Armée Indienne / Indian Armed Forces

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L'Inde: l'autre Puissance d'Asie




Les articles réguliers sur la Chine et ses avancées dans l’aéronautique civile et militaire ne doivent pas nous faire oublier que l’Asie compte d’autres puissances pour qui l’aéronautique est vitale.

C’est le cas du plus grand compétiteur asiatique de la Chine : l’Inde. Ce pays-continent dispose des capacités scientifiques et industrielles pour développer comme lui ses capacités de frappe.

Tout d’abord dans le domaine balistique l’Inde souhaite décupler ses capacités et sa volonté s’exprime dans les projets hautement symboliques que sont les missiles BRAHMOS et AGNI ; mais l’Inde a développé son propre chasseur, tout comme la Chine, et prépare la relève !

Grâce à l’apport technologique Russe, une joint venture a été créée entre les deux pays pour la mise au point et la commercialisation du missile de croisière BRAHMOS qui peut être de trois versions : sol-sol ou terre-mer, mer-mer ou air-mer (depuis un Su-30MKI). Une variante sous-marine est en cours de développement. Dans sa version navale, le BRAHMOS est supersonique (Mach 2, a une trajectoire rasante et une portée max de 300km (à comparer avec les capacités de l’exocet : missile subsonique Mach 0,9 et 180km de portée seulement). Récemment l’Inde a décidé d’investir 250 millions US$ pour développer une version du missile pouvant voler à Mach 5. On le voit ce missile donnera à la marine indienne et à ses forces armées en général des capacités de loin supérieures à ce que dispose toues les marines européennes et chinoise !

Le missile AGNI consiste lui en un missile balistique à capacité nucléaire (notez que le BRAHMOS pourrait être équipé lui aussi) initiale, de conception nationale. Il existe en trois versions : AGNI 1 DE 2500km de portée ; l’AGNI 2 de 3000km de portée théorique, et l’AGNI 3 (en développement) de 5000 km de portée à terme. Ces missiles représentent avec le missile de théâtre PRITHVI les vecteurs de la dissuasion nucléaire indienne.

Mais l’Inde ne sera jamais une puissance aéronautique complète si elle ne développe pas son aéronautique militaire, et le dernier appel d’offre international pour acquérir un chasseur de dernière génération (9 milliards US$) pourrait bien être le dernier du genre, et voir les russes remporter le marché assez logiquement. En effet l’Inde et la Russie veulent développer en commun un chasseur de 5ème génération : c’est l’objet de l’accord signé à Moscou en octobre 2007 pour le projet PAK FA (Future Tactical Aviation Aircraft Complex).

Contrairement au F-22 RAPTOR US le projet russo-indien prévoit un avion tant furtif qu’hyper manœuvrable via des tuyères mobiles développées pour le Su-27, ainsi qu’un radar et des missiles à longues portées. A noter que le radar disposera de capacité de brouillage (existant déjà sur des Mig 29 et qui pourrait exister sur le RAFALE cette information n’ayant jamais été confirmée). Le mariage entre le génie aéronautique russe et le génie électronique et informatique indien devrait donner un résultat très intéressant.

Mais ce projet en commun ne signifie pas que l’Inde ne sait pas construire de chasseur de manière autonome : elle a en effet développé par elle-même le LCA (LIGHT COMBAT AIRCRAFT) . La décision de développer ce projet fut prise en 1983 pour remplacer les Mig-21 et les caractéristiques techniques sont fixées en 1990. Le projet recevra l’appui de constructeurs européens comme DASSAULT, SAAB, et BAE, et son design montre que les ingénieurs indiens se sont inspirés du mirage 2000 et du F-18 pour les entrées d’air.

L’appareil sera à terme équipé d’un réacteur de conception nationale KAVERI GTX-35VS double flux de 8,5 tonnes de poussée (SNECMA SAFRAN fournissant les filtres et les régulateurs). Le radar doppler multi-cible est développé par HAL avec l’aide d’industriels étrangers, tout comme l’avionique (THOMSON-CSF aujourd’hui THALES) et une centrale inertielle fournie par l’américain HONEYWELL.

L’avion sera équipé de missile russe R-73 VYMPEL et du missile de conception nationale ASTRA.

Initialement prévu pour entrer en service en 1995 le LCA a fait son premier vol en 2001. Malgré le retard du projet et les difficultés de son développement, cet appareil donne aux industries indiennes des compétences et une expérience certaine au moins égale à ce que la Chine peut faire.

On le voit là encore, l’Inde entend développer ses compétences pour faire face à la Chine mais aussi pour s’installer pleinement à la table des grandes puissances. Notons que la Russie s’installe comme un acteur moteur de l’essor indien dans l’aéronautique.

Caractéristiques du LCA :

Envergure : 8,2 mètres

Longueur : 13,2 mètres

Hauteur : 4,4 mètres

Surface alaire : 37,5 m²

Masse à vide : 5,5 tonnes

Masse maximale : 12,5 tonnes

Motorisation :

Prototype : 1 General Electric F404-GE-F2J3

Avions de série : 1 TSEA GTX-35VS

Vitesse maxi : Mach 1.6

Plafond : 15 000 mètres

Rayon d'action : 1 000 km

Armement fixe : 1 canon GSH-23 de 23 mm alimenté par 220 obus.

Capacité carburant : 3 000 litres

Facteur de charges : +9 / -3 G

Charge utile : 4 tonnes

L’Inde a développé une base industrielle reposant sur de nombreux acteurs, tant institutionnels que privés, lesquels sont encadrés par des instituts publics qui fédèrent leurs avancées. Ces acteurs ont en général acquis leur expérience en important en Inde des produits étrangers. Pour en savoir plus je vous renvoie sur ce site très bien fait : http://www.siatiaero.com/siatimembers.asp[img][/img]

Citation :

DATE:01/12/09
SOURCE:Flight International
Indian air force suffers another Su-30MKI loss
By Radhakrishna Rao

An Indian air force Sukhoi Su-30MKI multi-role supersonic fighter crashed near the Pokhran range in the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan on 30 November. The pilot and navigator managed to eject to safety.

This is the second Su-30MKI incident this year after another aircraft crashed near Pokhran on 30 April. The air force has ordered an inquiry into the accident.

The latest loss came five days after Indian president Pratibha Patil flew in an Su-30MKI fighter near Pune in the western Indian state of Maharastra (see picture).

Décidement, être pilote de chasse chez l'IAF c'est le metier le plus dangeureux du monde

Ils peuvent s'estimer heureux que leur présidente ait survécu au vol au bord du SU-30MKI d'IAF

ca serait une belle niche pour les pro-euthanasie
"Offrez vous votre dernier vol a l´au dela,offrez vous un vol sur notre MKI"

c'est le douzieme crash cette année pour l'IAF

Citation :

40 warships, new jets on Indian Navy's 'buy' list

2009-12-02 18:50:00

The Indian Navy will be acquiring 40 warships and new fighter jets indigenously and from abroad, Admiral Nirmal Verma said Wednesday. Asserting that the navy's primary role remains the country's maritime interests, he said the focus had not shifted even after being appointed the nodal agency for coastal security following the Mumbai terror attack that killed 166 people in November last year. 'Just because of (the revamped) coastal security, we have not steered away from our role. The task is going on as before and another task (of coordinating coastal security) has been added,' Verma told reporters here. 'It has not distracted us from our main task.' He said there were presently 40 ships and submarines on order. 'Our preferred choice of inducting ships has been through the indigenous route,' he said. 'There are presently 34 ships and submarines on order from Indian shipyards.' While the navy's main thrust was on indigenisation in building warships, Verma said there was a need to cut down the time taken in ship building. 'We want to build (ships) at a certain pace,' he said, adding that the current methodology adopted was more time-consuming than those followed by shipyards in other countries. The navy is acquiring a number of platforms - frigates, destroyers, corvettes, offshore patrol vessels, mini counter vessels, fast interceptors and tankers while finalising design for the landing platform dock on the lines of INS Jalashwa (USS Trenton). Work on the indigenous aircraft carrier was going on with some 10,000 tonnes of steel already in Hull. It is expected to be ready for launch next year ahead of the induction scheduled in 2014. While MiG-29 K will be on the deck of INS Vikramaditya, the naval version of the Light Combat Aircraft is earmarked for the indigenous aircraft carrier. The navy hopes to invite tenders for six Medium Range Maritime surveillance aircraft and is looking for helicopters for its ships.

source:http://sify.com

Citation :

India suspends flights of Russian-made fighters over accident


RIA Novosti Ilya Pitalev | Buy this image

11:29 02/12/2009
India has suspended flights by Russian-made SU-30 MKI Flanker-H multirole fighters after a plane crash, the Indian Air Force said on Wednesday.
A Su-30 MKI fighter crashed late on November 30 in western India, but both pilots ejected safely.
An Indian Air Force spokesman said the suspension of flights was a normal procedure until the reasons for the crash were established.
After a Russian-made Su-30MKI crashed in western India in April, killing one pilot, flights by the aircraft were also suspended, the spokesman said.
Experts from the producer and related enterprises in Russia have visited the crash site, but the official results of their probe have not yet been made public.
NEW DELHI, December 2 (RIA Novosti)

source:http://en.rian.ru/world/20091202/157065610.html

C'est le deuxieme crash du Su-30 depuis son entré en service dans l'IAF

Oui doc c'est le deuxime crash du Su-30 de l'IAF en six mois le 1er en avril avec la mort du pilot et celui la et le deuxieme.

Citation :

Navy outlines huge acquisition plans

Reiterating the need for fast acquisitions the Naval Chief, Admiral Nirmal Verma, today differentiated between the functioning of shipyards abroad and in India. Explaining that the shipyards abroad built huge blocks, which were completely kitted out and put together, while in India the entire exercise was undertaken in one place, which took a lot of time, the Chief today laid emphasis on indigenisation of military equipment, saying that it helped in long term maintainence, citing air surveillance radars, sonars and combat management systems as examples of indigenous success.

As on date the ships on order indigenously at various shipyards are four anti-submarine corvettes and six fast attack crafts at the Kolkata-based GRSE, one indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) being manufactured by the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), three destroyers, three stealth frigates and six submarines being built by the Mumbai-based Mazagaon Docks Limited, four offshore patrol vessels and one sail training ship being built by Goa Shipyard Limited and six survey vessels by the Alcock Ashdown Gujarat Limited.

While the Indian shipyards took a lot of time, the system followed by the shipyards abroad, that of producing ships in fully-kitted out blocks to be joined together, was an expensive proposition, said the Chief today ahead of the Navy Day, adding that Indian shipyards could do better. It required extra manpower and infrastructure to follow the system abroad.

As far as the delay in the first of the six Scorpene submarines, being built by Mazagaon Docks Limited (MDL), was concerned, which was to be rolled out in December 2012 and thereafter, one each every year till December 2017, there were some teething problems, said Defence Minister A K Antony today in Parliament, that the delay was due to to time taken in absorption of technology and delays in augmentation of industrial infrastructure and procurement of MDL purchased materials (MPM), adding that the delay in scheduled delivery of submarines is likely to have an impact on the envisaged submarine force levels. Meanwhile the request for information for the second line of submarines has been completed.

Outlining the Navy's plan for the future the Chief emphasised on both consolidation and growth to move concurrently. While on order from abroad are three Krivak-Class frigates from Russia, the first of which has just entered trials, aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, renamed INS Vikramaditya, which will soon have its fourth and final price negotiations when the Russian team arrives in India, and there are two fleet tankers being built in Italy, required to replenish and sustain ships on cruise.

Refusing to comment on the lease of the Nerpa Class nuclear submarine from Russia, Admiral Verma however assured that the indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant would be operational in a couple of years.

About the air arm of the Navy, the Chief clarified that the focus in the next financial year would be on helicopters. While the 16 MiG-29K fighter aircraft for INS Vikramaditya would be coming in soon, an additional order for 29 of them would be placed soon, and request for information for other naval fighter aircraft has been sent to countries who make these aircraft, to study options for future aircraft carriers like the second IAC, which would have a different design and look. The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) would also be part of the air arm of the Navy. The tender for six meduim range maritime reconnaisance aircraft will be released this year and procurement of 16 multi role helicopters to replace the existing anti-submarine warfare Seaking helicopters, and 47 Advanced Light Helicopters to replace the Chetaks is on the horizon.

While the indigenously made stealth frigate, the first of the three Shivalik-class, made by MDL-Mumbai, has been undergoing trials in Mumbai and would be ready for induction soon. The last weapons and firing trials of the MiG-29K fighter aircraft concluded today and the first lot of two fighters and two trainers would be joining the Indian Navy within this month.

Source : Chhindits

Citation :

20 years of MiG disasters

New Delhi, 2 Dec: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has lost 265 MiG fighter jets in crashes during the last two decades leaving 140 people dead, defence minister Mr AK Antony said today.

"In the last two decades (since April 1989 and up to 26 November, 2009), 265 MiG fighter aircraft of the IAF have crashed. A total of 96 service personnel and 44 civilians were killed in these cases," Mr Antony told the parliament in a written reply. Dubbed "flying coffins" for their frequent crashes, only 150-160 of the over 450 single-engine MiG-21s with the IAF are still in service. A large number have been lost in accidents during peace time.

Mr Antony said that all precautions are being taken before flying the aircrafts.

"Each aircraft accident in the IAF is investigated through a court of inquiry and remedial measures are undertaken accordingly to check their recurrence in future. Besides continuous and multi-faceted efforts are always underway in the IAF to enhance and upgrade flight safety," Mr Antony added.

However, a senior IAF official said that because it faces a shortage of fighter squadrons, the IAF cannot afford to phase out the ageing MiG-21s. If it does that, it would diminish its force level drastically. "The main problem with MiG-21s is that they are very old and the on-board systems have become obsolete," a highly-placed IAF official, who has flown the combat aircraft, told IANS. The IAF, the world's fourth largest air force, currently has a fighter squadron strength of 33.5 against the sanctioned 39.

The Indian Government has issued tenders for acquisition of 126 medium multi-role combat aircrafts but the acquisition has been delayed due to time consuming procedures, which include submitting of bids, technical evaluation of proposals from global military suppliers and field trials. The first aircraft would conservatively be inducted only by 2020, according to defence ministry sources. The assessment is that the retirement of the five squadrons of MiG-21s will diminish the IAF's conventional edge over its adversaries. The current deadline for the retirement of MiG-21s is 2011. But this is likely to be pushed back further due to the slow pace of procurement and indigenisation process. The latest crash took place 11 September when a MiG-21 went down in Bathinda in Punjab, killing the pilot.

The MiG-21s, inducted in 1964, proved their worth in the 1971 war with Pakistan and again in 1999 during the Kargil conflict, also with Pakistan. The IAF inducted its first MiG-21 from the erstwhile Soviet Union five years after their induction into the Soviet Air Force. Thereafter some 450 MiG-21 jets were inducted in the IAF to bolster its strength.

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.new...ss=1&id=276672

265 Mig en 20 ans

ça veut dire une des deux chose ou bien les pilotes indien sont des nulle( se qui est difficile à croire) ou bien que leur Mig ce n'est que de la ferraille

les avions sont tres vieux et la " maintenance " se fait avec des pieces de mauvaise qualité , generalement contrefaites . La corruption et le mepris de la vie humaine fait le reste

Tous cela a coûté la vie à 140 personne sons compté les dégât matériels

Citation :

Le sous-marin nucléaire indien sera opérationnel dans 2 ans



Publié le 3 décembre 2009,

Le premier sous-marin nucléaire indien, l’INS Arihant, sera admis au service actif dans 2 ans.

"L’INS Arihant sera admis au service actif dans 2 ans environ," a déclaré le chef de la marine indienne, l’amiral Nirmal Verma.
Cependant, l’amiral Verma a refusé de parler de la location par la Russie à l’Inde de son sous-marin Akula-II Nerpa. "Je n’ai pas la réponse à cette question," a-t-il répondu lorsqu’il a été interrogé sur la date où le Nerpa rejoindrait la marine indienne.
"L’Arihant constitue un saut technologique dans les capacités de construction navale du pays. Il s’agit d’un sous-marin à propulsion nucléaire, conçu et construit localement," a indiqué l’amiral Verma.

SOURCE:http://www.corlobe.tk/article17225.html

Espérons qu'il dureront plus que les autre Mig-29 qu'ils ont déja

Citation :

Navy’s new MiG 29 K fighters arrive


After a long wait, the first four of the Navy’s new MiG 29 K fighter aircraft finally arrived on Friday evening, filling a wide gap in the aerial combat capabilities of the naval force.

The first batch of the advanced fighters, which recently completed carrier flight deck testing in Russia, arrived onboard a special AN 132 cargo aircraft, one of the largest planes in the world. Interestingly, the aircraft arrived on Navy Day which is celebrated on December 4 every year.

Sources said that the knocked down fighters arrived in container form onboard the cargo aircraft. However, it may take several weeks before the fighters take to Indian skies, as they would first be assembled and test flown by a Russian technical team.

The fighters, two single-seater aircraft and two twin-seater trainers, will be based at Goa and will operate from the shore till the Gorshkov aircraft carrier is delivered by late 2012. India has ordered 16 of the advanced carrier borne aircraft from Russia.

source:http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Navy-s-new-MiG-29-K-fighters-arrive/550254

s´ils terminent 10 ans avec 6 avions ca sera un exploit

et voilà ... le contrat apropos du batiment qui va les accueillir est conclu

Citation :

Gorshkov deal successfully concluded: Indian foreign secretary

India and Russia have 'successfully' concluded the agreement on the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier, ending a long standoff over the key defence deal, Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said.

The issue, Rao said, came up during the summit level talks between visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Monday.

'Both the leaders discussed the issue and noted excellent progress on negotiations on price and technical issues which have been brought to a successful conclusion,' she told reporters in a late night briefing.

But the foreign secretary gave no details about the price. Sources had earlier said that it was 'satisfactory' for both sides.

The delivery of the aircraft carrier, now rechristened INS Vikramaditya, was agreed years ago but has been long delayed due to bargaining over refitting prices.

The haggling of the Soviet-era carrier had come to symbolise the strains in relations between the two Cold War allies.

Russian media quoting Kremlin sources confirmed that Moscow would finally deliver the refurbished aircraft carrier to India.

However, there was no word on when the vessel might be handed over to the Indian Navy.

Manmohan Singh was on a three-day trip to Moscow during which he signed six bilateral pacts, including a deal on the peaceful use of atomic energy that guarantees uninterrupted uranium fuel supplies for Indian reactors and transfer of technology.

The two sides also inked three military pacts.

Malysian Sun

MAATAWI a écrit:

Espérons qu'il dureront plus que les autre Mig-29 qu'ils ont déja

Ils se cracheront... Les indiens ont une réputation à défendre

Citation :

India successfully test fires nuclear-capable missile

17:17 13/12/2009

India successfully test fired a nuclear-capable ballistic missile from a naval ship off the coast of the Orissa state on Sunday, Indian media reported citing the firing range director.

The Dhanush missile with a range of 350 km and payload capacity of 500 kg is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads.

The launch was made 35 km off the Chandipur firing range in Orissa.

The missile, which has liquid propellant, is the naval version of India's indigenously developed surface-to-surface Prithvi missile system.

Its first test launch ended in failure in April 2000 over technical problems related to the take-off stage, but subsequent trials were reported as successful. The latest Dhanush trial was successfully conducted off Orissa coast in March 2007.

NEW DELHI, December 13 (RIA Novosti)

http://en.rian.ru/world/20091213/157220770.html

Raptor a écrit:

MAATAWI a écrit:

Espérons qu'il dureront plus que les autre Mig-29 qu'ils ont déja

Ils se cracheront... Les indiens ont une réputation à défendre

ce sont surtout leurs Fishbeds vieux de 45 ans qui font des veuves et leurs Mig 29 viennent tous d etre modernisés en Russie recemment , mais bon j espere qu ils ont quand meme une bonne assurance-vie

la nouvelle du jour c'est celle-ci

Citation :

India to test fly light combat helicopters by month-end

India will shortly test fly the indigenously designed and built Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), which will augment the IAF’s fleet of small and highly manoeuvrable rotary flying machines.

A ‘baby’ of the Bangalore-headquartered defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the first prototype of LCH is expected to take to the skies between December 26 and December 29, a senior HAL official told PTI here on Monday.

HAL has already bagged a firm order to deliver 65 LCH to the IAF and 114 to the Army, company sources said.

Unlike HAL’s Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) “Dhruv” which has been described as broad and bloated, the LCH is very, very sleek. The new light chopper is currently undergoing functional tests, and is expected to be ready for ground run by December 24.

“It (LCH) is quite different from ALH in terms of configuration and structure,” the official closely associated with the project, said on condition of anonymity.

HAL hopes to obtain certification for LCH in 2012-13, and the delivery of the machines is expected from 2014-15.

LCH would also have a weaponised version, similar to ALH.

“There will be rocket pods, a machine gun and also an air-to-air missiles in the combat version of LCH. But in the first prototype all these features will not be there,” the official said.

HAL has also started design of a light observation helicopter (LOH) which would eventually replace the ageing fleet of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters which have been in service since 1978. “We have got about 600 of them (Cheetah and Chetak) in service now. They are reaching the end of their technical life as they have flown 60,000 hours or more,” he said.

http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article64789.ece

reese a écrit:

ce sont surtout leurs Fishbeds vieux de 45 ans qui font des veuves et leurs Mig 29 viennent tous d etre modernisés en Russie recemment , mais bon j espere qu ils ont quand meme une bonne assurance-vie

Pas que les Mig21, la moité des SeaHarrier s'est crashé, une bonnepartie des Mig29, 2 MKI et beaucoup d'autres avions...

Citation :

Ajai Shukla: India: Global hub for warship-building
Strategic circles are abuzz with rumours that the United Kingdom will soon offer India one of the new-generation aircraft carriers that it is constructing, since they are turning out too expensive for the Royal Navy to afford. Interestingly, India will almost certainly turn down the offer.

The Royal Navy had planned to build two Carrier Vessels Future (CVFs): the 65,000 tonne HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. With the budgeted price of US $6.4 billion (Rs 30,000 crore) for the pair, now apparently the cost of each, building a third and selling it abroad is an option being considered to reduce the unit price. But, in contrast to this exorbitant price, the cost of India’s 44,000 tonne Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC), under construction at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), is barely a third of the Queen Elizabeth. And the Indian Navy’s next IAC, a 60,000 tonne behemoth like the Queen Elizabeth, will cost less than half its British counterpart.

In the gloomy framework of Indian defence production, warship-building has emerged as a silver lining. The Kolkata class destroyers, being built at Mazagon Dock Ltd, Mumbai, will cost the navy Rs 3,800 crore each, one-third the global price for comparative warships. The INS Shivalik, now completing sea trials, is a world-class frigate built at Indian prices. Earlier this year, addressing an industries body, the Indian Navy’s chief designer, Rear Admiral MK Badhwar, called for making India a global hub for building warships.

While his appeal might have been tinged with strategic motivation — a larger warship industry would bring down unit prices, providing the navy with even more bang for the buck — there is little doubt that shipbuilders would profit more from crafting warships than from slapping together merchant vessels. India has developed the capabilities, including, crucially, the design expertise, to produce world-class warships. But the defence shipyards do not have the capacity to meet even the Indian Navy’s needs; playing the international warship market needs clear-sighted government intervention to synergise the working of public and private shipbuilders.

Building a merchant ship is a relatively cheap and simple process, from design to outfitting. Essentially, it involves welding together a hull (often from imported steel) and then installing imported systems such as engines, radars, the steering, navigation and communications systems, and some specialist systems, e.g. for cargo handling. Imported components form the bulk of the cost, with little value addition within the shipyard. A commercial shipyard’s business plan revolves around bulk manufacture, compensating for the small profit margins by churning out as many ships as possible.

Creating a warship is infinitely more complex, and expensive. The design process is critical, with complex software shaping the “stealthiest” possible ship, virtually undetectable to an enemy. Next, a host of sensors and weapons must be accommodated to deal with different threats: enemy ships, submarines, aircraft and incoming missiles. Harmonising their different frequencies, and canalising information and weapons control into a single command centre, involves weaving an elaborate electronic tapestry.

Actually building the warship is a labour-intensive task, which involves painstakingly duplicating key systems so that the vessel can sail and fight even with one side blown out by the enemy. More than 400 kilometres of wiring must be laid out inside, all of it marked and accessible to permit repair and maintenance. A modern frigate has 25 kilometres of pipelines, built from 10,000 separate pieces of piping.

All this generates many jobs. An army of skilled craftsmen, many more than in merchant shipbuilding, does most of this work manually, through an elaborate eco-system of 100-200 private firms feeding into each warship. And these numbers are growing as defence shipyards increasingly outsource, using their own employees only for core activities like hull fabrication; fitting propulsion equipment; and installing weapon systems and sensors.

In this manpower-intensive field, India enjoys obvious advantages over the European warship builders that rule the market. These advantages are far less pronounced in merchant shipbuilding, where Korean and Chinese shipyards are turbocharged by a combination of inexpensive labour, indirect subsidies, and unflinching government support.

What makes India a potential powerhouse in warship-building is not so much its labour-cost advantage as a strong design capability that the navy has carefully nurtured since 1954, when the Directorate General of Naval Design first took shape. The importance of design capability has been amply illustrated in the bloated CVF programme. The UK, having wound up its naval design bureau, has already paid over a billion dollars to private companies to design the aircraft carrier. And with every minor redesign, not unusual while building a new warship, the design bill and the programme cost goes higher.

India has everything it takes to be a warship-building superpower: the springboard of design expertise; cheap and skilled labour; and mounting experience in building successful warships. What it lacks is capacity, which the government can augment with the help of private shipyards. This will significantly augment private shipyard revenue, boost defence exports, and provide the government with another strategic tool for furthering its interests in the Indian Ocean region.

Business-Standard

reese a écrit:

Citation :

India to test fly light combat helicopters by month-end

si meme le dhruv helico simple n´a pas reussit pourquoi un combat chopper va reussire?