Indian Defense
Israel Ruined The Reputation of Russian Air Defence Systems, And It’s Hurting Sales
The Russian Army has started praising its air defence systems in Syria, without any proof of success. Why now? It’s simple. The Russian systems don’t stop the Israeli and American systems, and customers of the Russian defence industry are starting to ask questions
This week there were reports based on the Russian media that Russia thwarted a number of Israeli attacks in Syria. The Russians have yet to provide proof. Pictures of remnants of Israeli munitions, allegedly in Syria, are occasionally posted online. It appears plausible that the Russian systems are partially effective and can intercept some of the munitions made in Israel.
But not all of them. Considering the results, it doesn’t help the Kremlin. The systems that interfere with the IDF in Syria are destroyed. In one case, Israel even sent a strong hint to Russia by releasing footage of munitions destroying a Russian “Pantsir” system.
Money, Money, And Once Again Money
One of the questions regarding the uproar by the Russians online regarding Israeli attacks in Syria is why they are doing it now. Israel has been operating freely in Syria for years. So why are the Russians saying now that it bothers them? Well, apparently not because of the Iranians, the Syrians or any militia that the IDF is operating against in Syria.
The Russians are thinking about the Russians. The Kremlin is using diplomatic means with Jerusalem, or the liaison between the IDF and the Russian Army, to balance Israel, Iran and Syria on Syrian territory. They don’t turn to the media for this purpose. The reason that the Russians turned to the media, and praised their air defence systems, is arms sales.
The Russian defence industry is a source of foreign currency for the Russian government, and air defence systems are a main part of this equation. And when Israel bombs Syria without interference, despite the Russian air defence systems, countries around the world take notice and understand by themselves. They understand that the Russian systems do not provide results in the field, and that’s an understatement.
How much can they explain the failures of these systems by saying “the operators were Syrian”, or “the systems didn’t go into action, they were only in a monitoring mode”, or “the systems still aren’t operational”? Defence customers accept these excuses less than the general public. If Syria buys new air defence systems like the “Pantsir” or the S-300 from Russia, and the IDF continues to bomb freely in Syria and, when needed, also destroys Russian systems that interfere, it raises questions. And customers ask questions.
By the way, along with the successes of the IDF in Syria, with munitions made in Israel or the U.S., the reality is that neither the S-300 nor the S-400 has ever proven that it can intercept something, like a fighter plane or a missile. The Russians continue to develop the S-series, and introduced the S-500 in recent weeks, but the scepticism over the real capabilities of the S-series will remain with us until its first operational success, if and when it happens.
Syria, A Russian Testing Ground For Combat
But let’s get back to the Russian complaints. Recently it was reported in the Russian media that the Russian defence industry tested about 320 different types of new weapons in Syria in recent years. In other words, Syria, as various reports claimed in recent years, has become a testing ground for the Russian defence industry – helicopters, planes, drones, missiles, various munitions, ground systems and more. The Russians tested everything that they wanted to test.
However, the air defence in Syria is still considered a failure in the eyes of potential buyers. The Russian electronic warfare systems that were deployed in Syria occasionally disrupt transmissions in Israel, and interfere with the IDF, but did not succeed in disrupting Israeli and American munitions to the extent of thwarting attacks in Syria.
One of the reasons is the development of Israeli munitions with an internal autonomous navigation mechanism and situational assessment capabilities. Another reason is electronic warfare countermeasures capable of providing Israeli aircraft with enough of an area to attack, even where the Russian systems are deployed.
The competition between the Israeli and Russian industries is not new. In almost all of its wars, Israel was confronted with various types of Russian weapons – in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and more. This confrontation requires the Israeli industry to overcome the Russian one. It should be added that the large-scale immigration from Russia in the 1990s brought with it a lot of engineering knowledge from Russia that immeasurably improved the capabilities of the Israeli defence industry.
The Kremlin’s Catch-22
And now, as we approach 2022, the Russians are complaining that their defensive weaponry doesn’t work well against Israeli weaponry. So what did the Kremlin decide to do? It decided to threaten Israel. If Israel stops attacking in Syria, the Kremlin can continue to claim that their systems are excellent, and sell them to whomever they want. But there’s a problem. If there is a real war with a military that uses American, European or Israeli weapons, those customers are going to be in trouble.
Will the Russians decide to operate the S-300 or S-400 systems against IDF planes in the future? Well, it’s highly doubtful. If the system works, and it shoots down an Israeli fighter plane, the system will be destroyed by the IDF in the attacks that follow. Nobody can defend those systems in Syria, and they are not capable of defending themselves alone from a weapon from standoff distance. They are expensive systems that Syria doesn’t have the money to pay for. In other words, those new systems will be acquired with Russian money for Syria.
If the system doesn’t work, the whole world will see that the system is not worth the money, and the Russian sales will suffer even more. Furthermore, those systems, apparently the more advanced versions that are not intended for export, are located around Moscow and Russian strategic sites to defend them from American or European attacks on Russia. If it becomes clear that the Russian systems don’t hit their targets, it will be a strategic failure by the Kremlin against NATO and the U.S.
Thus, it can be assumed that in the current reality, the Russians will continue to sell systems and claim that they are thwarting the attacks in Syria, without providing proof. The IDF will continue what it is doing in Syria without saying a word about the Russian systems. Jerusalem will also maintain silence regarding the matter with the Kremlin. Everything will go on as usual, and everyone will be satisfied.
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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