Indian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Quon_Duixote

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Forbin, this is the last I read of it...from February:

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Rather shabby journalism..some of the quotes such as increase relevance of Indian navy after induction of INS Kolkata are downright ridiculous...India needs more investment in its economy and its residual defence industry..become self reliant and a technology innovator.. That will inculcate respect IMO..politics aside, how best should IN distribute the Kolkata class amongst its surface fleet given that it doesn't have an operational doctrine in place apart from anti-piracy operations?
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Rather shabby journalism..some of the quotes such as increase relevance of Indian navy after induction of INS Kolkata are downright ridiculous...India needs more investment in its economy and its residual defence industry..become self reliant and a technology innovator.. That will inculcate respect IMO..politics aside, how best should IN distribute the Kolkata class amongst its surface fleet given that it doesn't have an operational doctrine in place apart from anti-piracy operations?
I agree that the story is laced with non-journalistic rah-rahs for India.

But then again, we have seen some of the same out of China as they have released these new, capable classes of vessels. To that extent that these people themselves are proud of what their country is accomplishing...it is understandable, though no more professional.

As to naval strategy, the Indian Navy most certainly does have a doctrine and splits its forces up between the east and west side of the sub-continent accordingly.

I believe it is certain that the principle function of these initial Kolkatas will be to work up and train to be the principle escorts of Indian's carriers.
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
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Delhi HC notice to Centre for not phasing out ‘defective’ INSAS rifles
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    | New Delhi | Updated: April 23, 2015 2:16 am
    The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Home and the Defence Ministries on a PIL alleging that ‘defective’ INSAS rifles were being given to CRPF and other paramilitary forces.

    A PIL filed by retired Lt Col Deepak Malhotra, who fought in the 1971 Indo-Pak and 1999 Kargil wars, has stated that the Defence Minister had informed Parliament in 2012 that indigenous INSAS rifles would be phased out by 2014, as they were “defective and outdated,” but nothing had been done so far.

    The PIL alleged that the lack of new-generation rifles had “repeatedly resulted in death and injury to the brave jawans of the Indian Army and para-military services” while fighting “well-equipped” Maoists and terrorists.

    The PIL has asked the court to look into records of the “long-pending decision” to replace the rifles, and has sought orders to phase out the INSAS rifles and replace them with modern firearms.

    The court of Chief justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw directed the Defence Ministry to take its decision over the steps taken to replace the INSAS rifles within 10 weeks.

    The court, while issuing notice to the Ministries also said that the government “introduced new fighter planes time and again.” “Why are you not thinking on this aspect? you should do something for these people,” said the court.

    Senior advocate Meet Malhotra, appearing for the petitioner, argued that if the INSAS rifles were “good”, they should be “used for VIP security.” “…The bureaucratic system has delayed the replacement of these unreliable rifles even though replacements (like AK-47) were actually cheaper than INSAS,” says the petition.

    First Published on: April 23, 201512:05 am
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CRPF deployed in Red zones will get AK-47s
TNN | Apr 26, 2015, 08.29AM IST
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NEW DELHI: In an effort to enhance CRPF's capabilities in fighting Maoists in the Red zone and terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir, home ministry has ordered replacement of indigenously built but faulty INSAS rifles that the force uses with AK-47s. All INSAS guns used by the force in the red zone would be replaced by AK-47 while 50% of the INSAS gun armoury in J&K would now have AK-47.

The home ministry sanctioned the procurement of guns two days ago following a demand from the CRPF which has been pending with the ministry for almost a year. The sanction, however, is partial fulfillment of CRPF demands. The force had sent a proposal to the home ministry last year for 100% replacement of all its INSAS guns with AK-47 rifles in Maoist areas, 50% in Jammu and Kashmir and similar grading percentage for various other theatres. "The sanction is location specific i.e. limited to Naxal-affected districts and Jammu and Kashmir. In rest of the country, the force will continue using INSAS. The decision has been taken according to the operational requirement of the force," a senior home ministry official said.

Over 40% of guns used by the three lakh strong force currently are INSAS guns built by Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO). The development means procurement of over 67,000 AK guns at a cost of Rs 150 crore. While 54,000 AK-47s will be provided to forces in Naxal areas, about 13,000 will go to J&K. In its proposal, CRPF had said the INSAS gun gets frequently jammed at crucial times and is a danger to the life of jawans during anti-Naxal and anti-insurgency operations. It had said that compared to AK and X-95 guns, Insas fails far more frequently. While the error percentage in AK guns is 0.02%, in Insas it is 3%. INSAS, however, has longer range (of firing) than AK 47. "But that can be compensated with other weapons we have. What we can't afford is a gun jamming during an encounter. Thankfully, the government has realized that the lives of our jawans are more important than promotion of faulty indigenous technology," a CRPF officer said.


The move is a fallout of the government's push to the forces to launch all-out offensive against Maoists. This has resulted in the force increasingly using area weapons such as 81 mm mortar guns and automatic grenade launchers.

The existing strength of AK-47 guns in a J&K battalion currently is 217. It is going to be doubled to 435. For the Naxal theatre, the AK-47 strength in a battalion will go up from 217 to 869. The sanction for provision of AK-47 to a battalion of the elite Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) has been increased from 180 to 468 by phasing out the 108 INSAS and 360 SLRs per battalion. A CoBRA battalion will now have 648 AK-47s and 90 Light Automatic Rifles/Fusil Automatic Leger (semi-automatic rifles). As many as 60 battalions (60,000 personnel) of the CRPF are deployed in J&K and 77 battalions are deployed in the Naxal theatre.
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aksha

Captain
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The
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chief, Admiral RK Dhowan, said on Thursday that the sea trials of India`s first indigenous nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, INS Arihant, are going "very well".
"The trials are underway and going on very well. We are satisfied with the way the project is progressing," Admiral Dhowan told reporters on the sidelines of two-day National Aviation Seminar to mark 62 years of naval aviation in the country.

While stating there are "no problems in the INS Arihant project", he could not give a "timeline" on the completion of trials.

The 6,000-tonne submarine, designed on the Russian Akula-1 class vessel, began its sea trials last December.

The submarine`s 83 MW pressurized light-water reactor attained "criticality" in 2013 while it was undergoing harbour trials at Visakhapatnam.

INS Arihant, the lead ship of Arihant-class of submarines, was launched in 2009.

Once inducted, the submarine will help India complete its nuclear triad - the capability to respond to nuclear strikes from sea, land and air-based systems.

Talking about the trials of the first indigenously-built Scorpene submarine, Adm. Dhowan said the "endeavour was to see that the programme continues without any obstacle so that the commissioning of the first submarine is done next year as per the plan".

Asked about the second indigenous aircraft carrier, Adm. Dhowan said that under the joint working group on aircraft carrier design with the US, the Indian Navy has "done some work to prepare the approach paper" but that it was still "too premature to say in which direction it goes".

"All options regarding the type of aircraft carrier, tonnage, type of propulsion, aircraft to be embarked and so on are being considered in the approach paper. It will be taken up with the ministry of defence, after which a detailed report will be prepared," Adm. Dhowan said.

"The joint working group with the US will carry out its own deliberations and all options available to us will be evaluated. It is still too premature to say what direction it takes," he added.

In respect of developing amphibious capabilities for the navy, Adm. Dhowan added that induction of amphibious aircraft is being discussed undeer the due procedures laid down for defence procurement.
 

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
Registered Member
Project 17A-class frigate

The experience gained in designing the Project 17 Shivalik-class frigates will be applied to the Project 17A (P17A). The Project 17A frigates will improve upon the Project 17 (P17) in terms of stealth. They will have covered mooring deck and the number of antennae on the ship will be reduced by using a multi-functional
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(probably
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) radar. The P17A will also feature better roll stabilisation and a discreet visual profile. The weapon platform in the P17A ships will be compact and they will be armed with the
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being developed jointly by India and Israel, and the
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. The weapon systems will be
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mounted allowing vertical launch of missiles from under the deck.
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The crew complement will be reduced from the existing 257 (including 35 officers) to about 150 by using high levels of automation, which will reduce the operational costs by around 20 per cent and result in higher operational availability of the warships.
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The construction times will be reduced and productivity will improved by using
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.
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The ship will have a displacement of 6,000 tonnes.
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Shivalik do 5300 t max.
 

viv1990

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DG-11FEB15-CSL-INS-Vikrant-1200x641.png

New satellite imagery shows that India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier has made significant progress since it was launched in August 2013, helping India inch towards the goal of a two carrier battle group.

Imagery acquired by commercial satellite firm DigitalGlobe in February 2015 shows further assembly on INS Vikrant, a 40,000 ton aircraft carrier and India’s soon-to-be largest vessel once commissioned. Additional ship modules now welded to the hull have enlarged the deck width — measuring almost 60 meters. The erection of the superstructure reported last November was also confirmed. India’s first domestically produced carrier is currently under construction at state-owned Cochin Shipyard Limited, the country’s largest shipbuilding and maintenance facility located in Kerala on the west coast.

Like other vessels built in India, significant cost overruns and delays have hampered shipbuilding progress. The South Asian country is already four years behind schedule on the project with the latests estimates pushing an operational date closer to December 2018, if not beyond. However, the Indian Navy expects that the vessel will “undock” sometime this month after mounting the propellers on the engine shafts, according to an April statement from Vice Admiral Ashok Subedar. Afterward, the shipyard will continue with the fitting out process.

Originally, India was to have fielded her carrier by 2014, eleven years after the government approved the build. Last July, the Cabinet Committee on Securityreleased an additional Rs 19,000 crore (approx USD 3.18 billion), the lion’s share, to complete the vessel’s construction — on top the USD 585 million already spent. Due to India’s extensive bureaucracy, the funds languished for almost a year halting progress on the project.

“As much as 95 per cent of its hull is complete as is 22,000 tons of [its] steel structure,” Subedar went on to say. That’s 3,500 tons heavier than its August 2013 launch weight though significantly less than its planned 40,000 tons. Of course, much of the that weight will be comprised of two fixed wing squadrons (12 x fighters each) of Russian-built MIG-29K and Indian-built Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, 10 x Ka-31 ASW helicopters as well as necessary ammo, fuel, and other supplies.

Vikrant-1024x620.png


Featuring a STOBAR (short take-off but arrested recovery) configuration with a ski-jump, India’s indigenous carrier will push naval pilots to master a new launch and recovery system, one very different from its existing STOVL (short take-off and vertical landing). Luckily, Russia helped India build a shore-based testing facility which became operational early last year. Imagery shows that Indian pilots are already hard at work. (INS Vikramaditya also features a STOBAR configuration).

Aircraft aside, India’s latest carrier will be powered by four General Electric LM2500 gas turbines capable of cruising speeds around 18 knots. With an endurance of 7,500 nautical miles the Navy should have few problems projecting force throughout the Indian Ocean region, especially given India’s previous proficiency in carrier operations.

But if issues do arise, the United States has proposed a joint working group to help support Indian ops, share best practices and even possibly, technology. All of which may lead observers to conclude that India’s naval capability has become increasingly important. Prime Minister Modi made that clear while visiting Mauritius in March: “India is becoming more integrated globally. We will be more dependent than before on the ocean and the surrounding regions. We must also assume our responsibility to shape its future. So, [the] Indian Ocean region is at the top of our policy priorities.”

As perhaps it should be. India is already advantaged by its unique geography, jutting out in the Indian Ocean with its 7,500km coastline and island territories. Given India has short distances to travel to manage any regional conflict or rivalry, it only makes sense that India would focus resources on protecting national interests in its own backyard.

DG-11MAR15-PLAN-Salalah.png


In the maritime space, few regional contenders are making a splash, though emerging challenges from China are certainly on India’s radar. China’sPeople’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) commissioned its first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, in 2012 and has already started construction on a second. With recent infrastructure established in the South China Sea and additional PLAN deployments in the Indian Ocean region, China appears poised to take a more aggressive maritime stance, a clear departure from India’s Cold War experience.

In response, India is planning a 160-plus-ship navy as it seeks to constrain what it sees as a Chinese incursion into its sphere of influence. Unfortunately for the navy, India is still predominately a land force with the Army maintaining the biggest share of the defense budget. Regardless, India expects that its homegrown carrier program will eventually allow it to maintain two carrier battle groups supporting its respective Eastern and Western Naval Commands.

Named after India’s first aircraft carrier recently scrapped, the INS Vikrant is one of two homegrown carriers planned for the Indian Navy. The second carrier, INS Vishal is currently being fast-tracked—though it’s unknown what this means for Vishal’s construction timeline. In the meantime, India’s lack of experience building carriers and the uncertainty of outside assistance may impede India’s pressing strategic goals, probably pushing the operation of its second carrier to 2025 or beyond.
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Jeff Head

General
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DG-11FEB15-CSL-INS-Vikrant-1200x641.png

New satellite imagery shows that India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier has made significant progress since it was launched in August 2013, helping India inch towards the goal of a two carrier battle group.
THAT is a GREAT image!

Thanks for posting it here.

I am anxious to see her re-launched and get good, ground level pics of this progress.
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
THAT is a GREAT image!

Thanks for posting it here.

I am anxious to see her re-launched and get good, ground level pics of this progress.

Are the highlighted weapons elevators in sensible positions? I feel like the aft if not both the aft and bow weapons elevators will impede on the landing strip, and the ability to transport aircraft and munitions from the flight deck and hangar without interrupting landing operations is I think a fairly important capability. From what I've read, the Forrestal class' bow port aircraft elevator was rarely used because it impeded on the landing strip as well.

I believe most carriers do not featuer weapons elevators in such positions... but I'm not too sure.
 
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