Indian Navy Inducts New Stealth Frigate INS Teg

Indian INS Teg

On Friday, 27th April 2012 The Indian Navy  peaks  to its  new height  by adding teeth to its warship fleet by formally inducting a newly-built frigate at the Yantar shipyard in Russia's Kaliningrad.

An Indian Navy spokesperson in New Delhi, said that The warship, christened INS Teg, was commissioned by the Southern Naval Command chief Vice Admiral K.N. Sushil at a ceremony in Kaliningrad .

INS Teg is likely to reach Indian shores by the end of June 2012.

The spokesperson in a press release said that "INS Teg is a modern and contemporary warship with advanced technologies incorporated in every facet of design to make her stable, stealthy, fast and formidable,"  The Teg class of ships, an advanced version of the Talwar class guided missile frigates in service with the Indian Navy, have been built to meet the specific command and control needs of the Indian Navy for co-ordinated surface, air and underwater missions.

The weapons suite of the 125-metre, 4,000-tonne frigate includes the BrahMos surface-to-surface cruise missile system, a surface-to-air missile system, 100mm medium range gun, close-in weapon system, torpedo tubes and anti-submarine rockets.

With its advanced weapons suite and sensors fully integrated with its combat management system, the warship is equipped to augment the Indian Navy's net-centric capability, and is well suited to undertake a broad spectrum of maritime missions.
The spokesperson added that “The ship also embarks and operates an anti-submarine or an airborne early warning helicopter - a dominant force multiplier”.

 He  also added "Teg incorporates innovative stealth technologies to reduce her radar cross section, infrared and magnetic signatures, as well as radiated underwater noise”.
The ship is powered by an advanced gas turbine propulsion plant with state-of-the-art controls, to attain speeds in excess of 30 knots.
The ship has been equipped with complex automated systems for nuclear, biological and chemical defence, damage control and fire fighting that can be operated centrally from sheltered posts to minimise casualties and achieve rapid restoration of combat effectiveness.
The ship's crest embodies two crossed swords against the blue sky and ocean waves which symbolise strength, responsibility and commitment to a righteous cause.
Teg is manned by a crew of about 250 men, including 25 officers is commanded by Captain Rakesh Kumar Dahiya, a communications and electronic warfare specialist.

The spokesperson noted "It is interesting to note that the individual crew members speak 15 different languages as their mother tongue and follow six different religious faiths - a true microcosm of the diversity, and unity of India."

By September 2012 and mid-2013 respectively, the other two ships of the Teg class – Tarkash and Trikand are likely to be delivered.

RISAT-1: India's first radar imaging satellite

 RISAT-1: Indian First Spy Satellite


Recently India has successfully launched an indigenously built all-weather radar imaging satellite RISAT-1.

The new satellite will improve the country’s remote sensing capabilities and facilitate agriculture and defence apart from disaster management. With this India joins the elite club of nations having indigenous radar imaging technology.

PS Veeraraghavan, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram pointed out that only the US, Canada, Japan and the European consortium possessed the technology until now. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described the launch as an important milestone in India's space and research programme.

Dr. Singh also congratulated the scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists for achieving the feat in the complex technological mission. RISAT-1 has the capability to take images of Earth during day and night, as well as in cloudy conditions. India till now was dependent on a Canadian satellite for data.

The satellite weighing 1,858kg was injected into precise orbit by Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV C-19. The PSLV delivered the satellite about 19 minutes after the perfect launch of the vehicle at 5.47am from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

This is the 20th consecutive successful flight for the impressive PSLV of the ISRO. The RISAT-1 is the heaviest satellite ever delivered by the vehicle to the orbit. ISRO chief K Radhakrishanan has described the mission as a grand success.

Pakistan Test Fires Nuclear-Capable Ballistic Missile Days After Launch By Archrival India

Pakistan's Nuclear-Capable Ballistic Missile

Pakistan has test fired a nuclear-capable ballistic missile on 25^th April 2012 days after its neighbour and archenemy India conducted its own missile test “Agni V”.

        The military said Pakistani missile Hatf IV Shaheen-1A was fired into sea. Exact range of the Pakistani missile has not been revealed, but according to defence experts it can hit targets upto 3000 km (1,850 miles) away.

         India’s Agni-V long-range intercontinental ballistic missile which was launched from odisha, has a range of more than 5000 km (3,100 miles), potentially bringing targets in China within range. 

India: DRDO Teams Up With Singapore

India to enhance Singapore partnership

India’s Defence research and Development Organisation (DRDO) intends to promote enhanced collaboration with Singapore over a range of military aerospace technologies, an official told HIS Jane’s at the Singapore Airshow on 15 February.
The director of the DRDO’s industry and technology management unit, Parimal Kumar, said potential areas for collaboration included technologies related to India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme and the Kaveri engine designed to power the aircraft. The DRDO has been developing both for several decades.
“We are looking at acquiring a range of critical aerospace technologies through collaboration with Singapore,” said Kumar.
“Potential areas include antennas, composite materials, engine technologies and night-vision technologies.”
He added: “There may be opportunities to share our expertise. If we can successfully collaborate with Singapore it could turn into production programmes and potentially exports, but this would be further down the line. At the moment India is an importer and a collaborator.”

Collaboration Of Dassault Aviation With Reliance

Dassault teams with India’s Reliance Industries

India conglomerate Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and French aircraft manufacturer Dassault  Aviation have agreed to jointly develop defence and homeland security products in India, according to reports.

       News of the teaming comes after reports in 2011 that RIL was planning to expand into the aerospace and defence (A&D) sector and its agreement with Siemens in September 2011 to jointly develop telecommunications solutions for India’s homeland security market.

       The partnership also follows India’s announcement on 31^st January that it had entered into final negotiations with Dassault to accuire 126 Rafale fighter aircraft for its Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) requirement. Rafale was chosen ahead of the Eurofighter Typhoon in a selection that represents the type’s first export order.

       The MMRCA programme is estimated to be worth more than USD 10.4 billion and Dassault is due to invest about 50 per cent of the contract value in local offsets, largely in the military sector.

        RIL’s revenues total about $50 billion a year. It is India’s largest private sector conglomerate and focuses on telecommunications, petrochemicals, retail chemicals and textiles but has recently made moves into the A&D sector. In April 2010 RIL acquired a controlling share of Deccan, a Bangalore-based cargo and freight logistics company, while in 2011 RIL was linked to a potential investment in Indian naval ship builder Pipavav.

Meanwhile, in march 2011 RIL appointed Dr. Vivek Laal, who previously worked for Boeing India where he served as in –country vise president of Boeing defense, Space and security.

Dassault and RIL were unavailable for comment at the time for going to press.

HIKE IN INDIAN DEFENCE BUDGET 2012-13

Indian Defence Budget 2012-13

                                                                                                                                                                       

                                                             

           India has announced a 17% raise in its defence expenditure over the previous year. The hike comes a year after India had increased  its budget expenses by 11 per cent. A cumulative outlook over the past two years  shows that India has increased its military spending by a third. It is indeed a substantial raise. Indian defence outlay for 2012-13 is Rs.1,93,007 crore ($42 billion/Rs.1.93 trillion). Pakistan’s defence budget is less than US$ 6 billion.  

           The capital expenditure of the Indian armed forces – that goes towards purchase of equipment – was set at around $ 17.5 billion, a 15.7 per cent hike from last year’s capital allocation. Seventy per cent of this amount will go towards servicing already signed military purchase contracts. The rest will be reserved for the procurement of new equipment, including new Rafale aircraft from a French company.  

           The revenue component of the Defence budget amounts to $21.67 billion. This part of the budget goes towards paying salaries. Commenting on the ballooning revenue aspect of the defence budget, Dr Laxman Behera of the ‘Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses’ said: “Pay and allowances are  obligatory in nature  and the government has little control over their growth, given the mandatory increase in annual pay and dearness allowances. Moreover, most of today’s pay and allowances constitute tomorrow’s defence pensions, over which also the government has little control. The uncontrollable growths in these two components have great implication on other aspects of the defence budget.” However, India like many other countries does not pay its pension out of defence estimates. 

           The raison d’être of geo-strategic compulsions that the Indian Government often refers to while increasing the military expenditure is not logical at all. Pakistan does not present a military threat to India. Budget of other smaller countries neighbouring India is also comparatively meagre. Most of these countries do not have requisite military prowess to pose any meaningful threat to a country that boasts to be a mini super power. Certainly, India is justifying its military build-up in the Chinese context.  However, Beijing has 

consistently followed a policy of reconciliation and is focused on economic well being of its 2people. Though, China is  a global power with attendant  roles and responsibilities, even then it jacked up its defence budget for the new year only by  11%, to $106.41 billion.  

           India is one of the biggest importers of military hardware in the world. It is a country where more than 440 million people live in poverty, that exceeds half of the world’s poor. These military expenditure hikes will only accentuate  their miserable conditions. Additionally, it would put a strain on the  national budgets of adjoining states. CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury has rightly pointed out that the  budget would increase financial burden on the common man. 

          Developmental projects worth US$ 17.5 billion include 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), 145 Ultra Light Howitzers (ULH), 197 Light Utility Helicopters, 75 Pilatus PC-7 basic trainer for its air force and others weapons and systems for the three services. International consultancy firm KPMG estimates New Delhi will hand out military contracts worth $112 billion by 2016. This would certainly fuel an arms race in Asia. 

           The question arises as to what Indians have in mind in the long term. It is obvious that besides encirclement of China, the huge military  preparations are meant to intimidate Pakistan and extend Indian sphere of influence to Middle East, Central Asia and beyond. Pakistan has its legitimate concerns on this  arms purchase spree. India has fought both China and Pakistan, but it has fought three wars with Pakistan, and only one with China. Hence, increase in defence spending by India on the pretext of Chinese threat cannot be ignored by Pakistan. The hike in India’s military budget thus gives the wrong message to its neighbours and perpetuates tensions in South Asia. The neighbours’ concerns are not baseless, because India is not  on the best of terms with them, and it has a history of military conflicts with Pakistan and China.  

         This hike in the Indian defence budget is certainly a food for thought for our analysts who eagerly engage themselves in propaganda campaign against Pakistan’s defence budget. Pakistan does not want to indulge in an arms race, but India’s military preparations cannot be ignored, especially when it is busy stirring  trouble wherever it can, particularly in Baluchistan, to which it was given access  by the USA through Afghanistan. Thus if Pakistan was to increase its defence expenditure this year, it would be justified.

                                                                                                                Air Commodore (R) Khalid Iqbal

India: Agni V Missile

Indian Defence Power Enhances With Agni V Missile

India test fired its first Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), called the “Agni-V” on 19^th April 2012. The missile was launched from Wheeler Islands, Odisha, a state in the eastern coast of India.  The missile which is also being termed as "China Killer" is capable of reaching deep into China and Europe thrusting the emerging Asian power into an elite club of nations who possess intercontinental nuclear weapons capabilities. The missile have range of more than 5000 km. from this India on Thursday joined the elite group.

       Agni-V can carry MIRV (multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles) payloads which is also being concurrently developed. A single MIRVed missile can deliver multiple warheads at different targets.

       Agni-V will be operational by 2014-2015 after four-five repeatable tests by the DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organization) a military equipment research organisation.

Agni-V Specification

Weight                   : 50,000 kg

Diameter                : 2 m

Length                   : 17.5 m

Warhead                : Nuclear

Warhead weight     : 1.1 ton/1000 kg

Engine                    : Three stage solid

Operational range  : Over 5,500 km (3,400 miles)

Speed                     : 24 Mach  

          According to Chinese experts Agni-V missile has the potential to reach target 8000 km (5000 miles) away. Du added that "The Indian Government had deliberately downplayed the missile's capability in order to avoid causing concern to other countries".

Indian Defence: Air Force Power

Indian Air Force Power

Under contract of  $1.1 billion deal signed in March 2004, Israel was contracted to supply three Phalcon airborne warning and control systems. Israel had dispatched the first Phalcon Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft to India ahead of a reworked delivery schedule. According to reports the aircraft arrived at New Delhi's Palam airport on 11 January 2009 from where it has now moved to the Indian Air Force's base at Agra.

      

India received second of its three contracted Phalcon AWACS (airborne warning and control systems) from Israel in March 2010. Russia has completed its part of a contract on the delivery of A-50 Mainstay AWACS aircraft to India, a Russian aircraft industry official said.

India ordered three A-50EI variants, developed on the basis of the Russian Il-76MD military transport plane and fitted with the Israeli-made Phalcon radar system, in 2004. The first two aircraft are already in service with the Indian air force (IAF).

         India has an indigenous AWACS programme being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which signed a deal last year with Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer for the purchase of three EMB−145 aircraft for use as an AWACS platform.

India: DRDO AMCA Project

Indian AMCA
The Indian government is finally pressing ahead with work on an indigenous stealth fighter after a funding crunch stalled the project for several years.
      The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)program is due to receive $2 billion in various increments over the next three years, with expectations the figure will grow.
      The Indian air force hopes to begin taking deliveries of at least 150 of twin-engine, 20-metric-ton(44,000-lb) stealth jet toward the end of the decade.
       India's Defense Research and Development Organization hopes to power the AMCA with a pair of indigenous Kaveri turbofans. The engines are based on the Sncema M88 Eco core. Program sources reveal that Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. has been asked to work on thrust-vectored-nozzle technologies, possibly in consultation with Russian industry.
        The AMCA team is working to give the platform a cockpit with a panoramic active-matrix display as the centerpiece of its man-machine interface. Most switches, bezels and keypads will likely be placed with touch-screen interfaces and voice commands. Pilots who fly the AMCA will also likely have a helmet-mounted system that eliminates the need for a head-up display.  

Indian Defence Power Research And Security

INDIAN DEFENCE POWER
The indian defence forces are the military forces of India. Indian forces are the combination of Army, Navy and Air Force which is supported by paramilitary forces.

PAK-FA_FIRST_FLIGHT
India is now raising its own power in air, sea and land.The Sukhoi T-50 is the prototype for PAK FA.The PAK FA, when fully developed, is intended to be the successor to the MiG-29 and Su-27 in the Russian inventory and serve as the basis of the Sukhoi/HAL FGFA being developed with India.The T50/PAK-FA, the equivalent of the US F-35, is expected to joint the Russian air force in operational trials in five years, and India’s four years later.

Dassault Rafale : MMRCA Winner of India
After being initially ruled out of the race for IAF's USD 10 billion deal for supplying 126 Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), French contender Rafale has reportedly bagged the prestigious contract. 
In the process, French contender Rafale beat European consortium EADS’ Cassidian (Eurofighter Typhoon). 
The Rafale boasts of a top speed of Mach 1.8 (1.8 times the speed of sound) with a range of 3,700 km. Its operational altitude ceiling is 50,000 feet.