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First Look At Indian Army’s New Cargo Drones For Ladakh

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First Look At Indian Army’s New Cargo Drones For Ladakh
What you’re looking at is the first public image of the Indian Army’s new cargo drone type, an MR-20, developed by Indian firm Raphe Mphibr. Last week the company was awarded an emergency procurement contract for 48 MR-20 hexacopter drones capable of ferrying loads of up to 20 kg each. The image above is from high altitude trials of the drone in Ladakh this year, the primary are where the drones will be deployed once supplies begin. Livefist learns the company has already given the Indian Army a small number of the drones for training and readiness before the fleet arrives starting later this year.

The MR-20 drones will be capable of ferrying food, essential items, emergency medical aid, ammunition and weapons to troops deployed at heights in forward areas. The Indian Army has already begun formulating protocols for drone use in crucial last mile logistics operations in a live operational theatre that has been active since May 2020 following en masse deployments by the Chinese Army along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. While the Indian Army has, for a while now, been looking to put drones to work across a raft of tasks and functions for high altitude units, the emergency procurement is almost certain to have been triggered by China’s own use of such a capability. Drones ferrying hot meets to Chinese soldiers in Aksai Chin was part of a much-viewed propaganda video by the Chinese Army last year, designed to highlight the lack of such a capability on the Indian side.

The contract to Raphe Mphibr, part of a slew of drone procurements awarded to Indian start-ups and private firms, also includes orders for 2 sets of homogeneous swarm drones and 10 high endurance payload carrying drones for the Indian Navy.

Raphe Mphibr MR-10 swarm drones during trials

In a statement shared with Livefist, Raphe Mphibr said, “They can operate in high altitude Himalayan areas of Siachen, be launched & recovered from submarines, drop combat payloads, influence low intensity conflicts, lift 100kg stores and can also be launched from the palm of the user. The drone operations are backed by novel algorithms that include indigenously developed artificial intelligence and machine learning driven features such as swarming & in-flight fault management. Real time monitoring and mission planning is made possible by ground support set up comprising of ground control stations, remote video terminals and ultra long range communication equipment.”

The company adds, “Raphe’s team has developed over 169 patentable technologies to support their UAV platforms. Novel carbon fibre composite materials developed at Raphe are light weight, robust and have superior thermal & electrical properties. The bio-inspired designs of airframes, high density electronics along with efficient and reliable software technologies render the Raphe’s UAV platforms their best-in-class efficiency, robustness and payload carrying capabilities. The novel algorithms such as distributed swarming, target detection & tracking and optimal energy control broadens the scope of applications of the UAV platforms for the Indian security forces.”

The military standoff with China a towering factor, 2021 has been a huge year for Indian drone firms. Things started big in January with the Indian Army handing a Rs 130 crore contract to drone pioneers ideaForge for their Switch tactical surveillance drones for Ladakh. The latest emergency procurement of swarm drones and cargo drones from Indian start-ups is a crucial foot in the door for small, tightly run companies functioning on the cutting edge of military software for drone operations. While the numbers ordered are small, they still represent a significant leap for a procurement ecosystem that’s heavily loaded against small Indian firms beyond supply chain relationships.

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INS Arihant’s Nuke-Capable K-4 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile ‘Ready To Roll’

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INS Arihant’s Nuke-Capable K-4 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile ‘Ready To Roll’


NEW DELHI: India tested its nuclear capable K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), designed to have a strike range of 3,500 km, for the second time in six days on Friday. The missile test, as the one conducted on January 19, was undertaken from an undersea platform in the shape of a submersible pontoon off the coast of Andhra Pradesh according to a report by Rajat Pandit of TOI.

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.





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After Upgradation, Sukhoi Su-30MKI Indigenisation To Reach 78%

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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.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the upgrade. The upgrade is part of India’s efforts to improve the capabilities of its primary fighter aircraft, it refers to as the “Super Sukhoi”.

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.





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Akash Weapon System Exports For The Armenian Armed Forces Gathers Pace

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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).

While there is no official confirmation because of the sensitivities involved, documents suggest that the order for the same has already been placed the report further added.
There are nine countries, in turn, which have shown interest in the indigenously-developed Akash missile systems, which can intercept hostile aircraft, helicopters, drones and subsonic cruise missiles at a range of 25-km. They are Kenya, Philippines, Indonesia, UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Vietnam and Algeria reported TOI.

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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