India Successfully test fired a New Version of Nuclear Capable Shaurya missile Today....

The ongoing border crisis with China, India on Saturday successfully test-fired a new version of nuclear-capable Shaurya missile off the coast of Odisha which can strike targets at around 800 kms.

The new version of the missile was testfired successfully and would be inducted in the strategic forces to complement one of the existing missiles in the same class.

The missile would be lighter and easier to operate in comparison with the existing missile.

In the last phase while moving close to its target, the missile moves at hypersonic speeds, the sources said further.

The DRDO has been working towards completing total self-reliance in the field of strategic missiles and has enhanced its efforts further after the call of Aatmanirbhar Bharat by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the defence sector earlier this year, the sources said.

India also successfully testfired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile which can hit targets at over 400 km strike range which is at least more than 100 kms from the previous capability of the missile. 

Indian Navy, Indian Airforce To Get Indigenous SAAW (Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon)

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by the Defence Ministery cleared the procurement of the indigenously developed ‘Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon’ or SAAW for the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force.

Developed by the DRDO, SAAW has a range of around 100 km and weighs around 125 kg.

The weapon, which is being procured at an approximate cost Rs 970 crore, will give the Air Force and the Navy the capability to hit Enemy Airfields and Runways, Bunkers, plane Hanger from a standoff distance with high precision during conflicts.

Given that this weapon can be launched from standoff ranges, the aircraft launching it can remain at a safe distance from the enemy target. In many cases, the weapon can be fired by IAF fighters like Jaguar & Sukhoi-30 MKI from within the Indian air space.

Apart from SAAW, the DAC also cleared the procurement of Static HF Trans-receiver sets for field units of the Indian Army and the Air Force at an approximate cost of Rs 540 crore to enable seamless communication.

A Woman Fighter Pilot Could Fly Indian Airforce Rafale Very Soon

According to some reports, a female pilot could soon be operating a Rafale in IAF.

In a first, a woman fighter pilot is all set to be a part of the Rafale squadron of the Indian Air Force in Ambala, according to India Today.

The women officer, whose name has not been disclosed due to security reasons, is one of the ten female-fighter pilots currently under training. She will begin actively participating in duties along with the 17 Squadron soon. Indian Air Force formally inducted five Rafale fighter jets to the fleet of IAF’s 17 Squadron, the “Golden Arrows” at a glittering ceremony in Ambala air base.

The pilot has already undergone a full fighter training course and already knows hot to operate MiG-21 fighters. In India, IAF’s 10 women pilots have operated on a variety of aircraft including Su-30 MKI and MiG-29 UPG. 

Just four years ago, Flt Lt Avani Chaturvedi, Flt Lt Bhawanna Kanth and Flt Lt Mohana Singh became the first women fighter pilots in the country.

This may come as an achievement, however, India still has a long way to go.

Armed forces, in general, have a very low proportion of women personnel. The Air Force has the highest share of women officers in India at 13.9%. Whereas, there are only 6% female officers in Indian Navy. The Indian Army has an even lower proportion of women at only 3.8%.

Women Officers in Indian Navy

    (Afnan Sheikh, Kreeshma R, Sub Lt. Riti      Singh, and Sub Lt. Kumudini Tyagi.)

Women officers in the Indian Navy are finally taking the lead. For years now, women officers in the Indian armed forces have been in very small numbers.

According to Indian Navy, four women officers, today, passed the ‘Observe Course” and are set to join their duties.

Indian Navy’s Sub Lt Kumudini and Sub Lt Riti Singh are the first women officers to be deployed on a frontline warship as crew members. Both the naval officers will work as airborne tacticians. Meanwhile, Sub Lt. Afnan Sheikh and Sub Lt. Kreeshma R. will be operating fixed wing aircraft of the Navy.

Sub Lt Kumudini and Sub Lt Riti studied engineering and joined the Indian Navy in 2019. They successfully passed Indian Navy’s ‘ Observe Course’ at Southern Naval Command in Kochi on September 21.

All the four women officers participated in the batch of 21 Navy and Coast Guard personnel.

This comes as a landmark moment for Indian Navy, which got its first woman Navy pilot, Lieutenant Shivani, just nine months ago.

Women officers are rising from across the seas to fly higher in the skies.

Indian Navy & Royal Australian Navy Conduct 2-day Naval Exercise in Indian Ocean from Wednesday

Navies of India and Australia will carry out a two-day mega exercise in the Indian Ocean Region beginning Wednesday that will involve a range of complex naval manoeuvres, anti-aircraft drills and helicopter operations, officials said.

The exercise comes in the midst of India's tense border row with China and in the backdrop of growing activities by the Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean Region.

"The exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability, improving understanding and imbibing best practices from each other. It would involve advanced surface and anti-air exercises including weapon firings, seamanship exercises, naval manoeuvres and cross deck flying operations," a Navy spokesperson said.

It will be the fourth major military drill by the Indian Navy since June. It has already carried out similar exercises with the navies of the US, Japan and Russia.

HMAS Hobart, the lead ship of the Hobart-class air warfare destroyers, will be among the assets to be deployed in the exercise by the Royal Australian Navy, officials said, adding Indian Navy ships Sahyadri and Karmuk will be part of Indian platforms.

"The exercise, which is in keeping with the strong bond shared by the two navies, would be another step towards strengthening Indo-Australia defence relations and the continued efforts of both governments to work closely to enhance safety and security of the global commons," the Navy spokesperson said.

He said the two navies have built a robust relationship through regular exercises.

Earlier this month, navies of India and Russia carried out an exercise in the Bay of Bengal.

In July, the Indian Navy carried out a military exercise with a US Navy carrier strike group led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz off the coast of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The USS Nimitz is the world's largest warship.

In the exercise with the US Navy, four frontline warships of the Indian Navy participated. The US carrier strike group was transiting through the Indian Ocean Region on its way from the South China Sea.

The US Navy carrier strike group comprises USS Nimitz, Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Sterett and USS Ralph Johnson.

The Indian Navy carried out a similar exercise with the Japanese navy in June.

India has significantly expanded its deployment in the Indian Ocean Region with a plethora of warships and submarines following the border row to send across a message to Beijing.

The maritime space around the Malacca Strait is very critical for China's supply chain through sea routes.

India Conducts Successful Flight Test of ABHYAS from Odisha Test Range

India on Tuesday successfully conducted the flight test of ABHYAS - High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) vehicles from a test range in Odisha.

The trial, carried out by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near here, was tracked by various radars and electro-optic systems, the sources said.

Congratulating DRDO on its achievement, defence minister Rajnath Singh said ABHYAS can be used as a target for evaluation of missile systems.

During the trial on Tuesday, two demonstrator vehicles were successfully test-flown, DRDO sources said.

ABHYAS has been designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) of the DRDO.

The air vehicle is launched using twin underslung boosters. It is powered by a small gas turbine engine and has an Inertial Navigation System (INS) along with a Flight Control Computer (FCC) for guidance and control.

The vehicle has been programmed for fully autonomous flight. The check out of the vehicle is done using laptop- based Ground Control Station (GCS), a defence statement said.

During the test campaign, the user requirement of 5 km flying altitude, vehicle speed of 0.5 mach, endurance of 30 minutes and 2g turn capability of the test vehicle were successfully achieved, it said.

“It proved its performance in a fully autonomous waypoint navigation mode,” a DRDO source said.

New VL-SRSAM Launch System for Indian Navy by DRDO

VL-SRSAM is a quick reaction point defence system for use against supersonic sea skimming targets like AShM etc including aircrafts , UAVs , munitions etc.

India’s State Owned DRDO has started work on VL-SRSAM (Vertically Launched -Short-range Surface Air to Missile ) System based on Astra beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM).

VL-SRSAM will be developed in two variants for Air Force and Indian Navy. The air force will get high mobility Truck-mounted canister based VL-SRSAM and Navy will get Canister based VL-SRSAM for its frontline warships Each Vertical Launch Unit (VLU) houses 8 heavily modified quick reaction SAMs to engage incoming supersonic projectiles.

The cannisters are designed to launch missiles in hot-mode, i.e. ignition within the cannister itself & the VLU is designed to launch SAMs in quick succession incase there’s multiple incoming projectiles.

While DRDO is on the missiles range, but capabilities of a similar missile system should ensure at least 40-50 km in Astra Mk1 configuration and in future Astra Mk2, range will jump to 80km.

Astra missiles when in its initial developmental phase were tested from a ground-based vertical launch before developmental moved on to IAF’s front-line fighter aircraft like Sukhoi-30 MKIs.

DRDO keeping in mind possible development of any spin-off of a Ground-based Astra missile system had collected all telemetry data which could also validate its flight performance in the surface to air mode and found it to be capable of performing excellently well even in a surface to air mode.

VL-SRSAM family will consist of Truck Mounted command and control unit which includes a Radar sensor and 4-6 Missile firing units and replenishments support Truck for the Airforce variant, In Navy, VL-SRSAM variant will be integrated with main and secondary Radar system of the Warship for tracking and detection. The air force is looking for VL-SRSAM ADS which can be transported by C-130 or IL-76 when required, VL-SRSAM will supplement Akash SRSAM.

VL-SRSAM for its frontline warships which will replace aging Israeli supplied Barak-1 Point Defence interceptor missiles which were procured after India ended its Tri-service Trishul SRSAM.

Rafale Officially Inducted into Indian Airforce

The bird is inducted officially. Yes, the five Rafale aircraft which arrived on July 27 at Ambala Air Force Station were “officially” inducted into the Indian Air Force’s 17 Squadron ‘Golden Arrows’ today (10^th September 2020).

The Defence minister of India Mr. Rajnath Singh, during the induction ceremony presented an induction scroll to Group Captain Harkeerat Singh. Group Captain Singh will be the Commanding Officer of the 17 Squadron of the ‘Golden Arrows’ of the Indian Air Force. The grant of scroll formally indicate the induction of the 5 Rafale fighter jets into the squadron.

The Defence Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh in the presence of French counterpart said, “The induction of Rafale jets into the IAF has also strengthened the Indo-French relations. We are facing new geostrategic challenges and our two democracies are working together to resolve these challenges.”

The Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also said that the induction of these jets equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and technology will ensure that India is able to maintain peace in the region and ensure stability. He added, the Indian Air Force’s deliberate and swift action near the LAC displays the professionalism and their commitment towards national security.

During the ceremony, while speaking from the podium, the Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria, said, “The Rafale aircrafts along with the skills of the 17 Squadron of the ‘Golden Arrows’ will form a lethal combination and will challenge our adversaries.”

The delighted air chief marshal also thanked the government of India for the continuous efforts towards the strengthening of the Indian Air Force fleet along with the Rafale jets.

The French minister of armed forces “Florence Parly” also attended the ceremony. During the ceremony she said, “India will have an edge over its rivals in terms of security with the induction of these jets. The induction will also give a boost to the Make in India initiative.”

She also said that the induction of the aircraft is symbolic of the friendship between India and France. She also said that France also supports India’s candidacy at the United Nations Security Council. These jets are combat-proven. These jets have helped France undertake counter-terrorism measures.

The Rafale aircraft was given a water cannon salute after the Sarva Dharma Puja which was attended by the dignitaries along with both the defence ministers and Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, air chief marshal RKS Bhadauria.

Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle of India, Indigenous Developed by DRDO

HSTDV is an unmanned scramjet demonstration aircraft for hypersonic speed flight. It is being developed as a carrier vehicle for hypersonic and long-range cruise missiles, and will have multiple civilian applications including the launching of small satellites at low cost. The HSTDV program is run by the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

On 7 September 2020 DRDO successfully tested the scramjet powered Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV). Cruise vehicle was launched at 11:03 IST from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Launch Complex at Wheeler Island atop a solid booster. At 30 km altitude payload fairing separated, followed by separation of HSTDV cruise vehicle, air-intake opening, fuel injection and auto-ignition. After sustaining hypersonic combustion for 20 seconds, cruise vehicle achieved velocity of nearly 2 km per second.This test flight validated aerodynamic configuration of vehicle, ignition and sustained combustion of scramjet engine at hypersonic flow, separation mechanisms and characterised thermo-structural materials.

DRDO's Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) is intended to attain autonomous scramjet flight for 20 seconds, using a solid rocket launch booster. The research will also inform India's interest in reusable launch vehicles. The eventual target is to reach Mach 6 at an altitude of 32.5 km (20 miles).

                   Development Process

                    Designed in 2004 

Israel has provided some assistance on the HSTDV program, including wind tunnel testing, as has Cranfield University of the U.K. An unnamed third country is helping as well. According to a report, Russia has provided critical help in the project. India's main defense-industrial partner is Russia, which has carried out considerable research into hypersonic propulsion.

Surfaces of the airframe's bottom, wings and tail are made of titanium alloy, while aluminum alloy comprises the top surface. The inner surface of the double-wall engine is niobium alloy and the outer surface is nimonic alloy.

Due to technology denial of material for the scramjet engine, a new program was initiated and the materials were developed in-house. This led to self-sufficiency in the area and the scramjet engine was ground tested successfully for 20s instead of the initial 3s.

A 1:16 scale model of the vehicle was tested at a hypersonic wind tunnel operated by Israel Aerospace Industries. The isolated intake has been tested at a trisonic wind tunnel at India's National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) in Bangalore. During the lab testing the scramjet engine was tested twice for 20s. A total of five to six tests are required before the test flight. 

In 2016, it was announced that the vehicle will be tested by December 2016. In early 2019, the vehicle was cleared for tests and was expected to be tested in same year.

On 12 June 2019, it was tested from Abdul Kalam Island by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. With the scramjet engine, it can cruise at Mach 6. It was test-fired from launch pad number-4 of Integrated Test Range (ITR) at the Abdul Kalam Island in the Balasore district of Odisha at 11:27 IST. According to some unconfirmed reports, the test was a partial success since, allegedly, the Agni-I ballistic carrier vehicle on which the HSTDV was to receive its altitude boost didn't complete the mission. This was supposedly due to ‘weight issues’. The rumours however, were unconfirmed. According to the official statement by the Ministry of Defence, “the missile was successfully launched” and the data collected will be analysed to “validate critical technologies”.

Now the HSTDV is set to serve as the building block for next-generation hypersonic cruise missiles for India.

HAL Indigenous Developed Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) Trials Complete....

HAL’s indigenously developed Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) demonstrated high altitude capability in Hot and High weather conditions in the Himalayas recently for about 10 days. 

A comprehensive test plan was executed at Leh (3300 MAMSL) in temperatures up to ISA+320C which included envelope expansion, performance and flying qualities.  LUH took off from Leh and demonstrated its hot and high hover performance at Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) at 5000 MAMSL. 

The helicopter also demonstrated its payload capability in Siachen glacier high altitude.  During the trials, pilots landed the helicopter at the highest helipads of Amar and Sonam. 

LUH took approx 3 ton maximum weight & It is power by one  Shakti Engine with Speed upto 250km/h.

Special Frontier Force (SFF) The Special Force Behind the Secret Operation in Pangong

Saturday night’s operation on the south bank of #Pangong Tso has brought into limelight the possible role of ‘Establishment 22’, a secret force also known as the Special Frontier Force (SFF) under the administrative control of the Cabinet secretariat and the PMO.

Senior Army officials acknowledged the presence of an SFF unit in eastern #Ladakh but its interaction with the #Army is minimal.

Raised towards the end of the 1962 war, SFF’s commandos are drawn from Tibetan refugees settled in India. They were initially trained by the #Intelligence Bureau, #RAW and #CIA for #covert operations behind enemy lines. In the first few decades after it was raised, the force was used to keep an eye on Chinese plans to deploy nuclear warheads.

The SFF gained its nickname ‘Establishment 22’ after its founder chief Sujan Singh Uban, who commanded the 22nd Mountain Regiment in the British Indian Army during World War II in Europe. Headquartered in Chakrata (Uttarakhand), it comprises at least five battalions or about 5,000 commandos who are elite paratroopers trained in mountain warfare.

No serving or retired Army officer would acknowledge the role of SFF in Saturday night’s operation but they all acknowledge the presence of SFF battalions in Ladakh and other places along the frontier. Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (retired), former GOC of 15 Corps, said, “I have had ‘Vikas’ units alongside me while serving in Ladakh. Seen them play volleyball in vests at 16,000 feet. Their natural affinity for the ground too is very high, giving them a major advantage in operations.”

Others were less forthcoming and spoke on the condition of anonymity. “We know about them... But their existence has been off the books. The few of us who get to serve with them are under oath,” a retired lieutenant general said.

Lt Gen D S Hooda (retired), who headed the all-important Northern Command during the surgical strikes across the LoC, told TOI that it was time for India to give a strong message economically, diplomatically and, if required, militarily, given the stubborn position adopted by China. “The ball is now in China’s court,” he said, adding that the Indian military was in a very strong position to take on any challenge.

Indian Army Desi Artillery Guns

Artillery is considered to be single most lethal and widely used tool of battlefield since ages that’s more true in case of modern #artillery systems which are capable of introducing wide range and long distance precise damage to enemy’s camps, Given it’s huge importance in battle field India has not only procured new systems like M777 ultra light #howitzer and K-9 Vajra T from foreign vendor under joint venture with Indian firms, but has also worked in-house to develop multiple #gun systems, more importantly many of them coming from private sectors or through Strategic Partnership Policy between #DRDO and private companies.

         105/37mm Indian Field Guns

This gun system is based on Light field guns of UK and was developed by ARDE. The gun produced since 1984 by Gun Carriage Factory, Jabalpur weights around 2.4 tons and can be easily air transported by current Indian MI17V5 helicopters. These guns are fast and easy to deploy and are specially useful in mountainous terrain where bigger calibre guns finds it difficult to reach. It has elevation of -5 degrees to 73 degrees and traverse 5 degree left to 5 degree right and 360 degree on a firing platform. The gun can fire 6 rounds per minute for a continuous period of 10 minute in intense mode and 1 round per minute for 2 hours in sustained mode, with round achieving maximum distance of upto 17.2km. The gun is currently being upgraded with Digital Fire Control System and efforts are being made to increase the maximum range to 27km using Base Bleed rounds. There are more than 1500 pieces in service with around 1000+ mk1 variant and 500+ mk2 variants.

             105/37mm Garuda V2

The system is developed indigenously by KSSL by mounting 105/37mm gun on a 4 x 4 go anywhere vehicle(too developed by KSSL). The company claims that it can be fitted on any in-service light vehicle. It can achieve a speed of 100-120 km/h on-road and 70km/h off-road. The gun alone weights around 900kgs, which is quite a feat in itself as similar gun weights around 3 tons, and feature state of art hybrid soft recoil technology. It has an elevation of -5 degrees to 72 degrees and traverse 360 degrees. The gun can fire 3 rounds in 30 seconds in burst mode, 6 rounds per minute for upto 10 minutes in intense mode, and 75 rounds per hour in sustained mode. The maximum firing range is around 27 km while ammunition is carried on a separate vehicle. It features a digital fire control system which allow automatic target laying capability and ballistic computation using INS based sighting system with GPS aid etc. It can be deployed automatically within 1 minute. The system is currently under trial with the Indian Army and has been offered to the Saudi Arabian Army.

  105/37mm OFB mounted gun system

OFB created a lightweight mounted gun system by mounting its 105mm Indian Field Gun on a 6 x 6 truck. It weights less than 10 tons and has an elevation of -5 degrees to 70 degrees and traverse 360 degrees. The gun can fire 6 rounds per minute in intense mode and 60 rounds per hour in sustained mode with range of 19 km. It features a fire control system with GPS aid and also a muzzle reference system. It went through demonstration cum trial at Artillery School, Deolali, but the army was not interested in it.

       105/37mm OFB Tracked SPH

OFB, Medak developed a tracked self-propelled howitzer by combining 105mm Indian Field Gun with BMP chassis. It weights around 16 tons and has an elevation of -5 degrees to 70 degrees and traverse 360 degrees. The gun can fire 6 rounds per minute in intense mode and 60 rounds per hour in sustained mode. The maximum firing range is around 19 km, with vehicle carrying 42 rounds onboard. The vehicle is fully tracked with speed of 65km/h and is also air transportable. It can be deployed automatically within 1 minute. It features a fire control system with GPS aid and also a muzzle reference system, and turret has level III armor protection. This system too found no interest from the Indian Army.

       130mm Catapult SPH MK-I/II

 The CVRDE mounted the Russian M46 guns provided to them by the Indian Army on Vijayanta tank chassis to create 130mm Catapult MK-I SPH. The system got inducted in the Indian Army and the army was reportedly satisfied with its performance, which prompted them to request a more mobile and modern system on Arjun chassis. The CVRDE than mounted M46 on the Arjun chassis creating Catapult MK-II, which was considered better than Catapult MK-I in terms of both mobility and shock absorption while firing charged rounds. Catapult MK-II weights around 54 tons and has an elevation of -2 degrees to 45 degrees and traverse 14 degrees to the left to 14 degrees to the right. The gun can fire 8 rounds in 1 minute in intense mode and 5 rounds per minute in sustained mode. The maximum firing range is around 27.4 km, with a vehicle carrying 35 rounds and 35 bi-modular charges on board as compared to 30 in MK-1. The secondary armament is a 7.62mm machine gun. The vehicle is powered by a 1030 kW engine with a speed of 70km/h on-road and 40/km/h off-road and can clear a slope up to 35 degrees, with a range of 450km. It can be deployed automatically within 1 minute. It features a GPS display for commander and driver, an integrated fire detection and suppression system, and protection up to STANAG Level II. The army had 40 Catapult MK-I which were replaced by 40 Catapult Mk-II in 2016.

               155/45mm Dhanush

This gun system is based on Haubit FH77 famously known as bofors and is developed by Ordinance Factory Board after extensively studying the blueprints of bofors provided under TOT . It weights around 13 tons and has elevation of -3 degrees to 70 degrees and traverse 30 degree left to 30 degree right. The gun can fire 3 rounds in 15 seconds in burst mode, 15 rounds in 3 minutes in intense mode and 60 rounds per hour in sustained mode, with maximum range of upto 38km using base bleed round. It has an auxiliary power unit which allow it to be self propelled at a speed of 5kmph, it also allow operation of its hydraulic arm. It feature a digital fire control system which allow automatic target laying capability and ballistic computation using INS based sighting system with GPS aid, Muzzle velocity radar etc . It has already been inducted into Indian army and is currently under mass production by Gun Carriage Factory, Jabalpur since 2019 with 114 units on order. Total requirement for this gun is 450-800 units.

                  155/52mm ATAGS

The system is developed by DRDO in collaboration with 2 private sector industries i.e. TATA Advanced System and Bharat Forge. Both companies made 2 slightly different prototypes of the gun. The system currently weights 18 tons and has elevation of -5 degrees to 75 degrees and traverse 30 degree left to 30 degree right. The Bharat Forge variant has burst mode of 5 rounds in 1min, can fire 10 rounds in 2.5 min in intense mode while sustained rate is 60 rounds in 1 hour. On the other hand Tata variant has burst mode of 6 rounds in 1min, can fire 12 rounds in 2.5 min in intense mode while sustained rate is 60 rounds in 1 hour. It is the only system in the world which have 6 round magazine. The Bharat Forge gun set the world record of firing HE-ERFB BB round at 48 km range and HE-ERFB BT at 38.5km, while TATA one achieved range of 47.2km wit base bleed ammunition. The gun has an all electrical drive which is powered by an 110kW auxiliary power unit allowing it self-propelled speed of 18kmph. The ammunition is fed using hydraulic arm and on-board Digital fire control system allow ballistic computing and automatic target laying capabilities using INS based sighting system with GPS aiid, Muzzle velocity radar etc. The order for production of 150 guns has been cleared by DAC and it will be divided among both companies with L1 or company with lower price producing 107 units and L2 producing 43 units at prices offered by L1. Total requirement for this calibre is 2000 units.

155/52mm OFB Mounted Gun System

 

 The 155/52mm towed artillery gun of OFB was mounted on BEML – Tatra 8 x 8 truck to create a mounted gun system. It weighs around 30 tons and has an elevation of -3 degrees to 70 degrees and traverse 360 degrees. The gun can fire  3 rounds in 15 seconds in burst mode, 15 rounds in 3 minutes in intense mode, and 60 rounds per hour in sustained mode. The maximum firing range is around 42 km with a vehicle carrying  18 rounds and 18 bi-modular charges onboard.  The vehicle is powered by a 300 kW engine providing 10 kW/ton of thrust, with the vehicle achieving a speed of 80km/h on-road and 30/km/h off-road. The cruising range without refueling is around 1000km and it can be deployed automatically within 1 minute and in all types of terrain. The gun utilizes 3 round magazine with a hydraulic arm and autoloader. It features a digital fire control system that allows automatic target laying capability and ballistic computation using INS based sighting system with GPS aid, muzzle velocity radar, etc. The system has completed internal trials by OFB and is currently being tested by the Indian Army.

155/52mm Tata Mounted Gun System

Not a 100% indigenously developed system but a system developed by TATA SED (now TATA Aerospace & Defence) in partnership with DENEL Land Systems. The system has around 55% indigenous content. Apart from the vehicle on which it is mounted, the telecommunication system, ballistic computer, hydraulic system, gun management computer, all electrical system, etc are developed by TATA A&D, while gun barrel, muzzle brake, breech mechanism, autoloader, muzzle velocity radar, sighting system, etc. are provided by DENEL. It weights around 28 tons and has an elevation of -3 degrees to 75 degrees and traverse 360 degrees. The gun can fire 6 rounds per minute in intense mode and 60 rounds per hour in sustained mode. The maximum firing range is around 42.5 km with, vehicle carrying 27 rounds and 26 bi-modular charges onboard. The vehicle is powered by a 265 kW diesel engine, with speed of 85km/h on-road and 30/km/h off-road. The operational range without refueling is around 600km, and it can be deployed automatically within 1 minute. Since DENEL was blacklisted due to corruption charges, this project went nowhere, but now DENEL has been removed from the blacklist, so it is to be seen if this project is revived or not. 

              155/52mm Bhim SPH

The system was developed by DRDO with support from DENEL, South Africa. T6 turret by DENEL was incorporated with Arjun MBT chassis. It weights around 56 tons and has an elevation of -5 degrees to 75 degrees and traverse 360 degrees. The gun can fire 3 rounds in 20 seconds in burst mode, 8 rounds per minute for 3 minutes in intense mode, and 2 rounds per minute for 1 hour in sustained mode. The maximum firing range is around 42 km, with vehicle carrying 50 rounds (40 in autoloader) onboard and support fully-automatic ammunition loading and replenishment even while firing. The secondary armament is 7.62mm machine gun. The vehicle is powered by 1030 kW engine, with speed of 70km/h on-road and 45/km/h cross country, and can clear a slope upto 35 degrees. It can be deployed automatically within 1 minute. It features a fire control system with fully automated laying and navigation system, muzzle velocity radar, etc. Self-protection measures include armor protection upto 14.5mm, 81mm smoke grenade launcher for smokescreen, and an escape hatch for the crew. The system was cleared for production but due to blacklisting of DENEL, it was put on indefinite hold. As of 2016, DRDO was trying to revive the project with indigenous turret, but nothing has moved forward since then.

            155/45mm Bharat 45

With purchase of Noricum, Austria, the Kalyani group brought the entire manufacturing line to India. This gun is based on Noricum GHN-45. It weights around 12.5 tons and has elevation of -3 degrees to 72 degrees and traverse 40 degree left to 30 degree right. The gun can fire 3 rounds in 15 seconds in burst mode, 15 rounds in 3 minutes in intense mode and 42 rounds per hour in sustained mode, with maximum range of upto 38km using base bleed round. It has an auxiliary power unit which allow it to be self propelled at a speed of 25 kmph and feature Digital fire control system provided by Elbit. It has semi automatic ammunition handling system with backup manual arrangement. Though in the same category as Dhanush, the gun is most likely for export only.

              155/52mm Bharat 52

This gun is further development of Noricum GHN-45. It weights around 15 tons and has elevation of -3 degrees to 72 degrees and traverse 35 degree left to 35 degree right. The gun can fire 3 rounds in 30 seconds in burst mode, 12 rounds in 3 minutes in intense mode and 42 rounds per hour in sustained mode, with maximum range of upto 41-45 km using base bleed round. It has an auxiliary power unit which allow it to be self propelled at a speed of 21 kmph. It features digital fire control system which allow automatic target laying capability and ballistic computation using INS based sighting system with GPS Aid, muzzle velocity radar etc. The gun is competition to DRDO ATAGS which too is manufactured by Bharat Forge . Indian Army has concern with weight of ATAGS which is on the higher end of 18 ton as compared to other system around the world which weights around 13-15 tons. So this gun can get attraction of Indian Army however it lacks the burst firing capability of ATAGS. Currently this gun is being tested by Saudi Arabia for its army and recent news suggests it is also entered final testing phase of Indian Army.

             155/39mm MARG-T/S

The gun developed by Kalyani strategic Systems ltd as a direct competition to M777 ULH of BAE, US currently being produced under a joint venture with Mahindra. The Titanium version weights only 4.5 tons and is easily deployable in mountain terrain and can also be airlifted using Chinook Helicopter of IAF. The steel version weights 6.8 tons and is cheaper option to titanium version as titanium is costly. It is equipped with Digital Fire Control System which include Advanced Inertial Navigation and Aiming System , muzzle velocity radar etc and has a semi automatic breech operating system. It is manually steered and has elevation of -3 degrees to 70 degrees and traverse 23 degree left to 23 degree right. The gun can fire 4 rounds in 1 minute for 2 minutes in intense mode and 75 rounds per hour in sustained mode, with maximum range of upto 27.4 km using base bleed round. Any future requirement (which maybe around 500units) for Ultra light howitzer is likely to be met with this gun. The system is under trials with Indian Army.  

            155/52mm ULH ER

The indigenously developed towed light weight howitzer of higher calibre by Kalyani strategic systems ltd for mountainous terrains. It weights around 8 tons and is manually steered with elevation of -3 degrees to 70 degrees and traverse 23 degree left to 23 degree right and features a digital fire control system. The gun can fire 3 rounds in 30 seconds in burst mode, 12 rounds in 3 minutes in intense mode and 42 rounds per hour in sustained mode, with maximum range of upto 41 km using base bleed round. Currently requirement of this category of howitzer by Indian Army is unknown but it can definitely tap some export market.

              155/45mm Sharang

These are basically 130mm M46 guns of Russian origin which are upgraded by OFB with 155/45mm Sharang kit. Each upgrade costing less than Rs.75 lakh makes it almost a new gun. The upgrade kit include a new 155mm barrel, a new breech block along with hydraulic rammer to ease the loading. It will also feature a new sighting system. Basically cannot be strictly classified as a howitzer but artillery gun system, weighting around 8.5 tons and having elevation of 0 degrees to 45 degrees and traverse 25 degree to left and 25 degree to right. The range has been increased to 39km. Initially up-gunning 180 units was done with help Israeli company Soltam( now Elbit) under Project Karan. But now under new tender OFB is up-gunning 300 units on its own and is suppose to supply them to army by 2022.  

New Air Defence Command Start in October

The defence ministry is likely to make an announcement in October on setting up of a new air defence command under the broad principle of convergence among the three services, people familiar with the development said on Thursday. The new air defence command will handle certain air assets like missiles of the Indian Army, they said.

A high-level committee was appointed earlier this year to frame contours of the new air defence command with a focus on ensuring jointness among the three services.

The initiative was part of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat's mandate to redesign all existing military commands to help them effectively deal with all future security challenges.

It is learnt that the air defence command is likely to based in an area under the IAF's Delhi-headquartered Western Command or its Central Command headquartered in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh.

The Air Defence Command will bring all the air assets of the IAF, the Indian Navy and the Indian Army.

In one of his first decisions, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Rawat in January issued directions to prepare a roadmap by June 30 to create the Air Defence Command to further enhance security of India's skies.

The move was part of efforts to bringing in tri-services jointness and synergy include setting up of common "logistics support pools" in stations where two or more services have their presence.

In the last few months, Gen Rawat has held a series of meetings with the IAF brass in giving shape to the air defence command.

Gen Rawat took charge as the country's first Chief of Defence Staff on January 1 which was seen as a watershed moment for India's military planning to bring in convergence among the three services.

The newly created department of military affairs (DMA) under Gen Rawat is coordinating implementation of all the futuristic projects including redesigning of existing commands.

The DMA is also working on a proposal to have a peninsula command which is likely to be formed by merging the Indian Navy's eastern and western commands.

As per plan, the tri-services command under a naval commander will have air assets as well as support of the Army, and it will take care of entire responsibility of maritime security challenge in the Indian Ocean Region.

India to order 2 more Israeli Phalcon ‘eyes in sky’ AWACS

India is now finally going to seal the long-pending around $1 billion deal to acquire two more “Phalcon” airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft from Israel, which has been derailed at least a couple of times in the past due to the high costs involved.

Sources on Wednesday said the acquisition of the two AWACS, with the Israeli Phalcon early-warning radar system mounted on Russian Ilyushin-76 heavy-lift aircraft, is all set to get the final nod from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) after extensive inter-ministerial consultations.

The two new Phalcon AWACS, which will add to the three such aircraft inducted by the IAF in 2009-2011 under a $1.1 billion contract, will be delivered in three to four years. “They will be more advanced than the first three Phalcon AWACS with the latest upgrades,” said a source.

The need for additional AWACS, which are powerful “eyes in the sky”, was acutely felt during the pre-dawn strikes at Balakot and the subsequent aerial skirmish with Pakistani fighters in February last year. The ongoing military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh has further reinforced the operational requirement.

AWACS or AEW&C (airborne early-warning and control) aircraft are critical in modern warfare because they can detect and track incoming fighters, cruise missiles and drones much before ground-based radars, direct friendly fighters during air combat with enemy jets, and keep tabs on enemy troop build-ups and movement of warships.

But Pakistan is ahead of India in this crucial arena, which struck home much to IAF’s disquiet during the aerial skirmish last year. Pakistan has 8-10 Chinese Karakoram Eagle ZDK-03 AWACS and Swedish Saab-2000 AEW&C. China, in turn, has well over 30, including Kong Jing-2000 “Mainring”, KJ-200 “Moth” and KJ-500 aircraft.

India currently has just three Phalcon AWACS, with a 400-km range and 360-degree coverage,and two indigenous “Netra” AEW&C aircraft, with indigenous 240-degree coverage radars with a 250-km range fitted on smaller Brazilian Embraer-145 jets.

A much more ambitious indigenous AWACS-India project worth Rs 5,113 crore was approved by the defence ministry in March 2015 for 360-degree coverage with indigenous AESA (active electronically scanned array) radars to be mounted on two Airbus A-330 wide-body jets. But this project will only now head to the CCS for clearance.

The impending contract for the two new AWACS comes after the defence ministry decided earlier this month to also fast-track the Rs 3,500 crore “Project Cheetah” to upgrade its Israeli Heron drones with laser-guided bombs, air-to-ground anti-tank missiles and other precision-guided munitions as well as advanced reconnaissance capabilities, as was reported by TOI.

Israel is one of the top arms suppliers to the Indian armed forces. Indian acquisitions over the years range from Barak surface-to-air missile systems, Spyder quick-reaction anti-aircraft missiles and a wide array of drones and radars to Python and Derby air-to-air missiles, Crystal Maze and Spice-2000 precision-guided munitions.

DRDO & ARDE Indigenous 'Corner Shot Rifle'

Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune developed ” Trikaal ” Corner Shot Weapon System (CSWS) has in the past undergone user trials by  Rashtriya Rifles at the Pashan Range.

The lightweight rifle is made of composite materials and is multi-caliber, capable of firing both 5.56 and 7.62 rounds.

Two different versions of CSWS are being developed—one to mount and fire 9 mm pistol and the other as a platform for 40 mm Under Barrel Grenade Launcher developed by ARDE.

The Rifle is deployed for the special forces like as NSG,SWAT & also deployed in anti-terrorism operations and for security of special occasions.

The corner shot rifle, which enables a soldier to fire at 90 degrees or at an angle from behind a wall without facing a terrorist or a target was first developed in Israel .

Indian troops with shoulder-fired air defence missiles IGLA deployed near LAC China border

Against the backdrop of the activities of the Chinese helicopters close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, Indian forces have deployed troops equipped with shoulder-fired air defence missiles on the crucial heights there.

"Indian troops armed with the Russian-origin Igla air defence system have been deployed on the crucial heights along the border to take care of any enemy aircraft trying to violate the Indian air space there," sources told here.

The Russian-origin air defence systems are used by both the Indian Army and the Air Force and are supposed to be used when the enemy fighter jets or choppers come close to own locations or deployments during hostilities. The India side has also enhanced its surveillance through the deployment of radars and surface to air missile systems to keep track of the enemy air movement there.

While building up in the Eastern Ladakh sector including areas such as Galwan valley and Patrolling Point 14, the Indian forces had observed that a number of Chinese choppers had tried to come inside Indian territory near the flashpoints.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) had also deployed its Su-30MKI around the first week of May to foil a possible airspace violation by Chinese helicopters in the Eastern Ladakh area. India is keeping a close watch on the Hotan, Gar Gunsa, Kashgar, Hopping, Dkonka Dzong, Linzhi and Pangat airbases of the PLAAF in the Xinjiang and Tibet region and all of them have been highly active in recent times.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has upgraded a number of these bases in recent times including the construction of hardened shelters, the extension of runway lengths and deployment of additional manpower to carry out more operations.The Linzhi airbase opposite the Northeastern states is mainly a helicopter base and the Chinese have also built a network of helipads there to enhance their surveillance activities in those areas.

Military option on table if talks fail: CDS Bipin Rawat on China

India’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat has explicitly stated that a military option to deal with transgressions by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in Ladakh is on the table, but will be exercised only if talks between the two armies and the diplomatic option are unfruitful.

“Transgressions along the LAC occur due to differing perceptions about its alignment. Defence services are tasked to monitor and carry out surveillance and prevent such transgressions turning into intrusions. Whole of government approach is adopted to peacefully resolve any such activity and prevent intrusions. Defence services always remain prepared for military actions should all efforts to restore status quo along the LAC do not succeed,” General Rawat told Hindustan Times.

“Defence minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and all those responsible for national security are reviewing all options with the objective that PLA restores status quo ante in Ladakh,” he said.

The CDS, who was army chief during the 73-day military standoff in Doklam against the PLA in 2017, also dispelled the notion that there is a lack of coordination among the principal intelligence agencies. He said that India has a vast front-line along the northern and western borders along with the Indian Ocean Region, all of which require constant monitoring.

According to him, while India is still working towards acquiring round-the-clock capabilities to monitor its areas of interest, there is regular interaction between all agencies responsible for collection and collation of information. The apex multi-agency centre has been meeting on a daily basis, he pointed out, and constantly keeping everyone informed of the situation on the ground in Ladakh or any other area of interest.

On Saturday, defence minister Rajnath Singh met with the NSA and the three service chiefs to discuss the stand-off along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. China has built up its presence along the LAC in Ladakh, with India deploying heavily to match its northern neighbour.

A bloody skirmish between the two sides resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese casualties on June 15, but while Beijing has repeatedly spoken of peace and tranquility, it continues to maintain its presence in the region.

Takes between the two armies and also a diplomatic dialogue are on to first totally disengage and then de-escalate, but the PLA is seen to be dragging its feet as the issue has a domestic political resonance.Gen Rawat refused to comment on the Saturday meeting and also declined to share any operational details.

On India’s infrastructure development programmes in border areas, the CDS said this has been under way for some years now. “Regular meetings to prioritize and resource these projects are held. They (the projects) have been given the desired impetus over the past three to four years. Our infrastructure development like the construction of Darbuk-Shyok-Daulet Beg Oldi (DSDBO) road or developments in other areas of our northern borders have been undertaken to provide connectivity to our people who are otherwise seeking migration. It also simultaneously assists the security forces who are responsible for monitoring and maintaining surveillance along our border areas. The impetus by the way of prioritisation has helped in development of strategic connectivity for the future,” he said.

It is widely believed that the immediate reason for the Chinese transgressions was the construction of the DSDBO road.

The security agencies are constantly updating information collected through human and technical intelligence about the Chinese Army all along the 3,488-kilometre LAC.

The Indian Army is aware of not only the Chinese military capability in the occupied Aksai Chin area but also in the so-called depth areas through tech-intelligence and satellite imagery. The Indian Air Force has taken note of the Chinese posturing by moving J 20 stealth fighters into the Hotan air base and then moving them away to a different location.