Indian Military

New Delhi – The recent visit by the US President to India has paved the way for greater defence cooperation and is expected to boost military ties to a high level. With greater freedom in technology exchange and defence import/export and relaxation on controls, it is likely that Indo-US co-development of high tech weaponry will reach the maximum possible level.

Due to US sanctions and other US government restrictions, the Indian Defence Ministry and its Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has never joined hands with the US defence industry to produce critical weaponry or big-ticket projects.

On the other hand, India is doing joint development contracts like the $12 billion Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) project with Russia which will be signed next month and there is the $2-billion partnership between the DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to co-develop an anti-aircraft missile. The US has not come close to any projects of such magnitude because of government policies and sanctions.

New Delhi — The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) has revealed that it is seeking funds to the tune of $2 billion from the Indian government for the development of the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA).

Speaking at the recently concluded Aviation Conclave 2010, PS Subramanyam, programme director (combat aircraft) and director of the ADA, indicated that the $2 billion fund will initially be utilised to develop two technology demonstrators and seven prototypes. The first flight test of the AMCA is expected to take place by 2017. The ADA falls under the Department of Defence and Research and Development of the Indian defence ministry. The work on fifth generation AMCA has already been initiated with the government giving Rs.100 crores and the rest of the $2 billion is expected in the next couple of years.

The AMCAs are aiming to bridge the gap between light combat aircraft ‘Tejas’ and Sukhoi heavy weight fighters. The AMCA will be designed with a small radar cross-section and will feature internal weapons and advanced electronic systems.

New Delhi — The state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), with the help of its laboratories, is working on the development of a land-based demonstrator followed by the creation of an Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system that will revolutionise the functions of the current diesel and electric submarines.

The DRDO is going full steam ahead with this project at the Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL) at Ambernath in Maharashtra since the Indian Navy has gladly accepted the proposal by the DRDO. The creation of a fully operational version of an AIP will substantially cut down the time spent by the submarine on snorting or resurfacing for battery recharge. The creation of the AIP will considerably improve the sub-surface performance of the submarines and decrease its susceptibility to attacks.

According to DRDO sources, work on a land-based prototype will be initiated after which they will move to engineering a submarine platform. Sources said that the DRDO has been requested by the Indian Navy to create a fully engineered fuel cell AIP by 2014.

New Delhi — With a view to achieve substantive self reliance in design, development and production of defence equipment, weapon systems and platforms, the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony unveiled the first ever Defence Production Policy (DPrP) here today. The policy also aims at creating conditions conducive for the private industries to play an active role to achieve the objective. The DPrP will act as a catalyst to enhance potential of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) for indigenisation as also for broadening the defence research and development base of the country.

Releasing the document, Antony said the Policy aims to achieve maximum synergy among the Armed Forces, DPSUs, OFBs and Indian Industry and Research and Development institutions. The Defence Production Policy has been prepared after extensive consultations with various stakeholders such as the three Services, Coast Guard, Integrated Defence Staff, DRDO and Indian Industry Associations – CII, FICCI, and ASSOCHAM etc.

New Delhi — The advanced version of the indigenous Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will be test-fired in February and will enable the manifestation of a fully operational missile shield for vital areas and installations in the country.

The BMD system will be a two-tier system and has been upgraded for greater range. The aim of the two-tier system is to first destroy an incoming missile, at a higher altitude, in the exo-atmosphere and if that fails, the endo-atmospheric interception will take place. The Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) intercepts missiles at altitudes between 50-80 kilometres and the Advanced Air Defence (AAD) missile destroys them at heights between 15-30 kilometres.

According to DRDO, the upgraded BMD system with its missile shield will be able to intercept missiles at exo-atmospheric altitudes of 150 kilometres and endo-atmospheric height of 80 kilometres. The need to enhance the BMD system’s exo-atmospheric and endo-atmospheric altitudes was felt by the DRDO due to the modern warfare scenario where enemy missiles will need to be intercepted with more stealth and capability.

New Delhi – After the handover of the first  ‘Tejas’ Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in January, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has now made an order of 24 additional F404-GE-IN20 from General Electric Aviation. These 24 after-burning engines would power the first operational squadron of Tejas LCA. These GE 404 IN 20 will be for Tejas Mark -1 LCA only while the 99 engines which were ordered earlier were GE 414-INS6 for Tejas Mark-II.

In January, the Tejas LCA was fitted with the F-404-GE-IN20 engine on a trial basis to conduct the final flight testing evaluation. The F404-GE-IN20 is the highest rated F404 model by General Electric and includes a higher-flow fan, increased thrust, a Full Authority Digital Electronic Control (FADEC) system, single-crystal turbine blades and a variety of single-engine features. The Tejas LCA has been accorded with the initial operational clearance (IOC) earlier this year.

According to the state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the indigenous Kaveri engine maybe ready for installation in 2018.

New Delhi – In the Indian Union Budget for the year 2011-2012, the Indian Finance Ministry has given special attention to defence by increasing the defence outlay whilst keeping India’s strategic goals at par by facilitating capital for the big-ticket purchases in the current fiscal year.

As per the defence budget for the fiscal 2011-12, the Indian Finance Ministry has given a 11.6 per cent hike which amounts to $34 billion. The hike of 11.6 per cent in defence budgetary allocations is a positive step compared to a mere 4 per cent last year. There has been 9 per cent jump in revenue expenditure and the Finance Ministry has also scaled up capital expenditure by providing more impetus to the modernization plans of the Indian Armed Forces. The defence capital acquisition for the financial year 2011-12 has been hiked to $12.22 billion, while capital expenditure for the same has been raised by about 12 percent to $15.38 billion.

As for the break-up of the total budgetary allocation, the Indian Army has been granted $14.

New Delhi — India has once again proven its ballistic missile defence capability with its indigenously developed interceptor missile successfully destroying a hostile target ballistic missile in the Bay of Bengal. The trial consisted of firing an interceptor missile to destroy the incoming hostile ballistic missile at an altitude of 16 kilometres.

The trial was carried out from two launch sites of the integrated test range in Chandipur off the Orissa coast to develop a full-fledged, multi-layer ballistic missile defence system. The ‘hostile’ target ballistic missile, a modified surface-to-surface ‘Prithvi’ missile, was lifted from a mobile launcher at Chandipur, 15 kilometres from Orissa. As per the reports, in a few minutes the interceptor which was an advanced air defence (AAD) missile positioned 70 kilometres across the sea from Chandipur at Wheeler Island, received signals from radars installed along the coastline and destroyed the target missile while travelling at a speed of 4.

NEW DELHI: "Beg, borrow or steal", was the advice the Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Norman Anil Kumar Browne, had for defence scientists Wednesday for developing critical technologies for the armed forces.
Browne, who was delivering a lecture at an aerospace seminar organised by the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) here, was attempting to impress upon the defence scientists the need to develop an engine for indigenous fighter aircraft that has not happened for almost three decades.
"You may have to beg, borrow or steal. But you have to do it," Browne said to stress that there was an urgency in locally developing the indigenous aeroengine if India has to strengthen it defence capabilities.
India had tasked its Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) 22 years ago to develop an indigenous engine and till date has sanctioned a budget of Rs.2,893 crore (over $500 million) for its development.
Yet, the Kaveri engine programme, envisaged as the aeroengine for the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) is still to fructify and the LCA is fitted with the American GE engine.

New Delhi — With the private sector gaining more ground in attracting prospective as well as experienced scientists in the country, the state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is applying a fresh approach to attract and retain its scientists.

As per the current trend, the private corporate sector is constantly head hunting potential scientists and even luring experienced scientists in government organisations into the corporate world with better remuneration and incentives. Sources revealed that the DRDO has lost over 1,500 scientists to, undoubtedly, the private sector in the last four years. Apparently, these scientists first gain experience in state-run research organisations like the DRDO and move on to more lucrative jobs in the private sector.

Having realised this trend, the DRDO is now trying to adopt fresh methods to incite and recruit scientists. The DRDO intends to pursue aggressive campaigning to make potential candidates aware of the benefits of the government organisation.