8ak interview: Raytheon talks about Missile Defence System offered to India; L&T tie-up for tanks

06 Mar 2010 8ak: Raytheon’s David Hartman spoke to 8ak exclusively on the Integrated Missile Defence System – Hawk 2, which it has offered to India in response to a Request for Proposal (RFP) around 18 months ago. He says that even though the system has been there for a long time, timely upgrade has enabled the system to be modern in nature. Explaining the entire Hawk-21 system using a mock-battlefield, Mr Hartman says that the offer includes an active seeker missile system.

Earlier, 8ak had also interviewed Precision Electronics, Managing Director, Mr Ashok Kanodia about their tie up with Raytheon's Electronic Division for offering advanced communications solutions. Further Raytheon had announced a tie-up with L&T for upgrade of the T-72 tanks. Raytheon will provide infrared imaging sights and electronics to improve target accuracy and increase overall system lethality of T-72 tank battalions. Raytheon has provided more than 20,000 thermal sights in 15 countries.

Fritz Treyz, vice president, Raytheon Network Centric Systems India Operations said that "Together (with L&T), we are exploring other opportunities to provide net-centric modernization defense solutions to meet growing demands in India and the global marketplace.

" L&T will develop the fire control systems based on its experience across multiple weapon systems for land, naval and air defense applications. With customer support, L&T will perform the final integration of fire control system and sensors on the T-72 tanks. "L&T is the only Indian company in the private sector that is leading a team for the T-72 upgrade program." said M. V. Kotwal, senior executive vice president and member of the L&T board of directors.

On the commercial side, Raytheon has just won an order from the Airports Authority of India to install AutoTrac III, its next-generation air traffic management system, to help reduce delays in aircraft arrival and departure at the Chennai International Airport.

Defexpo: CAE and Tata ASL's simulator for Russian T-72/T-90 tanks

20 Feb 2010 8ak: CAE, a Montreal, Canada based is known for making commercial flight simulators. In a video interview CAE India's president Mr H.J. Kamath told 8ak Editor, Manu Sood, their ongoing development with Tata Advanced Systems of a simulator for Russian T-72/T-90 tanks based on the army's requirement for 80 of these machines. There are separate modules for the gunner, the driver and crew. 

Retired tank commanders told 8ak that currently it takes up to 3 years for the armed forces to train a tank driver and then there is always unpredictable career movement in both the trainer and trainee. So if the private sector could do this in 3 months, the army should consider. Other army insiders have said that outsourcing to private sector may be possible for jeep drivers but not for tanks as each army would have their own methods of mission training which they would like to keep secret. 

Meanwhile Ajai Shukla reported that the Russians are unhappy about a non-Russian company building a simulator for their tanks. CAE and the other competitor Zen Technologies both deny any IPR have been infringed. 

At their Defexpo stand CAE also demonstrated naval, unmanned systems and forward post observers' training modules. 

21 army men dead as avalanche hits army camp in Kashmir, more in Afpak

Update 12 Feb 2010: 185 dead in Afghanistan. Key tunnel remains closed.

Update 11 Feb 2010: 8 Pakistani soldiers killed in avalanche.

Update 11 Feb 2010: 3 more soldier were killed taking the total to 21. Canandian newspaper says that more people have been killed in Siachen due to cold weather than due to war. 

Update 10 Feb 2010: Indian Express reports that the Snow Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) had warned the Army and it’s High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) but these were ignored. Hindustan Times reports that the Army has initiated a probe and AFP reports that fresh snows have caused another avalanche killing another soldier bringing the total number of army deaths to 18.

Update 10 Feb 2010 VOA reports 17 people have been killed. 

09 Feb 2010 8ak:  As many as 13 army personnel, including an officer, were killed and 15 seriously injured in Baramulla district of Kashmir on Monday when an avalanche hit army’s high altitude warfare training camp. An army spokesman, Lt Colonel J S Brar, said scores more were still missing and rescuers were searching for them in deep snow. Seventy personnel have been rescued, he said. 

The dead included an officer, Lt Prateek, and twelve other ranks from the Army's prestigious High Altitude Warfare School, he said. The rescue work is on in full swing to evacuate the injured and search for survivors under the debris. In the meantime, the injured have been shifted to hospital for treatment. 

Mahindra and BAE Systems’ $22m JV to target land systems, artillery programs alone worth US$8 billion

08 Feb 2010 8ak/Mahindra/BAE PR: Buoyed by an almost certain win of the US$647m M777 ultra light howitzer deal, BAE systems and Mahindra today announced their proposed JV (to be set up in the near future) which has the ambition to become an artillery centre of excellence in India that covers not just manufacturing but development, testing and support. As per a recent industry report, India proposes to spend over US$8 billion on purchasing about 2,814 artillery guns of various types. Besides the manufacture, the spares and service of these guns will in itself be a huge market. 

Defence Land Systems India will be headquartered in New Delhi with manufacturing at a purpose built facility South of Faridabad, just outside of Delhi. Initially there will be about 100 employees and existing projects include the Axe high mobility vehicle as well as up-armored and bulletproof Scorpios, Boleros, Rakshak, Rapid Intervention Vehicles and the Marksman light armored vehicle. A key project is the development of a mine protected vehicle specifically designed to meet the needs of the Indian armed and paramilitary forces. 

Approved by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board of the Government of India (GoI), the parent companies' initial investment will be US$21.25 million over a three year period. The company’s equity split will be 74% Mahindra and 26% BAE Systems, in accordance with the current defence sector Foreign Direct Investment regulations of the GoI. 

Mr. Deepak Chhibba and Mr. Arne Berglund will be Defence Land Systems India’s CEO and Deputy CEO respectively. Deepak Chhibba was earlier EVP International Operations Mahindra & Mahindra and has over 32 years industrial experience. The newly appointed Deputy CEO, Arne Berglund, was previously a director at BAE Systems, Global Combat Systems, in the UK. Arne and has also worked in Singapore, Canada, Sweden and the United States with various BAE Systems and other joint venture companies.

In unrelated news, BAE systems has agreed to pay over $400m to settle bribery allegations - covered in Wall Street Journal.

Successful Agni-III missile tests provide India with a credible deterrent, boost for DRDO

10 Feb 2010: NDTV quotes Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ma Zhaoxu as saying that India and China are friends and that China does not see the missile as a threat. 

08 Feb 2010 8ak: In a significant step forward for India’s missile development program, DRDO has successfully tested the 3,500 km range Agni-III missile on Saturday. The missile, which was tested from the Inner Wheeler Island at Dhamra, a launch site in Bhadrak district, about 200 km from Orissa capital Bhubaneswar, travelled 350 km into the sky before re-entering the atmosphere.

8ak had earlier reported that India was in the process of testing Agni-III. The test was critical for the armed forces because the missiles range gives India the capability to hit territories deep inside China, which includes important cities like Beijing and Shanghai. According to TravelMath, the distance from India's capital New Delhi to Beijing is about 3,800km and 4,200 for Shanghai. (missiles will be fired from eastern borders, not Delhi, hence all major Chinese cities are within the range).

This is the fourth test of the country's most powerful missile. The first test of the missile was conducted on July 9, 2006 from Wheeler Island. After the launch, it was reported that the second stage of the rocket had failed to separate and the missile had fallen well short of its target. Agni-III was again tested on April 12, 2007, this time successfully, from the Wheeler Island off the coast of Orissa. On May 7, 2008 India again successfully test fired this missile. The Agni-III missile is expected to be fully operational by 2012-2013.

The tests are significant as it validates the missiles operational readiness while extending the reach of India's nuclear deterrent to most high-value targets of the nation's most likely adversaries. The missile, with its range, is expected to bolster India’s credible deterrence capability against China. 

A top DRDO official told 8ak that the missile’s Circular Error Probable (CEP) is within 40 meters range, which makes it one of the most sophisticated and accurate ballistic missiles of its range class in the world. Work on the upgraded version of Agni-III missile known as Agni-V has commenced. The missile is expected to have a range of 5,000-6,000 km. It is a three stage solid fuelled missile with composite motor casing in the third stage. Two stages of this missile will be made with advanced composite materials. Agni-V will be able to carry multiple warheads and will have countermeasures against Anti-ballistic missile systems.

India has a very ambitious missile development program. Over the years India has tried to develop numerous new missiles to bolster its attack and retaliatory capabilities. In 2009, the 700km-range nuclear-capable submarine- launched ballistic missile (SLBM) Samaria was tested. Other indigenously built missiles to be tested by India in 2009 year are the 350km-range Prithvi and Russia-India developed supersonic missile Brahmos. These missiles are being developed under the aggressive Integrated Guided Missiles Program (IGMP) launched in 1983 by India to develop futuristic missiles technology based on hypersonic rockets to provide a potent weapon to the armed forces in order to enhance national security.

The DRDO is also developing Astra beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air missile (BVRAAM) for which the captive flight trials are going on. A 2008 Dawn News report quoting India's Mail Today (via Defence.pk) claims that Pakistan has a far more superior missile capabilities compared to India. An overview of Pakistan's missile technology is on Nuclear Threat Initiative. 

Arjun tank to fight for survival, Ajai Shukla probes the decision to buy T-90

08 Feb 2010 8ak: India's Arjun tank will battle for its life against a squadron of Russian T-90s in comparative trials next month. The test results will be crucial as it is likely to determine the controversial vehicle's future which is in jeopardy after the army has refused to buy more than the 124 Arjun tanks. The stated reason was that the army is not happy with the performance of the DRDO developed tank. 

The development of indigenous Arjun tanks commenced almost three decades ago. The Indian Army laid down its qualitative requirement for the Arjun in 1972. In 1982, it was announced that the prototype was ready for field trials. However, the tank was publicly unveiled for the first time only in 1995 after the government had spent US$72 million on the project.

The 24th Infantry Division stationed in Bikaner will conduct the trials in the rugged deserts of the northern state of Rajasthan, around the cities of Bikaner, Suratgarh and also Pokhran, the site of India's first nuclear bomb test in May 1974. As many as 14 Arjun tanks will be pitted against the equal number of Russian T-90s during the trials. 

Senior army officials revealed to 8ak that the tests were being conducted to determine the role Arjun can play in the security of India and also to assess the strong and weak areas of the tank. He further added that officials of DRDO would be present during the test to find out the areas where the performance of Arjun can be enhanced. The DRDO had handed over 16 tanks to the Indian Army last year, completing one regiment of 45 tanks. The regiment was then subjected to conversion training and field practice.

The Arjun measures just under 33 feet long and 12 feet wide. Armor is a Kanchan steel-composite sandwich development. A 1,400 horsepower diesel engine gives it an operational range of 280 miles with a speed of 45 mph on roads and 25 mph cross-country. The 120mm rifled main turret gun can fire the LAHAT anti-tank missile. Secondary armaments are a MAG 7.62mm Tk715 coaxial machine gun and an HCB 12.7mm AA machine gun.

The tank was meant to supplement and eventually replace the Soviet-era T-72 MBT that was first inducted in the early 1980s. However, delays in the Arjun project and Pakistan’s decision to purchase the T-80 from Ukraine, prompted India to order 310 T-90s, an upgraded version of the T-72, in 2001.

The test is the last chance for DRDO to instil life into the Arjun program, which it says would be economically feasible only if the army ordered 500 tanks. If the performance of the tank is up to the set parameters there is a strong possibility that the army will be forced to order more Arjun tanks. On the other hand, a poor performance will certainly seal the fate of the Arjun program and kill DRDO's hopes of providing Indian army a indigenous set of tanks. 

And a must read article from Ajai Shukla basically saying that decision makers took out critical parts of the T-90 tank to make it appear comparable in price to the Arjun, so that the government could continue to buy Russian. The biggest battle it seems for the Arjun is not to prove its battle worthiness, rather to fight entrenched power players! Not that 8ak wants to glorify the Arjun beyond its capabilities. Informed sources tell us that Arjun faces such serious flaws that it cannot reach border areas in times of conflict. The issues they say (unconfirmed by 8ak) are that the filter needs changing every 5kms in desert/dusty conditions, the tank is too heavy for transportable bridges and too wide to be transported on India's railways.