lessons from contemporary conflicts, which revealed larger and recurring requirement of equipment and night vision devices, enhanced role of sensor-based technologies, and the need for efficient solutions which deliver “first salvo effectiveness.” This meant there was a need to be self sufficient in manufacturing and core technologies. He then presented MKU’s Smart Soldier Solutions (Netro Soldier Optronics and Kavro Soldier Protection) and Smart Platform Solutions (Netro Platform Optronics and Kavro Platform Protection).He also gave details of MKU’s facilities and reach of its products and clients around the world.

Ram Biron, Director of Marketing, SCD, Israel, spoke on Advanced integrated applications utilizing high definition format IR detectors. He gave details about SCD’s credentials, facilities, core technologies in infrared detectors and video engines. He explained SCD’s share of cooled 2nd-gen scanning and staring FPAs, InGaAs FPAs detectors and modules in the defence market. He covered key global trends in IR sensors which were driving SCD’s road map. His presentation included SCD’s cooled detectors and video engines (MW/LW), new-gen SWIR solutions, combined HD MWIR and 3rd-gen ALPD SWIR, and next-gen DAS for armoured fighting vehicles.

Sandeep Shah, Managing Director, Optimized Electrotech, spoke on Assisted & Automated Surveillance. He gave details about the company and progress, patents, certifications, and clients. He cited challenges in surveillance – border conflicts, undemarcated borders, infiltration, and specific geopolitical and geographical challenges in India. He gave details about Optimized Electrotech products – NoctVision, InfiVision, ClearVision, and OmniVision. He also gave details and benefits of Autonomous AI based multi-spectral surveillance platforms.

Abhinav Gupta, Managing Director, SES, spoke on Rechargeable Li-Ion Batteries for Military Devices. He gave an overview of his company, products, present challenges in battery use, indigenous solutions, capabilities and in-house facilities. SES has worked for Indian and Israeli armed forces. SES solutions included smart chips and intelligent programming, intelligent electronics, advanced machining, novel materials and innovations.

Vinod Yadav, Head-Technical (Optronics & Computing Platforms), Tata Advanced Systems Ltd spoke on Products and Solutions in Electro-optics. He gave details about Tata Advanced Systems’ business verticals, product portfolio (Weapons, Sensors, C4I systems), and particularly the portfolio in electro-optics (cooled TI systems, uncooled TI systems, II-tube based NVDs). He gave details about short-range observation systems, long range observation systems (Rajak ULR), modular long range surveillance platforms, weapons sights, crew vision systems. He also spelt out TASL’s future technology focus areas.

Ramkrishna Siddam, General Manager, Optica spoke on Complete Solutions for Next-Generation Electro-Optical Systems. He overview of his company, capabilities, certifications, products, core expertise, testing facilities, and optics & electro-optical systems including Schlieren Systems, optics for TMT, Aerosol LIDAR, Cloud LIDAR, MIR LIDAR, FTIR System, Adoptive Optics BDOC System, Light Weight High Power Laser Mirror, IR panoramic camera and ongoing projects including Surya Tilak project for Ram Mandir at Ayodhya.

Session 3: Aerial In Space-based Surveillance

The session was chaired by AVM Rajiva Ranjan, ACAS Ops (Space), Air HQ. He said that military intelligence was the key to war. Space and air are the ultimate frontiers. In 1991, Space ISR became prominent. Aerial and SAR systems are very vital assets for military in multi-domain operations. Aerial SAR, integrated on aircraft, offers various advantage of fast deployment and flexibility, enabling real-time monitoring and target identification in various terrain and all domains. These systems provide crucial intelligence for mission planning, threat assessment, and battlefield situational awareness. On the other hand, SAR satellites provide persistent surveillance capabilities to monitor vast areas continuously for global coverage. They offer high-resolution capabilities that detect and track moving targets and assess changes in the environment. Both aerial and space-based SAR systems were integral components of military reconnaissance in providing invaluable support for operations, intelligence and decision-making processes in all domain.

Col Jasbir Mann, Col Aviation-10, Army Aviation Directorate spoke on UAV sensor payloads for persistent surveillance, and emphazied on the technologies for future warfare which could include three main types of technologies – Foundational, Strategic and Tactical. Examples included Artificial Intelligence, space technology and cyberwarfare. There is also a list of other advanced technologies like nanotechnology and robotics. He mentioning the need of all-weather aircraft and surveillance systems with capability of contemporary payload with high resolution.

Wg Cdr Aruna Singh, DIPAC, Def Space Agency spoke on Space-based ISR for early warning. Space Surveillance along with Military operations rely heavily on surveillance and reconnaissance, to perform strategic and tactical imaging over areas of interest with persistent surveillance. Geosynchronous satellites offer wider surveillance over wide areas particularly denied by other surveillance devices. The speaker highlighted the significance of gathering intelligence to effectively plan and carry out military operations, making well- informed decisions. She discussed the importance of adjusting military forces in response to shifts in an adversary’s order of battle (ORBAT) and making necessary revisions to future actions. Regarding EW satellites, she mentioned that they are designed to specifically detect ballistic missile launches. It was later incorporated into missile defence systems and regulatory control systems for nuclear tests as these satellites have the capability to detect a missile launch right from the start of its trajectory. They utilize infrared sensors to detect missile engines based on the intense heat emitted by their flames. They possess a distinct advantage over radar in their ability to scan a significantly larger area. As on date, three nations-USA, Russia, and China possess constellations of these early warning satellites. Lastly, she emphasized the advantages of the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS). This system consists of a network of satellites in geosynchronous Earth orbit and payloads in highly elliptical orbit, all managed by ground processing and control systems. These systems are held by three countries only so far.

Air Cmde Hrushikesh J Page, Air Cmde Int (Ops), Air HQ spoke on Latest developments and requirements for Tactical Recce (EO, SAR, IR Search). Having a deep understanding of tactical reconnaissance is crucial for successful military operations. It allows for thorough analysis of the ever-changing dynamics of the battlefield, accurate identification and prioritization of targets, efficient management of information dissemination, and effective communication. It is of utmost importance in dangerous environments such as nuclear, biological, and chemical. The equipment needs to possess a high level of agility, resilience, efficiency, and seamless integration with systems. Utilizing cutting-edge technology, such as face and text recognition, is crucial for precise identification. Security and compatibility are of utmost importance. Having equipment such as ELINT, SAR, and IR is crucial.

Dr Manvendra Singh, Scientist G, IRDE, DRDO spoke on Intelligence Gathering with EO Sensors for Today’s Missions.

Session 4: Maritime Surveillance, Research & Development

The session was chaired by Cmde Ashish Bhargava, Cmde Air Warfare & Flight Safety, Naval HQ. He emphasized the importance of maritime surveillance in the Indian context owing to the long coastline. He said that maritime surveillance was an amalgamation of a lot of platforms with sensors with the inherent challenge of transporting the data due to absence of terrestrial network.

Comdt Banshidhar Singh, Joint Dir Communications, Indian Coast Guard spoke on Surveillance against Aerial, Surface and Underwater Threats. He highlighted the importance of surveillance in the maritime domain for ensuring an appropriate response to any developing situation relating to maritime safety and security. He defined the objectives of maritime surveillance to holistically understand, anticipate and administer all events and actions related to the maritime domain that could impact the maritime security. He said that it includes and relies on maritime law enforcement, maritime pollution and marine environment control, disaster response, search and rescue, anti-poaching, anti- smuggling, anti-human trafficking and safeguarding countries’ trade and economic interests. So, the prime objective is to detect any suspicious or anomalous target that could subvert the national interest in the maritime zones. He acknowledged the need to upgrade capabilities by keeping in tune with the advancements in technologies and put forth some recommendations for the ICG which include adaptation of existing magnetron-based radars to solid-state radars, daylight CCD thermal imager with laser illumination, electro-optic system to HD thermal camera, CCD with short wave infrared technology to see through haze, fog, glass, and better ranges, and inclusion of satellite AIS for better coverage.

Cdr K Varun, Cdr AW, Naval HQ spoke on Integrating Assets for Maritime Surveillance. He talked about complexity of maritime surveillance of the IOR because of the amount of maritime traffic that transits this region which is further exacerbated by the thousands of fishing boats and the requirement of keeping an eye on the three domains of surface, sub-surface and air by the Indian Navy. He also mentioned the government’s stance on India being the ‘First Responder & Preferred Security Partner’ and the role being played by the Indian Navy currently in the Gulf of Aden. He spotlighted the importance of Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and its centrality to the information, decision and action cycle. He mentioned the various fixed & rotary wing and manned & unmanned platforms and the surveillance sensors in service with IN for building the MDA. He also covered the various surface and sub- surface platforms, sensors and weapons utilized by the IN towards the task. He threw some light on how all this data from the IN’s sensors and from other agencies including space is aggregated, correlated and disseminated by the Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC).

Maj Gen (Dr) Ashok Kumar, Director General CENJOWS gave the closing remarks, alluding to the rise of India as a leading economic power and the need for the defence forces to rise to the challenges towards which the three services are willing to state their needs in an open and upfront manner and there is much visible collaboration between the forces and the industry. He said that the defence forces are ready to hand-hold those who are willing to be partners in the growth of the defence forces and the nation.

Maj Gen Ravi Arora, Chief Editor, Indian Military Review, ended the seminar with a vote of thanks to the speakers, subject matter experts, sponsors, exhibitors, all attendees and CENJOWS for the success of the event.

The post EVENT REVIEW – Surveillance & Electro- optics India 2024 appeared first on IMR.

SESSION 1: INAUGURAL SESSION

Opening Remarks. Lt Gen Sunil Srivastava, Director CENJOWS, emphasized on the importance of critical and advanced materials and its supply chain across the continents and how the recent conflicts in Europe and Middle East had affected the availability of special materials. He highlighted importance of advanced materials in weapon platforms to achieve the asymmetric advantage over our adversaries. Nano-materials, meta-materials, multifunction materials, and biomimetic materials are all smart materials which are being leveraged to have supremacy in the battlefield. Countries like United States, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, have got critical material strategies and policies. We are still yet to announce a critical materials strategy or policy.

Our country spent close to $2 billion worth of imports of advanced materials every year and majority of this comes from a potential adversary which is an issue of great concern. We have indigenized most of our systems but the special materials for these systems are being imported. We need to be conscious as to how we get self-reliant for semiconductors and critical material. The Mineral Policy of 2020, has already assured a lot of corrective policy measures. The Mines and Minerals Development and Regulations (MMDR) Act of 1957, has been amended twice recently as a result 30 critical minerals have been identified and opened up for auction to the private sector. Even Lithium has now been deregulated. For global partnerships, India is now engaged with the outside world through Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (ICET) with the United States. India has also signed the Mineral Security Partnership in 2023, with the US and 12 other entities including EU. India has also inked a Critical Mineral Investment Partnership with Australia. It has signed MOUs to engage with Chile, Argentina, Australia on getting Lithium, Cobalt and other special metals and to translate this into action, all the stakeholders were expected to brainstorm the issues.

Keynote Address. Dr Samir V Kamat, Secretary Dept of Defence R&D & Chairman DRDO, emphasized that to have significant improvement in the performance of the defence systems, better materials with superior manufacturing technologies were required to be put in place. Unfortunately, we have not paid much attention to this important field. If we want to achieve our prime minister’s dream of Atmanirbhar Bharat and technology leadership in this Amrit Kaal, we have to pay greater attention to this stream of technology.

Broadly, materials can be divided into structural and functional materials, based on their roles. There are materials which perform the load bearing task for any weapon platform and there are materials which perform certain functional role of specific nature. Structural materials are materials such as steels, aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, polymer matrix composites, ceramic matrix composites. Functional materials are semiconductors, silicon, gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, permanent magnets and stealth materials.

We have been fairly strong in the structural materials. However, manufacturing of functional materials remains a grey area for us. We were left behind in the Silicon race in the 70s. For the new semiconductor materials developed for high power electronics such as silicon carbide, we have to ensure that we do not miss the opportunity. If we want to design hypersonic missiles, we need to first develop the scramjet propulsion and to develop scramjet propulsion, we need to develop materials which can withstand those high temperatures. To achieve that we need to look at niobium alloys, and nickel based super alloys with cooling channels.

Developing materials for defence and aerospace has several challenges. Some of these challenges are low volume and sporadic orders for the industries, stringent requirements for qualification and certification exponentially increasing the overall cost. However, the most significant challenge is the long development cycle for any material development. The design cycles for new weapon systems are shrinking. They are now down to about 4 to 5 years where as the new material development cycle is 10 to 15 years. So it is extremely challenging for a designer to starts designing a system to decide which material he should use. Lots of attempts internationally are now being made to see how this new material development cycle can be shrunk. Efforts are being made and over the next 10-15 years, we will be able to make some progress in lot of fields. The other initiative which is happening globally is known as the materials genome initiative which is a more hybrid approach.

It is the materials modelling approach including rapid experimentation approach and also using artificial intelligence and machine learning approach. Lot of material data has been collected over the years and using AI-ML tools. It is possible to get some insight into what should be a material or what should be the composition of a material or what processing should be used to achieve the desired outcome. As a nation we must have a more collaborative approach where academia, R&D institutions as well as industry work together to achieve this goal. The challenges start when we have to scale up from laboratory to industrial scale. The challenges are not only technical in nature but also techno commercial because unless the volumes are large, the cost becomes high. The issue of the infrastructure required for materials manufacturing is also very costly. 

Theme Address. Lt. Gen Manjinder Singh, DCIDS (PP&FD), HQ IDS highlighted the overwhelming reliance on China for critical hardware and special materials. The inclusion of fabrication and production of semiconductors through the new semiconductor policy was a welcome step. Dwelling upon the broad application of 3D printing, additive manufacturing from its initial beginning on a commercial scale, it has come a long way from medical equipment to space. The recalled Deng Xiaoping’s remarks about crude oil being synonyms with the Gulf and rare earth elements to China. ICT industry was seeking safer sources for conductors and semiconductors outside China. This is where India stands to gain. The West’s over-independence on China for rare earth elements has exposed the critical fault lines that are now being addressed globally. Tech giants like Apple, Boeing, Lockheed Martin are tightly coupled with China on the relevance of advanced materials, semiconductors and rare earth elements and trying to decouple the same. India must move into the semiconductor space with attractive investments opportunities to create a credible alternative to China’s manufacturing industries. Tata Group’s acquisition of the Bristol plant for manufacturing chips and iPhones in India demonstrates India’s intent to harness the opportunity of decoupling from China.

Modern war demands fighting and winning with indigenous solutions. Adoption through innovation of critical emerging technologies such as advanced materials, rare earth elements, composites and semiconductors are the way forward for our nation and to achieve this public, private sector industries, academia, and defence forces needs to collaborate frequently at all echelons. The government is putting policy and procurement measures in place, requisite hand-holding of industry, exploring this space is need of the hour for capability building and obviating foreign dependencies in this field.

Special Address. Maj Gen Charanjit Singh Mann, Additional DG Army Design Bureau highlighted the perspective of a user. He mentioned that the quality, type and composition of materials is insignificant for the user. What matters to the soldier is that it should be able to perform the desired task. He highlighted the kinds of advanced materials which are required for land forces applications. He mentioned about the importance of higher strength to weight ratio because it leads to overall weight reduction for the soldier’s equipment and weapons. He also emphasized upon high thermal stability, enhanced electrical conductivity, strength performance, higher sensing capabilities, and energy storage along with, durability factors of the equipment which impacts its overall configuration for fighting a battle. Speaking about each of these parameters he mentioned that land systems should be lightweight, flexible with higher performance to improve the agility for a soldier and afford manoeuvrability to the platform. All efforts should be made to reduce the overall load of a soldier. Even two kgs of helmet is also heavy for him during combat. Similarly, the bullet proof jackets or vests should also be as light and flexible and protective in nature. The materials used in unmanned aerial systems, directed energy weapons like Laser, Microwave systems should be able to withstand high temperatures. Special batteries, which are lightweight and compact are required. Conformal sensors and integrated circuits should be small and light with improved aerodynamic.

The communication systems have to be lightweight high performance antennas. EMI shielding should also have high signal integrity and low loss. Similarly, counter measures systems should also light weight high portability with ability to detect stealthy assets. For example, radar systems equipped with advanced signal processing algorithms and integrated with meta-material based antennas should be able to dissipate the effectiveness of strength materials by unique electromagnetic properties. The requirement of keeping the troops warm at high altitude regions should use materials which can withstand the wear and tear of weather and extreme fluctuation of temperature. With advanced materials we can achieve a much more efficient habitat system. He highlighted certain initiatives, projects which are under consideration, eg, protective spray on coatings and paints, especially for the unmanned aerial systems protecting them from high power laser weapons, the nano caffeine absorber coatings for different kinds of defence applications ceramic protection solution for armor protection, low cost sensor technology to detect different bio-warfare agents, smart thickening, fluid-based, ultra-resilient, adaptive kinematic soft rubber armour, sub-zero temperature Lithium-Ion batteries for supporting high altitude operations, energy harvester assisted power bank for mobile equipment, which shows a comprehensive integration of advanced materials across diverse domains within the defence forces.

Col Kuber highlighted that China had imposed export restrictions on gallium, gallium and germanium in response to American sanctions exposing the vulnerabilities of Western countries on dependence on China for critical raw materials. Turkey does not have certifications, which is time consuming and sometimes frustrating. They follow the supply and demand concept along with user requirements and they are one of the largest exporters of special materials. As far as China’s ambitious Belt Road initiative is concerned, they are proactively engaged with African Union countries and Australia to meet their burgeoning demand. China is diversifying its supply sources by investing in Africa and Australia. India has placed certain materials in the positive list of indigenization, which is highly significant for the industry. Raw materials which are available in India, should be banned for import. Government of India policy on critical minerals declared in June 2023 enables the private players to explore and mine these minerals. This is a defining moment for the industry.

SESSION 2 : ADVANCE MATERIALS FOR AEROSPACE

Session 2 was chaired by Air Vice Marshal Yalla Umesh, Asst Chief of Air Staff (Engineering), Air HQ.

Prof Ravi Shankar Kottada, Dept of Metallurgical & Materials Engineering, IIT-Madras, spoke on Stealth Materials, Components and Technologies for Aero applications. He explained the latest technologies in preparation of special advanced materials. He highlighted that Addictive Manufacturing was the process of joining materials to make parts from 3D model data. Elaborating on these methods he explained the process of Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF), Direct Energy Deposition (DED), and Sheet Metal Lamination method. Chessboard Strategy results in better properties in alloys.

Srinath Ravichandran, CEO Agnikul Cosmos, covered the essential aspects of Agnibaan, which is an Agnikul’s mini space launch vehicle. The vehicle is dedicated and fully customizable for launching small satellites. It offers a 40 times faster launch turnaround which is a significant improvement in launch scheduling. The vehicle is linearly scalable from carrying 30 kg to 300 kg, indicating cost-effectiveness for various payload sizes which is 10 times cheaper. The Visitors att engines are named Agnite and Agnilet. Each Agnite engine can produce 25kN of thrust at sea level and can be configured with 4, 5, 6, or 7 engines. The Agnilet engine produces 8kN at vacuum. Its first flight was scheduled for Nov or Dec 2023.

Alok Singh Chauhan, Scientist F, DMRL, DRDO, spoke on Superalloy Casting Technologies For Aero Gas Turbine Engine Applications. He included:

• 3D printing as Manufacturing Technique in Aerospace.
• Application of Copper in Aerospace.
• Engine Components.
• Landing Gear Components.
• Electrical Wiring and Connectors.

Covering the canvas of Challenges in 3D printing of Copper & Smart alloys, he brought out issues pertaining to :

• High Thermal Conductivity.
• Oxidation Sensitivity.
• Printability.
• Thermal Stresses and Cracking.

The chairperson concluded by highlighting that all super alloys may not be meant for manufacturing. While super alloys are highly specialized materials known for their exceptional mechanical strength, resistance to thermal creep deformation, good surface stability, and resistance to corrosion or oxidation, they might not always be suitable for use in manufacturing processes.

SESSION: 3 – ADVANCED MATERIALS FOR LAND SYSTEMS, MISSILES AND NAVAL APPLICATIONS

The session was chaired by Rear Adm K Srinivas, Asst Chief of Materials (Dockyard and Refit), Naval HQ. He opened the session by highlighting importance of advance materials in manufacturing of battle ships for the Indian Navy. The Indian Navy uses specific material for ship building, eg, advanced steels for hulls for ships. Materials used for hulls is completely indigenous, highlighting Atamnirbhar Bharat success story. These materials are being developed by DRDO through integral research fraternity. Composite materials used in ship-building to reduce weight and increase stealth features are constantly being improved locally. To highlight self sufficiency of the country in the field and specialisation, it was mentioned that Vizag Dockyard uses 22 different types of steels for various manufacturing activities. Indian Navy’s requirements in future will be met completely through indigenous sources. Research & development by DRDO on fuel cells, coatings, thermal conductors, alloys, etc was also highlighted.

Cdr BK Singh from Directorate of Naval Design, Naval HQ, spoke on Special Materials for Ships and Submarines Building.” He gave information about structural materials used for ships/submarines and the types of materials used – high strength low alloy steels for hulls, Titanium and Cu-Ni alloys for pipes, Aluminum alloys for superstructures, composites materials for hull of small crafts, and cladded steel for interface structure. Covering the canvas of material failure he mentioned that it primarily occurred in the form of fracture/ fatigue/ creep. He emphasised upon the desired strength of materials required and explained factors of yield strength, resistance to brittle fracture, toughened materials and good ability to get welded. He mentioned that constant efforts were being made to develop high strength steel. He spoke about challenges faced in Titanium welding and future development of materials with improved qualities like steels with yield strength of 1000 MPa, metal fiber composites and biometric hull.

Lt Col Kunal Tagunde, Instructor Call A, College of Military Engineering, Pune spoke on Latest Developments in Impact Absorbing Body Armour. He gave the historical perspective, mismatch in requirements versus products in use by troops. He highlighted the aspects of flexibility, ergonomics, latest trends, new and innovative materials being developed, eg, Fiber, CT, Carbon Nano, etc. He briefly covered the Initiatives By CME, Pune on project Padam Kawach.

SESSION 4 : SMART & FUTURE MATERIALS/REAR EARTHS & SEMICONDUCTORS

The session was chaired by Rear Admiral (Prof) Deepak Bansal, IIT-Madras. He highlighted the need to devise a strategy to develop an ecosystem related to chips as well as special materials by bringing together all stakeholders including the Govt. He mentioned that Rare Earths are in abundance, however, these oxidised materials are rare because most deposits are of low in concentration and takes lot of efforts to process them.

Anuttam Mishra, Director (Technical), Indian Rare Earths Ltd spoke on Smart and Future Materials and Rare Earths. He recounted efforts of DAE in last 40 years. He said that rare earths were a group of 17 chemical elements which were used to produce useful high-tech products. Seven minerals are available in India which are processed by Rare Earths. Out of these thermal applications materials have been provided to Defence and BARC. Though the Rare Earths have offered finished material like phosphorous catalyst, etc, to the civil industry for exploitation, it has not found much success. There are few mining sites with limited mining capability, hazardous residue, long gestation period, highly capital intensive, due to economy of scale and low consumption. Most materials are highly radioactive and, hence, need high order of safety measures in their handling.

Dr Kingsuk Mukhopadhyay, Scientist G, DMSRD, DRDO spoke on Smart polymer, fibre & fabrics for stealth, extreme cold, fire resistant & ballistic protection. One of the major challenges for portable water filtration is rate of filtration due to insufficient gravitational pressure. A mitigation technology in compact area is developed by DMSRDE using porous nano fibres which don’t use any chemical or electrical power for purification.

DMSRDE has prepared unique SSG which shows the change in viscosity as a function of shear force and holds a great promise for damping and shock energy dissipation. Besides this DMSRDE has successfully developed modular Bullet Proof Jackets (BPJs) to provide 360-degree protection as per the laid down GSQR.

Functional Materials for Radar Absorbers are Dielectric materials which impart dielectric polarization losses whereas Magnetic materials Imparts magnetic losses Ferrites, carbonyl iron, iron silicide. He also informed the audience about the development of Camouflage Systems, Synthetic Camouflage Net for Snow Bound Area (SBA) & green belt area produced and supplied to army. Radar Absorbing Camouflage Net (RSCN) were found effective against Visual, IR and Radar Surveillance. Multi-Spectral Camouflage Net (MSCN) effective in Visual, NIR, TIR and MW bands, Multispectral Personnel Camouflage Equipment and Mobile Camouflage System (MCS) have been developed.

DMSRDE successfully developed Boot Anti Mine Infantry (BAMI) for Infantry troops Indian Army and CAPFs.

Other equipment developed by DMSRDE includes NBC Suit Permeable, NBC Gloves, Advanced Chemical Protective Gloves, CBRN Overboot, NBC Facelet Mask.

Dr Apurba Sinhamahapatra, from CSIR-CIMFR, Dhanbad extensively covered Shaped Memory Alloys as the smartest materials, known for their unique ability to recover their original shape after undergoing deformation making them useful for precise and reversible shape changes. The alloy called Nitinol named after Nickel-Titanium Naval Ordinance Laboratory, displayed the ability to return to a predetermined shape after being deformed when exposed to heat. It has found greater applications in the medical devices, including vascular stents, guide wires, and orthodontic devices. Currently, its applications have gone beyond medical to include aerospace, robotics.

He also gave details on types of Shaped Alloys – One Way alloy which remembers only one shape. The other remembers two different shapes, one at a lower temperature and other at a higher temperature. Iron and copper based SMAs such as Fe-Mn-Si and Cu-Zn-Al are commercially available and cheaper than NiTi. High strength and lightweight material like Nitinol is known for its high strength-to-weight ratio, making it suitable for various engineering applications.

KNS Pavan Kumar, Scientist B, YSL-Smart Materials, DRDO covered the topic of Applications of Smart Materials for Future Military Electronics Applications. He spoke about

• Actuators and Adaptive Structures
• Deployable Structures
• Aircraft Components
• Space Mechanisms
• Satellite Components
• Aircraft Engine Components
• Self-Repairing Textiles
• Enhanced Load-Bearing Equipment
• Adaptive Camouflage Cloaks
• Biomechanical Support Systems
• Adaptive Control
• Morphing Wings of Aircraft
• Deployable Structures
• Temperature -Responsive Uniforms
• Bulletproof Vests with Shape Memory Properties
• Application in Drones
• Energy Harvesting for Extended Flight Time

SESSION 5 – ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING AND 3D PRINTING

The session was chaired by Dr Murugaiyan Amirthalingam, Associate Professor, IIT Madras. He gave a basic explanation of the concept of ‘Additive Manufacturing’ to the audience. He said that since Additive Manufacturing (AM) and 3D Printing Technology industry were still in nascent stage, it was the right opportunity to take the lead. He mentioned possibility of adapting additive manufacturing and 3D printing for engineering and biomedical applications, automobiles, etc, in addition to defence. He brought out the benefits of metal additive manufacturing in terms of material and energy saving and design freedom and its attributes of being a fully automated operation with limited skilled manpower requirement to realise from digital to physical form without any part-specific tooling requirements. However, he said that the existing “print-ready” alloys cannot cater to the diverse and growing needs of metal AM, especially in the defence sector, and that true benefits of metal AM can only be realized by developing more AM-friendly high-performance alloys.

V Srinivas, Scientist E, DMRL, DRDO spoke about Additive Manufacturing of Metallic Components for Defence Applications. He started by explaining the concept of Metal Additive Manufacturing. He brought out the advantages of metal additive manufacturing in defence sector specifically reduced product development lead time, reduced dependency on supply chain, manufacturing of critical components with complex geometric profiles, Optimized designs for weight reduction and reduced assembly of parts, manufacture of multi-material components and manufacture of parts with enhanced functional properties and performance.

He gave examples of additive manufacturing being done in the field of aviation and aerospace by GE, Airbus, P&W and NASA. In India, some components for the IAF have been manufactured using AM which have subsequently been certified by CEMILAC.

Today, DMRL is working on the design of new super alloys (alloys by design – ABD) using AM and on developing a test methodology for all the processes.

Capt (Dr) Nitin Agarwala, Senior Fellow, CENJOWS covered the aspects of 3D Printing for Ship Repairs. He began by explaining what AM is and then indicated how AM was slowly being introduced in the maritime sector. For ships, while the US and the US Coast Guard have installed printers onboard, they have used them to print small parts. He showed the cost advantage achieved and that the product manufactured was limited to a non-load bearing member as load bearing members required classification approval process which was still to be defined. He said that since AM had merit and was a sure way to encourage a circular economy, its acceptance would require more work but was a future technology for use on board ships.

Ram Kumar Krishnan, from Intech Additive Solutions covered the subject of Metal Additive Manufacturing through Ultrasonic Atomisation Technology. He indicated that powder quality, handling, purity and manufacture was a challenge for the industry for which Intech had developed solutions. He indicated that while there were a large number of metals, only 50 of them had been atomized to date and small MOQ (minimum order quantity) was a hold point for atomizing more metals. In this effort of manufacturing metallic AM powders, Intech has collaborated with a Polish firm Amazemet and was using ultrasonic atomization, which is considered the best process of manufacturing atomized metallic powder for AM.

S Murali Shankar, Managing Director, Super Auto Forge, covered the subject of Application of Additive Manufacturing in Industries. He provided an insight on manufacturing cold forged parts which is his company’s strength area for the last 50 years. Recently, they have moved to AM wherein they are manufacturing warm forging tools using AM. Such parts can be now manufactured in 78 hours as against 4-6 weeks required in conventional manufacturing process. The printed part has a greater life as internal cooling has been provided to the forged tool. He mentioned that the main challenge in AM is the cost of powder, reducing the build time of parts, increasing productivity and the need for post processing.

The last speaker Sachin Suramwar, from Gasptops briefed the audience on Metal Scan (on-line oil debris sensor providing real-time health monitoring of bearings and gears), Blade Monitor (on-line sensor mounted on engine fan case providing full-time/ real-time detection of blade distortion or cracking) and Chip Check (automated chip detector analyser deployable at the flight line/ maintenance bay) for monitoring equipment health.

Concluding Remarks. Lt Gen Sunil Srivastava, Director CENJOWS summarised the key takeaways of the seminar where he highlighted the need to finding indigenous solutions to the services’ specific requirements urgently in order to overcome the challenges faced in customising the hardware sourced from abroad in preparing the special matreials for defence usage. He said that we need to have a long term strategy in maintaining the assured supply of special materials during war and peace.

The post EVENT REVIEW – Advanced Materials for Defence & Aerospace 2023 appeared first on IMR.

Air & Missile Defence India Seminar & Exhibition 2022 was organised by Indian Military Review and CENJOWS on 15 July 2022. The objective was to provide a forum for interaction between the armed forced and industry to deliberate, appraise and redress contemporary issues pertaining to air and missile defence. Various domain experts expressed their views on threats and countermeasures and need for certain technologies. Senior representatives from industry elaborated upon the growth of self-reliance and ongoing and future development of required technologies.

Seminar Sessions

Five seminar sessions included topics like Emerging Threats and Countermeasures; Emerging Technologies; Upgrades, Optimisation and Self-Reliance; and Joint Planning and Conduct of Air Defence Operations.

Session I: Inaugural Session

The Welcome Address was given by Lt Gen Sunil Srivastava, Director, CENJOWS. He highlighted the significance of the event being held physically after two years of online conduct of events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He extensively covered various conflicts and lessons to be drawn from them while underlining the significance of the air domain. He mentioned the need to leverage manned and unmanned platforms indigenously and analyse the threat landscape carefully. Comparative capabilities, he discussed components of People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and cautioned against growing Sino-Pak collusion. To cater to growing needs, he proposed the use of novel sensing solutions, counter stealth capabilities, high power data domain, sense of fusion, algorithms and AI; machine learning, counter-UAS, counter swarm capabilities, threat evaluation and assignment algorithms.

The Inaugural Address was given by Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, Chief of Air Staff. He covered an array of topics. He emphasised that,” Air defence is an essential and continuous mission in peace time.”  He underlined the changes in the concept of air defence through lessons learnt from 9/11, Sri Lanka and Ukraine. He noted that proliferation and easy availability of platforms have made us highly vulnerable, due to utilisation by anti-national elements. Thus, he called for a threat scenario analysis. He stressed the challenges faced by us in speed spectrum besides the challenge for interception posed due to enormous speed difference in hypersonic weapons. He noted the increasing demand of joint operations, budgetary constraints and the need to make crucial technical choices. He emphasised the need to strengthen air defence through integration into a bigger network and that intermarrying of air defence system, passive and an offensive counter head was critical. He defined amalgamation of territorial and space domains as fundamental to future war fighting.

The Theme Address was delivered by Lt Gen SP Goswami, Director General Army Air Defence. In his address, he dwelled on the increasing criticality of the subject and accentuated the importance of army air defence as pioneers since 1940 with an emphasis on its operations in joint study groups. He emphasised on the need to evolve air defence strategy and sought answers on questions pertaining to stealth technology, carbon composite materials, variations of physical sizes. While addressing our needs, he focussed on the requirement of ECCM technology, modules to operate in a wider bandwidth with 2-3 bandwidths simultaneously. He said that incorporation of electronic IIF and improvement of scan technology will have to be incorporated.  He mentioned 3D and 4D radars as the mainstay of technology to counter threats. He highlighted quantum radar as a new area of research to ultimately replace current radar technology. He recommended the use of lighter missiles with better propellants backed by unjammed fuses and laser beam missiles as the answer to engagement of low RCS drones. He said that radar control guns will provide terminal defence against release from stand-off platforms. Lastly, he stressed on the imperative need for integration of various surveillance outcomes.

Navdeep Singh of Dassault Systemes gave an Introductory Talk on “Boosting Innovation and Operations Through Collaboration on a Digital Platform”. He noted the emerging threats in the landscape with emphasis on two challenges – how to integrate new technology and optimise legacy systems? He then presented the solutions available at Dassault Systemes highlighting their inter applicability across platforms through a data driven approach. He mentioned the use of such platforms by the Indian Navy.

Eli Hefetz of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems gave an Introductory Talk on their efforts towards manufacturing globally and drew a parallel towards their efforts in India to cater to Atmanirbharta including engagement with partners in industry, highlighting Rafael as a team player.

The Industry Perspective was provided by Col KV Kuber, Director Defence and Aerospace, Ernst and Young. He expressed his views on the Atmanirbharta initiative and the need for indigenised weapons. He listed future prospects and reported the key industrial developments in the domain. He further provided a roadmap for the development and upgradation of indigenised weapons, underlining their role in providing enhanced security and protection.

The session concluded with release of the IMR– EY Knowledge Paper on Air Defence 2022. 

Session II: Emerging Threats and Countermeasures

The theme of Session II was “Emerging Threats and Countermeasures.”It was chaired by Air Vice Marshal Makarand Ranade, ACAS Ops (Space), Air HQ. In his introductory remarks he stated obsolescence of our system and cyber threat as key challenges and suggested various countermeasures.

Gp Capt Prashant Arora, Air HQ spoke on “Russia-Ukraine War – Lessons from the AD Battles.” He extensively covered and compared the evolution of Russian air defence philosophy and the Ukrainian air defence philosophy, their Air Defence architecture and air operations. Broadly he covered – symbiotic relationship of air defence and offensive operations, co-ordination in employment of air defence systems, active and passive air defence against SSM threat, lethality of MANPADS, low observable technology, networked operations, geography and air defence. Key points include:

• Offensive air operations must complement AD operations: degrade the adversary airpower at source.
• Common AD communication network was essential
• Russians made extensive use of Active and Passive AD against SSM threat in the conflict
• Active and Passive AD measures against SSM threat have become mandatory in modern conflicts
• Missile defence systems, Terminal Weapon Systems, CIWS, Non-kinetic options, HAS, U/G complexes, dispersion of assets and agility are some of the solutions
• Mitigation of MANPAD threat is essential through countermeasures and sound tactics
• The procurement and employment of cost-effective and viable AD systems must to be continued owing to relevance in modern conflicts
• Importance of Low Observable technology for operations in dense AD environment
• Networked operations should be complemented by training and inter-operability

Brig Manish Kumar, Brig AD (Ops & C2) Army Air Defence Directorate, Army HQ, spoke on “Emerging Threats in the Indian Sub-continent”. He dwelled on classification of air threat, various platforms, air threat manifestation, nuances, emerging technologies, mitigation strategies, mitigation challenges, preferred mitigation philosophy and electronic warfare. Key points were:

• Emerging technologies in next gen aircraft include stealth design, carbon composites and low RCS
• Mitigation strategies in RPA are classified into:
  • Ultra-Low/Low Bracket – high rate of fire guns, fragmentation ammunition, AD sights, decentralised control
  • Med Bracket – Surveillance by active sensors, tracking and mitigation: Radar controlled gun systems and VSHORADS, centralised control
  • Deep Bracket – Surveillance by active sensors, tracking and mitigation: Radar controlled missile systems
• Army’s concern in Tactical Battle Area (TBA) – Air threat manifestation
• Low level threat critical for the Army in TBA
• Noted a progressive shift from manned to unmanned and platforms to weapons.
• Preferred mitigation philosophy for hypersonic weapons/cruise missile to be “Target the weapons systems ‘Left of Launch’.” 

Col Manish Sareen, Senior Director Land Systems, Rafael Advanced Defence Systems spoke on “Flexible AD resource deployment.”  He advanced the operational requirements – manoeuvrability, fast and flexible deployment, force protection, use of passive detection capabilities and reliability. He then introduced SPYDER All-in-One: A Complete AD Solution developed by Rafael. He enumerated its characteristics – response to saturated attacks, mature operational system, effective solution, high mobility, TMS, open architecture and all-weather operation. He explained its configuration and components – exMHR Radar and Toplite EO Sensors. He further presented details about three missiles and the range and systems. Lastly, he summarised all benefits of SPYDER.

Ran Marom, Vice President, Rada Electronic Industries spoke on “Tactical Air Surveillance and Emerging Threats.” He explained the tactical threats to airspace permeability in tactical forces, critical infrastructure and maritime. He further explained the common gaps through the purview of local air picture and local defence and analysed the use of MANPADS as potential effective countermeasures. He then proposed the use of RADA radars as current operational solutions. He presented the characteristics of USMC LMADIS, USMC MADIS, and US Army MSHORAD. He further explained NEM-TASK-Network-Enabled, Mobile, Modular Tactical Air Situation Kit and various software and hardware modules available under it. Under requirements for critical asset protection and gap filling, he listed:

• Low SWaP
• Very high reliability
• Effective range
• Unattended 24/7 operation
• Control Local AD assets
• Multi-mission – very high Pd and reliable tracking against widely varying threats
• Mobile
• SW-defined – easy integration and adaptation, future-proof SW upgrade
• Low cost of ownership

Session III: Emerging Technologies

Session III was chaired by Air Vice Marshal PV Shivanand, ACAS (Air Defence), Air HQ.

Air Marshal Daljit Singh from Rafael Advanced Defence Systems spoke on “Challenges of Optimizing the AD Array.” He covered the operational challenges of AD deployment – vulnerability of RF sensors, challenging terrain, multiple origin AD assets, redeployment in a dynamic environment, multiple threats and experience and expertise. He provided the following solutions:

• User friendly, upgradable and adaptive software tool to plan deployment/ redeployment of AD assets for adequate and optimum AD protection of VA/VPs against multiple types of threats
• Quick results
• Provide effective debrief and training tools for evaluation
• Tool to be available at all relevant C2 centers and standalone tool for forward formations.
• The tool is to be operationally mature and available Now.

He also spoke about the purpose, workflow and other capabilities of the Rafael AD Optimizer. These were:

• Training tool
• Exercise Debriefs
• Tool for offensive strikes
• Tool for Future Inductions
• He labelled the following as future blocks roadmap:
• Time line – waves of attack, fire capacity
• Advanced ECCM
• Manoeuvring Forces
• Connectivity to live systems

R. Suman, Senior Manager, Hind High Vacuum Company presented an overview of the company profile and history. He gave details about:

• Optics fabrication, materials
• Coating technology, capabilities, manufacturing
• ZnS, Domes, Periscope prisms, Night vision optics,
• Thin Film Characterization
• Lithography

Session IV: Upgrades, Optimisation and Self-Reliance

The theme of Session IV was Upgrades, Optimisation and Self-Reliance. It was chaired by Cmde Alok Ananda, Cmde Naval Ops, Naval HQ.

Air Cmde Vikram Gaur, Air Cmde Air Staff Requirements, Air HQ spoke on “Air Force upgrades and optimisation.” He highlighted how the Low Speed and Very Low RCS instruments have evolved as the emerging threats in the AD domain. He suggested procuring high-powered indigenous radars along with AWE&C capabilities and N-LOS systems as a counter to these emerging threats. Further, he reflected on how we can upgrade our present fleet of Mirage 2000, SU30 MKI, Jaguars, helicopters, etc, with BrahMos, Astra MK-I, Derby, Dhanush ATGMs, Spike N-LOS systems, EW suites (developed indigenously by DRDO and BEL) against the enemy.

Lt Col GNVS Vijay, GSO-1 AD (Procurement), Army Air Defence Directorate, Army HQ spoke on “Ground-based Air Defence Weapons’ Upgrades and Optimisation”. He brought out how ‘AD Battle is not sequential.’ He emphasised the following in the present scenario:

• Procurement cycles are considerably slower.
• Change is a constant phenomenon.
• Battles are getting more dynamic.
• Upgrades are getting delayed.

He highlighted how we face a dual challenge from the dated technology and the legacy platforms and our only way forward was to make the upgrades in the field of:

• Detection
• Interception
• C3 (Command, Control, Communications)

Capt SS Sinsunwal, Capt SR (ND & CMS), Naval HQ spoke on “Recent developments in Indian Navy’s AD capabilities.” He reflected on the fact how maritime air defence was quite similar yet distant from the conventional air defence. Further, he highlighted how leveraging ICT tools and awareness in this domain was the key enabler of the Net Centric Operations in the maritime domain.

Raghunandan Jagdish, Managing Director, Nandan GSE spoke on the “Customised Solutions for Missile Handling.” He presented an overview of the company profile and history. Further, he reflected on how ‘people’ serve as the weakest link in missile and bombs handling procedures and highlighted the need to revolutionise the missile defence and safe handing in India with the help of specialised lifting and handling solutions with applications in the aerospace, aviation, defence, material handling, car parking, and similar sectors.

Sunil Dhingra, Technical Executive, Industry Consultants Group, Dassault Systemes spoke on “Data Driven Program Governance & MRO on Digital Platform.” He stressed on the need of Optimised Design as the platform allows us to digitally innovate the product and allow us to digitally recreate the old technology and find prospects of optimising it.

Session V: Joint Planning and Conduct of Air Defence Operations

The theme of this session was “Joint Planning and Conduct of Air Defence Operations.” The session was chaired by Brig Manish Kumar, Brig AD (Ops & C2), Army Air Defence Directorate.

Air Cmde Manu Midlha, Air Cmde Ops (Offensive), Air HQ covered “Integration & Interoperability – Air Force Perspective.” He broadly covered the Principles of War, Characteristics of the Operating Medium and Tasks. He defined air defence as ‘a misnomer’ and labelled its military strategy based solely on defensive operations as reactive besides conceding time, scope and tempo to enemy. He talked about the under exploitation of air power capabilities. He highlighted the significance of offensive air power capabilities and characteristics of air power. He was of the view that Indian Air Force’s Air HQ has the highest authority with ultimate responsibility for the air defence of the country. He quoted Mitchell to substantiate his belief that the first battles of any future war would be air battles.

Under key approaches to ensure air defence, he covered:

• Surveillance and Early Warning – integration of sensors, integration of communications,
• integration of weapon systems
• Fire power upon enemy – airborne, ship/ land-based radars, MOP, civilian radars, naval air defence radars, army radars in TBA
• Centralised Command and Control – defence through offence, minimise risks, airspace control, efficient and flexible use of airspace by all elements
• Under the Indian Air Force Perspective, he presented the following points:
• Cohesive and synergized approach to AD is elementary to optimum response
• Offensive and defensive elements under one commander
• Resources irrespective of colour of uniform under functional control of one air commander

His recommendations included:

• Interoperability at architectural level key to ensure seamless integration
• Emphasis on integrated and secure communication network imperative for network centric warfare
• Naval and land forces can significantly enhance the defensive depth only if they are fully integrated within the AD system
• Failure to integrate can be disastrous in terms of fratricide
• Authority to approve, disapprove or dent combat operations vested in only one operational Air commander

Col Sameer Babu, Col AD, AAD Directorate covered “Integration & Interoperability – Army Perspective”. The main topics included were – current air threats, jointness in planning of air defence operations, jointness in conduct of air defence operations and areas of integration. He introduced the concept of embedded air defence and mentioned the role of Army Air Defence in conjunction with Air Force in all conflicts post-Independence. He presented a brief overview of the functions of Army Air Defence in joint operations at strategic, operational and tactical levels. He enumerated the following functions pertaining to jointness in conduct of air defence operations:

• Integration of Surveillance.
• Integration of surveillance inputs is supreme and time critical
• Geographical Basis of Control.
• All ground-based AD weapon systems in the geographical area of responsibility operate under the operational control of one joint entity at the tactical level
• Exclusive Engagement Zones.
• The induction of Long Range Surface to Air Missiles (LRSAMs)
• Mutually exclusive areas may have to be earmarked
• Maximum freedom of action to GBADWS
• Afford maximum safety to the interceptor aircraft
• Coordinated interplay between Surface to Air Missiles and interceptor aircraft
• Air Defence Battle Management.
• AD Control and Reporting System is the Army Air Defence Battle Management System.
• Highly reliable, responsive and flexible
• Backbone of robust communication network
• Distributed Architecture
• Upwards integrated architecture – integrated surveillance, control and reporting, weapon engagement
• Dynamic nature of weapons
• Temperamental communications
• Empowered and Decentralized Control and Reporting
• Real time situational awareness
• Afford battlefield transparency
• Infusion of technology
• Decentralized architecture
• Low flying low Radar Cross Section (RCS) targets in terms of RPAs, SWARMS and munitions will afford minimum reaction time.

Under recommendations in areas of integration, following were mentioned:

• Development of air and electronic intelligence
• AD policy formulation
• AD resource planning
• AD Control and Reporting and Airspace Control including integrated/ joint manning of control nodes
• Establishment and management of interoperable networks
• Integrated training
• Integrated logistics sustenance
• Integrated AD procurement and budget management
• Common manning/ staffing norms
• Situational awareness through Integrated
• Communication Networks
• Battle Field Transparency will provide
• Sensor-shooter linkage
• Robust and secure digital integrated communication network amongst the three services

Capt Vishnu V Reddy, Capt (Naval Plans) – Financial Planning, Naval HQ covered “Integration & Interoperability – Navy Perspective.” The major topics were India’s maritime security environment, air defence threats, air defence in maritime domain, avenues of overlap, offshore installations, ground-based air defence, command and control, communication systems and data links and integrated capability development. He emphasised that Indian Navy has to be self-sufficient towards AD and AMD at high seas. And stressed on the criticality of information sharing between IN and IAF for quick and precise AD action.

Under maritime security environment – he noted maritime terrorism, unresolved land/maritime disputes, Sino-Pak collusion, Chinese military/economic growth and nuclear armed neighbours to be some of many key factors influencing maritime security.

He further characterised the air defence threats into the following:

• Platform – conventional surface forces, sub-surface platforms, air platforms, land-based strike platforms.
• Kinetic Weapons – cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, precision guided munitions.
• Non-Kinetic/ SEAD – EMP weapons, swarm drones, offensive EW, laser weapons.

Under the avenues of overlap, following points were mentioned:

• Offshore installations/ VAs and Vps
• Coastal areas
• Anti-ship strike and MR busting within ROA of IAD AD aircraft
• AD Cover for land forces, when required

The ways, means and ends to be met in AD in maritime domain were mentioned. Those are:

Ends.

• AD of Naval Assets at Sea – IN responsibility
• Battle groups/ single units to defend themselves
• Provide AD cover to escorted Convoys/HVUs

Ways.

• Naval operations/ tactics formulated to protect forces against incoming air strikes/ missiles
• Continuous Surveillance and Engagement Zones (Fleet/ Ship Air Defence Zones)
• Expanse of zones defined by Sensor and Weapon capabilities
• Catered for layered protection

Means,

• Integrated sensors
• Area Defence Missile Systems (LRSAM/ MRSAM)
• Point Defence Systems (SRSAM/ PDMS/ Guns)
• Decoys/ Chaff
• Organic Air Early Warning Assets
• Carrier borne fighter aircraft – CAP Role
• Organic air launched weapons

Following points were enumerated under integrated capability development:

• Joint capability development’s significance as the foundation for integration and interoperability
• LTIPP – Merger of capability requirements post finalisation of Service Capability Development Plans
• ICADS – Joint activity from initial stages
• ICDP – Inter service prioritisation and impetus on commonality

The speaker concluded with the following recommendations:

• Forces to be responsive, flexible and integrated
• Identification of specific and common tasks/missions enabled through network centric operations
• Key to affective and efficient AD
• Clear command relationships
• Shared responsibilities
• Common operating picture
• Communication networks
• Component of joint forces

The Vote of Thanks and Concluding Remarks was presented by Maj Gen Ravi Arora, Chief Editor, Indian Military Review.

The post EVENT REVIEW—Air & Missile Defence India 2022 appeared first on IMR.

Night Vision & Electro-optics Webinar and Virtual Expo was organised by the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS) and Indian Military Review on 16-19 Jan 2021.

Inaugural Session

Welcoming the delegates, Lt Gen Sunil Srivastava, Director, CENJOWS stated that the aim of the seminar was to bring together all the stakeholders in discussing and resolving issues pertaining to building night vision capability of the Armed Forces. The need of the hour, he said, was to reduce the OODA loop, increase battlefield transparency and use technology to stay ahead of the adversary. Night vision and optronic devices provide this key situational advantage to the soldier and can be used in all spectrum of ops which holds great advantages. Use technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine language (ML), Big Data, 5G and IOT and integration of these to work in autonomous mode and linkages with command and control centres needs to done in earnest, because whoever controls the night will win the battle. The user, private industry, DPSUs, academia should come together to create an environment which overcomes the procedural bottlenecks and ensure self sufficiency in this field which will also be aligned with the Atmanirbhar Bharat policy.

Keynote Address. Lt Gen HS Kahlon, Director General Capability Development, Army HQ highlighted the prevailing security environment, especially along our Northern Borders, the impact of the pandemic, the reality of a two-front war and the economic challenges in modernising the Army. He referred to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and the role of technology in future wars. Night Vision Devices (NVD) were critical for battlefield transparency and have played a critical role in Kargil war and counter-insurgency (CI) operations. The future needs of the forces in this critical area should be met by indigenous technology and the Industry should rise to the challenge. He said that the procurement procedure was being streamlined and a number of steps were being taken to reduce the delays and bottlenecks in procurement, which included priority to Indegenous Design Development & Manufacture (IDDM), trials through a central organisation like the Trials Wing, clear formulation of Staff Qualitative Requirements (SQR), greater interaction with industry, encouraging ideas and innovation through IDEX, etc. Aligned with the Atmanirbhar policy, the emphasis would be on procuring equipment through indigenous sources. He exhorted all the participants to interact and find vibrant solutions for developing NVDs in India.

Theme Address. Lt Gen Anil Kumar Samantara, Director General Infantry, Army HQ, said that the requirement of NVDs would be an important battle winning factor in times to come. The situation on our Northern borders had clearly shown that the need of the hour was to equip soldiers with reliable and technologically advanced equipment, which should be indigenous as the threat is real and present. The technologies should be futuristic and be robust enough to withstand the harsh and adverse weather conditions as seen in Ladakh. He emphasised the need to invest in technologies in the cooled and uncooled thermal imaging (TI) system, image intensifier (II) tubes and electro-optic (EO) systems of 3rd generation and beyond, Sights for weapons and ballistic computer sights were all planned to be procured. Surveillance capability in super high altitude areas (HAA) needed to be improved. The problem statements had been finalised and shared with the industry. All stakeholders should now work together to create innovative solutions with a proactive approach.

Industry Sponsor’s Presentation. Mr Ved Prakash, Head Optronics, Tata Advanced System gave the industry perspective and highlighted the strides made by the industry in developing indigenous NVD and EO devices. He gave an overview of the work being done by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) in this field and the product range being developed. He highlighted the excellent infrastructure which had been created by the company for R&D and testing. These products were compatible with the JSS 5555 and MIL 810 standards and were best in class. In order to incentivise the Industry, he recommended that the NVD and EO equipment should be included in the new negative import list, all future procurements in this field should be categorised IDDM, vendors should be allowed to field one product per EMD so as to reduce the complexity of trials and the SQRs should be of the best and latest world standards.

Industry Perspective. Col KV Kuber, Director Defence and Aerospace, Ernst & Young gave a historical insight on the evolution of NVDs and EO devices and highlighted the need to increase fundamental research in this field. He also spoke about the technologies being used around the world and the need to shift to high resolution, multi-spectral domain. He stated that the defence public sector undertakings (DPSU) had the advantage of securing revenue procurements and they also participate in capital procurement cases while the presence of private industry in revenue procurements was negligible. This needs to change in order to encourage private industry. There is huge potential of growth in this field as these are required by CAPFs and state Govts also, thus we should synergise the R&D efforts so as to be totally self sufficient in NVDs and EO eqpt. The EY-IMR report on NVDs and Electro-optics was released at the end of the session.

Session 2 – Emerging Technologies

The session was chaired by Maj Gen KV Jauhar, Addl DG, Army Design Bureau. He gave an overview of the use of technology in modern wars and the far reaching impact of these on war fighting. He spoke about the need of aerial intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance (ISR) resources for the Army and the new initiatives being undertaken in concert with the private industry, academia, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and DPSUs in developing indigenous best-in-class products and capability. He highlighted the need to bring down the life cycle costs of acquisitions as budget constraints would always be an important consideration.

Mr Vaibhav Gupta, Director, MKU Ltd gave an overview of the company with special reference to their focus on R&D and producing world class products. He gave insight into the products being manufactured by the company especially NVDs, where the field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology was being used for image processing thus giving excellent results.

Dr N Ranjana, Director DSTA, DRDO spoke of the importance of technology in ISR arena and the improvements taking place in sensors, materials, computation, integration, costs, etc. The use of quantum and nano technology along with AI, ML and incorporating cameras with panoramic vision & FPA technology would transform this field in the future. She highlighted that the Indian industry and R&D organisations have taken great strides in this field and should continue R&D to create the futuristic equipment indigenously.

MrAmbareesh Dixit from HGH group spoke about the growth and the products being developed by his company and gave a detailed talk on the test and measurement products being created for the NVDs and EO devices and how these could help in ensuring higher effectiveness of the devices even in field conditions.

Mr Ronen Sharashov, Director of Marketing, SCD spoke about the leadership position which the Israeli firm had acquired globally and the advanced technologies and IR products which were being developed by the firm for defence applications.

Mr Vinod Yadav from TASL gave an overview of Tata group and its global customer base. He highlighted the product portfolio of his company, the optronic infrastructure created and R&D being done by the company in NVDs and EO systems. He also spoke about the future trends in the field of multi spectral sensor fusion, higher FOM, Data fusion and use of AI/ ML for autonomous systems, etc.

Session 3 – NVD Requirements

This session was chaired by Maj Gen Sanjay Rihani, Addl DG Information Systems, Army HQ. He highlighted the importance of technology in winning modern wars, the 24×7 nature of warfare and increased transparency, lethality and mobility which will make the use of NVDs and EO systems imperative. He gave an overview of the roadmap for night enablement of the Indian Army and the steps being taken to meet the given timelines.

Col Amitoz Singh, Colonel Infantry-8, Directorate General of Infantry, Army HQ gave an insight into the requirements of NVDs and EO systems by the Infantry for soldiers, personal weapons and crew served weapons. He gave a detailed presentation on the status of various procurement cases and the future plans. He also covered the future of infantry soldiers in so far as equipment was concerned, which also included NVDs. He highlighted the need for producing robust and effective indigenous equipment by Indian companies.

GpCapt Manu Singh from the Air HQ outlined the IAF’s needs for NVDs and EO equipment. He covered operational dynamics and peculiarities in use of NVDs by the Air Force and also gave existing capabilities and challenges of NVDs held with IAF. He covered two problem statements pertaining to NVGs to be used for application of non-smart weapons and technical alternatives for NVGs for pilots. He emphasised the need to provide cost-effective Made in India solutions.

Capt (IN) Rajneesh Dalal, Capt (SR) Gun, Directorate of Staff Requirements, Naval HQ covered the requirements of the Indian Navy for NVDs and EO equipment in short, medium and long term periods. He highlighted the peculiarities of naval operations, the limitations of radars and the need to use EO devices to increase battlefield awareness, which was a critical aspect of the maritime operations keeping in mind the high degree of manoeuvre this environment possesses. He gave out the key naval requirements for the EO devices in the sub surface, surface and the aerial arenas of maritime operations.

Session 4 – Sub Conventional Operations

This session was chaired by Maj Gen (Dr) GD Bakshi, Editor of Indian Military review. He highlighted the importance of technology in winning modern wars and how the use of hand-held TI (HHTI) and the border fence in the early days of insurgency had reduced infiltration in Jammu & Kashmir. The use of EO devices would give great advantage to the soldiers in the Line of Control (LC), Line of Actual Control (LAC) environments due to the 24×7 nature of warfare and increased transparency.

Mr Sandeep Shah, Managing Director, Optimized Electrotech gave an overview of his company, highlighting the product portfolio. The company was producing world class products, which were rugged and usable in all weather and field conditions. He further highlighted that the company was aligned with the Atmanirbhar call and the products were completely being made in India.

Maj Gen Mandeep Singh, Addl DG Rashtriya Rifles spoke on operational scenario in CI operations and the propensity to carry out most operations in day time in order to overcome the limitation of visual feedback and the need to reduce collateral damage. He emphasised the importance of NVDs and EO devices in giving great advantage to the soldiers in night operations, which provided surprise element in the conduct of operations. However, the scaling and availability of these devices was limited, thus forcing very few night operations. He highlighted the changed paradigm and the need to scale these to each soldier and procure the latest equipment for assisting soldiers to adopt new tactics in the CI grid. He spoke about the future requirements of these devices for the Rashtriya Rifles and procurement timelines.

Mr KS Banyal, Inspector General Border Security Force (BSF) spoke on the challenges in border management at night operations and gave a brief introduction about the terrain along the international boundary (IB) with Pakistan and Bangladesh, where BSF was operating. He highlighted the precarious nature of border management operations, especially at night and the importance of using electro-optical devices to gain advantage over the adversary. He also spoke about the ineffectiveness of NVDs in foggy/ bad weather and the need to have all-weather systems. He also gave an overview of the steps being taken to make the borders secure with fencing, lighting and electronic means being increasingly co-opted in most areas.

Session 5 – Day-2 Inaugural Session

Lt Gen Sunil Srivastava, Director, CENJOWS welcomed all participants and flagged the important issues which had been highlighted a day earlier.

Inaugural Address. Lt Gen KS Brar, Director General Armoured Corps gave the inaugural address and highlighted the need for the user to understand technology so as to work with the innovators in creating effective solutions for the Services. He highlighted that the NVDs and EO systems were not standalone devices and need to be integrated with other systems for achieving effective results. There was, thus, a need for a systems integrator to co-opt all the systems and come up with solutions required by the users. He further stated that there is a need to synergise technology at the national, Tri-service and Service level. This would give great dividends and ensure cost effectiveness. He highlighted the need to upgrade equipment as all equipment could not be state-of-the-art, therefore, there was adequate scope in all arenas of technology development for the industry with some working in upgrading equipment while others created disruptive technologies.

Session 6 – Night Vision Devices For Platforms

This session was chaired by Air Vice Marshal PM Sinha, Asst Chief of Air Staff Operations (Offensive), Air HQ. He highlighted the importance of night fighting in the current environment and the need to create this capability in platforms, weapons and ISR to reduce the fog of war and prevent fratricide.

Col Vikas Magar from Army Aviation Corps gave a talk on Night Operations by Army Aviation helicopters and spoke about the existing capabilities of night operations by Army Aviation, the NVD equipment available worldwide and the requirements of Army Aviation in the future. He highlighted the need to procure light-weight, high-resolution devices using white phosphorous so as to reduce fatigue of the pilot while achieving better accuracy and clarity.

Col Gurpreet Singh, Colonel FRCV, Directorate General of Mechanised Forces, spoke about the Night Fighting Capability of Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs). He gave a historical background of the use of technology in AFVs, the necessity of night enablement, the current status of the Mechanised Forces in this field and the future requirements to overcome limitations in night fighting. He also spoke of the technologies which were desired, the platforms in which this technology was required as also the different types of NVDs being procured for AFVs, viz, commanders, gunners and drivers devices with their specific requirements. He deliberated on the question that whether technology should drive the tactics or it should be other way around.

Col Abhijit Singh, Colonel Artillery-9, Artillery Directorate Army HQ spoke about Surveillance and Target Acquisition by Night. He gave an overview of the importance of ISR in a battlefield, the requirement of NVDs and EO equipment for surveillance and target acquisition and the linkages between the sensors and shooters. He highlighted the need for greater interaction between the users and industry for ensuring speedy procurement.

Session 7 – Night Vision Devices For Platforms

This session was chaired by Lt Gen Anjan Mukherjee, former Consultant OFB & former Director General Artillery. He stated that night fighting capability was an amalgamation of a number of technologies such as EO, EM, fusion, short wave infrared (SWIR), integration with composites and light weight materials, AI, etc. The need of the hour was to produce indigenous equipment which was usable in field conditions and aligned with AtmaNirbhar policy. The aim should be to provide solutions for day-to-day problems of the user rather than showcasing technology.

Dr Sudhir Khare, Scientist G, IRDE, DRDO spoke on future trends and emerging technologies in IR imaging for defence applications. He gave a detailed presentation on the excellent work being carried out by IRDE in this field. He highlighted that most research and equipment provided to the Services, be it for AFVs or infantry or artillery had been conceived and developed at IRDE. He highlighted that research on advanced technologies was also being undertaken and also shared with the private industry. He spoke on the technology trends in this field, the gaps in our capabilities and the way ahead to overcome them.

Mr Abhijit Chakraborty spoke about the latest trends in NVDs in the Indian context. He explained the latest trends in the II tubes, the importance of using the right technology for the specific equipment and the suitability of green light to reduce fatigue as compared to white phosphorous.

Mr Sourabh Bhaskar, Works Manager, Ordnance Factory, Dehradun gave a detailed presentation on the yeoman work being carried out his Ordnance Factory in productionising, testing and maintenance of NVDs in India. He gave an insight into the design aspects and the challenges faced in manufacturing NVDs in India.

Closing Address

Lt Gen Sunil Srivastava, Director, CENJOWS, highlighted the advances which have taken place in the indigenous manufacture of NVDs and EO devices in India. He stated that the seminar had clearly brought out the increased capability of our industry in this field and it was reassuring for all stakeholders that the future appeared bright. He, however, flagged the need to synergise efforts and have jointness in QRs, protocols and systems. Future wars would involve distributed war fighting, autonomous decision making, all weather 24×7 operations, miniaturisation and use of high technologies like AI, ML at individual soldier level. We need to ensure that the systems created are aligned towards these futuristic requirements.

Vote of Thanks

Maj Gen Ravi Arora, Chief Editor, Indian Military Review thanks all sponsors, exhibiters, delegates, speakers and CENJOWS for their particopatuion and help in making the event successful.

Recommendations

•             Gaps in capabilities should be addressed in a synergised manner with participation of DRDO and private industry together.

•             Private vendors must be encouraged and certain amount of hand-holding was essential to find innovative solutions under ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. One suggestion which emerged was to include all NVDs and EO equipment in the negative list for exports. There is need for infusion of investment and technology.

•             There was need of level playing field for all the manufacturers especially for private players in the revenue procurements where the DPSUs and Government agencies had a monopoly. Lack of proper specifications by the users and limitations of procurement from single vendor resulted in delays in procurement.

•             Formulation of QRs based on the latest technology will allow faster growth and also assist the forces in acquiring world class equipment. There was need to prioritize and plan procurement of NVDs of all the Services in concert.

•             The delays in procurement need to be addressed at all levels. The procedures should not dictate the pace of procurement by becoming all important. There is need to streamline formulation of QRs, conduct of trials and training of personnel. initiatives underway should be given traction.

•             Requirement of night vision capability by armed forces especially Infantry, Artillery and Armoured Corps was shared with the industry in detail. The Air Force and Navy highlighted their requirements especially for increased battled transparency and alternatives for NVG for pilots. It is for the industry to now come uo with solutions for these needs.

•             Use of technology to overcome limitations of weather especially fog was highlighted by all the users and industry was asked to come up with innovative solutions.

•             There has to be greater synergy between all the stake holders. User must understand technology so as to ask for the right equipment. This would also help in framing appropriate QRs. Use of IDEX and other initiatives to sponsor innovation needs to be encouraged.

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