Defence Ministry

Mega Military Projects Worth Rs 2 L Cr To Be Discussed Tomorrow

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government is set to give a big push to indigenisation in the defence sector as the Defence Ministry is scheduled to hold a meeting to discuss projects worth around Rs 2 lakh crore including two mega fighter aircraft projects and the light attack helicopter deal.

The high-profile Defence Acquisition Council meeting led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by entire top military brass is scheduled to be held on Thursday, defence sources said.

The projects on the agenda include India’s largest-ever deal to buy 97 Light Combat Aircraft Mark1A and upgrade 84 Su-30MKIs.

Both the projects planned to be carried out indigenously are expected to open up huge export potential for the Indian military industry, the sources said.

The other major project is the plan to acquire 156 Light Combat Helicopter Prachand which would be divided between the Army and the Air Force which is the lead service for procurement in this case.

The plan also includes buying 400 Tower Artillery Gun Systems which are likely to cost around Rs 6,500 crore. The Indian Army also has proposals related to assault rifle procurement and armoured personnel carriers for discussion at the meeting.

The indigenous Medium Range Surface to Air Missile air defence system for the Indian Navy would also be a critical project for indigenisation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been leading the drive for indigenous defence systems and has virtually banned imports from foreign countries.

Several routes for indigenisation have been allowed for the forces to meet their critical requirements but indigenously developed and designed equipment is given top priority.

India has also been able to get rid of the tag of being the largest importer of weapons in the world by following the indigenisation path. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Ukraine Russia

Russia Claims Its Forces Captured Ukrainian Village Of Novoselivske 

Russia’s forces have captured a village in northeastern Ukraine, an area that has seen a growing concentration of Russian armies, CNN reported citing Moscow’s Defence Ministry. 

The Russian Defence Ministry said that their forces now have control of the Novoselivske’s settlement region. Novoselivske lies on the border of the Luhansk and Kharkiv regions and has been on the front lines since a Ukrainian push recaptured much of Kharkiv last September.

Russia also added that they have improved the forces’ position along the front line near two villages nearby, according to CNN.

The defence ministry published a video of the Russian advance in the area, which has been geolocated by CNN as occurring in Novoselivske.

Ukraine seems intent on using a new generation of powerful maritime drones against Russian ships — both merchant and naval — in the Black Sea, opening up a new front in the 18-month war.

In the space of 24 hours, Ukraine attacked two Russian vessels — a naval landing ship and a fuel tanker —in the eastern Black Sea by maritime drones. 

Earlier, the Ukrainian Security Service source claimed that they had attacked the drone carrying 450 kilograms (992 pounds) of TNT shortly before midnight, CNN reported on Friday (US Time).

One of Russia’s biggest oil tankers was struck by a maritime drone. The strike created a hole in the vessel’s engine room at the waterline on the starboard side, forcing the 11-strong crew to fight the water intake, Russian authorities said. The flooding eventually stopped.

The Black Sea has been a vital theatre of the war since Russia’s full-scale invasion almost a year and a half ago, with Russian warships there firing cruise missiles at Ukraine, including at targets hundreds of miles inland, and enforcing a blockade of Ukrainian ports.

Moscow’s fleet keeps a more cautious distance from Ukraine’s coast since Ukrainian forces sank the cruiser Moskva, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, in April 2022, using missiles fired from shore.

The naval conflict has heated up recently as Ukraine has expanded the size and reach of its drone force. Raising the stakes still higher, Russia withdrew last month from a deal allowing grain ships to pass to and from Ukraine, stepped up its bombardment of Ukrainian ports and made threats against civilian shipping from other nations trying to reach Ukraine.

Officials in Kyiv claim that since halting the agreement, Russia has destroyed more than 200,000 tons of grain bound for overseas markets, The New York Times reported. (ANI)

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/

India Developing Its Own 400 Km Class LRSAM Air Defence System

In what could be a major boost for self-reliance in the defence sector, India is indigenously developing a three-layered long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM)  defence system which would be able to strike down enemy aircraft and missiles at around 400 Km ranges.

The proposal for developing a three-layered long-range surface-to-air missile system is at an advanced stage in the Defence Ministry and is expected to be taken up for clearance soon, defence sources told ANI.
The over USD 2.5 billion project will help india to be part of an elite group of militaries with indigenous capabilities to shoot down enemy assets in the air from such ranges, they said.

The missile system will have three layers of surface-to-air missiles, which would allow it to hit targets at different ranges.

The surface-to-air missile system development work has been taking place as India worked with Israel to develop the medium-range surface-to-air missile system MRSAM which can hit aerial targets at 70 plus kms.

The Indian system, sources said, would be very capable and would certainly be in the class of the S-400 air defence system already acquired from Russia and deployed along the China and Pakistan border.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has made significant success in terms of developing air defence weapons for both ground-based and warship-based systems.

After the LRSAM project was taken up by the DRDO, the Indian Navy changed the name of its indigenous LRSAM system to MRSAM.

The Army and the IAF already had named a similar indigenous system as MRSAM.

The Indian defence forces already have the S-400 air defence systems, which can hit targets at 400 Km maximum distance and also have the capability to take out targets at shorter ranges too.

The system is used by the Chinese military as well, which has deployed it along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India. The Chinese also have their indigenous air defence systems but they are less capable than the S-400.

Three squadrons of the S-400 have already arrived in India and operationalised but the delivery schedule of the remaining two units is unclear.

The project lead for the LRSAM project would be the Indian Air Force which is keen on promoting indigenisation in defence hardware. (ANI)

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/

Scorpene Submarines From France

India To Buy 26 Rafales, 3 Scorpene Submarines From France

In a major development, India is planning to buy 26 Rafale fighter aircraft and three Scorpene class conventional submarines from France.

The proposals have been placed before the Defence Ministry by the defence forces and are likely to be announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France this week, government sources told ANI.
As per the proposals, the Indian Navy will get 22 single-seated Rafale Marine aircraft along with four trainer aircraft.

The Navy had been pressing for acquiring these fighter aircraft and submarines urgently as they have been facing shortages in view of the security challenges around the country.

The aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and Vikrant have been operating the MiG-29s and need the Rafales for operations on both carriers.

Meanwhile, the three Scorpene class submarines would be acquired under the repeat clause by the Navy as part of Project 75 where they would be built in the Mazagon Dockyards Limited in Mumbai.

The deals are estimated to be worth over Rs 90,000 crore but the final cost would be clear only after the contract negotiations are completed which will be held after the deal is announced.

India is likely to seek price concessions in the deal and would be insisting on having more ‘Make-in-India’ content in the plan, sources said.

Industry sources said for the Rafale M deal, India and France are expected to form a joint team to negotiate the deal like it was done for the previous Rafale deal for 36 fighter aircraft.

The proposals have been discussed in the defence ministry at high-level meetings already and are likely to be placed before the defence acquisition council in the next few days and expected to be accorded Acceptance of Necessity by the government before the announcement in France. (ANI)

Read More: http://13.232.95.176/

Akash air defence missile systems

Army Signs Over Rs 6000Cr Deal For Akash Air Defence Missile

In a major boost for the Make in India in Defence, Bharat Dynamics Limited has signed a deal for supplying two regiments of upgraded version of the Akash air defence missile systems to the Indian Army.

The deal for the third and fourth regiments of the missile system has been signed with BDL and would cost over Rs 6000 crore.
“This would be the upgraded versions of the missile system with seekers and give more accuracy to Indian Army while taking out any offensive enemy aircraft or drone on the border,” top defence sources told ANI.

The clearance of these two missile regiments can be considered to be a victory for Make in India initiative as these were earlier planned to be imported from abroad but the Narendra Modi government decided to induct the indigenous weapon system only.

The upgraded Akash missile systems have been enabled to be effective on high altitude frontiers such as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in north.

In comparison to the existing Akash System, the upgraded version is equipped with an indigenous active Radio Frequency (RF) seeker for improved accuracy.

Other improvements also ensure more reliable performance under low-temperature environments at higher altitudes. A modified ground system of the existing Akash weapon system has also been used.

The Akash system has further enhanced the confidence of the users (Indian Army and Indian Air Force).

The missile can be deployed at heights up to 4,500 metres and can take down targets at a distance of around 25 to 30 km. (ANI)

Read More:http://13.232.95.176/

Army To Buy 307 ATAGS Howitzers

Def Min To Discuss Army’s Proposal For Acquiring 354 ‘Zorawar’ Tanks

The Defence Ministry will take up an important Army proposal for the development of light tanks for deployment on the China border at a meeting scheduled to be held later this week.

The high-level meeting of the Defence Ministry will discuss the proposal for buying 354 of these tanks under Make in India, government sources told ANI.
The Indian Army has issued specifications for its future light tank which has been named ‘Zorawar’.

The tank has been named after the legendary general who led multiple successful victories in Tibet which is now controlled by the Chinese Army.

Army officials said that to overcome the limitations faced by medium battle tanks and equip the Indian Army for all contingencies in High Altitude Area (HAA), marginal terrain, and island territories besides its utilization in the plains, semi-deserts, and deserts, it is now important to induct light tanks.

The Indian Army had to induct a considerable number of T-72 and T-90 tanks in operational areas, gaining tactical surprise over the adversary and thereby forcing the adversary on a back foot.

“However, the tanks were primarily designed for operations in plains and desert terrain having their own limitations when employed in high altitude Areas. They face a similar handicap when employed in marginal terrain of Rann of Kutch,” an official said. (ANI)

Read more: http://13.232.95.176/

Launched ICBM To Give Stronger Warning To US: North Korea

India Successfully Test-Fires Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile From INS Arihant

INS Arihant carried out a successful launch of a Submarine Launched by a Ballistic Missile (SLBM) on Friday, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The missile was tested to a predetermined range and impacted the target area in the Bay of Bengal with very high accuracy.
“All operational and technological parameters of the weapon system have been validated,” the ministry said.

The successful user training launch of the SLBM by INS Arihant is significant to prove crew competency and validate the SSBN program, a key element of India’s nuclear deterrence capability.

A robust, survivable and assured retaliatory capability is in keeping with India’s policy to have ‘Credible Minimum Deterrence’ that underpins its ‘No First Use’ commitment. (ANI)

Read More:http://13.232.95.176/

New CDS Has A Dual-Hatted Role & Multiple Challenges

Amidst so much ongoing controversy and toxic debate in India, one decision of the Narendra Modi Government to receive universal welcome is that of the appointment of the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) at the top of three pyramids of the armed forces.  

Appointed to the post is General Bipin Rawat, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM, ADC. Age 61 and commissioned in 1978, his three-year tenure as the 27th Chief of Army Staff concluded over the year-end.   

His appointment fits into the current dispensation’s muscular approach to security-related issues. Some of it has stridently entered the political arena and public discourse (read Pakistan), dividing people, but also capturing popular imagination.

But that does not diminish the CDS’ importance as a reform in management of military affairs at the top and for the vital military-civil synergy.

India was the only large democracy without a single-point military advisor with all P5 countries having one, till Modi announced the intent during his Independence Day speech in August 2019. His government stands out, like the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government did, for taking long-pending security related decisions on which the past Congress-led governments were extremely cautious. After years of debating, the Vajpayee regime had appointed a National Security Advisor. Today the NSA has Cabinet rank in the government.

The status of the CDS, of course, will be below that. He will be heading a new Department of Military Affairs within the Ministry of Defence. As the name indicates, it is envisaged as the principal focal point for military affairs within the civilian set-up.

This has been long awaited by the military, albeit with silent reservations in its top echelons, depending upon individual and institutional preferences. But this military super-boss should certainly cause deep consternation among the civil servants.

On Independence, India inherited British-trained military forces whose top officials took orders from civilians who in turn enforced what London desired. The new leadership, concerned about the role the military was playing post the World War II, particularly in Asia and in its immediate neighbourhood, consciously enforced civilian supremacy. As a result, India became a democracy, howsoever chaotic, while the military seized power for long years in the next decade or so, in Pakistan, Myanmar, Indonesia and elsewhere. 

Also Read: We Stay Away From Politics: CDS Rawat

This political supremacy and civilian control over the military in India has, in effect, meant overriding powers for the bureaucrats who have kept the military way down in parity. The CDS’ appointment tweaks this arrangement a bit, gently introducing into the room a man in uniform. At the same time, the CDS has been assigned no command function, which means the three Services Chiefs are free to run the day-to-day affairs.

By assigning the CDS a key role in planning, procurement, tri-service institutions, defence diplomacy and quality assurance, the government could simultaneously unleash a host of critical reforms that have been unheard of until now.

Past records show that the idea of creation of such a post goes back seven decades to Lord Mountbatten, India’s last British Viceroy. As Army Chief, General KV Krishna Rao had advanced creation of the post of CDS in 1982.

It was formally envisaged after the Kargil war in 1999, but was put on the back-burner, despite authorities recommending the need for creating a post for a single command centre in matters of warfare and nuclear weaponry.

The Kargil Review Committee, Report of Task Force on National Security (Naresh Chandra Committee), and the Committee of Experts on Enhancing Capability and Rebalance Defence Expenditure (General Shekatkar Committee) had chalked out a strategy for higher defence management.

In 2017, intelligence and security officials and analysts had said that the absence of a CDS was hampering India’s combat capabilities. With an ongoing proxy war with Pakistan and a stand-off with China on Doklam plateau, many security officials said a single chain of command was imperative to strengthen India’s collective defence might.

About the CDS’ positioning, veteran security analyst Commodore (rtd.) Ranjit observes: “History needs to be heeded as access to the Prime Minister in India as head of the Cabinet matters as India runs on Cabinet Control. President is Commander-in-Chief only formally. The PM retains the real power.” Hence, personality of the Chief matters.”

He recalls: “In 1971 General (later Field Marshal) Sam Manekshaw set a bench mark as the Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) to act like a CDS with direct access to the Defence Minister and Prime Minister. This instilled confidence and ensured effective preparations for the impending war that followed in 1971. It took months to get the machinery going for that victory, something we ought not to forget.”

But Manekshaw did not make it to the CDS post. He “almost became CDS but then IAF Chief ACM Pratap Lal had objected (as per Lal’s autobiography).”

Rai offers another recall: “When the Navy Chief, Admiral S M Nanda was told by the Defence Secretary on phone that Manekshaw was going to be the CDS, he remarked, ‘make any one anything as long as you do not remove a star from me’, or words to that effect.” Years later, Admiral Sushil Kumar could not become the CDS due to the Air Chief’s objection.

Indeed, several Chiefs of one Service or the other have objected to having a super-boss. If the Army is oldest and many times larger than the Navy and the Air Force, goes the argument, the latter two are more technical in tune with modern times and in no way less in strategic terms. 

The Modi Government has ignored/over-ridden such a possibility. But issues could arise in the future. To avoid such situations, Rai strongly recommends, “the CDS will have to bring in Jointness and many challenges will then ease in his big task of tri-Service training and procurement and operations.”

As an aspiring regional power jointmanship is the way forward for India, like the United States, China, the UK and Australia. It may not be easy since the Services Chiefs have had no experience of working under a single, unified command. On the other hand, given the way the system works in India, there is fear that this may end up as another layer, like an onion peel in the multilayered and often opaque decision-making apparatus.

While the Department and the Defence Ministry shall remain intact in its original form, the CDS will be the single-point advisor to the Defence Minister. But that the three Service Chiefs will continue to remain advisors to the Defence Minister about their own Services seems contradictory.

As Lt. Gen. (rtd.) Prakash Menon puts it, in essence, the CDS “is dual-hatted and will have to adjudge contentious issues initially at the inter-service level as Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (PC-COSC), and thereafter as CDS at the departmental level.”

This “dual-hatting” is better explained by the need for the CDS to act as a bridge between the political leadership and the military instrument, which has to encompass the shaping of the military through long term plans that are guided politically.

The writer can be reached at mahendraved07@gmail.com