Indian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Sorry, no gas for India without Pakistan....Interior Minister...



Pakistan can and should apply brakes on the multi billion dollar TAPI gas pipeline project, which is lead by the US, built by France & remains a vital energy project for India & Afghanistan; Let them smell the coffee.

NEW DELHI: The government has scrapped its two-year-old plan to produce 114 single-engine fighters with foreign collaboration under the “Make in India” framework, at an estimated cost of Rs 1.15 lakh crore (almost $18 billion), amid the political slugfest between BJP and Congress + over the Rs 59,000 crore contract for 36 French Rafale jets.

Top sources said the defence ministry (MoD) has directed

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, down to just 31 fighter squadrons (each with 18 jets) now when at least 42 are required for the “collusive threat” from Pakistan and China, to come up with a new proposal that will take both single and twin-engine fighters into account.

Click to expand...

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Ok, that's a lie: I do know.

Lethe said:

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I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Ok, that's a lie: I do know.

Click to expand...

Is this not the "Kaveri" engine project which was suppose to power the indigenous Indian Light Combat Aircraft?

No it was the project to buy 115 single-engine fighters (either Gripen or F-16) under 'Make in India' structure with private sector domestic partner, i.e. not HAL.

So now they are broadening scope of competition to consider twin engine fighters as well which basically returns India to the MMRCA program of a decade ago.

It was a dumb program in the first place so not great loss for it to be cancelled, but it is astonishing how incompetent India is at defence industry procurement, seemingly unable to conclude deals on just about anything. Meanwhile, the armed services suffer (which is not to say they are blameless for the situation).

JF-17 would be a great match for India, relatively modern, cheap, easy maintenance and packs a decent firepower.... I can't seem to remember why India does not want to purchase them...

Well beyond the obvious, the Indians are also convinced the JF-17 is a pile of junk.

Just about any fast jet in production today would be a useful asset for the IAF, including India's own Tejas.

At this point I think it is clear that the decision by the then-new Modi government to cancel the MMRCA contract was a mistake. India should have just paid the enormous sum required, and used the lesson to fully commit to domestic development and production, i.e. Tejas. Instead they cancelled MMRCA, and Modi issued an edict instead to import 36 "off the shelf" Rafales (which are not actually off the shelf, and are also exorbitantly priced, and in any case have not yet begun to arrive) and substituted two silly programs in its place, i.e. the single-engine and twin-engine acquisition projects, now joined by Indian Navy acquisition project. And now that bifurcated structure is dead and they are back to considering all the MMRCA candidates (and maybe even F-35).

It is just extraordinary to see a nation's military capabilities so obviously hamstrung not by basic limitations of funds or technology or market access, but by political and institutional dysfunction. Even MMRCA would not have been necessary if India had bought the Mirage 2000 line from France in the early 2000s. India has literally wasted fifteen years on this crap with nothing to show for it. If it weren't for the Su-30MKI, IAF combat air would be a basket case.

India Successfully Test-Fires Nuclear-Capable Ship-Launched Ballistic Missile....

The Dhanush continues to see testing.




"On Friday, India carried out a successful test launch of the nuclear-capable Dhanush ballistic missile from an Indian Navy vessel in the Bay of Bengal, off the coast of the state of Odisha.

The missile was launched from an Indian Navy Sukyana-class offshore patrol vessel “positioned near Paradip in the Bay of Bengal at around 10:52 a.m.,” Times of India reported, citing Indian defense officials."

Did a quick search but don't think this article from Janes has been posted:

Growing pains: India’s drive for modernisation makes slow progress

India retains the title of world's largest arms importer....