Indian Army: News and Discussion
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Vinod DX9
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We are going to test Nirbhay for the fifth time. And hope this time we achieve success
http://thestrategictimes.com/india-gears-up-for-nirbhay-test/
http://thestrategictimes.com/india-gears-up-for-nirbhay-test/
Shadow
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Are these available in numbers or just for show off in exercises?
It is a regular feature based on operational need. But it is not a standard feature for regular infantry.
binayak95
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Infantry to get foreign rifles, others to get ‘made in India’
idrw.org .Read more at India No 1 Defence News Website
http://idrw.org/infantry-to-get-foreign-rifles-others-to-get-made-in-india/ .
Ajai Shukla
The army’s highest levels have arrived at a vital decision that could open the doors to buying new rifles for the entire army, while remaining within a strained procurement budget. The decision is to equip infantry soldiers with a world-class assault rifle, while non-infantry soldiers would get a cheaper, less effective, indigenous rifle. Earlier, the army had planned to procure some 800,000 state-of-the-art assault rifles from the global market, each costing about Rs 200,000. That would have cost about Rs 16,000 crore – significantly more than what the army can afford. Now, army chief General Bipin Rawat has decided to buy only 250,000 assault rifles from the international market, and issue them only to combat infantrymen – the frontline foot soldiers who are directly in contact with the enemy. The remaining 550,000 army soldiers who are authorised rifles but serve mainly in non-infantry arms and services will get a new indigenous rifle. The army will choose between the INSAS-1C, designed by the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO); and the Ghatak, designed by Ordnance Factory, Kirkee. These are less lethal than the infantry’s assault rifles, but also significantly cheaper, at about Rs 50,000 apiece. “My thinking is: Since a state-of-the-art assault rifle will cost about Rs 200,000 each in the global market, let us issue these only to frontline infantry soldiers who confront the enemy armed only with their rifles,” Rawat told Business Standard. “Let us provide a cheaper indigenous option to other soldiers, for whom the rifle is not a primary weapon,” he added. The chief explains the army has evaluated two different weapons philosophies. The assault rifle it has chosen for the infantry is a weapon optimised for conventional war, with a longer range and a larger bullet that kills or completely incapacitates the enemy soldiers that it strikes. It is also equipped with a night vision sight. The second type of weapon, which will arm non-infantry units, is optimised for counter-insurgency operations, being lighter and with a smaller bullet that a soldier can carry in larger numbers. * * * * A variation of this debate played out in the Indian Army in the 1970s, when it was looking to replace its old 7.62 millimetre self-loading rifles (SLRs). At that time, it was argued that the army should get a 5.56 mm rifle, since that would not just be lighter, but it would also injure, rather than kill, an enemy soldier. That would take out of battle not just the enemy who was shot, but additional enemy soldiers who would be tied up in evacuating the casualty. This resulted in the army equipping itself with the 5.56 mm INSAS-1B1, manufactured by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). However, the army was unhappy with the INSAS-1B1, complaining that it was prone to stoppages, and that jihadi militants (and Pakistani soldiers in the Kargil conflict) who were shot by its lighter bullet did not always get incapacitated. “We would shoot a militant with the INSAS and he would just keep coming at us. That is why we have always preferred to use the 7.62 mm AK-47 in Kashmir, rather than the INSAS,” says Lieutenant General VP Singh, a recently retired officer who has served multiple tenures in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). Notwithstanding this, only the infantry is going back to 7.62 mm calibre rifles. The bulk of the army will get 5.56 mm rifles, which means that the stock of older AK-47 rifles, which equip specialist Rashtriya Rifles counter-insurgency units, would have to remain the mainstay of operations in J&K and the Northeast. Rifle economics The army currently fields 382 regular infantry battalions, 28 mechanised infantry battalions, 23 Guards battalions and nine Vikas and Scouts battalions, adding up to 442 battalions of infantry and its equivalent. Even within an infantry battalion, not every one of its 800-odd soldiers will be issued a 7.62 mm assault rifle. These will go only to soldiers who can expect to be in direct contact with the enemy: its four rifle companies and the commando platoon (called Ghataks), totalling up to about 565 persons per battalion. The remaining personnel would be issued other weapons such as 5.56 mm carbines and rifles. At 565 rifles for each of these infantry units, the total adds up to 250,000 rifles. At Rs 200,000 for each foreign assault rifle, equipping these 250,000 infantrymen will cost Rs 5,000 crore. For the remaining 550,000 non-infantry soldiers, their indigenous rifles – INSAS-1C or the Ghatak rifle, whichever is chosen – would be priced more cheaply at Rs 50,000 each, totalling up to Rs 2,750 crore. This foreign and indigenous mix of 800,000 rifles adds up to Rs 7,750 crore – saving Rs 8,250 crore, or more than half the Rs 16,000 crore cost of buying foreign assault rifles for the entire army. The Ghatak and INSAS 1C both remain works in progress, with the army chief confirming to Business Standard there were minor problems during trial firing in summer, including stoppages that exceeded permissible limits. “However, there are significant improvements in those indigenous rifles too, and we expect the OFB and DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) to improve them quickly to meet our expectations,” Rawat said. “We will not delay any further on the procurement process. I have passed orders for the RFP (Request for Proposals, as the tender is called) to be issued by the end of this year,” Rawat added. The Rs 2 lakh cost of a state-of-the-art 7.62 mm assault rifle includes the cost of “reflex sights” and “night sights” that make it easier to aim and shoot with a high degree of accuracy, including at night. Without these add-ons, an assault rifle is fired with the help of its in-built sights – the soldier aligns a “rear sight” and “fore sight” on the rifles barrel with the target before squeezing the trigger. This requires a degree of skill and is tiring to the eye. With a reflex sight, which is fitted onto a small rail on the rifle (called a Picatinny Rail), the soldier only has to look towards the target through a small telescope, and align a red dot in the sight with the target before firing. A modern reflex/night sight today costs as much as the rifle on which it is fitted – up to Rs 100,000. F-INSAS For years, the Indian Army approached the acquisition of personal weapons, such as rifles and carbines, as part of the expansively named “Future Infantry Soldier as a System” (F-INSAS) programme. This aspired to integrate a soldier, along with his personal weapons and communications equipment, into a digitally networked battlefield management system. With this proving too ambitious, the army has now split the F-INSAS initiative into two distinct parts – the acquisition of personal weapons and, separately, a digitisation project termed the “Battlefield Management System” that is being pursued as a “Make” project in India. * * * * Infantry weapons and equipment have seldom received the attention that is lavished on more glamorous and expensive weaponry like aircraft, warships, submarines or tanks. However, with the infantry constantly engaged in live operations on the Line of Control with Pakistan, the Line of Actual Control with China and in counter-insurgency operations in J&K and the Northeast, there is a growing recognition of the need to upgrade the infantry soldier, particularly his personal weapon, says Lt Gen Singh. The need for infantry modernisation is especially urgent in India’s operational milieu, where rugged mountain and jungle terrain limits the applicability and effectiveness of support weapons and air power, making the infantryman the final arbiter of battle. The role of India’s infantry has remained largely unchanged since independence: to close in with and destroy the enemy. In defensive operations, the infantry physically holds ground against all forms of enemy attack. The infantry is trained and tasked to fight to the end, firing rifles and machine guns and, when ammunition runs out, fighting hand to hand with bayonets – a long knife attached to the rifle. In an attack, while tanks often lead and the artillery provides fire support, eventually it is the infantryman – no women are allowed yet into this most physical of combat arms – who must physically occupy the enemy’s positions, charging at them in the face of their firing. All he can rely on with certainty is his personal weapon – the rifle or the LMG. The basic simplicity of the infantry’s role and the tenacity needed to discharge it eminently suits the Indian soldier. In active service around the world, including through two World Wars, the Indian infantryman has earned a formidable reputation for tenacity and courage. “The defence ministry can spend Rs 58,000 crore on just 36 Rafale fighters. But it finds it difficult to spend Rs 16,000 crore on giving modern assault rifles to 800,000 soldiers. Sitting on our border posts at 15,000 feet, we marvel at these priorities,” says the commanding officer of an infantry battalion, talking over the phone.
idrw.org .Read more at India No 1 Defence News Website
http://idrw.org/infantry-to-get-foreign-rifles-others-to-get-made-in-india/ .
idrw.org .Read more at India No 1 Defence News Website
http://idrw.org/infantry-to-get-foreign-rifles-others-to-get-made-in-india/ .
Ajai Shukla
The army’s highest levels have arrived at a vital decision that could open the doors to buying new rifles for the entire army, while remaining within a strained procurement budget. The decision is to equip infantry soldiers with a world-class assault rifle, while non-infantry soldiers would get a cheaper, less effective, indigenous rifle. Earlier, the army had planned to procure some 800,000 state-of-the-art assault rifles from the global market, each costing about Rs 200,000. That would have cost about Rs 16,000 crore – significantly more than what the army can afford. Now, army chief General Bipin Rawat has decided to buy only 250,000 assault rifles from the international market, and issue them only to combat infantrymen – the frontline foot soldiers who are directly in contact with the enemy. The remaining 550,000 army soldiers who are authorised rifles but serve mainly in non-infantry arms and services will get a new indigenous rifle. The army will choose between the INSAS-1C, designed by the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO); and the Ghatak, designed by Ordnance Factory, Kirkee. These are less lethal than the infantry’s assault rifles, but also significantly cheaper, at about Rs 50,000 apiece. “My thinking is: Since a state-of-the-art assault rifle will cost about Rs 200,000 each in the global market, let us issue these only to frontline infantry soldiers who confront the enemy armed only with their rifles,” Rawat told Business Standard. “Let us provide a cheaper indigenous option to other soldiers, for whom the rifle is not a primary weapon,” he added. The chief explains the army has evaluated two different weapons philosophies. The assault rifle it has chosen for the infantry is a weapon optimised for conventional war, with a longer range and a larger bullet that kills or completely incapacitates the enemy soldiers that it strikes. It is also equipped with a night vision sight. The second type of weapon, which will arm non-infantry units, is optimised for counter-insurgency operations, being lighter and with a smaller bullet that a soldier can carry in larger numbers. * * * * A variation of this debate played out in the Indian Army in the 1970s, when it was looking to replace its old 7.62 millimetre self-loading rifles (SLRs). At that time, it was argued that the army should get a 5.56 mm rifle, since that would not just be lighter, but it would also injure, rather than kill, an enemy soldier. That would take out of battle not just the enemy who was shot, but additional enemy soldiers who would be tied up in evacuating the casualty. This resulted in the army equipping itself with the 5.56 mm INSAS-1B1, manufactured by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). However, the army was unhappy with the INSAS-1B1, complaining that it was prone to stoppages, and that jihadi militants (and Pakistani soldiers in the Kargil conflict) who were shot by its lighter bullet did not always get incapacitated. “We would shoot a militant with the INSAS and he would just keep coming at us. That is why we have always preferred to use the 7.62 mm AK-47 in Kashmir, rather than the INSAS,” says Lieutenant General VP Singh, a recently retired officer who has served multiple tenures in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). Notwithstanding this, only the infantry is going back to 7.62 mm calibre rifles. The bulk of the army will get 5.56 mm rifles, which means that the stock of older AK-47 rifles, which equip specialist Rashtriya Rifles counter-insurgency units, would have to remain the mainstay of operations in J&K and the Northeast. Rifle economics The army currently fields 382 regular infantry battalions, 28 mechanised infantry battalions, 23 Guards battalions and nine Vikas and Scouts battalions, adding up to 442 battalions of infantry and its equivalent. Even within an infantry battalion, not every one of its 800-odd soldiers will be issued a 7.62 mm assault rifle. These will go only to soldiers who can expect to be in direct contact with the enemy: its four rifle companies and the commando platoon (called Ghataks), totalling up to about 565 persons per battalion. The remaining personnel would be issued other weapons such as 5.56 mm carbines and rifles. At 565 rifles for each of these infantry units, the total adds up to 250,000 rifles. At Rs 200,000 for each foreign assault rifle, equipping these 250,000 infantrymen will cost Rs 5,000 crore. For the remaining 550,000 non-infantry soldiers, their indigenous rifles – INSAS-1C or the Ghatak rifle, whichever is chosen – would be priced more cheaply at Rs 50,000 each, totalling up to Rs 2,750 crore. This foreign and indigenous mix of 800,000 rifles adds up to Rs 7,750 crore – saving Rs 8,250 crore, or more than half the Rs 16,000 crore cost of buying foreign assault rifles for the entire army. The Ghatak and INSAS 1C both remain works in progress, with the army chief confirming to Business Standard there were minor problems during trial firing in summer, including stoppages that exceeded permissible limits. “However, there are significant improvements in those indigenous rifles too, and we expect the OFB and DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) to improve them quickly to meet our expectations,” Rawat said. “We will not delay any further on the procurement process. I have passed orders for the RFP (Request for Proposals, as the tender is called) to be issued by the end of this year,” Rawat added. The Rs 2 lakh cost of a state-of-the-art 7.62 mm assault rifle includes the cost of “reflex sights” and “night sights” that make it easier to aim and shoot with a high degree of accuracy, including at night. Without these add-ons, an assault rifle is fired with the help of its in-built sights – the soldier aligns a “rear sight” and “fore sight” on the rifles barrel with the target before squeezing the trigger. This requires a degree of skill and is tiring to the eye. With a reflex sight, which is fitted onto a small rail on the rifle (called a Picatinny Rail), the soldier only has to look towards the target through a small telescope, and align a red dot in the sight with the target before firing. A modern reflex/night sight today costs as much as the rifle on which it is fitted – up to Rs 100,000. F-INSAS For years, the Indian Army approached the acquisition of personal weapons, such as rifles and carbines, as part of the expansively named “Future Infantry Soldier as a System” (F-INSAS) programme. This aspired to integrate a soldier, along with his personal weapons and communications equipment, into a digitally networked battlefield management system. With this proving too ambitious, the army has now split the F-INSAS initiative into two distinct parts – the acquisition of personal weapons and, separately, a digitisation project termed the “Battlefield Management System” that is being pursued as a “Make” project in India. * * * * Infantry weapons and equipment have seldom received the attention that is lavished on more glamorous and expensive weaponry like aircraft, warships, submarines or tanks. However, with the infantry constantly engaged in live operations on the Line of Control with Pakistan, the Line of Actual Control with China and in counter-insurgency operations in J&K and the Northeast, there is a growing recognition of the need to upgrade the infantry soldier, particularly his personal weapon, says Lt Gen Singh. The need for infantry modernisation is especially urgent in India’s operational milieu, where rugged mountain and jungle terrain limits the applicability and effectiveness of support weapons and air power, making the infantryman the final arbiter of battle. The role of India’s infantry has remained largely unchanged since independence: to close in with and destroy the enemy. In defensive operations, the infantry physically holds ground against all forms of enemy attack. The infantry is trained and tasked to fight to the end, firing rifles and machine guns and, when ammunition runs out, fighting hand to hand with bayonets – a long knife attached to the rifle. In an attack, while tanks often lead and the artillery provides fire support, eventually it is the infantryman – no women are allowed yet into this most physical of combat arms – who must physically occupy the enemy’s positions, charging at them in the face of their firing. All he can rely on with certainty is his personal weapon – the rifle or the LMG. The basic simplicity of the infantry’s role and the tenacity needed to discharge it eminently suits the Indian soldier. In active service around the world, including through two World Wars, the Indian infantryman has earned a formidable reputation for tenacity and courage. “The defence ministry can spend Rs 58,000 crore on just 36 Rafale fighters. But it finds it difficult to spend Rs 16,000 crore on giving modern assault rifles to 800,000 soldiers. Sitting on our border posts at 15,000 feet, we marvel at these priorities,” says the commanding officer of an infantry battalion, talking over the phone.
idrw.org .Read more at India No 1 Defence News Website
http://idrw.org/infantry-to-get-foreign-rifles-others-to-get-made-in-india/ .
Indian Army launches Joint Training Warfare Centre for foreign armies in Meghalay's Umroi
https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...s-in-meghalays-umroi/articleshow/61508387.cms
https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...s-in-meghalays-umroi/articleshow/61508387.cms
Vinod DX9
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Soon we will see they are eqipped with a foreign one and an indigenous assault rifle
http://thestrategictimes.com/army-to-get-both-indigenous-and-foreign-rifles/
I want SCAR-H and INSAS 1C
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article related to IA news and development.
Vinod DX9
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A beautiful article on Gurkha soldiers
http://thestrategictimes.com/gurkhas-one-of-the-deadliest-warriors/
http://thestrategictimes.com/gurkhas-one-of-the-deadliest-warriors/
Vinod DX9
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New update on India's future tank....want them within 50T
http://thestrategictimes.com/rfi-for-frcv-issued-by-mod/
http://thestrategictimes.com/rfi-for-frcv-issued-by-mod/
Indian Army mulls transporting military cargo through Brahmaputra river
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indian-army-mulls-transporting-military-cargo-through-brahmaputra-river/articleshow/61561368.cms
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indian-army-mulls-transporting-military-cargo-through-brahmaputra-river/articleshow/61561368.cms
sorcerer
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200 Years of Glorious Service : What happened when a Gurkha Soldier faced 6 ISIS Jihadis in COMBAT
The following is a story dated 12th July 16, of a British Special Forces Gurkha Soldier who was deployed in the Middle East to take on ISIS Fighters. Its a reminder of how the Gurkhas gloriously serving British, Indian and Nepali Army are one of the most fearless trained soldiers in any Combat situation.
A Special Air Service (SAS) Hindu Soldier reportedly stabbed to death three ISIS members with a traditional Gurkha knife when the militants tried to abduct him in Fallujah. The SAS soldiers are reportedly fighting Daesh (as ISIS is also known as) in Libya and Iraq, advising curter attacks and also occasionally taking part in fighting.
The SAS has been operating in Iraq for years. They are responsible for assassinating Jihadis high-up in the ranks of terrorist organizations and in assisting other forces fighting against the ISIS.
According to reports, earlier in June this year, a SAS snipper debarred two men with a single bullet from carrying out a car bomb attack.
According to a report by Daily Star, a SAS soldier was caught in a stand-off with the ISIS members with an Iraqi team after the islamic jihadists bombed a factory in Fallujah. Several Iraqi soldiers were killed, and four were seriously injured in the face-off.
The soldier, who quickly went out of ammunition, was left only with the famous Kukri knife to defend himself.
The 27-year-old Hindu Gurkha soldier had apparently been gifted the Kukri knife by another British Gurkha soldier.
According to a SAS source :: As soon as his ammunition was expended, the IS gunmen tried to storm him. As they went to grab him he unsheathed his kukri and began slashing away. He decapitated the first gunman, slit the throat of second and killed another with a third blow. He then sliced away at three others. The coward Islamic IS gunmen fled in panic allowing the Hindu SAS soldier to carry the injured men to safety.
He expected to be killed but thought he’d take as many of the enemy with him. When he was reunited with Iraqi troops they thought the he was seriously wounded because he was covered in blood but he explained that the blood wasn’t his.
He added later, “He cleaned his knife, grabbed some more ammo and then led another Iraqi special forces team into battle."
http://agniveer.com/unarmed-gurkha-butchered-3-isis-jihadis-might-indian-sword/
'Jai Maha Kali, Ayo Gorkhali'
The following is a story dated 12th July 16, of a British Special Forces Gurkha Soldier who was deployed in the Middle East to take on ISIS Fighters. Its a reminder of how the Gurkhas gloriously serving British, Indian and Nepali Army are one of the most fearless trained soldiers in any Combat situation.
A Special Air Service (SAS) Hindu Soldier reportedly stabbed to death three ISIS members with a traditional Gurkha knife when the militants tried to abduct him in Fallujah. The SAS soldiers are reportedly fighting Daesh (as ISIS is also known as) in Libya and Iraq, advising curter attacks and also occasionally taking part in fighting.
The SAS has been operating in Iraq for years. They are responsible for assassinating Jihadis high-up in the ranks of terrorist organizations and in assisting other forces fighting against the ISIS.
According to reports, earlier in June this year, a SAS snipper debarred two men with a single bullet from carrying out a car bomb attack.
According to a report by Daily Star, a SAS soldier was caught in a stand-off with the ISIS members with an Iraqi team after the islamic jihadists bombed a factory in Fallujah. Several Iraqi soldiers were killed, and four were seriously injured in the face-off.
The soldier, who quickly went out of ammunition, was left only with the famous Kukri knife to defend himself.
The 27-year-old Hindu Gurkha soldier had apparently been gifted the Kukri knife by another British Gurkha soldier.
According to a SAS source :: As soon as his ammunition was expended, the IS gunmen tried to storm him. As they went to grab him he unsheathed his kukri and began slashing away. He decapitated the first gunman, slit the throat of second and killed another with a third blow. He then sliced away at three others. The coward Islamic IS gunmen fled in panic allowing the Hindu SAS soldier to carry the injured men to safety.
He expected to be killed but thought he’d take as many of the enemy with him. When he was reunited with Iraqi troops they thought the he was seriously wounded because he was covered in blood but he explained that the blood wasn’t his.
He added later, “He cleaned his knife, grabbed some more ammo and then led another Iraqi special forces team into battle."
http://agniveer.com/unarmed-gurkha-butchered-3-isis-jihadis-might-indian-sword/
'Jai Maha Kali, Ayo Gorkhali'
Army on LoC, LAC to have desi eyes in skies
http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/army-on-loc-lac-to--have-desi-eyes-in-skies.html
http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/army-on-loc-lac-to--have-desi-eyes-in-skies.html
Armed forces say no to advanced versions of indigenous 'Tejas', 'Arjun'
NEW DELHI: The armed forces have virtually given the thumbs down to the proposed advanced versions of the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft and Arjun main-battle tank by strongly pitching for mega acquisitions of foreign single-engine fighters and futuristic armoured fighting vehicles through the 'Make in India' route under the 'strategic partnership (SP)' policy.
The Army last week issued the preliminary tender or request for information (RFI) to global armament giants for an initial 1,770 futuristic tanks called the future ready combat vehicles (FRCVs) geared for "rapid dominance in an expanded battle space", while the IAF is getting set to do the same for 114 single-engine fighters soon.
This comes in the backdrop of the defence ministry finalising the SP policy in May to boost the country's fledgling defence production sector, which envisages Indian private sector companies producing cutting-edge weapon systems in collaboration with global arms majors through joint ventures and technology transfers, as earlier reported by TOI.
The going will, however, not be easy for IAF and Army. For one, the annual defence budgets now have very little money for new projects with the bulk of the capital outlay being used for "committed liabilities" or instalments of deals inked earlier. IAF's single-engine fighter project, which will be a direct dogfight between the Gripen-E (Sweden) and F-16 (US) jets, for instance, will alone cost an estimated Rs 1.15 lakh crore.
Also read: 'Make In India' projects come undone
For another, the DRDO-defence PSU lobby is putting up stiff resistance, leading the government to question the need for the single-engine fighter project. "Questions have also been raised whether such a major project should be given to the private sector. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), in turn, says it can deliver a much better single-engine Tejas," said a source.
DRDO contends the forces continue to cold-shoulder indigenous platforms in their hunger to acquire foreign ones. Instead of ordering say around 500 Arjun tanks, which would have stabilised production lines, achieved economies of scale and paved the way for development of a futuristic MBT, the Army has inducted only 124 Arjun Mark-1 tanks till now.
Arjun tank display during the exhibition 'Science for Soldiers' organised by DRDO at Avadi in Chennai.
The Army is not willing to order 118 Arjun Mark-II tanks, costing over Rs 6,600 crore, till they clear field trials. "The FRCV project, if it takes off, will kill the indigenous FMBT project," said a scientist.
But all this cuts little ice with the forces, which say the DRDO-defence PSU lobby "over-promises and then under-delivers" with huge time and cost overruns. "Can operational military readiness be sacrificed at the altar of indigenisation?" asked a lieutenant general.
IAF, for instance, says Tejas is yet to become combat-ready or achieve "final operational clearance" after being in the making for over three decades. "Moreover, with its limited range and weapon carrying capacity, the Tejas simply does not give IAF the punch and cost-effectiveness it needs. Tejas, which has just about 50% of the capabilities of an F-16 or Gripen in terms of endurance, payload etc, will have to fly under the protection of other fighters during conflicts," said an officer.
Grappling with just 33 fighter squadrons when 42 are need to take care of the "collusive threat" from China and Pakistan, the IAF feels the single-engine fighter project is necessary to maintain adequate force-levels till an entirely new Tejas Mark-2 becomes a reality.
https://m.timesofindia.com/india/ar...of-tejas-arjun/articleshow_ucweb/61620740.cms
NEW DELHI: The armed forces have virtually given the thumbs down to the proposed advanced versions of the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft and Arjun main-battle tank by strongly pitching for mega acquisitions of foreign single-engine fighters and futuristic armoured fighting vehicles through the 'Make in India' route under the 'strategic partnership (SP)' policy.
The Army last week issued the preliminary tender or request for information (RFI) to global armament giants for an initial 1,770 futuristic tanks called the future ready combat vehicles (FRCVs) geared for "rapid dominance in an expanded battle space", while the IAF is getting set to do the same for 114 single-engine fighters soon.
This comes in the backdrop of the defence ministry finalising the SP policy in May to boost the country's fledgling defence production sector, which envisages Indian private sector companies producing cutting-edge weapon systems in collaboration with global arms majors through joint ventures and technology transfers, as earlier reported by TOI.
The going will, however, not be easy for IAF and Army. For one, the annual defence budgets now have very little money for new projects with the bulk of the capital outlay being used for "committed liabilities" or instalments of deals inked earlier. IAF's single-engine fighter project, which will be a direct dogfight between the Gripen-E (Sweden) and F-16 (US) jets, for instance, will alone cost an estimated Rs 1.15 lakh crore.
Also read: 'Make In India' projects come undone
For another, the DRDO-defence PSU lobby is putting up stiff resistance, leading the government to question the need for the single-engine fighter project. "Questions have also been raised whether such a major project should be given to the private sector. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), in turn, says it can deliver a much better single-engine Tejas," said a source.
DRDO contends the forces continue to cold-shoulder indigenous platforms in their hunger to acquire foreign ones. Instead of ordering say around 500 Arjun tanks, which would have stabilised production lines, achieved economies of scale and paved the way for development of a futuristic MBT, the Army has inducted only 124 Arjun Mark-1 tanks till now.
Arjun tank display during the exhibition 'Science for Soldiers' organised by DRDO at Avadi in Chennai.
The Army is not willing to order 118 Arjun Mark-II tanks, costing over Rs 6,600 crore, till they clear field trials. "The FRCV project, if it takes off, will kill the indigenous FMBT project," said a scientist.
But all this cuts little ice with the forces, which say the DRDO-defence PSU lobby "over-promises and then under-delivers" with huge time and cost overruns. "Can operational military readiness be sacrificed at the altar of indigenisation?" asked a lieutenant general.
IAF, for instance, says Tejas is yet to become combat-ready or achieve "final operational clearance" after being in the making for over three decades. "Moreover, with its limited range and weapon carrying capacity, the Tejas simply does not give IAF the punch and cost-effectiveness it needs. Tejas, which has just about 50% of the capabilities of an F-16 or Gripen in terms of endurance, payload etc, will have to fly under the protection of other fighters during conflicts," said an officer.
Grappling with just 33 fighter squadrons when 42 are need to take care of the "collusive threat" from China and Pakistan, the IAF feels the single-engine fighter project is necessary to maintain adequate force-levels till an entirely new Tejas Mark-2 becomes a reality.
https://m.timesofindia.com/india/ar...of-tejas-arjun/articleshow_ucweb/61620740.cms
No
Definitely these articles r written on behalf of some dalals in armed forces who work for foreign arms manufacturers.
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You remind me of Arjun`s sabotage during 2005 ..
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Bahamut
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This article talk about financial difficulties as defence budget to small and most of the budget is taken by already signed deal. No where does the article says that armed forces do not want these equipment.
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