RFI for Trajectory Correctable Munitions, Terminally Guided Munitions

9 Jun 2010 8ak: DG Artillery under the Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Army) has released 3 RFIs related to ammunition. Two of them are in relation to smart ammunition - Trajectory Correctible Ammunition (TCM) and Terminally Guided Munition (TGM). 

8ak did an article on 11 May 2010 that "Less than 1% of Indian munition is Precision Guided". So it good to see that the Army is seriously considering this purchase. The following is a tech primer. 8ak's detailed report "Challenges in India's Artillery Modernisation Program" will be released on Jun 14 which will be tech primer, operating guide and summary of artillery tenders, all in one.   

In conventional munition, a fuze is attached to the shell and acts purely as a detonation device which controls whether the munition bursts after a set time, after penetrating the target or at a particular distance from it. In case of such conventional ammunition, the probability of hitting the target is directly proportional to the distance from the gun. There are currently two main ways to make munitions more accurate. 

a) Provide navigational information to the munition. Using GPS/INS information, the shell can correct its line and range for improved accuracy. This is trajectory correctible munition (TCM). 

b) Since the target could have moved by the time the co-ordinates reach the gunner, the second method is that instead of getting locational information, the sensors instead get information from the target. In case of the Copperhead or Russian Krasnopol, which are laser guided, the target has to be highlighted with a laser designator, possibly by a forward observer. Since the munition is guided by emissions from or bouncing off the target, it is called Terminally Guided Munition (TGM). 

When there is no one to illuminate/highlight the target, sensors IIR/MMW can be fitted in to the fuze/shell so that it can identify the target itself. In case of the now discontinued Sadarm system this was done via a IIR/MMW sensor fuzed submunitions over the target. This top-attack munition could take out a tank. 

But these methods are expensive. Each Excalibur shell in use by the American's in Afghanistan is $80,000 - 100,000. Also, most countries have huge ammunition stockpiles that are not refreshed unless used in war or discarded due to obsolescence. Hence, there are precision guided kits that are basically a replacement for the fuze. These mostly have GPS/INS capability and cost less than $3,000 and offer similar CEPs as that of TCMs.

Use of precision weapons reduces the amount of ammunition required to achieve the mission and hence huge reduction in inventory and related logistics. So it is easy to think that this could be the end of dumb ammunition. But it is not because at short ranges dumb munitions may be just as effective, they are much cheaper and can be used in combination with smart ammunition. For eg a commander may choose to first use a few precision rounds and then follow up with 'steel rain' to create psychological fear in the enemy and destroy other lower value targets/infrastructure. Hence, IHQ (Army) has simultaneously issued a RFI for a 120mm mortar system. US company ATK also offers precision capability in mortars. 

The tenders can be found on tenders.gov.in or please email the editor *@* 8ak.in. Key people who are expected to respond are BAE Systems, Israel's IAI and Russia's KBP Instrument Design Bureau.

RFI updates - Tank, Amphibious Carbines, ELINT, Wimax, Fibre Optic Network

05 Jun 2010 8ak: On 24 Sep 2009 8ak had reported that the Indian Ministry of Defence issued a Request for Information (RFI) for 300 Light Tanks of which 200 will be wheeled and 100 will be tracked. It is reported that the vendors only provided generic details and so the MoD has released a follow-up RFP asking for more clarifications. The diesel-engine tanks will be deployed in High Altitude Areas above 3,000m and will be capable of operating in mountainous, semi-developed terrain. The amphibious tanks are expected to be capable of destroying bunkers and "soft-skin vehicles" at ranges up to 3km and also against attack helicopters and low flying fixed wing aircrafts. Download the latest RFI here. 

After issuing the Request for Information (RFI) to procure diver propulsion vehicles, The Indian Army have launched a RFI for procurement of 7.62 x 51mm caliber underwater assault rifles. As per the RFI, Indian Army is looking for a weapon which can be carried underwater along with its additional accessories and can be used immediately after surfacing from the water. The RFI also specifies that the rifle should have military standard picatinny rails along with reflex/holographic sights, night/TI sights, IR lasers and tactical lights. Interested vendors have been given time till 30 June 2010 to respond to the RFI, based on which the Request for Proposal will be formulated. The RFI is here. 

With the increased threat perception, requirement to 'shoot and scoot' and need for equipment to be connected to a network, the spectrum needs of the armed forces is only increasing. Unfortunately, so is the increased demand from the civilian sector. One topic to be covered on 8ak is the absence of spectrum allocated to the Ministry of Home Affairs. So the army's long reluctance to hand over 45 Mhz spectrum (25Mhz for 3G) is understandable. However, there are two alternate solutions, Wimax and a dedicated defence Optic Fibre Network. Wimax uses a different spectrum unusable for current mobile networks and so aWimax equipment tender that has just been released may lead to a huge future opportunity. 

BSNL meanwhile says that it will delivery a complete fibre optic network exclusively for defence use by 2012 and that work on this Rs 10,000 crore (US$2.2billion) project is underway with equipment purchases to begin in July 2010. , the optic fibre network for defence will connect 219 army, 33 navy and 162 air force bases and herald the network centricity of the armed forces, at least by core infrastructure. Egos, power politics, DPSU bullying, established hierarchies etc will delay the implementation of various systems like the Tactical Communication System that will rely on this network. 

The other RFI is for electronics intelligence receiver. Various ammunition tenders are out and will be covered in detail shortly. 

New Secretary Defence Finance, Nita Kapoor

01 Jun 2010 PIB/MoD: Smt Nita Kapoor, an IDAS officer of 1973 batch has taken over as new Secretary (Defence Finance). Smt Kapoor was Controller General of Defence Accounts before taking over her new assignment.

She has worked in Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Science & Technology, UPSC and National Commission for Women apart from holding the positions of PCDA (WC) Chandigarh, Addl. CGDA and then CGDA prior to her appointment as Secretary (Defence Finance). An alumnus of National Defence College, New Delhi. She is the first woman officer ever from north-east to become Secretary (Defence Finance).

According to the MoD, The Ministry of Defence (Finance), is responsible for financial scrutiny, vetting, advice and concurrence of all proposals of the Ministry of Defence, both from the Defence Service Estimates, and the Civil Estimates. The above role and functions are exercised through a hierarchical structure headed by the Financial Adviser (Defence Services) and officers of the Finance Division. The SDF/ FADS is assisted by five Addl. Financial Advisers, about 20 Directors/Dy.Financial Advisers, and about 30 Assistant Finacial Advisers and 30 Sections. On the Defence Acquisitions side, the SDF/ FADS is assisted by a Financial Adviser (Acquisitions), 3 Finance Managers, 3 Directors/ DFAs. The AFAs/Sections are common to both Revenue and Capital side proposal examination/ vetting and scrutiny.

Expect more rich bureaucracy as the press release proudly claims that Smt Nita Kapoor brings with her a "rich bureaucratic experience of almost 37 years" to the Ministry of Defence. 

Indian Army issues RFI for new SR-SAM system

04 Apr 2010 8ak: The Indian Army has issued a Request for Inquiry (RFI) for procurement of new short range, surface-to-air-missile system (SR-SAM) to replace the Soviet-era OSA-AK (SA-8) and SA-6 units, which are nothing but obsolete now. 

A senior army official told 8ak, “The procurement of new SR-SAM was on the cards for a long time, but could not materialise due to certain formalities which should be completed by early 2011. The new SR-SAM will go a long way in securing the nation from aerial threats and enhance the defence capabilities of our armed forces,” he added. 

As per the RFI, the Indian Army is looking for a 20-km range missile system with active and passive guidance, with the capacity to engage targets moving up to 500 metres/second, and including hovering targets, such as UAVs, aircrafts, choppers etc. It also wants to know, if the proposed a missile system by the bidder can be transported on both rail and road mobile launchers to all parts of the country.

The RFI also clarifies that the radar of the SRSAM system should be capable of tracking a number of targets simultaneously and should have Electronic Counter Counter-Measures (ECCM) to be able to support the electronic warfare environment. Taking a note on changing dimensions of war, the RFI states that the proposed system should be capable of operating in Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) warfare environment.

Indian Army looking to procure Diver Propulsion Vehicles

04 May 2010 8ak: As part of an attempt to modernise its soldiers by providing them the best possible equipment available, the Indian Army has issued a Request for Inquiry (RFI) to buy diver propulsion vehicles (DPVs) for its commando divers. 

As per the RFI, the DPV should be capable of carrying two fully equipped combat divers along with additional 60 to 80-kg of cargo over a distance of not less than 5 nautical miles and have a cruising speed of not less than 2-knots and be capable of operating up to a depth of 30m. 

The Indian Army requirement states that the DPV should have an advanced and reliable navigation system preferably with depth gauging facility. It should be light weight, made of marine grade materials and be able to be easily carried over land by two personnel over short distance and in a vehicle over longer distances and also be capable of being para-dropped with suitable preparations.

RFP for trainers after consistent IAF pressure

21 Apr 2010 8ak: Aviation Week reports that the manufacturers have submitted the bids to sell 75 trainer aircrafts a unit to India and once a decision is made, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) will float a bid for the design of 104 aircrafts. 

The Ministry of Defence had issued the Request for Proposal (RFP) to acquire 75 basic aircrafts for the IAF to a dozen global aircraft manufacturers. The manufacturers include global turboprop aircraft manufacturers such as Embraer, Pilatus, Raytheon, Finmeccanica, Grob, EADS PZL and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and a pre-bid meeting was held on 02 February. Top brass of the IAF told 8ak that even though the bids have been submitted it would take a year for the entire process to materialise if all goes per plan, since the entire tender process will have to be carried out, which was a very cumbersome process involving decision makers who have no knowledge of equipment or the needs of the IAF.

According to the RFP the manufacturer will have to deliver the first 12 aircraft within 24 months of the contract. The remaining trainers will follow in batches. The 75 aircraft are part of the government’s go- ahead to the IAF for the acquisition of 181 basic trainers. Sources told 8ak that it was a very difficult task to convince the government to buy new trainer aircrafts for the IAF and the process could only be initiated after playing hardball with the government. The urgency to acquire new trainers was felt  after grounding of the 125-strong Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) designed and manufactured Hindustan Piston

Trainer-32 (HPT-32) fleet, on which the initial training of flight cadets is conducted was grounded after one of these aircraft crashed killing two instructors during a flight from the Air Force Academy (AFA) at Dundigal. 

The crash triggered major resentment amongst the instructors who refused to fly the ageing aircraft. As a make shift arrangement the initial training of pilots, since then, is being done on another HAL manufactured aircraft - Kirans.  The HPT-32 fleet since then remains grounded and is expected to be phased out by 2013-14. The induction of new trainer aircraft will enhance the training standards of the IAF pilots, which has come under severe criticism due to increasing pilot deaths in the past two decades, resulting due to a combination of ageing Soviet era fleet and poor training. The IAF also inducted BAE systems manufactured Hawk advanced jet trainers (AJTs) in 2008 to impart superior training to pilots-under-training. The induction of the Hawk AJTs is significant because it fulfilled a long-standing demand of the IAF that will effectively bridge the gap between the slow jet trainer such as Kiran and the advanced fighter aircrafts in the Air Force. 

The Korean submission in this bid is a result of their successful offset policy from which India has a lot to learn. However, last year there was bad blood between the offset partner Lockheed Martin and KAI over losing a trainer tender in the UAE. As per this article, KAI apparently accused Lockheed of not providing it the support required during the bidding process.