Indian Army: News and Discussion

[RPK]

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/...=&SEO=jammu,+kashmir&SectionName=pWehHe7IsSU=


JAMMU: The Indian Army has killed four terrorists suspected to belong to the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, a defence spokesperson said Monday.

The soldiers, acting on a tip-off, raided a hideout of militants in the dense forest area of Mahore, 100 km north of here, late Sunday. Four militants were killed in the ensuing gunfight that ended at 11 a.m. Monday.

The spokesperson said the process of identifying the militants and their group was on.

 

[youngindian]

First indigenously made T-90 tank to be inducted into Army

Published: Sat, 08 Aug 2009 at 18:31 IST
New Delhi: In a major step towards its induction into the Army, the Heavy Vehicles Factory will roll out the first indigenously manufactured Russian T-90 tank on August 24.

"The first T-90 tank, produced under license from Russia will roll out on August 24," Defence Ministry officials said here.

The localised licensed production of the Russian made tanks started in 2008 after India resolved the stalemate over the transfer of technology of the tanks.

India has signed a deal with Russia to supply 310T-90s in 2001. Of these, 186 were assembled from kits at the Heavy Vehicles Factory at Avadi, near Chennai. Later on, an agreement was also signed for the licensed production of another 1,000 T-90s.

This, however, was delayed due to Russia's reluctance to transfer technology, prompting India to purchase another300 tanks from the country last year.

In another significant development, the Indian Army will conduct competitive trials between the T-90 and MBT Arjun tanks will start in October this year.

"The Army will complete training its personnel on the MBT Arjun by September. So, we can start the trials by October," officials said.

First indigenously made T-90 tank to be inducted into Army :: Samay Live

 

[venom]

Cheers ki... Army lexicon changing

CHANDIGARH: The Indian Army, known for its regimented life, is witnessing some changes, especially among its troopers. Though the hierarchy and
subordination remain unaffected, jawans are now no more reluctant in using friendly words in the presence of their officers.

Consider this. While raising a toast during the bara khana (a lavish meal) after seeking permission of senior-most officer, the troops instead of the old war cry specific to a unit (Jai Durga) followed by anumati shriman, now hail cheers ki anumati shriman (need permission for drinks).

"Most of these men are bored with the rules and regulations. They feel that there is nothing wrong in using informal words. Cheers was a word normally associated with officers in a mess. I had never heard this in a bara khana,’’ an officer said. "Though the infantry of the main combat core of the Army still marches to the orders of seniors, the technical and medical core troops feel comfortable with civilian language.’’

Citing an instance, a commanding officer of the electrical and mechanical engineering wing said, "Jawans who used to greet us with Jai Hind, sahib, have now switched over to good morning or Jai Hind, sir. Usage of sir is normally associated with officers.’’

Shedding another load of the disciplinary baggage is dislike for the usage of sepoy by jawans in technical core. "They despise the tag of sepoy and like to be addressed as craftsmen. They are educated and even question orders dictated,’’ noted a subedar Major in Army Medical Corps.

The kind of words and language used in any ceremony or occasion are fixed and have been followed since Independence. This gradual process of doing away with archaic words, though not gross violation of the Army code of conduct, has the officers in a fix, as they are yet to adapt to these usages.

Gen (retd) V P Malik, former Army chief said improvement in education and the quality of life has been the prime cause of this shift. "This is definitely progressive, though the Army is slow in these changes and is doing away with feudalism. Also interaction with the world outside has contributed to this,’’ he said.

Recalling his times, General Malik noted, "I had never seen these jawans wearing coats during my time.
Now they attire in tie and coat during their parties.’’

Rakesh Dutta, chairperson, defence studies department, Panjab University, added, "Nowadays the recruits are more educated as compared to the past. Quite a few are even postgraduates.’’

Col (retd) Kuldeep Sharma said modernisation of the forces with the latest weapons, armed suits, combat equipment and computerized offices has to an extent affected these changes.

Cheers ki... Army lexicon changing - India - NEWS - The Times of India

 

[mig-29]

Published: Sat, 08 Aug 2009 at 18:31 IST
New Delhi: In a major step towards its induction into the Army, the Heavy Vehicles Factory will roll out the first indigenously manufactured Russian T-90 tank on August 24.

"The first T-90 tank, produced under license from Russia will roll out on August 24," Defence Ministry officials said here.

The localised licensed production of the Russian made tanks started in 2008 after India resolved the stalemate over the transfer of technology of the tanks.

India has signed a deal with Russia to supply 310T-90s in 2001. Of these, 186 were assembled from kits at the Heavy Vehicles Factory at Avadi, near Chennai. Later on, an agreement was also signed for the licensed production of another 1,000 T-90s.

This, however, was delayed due to Russia's reluctance to transfer technology, prompting India to purchase another300 tanks from the country last year.

In another significant development, the Indian Army will conduct competitive trials between the T-90 and MBT Arjun tanks will start in October this year.

"The Army will complete training its personnel on the MBT Arjun by September. So, we can start the trials by October," officials said.

First indigenously made T-90 tank to be inducted into Army :: Samay Live

Does anyone has any idea about the status of T-90M tanks , and these tanks which are going to roll out are these T-90S or T-90M

 

[pyromaniac]

India's artillery upgrade remains in limbo

The Indian Army's long-overdue plans to upgrade around 390 Bofors FH-77B 155 mm 39-calibre howitzers to 155 mm 45-calibre, stand jeopardised due primarily to the 'over-ambitious' qualitative requirements (QRs) drawn up by the artillery directorate for the retrofit.

The army first acquired the howitzers in 1987 and currently has a total of 410 in its inventory. The upgrade is intended to enhance the range of the guns, and includes replacing the gun barrel, breech block, strengthening the undercarriage and fitting the howitzers with a state-of-the-art sighting system, allowing them to fire heavier ordnance.

"Some of the upgrade QRs are unrealistic for these 25-year-old guns, demanding even more capability than newer howitzers," said an armament industry source associated with the project.

The army, he declared, was unwilling to revise or modify the request for proposals (RfP), even though many in the artillery directorate conceded that the QRs were unrealistic because only the defence minister had the authority to effect a change in the tender and they were circumspect about approaching him.

An earlier, similar RfP issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in 2006 lapsed unfulfilled. It required competing vendors such as BAE Systems (which now owns Bofors AB), the FH 77B's original equipment manufacturer (OEM), private defence contractor Tata of Mumbai and the state-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) to develop an upgraded prototype howitzer within a year.

India's artillery upgrade remains in limbo

 

[Jeypore]

India to amend defense procurement procedure every year: minister

NEW DELHI, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- In a bid to ameliorate the acquisition policy for the Indian Armed Forces, the Indian government is to change the Defense Procurement Procedure (DPP) every year, said a senior official Monday.

"We have taken a decision that instead of every two or three years, we will amend the DPP annually so that by learning we would be able to improve it every year. Within a few months, we're going to amend the DPP that will further give new impetus to indigenization process," Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony told the media in the national capital.

He also said that the Defense Ministry was chalking out a strategy for speedy indigenization.

"Our policy is that within next 10 years, we must be able to establish a very strong defense industrial base in the country."

Indian military has been subject to criticism by both the government and media for failing to efficiently procure modern weaponry from abroad, while most of the equipment of the military are presently foreign products.

India to amend defense procurement procedure every year: minister_English_Xinhua

 

[venom]

Despite years of effort, India still cannot get its French thermal imaging systems to operate reliably on its T-90 tanks. Most of the thermal imagers on the T-90s are down at any one time. The problem is heat, and the 100 degree (Fahrenheit) heat is unavoidable because it's a desert area where they have to be stationed. The Indians paid $2.6 million for each tank (half the price of the U.S. M-1). Some 20 percent of the cost is for the thermal sight, similar to the one that makes the U.S. M-1 tank so effective on the battlefield. Unfortunately, tests of the T-90 revealed that the thermal sight system could not handle the heat of Indian summers. Much of the border between India and Pakistan is desert, and most of India's armored units are stationed there. The problem is that, while the T-90 has air conditioning (something new in Russian tanks), it cannot handle the 100+ degree heat in tropical India, and there is no room inside the tank to install a more powerful cooling system. The American M-1 air conditioning has been able to handle extreme heat.

The T-90 went into low level production in 1993, but was too expensive for the Russian army to buy more than a few of. The T-90 is based on the T-72, but has composite armor (plus reactive armor) and better electronics. The 50 ton tank uses a 125mm smooth bore gun, and can also fire the 9M119M Refleks-M missile (to 4,000 meters) at ground or air (helicopter) targets. The tank carries 43 tank shells or missiles, 22 of them in the autoloader carousel. India agreed to buy 310 of them, with 124 delivered assembled and the rest assembled in India using Russian made parts. Problems with assembling the Ukrainian Fire Control System have delayed Indian assembly of complete T-90s. Indian firms are also supposed to build the 125mm gun and the 1,000 horsepower engine. All these problems are supposed to be taken care of this year.

One big reason India bought the T-90 is the 9M119 (AT-11) anti-tank missile that can be fired via the tanks 125 mm smooth bore tank gun. The missile weighs 52 pounds, has a range of 100-4,000 meters and uses semi-automatic laser beam guidance system (the gunner keeps his sight on the target and the missile homes in on that.) Maximum time of flight is about 12 seconds. While the missile has a tandem warhead, making it useful against tanks with reactive armor, it can also be used against helicopters. The missile warhead can penetrate about 700mm of armor. The guidance system is quite accurate, hitting the target 80 percent of the time at maximum range in tests. The guidance system is also easy to use, making less well trained crews more effective. However, India insisted on building the missiles under license. This has created problems, as the Indian manufacturer has not been able to achieve sufficient quality control levels.

India deployed it's first T-90 Regiment of 45 tanks, in May, 2002. The first T-90s were delivered to India in late November 2001.

Get the T-90s Out of the Kitchen

 

[RPK]

SpiceJet’s offer for defence personnel

SpiceJet’s offer for defence personnel

Spicejet has recently launched its 'Freedom Offer' to commemorate the 62nd anniversary of India's independence. This special offer, open only to Indian Armed Forces and personnel of paramilitary forces (BSF, CISF, CPRF), offers complete discount on base fare.



This limited seat offer can be availed of SpiceJet - Low Cost Indian Airlines, Book Indian Flight Tickets Online, Cheap Fares Air Travel in India - SpiceJet offers Discount Airline Ticket Fares Online with immediate effect for travel for two months starting from August 1 to September 30 across the entire SpiceJet network. Passenger service fee, relevant airport taxes and fuel charge will apply, said a press note from SpiceJet.



The offer is open to serving and retired defence and paramilitary personnel and their family members with valid ID card. Bookings made under the offer cannot be rescheduled or cancelled. The offer is not valid for bookings for infants. Customers can log on to SpiceJet - Low Cost Indian Airlines, Book Indian Flight Tickets Online, Cheap Fares Air Travel in India - SpiceJet offers Discount Airline Ticket Fares Online and book their tickets under the scheme

 

[youngindian]

Defence forces earmark 50 hospitals to tackle flu

New Delhi, Aug 11 (PTI) To prevent outbreak of swine flu among its personnel, the defence forces have earmarked 50 of their hospitals across the country to tackle the disease.

"39 Army hospitals, five Navy and six Air Force hospitals have been earmarked to check the spread of Swine Flu in our forces," Defence Ministry officials told PTI here.

The three Services, officials added, have issued separate advisories of do's and dont's for hospitals and the personnel.

"Each and every detail about the disease has been given to the hospitals in exhaustive advisories and the men have been asked to take all precautions against the flu," officials said.

Army's base hospitals in Pune and Delhi, they said, have been earmarked as sampling nodes by the Services.

fullstory

 

[nitesh]

Unmanned Ground Vehicle on BMP II Vehicle Platform
The first prototype of Unmanned Ground Vehicle on BMP II (Namica) vehicle platform has
been developed by Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment, Avadi, Chennai. The prototype consists of Drive-by-Wire (DBW) system which includes electromechanical actuators and drives for the driver interfaces such as acceleration, brake, gear shifting, steering, clutch, parking brake, etc. The DBW system is controlled by a PXI-based controller in the remote vehicle and receives commands on wireless LAN from a lab view-based GUI located in the base station. The position feedbacks from the encoders on the steering actuators and from limit switches on the gear shift levers are obtained at the base station for accurate control. The clutching and gear shifting operations have been combined in the GUI, rendering the advantages of an automatic transmission to the conventional powerpack. Remote switching on the engine is also built in the controller. The unmanned BMP was demonstrated to Dr A Sivathanu PIllai, Distinguished Scientist, and Chief Controller Research & Development (NS &ACE), on 25 May 2009. The signals from the engine, like engine rpm, vehicle speed, etc are acquired by a data acquisition card and displayed in the GUI. The electromechanical actuators for the BMP II have been designed in such a way that the driver’s accessibility to all the control pedals is not affected. The reverse effect on the actuators due to the manual override was considered during the design and selection of electromechanical actuators.

 

[SATISH]

LiveFist - The Best of Indian Defence: Mahindras Hand Over First Armoured Anti-Terror Vehicle 'Marksman' to Mumbai Police

 

[Antimony]

LiveFist - The Best of Indian Defence: Mahindras Hand Over First Armoured Anti-Terror Vehicle 'Marksman' to Mumbai Police

About the Marksman vehicle. One thing that I did not get was why the trooper manning the gun would have front and side protection but have the sides unprotected. Surely it is not too difficult to create protective barriers on the sides without adding a lot of weight?

 

[natarajan]

LiveFist - The Best of Indian Defence: Mahindras Hand Over First Armoured Anti-Terror Vehicle 'Marksman' to Mumbai Police

 

[nitesh]

India Gets 1st Indigenous Unmanned Ground Vehicle - Defense News

The vehicle would be a precursor to the development of a future unmanned battle tank.

 

[nitesh]

Largest Indo-US Army exercise this October

 

[1.44]

India Gets 1st Indigenous Unmanned Ground Vehicle

India Gets 1st Indigenous Unmanned Ground Vehicle
​

NEW DELHI - The Indian Army has received its first homemade unmanned ground vehicle, which will be used for surveillance, and to detect nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and mines.

The prototype of the vehicle, which has been developed and handed to the Indian Army for trials, is based on an infantry fighting vehicle, the BMP-II, and has been developed by the state-owned Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment. It is operating under India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The prototype consists of a drive-by-wire system, which includes electromechanical actuators and drives for the driver interfaces, such as acceleration, brake, gear shifting, steering, clutch, parking brake, etc., said a DRDO scientist. The signals from the engine are acquired by a data acquisition card and displayed in the graphical user interface.The vehicle would be a precursor to the development of a future unmanned battle tank.

India Gets 1st Indigenous Unmanned Ground Vehicle - Defense News

 

[icecoolben]

Isn't this news pretty old, 3 weeks before i read it in library magazine?

 

[RPK]

Army officer injured in accidental firing - Chennai - City - NEWS - The Times of India

CHENNAI: An inter-regiment firing competition for the Indian Army personnel turned tragic on Friday when one of the competitors received bullet
injuries in a freak accident.

The 31-year-old Anil Kumar, a lance Naik belonging to the fifth unit of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles regiment suffered injuries as his gun accidentally went off while he was pulling the weapon out of the holster. He is recuperating in the army hospital.

According to police, the Indian Army conducted a national combat force firing competition at the Meenambakkam firing range on Saturday. The participants had to shoot at various types of targets, including moving ones. Once the command is heard and the target is seen, the participants have to start shooting.

The time each participant takes to shoot and the accuracy is recorded and the winner is decided by the same.

On Friday afternoon, Anil Kumar's turn came and he was ready with a 9 mm pistol in his holster. Upon hearing the command, he started drawing the gun out, but in the hurry his finger pulled the trigger. The bullets drilled into his thigh.

The others who witnessed the accident rushed him to military hospital. "The mistake is entirely his, as he pulled out the gun in a hurry and it misfired. We have registered a case and are investigating," said an army official.

An army official said that a 9 mm pistol is a personal and special service weapon capable of semi-automatic fire. It is recoil-operated self-loading pistol in which the breech is locked at the moment of firing. It is not fully automatic, the trigger has to be pressed and released for each shot.

The gun weighs around 0.935 kg and the weight along with the magazine is 1.075 kg. It's length is 205 mm and has a capacity of firing 13 rounds. It's range is 50 meters.

 

[Sridhar]

Govt issues RFI for helicopter mounted surveillance system

8ak note: The Directorate General of Weapons and Equipment has issued a Request for Information for a helicopter mounted surveillance system. Details from their tender:
"1. Indian Army is interested in procuring a multisensor, fully stabilized, digital Helicopter Mounted Surveillance System for its needs in the near future.
2. The Surveillance System should consist of the following fully stabilised components duly integrated. The under mentioned details of the electro Optic pod may please be furnished :-
(a) Weight
(b) Payload to incl laser payloads, High resolution TV camera, Forward Looking Infra Red (FLIR), Thermal imagers etc.
(c) Video Tracking Features.
(d) Power system.
(e) Stabilization assembly.
(f) Control Unit.
(g) Down Link Facility.
(h) Image Processing Capability.
(j) Operating Altitude Range.
(k) Operating Temperature Range.
(l) EMI/EMC capability.
(m) MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure).
(n) MTTR ( Mean Time to Repair).
(o) BIT Capability (Built in Test).
(p) Any other important feature not listed above.
If you would like more information please email the editor.

8ak - Indian Defence News: Govt issues RFI for helicopter mounted surveillance system

 

[Sridhar]

85 new roads in Ladakh, part of larger $70b road development opportunity

15 Aug 2009 8ak: On Aug 4, the Government announced its plan to construct 85 roads in the Ladakh region by the Border Roads Organisation. Then the following release was made regarding the bigger development plan.

PIB: The Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Kamal Nath has said that in the next two years India will build more highways than any other country in the world. Inaugurating “Building India: Road Infrastructure Summit” at Zurich, he invited European investors to invest in the Road and Highways Sector in India. He stated that India as a nation is determined to build a comprehensive high quality infrastructure in the country. The next decade would belong to infrastructure sector, as the last decade had been the decade of IT. Stressing on the strong fundamentals of the Indian Economy, he said India is a safe destination for investment even in the times of recession. Shri Nath show cased the opportunities and potential of the Indian road sector to investors from across the Europe at the Investors road show jointly organized by Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), ICICI Bank, J M Financial Consultants Ltd.& Swiss-Indian Chamber of Commerce. Addressing a strong gathering of investors, developers and financial institutions, he said that the Government is back with enhanced mandate and building infrastructure is one of its important focus. Emphasizing the potential of road development in India, he said, traffic is increasing rapidly at the rate of 7 to 10 per cent per annum in the country and so is the number of automobiles. On the automobile growth in the country, he said that Indian companies are launching new models while automobile companies around the world are facing difficulties. To cater to these increasing numbers, he said, more roads would be required.

Elaborating on the new vision on road sector, he said that Government is committed to increase the pace of highway development to 20 kms per day. This would unleash huge business and investment opportunities, amounting to US$ 70 billion over the next 3-4 years. In addition, this would lead to an inclusive growth and provide connectivity to all stakeholders in socio-economic development. Inviting investors to be a partner in building road infrastructure in the country, he said that out of total investment required, US$ 40 billion are expected to come from private sector.

Responding to some of the queries, he said that the Government is more than willing to review the model concession agreement to allay the concerns of investors and developers and provide them much needed comforts. Clause for termination during construction was also highlighted as a major concern by the lending institutions that are interested to invest in the Indian Roads Sector.

Mr. Brahm Dutt, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, briefed the investors on the major policy initiatives taken by the government like MCA, RFQ, RFP, Standards Manual and the definition of a Minimum Project Size being 100 kms and Rs. 5000 crores.

8ak - Indian Defence News: 85 new roads in Ladakh, part of larger $70b road development opportunity