Indian Defense
Taliban Seek Air Missiles From China
Delegation requests Beijing to help it with electronic warfare against US bombers
The Taliban are desperate to get supplies of medium range surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) from China before the complete withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan in September. Afghan Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, alias Mullah Baradar, placed his desire to get SAMs before the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at a delegation-level meeting at Tianjin on Wednesday.
“The Taliban delegation requested SAMs from China during the inter-delegation meeting headed by Baradar from the Taliban and Yi from the Chinese side,” they said.
Backed by technical inputs from the Pakistan Army-ISI complex, the Taliban have sought missiles capable of crippling the electronic warfare capabilities and jamming the radar of the American B-52 bombers as the configuration is estimated to be closely matching those of Rafale fighter jets being procured by India from France, the sources said.
The Talibani bid to acquire the SAMs comes in view of the outfit’s estimated 50,000 to 60,000 fighters, as compared to the 2.5 lakh-strong Army of the Abdul Ghani-led dispensation and Pakistan’s inability to aid the militia with military logistics.
With a change in tactics and military strategy, the Afghan Army can challenge and dominate the Taliban and the SAMs will provide some kind of deterrent against weakness and bombings by the American B-52 bombers, they said.
To overcome the limited number of fighters as compared Afghan Army regulars, the Taliban has taken a leaf out of the 1971 war won by India against Pakistan to liberate Bangladesh wherein the Indian Army forced the Pakistanis to surrender after pounding their bases and posts and further marching ahead. In a similar fashion, the Taliban is cordoning the city limits of the districts it is capturing and preventing others from estimating their actual strength.
Experts said the Indian Army’s tactics in the 1971 war could have been shared by Pakistan which estimates the strategy to be the best suited for the Taliban’s onslaught with limited numbers and resources.
The Chinese SAMs could ultimately land in the Pakistan Army which could be exploited against India, especially the Rafales in the Indian Air Force in the event of any conflict.
When the US was backing the Taliban during the Russian occupation of Afghanistan, Adamkhel in the erstwhile North West Frontier Province, became a hub of illegal weapons market.
Now, these areas around the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor could potentially turn into an illegal weapons market with readily available components from the Chinese factories in the Belt and Road Initiative projects in Baluchistan, experts added.
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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