Indian Army: News and Discussion

[WolfPack86]

AMIDST CHINA CONFLICT, INDIA BUYS SPIKE, SPICE MISSILES FROM ISRAEL FOR OFFENSIVE CAPABILITY
New Delhi: India has bought a “small quantity” of the Israeli SPICE-2000 stand-off missiles and the Spike anti-tank guided missiles earlier this month to meet its immediate requirement, amidst a military face-off with China in the Ladakh border.


The quantity purchased of the two proven weapon systems was not immediately known, but two Indian defence officials with direct knowledge of the acquisition said it cost close to $200 million.

Israeli arms company Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Limited said yesterday in a statement that it was awarded the $200-million contract by “an Asian country” with SPICE-2000 air-to-surface systems, Spike ATGMs, tactical, electro-optically guided missiles, and advanced communication systems.

SPICE is a family of stand-off, autonomous, air-to-ground weapon systems that strike targets with pinpoint accuracy and at high attack volumes, independently of GPS navigation, based on autonomous electro-optic Scene-Matching Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms.

The SPICE family, operational and combat proven in the Israeli air force and other global users, consists of SPICE-250, SPICE-1000, and SPICE-2000 variants, with ranges of up to 100 km.

The Spike family consists of five variants (SR, MR, LR2, ER2, NLOS) of electro-optical, multi-purpose, multi-platform missiles, with ranges of up to 32 km and fire-and-update capabilities, the company said.

Till date, Spike has been sold to 35 countries, including 19 NATO nations, with over 33,000 missiles already supplied and more than 6,000 fired in tests and in combat. Spike missiles have been integrated onto 45 different vehicular, helicopter and naval platforms, it said.

The new contract includes Rafael’s Bnet system, a family of advanced Broadband IP MANET (Mobile Ad-hoc NETwork) Software Defined Radios for tactical operations, supporting the modern digital battlefield’s needs with high-speed, low delay, reliable connectivity for data, voice and video on-the-move.

India has twice deferred the purchase of Spike missiles in large quantities in recent years, following an assurance from Defence Research and Development Organisation that it will be able to deliver a weapon system to meet the army’s requirement in the next year or so.

Indian armed forces use all of these weapons systems and other equipment that have been purchased now, including the SPICE-2000, efficiently during the attack on terrorists training camps in Balakot in Pakistan in Feb. 2019 following the Pulwama terror strike in Jammu and Kashmir by Jaish-e-Mohammed, an outfit that gets safe-haven and training across its western borders.

Indian Army has been in a military conflict with China’s People’s Liberation Army along the Line of Actual Control in the Ladakh region since early May this year and the confrontation has not subsided despite eight round of military talks and several rounds of diplomatic parleys between the two nations, including one last week.

Rafael is a world-leading developer and manufacturer of advanced weapon systems. It provides forefront technological solutions that address the defensive and offensive requirements of the modern battlefield. Rafael is one of Israel’s top three defence companies, with approximately 8,000 employees and numerous subcontractors and service suppliers domestically and internationally.

Amidst China Conflict, India Buys Spike, Spice Missiles From Israel For Offensive Capability

New Delhi: India has bought a “small quantity” of the Israeli SPICE-2000 stand-off missiles and the Spike anti-tank guided missiles earlier...

www.indiandefensenews.in

 

[12arya]

Army chief inspects defences around Rechin La in Ladakh occupied by Indian Army

Indian Army chief General MM Naravane visited forward areas at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh where Indian troops have taken over some of the crucial heights in response to Chinese aggression.

www.indiatoday.in

 

[12arya]

Indian Army and the need for technological support to the tactical edge

The triad that exists to ensure the success of troops being launched into any conflict is based on technology, tactics and training.

www.financialexpress.com

 

[sorcerer]

Around 50 Naga insurgents likely to join national mainstream: Military sources

Around 50 Naga insurgents likely to join national mainstream: Military sources

NEW DELHI Around 50 insurgents belonging to a breakaway faction of the Naga militant outfit NSCN-K are likely to join the national mainstream as the group is

www.thenortheasttoday.com

 

[ARVION MK 1A]

 

[sorcerer]

Chief of Army Staff proceeds on a visit to the Republic of Korea



General MM Naravane, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) has proceeded on a three day visit to the Republic of Korea (ROK) from 28 to 30 December 2020. During the visit, he will be meeting senior military and civilian leadership of the Republic of Korea.


General Naravane will lay wreath at National Cemetery and War Memorial at Seoul. He is scheduled to call on with the Minister of National Defence, ROK Army Chief, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Minister of Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) where he will discuss avenues for enhancing India-ROK defence relations.


The Army Chief will also visit Korea Combat Training Centre in Inje Country, Gangwon Province and Advance Defence Development (ADD) at Daejeon.


Sauce: PIB

 

[WolfPack86]

Ordinance Factory Medak - India's Ammunition Powerhouse | Patriot With Major Gaurav Arya (Rted)

 

[Automatic Kalashnikov]

Any particular reason this soldier mentions 8th mountain div, or is it just cause he has trained with them.

 

[Automatic Kalashnikov]

Do they have mountain div/brigades in British army?

 

[rkhanna]

Any particular reason this soldier mentions 8th mountain div, or is it just cause he has trained with them. View attachment 71986

There is an old video of a US Army Infantry Officer singing praises of the IA Gurkhas (9th I believe)

It's was a cross training ex with a US Stryker CAT team. The Officer said he had never seen soldiers move through a forest so quietly before.

 

[Automatic Kalashnikov]

There is an old video of a US Army Infantry Officer singing praises of the IA Gurkhas (9th I believe)

It's was a cross training ex with a US Stryker CAT team. The Officer said he had never seen soldiers move through a forest so quietly before.

Regiment and a particular battalion (in case of SF) is common, but a particular div, I hadn't heard of it before. Specially when the British army doesn't have a dedicated mountain force, apart from a branch of SAS.

 

[Automatic Kalashnikov]

But good to know our mountain warfare skills are one of the best.

 

[Killbot]

But good to know our mountain warfare skills are one of the best.

It is because we have the need for such a capability if we are to secure the mountain ranges...

 

[Automatic Kalashnikov]

It is because we have the need for such a capability if we are to secure the mountain ranges...

We are pretty much successful against Pakistan, but against China we either need to bring the ITBP under the army or have a decent army presence so that 2020 like situation doesn't happen. Or take some apt measures so that a 2020 like situation doesn't happen at all or if it does we are in a position of advantage since the onset.

 

[Automatic Kalashnikov]

 

[sorcerer]

Induction of Indigenous Bridging System into the Indian Army


ontinuation of efforts towards Atmanirbharta andin close coordination with the private industry and DRDO, the Indian Army has inducted three sets of 10-metre short span bridges, which were formally handed over on 29 December 2020 at the Talegaon facility of Larsen & Toubro Limited.


The equipment will meet the important requirement of providing mobility to own forces by speedy bridging of gaps during operations.


This accomplishment is a step towards weaning away our armed forces from foreign manufactured equipment with the the Bridge indigenously designed, developed and delivered as per schedule. All stakeholders have put in concerted efforts to overcome challenges and realise the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government, which aims to ensure self reliance and self sufficiency in meeting the defence needs of the Indian Army.

***


Sauce: PIB

 

[12arya]

Eight Defence Deals India Should Look To Conclude In 2021

A light combat helicopter.
Snapshot

• Faced with a new China challenge, India can’t depend on ad hoc responses.
  To deal with this military challenge, here are eight defence deals that India must seek to conclude in 2021.

In 2020, even as the Covid-19 pandemic raged, the People’s Liberation Army’s large-scale mobilisation and provocative manoeuvres along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) led to the deadliest clashes between India and China in over four decades. What followed was an ad hoc response — emergency procurement of weapon systems required to deal with China’s belligerence. This wasn’t new — India has responded to almost every military crisis in the recent past in similar fashion.
But faced with a qualitatively new China challenge, one that is likely to remain even if the current crisis in Ladakh ends with a negotiated solution, India can’t depend on ad hoc responses.
One of the many things it needs to do to deal with this military challenge is move towards concluding these eight defence deals in 2021.
1) Light Combat Helicopter
Built by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) is India’s first indigenous dedicated attack helicopter.
The helicopter has a narrow fuselage configuration and has been equipped with “stealth features, armour protection, night-attack capability and crash worthy landing gear for better survivability”.
Two LCHs had been deployed in Ladakh this year as tensions with China escalated, and have been flying armed patrol sorties.
In November 2016, the Narendra Modi government cleared the acquisition of 15 of these helos. However, no deal has been signed yet. The HAL, its maker, was expecting the deal to be signed this year (2020). It has began production of five new airframes with plans to deliver ahead of time when a final deal is in place. While the initial clearance is for 15 helos, HAL expects the total number to go up to 165.
2) Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System
Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and produced by private sector companies Bharat Forge and Tata Advanced Systems, has fired over 2,000 rounds in places like Sikkim and Pokhran during trials.
The howitzer, which is the world’s longest range gun system in its class, has a maximum firing range of 48 km. Weighing around 18 tonnes, the howitzer can be deployed in battlefield in less than three minutes.
Apart from an all-electric drive and an automated command and control system, the gun has a six round magazine instead of a standard three round magazine.
In August 2018, the Defence Acquisition Council headed by the Defence Minister, had cleared the purchase of 150 ATAGS for the Indian Army.
Reports say the army requires 1,580 guns in this category as part of its artillery modernisation programme. A deal has not been signed yet due to, among other reasons, a barrel burst accident during trials in September 2020. User trials of the gun are likely be resume shortly and end in mid-2021.
3) Tejas Mark-1A
The Mark 1A of the LCA will be more capable than the original Mark 1 variant. It will have around 40 improvements over the original version, which has already been inducted. Among other things, these improvements include the introduction of an active electronically scanned array radar. The Mark 1A version of the LAC will also have faster turnaround of each aircraft after each sortie.
In March, the Ministry of Defence had cleared the purchase of 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas in the Mk1A configuration. Earlier this year, HAL chairman R Madhavan had said that the deal is likely to be signed by December 2020.
To meet the IAF’s requirement in the shortest possible time, the HAL is improving the rate of production of the fighters at its facility. A second assembly line has been set up by the HAL to ramp up the production rate.
“Our target rate is 16 [LCA fighters] per year, for which a second line has already been set up now. We can easily ramp up to 16-20 per year as and when we receive the 83 LCA order,” Madhavan said in an interview in June.
4) Project 75I Submarines
The Indian Navy currently operates only 15 conventional submarines. Four more Scorpene-class submarines will enter service by 2024, taking the number to 19. None of these submarines are equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP).
Given that China’s presence in the Indian Ocean is on the rise, this number is not adequate and well short of the navy’s assessed requirement of 24 conventional submarines. But despite shortage, there has been little forward movement in Project 75I, under which India plans to acquire six diesel-electric submarines.
P75-I submarines will be equipped with AIP for increased endurance and survivability and will be capable of launching BrahMos cruise missile.
In January 2020, the Ministry of Defence had shortlisted two Indian shipyards and five foreign submarine manufacturers for the project.
5) Fighters For Indian Navy
Unsatisfied with the performance of its MiG-29Ks, the Indian Navy had launched a programme to acquire 57 fighters for its current and future aircraft carriers in 2017.
Due to its budget constraints and other reasons, the number is now being cut to around 36. The navy’s requirement is also being tied with the Indian Air Force’s plan to acquire 110 multi-role combat aircraft.
INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, is likely to enter service with the Indian Navy sometime in the second half of 2021.
6) 110 Fighters For IAF
The Indian Navy had issued a Request for Information or RFI in 2018 for the purchase of 110 multi-role fighters. Six companies had responded to the RFI. However, even as the IAF continues to face shortage, there has been little movement in this process.
In its RFI, the IAF had said that it wants the delivery of the fighters to be bought directly from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in fly away condition (15 per cent of the total) 36 months after the contract is signed.
The delivery of the remaining fighters, to be manufactured by the Indian partner of the OEM, can begin five years after the deal is signed, the IAF stated.
If a deal is signed in 2021, the delivery can begin in 2024.
7) AK 203 Rifle
India and Russia had signed a deal to manufacture the AK-203 Rifle in February 2019. The first of these rifles were to roll off the production line in 2019. However, over a year later, the joint venture has not started production.
According to reports, the price of the rifle has been the main sticking point between India and Russia. In June 2020, the Ministry of Defence appointed a costing committee after the joint venture quoted “unreasonable and unacceptable” price.
The Indian Army plans to induct around seven lakh AK-203 rifles.
Even though a deal has been signed, there has been no development in the last few months towards starting production at the facility in Amethi’s Korwa, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2019.
8) Drones
In November this year, India leased two MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones from the US for maritime surveillance in the Indian Ocean. These drones were leased even as the Ministry of Defence was discussing the procurement of 30 armed drones from the US, 10 each for the air force, navy and the army.
With China’s presence increasing both on in the Indian Ocean and the LAC, the purchase of these drones will significantly improve India’s ability to monitor Chinese activity closely.

Eight Defence Deals India Should Look To Conclude In 2021

Faced with a new China challenge, India can’t depend on ad hoc responses.To deal with this military challenge, here are eight defence deals that India must seek to conclude in 2021.

swarajyamag.com

 

[WolfPack86]

INDIA STOCKS UP MISSILE ARSENAL AS IT PREPARES FOR ANOTHER TENSE SUMMER IN LADAKH
New Delhi: India is in the process of stocking up its missile arsenal as the stand-off with China in eastern Ladakh continues for the eighth consecutive month and the services extensively plan for the challenges that may emerge in the summer.


According to a report published in Jane’s Defence Weekly, a noted publication on military matters, India has awarded a $200 million contract to Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defence Systems for supplying an undisclosed number of SPICE bomb-guidance kits, and between 300 and 320 Spike-Long Range Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs), besides the BNET broadband IP software defined radios, which are pitched as a system for secure communications during on-the-move tactical operations.

The equipment, the report dated 24 December states, will be delivered by early 2021. It has been procured under the emergency powers given to the armed forces by the Union defence ministry this July to procure weapons systems worth up to Rs 300 crore on an urgent basis.

A senior IAF officer said the fresh purchase of the SPICE-2000 air-to-ground missiles is an emergency procurement.

This weapon has already been integrated into the Mirage-2000 fleet and the Sukhoi-30 fighters of the IAF. The SPICE-2000 bombs, which weigh 500 kg, can also be integrated onto Jaguars and the indigenous Tejas as well, the officer added.

“The Spice 2000 bombs have proven their worth during the Balakot strikes. It will enhance the capabilities of the IAF by adding to the inventory of missiles that can hit the targets from a long range with pinpoint accuracy, which is particularly important during the ongoing conflict,” the officer added.

He, however, said the numbers ordered will still be inadequate for the approximately 250 Sukhoi-30s and the 50 Mirage-2000s that the IAF currently has.

Earlier this year, after the stand-off in Ladakh had begun, the IAF had opted for the French HAMMER air-to-ground precision-guided weapon system exclusively for its Rafale fighter jets.

HAMMER, or Highly Agile and Manoeuvrable Munition Extended Range, consists of a guidance kit and a range-extension kit fitted on a standard Mk 82 bomb of 250 kg.

Aside from this, the IAF’s inventory also has laser-guided bombs with a range of 10 to 15 km.

“Every ground-attack aircraft should have a minimum of five bomb loading, which means the aircraft should be able to carry 10 bombs per mission, and should have a minimum of 10×5 = 50 bombs,” said the IAF officer.

As for the ATGMs, the Army has been planning to place a repeat order for Spike-LR (Long Range) ATGMs as an emergency procurement since earlier this year.

The Army’s Leh-based 14 Corps had projected a requirement of around 40 Spike ATGM launchers with an undisclosed number of missiles, among other equipment.

India deployed its existing ATGMs at important heights in Ladakh during the ongoing stand-off.

A senior Army officer said that the Spike is a fourth-generation missile that has an accuracy of up to 4 km, which makes it a lethal weapon during the ongoing conflict. “Though primarily anti-tank, it can be effectively used against enemy field fortifications and bunkers,” the officer said.

Another Boost For Arsenal

The new missiles ordered will add to the Indian arsenal after another massive stocking-up exercise last year.

The Modi government ordered weaponry worth about $700 million for the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Russia last year — including close to 300 short-range air-to-air missiles, the R-73, and 400 medium-range air-to-air guided missiles, the RVV-AE, also known as the R-77, and a radar-busting missile called X-31.

These missiles are designed to arm the Russian-made MiG and Sukhoi aircraft.

The R-73’s range is 30 km. The R-77 is the Russian counterpart to the US medium-range AIM-120 AMRAAM missile.

The American missile was used by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) to target Indian Su-30 MKIs on 27 February, a day after the IAF strikes on terror camps in Balakot in the wake of the 14 February Pulwama attack.

India Stocks Up Missile Arsenal As It Prepares For Another Tense Summer In Ladakh

New Delhi: India is in the process of stocking up its missile arsenal as the stand-off with China in eastern Ladakh continues for the eight...

www.indiandefensenews.in

 

[notaname]

 

[AMCA]