India to buy 22 attack, 15 heavy-lift copters

As part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan to bolster the nation’s military posture, India is to acquire 22 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and 15 CH-47F Chinook heavy lift helicopters for the Indian Air Force (IAF), valued at $2.5 billion.

Approval stage

Officials in the know said the attack helicopter (Apache) and the heavy lift helicopter (Chinook) are currently in the Government approval stage.

“The Ministry of Finance and Cabinet Committee on Security needs to approve…before contracts are signed. All other steps are done,” officials said.

Sources pointed out that India’s defence acquisition process mandates that all contracts that are in excess of $50 million require 30% offsets. Way back in 2013, Boeing had signed a memorandum of understanding with Dynamatic Technologies of Bangalore, to manufacture the aft pylon and cargo ramp assemblies for the Chinook. Sources indicated that Boeing had done this in anticipation of the IAF order. When contacted, Boeing said it was deferring all questions on the Apache procurement to India’s Ministry of Defence for comment.

Offsets galore

“Defence spending eligible for offsets through 2017 are huge. Based on the current order pipeline, big procurement programmes ensure that offset obligations could become an opportunity worth $10-$20 billion for the domestic industry,” said sources.

Another official pointed out that offsets are expected to spur growth, as well as aid the basic intent of the offset policy, which is to build a domestic defence manufacturing base.

Force projection

“Multinational original equipment manufacturers with Indian defence contracts can discharge their offset obligations by sourcing military grade components from India,” the official added.

Boeing’s Apache is the most capable multi-role combat helicopter, “combining performance and lethality with more affordable and efficient maintenance.

“It will provide the Indian Air Force with enhanced dominant force projection capabilities, and will address the full spectrum of conflict to peace keeping and nation building.”

Newest member

India has been offered the AH-64E, the newest member of the combat proven Apache family, and is to get the latest upgraded version of the helicopter, which has been delivered only to the US Army. In the case of Boeing’s Chinook helicopter, “the tandem rotor H-47 Chinook is the most capable, advanced heavy lift helicopter, providing maximum value at the lowest risk.

The H-47 Chinook offers India heavy lift and high altitude transportation for a multitude of military, humanitarian, rescue, disaster relief, fire fighting and nation building missions in all climates and conditions and altitudes.”

Flight trials

The Chinook and an advanced version of the Mi-26 helicopter were put to flight trials in 2011, in desert and high altitude terrain. Boeing’s Chinook had beaten out Russia’s Mi-26, when the Indian Defence Ministry had opened bids in November 2012, said sources, adding that the Russian bid was set aside after officials failed to provide details on how they would execute their offset liabilities.

Boeing is deferring questions on the contract to India’s Ministry of Defence.

India to Integrate Brahmos With Sukhoi by March

India will integrate the air version of Brahmos supersonic cruise missile with Sukhoi fighters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) by March, an official said Wednesday.

“Integration of Brahmos with Sukhois of the IAF is on and will be completed by March, as two of them are being integrated at our Nashik complex,” state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd’s (HAL) outgoing chairman R.K. Tyagi told reporters here.

BrahMos Aerospace, an India-Russia joint venture, developed and test-fired the cruise missile July 8, 2014 from the integrated test range at Chandipur in Balasore district of Odisha.

“We have also recently conducted the critical ground vibration test (GVT) on a Sukhoi to modify it for carrying the missile under its fuselage for combat role,” Tyagi said.

The missile, named after the Brahmaputra river in India and Moscow river in Russia, has a top speed of Mach 2.8, with a range of 290 km and can carry a 300 kg conventional warhead.

“The vibration tests were conducted in nine configurations to assess the dynamic behaviour of the modified Sukhoi platform,” Tyagi said.

The missile can be launched from submarines, ships and aircraft. Its sea and ground versions were tested and deployed in service with the Indian Army and Indian Navy.

According to test range director M.V.K.V. Prasad, Brahmos is three times faster than the Tomahawk cruise missile of the US.

Defence behemoth HAL manufactures the fourth generation Sukhois (SU-30 MKI) under licensed production from Russian aerospace major Rosoboronexport for the IAF’s frontline combat fleet.

HAL signed a contract with the Russian firm Dec 24, 2012 for producing an additional 42 Su-30 multirole aircraft, taking the total number to 222, including the 119 it delivered to the air force.

As a two-seater, highly manoeuverable, supersonic aircraft for day and night operations in all-weather conditions, Sukhoi is fitted with two turbojet AL-31FP engines and is equipped with state-of-the-art avionics from Russian, western and indigenous sources.

Canister Launch of Agni-V on Saturday

After the three-day tour of US President Barack Obama, the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) here is readying for the first canister launch of India’s longest range ballistic missile Agni-V in full operational configuration. The test is likely to be carried out from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) off the Odisha coast on Saturday.Defence sources said, the test was postponed twice — in December and early January — due to Obama visit and lack of schedule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was slated to witness the launch along with the Defence Minister.

While the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is yet to confirm Modi’s visit, the organisation is likely to go ahead with its schedule. The DRDO is planning to give a memorable farewell to its outgoing Chief Avinash Chander, who was unceremoniously removed from his post on January 13, sources in DRDO informed The Express.

“As the term of Chander, the brain behind the Agni missiles, ends on January 31, the scientists want to make the date momentous,” said sources.

Meanwhile, preparations for the launch are on in full swing at the Wheeler Island. Over 300 scientists and technical staff from several laboratories including Hyderabad-based Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) are camping here.

During the test, Agni-V will be fired from a sealed canister mounted on a launcher truck. With a dummy payload, the missile will be pushed out of the canister by a gas generator after which the actual stage separations will occur as per the coordination.

With a strike range of over 5,000, Agni-V is country’s first intercontinental range ballistic missile (ICBM) which is capable of hitting targets in all Asian countries and parts of Africa and Europe. The 17-metre long, two-metre wide, three-stage, solid-fuelled missile can carry a payload of 1.5 tonne and weighs around 50 tonnes.

A canister-launch system gives the forces the requisite operational flexibility to promptly transport the ballistic missile and launch it from a place of their choice. The DRDO is also working on the canister version of other Agni series of missiles including I, III and IV.

A successful launch would push the missile a step forward towards its induction in the Armed Forces signaling the defence organisation to go for its production though it has to undergo two more trials before it is inducted, possibly in two years.

After Agni-V missile is inducted, the DRDO will focus more on multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs) and manoeuvring warheads or re-entry vehicles to defeat enemy ballistic missile defence manoeuvring systems.

India asks Japan if it’s interested in Rs 50,000 crore submarine project

Russia, France, Germany and Spain, all better watch out. They may have to contend with Japan in the race to supply submarines to India. In keeping with their expanding strategic partnership, the Modi government has asked the Shinzo Abe administration whether it would be interested in the over Rs 50,000 crore project to build six stealth submarines in India.

With Japan recently ending its decades old self-imposed arms export embargo, New Delhi has forwarded “a proposal” to Tokyo to “consider the possibility” of making its latest diesel-electric Soryu-class submarines in India, say sources.

This “feeler” dovetails into PM Narendra Modi’s strategic outreach to Japan, as well as Australia and the US, since he took over last year. The possible sale of Japanese US-2i ShinMayva amphibious aircraft to the Indian Navy is already being discussed. Australia, too, is considering the Soryu submarines to replace its ageing Collins-class vessels.

The US, on its part, has been pushing for greater defence cooperation among India, Japan and Australia to counter China’s assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region. The recent Obama-Modi summit led to the “joint strategic vision for Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region” with a direct reference to South China Sea, where China is locked in territorial disputes with its neighbours. Both Japan and Australia are also keen to participate in the annual Indo-US Malabar naval exercise on a regular basis, which has riled China in the past.

But the 4,200-tonne Soryu submarines, manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, may not meet Indian requirements. Japan will also be just one of the contenders for the mega programme, called Project-75-India, if it agrees to throw its hat into the ring.

Countries like France (ship-builder DCNS), Germany (HDW), Russia (Rosoboronexport) and Spain (Navantia) are already girding up, with the first three having the experience of building submarines for India.

The six new submarines, with both land-attack missile capabilities and air-independent propulsion for greater underwater endurance, are to be built at an Indian shipyard with foreign collaboration. “If Japan is really interested, it will have to form a joint venture with an Indian public/private shipyard,” said the source.

The Modi government wants to kick-start Project-75-I, which has not taken off due to politico-bureaucratic apathy since being accorded “acceptance of necessity” in November 2007, in the backdrop of India’s rapidly depleting conventional submarine fleet.

A high-level committee, led by Vice Admiral AV Subhedar, is slated to submit a report to the defence ministry next month on the domestic shipyards which are capable of submarine-manufacturing. “The tender or RFP (request for proposal) to the shipyards should be issued this year,” he said.

The Soryu submarines, incidentally, were inducted into the Japanese maritime self-defence force from 2009 onwards. Already equipped with AIP, Japan is now working to install lithium-ion battery propulsion systems in its next-generation of the Soryu submarines.

HAL plans to get listed; to restructure board by April 1

As part of the government’s disinvestment programme, state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) plans to get listed as one of the Maharatna companies, for which it will restructure its board by April 1.

Besides, the company is looking to enhance its focus on aeronautical technology segment, rather than being only a manufacturing firm, HAL’s outgoing Chairman R K Tyagi said today.

“In last almost three years, we have tried to convert HALfrom a manufacturing company into a technology company… we have made efforts… For the preparedness for tomorrow,” Tyagi told reporters here as he prepares to demit office on January 31.

“HAL board in the last two years has given us approval for more than Rs 7,000 crore of investment where an aggressive modernisation is taking place,” said Tyagi who joined HAL as its Chairman in March 2012.

“We have prepared the company externally and internally … The company is planning for the future, reinvesting for the future, and I’m sure the valuation of the company is going to be very relevant,” he added.

Tyagi said “our dream is to see the company as a Maharatna company which have more than 5,000 patents, a company which will be fully responsive to any of the leads of the defence sector and also in the exports.”

Responding to a question on disinvestment Ashok Tandon, Company Secretary & Executive Director of HAL, said: “Disinvestment process is in progress, there were couple of issues… One was the restructuring of the board for which we have got approval from the competent authority in the government, it will be in place by April 1, 2015, and the other was sharing of confidential information with the book running lead manager which we have to sort out….”

In reply to a question on restructuring of the board, he said, “Now we have nine whole time directors, six independent and two government directors; the revised structure provides for five whole time directors including CMD, two government nominee directors and seven independent directors.”

To a question on exports, Tyagi said “if you look at the export market 60 per cent of the formal exports of the Defence PSUs is accounted by HAL; if you have to export products in the international market you must have certification….”

“Last two years we have started this exercise, those certifications are now in advanced stage and hopefully by the end of this year we will have both these certifications and then we will be able to establish good export market to our products.”

In addition to this, he said a presentation had been made to Minister for External Affairs and “we have put forward that our neighbouring countries will be a very good markets to start with, as far as our products are concerned.” He noted the handing over of Dhruv Helicopter to Nepal last November and contract from Mauritius for Dornier Aircraft.

India and US to work on Next gen Raven uav

India and US Under the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) have agreed upon to develop next-generation hand-launched remote-controlled mini UAV which will be an advanced variant of “Raven” UAV system is manufactured by a US firm AeroVironment.

India media. have been reporting on possible local production of RQ-11 “Raven” leading to transfer of technology but today’s press release further clarifies that India and US companies will jointly work on new mini UAV which will eventually replace older RQ-11 model widely used in US military and among Nato troops .

India’s National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) has developed mini-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) ” Slybird.” and Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) too has unveiled the hand-launched fixed-wing mini UAV Imperial Eagle.

It’s still not clear which Indian companies will participate in the development of next-generation handheld mini UAV which will be operated by troops from both countries and other allies.

US to help India design jet engines

Washington has agreed to assist Delhi in sharing, designing and developing jet engines for aircraft—a critical technology that is exclusively owned by a handful of countries—in what is being considered a big step forward in Indo-US defence collaboration.

The assistance comes within months of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) winding up a Russia-backed project to develop Kaveri jet engines after losing more than Rs 2,000 crore and almost three decades.

New Delhi and Washington negotiated the text of the bilateral Defence Framework Agreement for the next 10 years as the existing framework signed in 2005 by then defence minister Pranab Mukherjee and his US counterpart Donald Rumsfeld expired in 2014. The new pact, however, is yet to be signed.

“We have decided to take our growing defence cooperation to a new level. We have agreed, in principle, to pursue co-development and co-production of specific advanced defence projects. These will help upgrade our domestic defence industry, and expand the manufacturing sector in India,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the joint press conference with US President Barack Obama here on Sunday.

The big takeaway is the collaboration on jet engines, to be used in home-grown aircraft. “India and the US have agreed to explore development of jet engine in the country. It would be broader than the Kaveri programme,” said S Jaishankar, Indian Ambassador to the US.

Originally meant for use in indigenous light combat aircraft, the Kaveri jet engine was being developed with support from Russia. But the engine developed by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment in Bengaluru could fly only for 73 hours on the IL-76 Flying Test Bed (FTB) in Russia.

Because of the delay, DRDO picked up the US-made GE 404 engine for the Tejas Mk-1 and GE 414 for the Tejas Mk-II aircraft.

India and US allow each other to use military bases

India is to throw open its military,air and naval bases to the US. In return India can use the US military facilities including communication setup. India can also get US to fight alongside it in case of a war. This move was mooted during UPA time and it was shot down by allies then like the Left parties. Defence Minister Antony too had vetoed it saying that it would compromise security of India. These clauses would come under the renewal of Defence pact signed in 2005. Under this pact, US had supplied India around $10 billion worth arms.

US had given draft of the agreements that offer sharing of communication, logistical support and cooperation of basic information. Sharing of communication would give US access to India’s secured communication systems. The advantage the defence ministry argues is that in turn Indian ships can get real time information through US networks which is not possible today. NDA ministry terms these agreements as just making it formal for an arrangement that is operational. It points out that Indian ships in Gulf waters do refuel from US ships in sea and neither countries have objected. Now that US has shifted base to Asia, India is seen as a partner by US.

Modi has told the defence ministry to complete the paperwork before Obama’s visit and get ready to push it through. Critics say that giving US the right to use Indian soil for their military adventures in Asia could take away the non aligned stance policy.

As the new regime in Sri Lanka has not dumped China and restoring all rights to ex-Army Chief Sarath Fonseka who led the army against Tamils and a pro-China man, India feels that it is time that the paranoia towards US be dropped. Left parties that were against the agreement are marginalized. Reactions from China and Russia to this new agreement have to be watched.

DRDO to develop next-gen indigenous technology for army tanks

The Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (CVRDE), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Ministry of Defence, Government of India is currently working on the development of an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV), a new concept in military operations, according to P. Sivakumar, Scientist `H’, Director, CVRDE.

Talking to newspersons on the sidelines of InoVIT 2015, the State Level Science Contest for School Children on the VIT University campus here on Saturday, Dr. Sivakumar said that the UGV would be capable of carrying out surveillance and mine detection, besides operating in nuclear and bio-chemical area.

“We are developing the technologies and have completed all trials. We are asking the Army what it wants”, he said.

The CVRDE Director further added that the DRDO is in the process of developing indigenous technology for Army tanks, repair vehicles and surveillance.

  

India and Russia negotiating construction of new and stealthy frigates

Russia and India are negotiating construction of three additional frigates for the Indian Navy and the lease of a second nuclear submarine, RIA Novosti learned from a spokesperson of the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade (CAWAT).

“Negotiations are under way on the construction of three frigates of the Project 11356 Admiral Grigorovich Class for the Indian Navy at the Yantar Baltic Shipbuilding Plant. The Government of India is also considering leasing a second Russian nuclear submarine, after the first nuclear submarine of the Project 971 Akula Class (formerly Nerpa, Chakra) enters service with the Indian Navy,” said the representative of CAWAT.

He recalled that the first three frigates of the Project 11356 Akula Class were built at the Baltic shipyards in 1999-2004. The second set of three frigates was supplied with advanced weaponry and improved operation performance characteristics. Unlike the first set of three ships, which was equipped with the Club-N Missile Complex, this set of ships was supplied with Russian-Indian supersonic cruise missile systems – using the PJ-10 BrahMos. 

Russia Ready to Supply India With stealthy Submarines

Russia could supply the Indian Navy with “stealthy” submarines, equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems if India opens a tender for them, a senior official at Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation told RIA Novosti on Wednesday.

“The Russian side is ready to supply a foreign client with a submarine refitted to meet any requests for a different exterior and equipment as formulated by the client,” the source told RIA Novosti.

In 2007, New Delhi said it was considering expanding its fleet of submarines with diesel-electric subs. One of the key requirements was for the boats to have so-called anaerobic engines.

Air-independent (closed cycle) submarines, which usually use hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells, are quieter than conventional diesel-electric boats and do not have to surface or use snorkel tubes to breathe air, thereby exposing themselves to detection by radar and other sensors.

A Russian design bureau, Rubin, is currently running tests on AIP systems to be installed on the Russian Navy’s Lada-class diesel-electric submarines (Project 677) in 2015, with a new class of non-nuclear submarines with AIP engines to enter the construction phase in two years.

This comes as Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu arrived in New Delhi earlier in the day to talk over the countries’ joint military-technical ventures with his counterpart, Manohar Parrikar. The ministers have agreed to “fast-track” a host of joint projects, including work on a fifth-generation fighter jet they are building together.

India is Russia’s largest military-technical cooperation partner. According to estimates by Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, the country supplied India with $4.78 billion worth of weapons and military equipment in 2013. India also leases Russian hardware, such as the nuclear-powered Akula-class Chakra submarine.

Parrikar supporting Super-30 for Rafale

Manohar Parrikar, Indian defence minister has hinted that if French company Dassault does not fully comply with the original RFP over purchase of Rafale fighter jets and MMRCA deal is collapsed then India will order an upgraded version of the Su-30MKI aircrafts.

            Sources have also told that Parrikar is going to push for more ingeniously upgraded Sukhoi-30MKI using technologies which were developed for Lca Tejas and Tejas MK-2. In 2012 “Super 30” was first coined to keep aircraft relevant till FGFA and AMCA takeover front line roles in IAF. Super-30 is an upgraded version of Su-30MKI. Super-30 upgrade includes a new AESA radar, a new state of the art electronic warfare systems, improved on board computers. New weapons systems included like BVRAAM, Indian developed Astra and Indian developed PGM. Air-intakes and Engines exhaust is modified to reduce the RCS.

New built Sukhoi-30 will carry Super -30 upgrades but many of the changes will happen over the time and this upgrades will be included in mid-life upgrade (MLU) for earlier built Sukhoi-30 MKI-1 aircrafts.

DRDO IS DEVELOPING Laser cannon to bring down drones and missiles

DRDO  has confirmed that it is developing a HMV-mounted laser weapon system for detecting, tracking and then destroying UAVs which are upto a distance of 5km.

According to sources preliminary system design architecture and technology  gaps are identified and efforts have been made to fast-track development with the help of international collaborations.

Vinayak Shetty, an Defence Expert said that the 100 kw Class Directed Energy Laser Weapon System  will be a very powerful laser which DRDO is developing and will have ability to take down much more than UAV’s. He further said that Lockheed Martin was awarded a similar contract only last year by U.S. Army to design, built and test a 60-kilowatt electric laser to be integrated on a truck and tested. The system will have ability to destroy rockets, artillery, mortars and unmanned aerial threats. 

            Recently Chinese developed a powerful anti-drone laser to be used in urban areas. He further added that 10 kilowatt laser is sufficient to target mini-UAV copters and hand launched drones which can be easily used by terrorists for attack purpose. Chinese developed laser has a range of 2Km and a 50 meter altitude.

            In near future, that is within 5-10 years US Navy is going to field Laser Weapons System (LAWS), a 15-50kw laser on board USS Ponce which is an Austin class amphibious transport dock of United States. This laser will have ability to target drones and enemy missiles. 

Rafale deal is heading for Collapse

India plans to take a final call, one way or the other, on the gigantic $20 billion MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) project to acquire 126 French Rafale fighters before Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits France and Germany in April.

Sources said the defence ministry is now hopping mad with French aviation major Dassault’s continuing refusal to take “ownership” of the 108 Rafale fighters which are to be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in India with transfer of technology after the first 18 jets are delivered off-the-shelf to IAF.

The MoD is also upset with Dassault’s attempts to “change the price line”, which led to its selection over the Eurofighter Typhoon as the L-1 (lowest bidder) three years ago, by deciding the “costing” for HAL on its own. “It will amount to a de facto hike in the L-1 price,” said a source.

If Dassault continues to renege from its earlier commitments, refusing to be “fully compliant” with the original RFP (request for proposal), India will be left with no option but to scrap the entire MMRCA project despite having invested almost a decade in the selection process. Incidentally, the defence procurement policy and Central Vigilance Commission guidelines do not allow the L-2 (Typhoon) to re-enter the negotiations.
As was first reported by TOI, even though 90% of the draft contract is ready, the finalization of the complex MMRCA project has been stuck for almost a year now due to Dassault’s reluctance to stand guarantee for the fighters to be made in India in terms of liquidity damages and production timelines.

Sources said defence minister Manohar Parrikar has written to his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian that India was still awaiting the “empowered” delegation he had promised to send to resolve the imbroglio. The two ministers had decided to “fast-track” the negotiations during talks in New Delhi on December 1.

“The ball is firmly in the French court. India cannot allow any violation of the RFP in such a mega project, nor can it afford to let the negotiations drag on endlessly. A final call has to be taken, one way or the other,” said the source.

If the MMRCA project is indeed scrapped, it will bring to an end the mega fighter selection process launched by India way back in August 2007. This “mother of all defence deals” had global aviation majors salivating at the prospect of bagging the lucrative deal.

After extensive field trials by IAF test pilots, Swedish Gripen, Russian MiG-35, American F/A-18 ‘Super Hornet’ and F-16 ‘Super Viper’ were ejected out of the high-voltage competition.

Subsequently, the commercial bids of the two remaining contenders — Eurofighter Typhoon (EADS), backed by UK, Germany, Spain and Italy, and French Rafale (Dassault) – were opened in November 2011.

Rafale was then declared the winner in January 2012, having beaten the Typhoon both on direct cost of acquisition as well as “life-cycle costs” of operating the fighters over a 40-year period with 6,000 hours of flying. But the final commercial negotiations with Dassault have progressed at a glacial pace since then.

India is ramping up amphibious capabilities with warships

India is on its way to indigenously build four warships, which will be the biggest-ever made in the country other than the under-construction 40,000 tonne sea-borne aircraft carrier the INS Vikrant.The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had re-issued a request for proposal (RFP) to Indian private sector shipyards in September to build four amphibious assault ships, also called the Landing Platform Docks (LPD) in naval parlance.

Each of these will approximately cost Rs 6,000 crore and are expected to deliver over the next 10 years.Each of these ships will be anything between 35,000 and 40,000 tonnes. The Indian shipyards have been asked to locate their own foreign collaborator. “The bids have come in,” a source in the Navy said. The RFP was sent to ABG, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), and Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering.The successful private shipyard and its foreign collaborator will be given order for two such ships and the two others will be made by the MoD-owned Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam, at the same price being paid to the private builder.

This signals an important change in the long-term strategic plan as this will be huge jump over the existing capability of launching offensive sea-borne. The LPDs are essentially the first step towards increasing capability to launch “out-of-country operations”.The LPDs are essentially a modern-day sea-based version of the Roman epic “Trojan horse”. Each carries, in its huge lower deck, hundreds of Indian Army troops with tanks, vehicles and cargo. Such a ship can deliver men and equipment near a sea beach and does not need a berthing dock, hence providing the option for landing thousands of troops near a spot chosen to attack.

The size of the LPDs indicates the Indian Navy’s growing amphibious warfare capacity. As of now, the biggest such variety of vessel is INS Jalashwa, a 16,900 tonne ship. Another five warships classified as Landing ship tank large (LST-L) are some 5,600 tonnes each, another four ships are just 1,100 tonnes and lastly the smallest are 650 tonnes and six of these are in service.

Forces that move across sea are referred to as “amphibious task force”. At present, India has the capability to move a Brigade, some 5,000 men, using the lone LPD, INS Jalashwa, along with a fleet of five smaller 5,600-tonne (LST-Ls) each of which can carry 10 tanks, 11 combat trucks and 500 troops.Each of the new LPDs will have three times the capacity and have multi-role helicopters, including heavy lift helicopters to provide even greater flexibility.

Foreign shipbuilders offering such ships include DCNS of France, Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, Fincantieri of Italy, South Korea’s Hanjin Heavy Industries & Constructions Co and Navantia of Spain.India has sought a vessel of 213 metre, endurance at sea for 45 days, the vessel must be able to house combat vehicles (including main battle tanks, infantry combat vehicles and heavy trucks on one or more vehicle deck), and the vessel should be able to undertake all-weather operations involving heavy lift helicopters of up to 35 tonne.

Kalyani Group to set up defence manufacturing unit in Gujarat

The Kalyani Group will invest Rs  600 crore in a defence manufacturing facility at Dholera in Gujarat. Likely to employ about 2,500 people, it will include the capacity to upgrade and overhaul  armoured vehicles, with a plan to also make defence electronics and radar.

According to a memorandum of understanding signed with the state government on Sunday at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, the operations are likely to commence by 2016. Amit B Kalyani, executive director, Kalyani Group, said the setting up of the plant would be in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ vision.

“We are confident that given an opportunity, we can become the manufacturing hub for the world,” he said. Kalyani Group has already formed a ‘Make In India’ project team, with senior executives to work on an import substitution strategy. It is targeting $30-40 billion worth of iron and steel products that are currently imported for the defence, energy, automotive, construction and mining equipment industries.  The group is undertaking its defence business through a subsidiary, Kalyani Strategic Systems.

The land at Dholera has been offered by the state government for putting up the plant. Kalyani Group’s annual turnover is Rs  12,000 crore and the plan is to increase thes business three to four times over the next 10 years, by embracing Make in India.

Beside the forging and engineering business of its flagship company, Bharat Forge, it is focusing on the non-automotive segments of the power, railway, aerospace, oil and gas, and defence industries. A large part of this will be on defence and aerospace.