Indian Defense
Will Try And Finish Any Acquisition In Two Years: Defence Ministry
As long as there is no research and development involved, says official
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) will try and complete acquisition of any defence equipment in two years, from the current average of 3.5 years, as long as there is no research and development involved, Additional Secretary and Director General Acquisition in the Ministry VL Kantha Rao said on Tuesday.
“Our average is about 3.5 years and to bring it to two years takes a lot of changes in the procedures,” Mr. Rao noted at the Annual Session of the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers. For this, time lines for various steps like Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), trial methodology and benchmarking of price of equipment were being advanced.
On the AoN, he remarked that if the process did not move forward within 12 months after an in-principle approval, it would be withdrawn. “We will also work on Request For Proposal (RFP) even before the in-principle approval.”
Stressing on cutting down time in cost negotiations before the final deal is reached, he stated, “We will do beach marking of cost well in advance to save on time when bids are opened.”
Domestic Procurement
Secretary Defence Production Raj Kumar talked of the push for domestic procurement, saying that in the last five years, about 35-45% of the contracts were from domestic sources and the rest through imports. Of the total number of contracts under execution now by value, ₹1.9 lakh crore worth were from domestic sources, while contracts worth ₹1.85 lakh crore were through imports, he pointed out.
Of all the AoN cases under progress, ₹5.7 lakh crore were from domestic players, while ₹2.11 crore worth projects were under the import route, he highlighted. On the issues impacting indigenisation in defence, he observed that they were not able to give a clear procurement priority signal to the industry.
Mr. Rao emphasised that given the urgency in deals, there wasn’t time given to domestic production capability. “Other means of procurement like Inter-Governmental Agreements (IGA), follow-on orders and optional clause enhance the risk to development of domestic capabilities,” he added.
Rajnath On Reforms
Addressing the event, Defence Minster Rajnath Singh outlined the reforms undertaken to promote domestic manufacturing and reduce imports that include earmarking 64.09% of the total Capital Acquisition Budget for 2021-22 for domestic capital procurement and 15% of capital procurement budget for direct procurement from the private sector.
Due to various steps, defence exports have crossed the ₹38,000 crore mark in the last seven years. The draft Defence Export Promotion Policy was under discussion to further boost exports, he 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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