Indian Defense
Deadly ‘Romeos’ Helicopters Coming To India! Indian Navy Gets First MH-60Rs
According to officers, the Indian Navy is going to receive the fourth -generation MH-60Rs `Romeos’ helicopters. The pilots and ground crew from the Indian Navy are already in the US undergoing training. They will return with the new MH-60Rs
The first three out 24 MH-60R Seahawks are expected to be delivered next month. Sources have confirmed to Financial Express Online that “Dates are in the process of being confirmed for delivering the helicopters to the Indian Mission in the US. After which they will be sent to India.”
The pilots and ground crew from the Indian Navy are already in the US undergoing training. They will return with the new MH-60Rs.
For the balance of the helicopters, the delivery will be as per the timeline stated in the contract inked between the governments of India and US. The 24 helicopters are coming through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route and are for approximately USD 2.6 billion. These helicopters are going to help the Indian Navy play a critical role in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
What Is Indian Navy Going To Get?
According to the contract, the package includes spare parts, air-to-ground weapons support and training of pilots and ground crew. The training is already going on as reported earlier.
Due to the global shut down in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the process of training had been delayed. And once the world started opening gradually, the team left for the US to be trained.
When Was The Deal Approved?
In 2020, the deal got the stamp of approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) last year in February before the former US President Donald Trump’s arrival in New Delhi.
Who Spearheaded The Talks For MH-60R?
The talks for these helicopters was spearheaded by Dr Vivek Lall, who was then the Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Lockheed Martin. He has been credited to have played a very significant role in the military trade between US and India.
In an earlier interaction with Financial Express Online, Dr Lall had said about these helicopters that, “These helicopters will provide a vital capability for the Indian Navy in the Indo-Pacific region.”
According to officers, the Indian Navy is going to receive the fourth -generation MH-60Rs `Romeos’ helicopters.
These helicopters are going to be loaded with torpedoes and missiles and these missiles are going to be used in anti-submarine roles.
The delivery of these helicopters will be completed in five years from the time the deal was inked.
As reported earlier, these helicopters will replace the British Sea King helicopters.
The Defence Acquisition Council had put its stamp of approval in 2018.
Eye In The Sky
MH-60Rs `Romeos’ helicopters when combined with the already being operated Boeing’s P8-I by the Indian Navy will help submarine hunting grow stronger when combined with these helicopters.
And soon the Indian Navy will be getting Sea Guardian Drones from the US based General Atomics.
Modifications
The US based Lockheed Martin Company will be modifying the helicopters as per Indian specifications. And these modifications will be carried out in Owego, New York; and Stratford, Connecticut, based facilities of Lockheed Martin.
What India is going to receive are three helicopters which were meant for the US Navy and is a naval version of Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family.
The modification will include the folding main rotor and a hinged tail, which will help in reducing the footprint on board the ships.
These helicopters have the capability of handling the anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW) operations. They can also be used in search and rescue (SAR), as well as combat search and rescue (CSAR), naval special warfare (NSW) insertion, vertical replenishment (VERTREP), and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC).
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.
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