Indian Defense
Pakistan To Acquire Anti-Tank Guided Weapon Systems From Turkish Maker, Co-Production Also On Cards
Pakistan has had long-standing defence ties with Turkey
New Delhi: Cementing defence ties further, Pakistan is in the process of buying anti-tank guided weapon systems (ATGWs) from its long-term ally Turkey.
According to sources in the defence and security establishment, Islamabad is also considering co-production of the ATGWs along with the Turkish weapons manufacturer Roketsan.
Designed to destroy an adversary’s tanks and other armoured vehicles, anti-tank guided weapon systems or missiles can be short, medium or long-range.
Rokestan offers a range of anti-tank weapon systems including the man-portable KARAOK, a short-range fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile with an imaging infrared seeker. Other ATGWs part of its catalogue include the OMTAS, a medium-range anti-tank weapon system, and UMTAS — a long-range anti-tank missile system developed primarily for integration with attack helicopters, according to Roketsan’s website.
Though Pakistan has had long-standing defence ties with Turkey, the two countries have in recent years forged closer military cooperation through co-production of combat jets and missiles.
In August this year, reports hinted that Pakistan was poised to join the programme for development of Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI) 5th-generation Kaan fighter aircraft, also known as TF-X. Nearly 200 Pakistani officials and engineers were reportedly involved in the development of the fighter programme even before the two governments decided to make it official. The stealth aircraft made its first taxiway earlier this year and likely has a takeoff weight of 27,000 kg and a top-speed of Mach 2.
“Pakistan and Turkey are preparing for first flight of the fifth-generation fighter jet. They are working to conduct the first flight of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft TF-X by December 2023,” said one source.
In November last year, the then Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey jointly inaugurated the corvette warship PNS Khyber. This was the third of four corvette ships being built by Turkey for the Pakistani Navy as part of a strategic cooperation program.
Back in 2018, Turkish state-owned defence contractor Savunma Teknolojileri ve Mühendislik (STM) bagged a contract for a mid-life upgrade of one of three of Pakistan Navy’s Agosta 90B-class (Khalid-class) diesel-electric attack submarines.
Pakistan is also among the first buyers of Turkish defence manufacturer Baykar’s Kemankes cruise missile, equipped with an AI-supported autopilot system.
Islamabad has at least three Turkish-made UAVs in its inventory, namely Bayraktar TB2, Bayraktar Akıncı and Bayraktar TB3. In 2021, Pakistan’s National Engineering & Scientific Commission (NESCOM) and TAI signed an agreement to produce Anka UAVs in Pakistan.
Over the past few years, Pakistan’s dependence on Turkey for maintenance and upgradation of its weapon systems has increased owing to its strained relations with the West.
TAI reportedly upgraded as many as 41 F16 aircraft in service with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) as part of a contract signed in 2009. The last of these aircraft, made by American defence manufacturer Lockheed Martin, were delivered in 2014. Besides avionics and structural modernisation, TAI also reportedly imparted training to PAF’s F16 pilots.
Furthermore, it is learnt that the Pakistan Army has also signed a contract for the procurement of an Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) system, under the scope of project AGILE, with Italian defence manufacturer Elettronica. The Integrated Site Acceptance and Testing (ISAT) for this system will likely be carried out in Pakistan. ELINT systems gather and analyse information such as radar transmissions using electronic sensors.
The solid-fuelled K-4 missile is being developed by DRDO to arm the country’s nuclear-powered submarines in the shape of INS Arihant and its under-development sister vessels. INS Arihant, which became fully operational in November 2018 to complete India’s nuclear triad, is currently armed with the much shorter K-15 missiles with a 750 km range.
“The K-4 is now virtually ready for its serial production to kick-off. The two tests have demonstrated its capability to emerge straight from underwater and undertake its parabolic trajectory,” said a source.
India has the land-based Agni missiles, with the over 5,000-km Agni-V inter-continental ballistic missile now in the process of being inducted, and fighter jets jury-rigged to deliver nuclear weapons. But INS Arihant gives the country’s deterrence posture much more credibility because nuclear-powered submarines armed with nuclear-tipped missiles are considered the most secure, survivable and potent platforms for retaliatory strikes.
Once the K-4 missiles are inducted, they will help India narrow the gap with countries like the US, Russia and China, which have over 5,000-km range SLBMs. The K-4 missiles are to be followed by the K-5 and K-6 missiles in the 5,000-6,000 km range class.
The 6,000-ton INS Arihant, which is propelled by an 83 MW pressurised light-water reactor at its core, in turn, is to be followed by INS Arighat, which was launched in 2017. The next generation of nuclear submarines, currently called S-4 and S-4*, will be much larger in size.
India has received clearance to upgrade 84 Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets, which will result in 78% indigenization after the upgrade
In a significant step towards bolstering its military might with indigenously developed technology, India is poised to witness its Russian-origin Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets evolve into a domestic platform. Speaking at a recent lecture.
The upgrade program is being led by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in partnership with the Indian Air Force and other partners. The upgrade is expected to cost US$7.5 billion.
This initiative is a part of a larger effort by the Indian Air Force to modernize its ageing fleet. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari asserted the critical role of an offensive air force as demonstrated in current global conflicts and emphasized India’s move towards an indigenized arsenal. To this end, the IAF has been proactive, from upgrading its Mirage 2000 to enhancing its MiG-29 fleet.
In summary, the IAF’s commitment to updating their combat forces with the latest technology, including shifting to fifth-generation fighter jets, ensures operational preparedness and a strong deterrence capability. The gradual indigenization of its air fleet marks a pivotal shift in India’s defence landscape, reducing dependency on foreign imports and fostering technological sovereignty.
According to unconfirmed reports, Armenia is a top contender for an export order for Akash SAM system manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).
The Akash export version will also be slightly different from the one inducted by the armed forces. The 100-km range air-to-air Astra missiles, now entering production after successful trials from Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, also have “good export potential”, said sources.
Akash is a “tried, tested and successfully inducted systems”. Indian armed forces have ordered Akash systems worth Rs 24,000 crore over the years, and MoD inked a contract in Mar 2023 of over Rs 9,100 crores for improved Akash Weapon System
BDL is a government enterprise under the Ministry of Defence that was established in 1970. BDL manufactures surface-to-air missiles and delivers them to the Indian Army. BDL also offers its products for export.
Akash Weapon System
The AWS is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM) Air Defence System, indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). In order to meet aerial threats, two additional Regiments of AWS with Upgradation are being procured for Indian Army for the Northern borders. Improved AWS has Seeker Technology, Reduced Foot Print, 360° Engagement Capability and improved environmental parameters.
The project will give a boost to the Indian missile manufacturing industry in particular and the indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem as a whole. The project has overall indigenous content of 82% which will be increased to 93% by 2026-27.
The induction of the improved AWS into the Indian Army will increase India’s self-reliance in Short Range Missile capability. This project will play a role in boosting the overall economy by avoiding outgo of precious foreign exchange to other countries, increasing employment avenues in India and encouraging Indian MSMEs through components manufacturing. Around 60% of the project cost will be awarded to the private industry, including MSMEs, in maintaining the supply chain of the weapon system, thereby creating large scale of direct and indirect employment.
-
Solar Energy3 years agoDLR testing the use of molten salt in a solar power plant in Portugal
-
Camera1 year agoDJI Air 3 vs. Mini 4 Pro: which compact drone is best?
-
world news1 year ago
Gulf, France aid Gaza, Russia evacuates citizens
-
Camera1 year agoSony a9 III: what you need to know
-
world news1 year ago
Strong majority of Americans support Israel-Hamas hostage deal
-
Camera4 years agoCharles ‘Chuck’ Geschke, co-founder of Adobe and inventor of the PDF, dies at 81
-
Solar Energy1 year agoGlencore eyes options on battery recycling project
-
Indian Defense3 years ago
Israeli Radar Company Signs MoU To Cooperate With India’s Alpha Design Technologies
