Indian Defense
Formation Heads of Southern Command Meet In Pune, Discuss Border Security
A two-day conference of formation commanders of the Southern Command was held on Thursday and Friday in Pune to review the prevailing security situation along the border regions and to deliberate on the process of Theaterisation.
The Southern Command of the Indian Army tweeted on Friday morning, “Southern Command Formation Commanders Conference is being held from 2 to 3 September 2021 at Pune to review the prevailing security and operational situation along our borders.”
The conference was attended by the commanders of the various Corps and Division formations within the Southern Command and was chaired by Southern Army Commander Lt Gen J S Nain. Officials from the key Naval and IAF formations from the area of responsibility of the Southern Command also attended the conference.
The Pune-headquartered Southern Command comprises two Corps, with their headquarters located at Jodhpur and Bhopal. Among the static formations are the ‘Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Area’, with its headquarters in Mumbai, and the Dakshin Bharat Area, with its headquarters at Chennai.
Conferences of Army Commanders, Air Force Commanders and Naval Commanders take place on a regular basis to review various operational, logistics, training and administrative aspects within individual services. Tri-services commanders’ conferences are also held on a regular basis to strengthen and promote joint-ness amongst the three services.
On the same lines, conferences of commanders of the formations within various Army Commands are also held on a regular basis to discuss operational issues and those related to preparedness.
In the conference that concluded on Friday in Pune, deliberations were held on security and operational scenarios in the border regions in the area of responsibility of the Southern Command, preparedness of various key formations and the process of Theaterisation. The process of Theaterisation entails integration of the Army, Navy and the Air Force to form individual theatre commands. The theatre commands can be formed with specific geographical areas as focus or focus on one dimension — like Maritime Command or Air Defence Command.
One of the key subjects allocated to the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), headed by the Chief of Defence Staff, is, “Facilitation of restructuring of Military Commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about joint-ness in operations, including through establishment of joint/theatre commands.”
Because of the geography, combined with the presence of Indian Navy’s and Indian Air Force’s command formations, the Army’s Southern Command has been key for tri-services integration. In its area of responsibility, Southern Command has eleven states and four union territories, covering nearly 41 percent of the country’s landmass. Its formations, establishments and units are spread over 19 cantonments and 36 military stations.
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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