China-Russia war games 'not linked to India missile'

China-Russia war games 'not linked to India missile'

China has said that upcoming joint war games between China and Russia are not organised in response to India's successful ballistic missile launch and are instead aimed at upholding regional peace.

According to China's defence ministry, the two neighbours will hold joint naval exercises in the Yellow Sea off the coast of the eastern port city of Qingdao from April 22-27.

India on Thursday successfully test fired a new missile capable of delivering a one-tonne nuclear warhead anywhere in rival China, marking a major advance in its defence capabilities.

India views the rocket, which has a range of 5,000 kilometres, as a key boost to its regional power aspirations and one that narrows -- albeit slightly -- the huge gap with China's technologically advanced missile systems.

"This joint military exercise is a long scheduled one between China and Russia in order to uphold regional peace and stability," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told reporters on Thursday.

"This is not linked (to the Indian missile test)," he said.

Beijing and Moscow agreed to hold the joint exercises during a visit to Russia last year by Chen Bingde, chief of staff of the People's Liberation Army.

"The joint exercises will strengthen the naval forces' ability to jointly confront new regional threats and demonstrate their confidence to maintain peace and stability in the region and world," Chen said in a statement on the defence ministry website.

The drills will focus on joint maritime defence and protection of navigation and will involve 16 Chinese ships and two submarines and four vessels from Russia's Pacific Fleet, as well as Russian war planes and naval infantry, the statement said.

Agni V production to begin in a year's time

Agni V production to begin in a year's time

India has emerged as a major missile power with the successful launch of Agni V ballistic missile and the production of the weapon system would start in a year's time, DRDO chief V K Saraswat said Thursday.

"This launch has given a message to the entire world that India has the capability to design, develop, build and manufacture missiles of this class, and we are today a missile power," Saraswat said after the launch of the 5,000 km range surface-to-surface Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief said that the missile launch was a major milestone in the strategic defence preparedness of the country.

"We are going to conduct two more tests and that will be validation tests..., and then the production of this system will start. It is going to take a year maximum," he said.

Saraswat said that he expected the missile to be inducted into the armed forces in the next two years.

He said the successful launch of Agni V was just the beginning of a new series of missiles.

"We go from here to many other missiles which will have capability for MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle), for anti-satellite system, which will also be built using this technology for launching micro, mini and nano satellite to meet the requirement of the armed forces on very, very short notice," he said.

Saraswat said that barring some electronic components, the Agni V was a completely indigenous product.

"More than 80 per cent of the missile is indigenous, except for the electronic components which we import...Everything has been designed, developed and produced in our industry and our laboratory," he said.

The DRDO chief said that his organisation was working on a very tight time schedule when it came to production and deployment of the missile.

"We have a very tight time schedule on that. I expect that after the completion of its mandatory trials, it would be inducted in the services in the next two years to come. We have a very clear roadmap for development of missile system," Saraswat said.

Giving details of Thursday's launch, he said that the missile "lifted off at 0807 hours today. It is a three-stage missile, the first stage burned out, gave the required velocity and after that it separated." 

Saraswat said that similarly the missile reached it second and third phases and after that it reached the crucial re-entry phase which is the most difficult phase for any ballistic missile of this range.

"All the re-entry conditions were perfect. The missile travelled through the re-entry, got converted into a fireball and finally (hit the target).....and all the payload parameters which result in the detonation of the warhead took place," Saraswat said.

The DRDO chief said that the launch was monitored by three ships deployed in Indian Ocean, 5,000 kilometers away, and radars were also there tracking the complete trajectory.

He said that that the launch of the missile despite regimes placed by the developed world showed that India was becoming self-reliant in missile technology.

"The missile has been achieved despite the stringent missile control regimes, which developed countries have imposed on us and that shows the self-reliance in the area of this technology is now becoming a reality," he said.

India gearing up for Mars mission in 2013

India gearing up for Mars mission in 2013

India has completed a significant amount of work on next year's planned Mars mission for which scientific payloads have been short-listed, with formal government approval for the ambitious venture expected soon.

Bangalore-headquartered ISRO is planning to undertake the mission to the Red Planet during November 2013. The project report for Indian Mars orbiter mission has been submitted for approval of the Government.

The mission envisages launching an orbiter around Mars using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL). The orbiter will be placed in an orbit of 500 x 80,000 km around Mars and will have a provision for carrying nearly 25 kg of scientific payloads on-board.

"The tentative scientific objective for the Mars mission will be to focus on life, climate, geology, origin, evolution and sustainability of life on the planet," according to an official ISRO report.

Scientific payloads have been shortlisted by ISRO's Advisory Committee for Space Sciences (ADCOS) review committee. Baseline, solar array and reflector configuration of the satellite have been finalised. Frequency filing for communication subsystem is under progress, the space agency said in its just uploaded 2011-12 annual report.

Meanwhile, ISRO has signed a MoU with Indian Institute of Astrophysics for development and delivery of solar coronagraph payload for its ADITYA-1 project, while mechanical configuration of the satellite is in progress.

This project will be the first Indian space-based solar coronagraph, which will be available for solar coronal observation to all the Indian researchers in the field of Solar Astronomy. 

ADITYA-1 is the first space-based Solar Coronagraph intended to study the outermost region of the Sun, called corona.

ADITYA-1 in the visible and near IR bands will study the Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) such as the coronal magnetic field structures and evolution of coronal magnetic field and consequently the crucial physical parameters for space weather.

The major scientific objective of the ADITYA-1 is to achieve a fundamental understanding of the physical processes that heat the solar corona (base to the extended), accelerate the solar wind and produce CMEs.

ISRO said preliminary design of the optical systems of ADITYA-1 has been finalised and design document generated.

"Trade-off studies on the selection of detector system have been completed and the list of subsystem packages along with power and mass budget generated," it said.

ISRO has also planned 'SENSE' - a twin satellite mission to probe the electromagnetic environment of the Earth's near space region. It is proposed to launch two small satellites in a low Earth orbit of around 500 km, for space weather related studies.

SENSE is part of ISRO's 'Small Satellites Programme', recommended by ISRO's ADCOS. SENSE aims to unravel the roles played by major large-scale drivers in determining the state of the Ionosphere-Thermosphere system and the weather of the near space environment at low latitudes.

ISRO said engineering models of the electric and magnetic field probes chosen for the SENSE mission have already been tested and their frequency responses studied.

With eye on China, India tests new long-range missile

With eye on China, India tests new long-range missile

India on Thursday successfully test fired a new missile capable of delivering a one-tonne nuclear warhead anywhere in rival China, marking a major advance in its defence capabilities.

 

Watched by hundreds of scientists, the Agni V was launched from a test site off the eastern state of Orissa.

India views the rocket, which has a range of 5,000 kilometres, as a key boost to its regional power aspirations and one that narrows — albeit slightly — the huge gap with China’s technologically advanced missile systems.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Defence Minister A K Antony congratulated the nation’s defence scientists on the “successful” launch, with Antony calling the achievement “a major milestone in India’s missile programme”.

The test leaves India knocking at the door of a select club of nations with inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), which have a minimum range of 5,500 kilometres.

Currently only the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — possess a declared ICBM capability.

“I am announcing the successful launch of Agni V making history and making our country proud in the area of missile technology,” V K Saraswat, head of India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) which made the missile, said.

He said India was now a “missile power”. DRDO spokesman Ravi Gupta insisted the Agni V was a “non country specific” deterrent, but analysts noted it extends India’s missile reach over the entire Chinese mainland, including military installations in the far northeast.

Agni, which means “fire” in Sanskrit, is the name given to a series of rockets India developed as part of its ambitious integrated guided missile development project launched in 1983.

While the shorter-range Agnis I and II were mainly developed with Pakistan in mind, later versions with a range of 3,500 kilometres — are perceived as China-centric deterrents.

A team of 800 have worked on the indigenously developed Agni V over the last three years, using new materials and technology to build motors capable of increasing the propulsion and speed of the new missile.

“Firstly you have a phenomenal range so every single significant city — Beijing, Shanghai — will come within its range,” retired Air Force officer Kapil Kak from the Centre for Air Power Studies in India.

“Secondly, it has a very, very high speed compared to previous missiles…But the key issue is that this missile can be pushed to 8,000 kilometres.

“The significance there is that India then demonstrates the capability to make an ICBM,” he added.

There was no official reaction in China, but the state-run Global Times newspaper warned India “should not overestimate its strength” in an editorial published on Thursday.

“India should be clear that China’s nuclear power is stronger and more reliable. For the foreseeable future, India would stand no chance in an overall arms race with China,” it added.

The two Asian giants, each with a population of more than one billion, have prickly relations and a legacy of mistrust that stems from a brief but bloody border war in 1962.

In public, their leaders stress that trade is booming and that the world is big enough to accommodate both of them as they develop economically.

China’s military arsenal is far larger and far more technologically advanced than India’s, which is why the Agni V is so important, according to Monika Chansoria, a senior fellow at the Delhi-based Centre for Land Warfare Studies.

Indian Army to acquire new air defence system

Indian Army to acquire new air defence system

Indian Army has initiated the process of acquiring new gun systems to take on enemy aircraft and missiles.

"The Army is planning to procure air defence guns having a calibre of more than 30mm and is capable of engaging air targets," Army officials said.

The process to acquire these guns has been initiated after Army Chief General V K Singh in his letter to the Prime Minister had contended that 97 per cent of the air defence guns in the Indian Army were facing obsolescence.

The Army officials said the service has issued a global Request for Information in this regard recently listing its requirements.

The Army has specified that the gun should be capable of being transported by broad gauge rakes of the Railways.

The Army Air Defence has initiated several other tenders also for replacing its Russian-origin air defence systems.

For upgrading the capabilities of the Army Air Defence (AAD), the Defence Ministry recently said that it has signed contracts for procuring Akash Missile Systems and steps were being taken for upgrading self-propelled air defence and Schilka air defence systems.

After the Army Chief pointed out these deficiencies to the government, Defence Minister A K Antony had held meetings to review the capital acquisitions of the force.

The Defence Ministry has also taken several steps to do away with the shortage of tank ammunition and has signed contracts with the Russian Rosobornoexport for supplying ammunition for the T-90 tanks.

Boeing bulllish on Chinook winning Indian competition

Boeing bulllish on Chinook winning Indian competition

Boeing is confident that the CH-47F Chinook will win India's competition for 15 heavy lift helicopters.

Flight trials for the CH-47F and the Russian Mil Mi-26 have been completed and offset proposals have been submitted to India's ministry of defence, says Boeing. The comments were made by Boeing executives at India's Defexpo 2012 show in New Delhi.

They say the CH-47F has met all technical requirements and that the next step is likely to be the opening of commercial bids, which could occur in May.

The request for proposal (RFP) suggests that the first aircraft will need to be delivered to the Indian army within three years of the contract signing. Following this, all 15 helicopters will need to be delivered within one year. The RFP placed great emphasis on the lifecycle costs involved in operating the two helicopters.

Boeing says it is currently producing five Chinooks per month at its Philadelphia factory.

The CH-47F and Mi-26 are radically different helicopters. The Chinook uses a tandem rotor layout compared with the Mi-26's conventional helicopter layout with a main and tail rotor.

The Mi-26 is much larger, with a maximum take off weight of 56,000kg (123,000lb) compared with the Chinook's maximum gross weight of 22,668kg.

The Chinook, however, can be transported in the hold of the C-17 Globemaster III, of which India has ordered 10 examples. Boeing says this greatly enhances the CH-47F's ability to be deployed to distant locations.

They note that the CH-47F used in the India flight trials flew into India aboard a C-17 and was able to conduct a flight just hours after arriving.

Safety concerns stalling first flight of HAL's naval Tejas

Safety concerns stalling first flight of HAL's naval Tejas

Safety concerns have delayed the maiden flight of the naval variant of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Tejas light combat aircraft.

"It is very important to make sure the aircraft is safe," says an industry source. "If a disaster were to occur, it would be the end of the road for the programme."

The source says the naval variant could have its first flight "any day now". In June 2011, a programme official told Flightglobal that the navalised Tejas would have its first flight in November 2011, but this never materialised.

The source declined to provide details about the safety concerns involved in the aircraft, or what steps have been taken to rectify them. He spoke to Flightglobal at India's Defexpo 2012 trade show in New Delhi.

After being unveiled in June 2010, the naval variant has yet to conduct its first flight. Nonetheless, in early February, the Indian navy ordered eight additional examples of the variant.

Although the naval variant was to have been powered by the General Electric F414 powerplant, the eight examples the navy ordered will use the less powerful F404.

After initial flight tests from HAL's facilities in Bengaluru, the aircraft will be sent to Hansa naval air station near Goa where it will undergo carrier compatibility tests.

The source added that the F414-powered Tejas Mk II will be rolled out in early 2014, with a first flight by December 2014.

As of 31 March, the Tejas Mk I aircraft had completed 1,816 flight tests. The type received initial operational clearance in January 2011. The source says final operational clearance could be given by the end of 2012.

Eurofighter could still win MMRCA deal, says Cassidian boss

Eurofighter could still win MMRCA deal, says Cassidian boss

Cassidian has not given up hope of a Eurofighter win in India's medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) contest, despite the consortium holding "L2" vendor status behind the Dassault Rafale, says company chief executive Stefan Zoller.

"India is a campaign that is still running," Zoller says, pointing to an investigation into the nation's selection process being conducted by the government in New Delhi.

Speaking during a financial briefing at the company's Unterschleissheim headquarters near Munich on 2 April, Zoller said: "We will see to what conclusion the Indian government will come."

A consequence of India having awarded L1 status to Dassault has been what Zoller describes as "more advanced discussions with our Eurofighter customers on how much faster we can integrate the additional capacity of the aircraft". This includes planned enhancements such as an active electronically scanned array radar, additional weapons and new reconnaissance and targeting systems.

"There is now far more willingness from the customers to converge and go ahead on those," he said.

The Eurofighter consortium had an exhibit at the 29 March-1 April Defexpo India show in New Delhi in support of its continued pursuit of the 126-aircraft MMRCA deal.

Zoller also disclosed the value of Cassidian's stake in a new five-year support contract signed by the four Eurofighter partner nations on 30 March.

Its €840 million ($1.1 billion) deal will cover the provision of in-service support to the air forces of Germany and Spain.

Alenia Aermacchi and BAE Systems last week valued their parts of the deal as worth a combined $1.38 billion.

India to issue RFP for maritime patrol requirements

India to issue RFP for maritime patrol requirements

India is readying requests for proposals (RFP) for two maritime patrol requirements: the navy's Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance (MRMR) aircraft and the coast guard's Medium Maritime Patrol (MMP) aircraft.

Both requirements are likely to be for six aircraft initially, with options for six more, say industry sources. One source said the initial MMP requirement could be for nine aircraft.

The sources spoke to Flightglobal at Defexpo India 2012, where airframers displayed models of maritime patrol aircraft. RFPs for both requirements are expected in 2012, with one source saying the MMP RFP could be issued in April or May. India issued requests for information (RFIs) for both requirements in 2010.

Unlike the navy's long-range maritime patrol aircraft requirement, which will be filled by the Boeing 737-based P-8I Neptune, the RFI suggests India will not require the MRMR to have anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities, with the aircraft focused on the maritime patrol mission and capable of carrying anti-ship missiles. It will replace India's 12 Britten-Norman Islanders.

In the 2010 RFI, the navy stated that the MRMR aircraft will require a top speed of 300kt (556km/h) or greater and a patrol speed of 200kt. It will require a full self protection suite, including radar and laser warning receivers, an active electronically scanned array (AESA) surface-search radar and a forward looking infrared (FLIR) sensor.

One possible contender for the requirement could include a variant of the P-8I, although Boeing representatives at the show said they want to see the RFP before deciding how to address the MRMR campaign. They pointed out that a P-8I variant would be make sense from a logistical and crew training perspective given that India has already ordered eight P-8Is for long-range patrol.

Other contenders for the MRMR could include the Saab 2000 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), the Airbus Military C295 MPA, and the Israel Aerospace Industries ELI-3360 (based on the Bombardier Q400). A previously issued RFP for the MRMR was withdrawn in early 2009.

Sources say the MMP requirement is somewhat less well defined. "Based on the RFI, the MMP is a really big beast," says one source from a European airframer.

The RFI called for a diverse range of missions, including search and rescue, anti-surface warfare, environmental monitoring and medical evacuation with three intensive care stations.

"We're not sure if all the capabilities need to be present all the time, or whether they can be changed in or out," says the source.

An Israeli Shell in an Indian Tank

An Israeli Shell in an Indian Tank

India is equipping its Arjun tanks with the LAHAT missile produced by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The missile will provide the tank with the ability to hit moving targets from great distances while in motion.

IAI developed and produced the LAHAT – a laser-guided missile that can be launched from a tank's cannon, reaching its target by homing in on a laser spot. The shell-missile weighs approximately 12 kg and has a range of 8 kg, including a lethal 2.5 kg warhead.

Despite the many technical difficulties the Arjun tank project experienced over the years, its serial production and is well underway.

The Indian army recently announced that it intends to order 250 more improved Arjun tanks following the conclusion of the user tests. The newer version has received dozens of improvements compared to the MK-1 variant.

Improvements include its mobility, brigade-power, and the capability to fire missiles through a gun barrel. The tank will also be equipped with advanced reactive shielding.

The Indian Army has committed to continue procuring the tanks if the improvements prove worthy during testing. Four brigades equipped with the Arjun tanks are expected to be operational by 2016.

India's million strong army exposed as hollow "Leaked Letter"

India's million strong army exposed as hollow "Leaked Letter"

Contrary to the Indian government’s defence spending announcements and recent studies showing India as the world’s biggest military hardware importer, India’s tank fleet lacks ammunition, its air defences are ‘97% obsolete’ and its elite forces need essential weapons, the country’s army chief wrote in an explosive letter leaked on Wednesday.

The letter to the prime minister dated March 12 – and widely reported by the Indian media – lists shortcomings of the armed forces in embarrassing detail in a serious blow to the government and the Asian giant’s military prestige.

Its publication also ups the stakes in a public battle between army chief General VK Singh and the government which began with a dispute over Singh’s retirement earlier this year.

“The state of the major (fighting) arms i.e. mechanised forces, artillery, air defence, infantry and special forces, as well as the engineers and signals, is indeed alarming,” Singh wrote in the letter, DNA newspaper reported.

The army’s entire tank fleet is “devoid of critical ammunition to defeat enemy tanks,” while the air defence system is “97% obsolete,” he wrote. The infantry is crippled with “deficiencies,” while the elite forces are “woefully short” of “essential weapons.”

Speaking amid an uproar in parliament over the leaked letter, Defence Minister AK Antony confirmed the existence of the letter and said it should not have been made public. Politicians from all parties reacted angrily and some called for the army chief’s resignation if he was found to be behind the leak.

In the letter to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, General Singh reportedly blamed the slow procurement process and lack of urgency among bureaucrats for the “hollowness” of the 1.13-million-strong military.

High Probability for Installation of Israeli Systems on India's New Fighter Aircraft

High Probability for Installation of Israeli Systems on India's New Fighter Aircraft

The Israeli defense industries are becoming optimistic. An updated assessment says that it is likely that India will purchase Israeli systems for its newly procured fighter aircraft – the French Rafale.

A senior source close to the issue said that while the first eighteen aircrafts will be equipped with French systems, it is possible that the other aircraft will be equipped with Israeli-produced systems.

The new assessment is based on the ongoing discussions between defense industry representatives and senior officials in India. “India recognizes the operational superiority of several Israeli systems, and it seems that they will ask for them,” said the source. He added that it’s possible India will insist that the systems be locally produced by companies that have cooperated with Israeli defense industries in the past.

India has already expressed its desire to equip its new fighter aircraft with Israeli-produced systems, though it is doubtful that the French government will approve the move. At this time, India is most interested in Rafael’s Litening pod, which is used for navigation and for locating ground targets.

The system, which is undergoing an upgrade to its fourth-generation series, is in use by air forces around the world and is considered the best of its kind.

China test its J-10 fighters near borders with India

China test its J-10 fighters near borders with India

China has conducted a massive military exercise in the high altitude Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, close to the disputed borders with India, during which it has for the first time tested the multi-role J-10 fighter aircraft.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force have conducted ground attack training over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the "first operation of its kind", official media here reported.

According to a report and photos released by PLA Daily on Wednesday, the ground crew of J-10 regiment fuelled the fighters and loaded ammunition on the 3,500-meter-high plateau at temperatures below -20 C.

The fighters scrambled and attacked the targets with conventional as well as laser-guided bombs.

Sorties were made both during the day and at night, the report said.

It was the second time that the official media released photos of the home made J-10 fighter using laser-guided bombs.

The exercises were highlighted Thursday by another official daily - The Global Times.

The rare display of the news about exercises was seen as a message to the Indian side, which is also beefing up its border regions along the Line of Actual Control, (LAC) by deploying its top end fighter aircraft.

The J-10, which was also being sold to Pakistan, took part in exercises in October last conducted by PLA incorporating air forces and air defence units as well as armour and artillery units in Tibet Autonomous Region.

"The J-10 fighter was initially designed as an air superiority fighter, focusing on air combat and interception capability.

"But with modern sensors, avionics and land attack munitions, it can also perform well in ground attack roles," Bai Wei, former deputy chief editor of Aviation World Monthly told the state run Global Times.

The J-10's activities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have been relatively frequent in the past months, the newspaper said.

"Operations on the plateau are a routine for the air force. The main obstacles for plateau operation are thin air, complicated weather conditions faced by ground crews and low oxygen density, which makes igniting the engines much harder," Bai noted.

The J-10 fighters made their first flight during the Chinese Lunar New Year on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in January this year with a typical air combat patrol payload, namely two mid-range air-to-air missiles, two short-range air-to-air missiles, and three external fuel tanks.

The J-10's primary air combat weapon, the active radar homing mid-range missile dubbed as the PL-12, is a fourth generation radar-homing air-to-air missile, the daily said.

It is generally comparable to the US AIM-120 missile, which has a good service record in past air combat missions, Daniel Tong, a Chinese military observer and founder of the website Chinese Military Aviation said.

The Chengdu J-10 fighter made its official debut in 2006.

The aircraft has been delivered to the air force in large quantities along with the Shengyang J-11 two-engine heavy fighter, Tong said. 

Scorpene submarine sea trials in 2013

Scorpene submarine sea trials in 2013

The first of the six Scorpene submarines ordered by the Indian Navy will be launched for sea trials in 2013, a top official of the firm constructing the submarines has said.

India had placed orders for six Scorpene submarines with French firm DCNS in 2005, of which the first is expected to be commissioned into the Indian Navy by mid-2015 after a delay of around three years.

"As per the schedule, the first Scorpene submarine would be 95 per cent ready towards end of 2013 after which it will be launched for sea trials," DCNS' India head Bernard G Buisson told PTI here.

Sea trials of a submarine are carried out when almost all the weapon systems and sensors to be deployed on board it are integrated.

He said most of the issues causing delays in the submarine programme have been sorted out and expressed confidence that there would be no further delays in the programme.

The six Scorpenes are being constructed at the Mazagon Dockyards Limited (MDL) under Project-75 under technology transfer from French firm DCNS.

The government approval for construction of the six submarines was accorded in September 2005 at a total cost of Rs 18,798 crore and the contract was signed in October that year.

The project cost was revised to Rs 23,562 crore in February 2010, along with revision in delivery schedule.

Commenting on the delays experienced in the project, Defence Minister A K Antony had recently told Parliament that "Most of the teething problems have been resolved and various plans have been put in place to minimise delays."