Indian Defense
Becoming Atmanirbhar: India Needs To Produce Its Own Commercial Aircraft To Forge Ahead
Early 2000 witnessed a revolution in civil aviation in India with at least a dozen domestic airlines entering the fray. Many, like Deccan Aviation, began on a shoestring budget. It did not take long for big business houses like the UB Group to enter into the fray. However, the euphoria was short lived. The industry saw a course correction as a steep increase in ATF prices nearly crippled several airlines.
Quite a few airlines either shut down their shops or merged into bigger groups. What is ironic is the fact that while India has the potential to have several airlines, it has been unable to have the infrastructure for manufacturing commercial jets.
NAL SARAS, a 14-seater aircraft was perhaps the first attempt to build a commercial carrier which received approval in 1999 by the government after the Russians who were supposed to co-develop the aircraft backed out. The exercise began amidst the American sanctions post-Pokhran nuclear test. The SARAS-named after the Indian crane made its first flight on May 29, 2004. The project was abandoned in 2016 due to a lack of funds.
However, the current government has now revived the project after approving certain modifications to the cockpit and cabin formation. SARAS will be used as a test aircraft for the development of SARAS MK-2, a 19-seater transport aircraft. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has already started work on the design of the indigenous next-gen commuter transport aircraft, to be used for the Government’s UDAN scheme.
SARAS MK-2- 7.5-ton aircraft will have an endurance of 6.1 hours with a service ceiling of 30,270ft with a max range of 728 km with a max load of 19pax. The state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL)manufactured the multi-purpose light transport aircraft — Dornier 228 aircraft. The 19-seater aircraft is currently being used by the defence forces. Recently, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given a ‘certificate of airworthiness’ to this aircraft paving the way for its civil use.
The domestic airlines in the early 2000s required small aircraft ranging between 15-seaters to 100-seaters. Experts believed that this investment would have created a market with rising number of domestic users. Currently, the country is the ninth largest civilian aviation market with a market size of $16 billion. There is a need for India to have its own aircraft. Despite the delay in entering the civil aviation sector, it has shown progress. It is estimated to take the global centre stage with Make-in-India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.
Indian Defense
INS Arihant’s Nuke-Capable K-4 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile ‘Ready To Roll’
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.
Indian Defense
After Upgradation, Sukhoi Su-30MKI Indigenisation To Reach 78%
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.
Indian Defense
Akash Weapon System Exports For The Armenian Armed Forces Gathers Pace
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.
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