Indian armed forces woefully short of equipment: report

Its true. The Indian Army requirments for Rajasthan are tough. It happens to be the next battle field for the next Indo-Pak war. The Russian FCS didn't make the first test. France came in to pitch FCS for T-90 AND Arjun. What kind of FCS can survive in tempatures 50 degrees celcuis? Its understandable that the Rajasthan desert heat is hotter than the norm but thats just bubearable. DRDO actually has many projects to reduce tempatures for tanks. One happens to be a suite for the crew to keep them cool and others that keep the tank cool by using power from the engine. The Arjun has a special AC that cools the tanks electronics!
BTW heres something.

thats the Arjun rail loader.

ArjunMk1 said:

Now this jurno : 'Rajat Pandit' is notorious for making foul cries ......... He is a negatine news man

Click to expand...

The above statemet is accurate. Other such journalsts are Vivek Raghuvanshi and media entities such as Frontline. It is indeed suspicious that these may be lobbyists for foreign arms manufacturers.

Upon reading the last 2 posts on this thread, regarding the failure of the FCS of the T-90s tank, it must now be evident as to why the Indian Army has constantly rejected the Arjun tank. The Arjun tank is indeed a world-class tank, but NO other tank in the world (Challenger, M21A2 Abrams, Merkava Type99) have been specified to work in the 50 deg. celcius environment of the Thar desert of India.

But the summer trials of the Arjun are to be held on this month or the next month (as stated by Chief of Staff of IA, Gen. JJ Singh), and hence we must await the results of those trials. In those trials, the Arjun shall undergo mock combat against T-90 and T-72 tanks in extreme desert conditions.

These trials may be the, what is stated as "do or die" for the Arjun tank.

Although this must not be a discussion about Pakistan's Al-Khalid tank, it may just be remarked that if the T-90s and Arjun tanks are facing problems in the FCS, it is thus unlikely that the performance of the Al-Khalid under such conditions shall be any better.

It is interesting to note and also appreciable that the world's extreme battlefields are present in India : Whether the deserts of Thar where temperatures may peak to 50 deg celcius or the coldest and highest battlefield i.e. the Siachen glacier of the Himalayas at an altitude of 6,300 metres and temperatures of -60 deg celcius in winter.

_________
The following news report is gratifying:

MECON's miniature units to cool tank interiors
Posted on 06 May 2006 # PTI

Ranchi: Army tanks will no longer have sultry interiors, thanks to a miniature solid state cooling unit, designed by state-owned Metalurgical and Engineering Consultants Ltd.

"We have designed, developed and demonstrated a miniaturised solid state cooling unit that was fitted to the army's main battle tank, Arjun, during trials at the Mahajan field firing range on the Indo-Pak border in Rajasthan," team leader in MECON's R and D division, Suchitangshu Chatterjee told PTI today.

Army representatives who were present at the trials were satisfied about the cooling efficieny of the unit, he claimed.

"Lt Himanshu Issar, 90 Armed Regiment volunteered to be the subject during trials," Chatterjee said.

"When the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) came to know that MECON has the capability of meeting their requirement, it approached us," he said.

The solid state cooling unit for the tank crew, which took seven years to develop has gone through two phases with the first being completed in 2000 and the second in 2005 June-July, he said.

Chief Controller, Research and Development, Sena Bhavan, W Selvamurthy, had sent a letter of appreciation," Chatterjee said.

"The devices are ready for market, and we are awaiting a letter of concurrence from the DRDO," Chatterjee, also Assistant General Manager (R and D) in MECON, said.

He, however, said the cost had not yet been assessed.

Source:

Source:
Coutesy of saint, on Pakistanidefenceforum.com at the following URL :



All the ship launches/commsions by the IN in this period may be referenced from his post on the above URL.

PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS AT THE FIRST CONVOCATION OF THE DEFENCE INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

Following is the text of the President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s address at the first convocation of the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology in Pune Thursday, June 08, 2006:

{Posting relevant excerpts}

Meeting the computational challenge: AGNI programme

Let me share with you the development of hypersonic missile system AGNI missile, a long range missile. When AGNI re-enters in the atmosphere, it experiences a high enthalpy with the temperature of 4000oK all around the heat shield and the nose cone. We had then designed and developed the structure using a material based on Carbon-Carbon which can withstand this high temperature. The problem we faced was to simulate the external aerodynamic flow in the subsonic, supersonic and hypersonic speed regime. In India, we can externally simulate subsonic, sonic and supersonic flow. But in 1989, we did not have a hypersonic wind tunnel facility and also for AGNI class of missiles, developed countries did not give their wind tunnel facility to be used because of the technology denial.

Hence, in that situation, we had to resolve the problem only through CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics). CFD was then a new field. In India, CFD groups were in formation stage at various institutions. Prof SR Deshpande, IISc (Indian Institute of Science), Bangalore and Dr. KP Singh from ADA and their teams were pioneering in this area. About 20 members were in CFD team from various organizations.

When CFD problem was formulated initially, the computational time in an IBM computer needed 240 hours. At that time, we neither had so many computers in India nor the adequate time. Prof Deshpande and the DRDL team evolved what is called "kinetic energy split methodology". The problem which needed from very large computer time was solved with 1/10th of the computer time using elegant methods by suitably segmenting the problem. Also, it triggered the necessity of design and development of super computers in the country. This led to the birth of super computers. Today, India has PACE+256, a parallel computing facility with one Terra Flop capacity for advanced CFD solutions. The evolution of Grid Computing which has got tremendous potential in connecting multiple locations and utilizing the computing power from different institutions is in progress in India. I am giving you this example so that when you face such challenges in your institutions you can find innovative methods by which you can progress the development tasks instead of getting defeated due to the non-availability of certain facility.

Now I would like to narrate the methodology adopted by LCA team for progressing research when technological sanction was imposed by USA after 1998 event. {posted in the MKI news thread}

Source:

Official press-release website of the Government of India.

This news is a few months old i.e. Dec 28, 2005.

India gives two radars to Sri Lanka​

Sandeep Dikshit

The supply marks the resumption of non-lethal military aid to Colombo

# Indra-II radar cannot detect microlight aircraft
# Manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited
# Bid to pre-empt Pakistan from supplying equipment

NEW DELHI: India has provided Sri Lanka with two indigenously developed military radars on the eve of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse's maiden visit. The transfer of radars, to enable low-level detection of fighter aircraft, marks the resumption of non-lethal military aid after five years. Though the deal has been kept under wraps, Defence Ministry sources confirmed the transfer but did not provide details.

Other sources pointed out that the transfer adhered to the India-Sri Lanka draft defence cooperation agreement that did not encourage Colombo to go in for a military solution to the Tamil issue. At the same time, it beefs up the Sri Lankan defences against any distant possibility of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam acquiring prowess in air operations. At present, the LTTE owns two microlight aircraft and is believed to have developed two airstrips in areas under its control. But the radar would be unable to detect aircraft of this size, the sources said.

Fast patrol crafts

India did provide non-lethal military equipment, including fast patrol crafts, in 2000 following the stepped up activities of the LTTE. But it has generally refrained from making high-technology supplies ever since stopping military hardware supplies in the late 1980s.

Sources said that India agreed to supply the radars after Pakistan began taking interest in filling the void in Sri Lankan military supplies. The former External Affairs Minister, Natwar Singh, made the formal offer during his visit to Colombo earlier this year as India felt uncomfortable with the idea of Pakistan-installed surveillance equipment near its shores.

On Defence Ministry instructions, Bharat Electronics Limited manufactured the radars. BEL supplies the Indra-II radars to the Indian Air Force, which has handed it over to Colombo.

Joint naval exercises

Despite the defence agreement being in limbo two years after it was first drafted, the two countries deepened the military-level contacts and held the first-ever joint naval exercises earlier this month. The two navies might meet next month when India hosts a joint exercise for the sea forces of neighbouring countries.

Sources said that despite a sluggish military equipment transfer arrangement, personnel of both the armed forces enjoyed a close relationship with most Sri Lankan military officers having been trained in India at some point of their career.

Source:

Note : Report is one year old.

Will this IITian's sensors guide India’s missiles?

Shiv Aroor
Posted online: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 at 0928 hours IST

New Delhi, May 11: Inspiration hit B D Awasthi on a trip to US and, dizzy with all the knowledge, he rushed to India and put together a device that will add a brain to DRDO’s tank launched missiles and smart bombs.

When 24-yr-old Bramh Datt Awasthi — a B.Tech student of aerospace engineering at IIT Kanpur — was in Boston on a summer internship in 2003, he managed to participate in the extremely guarded International Aerial Robotics Competition in Georgia. Dizzy with inspiration, he raced back to Kanpur and put together a simple device that is now poised to be integral to India’s short-range guided weapons programme.

Awasthi’s ‘Inertial Measurement Device’, built in 10 months, will soon be tested for the sensor function on DRDO’s tank-launched missile prototypes, smart bombs and short-range munitions.

Awasthi was invited to display the device at an Army seminar on innovation today, where even Army Chief Gen J.J. Singh was given a demo.

Between May 18-27, the Hyderabad-based Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) and Research Centre Imarat (RCI) will cross-test it.

An RCI official confirmed that the cross-tests would be conducted by its Associate Director Dr S.K. Chowdhry at the Hardware in Loop Simulation facility in Hyderabad.

A top DRDO official said: ‘‘Such systems will be needed soon. DRDO is also developing them, but it is in our interest to examine innovation and see if it suits our purpose.’’

Heading an incubation start-up after completing a B.Tech in 2004, with a personal investment of Rs 6 lakh and Rs 10 lakh from IIT Kanpur, Awasthi built the solid-state IMS — one of three critical components in any short-range guided missile.

At a meeting of IIT Kanpur’s National Wind Tunnel Facility Committee in 2004, senior DRDO officials from Pune and Hyderabad saw its demonstration, and invited him to develop it further for possible use on prototypes.

Subsequently, Awasthi received requirement specifications from the Armament Research & Development Establishment in Pune and DRDL, which he then incorporated in the IMS.

‘‘When I was in the US, I bought components for this with money I made through an internship with Bose Audio. I purchased two helicopter models with six kg payloads, a single-board computer, rate gyros and accelerometers. The device is now complete. We will begin commercialising it now,’’ Awasthi said.

Besides the warhead and propulsion system, all guided missiles have three critical parts. The actuator device controls the missile’s flight path; the flight control computer calculates the difference between the actual trajectory and desired trajectory; and the sensor — Awasthi’s device performs this function — beams back the missile’s actual position in 3D, allowing for course correction in-flight.

The IMS used on longer range missiles like the Agni series and Prithvi are ring-laser gyro variants imported at over Rs 1 crore each from US firms Northrop-Grumman and Honeywell. Awasthi smiles when he says his device, albeit for shorter range missiles and therefore needed in bulk, will cost just Rs 5.5 lakh each.

‘‘I am planning to commercialise this and expand my team. I own the IPR on this device, so I will manufacture and sell to DRDO if they buy it. We are taking the help of LML, but will soon refine the manufacture. DRDO should buy about 5-10 IMS devices for their prototypes, and buy more in three-four years as development progresses,’’ he said.

Now the CEO and MD of an IIT incubation company, Whirlybird Electronics Ltd in Kanpur, Awasthi’s next agenda: integrating global positioning system technology into the IMS device, expanding usability into civilian domain.

Source:

Tatas expect order for Akash​

Mumbai, July 02: Aiming to emerge as one of the prime contractors for defence supplies to the Armed Forces, Tata Power expects bulk orders for manufacturing launchers for India's indigenous Akash anti-aircraft missile system.

The company which had already bagged two major contracts, including Rs 172 crore order to deliver Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers to the Indian Army, is seeking to emerge as a reliable partner for the Armed Forces by equipping them to meet the needs of their emerging doctrines in the era of network-enabled warfare.

......

"We want to be a leading player in the strategic electronics space. Tata Power delivered mobile missile launcher platform for Akash and we expect, to get a orders once the services decide to induct the missile system," Tata Power strategic electronics division CEO Rahul Chaudhry told reporters.

The company has developed the mobile missile launcher for Akash. The launcher was successfully tested at the integrated missile firing range at Balasore in the eastern cost of the country.

The missile system has completed more than 50 test trials and DRDO sources said the induction would take place in the current fiscal after the final round tests in Pokhran.

The company, which recently bagged the Rs 172-crore order for Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers will be delivering the product in 33 months for two regiments of the Indian Army. "And we expect more orders for Pinaaka," Choudhary said.

Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of its Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme, Pinaka is all weather, indirect fire, free flight, area saturation weapon system.

It consists of a multi-barrel rocket launcher vehicle with 12 tubes, three replenishment vehicles, a loader-cum-replenishment vehicle and a fire control system. The weapon system has already entered the services.

......

India's defence budget stood at Rs 83,000 crore during the last fiscal up 7.8 per cent as against Rs 77,000 crore allocated an year ago. This would include an allocation of Rs 34,375 crore for capital expenditure.

Bureau Report

Source:


This news report is a relief as it is confirmed that the Akash SAM programme has not been abandoned but is on the verge of induction into the Indian army.

This is contrary to a news report posted by me last week according to which the Akash missile programme was, in their words, "almost dead".

Finn McCool said:

Just wait a couple of years. India will rise militarily like China. Then Pakistan will get even closer to China to protect itself...

Click to expand...

They won't get as strong as China. India is still a very poor country by capita, compared to the great economic dragon of Asia. They've fought before and China was victorious. If India went to war with China, China would probably win. Pakistan would be closer to China to seek warfare technology and aid, but China would be using Russian technology also.

The following URL downloads an interesting article about the Arjun tank. It also has a table that compares the basic technical parameters of the Arjun tank with the Leopard, Abrams, and T-90S tanks.