Indian Defense Acquisitions - Co- Developments and Production

[Patriot]

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

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 increasing need for equipment to be connected to a network, the spectrum needs of the armed forces is only going up. Unfortunately, so is the increased demand from 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. A Wimax equipment tender has just been released. 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.




http://www.8ak.in/8ak_india_defence_news/2010/06/rfi-updates-tank-amphibious-carbines-elint-wimax-fibre-optic-wimax.html

 

[Patriot]

New Policy by Ministry of Defence to boost Indian Arms Industry


Ajai Shukla / New Delhi June 08, 2010, 0:47 IST

Facing sustained criticism for its continuing dependence on foreign weaponry, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is finalising an ambitious policy for building up India's defence industry, both public and private. The MoD Secretary for Defence Production, R K Singh, has told Business Standard that the country's first-ever Defence Production Policy mandates that weaponry and military systems will be identified several years into the future, to allow Indian companies the time needed to develop and manufacture them. The identified systems will be allocated to specific Indian defence companies as development projects. The MoD will lay down clear time targets and provide 80 per cent of the cost that will be incurred.

"We have consulted the army, navy, air force, the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO), academia, Ficci, CII and Assocham"¦ and noted their comments," says R K Singh. "The new policy will come up before the Defence Procurement Board (DPB) for consideration on June 11. Then the Defence Acquisition Council (the ministry's apex body on equipment acquisition) will clear it. Within two to three months, the new policy will be implemented."


The current rulebook for defence procurement - the Defence Procurement Policy of 2008 (DPP-2008) - already lays down a "Make" procedure, which allows the MoD to allocate and fund projects through Indian industry. However, this has not yet led to any domestic orders for defence equipment, partly because equipment requirements have never been identified in advance, to give Indian industry the lead-time to develop them.

Pointed to this fact, the Secretary for Defence Production asserted, "But now it is going to happen. We have to make it happen"¦. because now our industry has the strength. It is interested. We will ensure that the 'Make' procedure becomes very friendly. More and more equipment will now come into the 'Make' procedure."

Explaining the working of the new policy, Secretary R K Singh says Indian defence companies will be encouraged to register their technological capabilities in an MoD databank. When a need is anticipated for the army, e.g. a futuristic Main Battle Tank, the MoD will survey the industry and identify at least two major companies, to which it will award development contracts. These two prime contractors, working with a tailor-made consortium of companies, will develop a separate tank prototype and the MoD will select one, or even both, for mass production.

A similar system of competitive development contracts is followed by the US defence establishment.

The new Defence Production Policy is rooted in the MoD's realisation that its longstanding acquisition model of building weaponry in India, through Transfer of Technology (ToT), has failed to generate indigenisation. Real indigenisation, the MoD now believes, comes from designing weaponry, not just manufacturing foreign designs.

"Look at what has happened historically," says Singh. "The (Indian defence) industries which came up, with some exceptions, are manufacturing products that were designed abroad, not here. Our industry has been in the habit of taking transfer of technology and building on licence until the product dies a technological death. There is no expenditure on R&D and no technology absorption. And since the most important components come from abroad, the vendor can turn off the switch any time. If India wants to emerge as a world power, we have to start developing our own products. That is what our industry will have to learn in partnership with the MoD."

It remains unclear how large a foreign component will be allowed in defence systems developed under the new Defence Production Policy. While the current "Make" procedure allows 70 per cent foreign component, Business Standard learns from MoD sources that the current thinking is to bring this down to "less than 50 per cent", along with the provison that the Intellectual Property Rights of the foreign component must reside in India.

Indian private companies are treating the new policy with some scepticism. "The MoD has always manipulated policy to favour the defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs), which are the main beneficiaries of the old ToT practice," points out the CEO of a private Indian company that is active in defence. "Throwing out ToT and demanding real R&D will leave the DPSUs in the cold. Then we'll see whether the policy stays or goes."



http://theasiandefence.blogspot.com/2010/06/new-policy-by-ministry-of-defence-to.html

 

[RAM]

New MoD policy to boost Indian arms industry

Facing sustained criticism for its continuing dependence on foreign weaponry, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is finalising an ambitious policy for building up India's defence industry, both public and private. The MoD Secretary for Defence Production, R K Singh, has told Business Standard that the country's first-ever Defence Production Policy mandates that weaponry and military systems will be identified several years into the future, to allow Indian companies the time needed to develop and manufacture them. The identified systems will be allocated to specific Indian defence companies as development projects. The MoD will lay down clear time targets and provide 80 per cent of the cost that will be incurred.
"We have consulted the army, navy, air force, the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO), academia, Ficci, CII and Assocham"¦ and noted their comments," says R K Singh. "The new policy will come up before the Defence Procurement Board (DPB) for consideration on June 11. Then the Defence Acquisition Council (the ministry's apex body on equipment acquisition) will clear it. Within two to three months, the new policy will be implemented."


The current rulebook for defence procurement - the Defence Procurement Policy of 2008 (DPP-2008) - already lays down a "Make" procedure, which allows the MoD to allocate and fund projects through Indian industry. However, this has not yet led to any domestic orders for defence equipment, partly because equipment requirements have never been identified in advance, to give Indian industry the lead-time to develop them.


Pointed to this fact, the Secretary for Defence Production asserted, "But now it is going to happen. We have to make it happen"¦. because now our industry has the strength. It is interested. We will ensure that the 'Make' procedure becomes very friendly. More and more equipment will now come into the 'Make' procedure."
Explaining the working of the new policy, Secretary R K Singh says Indian defence companies will be encouraged to register their technological capabilities in an MoD databank. When a need is anticipated for the army, e.g. a futuristic Main Battle Tank, the MoD will survey the industry and identify at least two major companies, to which it will award development contracts. These two prime contractors, working with a tailor-made consortium of companies, will develop a separate tank prototype and the MoD will select one, or even both, for mass production.

A similar system of competitive development contracts is followed by the US defence establishment.
The new Defence Production Policy is rooted in the MoD's realisation that its longstanding acquisition model of building weaponry in India, through Transfer of Technology (ToT), has failed to generate indigenisation. Real indigenisation, the MoD now believes, comes from designing weaponry, not just manufacturing foreign designs.
"Look at what has happened historically," says Singh. "The (Indian defence) industries which came up, with some exceptions, are manufacturing products that were designed abroad, not here. Our industry has been in the habit of taking transfer of technology and building on licence until the product dies a technological death. There is no expenditure on R&D and no technology absorption. And since the most important components come from abroad, the vendor can turn off the switch any time. If India wants to emerge as a world power, we have to start developing our own products. That is what our industry will have to learn in partnership with the MoD."

It remains unclear how large a foreign component will be allowed in defence systems developed under the new Defence Production Policy. While the current "Make" procedure allows 70 per cent foreign component, Business Standard learns from MoD sources that the current thinking is to bring this down to "less than 50 per cent", along with the provison that the Intellectual Property Rights of the foreign component must reside in India.
Indian private companies are treating the new policy with some scepticism. "The MoD has always manipulated policy to favour the defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs), which are the main beneficiaries of the old ToT practice," points out the CEO of a private Indian company that is active in defence. "Throwing out ToT and demanding real R&D will leave the DPSUs in the cold. Then we'll see whether the policy stays or goes."
http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NEWS/newsrf.php?newsid=13002

 

[AJSINGH]

Mod should also introduce " time" condition , that means that within a certain time , the deal should go through MoD all the way to Cabinet Commitee On Security

 

[Dark Sorrow]

Modern Explosive Reactive Armours

An element of explosive reactive armour consists of a sheet or slab of high explosive sandwiched between two plates, typically metal, called the reactive or dynamic elements. On attack by a penetrating weapon, the explosive detonates, forcibly driving the metal plates apart to damage the penetrator. Against a shaped charge, the projected plates disrupt the metallic jet penetrator, effectively providing a greater path-length of material to be penetrated. Against a long rod penetrator, the projected plates serve to deflect and break up the rod.

The disruption is attributed to two mechanisms. First, the moving plates change the effective velocity and angle of impact of the shaped charge jet, reducing the angle of incidence and increasing the effective jet velocity versus the plate element. Second, since the plates are angled compared to the usual impact direction of shaped charge warheads, as the plates move outwards the impact point on the plate moves over time, requiring the jet to cut through fresh plate material. This second effect significantly increases the effective plate thickness during the impact.

To be effective against kinetic energy projectiles, ERA must use much thicker and heavier plates and a correspondingly thicker explosive layer. Such "heavy ERA," such as the Soviet-developed Kontakt-5, can break apart a penetrating rod that is longer than the ERA is deep, again significantly reducing penetration capability.

Explosive reactive armour has been valued by the Soviet Union and its now-independent component states since the 1980s, and almost every tank in the eastern-European military inventory today has either been manufactured to use ERA or had ERA tiles added to it, including even the T-55 and T-62 tanks built forty to fifty years ago, but still used today by reserve units.

ERA tiles are used as add-on (or "appliqué") armour to the portions of an armoured fighting vehicle that are most likely to be hit, typically the front (glacis) of the hull and the front and sides of the turret. Their use requires that the vehicle itself be fairly heavily armoured to protect the vehicle and its crew from the exploding ERA; usually, ERA cannot be mounted on the less heavily armoured sides or rear of a vehicle.

A further complication to the use of ERA is the inherent danger to anybody near the tank when a plate detonates (disregarding that a HEAT warhead explosion would already present a great danger to anybody near the tank). Although ERA plates are intended only to bulge following detonation, the combined energy of the ERA explosive, coupled with the kinetic or explosive energy of the projectile, will frequently cause explosive fragmentation of the plate. The explosion of an ERA plate creates a significant amount of shrapnel, and bystanders are in grave danger of serious or fatal injury. As a result, infantry needs to operate some distance from vehicles protected by ERA in combined arms operations.

 

[Dark Sorrow]

Anatomy of Light ERA

The first impetus to develop 'energetic' armours began in the 1960s after the expensive glass and ceramic armours proved defficient. The goal of such research was essentially to use the controlled release of energy to somehow destroy a forming HEAT jet. Logically, most of these ideas utilized the compact chemical energy stored in explosives to push some sort of metal plate into the incoming jet. One early idea incorporated the idea of using explosive 'pills' which were a metal plate backed by a thick layer of explosive. This explosive was confined or tamped by metal sidewalls, thus forming a metal pillbox over the explosive. This setup was then stuck on the surface of a tank and was detonated when the HEAT jet penetrated the cover plate, driving the plate into the jet. This idea was later abandoned by Rafael because the design proved unfeasible due to the large amount of explosive necessary to effect any damage against the jet.

Around 1969, a Norwegian working for Rafael by the name of Dr. Manfred Held discovered the drive-plate explosive sandwich design which later became explosive reactive armour. In this design two rectangular metal plates, referred to as the reactive or dynamic elements, sandwich an interlayer of high explosive. This 'box' is set at high obliquity to the anticipated angle of attack by the HEAT jet, usually 60°. When the jet penetrates the outer plate, the explosive is detonated by the pressures involved and the plates are rapidly forced apart; the acceleration is completed in around 6 us. The orientation of the plates to the explosive detonation front accelerates the front plate upwards in the x-y plane and slightly forwards and conversely forces the rear plate downward and slightly backward. The front plate is moving upward through the path of the jet and it exerts a destabilizing force on it, i.e. there are elastic longitudual waves travelling down the length of the jet. The destabilized jet, i.e. undergoing wave motion, then reaches the rear plate, which is moving in the opposite direction to the original plate. The force exerted by the rear plate is essentially a torque when taken with that of the front plate, and this causes the already destabilized jet to break up into many smaller pieces. These smaller pieces exhibit self-destructive behavoir - namely yaw (the equivalent of the high velocity impact belly-flop) and transverse velocity, which causes them to strike seperate areas of the target's armour.

So what are all the destructive effects visited on HEAT jets by ERA? The largest and most obvious result is the break-up of the jet and rotation of its pieces. There are, however, also some secondary effects that should be kept in mind. The first secondary effect on the jet is mass loss. Essentially, the jet must penetrate (or, in reality, perforate) the ERA plates. While in 'light' ERA these plates are relatively thin, the transverse motion of the plates means that the jet must actually generate a 'slot' rather than a 'hole' in the plates. So if the jet must travel through a 3 mm plate set at 60° with an apparent height of 15 mm, the total amount of armour that must be penetrated is twice that (two plates) or 80 mm. However, since in reality the jet is perforating the plates rather than undergoing radial displacement penetration, this is really more equivalent to 60 mm. Still, it is an important factor. Another important factor is the damaging of the tip of the HEAT jet. The tip of a HEAT jet can be moving in excess of 8 000 m/s, while the outer edges may be closer to 3 000 m/s. The tip of a HEAT jet also acheives initial penetration of the target material, and initiates adiabatic phase penetration (target metal flow). Essentially, the tip of a HEAT jet is the most efficient part of the jet, and it allows the rest of the jet to efficiently pile into the hole it generated and force the armour material out of its path. Removing jet head will reduce the penetration of the jet by 30% or more, even though it is a relatively small part of the jet's mass.

These two secondary effects are actually pretty substantial, contributing as much as 50% to the effect of ERA. Part of the reason for this is that jet breakup - the primary defeat mechanism - is a pretty common phenomena. A HEAT jet is a piece of metal undergoing extremely rapid severe plastic destortion, so any tiny defect in the construction of the cone will be magnified by the enormous forces involved, resulting in critical failure of the material during the formation of the HEAT jet, and hence, some (limited) break-up. It wasn't actually until the late 1970s that we were able to design well constructed cones which would produce a continious jet.

This first generation light ERA generates about 350 - 400 mm RHA worth of protection against large calibre warheads for the vehicle equipped with it. This implies an efficiency multiplier of about 20, which is incredibly high. However, ERA is not some magical shield. It will not completely stop the HEAT jet from a RPG - a backing layer of armour is still necessary to absorb the remains of the HEAT jet.

 

[Dark Sorrow]

Light ERAs Deployment History

Around 1978 concurrent with the deployment of the M111 'Hetz' APFSDS round, an ERA package called 'Blazer' was produced for the Israeli Defence Force's Mag'lach (M60A1 & M48A3) and Sho't (Centurion) tanks. Later, versions were also produced for Ti-67S (retrofitted T-55) tanks. The package for the Mag'lach massed about 1 000 kg and the package for Sho't massed about 850 kg.

The Israeli application of ERA was rather crude, using large blocks which left large null zones in the armour after detonation. However, it still proved to be quite a marvelous applique during Israel's invasion of Lebannon in 1982.

After the demonstration of ERA in Lebannon, Russian planners deployed their own Kontakt EDZ armour starting with the T-80BV in 1983. Kontakt EDZ was not a copy of Israeli Blazer ERA. Kontakt was developed by the Soviets cocurrently with Rafael's developments, but was not initially fielded because of concerns over safety. This was in 1978. The abbreviation EDZ stands for "Elementy Dinamicheskoi Zashity", this translates into something like "dynamic protection elements". Two types of Kontakt blocks exist, the standard 'brick' as well as the 'wedge' which has only a single fixed reactive element. The wedge is used to cover null zones and it partly relies on the overlap of its neigbouring bricks for its effectiveness. By about 1985 all Soviet model tanks in Grouping Soviet Forces Germany had EDZ packages.

The T-80BV usually carried a 210 - 222 block array of Kontakt EDZ which was layered over the turret front and side, as well as the top. The hull was covered over the glacis and two thirds of the way down the sides. The T-64BV, the other tank in service with GsfG at the time, only carried a 115 block array of charges which provided mainly frontal protection. After front-line forces had been equiped with EDZ, T-72A and T-72B tanks, and later T-62M and T-55AM1 tanks began to receive ERA packages. Unlike the T-64B and T-80B tanks, which usually have the suffix 'V' (vzryvnoi - explosive) added to indicate EDZ such as T-64BV, the T-72 when fitted with EDZ is usually not distinguished in this fashion.

Kontakt EDZ was more advanced than Blazer ERA in a couple respects. Firstly, the blocks are on the order of 40% the size of Blazer blocks, which is considerably more demanding in terms of technology of the explosive interlayer. This also means that the amount of underlying armour exposed after a detonation is less. Secondly, Kontakt is a little more clever in its configuration. The brick is assymetric in its explosive interlayer, meaning that one end is thicker than the other. This induces rotation in the plates as well as separation, and as a result the armour is effective against HEAT jets at a wider variety of angles.

 

[Dark Sorrow]

Kontakt-5 Heavy ERA

The development of Kontakt EDZ logically led to the development of a later version, called Kontakt-5, which was optimized to be effective not only against HEAT jets, but also APFSDS long rods. It was first deployed around 1985 on the first T-80Us. It is claimed that Kontakt-5 provides about 300 mm RHA equivalent of additional protection against APFSDS rounds, which corresponds to an increase of about 160% over the base armour of the T-80U (~720 mm total).

A lot of work to analyze how effective Kontakt-5 is and by what methods it defeats the incoming APFSDS rounds. The results of the analysis are quite impressive in their own rough and limited way. It was assumed that the Kontakt-5 brick was 10.5 cm wide by 23.0 cm long by 7.0 cm thick, with a mass of 10.35 kg. We arrived at a total mass of 2.8 t for the array. It was later found out from Steven Zagola's literature that the array is supposed to be around three tonnes, so they(Russians) were pretty happy. Assuming the use of Semtex for the interlayer, it was found that the configuration was most likely a 15 mm plate up front, backed by 35 mm of explosive, and then a 20 mm plate. This assymetrical configuration had improved effectiveness because the APFSDS rod could still 'catch' the retreating rear plate while the front plate would retain a charateristic high velocity. This is completely opposite to the model that the US Army used in the late 1980s to discribe 'heavy' ERA. In their model, the front plate was on the order of 60 mm thick and the rear a standard 5 mm plate. They thought that the thick plate simply moved up into the path of the incoming long rod and forced it to make a 'slot' (thickness x height) rather than a hole (thickness). This is bogus; the front plate would tamp the explosive and would be barely set in motion.

Without getting into the actual math, after a couple of analyses, they(Russians) arrived at the conclusion as to what defeat mechanisms were being imployed. These conclusions have not yet been conclusively proved and they hope to do that soon. It was assumed that the massive areal density of the long rod perforated the thin plates with relative ease. Actual ablatic penetrator mass loss was set at about 2%. What it was found was that they had these two plates, each individually with about 60% the momentum of the long rod penetrator, were moving oppositely up/down to each other, and that the path of the penetrator was such that it was moving between them. The forces exerted on the penetrator are apparently very large, so large in fact that they were in the region of plastic failure for most (read: all) metals. Essentially, when the penetrator touches the rear plate, the front plate guillotines off the first 5 - 6 cm of the rod. For a round such as the 120 mm M829A1 this represents a loss of about 8% of the total mass. More importantly, the nose is blunted. You would not believe how important that sharp point on the penetrator is. The difference in penetration between an equivalent hyper-sonic spike tipped penetrator and a blunt nose one is at least 20% (to a maximum of around 30%). This is mainly because a blunt nose is very inefficient in the initial phase of penetration before the ablatic shear phase can begin. The penetrator has to actually sharpen itself to the optimum Von Karam plastic wave theory shape for penetration of the target material before it can begin radially displacing the target material. This resolves itself in the form of a lot of wasted work and thus penetrator mass. The blunted penetrator also suffers structural damage and more mass loss as a shock wave travels down its length and blows spall off the tail. The main secondary effect of Kontakt-5 EDZ against APFSDS rounds is yaw induced by the front plate before contact with the rear plate is established. The total is about two to three degrees of yaw, which suddenly becomes a lot more in a denser material such as steel. Reduction in penetration due to a 2° yaw is about 6% and it grows exponentially worse from there, and on the 67° slope of the front glacis of the T-64/72/80/90, this is increased to about 15%.

Total loss in penetration amounts to about 2% + 8% + 22% + 6% = 38%, or in other words the penetrator is now only capable of penetrating 62% its original potential. Conversely we could say that the base armour is increased by the factor of the reciprocal of 62%, which is - surprise! - 161%.

APFSDS round is defeated by Kontakt-5 (X-ray photo)

 

[Dark Sorrow]

Indian Explosive Reactive Armour

DRDO has mastered varieties of techniques in the areas of propellants, high explosives, pyrotechnics, polymers, etc. Development of ERA was altogether a new area, a challenging task. DRDO has accomplished this task successfully with totally indigenous efforts. This has placed DRDO on the world map of armour developers, a note of which has been taken by pioneer institutes like RAFAEL of Israel, Euromissile of France, etc.

Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) is an add-on armour designed to offer additional protection to tanks against shaped charge warheads of modern antitank guided missiles (ATGMs). Over the last two decades, DRDO has developed expertise in this vital technology and has a large database of various designs of ERA.

Responding to user requirements of providing additional protection to tank, DRDO has developed an ERA system, which effectively reduces penetration of Milan 2 shaped charge warhead to the extent of 70 per cent.

The ERA developed by DRDO is a sandwich of explosive and metal plates. The panels of ERA are assembled in metallic containers. When the jet of a shaped charge warhead hits ERA panel, explosive in it detonates. As a result, the plates are accelerated and start moving outward in normal direction. The moving plates and the detonaters render the jet ineffective which loses its penetration capability.

Based on RDX, a special type of sheet explosive has also been developed for ERA.This sheet explosive is waterproof. It is not cap sensitive and also quite insensitive to frition, impact and heat. However, it gets initiated by a shaped-charge jet.
ERA panel

The ERA technology has met all the requirements of the user and was accepted for introduction into the Indian Army. The production of ERA panels has commenced in the Ordnance factories.

Salient Features

• Effectively reduces the penetration of warheads of modern ATGMs
• Immune to detonation against small arms ammunition and artillery shell fragments
• No sympathetic detonation of neighbouring panels when one panel explodes
• Minimum collateral damage
• The weight penalty is kept to the minimum about 1.5 ton per tank
• No initiation by arc welding or by accidental drops
• Tank mobility and manoeuvrability not compromisis
• Functions with equal efficiency even after deep fording by the tank
• Operational temperature ranges from 20 oC to +55 oC

 

[Patriot]

India Thought Leaders: HATSOFF Will Revolutionize Helicopter Training In India, Upadhyay Says

Jun 18, 2010

By Anantha Krishnan M.
Bangalore

The Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation of Flying (HATSOFF) – a 50/50 joint venture between Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and simulation technology company CAE, Canada, is finally ready to go live. Though the facility's official inauguration may not be until September, the Rs 300 crore ($65.2 million) high-tech facility is set to informally go live next week. The first Bell 412EP cockpit is ready for training, and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has already granted its certification, with approval by another agency pending. AVIATION WEEK spoke to Wing Cmdr. (ret.) C.D. Upadhyay, the CEO of HATSOFF, as part of its India Thought Leaders (ITL) interview series.


AW: How significant will the contribution of HATSOFF be to the Indian helicopter industry?


C.D.U.: It has been recognized all over the world and at the highest levels in Indian aviation, including the Civil Aviation Ministry, that there is an urgent requirement for simulator(s) for helicopters flying in India due to a significantly higher rate of human error contributing to helicopter fatal accidents. Human error in helicopter accidents is higher by an order of magnitude when compared to fixed wing aircraft. We at HATSOFF are confident that the simulator training which we will be imparting to the helicopter pilots will soon reduce this factor in helicopter accidents. Besides the flight safety aspect, we are also very sure that the recurrent training and other forms of training which will be given at HATSOFF will maintain and improve the professional efficiency of helicopter pilots to meet the challenging tasks of the 21st century.

The other point to remember is that so far, such a facility was not there in India for helicopters. The civil helicopter pilots who were required to undergo such training as per DGCA rules were going abroad. Due to logistic and travel cost constraints, they were exposed to such training once in two years and at times not at all. We have tailored our training schedules in such a manner that in order to meet the DGCA-stipulated requirement for two years, we have spread it across the two-year period so that the pilots are regularly drilling such emergencies and undergoing part of required simulator training every six months. This is convenient as the travel costs are less and the absence of the pilots from line flying is kept to a minimum and still ensuring regular doses of training sessions.


AW: What are the helicopter platforms being offered for training for civil and military pilots in India?


C.D.U: HATSOFF has the unique distinction of being the third in the world utilizing the rolled-on-rolled-off (RO-RO) technology perfected by CAE of Canada. With this, we will be able to train on more numbers of helicopter types, using the common motion and visual system called the mother ship. We decided to train military pilots on the Dhruv military variant (both utility and weaponized versions), and the civil pilots on the Dhruv civil variant, Bell412 EP and the Dauphin 365 N3. With this arrangement we will have a full motion level D simulator for these types and also a Level3 (JAR) Flight Fixed Training Device (FTD) where the cockpit not on the mother ship could be used to train for a large number of training tasks, not requiring motion cues. In a normal Full Flight Simulator (FFS), generally, one is able to put in about 4,300 hours of training per year. With the kind of arrangement we have planned, we should be able to generate about 9,600 training hours per year when fully established.


AW: How is HATSOFF different from other similar helicopter simulators in the world?


C.D.U.: HATSOFF is different from other full flight/full motion simulators in the world in many ways. One most striking feature of HATSOFF is that we will be carrying out training for both military and civil pilots in the same facility. This obviously calls for a number of security concerns, which have more than adequately been addressed by us. This includes access controls, CCTV cameras, and smart card readers, just to mention a few. We will be able to generate more productive training hours on the same facility, as explained earlier because of the mix of FFS/Full Mission Simulator (FMS) and the FTD. The military training requires a very high quality of visual system for carrying out operational training of the military pilots. We have the CAE developed Medallion 6200 visual system, used mainly for a high level of military task training. As we have a common visual system, the civil pilots obviously get trained with the high resolution display with extremely well-defined features, which are required for low-level flying training tasks, so much essential for helicopter pilots. The display system we have is called the Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) instead of the normal Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT) display. All civil simulators generally cater for only recurrent training and type rating training. Here in HATSOFF we will be giving role flying and mission flying training to both civil and military pilots.


AW: What are the supporting tools available to today's helicopter pilots compared to your civil/military/test flying days?


C.D.U.: With the new technologies available to this generation of helicopter pilots both in the helicopters and for training, they are able to utilize the extremely versatile features of helicopters to meet growing industry and military requirements. Today's helicopter crew has state-of-the-art simulators where a very realistic training environment can be created and crew trained to operate them and to handle any emergency. Modern helicopters have such supporting equipment onboard that the crew is generally relieved of the hard task of operating. They are more managers of the systems which have a very high level of automation. The results are assured and tasks fully achieved. For all this to happen, a crew need not necessarily spend time in an actual helicopter, but practice in simulators at a fraction of the cost of helicopter operations. The earlier generation of helicopter crew did not have these tools to learn, operate and deliver the desired results.


AW: What is the training courseware of HATSOFF?


C.D.U.: At HATSOFF we are offering type rating training, recurrent training (instrument flying and practice of critical emergencies), role training such as offshore flying, rooftop landings, restricted area landings, mountainous terrain operations, underslung and rescue hoist operations, crew recourse management, avoidance of controlled flight into ground, and special Visual Flight Rule (FLR) training, which is especially for single engine helicopter pilots. In addition to these, for the military helicopter pilots we will be giving training in night vision goggle (NVG) flying, nap of the Earth flying, operation of electro-optical pod, weapons delivery, electronic warfare, desert operations, emergency medical operations, special heli-borne operations (SHBO), etc.


AW: Please explain the utilization of this facility for the crew of an armed helicopter, including electronic warfare.


C.D.U: As explained earlier, the Dhruv military pilots will benefit the most from training in our simulator facility. We will be able to train them to operate in all kinds of environments and operate weapon systems. They will be able to practice the EW systems, operate the electro-optical pod, fire weapons and learn to handle emergencies while carrying out such operations at low level, in dark night, with NVGs. The cost benefit to the services in such training on a simulator will be very high, besides the professional efficiency of the crew will be maintained at the highest levels.





HATSOFF CEO photo: http://tarmak007.blogspot.co









http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?topicName=india&id=news/awx/2010/06/18/awx_06_18_2010_p0-235289.xml&headline=India Thought Leaders: HATSOFF Will Revolutionize Helicopter Training In India, Upadhyay Says

 

[Armand2REP]

Sagem delievers Sigma-30 to Pinaka MLRS

Sagem's Sigma 30 artillery navigation and pointing system deployed by first two Pinaka multiple launch rocket system regiments

Eurosatory, Villepinte, June 15th 2010

Sagem (Safran group) has completed delivery of its Sigma 30 artillery navigation and pointing systems to the first two regiments in the Indian army deploying the Pinaka multiple launch rocket system (MLRS).

Developed and produced by Sagem, the Sigma 30 is a laser gyro land navigation and pointing system for artillery pieces, enabling highly accurate firing on short notice.

Sagem has also set up a maintenance shop near New Delhi to help the Indian army keep its Sigma 30 systems in fighting trim. Indian mechanics received specialized training for this system in both France and India.

The Defense R&D Organisation, part of the Indian Ministry of Defence, originally chose the Sigma 30 system in 2008. They were installed by Larsen & Toubro Ltd. and Tata Power Company Ltd., the two Indian companies in charge of integrating the Pinaka MLRS.

The Sigma 30 pointing system has been proven in combat on a Caesar 155 mm gun. It is also used with NATO's Mars MLRS and the 2R2M 120 mm mobile mortar, within the scope of a modernization program. In addition, the Sigma 30 has been qualified on the Archer, Donar, PZH 2000 and FH 77 B05 155 mm guns.

Artillery systems by Sagem, now deployed by 20 armed forces worldwide, cover a wide range of state-of-the-art applications, including advanced observation systems, optronic sensors, navigation and pointing systems, fire control, computers, digital mapping, systems integration.

***

Sagem, a high-tech company in the Safran group, holds world or European leadership positions in optronics, avionics, electronics and safety-critical software for both civil and military markets. Sagem is the No. 1 company in Europe and No. 3 worldwide for inertial navigation systems (INS) used in air, land and naval applications. It is also the world leader in helicopter flight controls and the European leader in optronics and tactical UAV systems. Operating across the globe through the Safran group, Sagem and its subsidiaries employ 6,700 people in Europe, Southeast Asia and North America. Sagem is the commercial name of the company Sagem Défense Sécurité.

http://www.sagem-ds.com/eng/site.php?spage=03019900&idpress=134

 

[LETHALFORCE]

LRDE develops for the armed forces sensors meant for surveillance, tracking

http://flonnet.com/fl2625/stories/20091218262510200.htm

The LRDE develops for the armed forces sensors meant for surveillance, tracking and weapons control.

THE Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) in Bangalore has been spearheading the development of radar systems and related technologies for the defence forces. A Ministry of Defence research laboratory under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the LRDE's genealogy goes back to the Inspectorate of Scientific Stores set up in 1939 at Rawalpindi.

In 1946, it was re-designated as the Technical Development Establishment (Instruments and Electronics) and relocated in Dehradun. The electronics component was relocated to Bangalore in 1962 and the LRDE's role was redefined to develop indigenous and state-of-the-art military radar and communication systems. Today the LRDE is a premier radar systems laboratory with a core competence to build advanced systems in the L to X bands.

According to S. Varadarajan, Director, LRDE, the laboratory develops a range of products from short- to long-range sensors for ground, air and sea surface surveillance, tracking, and weapons control. Besides this, the LRDE has developed advanced radar technologies, including transmit and receive (TR) modules, slotted waveguide array antenna, high-power transmitters, programmable signal and data processors, radar controllers and multi-beam antenna.

The LRDE was roundly criticised for not successfully developing, in collaboration with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the multi-mode radar for the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas. But the Israeli radar now being fitted on the Tejas has an antenna designed by the LRDE – the slotted waveguide array antenna. The LRDE is also undertaking the design and development of the active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology. The AESA technology allows ships and aircraft to broadcast powerful radar signals while they themselves remain under stealth. The AESA's basic building block is the TR module, a self-contained, miniaturised transmitter and receiver that makes up one of the AESA antenna elements. In a bid to develop the AESA, the LRDE has developed L and S band TR modules.

According to B.V. Ramesh, project director of LRDE's LSTAR programme, an LRDE-developed X-band AESA radar could be fitted on the Tejas by 2014. Two modules of the AESA radar have already been launched. Ramesh also disclosed that the LSTAR (Long-range Solid State Active Phase Array Radar), which is a sort of a forerunner to India's Airborne Early Warning and Control System programme, has been approved by the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification, integrated and tested on ground-based systems, and qualified for airborne applications. And a production agency, Astra Microwave, has been identified for it.

Among the LRDE's foremost products is Indra-1, a radar that works on the Doppler principle. It has a 50-km range and is integrated with the fire control radar. It is in deployment with the Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) as part of their air defence network. Indira-2, an improvement over Indira-1, was designed as per the needs of the IAF, which wanted a radar that can identify dense-formation targets, such as a group of aircraft flying wing tip to wing tip, and can be used even at high altitudes.

The LRDE's portable Battle Field Surveillance Radar (BFSR) - Short Range was developed after the Kargil conflict, when the inadequacies of binoculars were felt. An all-weather, automated detection of intrusions system was needed. Over 1,400 BFSRs are now being used by the Army against moving surface targets. A BFSR radar that offers foliage penetration is under development. The LRDE has also developed a coherent, electronically scanned C-Band Doppler Weapon Locating Radar for use by the Artillery Corps. Rohini is a 3D, medium-range, vehicle-mounted surveillance radar that offers 360 degree coverage and has a range of 150 to 180 km, and is used against low-, medium- and high-flying targets. It can measure the range, azimuth and the height of the target. It is designed for the IAF and will also be part of the Akash missile system. The LRDE is also developing the Revathi, a 3D, medium-range surveillance radar that will give the Navy cover against air and sea targets.

An off-shoot of the Rohini is the Aslesha, a 3D low-level, light-weight radar designed for use in mountainous terrain and against aerial targets. The LRDE developed this radar when the Army wanted a system that could be transported by animals. It has been evaluated at 15,000 feet (4,572 metres) and cleared for induction. The Bharani is another portable, short-range, low-level, light-weight radar. It provides 2D surveillance, mainly in mountainous terrain, against aerial targets such as unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft flying at low and medium altitudes.

The Rajendra, a multi-function, phased array radar, is the primary sensor at the battery level for the Akash weapon system, which is to be used for air defence by the IAF and the Army. It can perform extensive searches, track multiple targets and missiles, and command and guide multiple missiles concurrently. Says Varadarajan: "It can be mounted on a T-52 tank bed or as per the IAF's requirements on a low-bed trailer."

Having realised the importance of timelines and technology obsolescence in the development of radar systems, the LRDE has decided to "knit the user with the programme at the design stage itself". Says Varadarajan: "An early association of the user helps fasten the programme. As for production, we want to be involved only with critical design and system engineering, capturing the user's requirements. It is for industry to realise the prototype, prove the concept and also be the lead integrator."

 

[Armand2REP]

India Moves Toward Faster Defense Acquisitions
By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI
Published: 25 Jun 2010 12:46

NEW DELHI - India's Finance Ministry has proposed new regulations that would allow the Defence Ministry to award contracts worth up to $108.6 million - up from the current $21.7 million limit - without Finance Ministry approval, a Defence Ministry official said.

In addition, only defense contracts of more than $217.3 million must be brought to the Cabinet Committee of Securities (CCS).

The changes are expected to take effect in the next month, the Defence Ministry official said.

Under existing rules, the Defence Ministry at the end of each budget year has been forced to surrender more than $1 billion in funds allocated to buy new weapons and military equipment because of bureaucratic procedures that delay final contract decisions. The changes by the Finance Ministry should help clear at least a dozen defense contracts valued at around $100 million each year.

The changes will facilitate the quick approval of spare parts and maintenance contracts for the Indian military, the Defence Ministry official said.

Ministry sources said the government also is considering increasing the limit of foreign direct investment in Indian defense companies from the current 26 percent level to as much as 74 percent.

While the Defence Ministry is not keen to extend the limit to 74 percent, the Commerce Ministry has indicated on several occasions that such an increase would enable the meaningful collaboration of major foreign companies with Indian companies, and thereby boost defense production here, the sources said.

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4686436&c=ASI&s=TOP

 

[Armand2REP]

This is a very wise idea, not the FDI part.

 

[edkaini753]

Yes, Really, it is a wise idea.

 

[SHASH2K2]

Saab offers DRDO underground radar

Saab offers DRDO underground radar
Saturday, July 3, 2010
By Saurabh Joshi

Saab has offered its radar, CARABAS, to the Defense Research and Development Organization's (DRDO) Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) for evaluation. The radar can penetrate densely-forested areas and detect mines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) buried underground.

The DRDO had been shopping around for a radar that could provide the capability for the detection of threats in heavily-forested and remote areas affected by insurgencies and has selected the CARABAS to explore further possibilities. A radar with such capabilities would be useful in detecting threats in areas where security forces have to operate, patrolling roads and tracks under the canopy of dense foliage and surrounding forests, in difficult terrain.

CARABAS is a Very High Frequency (VHF) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) that is mounted on aircraft to scan a target area for threats. The radar, which weighs 35 kilograms, can be fitted on rotary wing as well as tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

On helicopters and UAVs, the antennas, which are made of Kevlar/carbon, retract when on the ground and unfold in the air. The antenna consists of two High Band dipoles, emitting waves of 140 to 360 MegaHertz (MHz) attached to two Low Band dipoles, with emissions between 25 to 85 Mega Hertz.

The system, when attached to an aircraft, manned or unmanned, scans the area for anomalies. Operational areas have to be regularly scanned for this radar to be most effective, as it detects these anomalies in terms of changes in the area being scanned. Such changes could include the presence of humans, vehicles and even metallic objects like mines and IEDs buried underground.

It's VHF radar is able to penetrate foliage as well as ground surface because of its low wavelength and can detect 'humans, mines and IEDs'. Saab says the radar can detect underground objects down to a depth of 3.4 meters (more than 11 feet) in wet soil, 6 meters (almost 20 feet) in dry soil and 26 meters (around 85 feet) in sand. This is when the radar waves hit the ground at the Brewster Angle, which optimizes their transmission by enabling them to penetrate the ground with no reflection.

With a power consumption of 100 Watts, the radar in foliage mode is capable of surveying 270 square kilometers from a standoff distance of 6 kilometers and an altitude of 2000 meters, enabling it to detect vehicles while emitting Low Band VHF waves. In the same mode, it can also detect human presence, emitting High Band VHF radiation, standing off from a distance of 3 kilometers and is able to survey an area of 45 square kilometers.

In subsurface mode, standing off from a distance of between 150 meters to 3 kilometers, the radar can survey an area of between 2.7 square kilometers to 45 square kilometers from an altitude of 30 meters to 700 meters and can detect buried mines and IEDs.

While the helicopter-mounted radar can detect to an accuracy of between half a meter to 2 meters, depending on the frequency, the UAV-mounted radar can detect concealed human and vehicular presence as well as subsurface metallic objects that have dimensions of less than 3000 square centimeters.

Versions of this airborne radar, already in operation in the Swedish Air Force, where it is configured for deployment on fixed wing aircraft, were first devised in 1990, with a Drag Antenna layout and then upgraded in 1997, to enable a Pushboom Antenna configuration.

Inderjit Sial, Saab's Director – Industrial Cooperation, says the radar is currently undergoing tests on rotary wing aircraft in Sweden. DRDO officials are also expected to visit the country in August to witness the system in operation at a test range, as well as examine the source code of the system, to look for ways to configure it to Indian requirements. Towards the end of this year, the CARABAS will be available for configuration onto a Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) in India and be tested in a forested, remote area.

Sial also says the company is willing to manufacture the radar in India, if it is ultimately selected by the DRDO.
http://www.stratpost.com/saab-offers-drdo-underground-radar

 

[SHASH2K2]

Saab CARABAS radar deployable on UAV helicopters

I just found an interesting and timely article on a potential use for UAV helicopters. The Saab CARABAS Ultra-wideband SAR radar is being used in India to detect buried IEDs.

"In the new system being evaluated, a Saab CARABAS radar, fitted in a Dhruv helicopter, does an aerial scan of the area in which security forces will be operating. The CARABAS radar is specially designed to detect metallic components of an IED, even when it is buried 5-6 metres below the ground. A computer quickly compares the image of each flight with the images of the previous flight over that area; any new metallic objects are highlighted, and their exact location mapped. Armed with that information, a bomb disposal team is sent to defuse the IED harmlessly."

A lighter version of this radar can also be mounted on a UAV helicopter.
http://uavhelicopterreview.wordpress.com/2010/07/03/saab-carabas-radar-deployable-on-uav-helicopters/

 

[SHASH2K2]

DRDO to test Swedish radar to spot Naxal IEDs

New Delhi: With casualties of security forces in militancy and Naxal-violence hit areas mounting because of increased use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), Indian security forces are testing out a Swedish radar which is designed to sniff out such IEDs before they can cause damage.

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is partnering Swedish company Saab in fitting its CARABAS (Coherent All RAdio BAnd Sensing) radar on the HAL-developed Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH). This would allow the scanning of wide swathes of territory to detect deep buried IEDs well in advance.

Recently Naxal IEDs have been playing havoc in parts of central India causing extensive casualties amongst para-military personnel.

The CARABAS radar is designed to detect metallic components of an IED, even when it is buried deep below the ground. A computer scan of fresh images of a particular area, compared to previous images of the same area, allow the detection of any new metallic objects recently embedded. With such information in hand the IEDs can be defused of by bomb disposal squads.

The CARABAS radar deploys exceptionally low frequency waves that ignore vegetation and reflect only off man-made objects. This allows spotting of deeply buried IEDs.

The CARABAS radar comes in two versions, with the heavier (150kg) version soon to be tested on a Dhruv ALH. A lighter (50kg) version can be deployed onboard UAVs.
http://www.domain-b.com/defence/general/20100703_drdo.html

 

[Ray]

May see

Surveillance Data Fusion Defines Future Army Systems

A lot of the directorate's radar work involves penetrating radars such as synthetic aperture radars (SARs), relates Jan Moren, I2WD deputy director. Researchers also are lowering the overall operating waves on non-penetrating radars, particularly those that provide ground moving target indication in the open, he says. Another goal is to be able to see moving individuals under triple- canopy jungle.

Also:

Tactical Radar for Ground Surveillance

 

[nandu]

Indian 40mm UBGL Finally Enters Mass Production

Indian 40mm UBGL Finally Enters Mass Production

http://livefist.blogspot.com/