Indian Defense
Is India Talking To Taliban In Afghanistan? Foreign Ministry Says This
Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India is closely monitoring the developments in Afghanistan
New Delhi: India is engaged with important stakeholders and regional countries on the Afghan crisis and is adopting a “wait and watch” approach to see whether the new dispensation in Afghanistan will be solely a government of the Taliban or be part of a power-sharing arrangement with other Afghan leaders.
It is learnt that Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said this while briefing parliamentary leaders of political parties at an all-party meeting convened by the government to apprise them about India’s assessment and approach on the developments in Afghanistan after the Taliban seized its control.
Mr Shringla informed the lawmakers that India is working with its key partners and is continuing engagement with the people of Afghanistan, said one of the attendees on condition of anonymity.
The foreign secretary was part of the government team led by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the all-party meeting.
In his briefing, Mr Shringla told the lawmakers that the situation in Afghanistan is “quite fluid” and that India is closely monitoring the political and security developments in the country.
It is learnt that the foreign secretary conveyed to the lawmakers that India needs to see how the new set-up is formed and whether it is solely a government of the Taliban or whether there is power-sharing with other Afghan leaders.
In the last few days, senior Afghan leader Abdullah Abdullah has held a series of meetings in Kabul with senior Taliban leaders, representatives of different Afghan provinces, academicians and leading activists on the situation in the country and ways to establish an inclusive government.
Mr Shringla told the lawmakers that India has been in touch with countries such as the US, UK, France, Russia, China, Germany, Qatar, Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan as well as with the UN Secretary-General and UN Security Council on the developments in Afghanistan.
In view of the ongoing humanitarian crisis, providing assistance to Afghan nationals in distress is important, Mr Shringla told the lawmakers, adding India is committed to providing leadership for the region in accordance with our “Neighbourhood First” policy.
He said India also received requests from its neighbouring countries for evacuation of their nationals from Afghanistan, said the attendee cited above.
Referring to challenges being faced in the evacuation of people from Kabul, Mr Shringla said there were incidents of frequent firing near the airport in the Afghan capital and in various parts of the city.
He said a number of security check-points have mushroomed in Kabul which were controlled by different militia groups and that access roads to the airport were choked with crowds who are desperate to leave the country.
In view of the imminent threat posed to the airport, NATO has blocked all the airport access gates and thousands of people were trying to enter the airport at the same time, he told the lawmakers.
It is learnt that he said at the meeting that since all the countries have started evacuations, the landing permissions at Kabul airport have become uncertain.
He also said that since India cannot use Pakistani airspace for overflying of the IAF aircraft, a long route had to be taken to Afghanistan and over-flight clearances at a very short notice had to be coordinated with relevant countries.
About the evacuation mission, he said a multi-agency team of the government of India personnel at the Kabul Airport coordinated with NATO and the US for landing permissions and access to the airport for people reaching it airport, said another attendee.
The foreign secretary said the India team is currently present at the Kabul airport for facilitation.
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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