March 30, 2012 defpro.com

New Delhi | DCNS signed, through DCNS Research, a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, one of the top academic institutions in India, dedicated to engineering and technology research. It has been signed by Dr Alain Bovis, Executive Director of DCNS Research and Prof. Shiva Prasad, Dean of Academic Programmes in IIT Bombay.

This MOU opens new cooperation avenues to DCNS in India for education and research programs in naval defence and energy. Considering their respective domains of expertise, DCNS and IIT Bombay expect a rapid deployment of several projects. These will include:

• sponsoring research and development programs to be carried out cooperatively by IIT Bombay and DCNS Research teams,

• sponsoring Indian student projects and fellowships at IIT Bombay,

• training DCNS personnel through “Continuing Education Programmes” conducted by IIT Bombay.

The research projects will be run at IIT Bombay premises with support of DCNS Research teams or in dedicated common facilities.

Thermo hydraulics, electrical engineering, material sciences are the most promising areas of scientific interaction between the two organizations.

Prof. Shiva Prasad, Dean of Academic Programmes in IIT Bombay said: “There is a huge potential for cooperation in educational programs and R&D programs in the maritime and energy domains between IIT Bombay and DCNS”.

Dr Alain Bovis, Executive Director of DCNS Research, added: “This new development emphasises our investments in long term in India. It also aims to accelerate technology progress in mutually beneficial areas by tying up with one of the top Indian research centres”.

IIT Bombay's vision is to be fountainhead of new ideas and of innovations in science and technology. There has been an increasing emphasis on research . This emphasis is reflected in the increasing number of postgraduates, publications, patents at the Institute. In 2011, of the 1846 degrees awarded at the Convocation, 1341 were postgraduate degrees.

DCNS Research is the corporate Research Centre of DCNS, dedicated to major scientific and technology areas relevant in naval systems and systems for energy production design such as computational fluid dynamics, computational structure dynamics, material science, information technology, acoustics and electromagnetism.

This agreement is strongly supported by the Science and Technology Department of the French Embassy in India.

Mar 29, 2012 Spacewar.com (UPI)

Canberra, Australia - Australia will spend more than $15.5 million with Thales for the manufacture of Bushmaster vehicle components as part of a conditional program to buy more units.

The components have long lead times for manufacturing and include hulls, axle and suspension systems, fire suppression systems, radiators, gun rings, insulation and hydraulics parts.

Thales Australia, formerly ADI, makes the 4x4 Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle and components at its factory in Bendigo in the state of Victoria.

A statement by Minister for Defense Stephen Smith and Minister for Defense Materiel Jason Clare said the Thales manufacturing capability and the skills of the workforce are an important national security capability that the government wants to ensure remains viable.

The army acquired its first batch of 300 Bushmasters starting in August 2004 and delivery of the latest variants started in 2008.

Australia has around 700 Bushmasters, many of which are in Afghanistan and are credited with saving numerous Australian soldiers' lives, Smith said.

The Bushmaster is available in a range of variants including troop transport, ambulance, direct fire, mortar, engineer and command for application in combat and combat support roles.

Powered by Caterpillar 3126E ATAAC turbocharged engine, the vehicle is capable of carrying up to nine soldiers along with their equipment, fuel and supplies for three days, depending on the type of variant.

The potential order for more Bushmasters through the $15.5 million injection into Thales Australia is in addition to 101 units the government ordered in May.

In December the government announced that to retain the critical manufacturing skills in Bendigo it would explore the purchase of additional Bushmaster vehicles.

The $15.5 million "is the next step in that process," the statement by Smith and Clare said.

"Full approval to acquire additional Bushmasters will be dependent on Thales demonstrating an efficient, effective and innovative program to maintain core protected vehicle manufacturing skills at Bendigo and in successfully meeting technical performance, cost and schedule commitments in the development of the new Hawkei vehicle."

The 4x4, 6-crew, 7-ton Hawkei is Thales Australia's next-generation protected vehicle based on the Bushmaster.

The government announced in December that the Hawkei vehicle had been selected as the preferred vehicle for development and testing in Australia's search for an improved protected mobility vehicle.

Work on the Hawkei is being done under Stage 2 of the Manufactured and Supported in Australia option under LAND 121 Phase 4.

LAND 121 Phase 4 is a $1.5 billion project that seeks to provide up to 1,300 protected and unprotected light vehicles for the military.

But final government approval and orders for the Hawkei aren't expected before 2015 with production starting in early 2016, a Thales statement said.

Thales Australia has worked with Boeing, PAC Group and Plasan, as well as many Australian small and medium-sized businesses to develop the Hawkei, a report on the Thales Web site says.

The name Hawkei comes from the Latin name for the deadly adder -- Acanthophis hawkei -- which is native to Australia, Thales said.

NEW DELHI, March 30 (RIA Novosti)

India will carry out the first test-firing of the air-launched variant of the BrahMos Russian-Indian supersonic cruise missile by the end of this year

Russia and India are in talks to jointly develop a hypersonic cruise missile and will soon agree on a general outline of the design, the head of the BrahMos Indian-Russian cruise missile program, Praveen Pathak, said on Friday at the Defexpo defense show in Delhi.

"In the near future, we will set up a joint working group which will work out the parameters of the missile in cooperation with developers, and also decide how much each side will contribue to the project," Pathak said.

The weapon will be capable of flying at Mach 5-Mach 7 speeds, he said.

"We want to create a weapon which would not differ much from the existing BrahMos missile in weight and dimensions, so that it could be used in existing launchers on ships or mobile launchers. In this case it would not take too much work to convert such systems to hypersonic," he said.

"Russia has a longstanding interest in high-speed weaponry and scramjet propulsion, which an Indo-Russian programme could draw on," said Douglas Barrie, air warfare analyst at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. "The design of a genuine hypersonic missile, given the performance requirements, would likely be 'new' rather than using the present 3M55 Onyx/Brahmos design which uses a ramjet for sustained supersonic flight," he added.

India will also carry out the first test-firing of the air-launched variant of the BrahMos Russian-Indian supersonic cruise missile by the end of this year, Pathak said.

"We hope by the end of the year we'll carry out the first launch from an aircraft. It will be an air-launch," he said.

Work on adapting the air-launched variant of BrahMos to arm India's Su-30MKI aircraft is being undertaken for the Indian air force, he said. Several aircraft have already been modified to carry the weapon, he added.

The Indian air force has already taken delivery of enough of the ground-launched variant to equip  two battalions. The missiles will be based near India's borders to strike at enemy airfields, air defense sites and radar stations, said Pathak.

India tested a ground-launched BrahMos earlier this month. "The missile flew its maximum range, 290 km. The terminal phase of the flight was a steep diving trajectory. This is one of the requirements for the ground forces," he said, adding that a steep diving attack profile was necessary for hitting targets in mountainous terrain.

BrahMos, a derivative of the Russian NPO Mashinostroeniye 3M55 Yakhont naval cruise missile, is one of the most capable weapons of its class, combining long-range (up to 290 km), high speed (up to Mach 2.8) a heavy warhead of up to 250 kg, a low radar profile and a variable attack profile, including low level flight down to 10 meters and up to 14,000 meters. The weapon operates on a fire-and-forget principle.

The ground-launched variant weighs around three tons at launch.

March 29, 2012: STRATEGY PAGE

A Russian UAV manufacturer is helping Vietnam design and build a new, 100 kg (220 pound) UAV for civilian (and later military) use. This UAV will probably be a smaller version of the Irkut 200, which is itself still in development. The Irkut 200 is a 200 kg (440 pound) aircraft with a 50 kg (110 pound) payload and 12 hours endurance. The radio link can control the UAV up to 200 kilometers from the operator. Cruising speed is 140 kilometers an hour. The 200 can fly up to 5,000 meters (15,500 feet) but it normally operates at 500 meters (1,550 feet). The Irkut 200 has a wingspan of 5.34 meters (16.5 feet) and is 4.53 meters (14 feet long). It lands and takes off like an aircraft and can do so on 250 meters (775 feet) of straight road.

The technology transfer and assistance deal will cost Vietnam $10 million. Irkut already has a similar deal with Belarus, where the Irkut 10 (an 8.5 kg/18.7 pound) is built.

29/03/2012 vietnamplus.vn

Les leaders des forces armées du Cambodge et de Thaïlande se sont engagés à mettre de côté le passé pour développer les relations dans la défense ainsi que la coopération entre les deux forces armées.

Cet engagement est le fruit d'une rencontre de 30 minutes entre le général Pol Saroeun, commandant de l'Armée royale du Cambodge, et le général Thanasak Patimaprakorn, commandant de l'Armée royale de Thaïlande.

Le général Pol Saroeun a demandé de mettre de côté les litiges frontaliers pour s'orienter vers l'édification d'une frontière de paix, de développement et de coopération pour le bénéfice des deux peuples.

Thanasak Patimaprakorn a partagé le même point de vue que son homologue cambodgien, tout en demandant une bonne coopération de la partie cambodgienne.

Thanasak Patimaprakorn est arrivé le 28 mars au Cambodge pour participer à la 9e conférence informelle des commandants de la défense de l'ASEAN du 29 mars.

Le principal conflit frontalier entre le Cambodge et la Thaïlande concerne la région du temple de Preah Vihear, qui a débuté après l'introduction de ce temple dans la liste des Patrimoines mondiaux par l'UNESCO en juillet 2008.

Suite à la demande du Cambodge, le 18 juillet 2011, la Cour internationale de justice (CIJ) a ordonné au Cambodge et à la Thaïlande de retirer leurs forces armées de la région litigieuse et d'autoriser les observateurs de l'ASEAN de superviser le respect de l'accord de cessez-le-feu. -AVI

Mar 29, 2012 ASDNews Source : Raytheon Corporation

Raytheon Company has started procuring components required to build the Munitions Control Units for 126 of the Indian Air Force's Jaguar Darin II attack aircraft.

The MCU enables integration of modern weapons on legacy aircraft with minimal to no modifications to aircraft wiring and the flight or stores management software. The MCU's compact size enables it to be located in a weapons pylon or avionics bay of a legacy aircraft. From there, it interfaces between "smart" weapons and the existing software of a legacy aircraft.

"Providing the IAF the capability to enhance their Jaguar fleet is the latest chapter in Raytheon's six-decade history of trusted partnership in India," said Harry Schulte, Raytheon Missile Systems' vice president of Air Warfare Systems. "MCU will give the Jaguar the capability to employ 'smart' or 'advanced' weapons like the Joint Standoff Weapon, Maverick missile, Paveway™ precision-guided munition and AIM-9M Sidewinder air-to-air missile."

Raytheon was awarded a contract to build the MCU in 2011, and funding was authorized for the system in 2012. In anticipation of the contract, Raytheon began preliminary work to integrate MCU on Jaguar in 2008.

About the Munitions Control Unit

    Dimensions: approximately 13 by 6 by 3 inches and weighs roughly 6 pounds.

    Enables integration of modern weapons on legacy aircraft.

    Requires minimal modifications to aircraft wiring and no changes to the flight or stores management software.

Mar 28, 2012 By Jay Menon - AviationWeek.com

NEW DELHI - India’s “air defense is 97% obsolete,” the country’s soon-to-retire army chief Gen. V.K. Singh wrote in a recent letter to the Indian premier that discusses a number of major issues plaguing the Indian military.

The content of the letter, dated March 12, was leaked to the media March 28.

The army’s entire tank fleet is “devoid of critical ammunition to defeat enemy tanks,” the infantry is crippled with “deficiencies” and lacks night-vision equipment, and the elite special forces are “woefully short of essential weapons,” putting India’s internal security at risk, the army chief says in his letter, which has caused a serious dent to the image of the Indian government and military.

Singh also raises doubts about the quality of work at ordnance factories, and he states that the shortcomings severely erode the army’s preparedness in the event of a war.

Defense Minister A.K. Antony has been quick to respond, saying the government is committed to strengthening its forces and that the defense procurement process is under strict monitoring.

“These issues cannot be an issue of public debate . . . . Publishing the contents of secret communication cannot serve our national security,” Antony said in parliament, which has witnessed a huge uproar over the issue.

Antony says successive governments have put priority on defense preparedness, and the government is committed to providing the best equipment to its forces. “I can assure this nation it is our intention to keep [the armed forces] strong,” he says. “The government will do everything necessary to ensure that our defense forces are provided and trained to make them the best fighting forces in the world.” Antony says the government will take “appropriate action” on the letter.

Singh is scheduled to retire at the end of May and will be replaced by Lt. Gen. Bikram Singh.

On March 26, the army chief again irked the government by telling an Indian newspaper that he had informed the defense minister of a nearly $2.7 million bribe offered to him in 2010 by a defense lobbyist to approve the purchase of substandard military vehicles. The government ordered a federal probe into the matter (Aerospace DAILY, March 26).

Meanwhile, Pallam Raju, the junior defense minister, says efforts are being made to fulfill the requirements of the armed forces. “In the last three years, we have utilized the entire capital budget and there was no surrender of budget. Nevertheless, there are gaps in capabilities which we are trying to bridge as quickly as possible,” Raju says.

India’s armed forces have been on a modernization drive in recent years. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, India has emerged as the leading arms importer in the world, followed by Pakistan and China.

New Delhi also plans to boost its defense spending by almost 13% to 1.93 trillion rupees ($38 billion) in the coming fiscal year, which will be slightly higher than the 11% increase in the previous budget for the fiscal year ending March 31.

Meanwhile, India also is negotiating to acquire a slew of new equipment, from combat aircraft to submarines and artillery. It is close to signing the $12 billion contract for 126 Rafale fighters, as well as a $400 million deal for 75 Pilatus PC-7 basic trainers.

However, the country’s defense procurements have been hampered by delays and a lack of planning. In a report introduced in parliament late last year, India’s comptroller and auditor general slammed the country’s armed forces and defense ministry for causing “inordinate delays” in procuring artillery guns for more than a decade, leaving troops using obsolete varieties of 1970s vintage.

Earlier this month, India banned six defense firms that were involved in a bribery scandal—including four international vendors—from doing business in the country for the next 10 years. This has interrupted the army’s plans to acquire ultra-light howitzers for its artillery units (Aerospace DAILY, March 6).

Beechcraft T-6C Military Trainer

(photo : Hawker Beechcraft)

28.03.2012 DEFENSE STUDIES

March 29, 2012 by Shiv Aroor LIVEFIST

Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony confirmed today that an inquiry was still on into the selection of the Rafale as L1 in the MMRCA competition (following a recent complaint by an MP), and that forward movement -- at least six more stages of scrutiny and process until contract signature -- would be held off until the inquiry is complete. Meanwhile, HAL seems pretty set on license building the Rafale :) That's their production vision up there I scoped at their pavillion at DefExpo 2012. More photos and stuff later tonight.

29/03/2012 Michel Cabirol – LaTribune.fr

Alors que s'ouvre jeudi le salon de défense Defexpo à New Delhi, le ministère de la défense a pris de nouvelles mesures pour lutter contre les accidents trop fréquents de ces avions de combat. L'Indian Air Force a perdu 50 appareils, dont 33 avions de combat en un peu plus de trois ans.

Le nombre d'accidents d'avions de combat en Inde... est hors normes. Depuis un peu plus de trois ans (2008-mars 2012), l'armée de l'air indienne (Indian Air Force ou IAF), quatrième puissance aérienne mondiale, a perdu plus de 33 appareils sur une flotte d'environ 630 avions de combat, composée notamment d'appareils russes. Ainsi, 27 MiG (dont 16 MiG-21), 3 Sukhoi 30, 2 Mirage et 1 Jaguar se sont crashés durant cette période, selon un décompte effectué par le ministère de la défense indien. En outre, l'IAF a perdu 10 hélicoptères ainsi que 17 avions autres avions militaires. Au total, ces accidents ont coûté la vie à 32 militaires, dont 19 pilotes, ainsi qu'à six civils.

Erreurs humaines et problèmes techniques

"La majorité des accidents est due à l'erreur humaine ou à un problème technique, explique le ministère de la Défense indien, qui précise que chaque accident fait l'objet d'une enquête pour en déterminer la cause. Selon un expert interrogé par "latribune.fr", "l'IAF attribue à de jeunes pilotes des MiG-21, qui sont des avions de combat très difficiles à piloter, car très instables".

En outre, il apparaît que l'entretien des MiG-21 n'est pas toujours satisfaisant en raison du manque de pièces de rechanges venus de Russie. Enfin, l'Inde forme ses pilotes aux normes occidentales...mais utilisent des avions russes. Ces avions encore en service devraient être remplacés progressivement par les 126 Rafale de Dassault Aviation et ses parternaires (Thales et Safran), entrés en négociations exclusives pour cette commande avec New Delhi en janvier dernier.

D'une façon générale, le taux d'attrition de l'IAF est relativement élevé. On dénombre de 1970 à 2010 un milliers d'avions perdus accidentellement dont la moitié des 900 Mig-21 (achetés à partir de 1973), dont 5 en 2011, et un tiers des 158 Jaguar (entrés en service en 1979). Le nombre d'accidents est cependant en réduction : 30 avions perdus par an en 1980, 23 en 1990, 18 en 2000, 10 en 2010. Dans toutes les grandes forces aériennes, les pertes d'avion sont aujourd'hui de l'ordre de 1,5 pour 100.000 heures de vol.

Simulateurs

Le ministère de la Défense indien rappelle que "l'amélioration des compétences des pilotes est un processus continu". A ce titre, plusieurs décisions ont été prises par le ministère, qui a recommandé "l'utilisation accrue de simulateurs pour former les pilotes aux procédures et opérations de secours". En outre, l'IAFa introduit dans la formation des cours de psychologie et des cours de gestion des risques opérationnels.

Enfin, l'IAF est en train d'éliminer progressivement des avions dangereux. Au cours de ces dernières années, tous les MiG-23 ont été retirés de la flotte en raison de problèmes de fiabilité et de sécurité. Des décisions prises en fonction de nombreux paramètres incluant la vie résiduelle des appareils et des retours opérationnels. "Cette revue des matériels est régulièrement réalisée par le gouvernement. Ceci est un processus continu", a rappelé le ministère de la Défense.

March 28, 2012, Army Recognition

Nexter Systems has inherited the centuries old experience of French land defence experts and is a European leader in Defence Industry. Nexter Systems been designing and supplying Land Defence systems for the French army for several decades. Nexter also provides highly advanced combat systems, AFVs, Artillery systems, modern weapons systems, communication systems, ammunitions and Logistics services to many armed forces around the world.

In addition to weapon systems for Land Forces, Nexter Systems addresses the requirements of air and naval forces, and these advanced systems supplied by Nexter Systems are combat proven and are currently deployed in operational theatres overseas, such as Afghanistan and Lebanon.

Since 2004, Nexter is participating in DEFEXPO in India, exhibiting its equipment and showing its know how in advanced-combat systems.

Besides, providing the most advanced Artillery Systems, ammunitions and AFVs to the Indian Army, Nexter plans to open up new areas of co-operation in the Indian and Global Defence market by developing partnerships with the Indian industry (Transfer of Technology, Joint Ventures, Sale of Components etc.),

- To support and provide the local industry with the latest technology for the "Make India" projects and any new requirement of the Ministry of Defence of India;

- To collaborate with the DRDO for modern and high technology research and development projects.

On September 2nd, 2011, Nexter Systems of France and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) of India signed a second Agreement for TRAJAN® 155 mm/ 52 cal Towed Gun System (TGS) for the Indian Army. The new towed howitzer, the Trajan, is based on the Caesar 155/52 mm barrel.

Nexter Systems has established cooperations in India to collaborate in the Artillery programs for the Indian

Army:

- Nexter Systems and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) of India signed an Agreement on June18th, 2010, for 155 mm Mounted Gun System (MGS) for the Indian Army.

- On September 2nd, 2011, Nexter Systems of France and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) of India signed a second Agreement for TRAJAN® 155 mm/ 52 cal Towed Gun System (TGS) for the Indian Army.

Both Agreements announce the formation of a Nexter Systems led consortium for the 155mm/ 52 cal Mounted Gun Program and the 155 mm / 52 cal Towed Gun Program and the upgunning of the M46 for the Indian Army.

Due to the importance of Indian Artillery and other programs and the willingness of Nexter Systems to become a leading partner of the Indian Defence Industry, Nexter Systems has decided to establish a wholly owned subsidiary - Nexter India in 2012.

Mar 28, 2012 The Times of India

BALASORE (Odisha): India today successfully test fired Brahmos supersonic cruise missile as part of a user trial by the Army from the test range at Chandipur off Odisha coast.

"The missile was test fired from a ground mobile launcher from the launch complex-3 at about 1122 hours and the trial was successful," said a defence official.

The missile, which has a flight range of up to 290 km, is capable of carrying a conventional warhead of 200 to 300 kg.

The cruise missile, a surface-to-surface Army version, was test fired as part of user trial by the Army, he said.

The two-stage missile, the first one being solid and the second one ramjet liquid propellant, has already been inducted into the Army and Navy, he said.

While induction of the first version of Brahmos missile system in the Indian Navy commenced from 2005 with INS Rajput, it is now fully operational with two regiments of the Army.

The air launch version and the submarine launch version of the missile system are in progress, said the official.

The Army has so far placed orders for the Brahmos missile to be deployed by three regiments of the Army and two of them have already been inducted operationally.

The Defence Ministry has also given a go-ahead to the Army to induct a third regiment equipped with the missile system to be deployed in Arunachal Pradesh along the China border.

'Brahmos Aerospace', an Indo-Russian joint venture company headed by a distinguished Indian defence scientist, is also working to develop the air as well as the submarine launch version of the misile system and work on the project is in progress.

2012-03-27 (China Military News cited from The Australian and by Ben Packham)

AUSTRALIA'S Cocos Islands territory could be used as a staging point for spy flights by United States military drones over the South China Sea, according to an US newspaper report.

Citing US and Australian sources, The Washington Post said the Pentagon was eyeing the Indian Ocean territory's coral atolls as an ideal site to launch Global Hawk surveillance drones, as well as manned surveillance flights.

Defence Minister Stephen Smith has previously revealed Australia's Cocos Islands territory could be used “down the track” for a jointly-operated Australian-US air base.

But it is the first time the territory has been suggested as a base for unmanned spy flights.

“Aircraft based in the Cocos would be well-positioned to launch spy flights over the South China Sea,” The Washington Post notes.

According to the newspaper, US officals are also “intrigued” by the potential offered by Australia's HMAS Stirling naval base, at Perth, and a possible new fleet base at Brisbane.

It says HMAS Stirling “could service US aircraft carriers, other large surface warships and attack submarines”.

The US is anxious to expand its reach in the Indian Ocean amid a strategic pivot towards South-East Asia.

The apparently well-sourced report will further arouse the suspicions of China, where military planners are already concerned about the growing US military presence on Australian soil.

The report comes as Australia prepares for the arrival of the first of 2500 US Marines for deployment in Darwin.

Under the plan announced by US President Barack Obama and Julia Gillard, the troops from the Hawaii-based Third Marine Regiment are expected to be based at Darwin's Robertson Barracks.

They will spend months training at the Australian Defence Force's Bradshaw and Mount Bundy training areas in the Northern Territory.

A US Marines air-ground taskforce is designed to fight at short notice as a powerful, self-contained force with its own protective air power, able to land on a hostile shore or carry out non-combat operations such as disaster relief.

It will give Washington the ability to intervene in the region quickly in the event of a crisis.

The Marines will eventually bring considerable equipment with them, including amphibious assault ships similar to the two giant landing helicopter docks being built for the Royal Australian Navy, along with Harrier Jump Jets and troop-carrying helicopters.