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Pakistan Dumps Chinese Missile For New Warships, Chooses European Weapon?

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Pakistan Dumps Chinese Missile For New Warships, Chooses European Weapon?
The Albatros NG missile | MBDA

A shipyard in Istanbul is building two ships, the other 2 are being built in Karachi

In 2018, Turkey announced a deal to supply four warships to Pakistan valued at around $1.5 billion. The contract was among the largest arms export deals signed by Turkey and involved the supply of a version of Ankara’s indigenous MILGEM stealth corvette. Corvettes are small warships (displacing around 1,500 to 3,000 tonnes) and can carry anti-ship, anti-submarine and air defence weapons.

A shipyard in Istanbul is building two MILGEM warships for Pakistan, while the remaining two ships are being built in Karachi. The MILGEM variant being sold to Pakistan would be larger in displacement and longer in length than the ones in Turkish service. Initial media reports said the Pakistani Navy would use a Chinese surface-to-air missile, the HQ-16, on its MILGEM ships. The HQ-16 would be meant to shoot down anti-ship missiles and aircraft. Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, who retired as chief of Pakistan’s Navy in 2020, had, reportedly, even acknowledged that the HQ-16 would be fired from a vertical launch system (VLS) in the warships’ bow. Models of the MILGEM ships for Pakistan showed them having 16 VLS cells.

On Saturday, Defence Turkey, a news outlet covering Turkish military developments, reported that the Pakistani Navy had opted to use a surface-to-air missile, the Albatros NG, developed by European defence behemoth MBDA, instead of the HQ-16.

The Albatros NG (next generation) missile was unveiled by MBDA in March this year. MBDA describes the Albatros NG as an “extended-range variant” of the Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM), which is in service with the UK’s Royal Navy. The Albatros NG was developed with funding from Italy.

The Albatros NG has a larger rocket booster than the CAMM to enable it to have a range of over 40km.

HQ-16 Vs Albatros NG

Though the HQ-16 is estimated to have a range of around 70km, the Chinese missile is believed to have been designed on the basis of the Russian ‘Shtil’ naval air defence system, designed in the 1980s. Consequently, the HQ-16 is a bulkier missile and relies on semi-active radar guidance, that is, it is guided from the launching ship up to point of impacting the target. The semi-active radar guidance makes the missile more vulnerable to jamming of radars as a result of electronic warfare (EW) by an enemy.

The Albatros NG, on the other hand, has an ‘active’ radar seeker, which means it has an onboard radar that negates need to rely on ship-borne guidance after being fired.

“Thanks to the fire-and-forget CAMM-ER/Albatros NG NBAD System, PN MİLGEM Corvettes will be able to engage more air targets at the same time compared to the semi-active radar-guided HHQ-16 Medium-Range Air Defence Missile System and perform missions with higher performance in the EW threat environment,” Defence Turkey reported.

The Alabatros NG also has smaller dimensions, meaning a new vertical launch system could carry more weapons.

In 2019, when Italy restored funding for developing an ER version of the CAMM, reports had said Pakistan was a prospective customer.

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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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