स्पेशल फोर्स के कमांडो(वतन के रखवाले )

Indian Army places first Small order for Indian Bofors

Even as summer trials for the indigenous 155mm guns, made on the lines of the Bofors howitzers, are planned this month, the army has placed a part order with the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) to make 20 pieces of these howitzers. This is over and above the guns that are being put up for trials.

"This indicates that the army will be finally inducting the indigenous Bofors. We have already begun procuring material to meet this order" said MC Bansal, chairman of OFB, during a visit to National Academy of Defence Production (NADP). The institute trains officers joining the Indian Ordnance Factory Service (IOFS) cadre.

"We are confident that the guns will pass summer trials also, as there is no room for any doubt. This may be followed by a bulk order of more than 100 guns" said Bansal. So far, as many as 1,800 shells have been fired during the trials, which is probably the highest ever. There was one incident of barrel burst last year, but that was due to defective ammunition in the shell, and not because of the gun's design, Bansal stressed.

OFB is currently designing the 155:45 mm calibre guns, but work is also underway to develop 155x52mm guns, which would have a better range, said Bansal. The army is scouting the global market for the higher calibre guns. Though he did not specify a time frame for it, Bansal said that it is a gradual process and so far certain subsystems of the 155:52 mm howitzer have been developed.

Bansal said OFB will also soon put up carbine machine guns developed jointly with Defence and Research Development Organization (DRDO) for trials. Earlier, there were plans to develop the weapon with Singapore-based ST Kinetics, but the project could not take off following a commission scandal.

He said work on developing the indigenous assault rifle has also been put on the fast track. "There were stoppages during the firing trials conducted last month, but it is a part of product development, and will be come over" said the OFB chief.

At the same time, DRDO has been asked to make certain modifications in the multimodal hand grenade also planned to be manufactured by the ordnance factory. There were problems related to the timing of explosion once the grenade's pin is taken off, which has to be addressed before going ahead with bulk production, said Bansal.

On the government plans to have 100% FDI in the defence sector, he said OFB does not see it as competition, since certain components of strategic importance that do not pass economic feasibility will continue to be made in the ordnance factories.

source defencenews.in

India develops new tactical missile 'Pragati'

India has developed a new tactical surface-to-surface missile ’Pragati’ with a range between 60-170 km and will offer it to friendly countries. The new missile, now on display at a defence exhibition in South Korea, is based on the Prahaar missile developed by the DRDO for the Army and can be termed as its export variant with minor differences, a DRDO official said.

The government has approved that it may be offered to friendly countries if anyone shows interest in it, he said. The missile is the main exhibit of the DRDO which is showcasing an array of indigenousweapons at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX 2013). This is the first time ever that an array of latest defence equipment developed by the DRDO, will be unveiled internationally at such a scale. DRDO chief Avinash Chander is leading the Indian delegation at the show.

"DRDO is showcasing 'Pragati' tactical missile, 'Akash' missile system and 'Tejas' LCA and its variants. Explosive Detection Kit developed by the DRDO and recently launched in the US will be yet another key exhibit," a release by the Indian embassy in South Korea said.

The LCA is a long-delayed project of the DRDO which is yet to be completed and the aircraft not been inducted by the IAF so far.

ADEX 2013 is expected to host more than 300 companies from 33 countries. DRDO’s participation also commemorates the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and South Korea.

Army’s Ghatak infantry platoons to go more deadly

All “Ghatak platoons” of the Army will soon start getting the first lot of the latest weaponry aimed at equipping the troops to tackle newer forms of threats. Each of the 350 infantry battalions of the Army have “Ghatak platoons”. These largely comprise trained commandos that carry out specific tasks.

As there are 20 Ghatak personnel in each infantry battalion of 800, 7,000 Army personnel are set to get the latest weapons. The new weapons will be in addition to the existing sniper rifles and rocket launchers. With the changing scenario, four different sets of equipment would be added to the armoury of the “Ghatak platoons”, source said.

This would include new automatic sub-machine guns having rapid-fire and night firing capabilities. A contract to acquire 1,568 of these guns had been signed with B&T, Switzerland, for Rs 25 crore. The first priority would be to equip the 130 infantry battalions stationed in the North and the North-East, followed by other battalions. The delivery of the gun was expected to start anytime now, source said.

The second part of the weaponry would comprise specialised breaching ammunition that would be handy in case the enemy was hiding behind a brick wall or a door. This would be effective in urban warfare and counter-insurgency operations with terrorists taking refuge in people’s houses or farmhouses. At present, the NSG uses such ammunition.

Handheld ballistic shield would form the third part of the weaponry. The soldiers would be well-protected with bulletproof jackets and headgear. The shield would allow the soldier to see the enemy through it while his own face would remain protected.

The fourth and last item would be the “stun grenades”. These do not cause any collateral damage but are used to provide an effect by which a person is immobilised and rendered incapable of firing back. This is expected to be used against militants and even in case of a war. Capturing a militant or an enemy alive could yield a whole lot of information. All this is part of the efforts made to address the critical “hollowness” within the Army. Army Chief General Bikram Singh, when he joined on June 1 this year, made it clear that his focus would be on the force and replacing its ageing weaponry.

Besides ramping up the “Ghatak platoons”, the process to acquire new assault rifles for the entire Army is also at its final stages. Around 60,000 rifles would be purchased in the first lot. The transfer of technology would facilitate licensed production in India.

ON PURCHASE LIST
SET-ONE:New automatic sub-machine guns having rapid-fire and night-fire capability
SET-TWO: Specialised breaching ammunitions for use against enemy hiding behind walls etc.
SET-THREE: Handheld ballistic shield allowing soldiers to see the enemy while keeping their own face protected
SET-FOUR: Stun grenades to immobilise a person without causing any collateral damage

Airbus A330 wins IAF Tanker Tender

Recent Media Reports are Indicating that A330 from Airbus , has emerged winner of the Indian air force’s Aerial Tanker Requirement. current tender is a repeat of tender of 2006 , where IAF had selected A330 from Airbus but it was rejected by India’s Finance Ministry since it was not the L1 bidder and IL-78 was cheapest and had quested why IAF wanted a different aircraft when IAF already had Il-78 under its current fleet .

Russians have Quoted price lesser than A330 from Airbus , but after considering spares and support factors , IAF again has preferred A330 from Airbus . IAF Chief few years back had complaint poor availability of spares provided from Russian company for their current fleet of IL-78 tankers .

If this bid is rejected again by India’s Finance Ministry , then it will allow Boeing to enter next Tender process since Boeing had not participated in last tender process to concentrate on American air forces tanker deal which it has won already . Russians in past few years have assured availability of spares will be better again , when Modernized IL-78 aircrafts will re-enter Production soon in 2015 .

Airbus A330 wins IAF Tanker Tender | idrw.org

Boeing CH-47 reportedly wins the heavy lift helicopter tender over Russian Mi 26

                                                                   NEW DELHI: The US is now all set to bag yet another mega Indian defence deal, with the iconic Boeing-manufactured Chinook heavy-lift helicopters emerging as the cheaper option than its strong contender the Russian Mi-26 choppers.

Defence ministry sources said the commercial bid for the twin-rotor Chinook, which has seen recent action in Iraq and Afghanistan, has emerged as the "L-1 (lowest bidder)" in comparison to the Mi-26 after both the huge helicopters passed the extensive technical field trials conducted by Indian Air Force (IAF).

"The present contract is for 15 such multi-mission helicopters. The Chinook bid was lower both in terms of initial direct acquisition cost as well as life cycle cost. The contract negotiation committee will now finalize the deal for the Chinook," said a source.

Known for their powerful contra-rotating tandem rotors, Chinooks are being operated by around 20 countries for heavy-lift assault, troop movement, logistics support, aerial battlefield recovery and special operations. Capable of being refuelled mid-air for extended range, a Chinook can carry 55 combat-ready troops or over 11,100 kg of logistical supplies or weight.

This is the second time that American helicopters have outclassed — both technically and commercially — their Russian counterparts in recent months. As reported earlier, India is getting ready to order 22 heavy-duty Apache attack helicopters for around $1.4 billion.

Boeing's AH-64D Apache Longbow met all ASQRs (air staff qualitative requirements) but its contender the Russian Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant's Mi-28 Havoc had failed to pass muster during the field trials held by IAF.

Overall, the Indian armed forces are looking to induct as many as 900 helicopters in the coming decade, including 440 light-utility and observation, naval multi-role (90), light combat (65), heavy-duty attack (22), medium-lift (139) and heavy-lift (15), among others. Several of these procurement and production projects are meandering through the long-winding acquisition process.

The US is increasingly bagging deals in the lucrative Indian defence market, having already notched up military sales worth over $8 billion in the last few years. These include the $4.1 billion contract for 10 C-17 Globemaster-III strategic airlift aircraft, $2.1 billion for eight P-8I maritime patrol aircraft and $962 million for six C-130J "Super Hercules" planes. Negotiations are being finalized for acquiring six more C-130J as well as four more P-8I aircraft.

There was a lot of heartburn in the US after its F-16 and F/A-18 fighters lost out to the French Rafale in the almost $20 billion MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) project to supply 126 jets to IAF, which is in the final commercial negotiations stage.

IAF to upgrade Israeli made UAV fleet

The IAF is planning to join hands with an Israeli firm to upgrade the UAVs of the three services under a project worth over Rs 5,000 crore to enhance their snooping capabilities.
The three services operate a fleet of more than 150 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) procured from the Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) over the last few decades.
“Under the Rs 5,000 crore projects, we will upgrade the capabilities of the UAVs in all the three services with the help of the original equipment manufacturer IAI,” a senior IAF official told PTI here.
The IAF flies the Israeli-made Searcher II and Heron UAVs for reconnaissance and surveillance purposes and about 100 Searchers are in operation on Indian borders in western, northern and eastern regions.
After the upgrades, the IAF would be capable of operating these aircraft from far-off distances and control them through satellite communication system, he said.
The IAF has been saying in the recent past that it wants to increase the number of UAVs in the force and a team has also been formed at the Air Headquarters which is looking at the requirement of these machines in the force, the official said.
The Army also operates a sizeable number of UAVs and has deployed them in borders along the western and eastern fronts.
The Army was the first to induct UAVs in the 90s starting with Searcher Mark I and Searcher Mark II which could operate at an altitude of 15,000 feet and finally the Heron, which could operate at 30,000 feet.
The IAF followed it after some time to acquire the Searcher Mark I, Searcher Mark II and the Heron UAVs.
The Navy has also three operational squadrons of the Israeli UAVs deployed along both the eastern and the western sea board.

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