Indian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

aksha said:

Official pics. INS Kochi

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India is finally set to get its own mobile howitzers that will reverse the longheld Pakistani battlefield edge on artillery guns.

The guns Pakistan have were supplied by the US ostensibly for the 'war on terror'. In a deal that would also fit the 'Make in India' mandate, domestic manufacturer Larsen and ToubroBSE 1.27 % has emerged as the finalist for a $750-million (about Rs 5,000 crore) contract to supply 100 self-propelled artillery guns to the Indian Army.
The 155 mm artillery guns are specially designed for operation in the desert areas bordering Pakistan and have been a longstanding requirement of the Army, officials said. India's concerns over Pakistan acquiring an edge in conventional warfare escalated in 2009 when the US supplied it 115 of the modern M 109A5 cannons as a "reward" for its assistance in the war on the Afghanistan border.

The Army had then accelerated its plans to procure a similar system, but the process dragged on for
many years, with the defence ministry finally taking a call on the winner last week. Sources told ET that the K9 VAJRA-T howitzer, pitched by L&T in partnership with Samsung, has been shortlisted for the contract.

Once signed — the final process could take another six months — the Vajra could be the first new artillery gun to be produced in India since the 1980s when the Bofors was acquired. A parallel effort to procure M777 ultra-light howitzers from the US is under progress.

The Vajra will be produced at L&T's Pune facility and could be considered for exports in the future, along with an expected followon order for more guns for the Army.

The victory is especially sweet for L&T as it was competing in the global category, which was open to all arms vendors around the world.

The Vajra beat its Russian competitor on several technical grounds, including rate of fire, accuracy and mobility trials, officials said. L&T officials, however,
refused to comment on the development.

India's artillery modernisation plans have been stuck since the 1980s after the Bofors kickbacks scandal. Not a single new modern system has been purchased since, seriously limiting the Army's battlefield edge.

Self-propelled guns are vital for their "shoot and scoot" ability as well as a high flexibility of deployment in the battlefield.

While Pakistan managed to procure the American systems in 2009, India's plans for similar
systems have been stuck since 1999, with several failed rounds at identifying a gun.

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aksha said:

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FORBIN said:

Now with 2 Kolkata the Navy get a very decent escort mainly for her CV, others Delhi, Talwar etc... are good ships but no AEGIS like, this two are and can engage many more targets much more efficient for AAW duties very usefull vs saturating attacks.

Next month, soon.. the 2nd Kamorta.

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A defence system integration complex, spread over 900 acres, will be set up in Andhra Pradesh by Bharat Electronic Ltd (BEL) to enable it to expand its missile system business, an official statement said.

The facility, set to be established at Palasamudram in Anantapuram district of Andhra Pradesh, will enable BEL to expand its missile systems business and will carry out manufacturing and integration for the ongoing and upcoming projects.

The foundation stone will be laid by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday, the statement said.

The facility will have state-of-the-art infrastructure such as assembly hangars and hard stands for radars and weapon integration, RF radiation sources for target simulation, automatic test equipment, clean rooms for electronic assembly, non-explosive and explosive integration buildings, missile storage buildings, environmental test chambers and others.

It will be the largest such facility in the country, the statement said.

Chairman and managing director S.K. Sharma meanwhile said BEL is also strengthening its infrastructure in areas like night vision technologies and elements of multifunction radars.

"Various new surface-to-air missile (SAM) programmes are proposed to be taken up by BEL, namely quick reaction SAM, long range SAM, medium range SAM, etc. in addition to Network Centric Communication and Electronic Warfare systems," Sharma said.

The statement added that BEL also has plans to expand this facility for the creation of a Military Industrial Complex to set up the necessary ecosystem for manufacture of electronic components and equipment for various upcoming defence projects in collaboration with SMEs as part of the government's 'Make in India' initiative.

"The proposed complex will be a world-class facility with automated guided vehicles and industrial robots for material movement and handling. The facility will be built in stages as the various projects mature and the estimated investment will be about Rs.500 crore over a period of 3 to 4 years," the statement added.

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