Defence technologies transferred to India not the best: Antony

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http://www.sify.com/news/defence-te...he-best-antony-news-national-lchuuijdchc.html

Bangalore, Feb 7 (IANS) India Monday said it had not benefited much from international cooperation in critical defence technologies in the field of aerospace and armaments, as the technology transferred to it was not the best.

Inaugurating a three-day international seminar on aerospace technologies here ahead of the five-day AeroIndia show beginning Wednesday, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said it was important for India to have cooperation with military powers in the field of defence, but the transfer of technology offered by countries were not the latest.

'Don't expect any country in the world, however friendly it is, to part with most modern technology. That's the reality of the world,' Antony said, terming the technology transfers it had obtained from other nations as 'not being A-grade'.

India has been collaborating with countries like Russia, France, Israel and the US in obtaining weapons systems for its armed forces, including front-line Sukhoi SU-30 fighter jets, Scorpene submarines and the BrahMos cruise missile.

Antony cautioned India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), India Inc, universities and other scientific institutions to jointly work towards maximising efforts in the field of defence technology and assured them of government's unstinted support so that the country need not depend on imports and borrowed technologies for its armed forces.

Though India produces its own equipment such as small arms, tanks and fighter jets, most of them are borrowed technologies, resulting in its defence imports touching about 70 percent of its needs.

However, the minister stressed that cooperation was absolutely necessary at all levels, be it local, national or global, for the nation's progress in defence technology.

Antony said India's indigenous fighter jet Tejas has to combine both technology and product development all at one go in view of technology denials at some stage or the other.

This was unlike in other parts of the world where technology development precedes product development, he noted

Despite odds, the DRDO and the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) handed over the aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in a reasonable time-frame, in comparison to other similar class of combat aircraft in the developed world, he added.

After incorporating all improvements that IAF wants, Tejas was expected to be made ready by HAL in all aspects including armament by the next edition of AeroIndia in 2013.

'Though Tejas has often been criticised for long delays, we have tried to make a world class aircraft. The world over, while technology development precedes product development, we attempted both at the same time in the case of LCA as we were denied technologies and had to find solutions the hard way,' Antony said.

Expressing satisfaction on the success of other products, namely the Akash missile system and unmanned aircraft Nishant, pilotless target aircraft Lakshya and varieties of airborne early warning systems, the defence minister said there was a lot more to be done to meet the needs of the armed forces.

Listing out the challenging roadmap of various aerospace programmes like the advanced medium combat aircraft, aerostats, unmanned combat aircraft, airborne early warning and control systems, medium altitude long range unmanned aircraft Rustom and the indigenous gas turbine engine Kaveri, Antony said it offered opportunities not only for all indigenous institutions and industries, but also for partners around the globe.

'We have chalked out an ambitious roadmap to develop many challenging aerospace programmes to meet the needs of our armed forces,' he added.

Exhorting the state-run defence units to improve quality and pace of interactions with the armed forces, Antony said the need of the hour was to enhance the percentage of indigenous systems for meeting their requirements and security concerns.

'Though the roadmap provides immense opportunities for the defence research and development establishments and the private industry, greater indigenisation and self-reliance are essential as no country, however friendly, will part with its critical technologies for strategic reasons,' he told about 800 delegates.

Minister of State for Defence Production M.M. Pallam Raju, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik, Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister V.K. Saraswat and DRDO Chief Controller for R&D Projects Prahlada also spoke on the occasion.
 

chex3009

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Its sad but true, no country in the world would share the best they have got, so we always end up having the 2nd tier of their products.

So we definitely need to focus on indigenisation but we have to develop technological base from out universities and already functioning units like DRDO and back it with strong supply chains ans allowing further access to private players,

This would definitely help us and the results would start to show up in a decades time, we need to do lot though.
 

chex3009

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knowing this fact ,why isn't he stressing indigenous programs???
Infact it was our Defence Minister Anthony himself to stressed on inducting 40 Tejas for IAF eventhough our ACM did not liked it much.

Anthony has definitely did his best to promote indigenisation.
 
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Infact it was our Defence Minister Anthony himself to stressed on inducting 40 Tejas for IAF eventhough our ACM did not liked it much.

Anthony has definitely did his best to promote indigenisation.
when doing multibillion dollar deals he should settle for nothing but the best or he is not doing his job as aggressively as he should be.
 

roma

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when doing multibillion dollar deals he should settle for nothing but the best or he is not doing his job as aggressively as he should be.
agree wholeheartedly Bro , but keep in mind the realities of the situations(s) .... many joint venture partners might well have had the attitude of this is the best we can give you " take it or ..... " .... personally Kudos to Anthony for being frank , honest enough and gutsy enough to say it and in public too in front of all of them at the AeroIndia ... in a way it's politely giving them notice , would'nt you say ?
 
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Rage

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So, our Defense Minister finally does something right. This is the first sane, useful thing I've heard comin' out from him under his tenure.

knowing this fact ,why isn't he stressing indigenous programs???
Oh, he's stressing indigenous programs alrite. Indigenous industry has actually received a boost under his guidance. Although the pace of indigenous activity could do with a little more stress-ing.

What is the problem is: kickbacks. Too many, and far too many delays in procurement. That, in the short - medium term, is hurting our defense badly.

I appreciate the fact that he's trying to kick out corruption from the Army, that he's implemented the Col. A.V. Singh II report to create new posts and eliminate the middle rung bulge in the Indian Army. I appreciate the fact that he's stressing upon domestics, domestic contracts and transparency in the tenure process. What I don't appreciate, is that his mantra has led to a near-freeze on defence procurement that has severely handicapped the Armed forces.

Statements like these by him are actually welcome. It throws light on the subject, in the media and makes foreign companies aware that this is now a matter of concern in policy and on procurement. How far he's going to go to implement it and how well he does it, is of course a matter of concern.
 
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roma

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let's remember he was the one who dared name PRC dragon as india's #1 lookout and for that he's been targetted by them since - but it hasn't fazed him - not a perfect person perhaps , but easily one of the better we've had
 
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agree wholeheartedly Bro , but keep in mind the realities of the situations(s) .... many joint venture partners might well have had the attitude of this is the best we can give you " take it or ..... " .... personally Kudos to Anthony for being frank , honest enough and gutsy enough to say it and in public too in front of all of them at the AeroIndia ... in a way it's politely giving them notice , would'nt you say ?
many times the details are not clear to the public, when they say transfer of technology he needs to ask what exact will be transferred?? for example the TOT on our sukhois are kits sent by Russia and put together in India. This is not real TOT where we are doing nothing more than the final assembly and learning nothing new.
 
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So, our Defense Minister finally does something right. This is the first sane, useful thing I've heard comin' out from him under his tenure.



Oh, he's stressing indigenous programs alrite. Indigenous industry has actually received a boost under his guidance. Although the pace of indigenous activity could do with a little more stress-ing.

What is the problem is: kickbacks. Too many, and far too many delays in procurement. That, in the short - medium term, is hurting our defense badly.

I appreciate the fact that he's trying to kick out corruption from the Army, that he's implemented the Col. A.V. Singh II report to create new posts and eliminate the middle rung bulge in the Indian Army. I appreciate the fact that he's stressing upon domestics, domestic contracts and transparency in the tenure process. What I don't appreciate, is that his mantra has led to a near-freeze on defence procurement that has severely handicapped the Armed forces.

Statements like these by him are actually welcome. It throws light on the subject, in the media and makes foreign companies aware that this is now a matter of concern in policy and on procurement. How far he's going to go to implement it and how well he does it, is of course a matter of concern.
I admire his honesty and for him to make a statement like this reveals that he is not 100% to blame for many of the issues in our defense procurement. I just hope this is not a statement hinting at a MRCA choice.
 

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