Indian Defense
C295 Aircraft Deal, A Baby Step; Aircraft Making In India Has A Long Way To Go
According to the September 23 contract, while Airbus will supply the first 16 C295 aircrafts manufactured in its facility in Spain, the remaining 40 will be assembled in India by TASL
A long-standing refrain about India’s aerospace industry has been the inherent internal inefficiency of the public sector and the step motherly treatment meted out to the private sector.
In recent years, the government has taken steps towards levelling the playground and extending its patronage, hitherto preserved for the public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), to competent players in the private sector.
There have been some remarkable achievements by private companies in recent years but, as India is not producing any aircraft (HAL is still working on a copy of the Dornier it license-produced for years), they have been restricted to producing components for foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Thus, a demonstrated potential for aircraft manufacture has been in place, but the opportunity denied for exploiting its promise.
On September 8, the Rubicon was crossed when the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the procurement of 56 C295MW transport aircraft produced by Airbus Defence and Space SA, Spain. Characteristically, the government machinery has taken over a decade to process the proposal initiated by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2010 to replace its Avro HS748s.
The Request For Proposal (RFP) was issued internationally in 2013 but only a single bid was received from Airbus and Tata Group. The Defence Acquisition Council approved the deal in May 2015, but since then, there have been reports of delays, with the past three years being taken up for an inordinately long price negotiation.
A formal contract has been signed on September 23 with Airbus for ₹22,000 crore; the cheering bit is that, while Airbus will supply the first 16 aircrafts manufactured in its facility in Spain, the remaining 40 will be assembled in India by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, and the strategic Aerospace and Defence arm of the Tata Group.
TASL is both an operating and a holding company headquartered in Delhi and is Tata Group’s lead entity to explore aerospace manufacturing prospects in India (and internationally). It has already proven its competence by becoming the single source global supplier for Sikorsky S 92 Helicopter Cabin Assembly including Wire Harness Installation, Lockheed Martin C 130 J Empennage and Centre Wing Box Assembly, and Detailed Part Manufacturing (Tata Sikorsky JV) with capabilities in Machining, Sheet metal forming, tube bending, special processes and quality assurance. In the past, it has also assembled the Dornier 228 for RUAG and indeed, has had the capability to assemble/manufacture full aircraft since 2015.
An allied but distinct contract is also likely to be signed with Airbus for performance-based lifecycle product support of the IAF C295 fleet. This deal will cut down IAF’s long term maintenance costs and help set up a regional C295 maintenance hub.
The tailender of these 56 C295s will be inducted into the IAF in another decade as the 40 being produced in India are planned to take ten years. However, the initial inductions of 16 aircraft slated over the 48 months of the contract being signed, will provide substantial succour to the existing situation where the Avro HS-748s are struggling to fly. According to World’s Air Forces 2021 published by Flight International, IAF has 57 Avro HS748s on its strength.
The fact that they were first inducted in the 1960s, is an indicator of their age-related problems (reliability, maintenance and cost of sustenance). As they attrit over the next few years and fall away like fatigued combatants, the C295s trickling in will replace them, thus providing a huge relief to the transport aviation tasks of the IAF, as also the Army and the Navy.
The IAF also has 104 AN-32s on its strength and in the past, there was a plan for HAL (with Russian collaboration) to produce a Multi-Role Transport Aircraft (MTA) as a future replacement for AN32s. While the HAL website still shows the MTA as work in progress, the other symptoms of the project indicate mortality. Thus, the C295 may also be required in larger numbers so that it can replace the AN32 when it shows symptoms of senility. Having an established C295 assembly line in India would then make them ready to step in and relieve the shortfall thus created.
The C-295 is undoubtedly the most versatile and efficient tactical transport aircraft currently available in the world in the light/medium segment. It can carry 71 passengers (7.05-ton payload) as compared to the 58 and 50 for the Avro and the AN32 respectively, and has slightly higher cruise speeds than those two. It also has a 2200 feet Short Take off capability from unprepared surfaces (according to Airbus site).
The planned procurement is no doubt a laudable step towards bolstering the IAF’s transport needs but some of the media coverage on it is just government-sponsored hype, terming the assembly as ‘manufacture’ would be grossly imprecise.
While associating the Indian assembly of C295s to ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ is not entirely inaccurate (after all, some manufacture activity is indeed taking place in India, and some offset benefits will also accrue), TASL (and India) have a long way to go to be able to “manufacture” aircraft, with critical components and assemblies (the power plant being the most significant) still beyond reach. One hopes that the offset and transfer of technology terms and conditions in the contract help India move closer to meaningful self-reliance.
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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