K-15 all set to join Arihant

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) ends 2012 on an upbeat note, successfully launching the underwater missile K-15 off the Visakhapatnam coast on Wednesday. The missile darted 20 km into the air, after a gas generator ejected it from the pontoon that lay submerged a few scores of metres in the Bay of Bengal, and sped 650 km before splashing into the sea in its 11th flight trial.

After one more flight, the two-stage missile will be integrated with Arihant, India’s nuclear-powered submarine, and test-fired from the ship. “It is a fantastic system. It is a very powerful and accurate system,” said A.K. Chakrabarti, Programme Director, K-15, and Director of the Hyderabad-based Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), which designed and developed the missile.

“India is the fifth country to have an underwater launch system. The other countries are the U.S., Russia, France and China,” he said.

Avinash Chander, Chief Controller (Missiles and Strategic Systems), DRDO, termed it “a good flight” and said the test “formed part of the pre-production clearance.” Twelve K-15 missiles, each 10 metres long and weighing six tonnes and capable of carrying nuclear warheads, will form part of the deadly arsenal of Arihant, which is powered by an 80-MWt reactor that uses enriched uranium as fuel and light water as coolant and moderator.

Informed sources said the reactor had already been integrated with the Arihant at Visakhapatnam. “The commissioning process is on,” they said. The reactor would reach criticality within the first few months of 2013. The harbour trials of the ship have been completed, and it is ready for sea trials.

India has been developing the K-4 missile, to be launched from submarines. It will be more powerful than K-15, with a range of 3,000 km.

Nearly 700 scientists quit DRDO in six years: Govt

Nearly 700 scientists have resigned from India's premier military research body DRDO in little less than six years from 2007, Defence Minister A K Antony said

In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on resignation of scientists from Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO), Antony said a total of 637 scientists resigned during 2007-2011 and 50 scientists up to October 31 this year.

Scientists who had resigned have either cited personal or domestic reasoms for leaving DRDO, Antony said.

However, it is assumed that increased opportunities or incentives available in other organisations and industries is the main reason of such resignation, he added.

On incentives taken as corrective measures to restrict resignation of scientists from DRDO, Antony said excellent infrastructure facilities have been created at work places and residential complexes and two additional increments have been given on promotion to each grade.

To another question, Antony said DRDO is a subordinate organisation under Defence Ministry and does not enjoy any special powers or autonomy because of its strategic nature of work.

Asked whether DRDO enjoys a huge amount of autonomy because of its strategic nature of work, he said, "DRDO is a subordinate organisation under the Department of Defence( R&D) in Defence Ministry and is governed by central government rules and regulations.

"Therefore, DRDO as an organisation does not enjoy any special powers or autonomy because of its strategic nature of work."

Revised delegation of financial powers of Director General of DRDO was carried out in 2010 to address a long standing requirement and was done after due process and deliberation, he said.

"The process of exercise of these powers has been further rationalised and a corrigendum has been issued by Department of Defence (R&D) on November 21, 2012 as a partial modification to the earlier financial powers," the minister added.

'Enemy' ballistic missile to be downed in space next month

The incoming missile fired earlier from an Indian Navy warship in the Bay of Bengal Next month, the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO) will attempt to shoot down an incoming “enemy” ballistic missile in outer space, well before it enters the earth’s atmosphere. The DRDO chief, Dr VK Saraswat, has told Business Standard that a  newly developed Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) interceptor missile will be launched from Wheeler’s Island, travelling 110-150 kilometres into space, where it will destroy an incoming missile fired earlier from an Indian Navy warship in the Bay of Bengal.
This comes on the heels of the DRDO’s successful Nov 23 test of its Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile, which destroyed an incoming target missile at an altitude of 15 kilometres. Together, the AAD and the PDV missiles, along with their radars and control centres, will form a two-layered anti-ballistic missile (ABM) defence system that will protect strategic targets like Delhi by 2013-14. While the AAD missile performs endo-atmospheric (inside-the-atmosphere) interceptions of enemy ballistic missiles; the PDV will conduct exo-atmospheric (outside-the-atmosphere) interceptions.Next month’s test will feature a brand new target: a two-stage version of the Dhanush missile, launched from a naval vessel that is 300-350 kilometres from the interceptor location at Wheeler’s Island off the coast of Odisha, and soaring to an altitude of over 150 kilometres. This target missile would mimic the trajectory and speed of an enemy ballistic missile fired from 1500 kilometres away, such as Pakistan’s Gauri and Shaheen missiles. So far target missiles, fired from Chandipur just 70 kilometres away, could only mimic enemy missiles fired from a range of 600 kilometres or less.


“Firing range limitations make developing targets as much a challenge for us as developing interceptors. We have developed a boosted, two-stage version of the ship-launched Dhanush missile --- which makes it into quite another system --- taking it to a greater altitude that will mimic the actual terminal conditions of a 1500-kilometre class enemy missile,” explains the DRDO chief.

The brand new PDV will intercept the incoming target at about 110-150 kilometres altitude, far higher than the 50 kilometre-high interceptions that the exo-atmospheric PAD (Prithvi Air Defence) interceptor has been doing so far. The PDV will carry a new Indian electro-optic seeker, which will work in tandem with the radio frequency seeker that the PAD has traditionally carried. An electro-optic seeker provides greater accuracy and reliability than a radio frequency seeker in homing the interceptor onto the target.

The PDV will be a solid-fuel missile that will be powered by a sophisticated new “pulse motor”. This will provide surges of propulsion during the missile’s later stage, increasing its manoeuvrability when it is very close to the target.

“Intercepting the target at longer ranges provides several advantages. Firstly, the target is travelling slower --- some 2 kilometres per second at 150 kilometres; compared to 2½ kilometres per second at 50 kilometres altitude. Secondly, the target missile can be engaged before it enters Indian airspace, so that the debris falls into enemy territory. Finally, a longer flight time gives the interceptor more time for navigation, and the seeker can see better.

The PAD has been test-fired only twice, compared to the four test-firings of the AAD. DRDO insiders say that, with the PDV under development, there was no incentive to waste effort on the PAD. Now the PDV could well undergo a phase of intensive testing.

Alongside the actual launch of the PDV at an actual target missile, the test next month will also feature up to 6 simulated targets that will force the radars and command systems to respond. “We can launch six interceptors simultaneously --- some endo-atmospheric and some exo-atmospheric --- to handle such an attack,” says Saraswat.
The DRDO is meanwhile working on Phase Two of the anti-ballistic missile defence programme, which is capable of downing enemy inter-continental ballistic missiles fired from upto 5000 km away. The DRDO says the Phase Two shield would be deployed by 2016.

DRDO to conduct eighth ballistic interceptor missile test this month

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is set to conduct its eighth ballistic interceptor missile test any day between November 19 and 22.

V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, said that while the attacker, a modified Prithvi missile, would take off from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Odisha, the interceptor would blast off from the Wheeler Island and pounce on the attacker in endo-atmosphere at an altitude of 15 km to 16 km. The interceptor missile is called Advanced Air Defence (AAD) system. While the attacker would mimic the path of a ballistic missile launched from a hostile country, the AAD would race at a supersonic speed to intercept the attacker and destroy it.

As the crow flies, the Wheeler Island, off Dhamra village on the Odisha coast, is 70 km away from Chandipur.

Asked what improvements were made in this interceptor mission, Dr. Saraswat said the modified Prithvi missile would have a higher velocity.

“We have improved the accuracy of the interception in the endo-atmosphere… The interceptor will be launched in a hit-to-kill mode,” he added.

The Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) programme aims at protecting India’s vital assets from being targeted by the ballistic missiles launched by hostile neighbours.

Of the seven interceptor missiles tests conducted by the DRDO so far, six have been successful. The first interceptor mission took place in November 2006 in exo-atmosphere at an altitude of 48 km and it was successful. The second test, again successful, took place in December 2007 in endo-atmosphere at an altitude of 15 km. Out of the seven tests, five took place in endo-atmosphere at a height less than 20 km.

After the seventh interceptor missile test on February 10, 2012, Dr. Saraswat asserted that the success confirmed that India’s BMD programme in the endo-atmosphere “is now ready for deployment and the country is now in a position to take it to the next phase of production and induction.”

The maiden launch of Nirbhay, India’s sub-sonic cruise missile, has been further delayed. The launch, which was to take place in November this year, will now be done in January 2013, Dr. Saraswat said.

A DRDO official said the Nirbhay launch was delayed because modifications had to be made in the launcher. While India already had had a successful supersonic cruise missile in BrahMos, it felt the need to develop a sub-sonic cruise missile. Hence the development of Nirbhay, which would fly at 0.65 Mach. The Aeronautical Development Establishment, a DRDO unit in Bangalore, designed Nirbhay, which had been derived from Lakshya, a pilotless target aircraft. Nirbhay is a two-stage, surface-to-surface, terrain-hugging missile. “It takes the oxidiser from the air. So it can travel for a longer duration and a longer distance. Its range is around 1,000 km.”

India Modifies Brahmos Missile With New Nav System

India has uprated its BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles by installing the advanced satellite navigation systems from Russia's Kh-555 and Kh-101 strategic long-range cruise missiles, adding GPS-GLONASS technology to the existing doppler-inertial platform, Izvestia reported on Tuesday quoting sources in the military-industrial complex.

The integration of the navigation systems from Kh-555 will turn BrahMos, a supersonic cruise missile, into a "super-rocket" with almost a sub-strategic capability above its normal tactical range, capable of hitting targets over 180-300 miles (300-500 km), from sea, land and air launchers, and capable of being armed with a nuclear warhead, the source said.
The installation of the advanced navigation system is optimised for the new air-launched version of BrahMos, which will be carried by India's Russian-built Sukhoi Su-30MKI strike fighters. India plans to deploy over 200 of the advanced aircraft by 2020.
Analysts say the addition of satellite-based navigation systems will improve the weapon's accuracy.
“Conventional Doppler INS has an inherent drift, so the longer the range of the weapon, the larger the relative error," said Douglas Barrie, air warfare analyst at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. "Introducing satellite navigation improves the missile’s positional accuracy. From an investment stand-point it also makes sense to re-use sub-systems that have already been developed.”
Former Royal Navy Weapons Engineering officer Hugh Price agreed. "Satellite navigation means the missile will now be accurate to within a few meters," he said.
The combination of air-launched BrahMos with the Su-30 will give India a long-range strike capability similar to Russia's Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers, said aviation analyst and editor of Vzlet magazine Vladimir Sherbakov.

"This missile is an important element in the military power of the Indian armed forces and our Indian partners have placed a lot of faith in it," he said.
India's main potential adversary, Pakistan, does not have modern air defenses capable of engaging targets outside BrahMos range, a source in Russia's High Command told the paper.
The Indian Navy carried out a successful test-firing of the sea-launched variant of the weapon on October 7 from the frigate INS Teg off the coast of Goa, the New Indian Express reported.
BrahMos can reach a speed of Mach 2.8 at levels as low as 30 feet (10 m) or fly high-profile diving attacks. The missile was jointly developed by Russia and India, based on the NPO Mashinostroyenie 3M55 Onyx (NATO SS-N-26).

Indian Navy successfully test-fire a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile

The Indian Navy has successfully test-fired a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile launched from a warship off the western Goa coast, India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) reported on Sunday.

The BrahMos missile, a joint development of Russian and Indian specialists, was launched from the guided missile frigate INS Teg built by Russia on order from the Indian Navy.

“The missile hit the designated target at a distance of 290 km,” the DRDO said.

BrahMos Aerospace Ltd, set up in 1998, manufactures supersonic cruise missiles based on the Russian-designed NPO Mashinostroyenie 3M55 Yakhont (SS-N-26)

The BrahMos missile has a range of 290 km (180 miles) and can carry a conventional warhead of up to 300 kg (660 lbs). It can effectively engage targets from an altitude as low as 10 meters (30 feet) and has a top speed of Mach 2.8, which is about three times faster than the U.S.-made subsonic Tomahawk cruise missile.

Sea- and ground-launched versions have been successfully tested and put into service with the Indian Army and Navy.


The flight tests of the airborne version will be completed by the end of 2012. The Indian Air Force is planning to arm 40 Su-30MKI Flanker-H fighters with BrahMos missiles.

Russia and India have recently agreed to develop hypersonic BrahMos 2 missile capable of flying at speeds of Mach 5-Mach 7.

Indian Defence Minister Asks DRDO to Keep Abreast with the Changing Technology

Indian Defence Minister Shri AK Antony has said that nanotechnology is an emerging field, which can lead to the development of new weapon systems and products that can benefit our nation. Addressing a workshop on nanotechnology here today,Shri Antony said today, the world over, endeavours are being made to focus attention on research & development in nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is likely to find applications in various spheres of our life, including defence, energy, transportation, automobiles, health, infrastructure, food and agriculture.

The Minister said that the Government has declared the decade (2010-2020) as the decade of innovation. We expect our scientists to make concerted efforts at making inventions, discoveries and innovations during this decade. Complimenting DRDO for taking up nanotechnology mission for defence applications in this 'Decade of Innovation', Shri Antony said that Nanomaterials have useful implications as nanocomposites, nanocoatings, nanosensors and nanomedicine to enhance the combat efficiency of the soldiers in particular and the quality of life of the citizens of our country, as a whole.

There is a need to adopt a conglomerate, or a consortium approach that involves academic institutions and industries. All the organisations must act as a cohesive team to explore various aspects of nanotechnology for its application in the development of missiles, aeronautics, armaments, combat vehicles, materials and life support systems, the Minister added.

Shri Antony said that India has proved its strong capabilities and efficiency in the fields of information technology and biotechnology. DRDO must make all-out efforts to bring about a convergence of nanotechnology with information technology and biotechnology, he said.

Shri Antony said the production of DRDO-developed systems already inducted is worth Rs.42,000crores, he however, cautioned DRDO not to be complacent and set even higher targets. “Today, technology is changing at a rapid pace and DRDO must do its best to keep abreast of the latest technological changes taking place the world over. If DRDO lags behind, the technology being developed by it will become obsolete and it will not be able to provide state-of-the-art equipment to our Armed Forces. Thus, it must be the endeavour of all scientists to be innovative and creative in thought and action”, he added.

On this occasion, Shri Antony also presented the DRDO awards to the distinguished scientists for their achievements in developing technologies for Defence.

India test fire Prithvi-II missile

Bhubaneswar, Oct 4: India successfully test fired its indigenously developed, nuclear-capable ballistic missile Prithvi-II from a test range in Odisha, an official said.

The 350-km range missile blasted off from the launch complex No.III at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) of Chandipur in Balasore district, around 230 km from here.

"The test was successful," ITR director M.V.K.V. Prasad told IANS.

The launch was carried out by the Indian armed forces, as part of user trial, and monitored by the scientists of Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO).

Prithvi is India's first indigenously built ballistic missile.

It is one of the five missiles being developed under the country's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.

The medium-range missile, with flight duration of 483 seconds and reaching a peak altitude of 43.5 km, has the capability to carry a 500-kg warhead.

Prithvi uses an advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring capabilities and comes within metres of its target.

The missile has been successfully flight tested in the past on a number of times as part of the training exercise.

India to 'stabilise' present missile programme: Antony

Defence Minister A K Antony today indicated that India will first "stabilise" its present missile programmes before thinking of starting any project for having capabilities to strike targets at longer distances than the 5,500 km-range Agni-V.
"Don't be impatient. Let the present Agni series stabilise," he said when asked if India was working on any programme such as Agni-6 after the success of 5,500 km-plus range Agni-5 earlier this year.
The Defence Minister was talking to reporters after delivering DRDO excellence awards here. So far, the DRDO has conducted only one test of the Agni-V and is planning to carry out more such test-firings in the future for its induction in operational service.
The Minister advised stakeholders to adopt a consortium approach involving academic institutions and industries to act as a cohesive team to explore all aspects of nanotechnology for development of missiles, aeronautics, armaments and combat vehicles.

Praising the research agency, Antony said production of DRDO-developed systems already inducted in the armed forces is worth Rs 42,000 crore but cautioned it against complacency.
"If DRDO lags behind, technology being developed by it will become obsolete and it will not be able to provide state-of-the-art equipment to our forces. It must be the endeavour of all scientists to be innovative and creative in thought and action," he added.
The awardees at today's function included 'missile-woman of India' Tessy Thomas for her contributions to the Agni-4 programme.

IAF to finalise $20b Rafale fighter plane deal this fiscal

The Indian Air Force (IAF) would finalise the multi-billion dollar contract with Dassault Aviation of France during this fiscal (2012-13) for the supply of its 126 Rafale fighters, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne said on Thursday.

“The negotiations are absolutely on. We hope that at least this financial year we should be able to finish the negotiations and finalise the deal,” he said.

“It is a very complex project, as we are discussing various areas like transfer of technology, the offset (clause), what HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd) will do and the cost as well,” Browne told reporters on the margins of an event here.

The 126 Rafale medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) are set to phase out the ageing MiG-21 fleet of the Soviet era and enhance the air force’s strike power.

“Costing is also being discussed. As per the RFP requirement, costing is part of the negotiations going on with Rafale fighter, which was selected through a global bidding,” Browne said.

Earlier, he received the indigenous airborne radar system - Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&C) - developed by the state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and mounted on an Embraer aircraft of Brazil here.


Though the cost price of the Rafale fighters has not been spelt out officially, the deal is estimated to be $20 billion due to inordinate delays in the bidding and selection process.

Of the 126 fighters, Dassault is expected to deliver 18 in fly-away condition and licence the state-run defence behemoth HAL to manufacture the remaining 108 aircraft at its Bangalore complex.

Rafale emerged the lowest of the two bidders that were short-listed, Typhoon of the European consortium EADS Cassidian being the other contender.

When the IAF signs the contract, it will be the first export order for Dassault as Rafale is the frontline combat jet of the French air force.

Unique multi-channel fiber solution is only module able to ingest high-bandwidth digitized I/O from multiple new sensors for critical advanced applications

India plans to base its indigenous Airborne Early Warning & Control system on the western border, Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne said today.
"Yes, we have identified. Work is going to start (on where it would be based)", said the Air Chief Marshal, adding that "it will be in the western border to start with".

He was speaking at a press conference after a function to commemorate arrival of AEW&C India aircraft, which is the fully modified EMB-145 regional jet of Brazil's Embraer aircraft manufacturer. "This (AEW&C) will be used for surveillance and control".

According to DRDO officials, the system would detect, identify and classify threats in the surveillance area and act as a command and control centre to support air operations.

After the operational requirements were firmed up between DRDO and IAF in 2007, the contract for three modified aircraft was finalised in August 2008. The first fully modified aircraft landed in Bangalore from Brazil a month ago.

The second aircraft is slated to arrive in December and the third one next year.

The Air Chief Marshal and Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister V K Saraswat said all the three aircraft are proposed to be operationalised by the IAF in April 2014.

Saraswat said, "We are (now) going to integrate our radars, our EW (electronic warfare) systems, missile warning system and many other systems (in AEW&C system)".

The Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) is the nodal DRDO laboratory for this Rs 2,157 crore indigenous AEW&C system programme.

India follows Pakistan with missile test

India test-fired its second-longest-range missile on Wednesday, a defence official said, two days after Pakistan announced its own missile test.

The two-stage Agni-IV blasted off from the eastern state of Orissa in the third test for the missile, which was first launched in 2010 in a flight marred by technical problems. Its second test last November was declared a success.

"The Agni-IV was tested for its full range of 4,000 kilometres (2,480 miles) and it was a success," Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) spokesman Ravi Gupta told AFP on Wednesday.

Pakistan, which has fought three wars with arch-rival India since their 1947 independence, test-fired a nuclear-capable cruise missile on Monday with "stealth features".

DRDO spokesman Gupta insisted India's test was not "country-specific".

"None of our missiles are country-specific. We are a peaceful nation which has never attacked any country in thousands of years," the DRDO spokesman added.

India unveiled its 5,000-kilometre range Agni-V in April, which was seen as a massive boost to its regional power aspirations and one that narrows -- albeit slightly -- the huge gap with China's missile systems.

The Agni-V left India knocking at the door of a select club of nations with inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), which have a minimum range of 5,500 kilometres.

Currently, only the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- possess a declared ICBM capability.

China and India fought a brief but bloody war in 1962 over a border dispute that remains unresolved despite several rounds of talks between Asia's two most powerful military nations.

Agni, which means "fire" in Sanskrit, is the name given to a series of rockets the DRDO developed as part of its ambitious integrated guided missile development project launched in 1983.

While the shorter-range Agnis I and II were mainly developed with traditional rival Pakistan in mind, later versions with longer range reflect the shift in India's focus towards China.

Agni-IV, Agni-III launch this week

Close on the heels of the successful launch of Agni-V, Agni-II, Agni-I and Prithvi-II missiles from April this year, the Defence Research and Development Organisation is making preparations on the Wheeler Island, off the Odisha coast, for two more Agni variants’ launches.

While Agni-IV will lift off from a rail-mobile launch pad on September 18, Agni-III missile will blast off on September 21, said V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister. The maiden launch of Nirbhay, a sub-sonic cruise missile, will take place in October or November.

Both Agni-IV and Agni-III are two-stage missiles that can carry nuclear warheads weighing one tonne each. In the missions on September 18 and 21, Agni-IV and Agni-III will be armed only with conventional explosives. Both missiles are 17 metres long. While Agni-IV can devastate areas situated 4,000 km away, Agni-III’s range is over 3,000 km.

While the DRDO will flight-test Agni-IV, the Strategic Forces Command of the Army, which is entrusted with firing strategic missiles, will fire Agni-III. This is Agni-IV’s third flight. Agni-III will be flying for the fourth time. The maiden flights of both missiles ended in failure.

The Aeronautical Development Establishment, a DRDO facility in Bangalore, has developed Nirbhay, a subsonic cruise missile. Nirbhay means “Fearless” and the missile is a derivative of Lakshya, a pilotless target aircraft. DRDO sources said Nirbhay’s range was “in the region of 1,000 km.” “It is a tree-top missile, that is, it can fly at the height of a palmyra tree.”

DRDO’s second version of Arjun tank heavier by 9 tonnes

Even as the Indian Army was struggling to find a suitable deployment for the indigenous Main Battle Arjun Mk-I, which at 58 tonnes was heavy for rapid deployment in forward areas, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has come up with its Mk-II version that is heavier by 10 tonnes.

While the Arjun Mk-II has outperformed the Russian-built T-90s that are the mainstay of the Indian Army’s mainstay in terms of speed, accuracy and firepower, its huge weight has constrained its deployment options.

The Arjun tanks took nearly four decades to materialize. Because of its weight, a reluctant army placed an order for only 124 units after a bitter wrangling with the premier military research organization that was insisting on purchase of at least 500 tanks to make the project costing the ex-chequer $ 3.5 billion feasible.

The Army asked the DRDO to improve the tank further and produce Mk-II version and promised that the force might order more units. But before embarking on the project, the DRDO asked for an initial order and the force contracted to acquire 122 Arjun Mk-II, which is expected to cost approximately Rs. 37 crore per unit.

Now the sources reveals: “The Army has sought nearly 80 improvements in the tank. But this has resulted in a significant increase in the weight. While Arjun Mk-I was 58 tonnes Mk-II is 67 tonnes.”

Even though the Indian Army had not given any qualitative requirements for the Arjun Mk-II vis-à-vis the weight of the tank, still at 67 tonnes it is heaviest of the tanks in the force’s inventory. Presently the Russian-built T-90s that form the mainstay of the Indian Army’s armoured thrust weigh a modest 47.5 tonnes.

The initial comparison between the T-90s and the indigenous Arjun Mk-II has left the Indian Army officers in dilemma. “The Arjun Mk-II is more agile, has greater accuracy and has more potent firepower in comparison to the Russian tanks. But the question is where will the force deploy the 67 tonne tank?” asks an officer.

The MBT Arjun had earned the moniker of 'Rajpath ka tank' due to the long time of 37 years it took in making

The Indian Army is validating a new transformation policy that envisages reaching strategic depths of the enemy’s territory by launching swift armoured offensive, but Arjun Mk-II does not fit the bill as it cannot cross the border in the western sector along with Pakistan as they have natural and artificial obstacles. “The problem with heavier tanks is just not about the transportation and bridges, we can revamp them. But the real challenge is that there is a real danger of the tank sinking in the ground due to its own pressure,” added the officer. The only area where the Army thinks this indigenous tank can be deployed is the Thar desert.

Presently the trials of the Arjun Mk-II are undergoing in Pokharan, Rajasthan and the summer trials will be conducted next week. It will be only 2015 that the tanks will enter into production and till then the Indian Army has a tough task cut out – to find a suitable role for this tank.

Minister Reports Subsystem Failure From BrahMos Test

NEW DELHI — One subsystem failed in the July 29 test of the Indo-Russian BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony said in a written reply to Parliament Sept. 5.

India’s Defence Research and Development Organization claimed at the time that the test was successful, and Anthony’s reply is the first official admission of the failure of one unknown system.

BrahMos has already been inducted into the Indian Army and Navy.

“Malfunction of one subsystem resulted in increase in velocity of the missile, crossing the limit and leading to aborting the mission. The defect has been rectified after analysis. Further development flight tests will be conducted as a measure of self-reliance,” said a Defence Ministry statement, quoting Anthony’s reply to Parliament.

The 290-kilometer-range BrahMos had taken off vertically from the missile testing range in the eastern state of Orissa on July 29 and fell into the sea, sources said. BrahMos is a two-stage missile weighing 3.9 tons and can reach a speed of Mach 3.

Military to buy DRDO missiles worth Rs 1 lakh cr in 10 yrs

At the tightly guarded “Missile Complex” outside Hyderabad, three Defence Research & Develo-pment Organisation (DRDO) laboratories will, for the first time, provide the military with a range of indigenous tactical missiles. With India’s air defence network in tatters and its warships desperately needing protection from incoming anti-ship missiles, the defence ministry blocked foreign purchases to give the DRDO time to develop indigenous missiles.
Now, over the coming decade, the military is poised to buy about Rs 1 lakh crore worth of DRDO-developed missiles. Top DRDO scientists say indigenous missiles would cost barely half as much as a foreign alternative.
 The Director of the pivotal Defence R&D Laboratory (DRDL), A K Chakrabarti, confirmed to Business Standard during an exclusive visit to the Missile Complex that the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Army had already placed orders worth Rs 24,000 crore for Akash surface-to-air missiles. He said the navy had ordered Long Range-Surface to Air Missiles (LR-SAMs) worth more than Rs 2,600 crore for the navy’s destroyers and frigates that were under construction. And Subir Kumar Chaudhary, the director of DRDL’s sister laboratory, Research Centre Imarat (RCI), revealed the air force had ordered Rs 8,600 crore worth of Medium Range-Surface to Air Missiles (MR-SAMs).

V G Sekharan, director of the Advance Systems Laboratory (ASL), which developed the Prithvi and Agni ballistic missiles, declined to quantify the values or numbers of ballistic missiles ordered by the Strategic Forces Command, which operates India’s nuclear deterrent. Informed Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources estimate more than Rs 10,000 crore worth of missile systems have been delivered, or are on order for, the five missile groups already in service: two holding Prithvi missiles; a third holding Agni-I missiles; a fourth holding Agni-II missiles; and a fifth now being raised with Agni-III missiles.
In addition, a DRDO joint venture with Russia is producing and delivering Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles for the Army and Navy. Besides this, DRDL scientists claim they are close to success on the Nag anti-tank guided missile (ATGM); and some way from success on the air-to-air missile, Astra. The Nag and Astra could yield large orders when they meet user requirements in testing.
The DRDO has a monopoly on strategic ballistic missiles like the Prithvi and Agni series, since the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) prohibits signatories from exporting missiles with ranges above 300 kilometres. Now, there is relief within the DRDO that military is ordering even tactical missile systems like the Akash, which faces international competition.
“The strategic missile programme has no competitors. But the tactical missile programmes are always under threat from foreign alternatives. If you don’t deliver (the missile systems) in time, or with the required quality, the users will buy from abroad,” says Chaudhary, the RCI director.
Leading the charge of successful tactical missiles is the Akash, which the Army and Air Force steadfastly rejected for two decades, leaving Army strike corps and IAF bases woefully unprotected as their vintage Russian missile systems became obsolescent, and then obsolete. But the MoD repeatedly turned down army and IAF demands to import foreign missile systems, backing the indigenous Akash. In 2008-09 the Air Force reluctantly ordered two squadrons of Akash for protecting the key air bases of Pune and Gwalior. Being assembled by Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) in Bangalore, the first of these will enter service this month, followed by the second in June 2013.
After that initial order, the IAF lost no time in embracing the Akash. In 2010, it ordered another six squadrons of the Akash, for protecting its bases in the north-east, on the Sino-Indian border. In March 2011, the Army placed a whopping order for two Akash regiments. Bharat Dynamics Ltd will build the Army version, mounted on the infamous Kolos Tatra. Trials of the first Tatra-mounted Akash system are scheduled for June 2013.
The DRDO says it conducts regular test firing, along with the military. “The IAF was pleased with its Akash firing tests, most recently in May-June 2012, when it fired five missiles at difficult incoming targets, which were flying just 30 metres high at almost the speed of sound. Four out of those five missiles destroyed their targets,” says Chakrabarti.
The Akash system’s Rohini radar picks up enemy fighters out to 120 kilometres, shooting them down at ranges of 25-30 kilometres, and altitudes of up to 18,000 metres (60,000 feet). Ongoing R&D has also given Akash “a low-altitude interception” capability, enabling it to shoot down aircraft that are just three kilometres away.
This is the first instalment of a three-part series

DRDO's Nag missile fails in user trials

The long-delayed Nag anti-tank missile project of the DRDO has suffered yet another setback as its user trials held recently failed.
In the trials held in Rajasthan in presence of senior Lt Gen-rank officers from the Army and top DRDO officials, the modified carrier of the missile called NAMICA also under-performed, DRDO sources told PTI here.
In the trials held at the Mahajan firing range, four Nag missiles were fired of which only one could hit the target whereas the remaining failed to do so due to glitches in the equipment on-board the weapon, they said.
Army officials present at the test-firings were not happy with the performance of the missile and have asked the defence research agency to come better prepared for the trials to be held in the future, they said.
The missile has been under development as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) initiated in early 1980s and is now expected to take few more years to reach the induction stage.
Sources said the carrier of the Nag missile called NAMICA -- a modified Russian-origin BMP-II personnel
carrier, also failed to satisfy the users in displaying its capabilities in water during the trials.
However, the NAMICA met the requirements of the user in terms of its cross-country capabilities, they said.
When contacted for his reaction, DRDO spokesperson Ravi Gupta said the trials were a "partial success".
"The Advanced Target Acquisition systems with both the Gunner and Commander have performed well," he claimed.
Asian Defence News

India plans to establish two more missile testing range

The Test Range off the coast of Odisha is getting "overloaded"  Indian Defence Update

India is planning to set up two more missile testing ranges with a number of missions coming up in the next few years.

Ranges overloaded

Top Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) officials said that with the present Integrated Test Range off the coast of Odisha getting “overloaded,” plans were on to establish similar facilities along the East Coast.

Need to cover more area

“We need to extend and augment our range capabilities geographically. We need to cover more area,” one of the officials told The Hindu while declining to identify the places.

The works

The official said that each of the upcoming facilities would be a full-fledged testing range to support both short-range and long-range missions. It would have a launch control centre, a few launch pads, a blockhouse and state-of-the-art communication network, besides permanent monitoring stations such as telemetry and electro-optical tracking.

According to him, a number of tests would be coming up simultaneously in future and there was a need to expand the activities to multiple places so that more missions could be conducted at the same time.

Over two-three years

Initially to begin as an interim test range and later an integrated test range, the new facilities, to be given shape within two to three years, would enable DRDO missile technologists to have a nationwide range. These ranges would be acting in tandem to track the performance of a missile over long distances.

Pointing out that very few countries had missile testing ranges, flight testing or land ranges for conducting trials, like India does, starting from battle tanks to air defence, he said the country’s geography permitted India to have them at multiple places.

Besides the two ranges along the East Coast, the DRDO was also planning to establish a Floating Test Range, which would include radars and launch facilities on a ship, another official said.

Problems relating to safety and other issues could be overcome through a Floating Test Range, which could be used for testing missiles relating to air defence or ship-based Dhanush missiles.

Asian Defence News