India to buy $ 100 billion weapons, defence equipment

youngindian

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27 Sep 2009

WASHINGTON: Eyeing India's estimated $100 bn defence pie, major US arms

suppliers are wooing Indian defence agents and officials as New Delhi
embarks on a
major military shopping spree to modernise its Soviet-era arsenal, a US media report said.

At the US embassy in New Delhi, defence contractors such as Northrop Grumman are sponsoring little league baseball teams, the companies' names stitched onto the uniforms, the Washington Post said in a report from New Delhi.

Almost every weekend, there are cocktails and closed-door presentations in the suites of New Delhi's five-star hotels, hosted by retired admirals and generals from the US armed forces who now work for defence firms, such as Raytheon and Northrop Grumman, it said.

"India will look back-generations down the road-at this period as a defining moment for its new, modern military," the Post cited Roger Rose, chief executive of Lockheed Martin India, which is renting half a wing of New Delhi's Taj Palace Hotel for a 12-person office.

"I think we can all see that there are a lot of threats shared between our two democracies."

With its growing military footprint, India is steering away from traditional ally Russia, its main weapons supplier, and looking toward the United States to help upgrade its weapons systems and troop gear, the Post said

India is also pushing the Obama administration to ease the acquisition of US weapons and technology. Already this year, a high-level US government group cleared the way for Lockheed and Boeing to offer India cutting-edge radar technology for fighter jets.

India now has a shopping list that includes 126 fighter jets, 155mm howitzers, long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft, vast cargo planes used in long-distance conflicts, high-tech helicopters and deep-water submarines. Boeing is vying with Lockheed-along with French, Russian and Swedish companies and a European consortium-for a fighter jet deal worth about $10 billion.

India is holding flight tests for the fighter jets. Lockheed and Boeing have conducted demonstration flights for Indian celebrities and defence experts.

"America's relationship to India is maturing and expanding. India is an important global player now," the Post said citing William S. Cohen, a defence secretary during the Clinton administration who is a member of the US-India Business Council's board of directors.

American miliary contractors eye India's $100 bn defence pie- Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times
 

Vikramaditya

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NEW DELHI: India plans to spend an estimated $100 billion on defence over the next decade to modernize its Soviet-era arsenal and is pushing the Obama administration to ease the acquisition of US weapons and technology, according to a US Newspaper.

“With its growing military footprint, India is steering away from traditional ally Russia, its main weapons supplier, and looking toward the United States to help upgrade its weapons systems and troop gear,” the newspaper reported.

India’s expanding military ambitions, and the US role in selling this nuclear-armed nation more firepower, is starting to worry Pakistan, the report said. India also has ongoing border disputes with another Asian giant, China, which defeated it in a short 1962 war.

“This increase in India’s military spending is seen with rising anxiety here in Pakistan,” said Hasan-Askari Rizvi, a leading defence analyst in Pakistan.

“As long as India builds pressure on Pakistan militarily, Pakistan won’t move troops to fight the Taliban, period. In the future, there could potentially be a situation like the 1965 war between India and Pakistan, where both used American weapons against each other.”

“India is pushing the Obama administration to ease the acquisition of US weapons and technology. Already this year, a high-level US government group cleared the way for Lockheed and Boeing to offer India cutting-edge radar technology for fighter jets. At the US Embassy in New Delhi, defence contractors such as Northrop Grumman are sponsoring little league baseball teams, the companies’ names stitched onto the uniforms.”

About 70 percent of India’s military equipment comes from Russia, said Sitanshu Kar, a spokesman for the Indian Defense Ministry. But some Indian military officials have complained about the quality and cost of Russian equipment and have advocated a shift to US suppliers.

“We’ve had a long-standing relationship with Russia. But that’s changing now,” Kar said.

The country that spawned the Gandhian principles of non-violence now has a shopping list that includes 126 fighter jets, 155mm howitzers, long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft, vast cargo planes used in long-distance conflicts, high-tech helicopters and deep-water submarines. Boeing is vying with Lockheed—along with French, Russian and Swedish companies and a European consortium—for a fighter jet deal worth about $10 billion.

India is holding flight tests for the fighter jets. Lockheed and Boeing have conducted demonstration flights for Indian celebrities and defense experts. Irrespective of who wins the deal, New Delhi is requiring that at least 50 percent of the contract value be farmed out to Indian companies for goods, labour and material.

After terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India’s financial capital, in November, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh vowed to overhaul the country’s intelligence service and weaponry. And he has since reiterated the pledge.

“We will do all that is necessary to modernize the security and intelligence services, and that’s a commitment which is essential,” Singh said after a budget announcement this summer.

Almost every weekend, there are cocktails and closed-door presentations in the suites of New Delhi’s five-star hotels, hosted by retired admirals and generals from the US armed forces who now work for defense firms, such as Raytheon and Northrop Grumman. :113:

India to buy $ 100 billion weapons, defence equipment - GEO.tv
 

tarunraju

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If only Russia had been reasonable and clean with the INS Vikramaditya dealings.
 

BLACK_COBRA

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Thanks Vikramaditya for this news.

Is india Planning to buy "155mm howitzers" could you please put some light on this?????

:twizt:
 

Yusuf

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155mm howitzers and Light weight howz for quick mobilization in mountain areas.
 

arya

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hi

i think ever one requried some friend who can stand with you in good and bad time

if i am not wrong russia is one of them and yes usa is our new friend

guys think how can we make our country more advance and poerful

its not aboout russia or usa its about usa

we must have to increase speed modernisation of our force

jai hind
 

Yusuf

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Before it was value for money. These days it's the best money can buy, delivered on time and reliable supply of spares.
Take your pick.
 
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hi

i think ever one requried some friend who can stand with you in good and bad time

if i am not wrong russia is one of them and yes usa is our new friend

guys think how can we make our country more advance and poerful

its not aboout russia or usa its about usa

we must have to increase speed modernisation of our force

jai hind
Arya the cold war is over and our relations with Russia will always be, but all nations have to look out for their interests and we are looking out for ours, just because we are expanding our supplier base it is not a message to Russia ,Russia is still a major supplier and will remain so in the forseeable future, we are buying but most of our strategic programs are still with Russia no one shares that relationship with us, but Israel is getting close. Russia offers us TOT and joint production and freedom that most other suppliers will not allow, and for this reason Russia will always be a top supplier.
 

bhramos

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we need both USA & Russia,
as US cant be trusted as all time partner or cant be offering the most advanced tech like F-22 or F-35.
as a case F-35 which was being offered to its allies are degraded, how come and where r we?
in other case Russia can be most trusted but, it has supply problem.
as at Russia is ready to put plants in India for dealing this spares problem.
 

natarajan

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Thanks Vikramaditya for this news.

Is india Planning to buy "155mm howitzers" could you please put some light on this?????

:twizt:
yes see in indian army sub forum,there is one thread of Ia purchase of artillery
 

Vikramaditya

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Hardly 3600 will be bought, if any. India's artillery purchase...30-40 years in the making!!!
I think they are planning to buy 3600 155 mm self-propelled howitzers by 2025
if not anyone know the number.............
 

Koji

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So you actually don't even have sources to prove your assertion?? Lol. Why 3600? Is that your favorite #?? LOL
 

Rage

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Hardly 3600 will be bought, if any. India's artillery purchase...30-40 years in the making!!!
Oh, go suck an egg 'Koji'.


For a 'political science' student, I'm surprised you know so very little. The artillery program has been 'stuck in limbo' largely due to graft and corruption by foreign firms. Given that the previous artillery scandal (India's largest) brought a whole government down, the decision is extremely politically sensitive. Therefore, we will NOT, I repeat not, go ahead until we are certain that the three firms in question are completely exonerated of kickbacks (pending the CBI invesitgation, which is now complete). The recent kerfuffle in the media was only because "Pakistan was reported to have procured 67 M-109 A5 155 mm howitzers using 'War on Terror' funds from America".


To all the naysayers and misanthropes of India's artillery program, here is what India has and what the latest on India's artillery program/acquisition is going to be:


Following a flurry of articles that appeared in various Indian media on Aug. 25 2009 about Indian artillery acquisitions remaining in limbo even while Pak procured, over the course of the last four-and-a-half years, 67 M-109 A5 155 mm howitzers from America using 'War on Terror' funds, the following news announcement from Indian Defence Online is a revision to and an update of the procurement status, with a reissued, heightened tender for the induction of 2814 artillery of different types. While it is true there has been not a single artillery procurement since the Bofors scandal, India still has in its posession, the following:

This is from a now dated article from late 1998, however in light of the fact that no artillery procurements have subsequently followed, it still stands.



The Field Artillery has in its service:


- One regiment each of 7.2 in and 5.5 in guns for general support;
both weapons were expected to be taken out of service by 1998.


- The Bofors 155 mm FH-77B howitzer used for general support and
counter-bombardment. This weapon is also deployed in the mountains
with six howitzers in Siachen and an 18-weapon regiment in both
Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. A total of 410 FH-77s against a
projected requirement of over 2,000 were procured in 1986. The
programme came into disrepute because of alleged bribes to
politicians (the Bofors scandal refered to aforthwith).


- The towed 130 mm M-46 field gun and the 130 mm Catapult
self-propelled gun (which equips only one regiment) used for
close support, general support and counter battery fire.
India procured about 400 Russian M-46s between 1992-95 for around
Rs.100,000 ($2,800) apiece. The Field Artillery now has 720 M-46s in
36 regiments and plans to have 60 regiments equipped by 2000.


- The 122 mm D-30 towed howitzer used for close support by multiple
regiments deployed on the plains.


- Many regiments now equipped with the 105 mm Indian Field Gun, and
earmarked to convert to the M-46.


- The 105 mm Light Field Gun equips regiments deployed in the
mountains. - The last regiment of 105 mm Abbot self-propelled guns
will soon be phased out.


- The 75 mm Pack Gun-Howitzer used to provide close support in
mountainous regions. While the splinter effect of its shells is
greater than the 25 pounder gun, its effect on defensive positions remains
unsatisfactory.


- The 160 mm M58 Tampella. The Field Artillery is also equipped with the
120 mm AM-50 Brand smoothbore which can be used to a range of 9,000 m
with PEPA/LP extended range ammunition.​


----

And now for the good news:


Indian Army to Execute $4 Billion Artillery Projects

August 27, 2009
http://indiadefenceonline.com/1125/indian-army-to-execute-4-billion-artillery-projects/



India is all set to initiate the long-awaited $4 billion artillery modernisation programme and will shortly float a global tender for the acquisition of 814 motorised howitzers.

The Artillery modernisation programme aims to induct roughly 2,814 guns of different types.


Defence Ministry sources said that the project has been granted approval by the Defence Acquisitions Council which is chaired by Defence Minister A K Antony and the Request for Proposal will be issued.

The artillery modernization includes off-the-shelf purchase of 200 155mm/52-calibre mounted gun systems from overseas, which will be followed by indigenous manufacture of another 614 such howitzers under transfer of technology.

The 17-tonne motorized howitzers will arm 40 regiments.

Another major project includes the purchase of 100 155mm/52-calibre self-propelled tracked guns for five artillery regiments and its field trials are slated for May-June 2010.

India is also looking to finalize the Rs 8,000 crore project to buy 400 155mm/52-calibre towed artillery guns, which is to be followed by indigenous manufacture of another 1,180 howitzers.

The contenders are BAE Systems, ST Kinetics of Singapore and Israeli Soltam.


Another project was to acquire 140 air-mobile ultra-light howitzers (ULHs) for Rs 2,900 crore. This is being eagerly awaited since the Indian Army needs ULHs to ensure artillery can be deployed in remote inaccessible areas.


India’s artillery modernization has been plagued with scandals and delays for decades.

No new artillery gun has been inducted ever since the infamous Rs 1,437 crore Bofors contract for 410 field howitzers became a scandal in 1986.

After that, a series of other delays including more dubious defence scams have kept India from modernizaing its artillery.

Lately, ST Kinetics has also come under the scanner for corruption charges.


Indian Army to Execute $4 Billion Artillery Projects | India Defence Online


X-posted: http://www.defenceforum.in/forum/la...rmy-execute-4-billion-artillery-projects.html
 

Rage

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100 self-propelled howitzers is NOT 3600
From the above:

"The Artillery modernisation programme aims to induct roughly 2,814 guns of different types."

2814 is closer to 3600 than "100".

Don't spout your crap when you don't know it.
 

Koji

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From the above:

"The Artillery modernisation programme aims to induct roughly 2,814 guns of different types."

2814 is closer to 3600 than "100".

Don't spout your crap when you don't know it.
So you are saying all 2814 guns are Self-propelled like Vik claimed?

First, you are still 800 short.

and second, only a small, small fraction is self-propelled.
 

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