Indian Defense
Taliban Could Hand Over Airbases To China, Pak
While a team of aeronautical engineers of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is inspecting all the five airbases in Afghanistan, including Kandahar, Bagram and Kabul, a delegation of Chinese leaders held a meeting with the Taliban top hierarchy to discuss various security-related issues, including the possible takeover of the Bagram military airfield, sources connected to the ongoing developments said.
“The Kandahar base will give an operational military edge to Pakistan for better coverage of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) for security purposes and targeting Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in times of conflict with India.
The Bagram base, on the other hand, will give Beijing an additional airbase to contain India and also secure its investments in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC),” a counter-terrorism expert said.
The developments come as the PAF has already activated two air bases in POK and another in Baluchistan amid the fluid security situation in the region.
The two airbases in Kotli and Rawalkot, are barely 100 km from Srinagar. The Shamsi airbase in Baluchistan has also been reactivated and strengthened.
At the same time, a new army cantonment near the PAF base in Jacobabad, Sindh highlights both the growing unrest in these areas as also the threat Islamabad perceives from India post the Balakot air strikes, sources said.
The Kotli airbase is located in the cantonment area of Pakistan Army’s 3 POK Brigade that is part of 23 Division. As part of the reactivation, over a hundred air-Defence personnel have been moved to Kotli. The Rawalkot airbase comes under the operational jurisdiction of 2 POK Brigade of 12 Division. All these bases are being equipped with fighters and communication radars besides other operational equipment, they said.
Experts said the military hardware left behind in Afghanistan by the US could potentially lead to arms proliferation in entire Asia and beyond. Tanks and special vehicles left behind by the Americans in Afghanistan are already being shipped to countries like Pakistan and Iran, sources said.
“The collusion between Pakistan and China could ultimately land the leftover American military hardware in the hands of Beijing which could reverse engineer the technology to upgrade its military. China could also exploit the detailed analysis of the American military technology for developing counter-technologies like radars and jammers to foil the operational edge of the American military hardware being used by the Indian Defence forces,” an expert said.
The US has left behind over 200 military aircraft and helicopters, including 14C 130 J super Hercules military transport aircraft which is also used by the Indian Air Force.
Meanwhile, the Taliban is also in talks with Turkey for securing the Kabul airport and has finalised the contours with Qatar for providing civil aviation services like the Air Traffic Control to restart the Kabul airport. Qatar’s involvement in operating the Kabul airport implies further evacuation of Indians and Afghans seeking to come here could only be possible through Qatar Airways.
Apart from analysing the operationally-fit military aircraft and cannibalising others to equip its grounded American flying machines for want of spares, the Pakistan Army-ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) combine is also seeking to have long-term leverage with the Taliban Government in the making in Kabul.
The ISI is seeking a significant role for the Haqqani Network it has nurtured over the years or former military commander Gulbuddin Hekmatyar in the new regime in Kabul. The Taliban, however, is not inclined to accommodate them, a reason why the Government formation in Kabul is being delayed.
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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