KAMLA NAGAR, DELHI - 110007 ANIMATION | VFX tel. - CHANGE

DECEMBER 2011
India Contemplates Anti-Satellite Vehicle
Integration with Agni-III Ballistic Missile
India’s varied missile capabilities are catching up to be at par
with those of the US and China, as talks revolve around integrating
the Agni-III ballistic missile with a satellite kill vehicle. According
to DRDO Chief V K Saraswat, India is considering the feasibility
of developing an anti-satellite missile which will lend a superior
edge to India’s missile power. It would involve the development
of lasers and an exo-atmospheric kill vehicle.
Regarding DRDO’s upcoming challenges and defence projects,
DRDO Chief Saraswat touched upon the crucial issue of the
anti-satellite vehicle, a capability which hitherto lies with the
U.S, Russia and China. The development of an anti-satellite
vehicle is feasible if the Agni-III missile and the Ballistic Missile
Defence (BMD) kill vehicle are integrated. The DRDO Chief added
that the effective range, which is about 1400-1500 kilometers, is
sufficient to engage a satellite. India is known to have been
developing an exo-atmospheric kill vehicle that can be integrated
with the missile to engage satellites.
In the recent past India had all the building blocks necessary to
integrate an anti-satellite weapon to neutralize hostile satellites
in low earth and polar orbits. The Agni series of missiles already
contained the propulsion module and a kill vehicle already existed
in principle although it had not been formalized. According to
DRDO, the Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Program can
incorporate the anti-satellite weapon development. India purports
development of anti-satellite weapons for electronic or physical
destruction of satellites in both LEO or Low Earth Orbit (2,000
kilometers altitude above earth’s surface) and the higher GEOsynchronous
orbits.
In an earlier statement, Dr. Saraswat said that while work on
individual components of the system is going on, the anti-satellite
(A-Sat) weapon will be built and tested only if and when the
country needs it. He added that India must not lag behind in
terms of space security. In addition, India has conducted many
successful tests of its ballistic missile defence system wherein
an “attacker” ballistic missile at an altitude of 120 kilometers was
destroyed with an interceptor missile.
Besides discussing the issue of ant-satellite weapons, DRDO
Chief also talked of other crucial defence projects like the creation
of a new engine besides the upgradation of Kaveri engine. While
upgrade of Kaveri engine can continue, a new engine with variable
cycle can be developed for the indigenous Advanced Medium
Combat Aircraft (AMCA). He added that advanced integrated
controls, reduced infrared signatures, advanced avionics, stealth
materials such as radar absorbing paint, advanced composites
and hypersonic materials are some areas that need further
development. Besides, areas such as network centric warfare
need attention just as urgently as means of combating nuclear
biological warfare need to be developed.
India-Bangladesh First-Ever Joint
Military Exercise
A 14-day long India-Bangladesh joint military exercise started on
9 October 2011 at Jalalabad Cantonment in Sylhet division, some
240 km northeast of capital Dhaka. The military exercise between
the two nations was codenamed Op Sampriti. Under the joint
military exercise, counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency
operations will be practiced as per the UN mandate.
India fielded around 40 troops of its elite 21 Para (Special Forces)
battalion for the exercise while the Bangladesh Army deployed
one of its Para Commando battalions. Around 40 to 50 troops
took part in the exercise.
US to Sell India 6 more Super Hercules
Airlifters for $1.2bn
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has revealed the intention to go for
six more C-130 J Super Hercules aircraft from the U.S besides the
six already ordered. While India has already expressed the desire
for this additional acquisition to U.S, the Defense Security Cooperation
Agency (DSCA) of U.S has recently notified U.S. Congress
for a possible foreign military sale (FMS) to India. India is
keen on acquiring the six additional C-130 J and the deal could be
finalized as early as January 2012.
The acquisition of six more C-130 J Super Hercules will involve
Lockheed Martin and Rolls Royce Corporation as the prime
contractors. As per India’s requirement, the sale of six C-130 J
Super Hercules by Lockheed Martin must include 6 Rolls Royce
AE 2100D3 spare engines, 8 AN/AAR-47 Missile Warning
Systems with two spares, 8 AN/ALR-56M Advanced Radar
Warning Receivers with two spares, 8 AN/ALE-47 Counter-
Measures Dispensing Systems with spares, 8 AAQ-22 Star
SAFIRE III Special Operations Suites with spares and 3200 Flare
Cartridges besides other communications equipment and
services. The cost of deal is estimated to be $ 1.2 billion.
In September 2011, the Indian Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil
Kumar Browne had stated that the C-130 J Super Hercules aircraft
had performed well in the recent earthquake relief operations
and that IAF would utilize the multi-role capability of the aircraft
as required. The IAF had signed a deal for six C-130J aircrafts for
about $1.1 billion with the US military systems giant Lockheed
Martin on January 31, 2008, and five of these aircrafts have been
delivered with the sixth expected in November 2011. The Indian
government has already approved the acquisition of another six
C-130 J aircraft. The discussions with the US Government and
Lockheed Martin for the new batch are underway and the order
could be signed by January 2012.
As for the U.S, the possible sale of additional six C-130 J Super
Hercules will help strengthen Indo-US strategic relationship and
contribute to their foreign policy. India stands to benefit
significantly since C-130 J provides a major special operations
airlift capability to combat aggression and facilitate disaster relief.
The C-130J can land and take off from small unpaved fields and
enable support by ferrying large troops and equipment. Since
the C-130 J is a workaholic, it can provide the much-needed
muscle to react fast in varied situations.
IAF Ready to Induct Mi-17 V5 Helicopters
The plan to augment the chopper fleet of the Indian Air Force
(IAF) has been achieved as India received the first lot of advanced
helicopters Mi-17 V5 from Russia. As a part of the Indo-
Russian defence deal worth over $ 1.25 billion signed in 2008,
more than 80 Mi-17 V5 helicopters will be procured over a period
of next three years. In the first lot, four dismantled Mi-17 V5
helicopters have been received by IAF that will be assembled at
the 3 Base Repair Depot at Chandigarh Air Force Station.
According to IAF, the first batch of Russian-origin Mi-17 V5
helicopters will be inducted by mid October and by March next
year, IAF will have 26 of these choppers in its fleet. The Mi-17 V5
will aid the IAF’s transport operations and carry out humanitarian
and disaster relief missions. It can carry 15 fully equipped troops
and some of these choppers can be equipped with 57 mm rocket
pods and machine guns. The twin-turbine transport helicopter,
made by the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and the Kazan
Helicopter Plant, can also act as a gun ship for offensive
operations. The first few helicopters would be sent to the
northeast sector and will be deployed at the Bagdogra air base
under the 156 helicopter Unit.
IAF have indicated that the Mi-17 V5 choppers would soon
replace Mi-8 helicopters which are planned to be completely
phased out by 2016. All of the newly received 80 Mi-17 V5
choppers are likely to be inducted by late 2013. The IAF is also
looking to induct another 59 such choppers for $ 1.9 billion to
replace the older Mi-17 variants and the Mi-8 choppers. The Mi-
17 V5 differs from the Mi-171V in having a protruding ‘dolphin’
nose rather than the glassed-in round noses other Indian Mi-17s
possess. The Mi-17 V5 has more powerful 2,200 hp engines with
new auxiliary power unit and an extra port door on the starboard
side.
Israeli European Firms in Race for
Indian Army’s USD 500 Loitering
Munitions Tender
Israeli and European firms are in race for supplying medium range
loitering munitions to the Indian Army under a deal worth over
USD 500 million to the Indian Army. European firm MBDA and
Israeli IAI have offered their products for the tender. IAI has
offered the ‘HAROP’ whereas the European MBDA has offered
its Fire Shadow munitions. The Army had earlier asked one of
the American firms L-3 also to provide information about its
products but it backed out from the race. The Army order will be
issuing a tender very soon for the missiles and place orders in
another couple of years. The trials of the two contenders are
likely to be held by the end of next year. The Army is looking for
the loitering munitions after the Indian Air Force (IAF) placed
orders for similar missiles from IAI in 2009 under a deal worth
over USD 100 million. The IAF had acquired the Harop, which is
in contention again for the Army requirement.
The RFI (Request for Information) in this regard was issued in
March last year and an announcement about India’s intention
was made by Defence Minister A K Antony in the Parliament. In
the RFI, the Defence Ministry has details sought about missile’s
cruising speed, the maximum range at which it can engage a
target, its loitering time, the range of its data link, its accuracy,
ability to attack from the top, and if it can abort after locking onto
a target and if it can be redesignated to a new target.
India Decides to Train Afghanistan’s
Army and Signs Other Bilateral
Agreements with Afghanistan
India has openly offered support to Afghanistan by formalizing
strategic partnerships even as it risks attracting hostility from
Pakistan. During a two day visit by Afghan President Hamid
Karzai to India, an agreement has been reached by the two
nations to increase training of Afghan army and other security
personnel. Besides finalizing the details of a strategic partnership,
the two nations signed a total of three bilateral agreements.
During the visit, President Hamid Karzai has indicated that regional
powers such as India are helping Afghanistan steer towards
peace. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that
India will support Afghanistan to assume the responsibility of
governance and security after the withdrawal of international
forces. India has also urged other neighboring countries to help
Afghanistan achieve stability. Afghanistan’s future and progress
will be complimented largely by the role of its neighboring
countries and India intends to extend its cooperation openly.
As for the Indo-Afghan partnership agreement, India has pledged
to train, equip and build capacity for Afghanistan’s Army and
Police and expand on the limited training it conducted for their
army in India four years ago. During the current two-day visit by
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan has requested for
150 Afghan Army officers to receive training at Indian defense
and military academies which India has agreed upon. India also
is expected to soon begin hosting training sessions for Afghan
police officers.
India trained Afghan Army in 2007 when two platoon-sized
infantry units took sessions in India. However, India has never
sent army units to Afghanistan since it would upset Pakistan.
India has also poured more than $1 billion in aid money into
Afghanistan in the past decade for various projects which had
perturbed Pakistan due to the presence of Indian paramilitary
forces in Afghanistan to oversee projects. However, this time
around, India will be steadfast in its support to Afghanistan due
to compelling national security reasons.
Ghatak Bricks to be Equipped with Snipers
Swiss, Russian and Israeli firms are in the fray for supplying over
2,000 sniper rifles to the Indian Army for equipping the ‘Ghatak bricks’
(strike force) in its more than 300 Infantry battalions. The sniper rifles
are being procured for the Ghatak bricks in the Indian Army after the
Government decided that they would also be used as counter-terrorist
grids while they are deployed in peace locations to tackle 26/11 type
attacks. After the attacks, the elite Para Special Forces battalions were
assigned the task of training these regular Infantry battalions to tackle
such attacks in an urban environment. Till now, these Ghatak Bricks
comprising of best soldiers in battalions were used only in Jammu and
Kashmir and the North Eastern states for taking on the terrorists there.
India Contemplates Anti-Satellite Vehicle
Integration with Agni-III Ballistic Missile
India’s varied missile capabilities are catching up to be at par
with those of the US and China, as talks revolve around integrating
the Agni-III ballistic missile with a satellite kill vehicle. According
to DRDO Chief V K Saraswat, India is considering the feasibility
of developing an anti-satellite missile which will lend a superior
edge to India’s missile power. It would involve the development
of lasers and an exo-atmospheric kill vehicle.
Regarding DRDO’s upcoming challenges and defence projects,
DRDO Chief Saraswat touched upon the crucial issue of the
anti-satellite vehicle, a capability which hitherto lies with the
U.S, Russia and China. The development of an anti-satellite
vehicle is feasible if the Agni-III missile and the Ballistic Missile
Defence (BMD) kill vehicle are integrated. The DRDO Chief added
that the effective range, which is about 1400-1500 kilometers, is
sufficient to engage a satellite. India is known to have been
developing an exo-atmospheric kill vehicle that can be integrated
with the missile to engage satellites.
In the recent past India had all the building blocks necessary to
integrate an anti-satellite weapon to neutralize hostile satellites
in low earth and polar orbits. The Agni series of missiles already
contained the propulsion module and a kill vehicle already existed
in principle although it had not been formalized. According to
DRDO, the Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Program can
incorporate the anti-satellite weapon development. India purports
development of anti-satellite weapons for electronic or physical
destruction of satellites in both LEO or Low Earth Orbit (2,000
kilometers altitude above earth’s surface) and the higher GEOsynchronous
orbits.
In an earlier statement, Dr. Saraswat said that while work on
individual components of the system is going on, the anti-satellite
(A-Sat) weapon will be built and tested only if and when the
country needs it. He added that India must not lag behind in
terms of space security. In addition, India has conducted many
successful tests of its ballistic missile defence system wherein
an “attacker” ballistic missile at an altitude of 120 kilometers was
destroyed with an interceptor missile.
Besides discussing the issue of ant-satellite weapons, DRDO
Chief also talked of other crucial defence projects like the creation
of a new engine besides the upgradation of Kaveri engine. While
upgrade of Kaveri engine can continue, a new engine with variable
cycle can be developed for the indigenous Advanced Medium
Combat Aircraft (AMCA). He added that advanced integrated
controls, reduced infrared signatures, advanced avionics, stealth
materials such as radar absorbing paint, advanced composites
and hypersonic materials are some areas that need further
development. Besides, areas such as network centric warfare
need attention just as urgently as means of combating nuclear
biological warfare need to be developed.
France Offers Help in Kaveri Engine &
Co-Development of Short-Range Missile
with India
India and France are on the road to greater defence ties as French
Foreign Affairs Minister Alain Juppe visited India and held delegation-level
talks with his Indian counterpart S.M.Krishna in
New Delhi recently. While France discussed the issue of civil
nuclear safety having been awarded a multi-billion nuclear power
plant contract, both sides also discussed various military contracts
as well as co-development of new defence products. France
is also hoping to clinch the $ 10.4 billion MMRCA project whose
winner will be announced in November 2011
While France has assured greater cooperation from its nuclear
regulatory board as well as the reliability of its technology to
smoothen the nuclear power plant project, both nations also
discussed the status of ongoing as well as proposed defence
projects between India and France. One of the important
discussions revolved around the joint development of a shortrange
missile. The purpose of deployment of this short-range
missile will be to guard the vital installations from aerial threat.
The efforts to finalise the joint defence research and development
for short-range surface-to-air missile (SR-SAM) is underway. The
state-run Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO)
is seeking to co-develop technology in order to cater to the
requirement of the Indian armed forces. DRDO has been involved
in the Trishul point defense missile system as well as its
successor, the Maitri short-range surface to air missile (SR-SAM)
projects in the past and will apply its know-how on this latest
project for SR-SAM with France.
French Foreign Affairs Minister also discussed the issue of the
induction of French technology for the Kaveri engine. The Kaveri
aircraft engine is being indigenously developed by India but has
not yet lived up to the expectation of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The Kaveri engine was to be used on the Light Combat Aircraft
(LCA) Tejas but the IAF has deemed it unsatisfactory. In addition,
DRDO is negotiating with French engine manufacturer Snecma
to co-develop high-end technology for the Kabini, which forms
the core part of Kaveri engine being developed for the LCA
Tejas. DRDO is in the last lap of negotiations with France. The
goal is for the Kaveri engine provides the required thrust without
affecting the size and weight.
As for the other crucial Indo-French defence deals, France has
recently bagged the contract to modernise 51 IAF Mirage 2000
aircraft. The $ 2.4 billion deal to upgrade was signed recently
with Dassault Aviation and Thales. The upgradation of the 51
Mirage-2000 aircraft will include a multimode Doppler radar,
modern glass cockpit, fully integrated electronic warfare suite
and beyond visual range capabilities. The overhaul of the fleet
will add 20-25 years to the life of the Mirage aircraft which were
introduced to the IAF in the mid-1980s.
India and France have also held their first ever joint army exercises
in India called ‘Shakti 2011’ in Octorber. The joint drill with the
Army is a debut event and the two countries already hold air and
naval exercises called ‘Garuda’ and ‘Varuna’ respectively. The
joint army drill will further enhance defence cooperation and
military-to-military relations between the two nations.
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