Armée Indienne / Indian Armed Forces

Rappel du premier message :

Euh........ Typhoon pour moi .

Citation :

5th gen fighter aircraft project with Russia delayed: A K Antony


NEW DELHI: The project to co-develop Fifth General Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) with Russia and the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft and Intermediate Jet Trainer programmes have been delayed, Defence Minister AK Antony told the Lok Sabha today.

Answering another query, he said due to time overruns in the Intermediate Jet Trainer programme of the HAL, the Government has decided to extend the use of the Kiran-MkI trainer aircraft till 2017-18.

"There have been delays in the indigenous development of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA-Tejas) and the FGFA," the Defence Minister said in reply to a written query.

He said the LCA has attained Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) on 20th December last year paving its way to induction into IAF.

In the FGFA project the preliminary design phase has been completed in June last year, the Minister said.

According to Defence Ministry officials, the project has been stuck due to delays in deciding over the work share and the pricing issues in the project.

On the delays in the IJT project, Antony said it is "planned to replace Kiran Mk-I. Due to repeated revisions in the time line set for the IOC of IJT, and also considering the present state of the project regarding induction of the IJT in IAF it has been decided to extend the use of Kiran Mk-I."

He said after the study of the fatigue life spectrum of Kiran Mk-I aircraft, the Regional Centre for Military Airworthiness (Aircraft) has "recommended extension of Total Technical Life of the aircraft. This will help IAF to utilize the fleet till 2017-18, though in gradually reducing numbers."

Antony said the project was delayed due to loss of prototype during which necessitated major changes like total redesign of the flight control system and increased number of design iteration for recovery and resolution.

On the Life Cycle Cost approach to determine the lowest bidders in defence procurement procedure, the Minister said, "On the suggestion of Finance Ministry, action has been initiated to include the LCC model in DPP."

" The model adopted may differ from case to case depending upon technical life of the platform, spares and maintenance requirements and other parameters," he said.

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com

Citation :

La Russie a livré 28 chasseurs Su-30MKI à l'Inde  



SINGAPOUR, 12 février - RIA Novosti

La Russie a livré à l'Inde 28 chasseurs modernisés Sukhoi Su-30MKI prévus par un contrat de 2012, a annoncé mercredi à Singapour le président du groupe russe Irkout Oleg Demtchenko.

"Nous réalisons le contrat sur la livraison de 42 chasseurs pour l'Armée de l'air indienne. Nous avons déjà livré 28 chasseurs, il reste à fournir les 14 autres avions", a indiqué M.Demtchenko lors du Salon aéronautique de Singapour.

L'Angola se verra livrer 12 des 18 chasseurs Su-30K renvoyés par l'Inde. Les six avions de chasse restants seront fournis à un autre pays. M.Demtchenko a refusé de préciser de quel pays il s'agissait, invoquant le secret commercial.

L'Inde a rendu à la Russie les chasseurs Su-30K livrés à la fin des années 1990 après avoir reçu 18 chasseurs modernisés russes Su-30MKI en 2008.

http://fr.ria.ru/defense/20140212/200454272.html  

Citation :

Le Rafale tarde à atterrir en Inde

 Par Hassan Meddah -  Publié le 12 février 2014

ANALYSE  La duplication d’une supply chain Rafale made in India avance, mais la signature du contrat final n’interviendra pas avant les élections législatives prévues en mai en raison de contraintes budgétaires.

Le "contrat du siècle" peut-il échapper à Dassault Aviation ? La vente de 126 Rafale à l’armée indienne, évaluée à 12 milliards de dollars (9 milliards d’euros), est-t-elle remise en cause ? L’Inde ne signera pas d’accord d’achat de l’avion de combat français avant les élections législatives du printemps en raison de contraintes budgétaires, a déclaré jeudi 6 février le ministre de la Défense, Arackaparambil Kurian Antony. Au 1er février, l’Inde avait déjà dépensé 92 % de son budget d’équipement militaire. "En raison du manque de fonds, il ne faut pas attendre d’accord ou de décision finale lors de cet exercice budgétaire [qui s’achève fin mars, ndlr]", a précisé le ministre indien.

Le Rafale a été sélectionné par New Delhi début 2012. Depuis, Dassault Aviation mène des négociations exclusives avec les autorités indiennes. Après le décès brutal du principal négociateur du ministère indien de la Défense, en octobre 2013, l’avionneur bute, désormais, sur le calendrier politique local. "Tous les comités de décision pour les achats stratégiques en matière de défense vont être gelés à partir de la mi-février. Mais aujourd’hui, il y a un consensus sur la stratégie en matière de défense et les décisions prises ne devraient pas être remises en cause", explique un dirigeant français bon connaisseur du pays.


Dassault devra au mieux patienter plusieurs mois. "Il faut dix ans pour signer un grand contrat un Inde", rappelle cet habitué des affaires indiennes. L'avionneur français le sait, lui qui pratique le sous-continent depuis les années 1950 et la vente des Ouragan, ses premiers avions à réaction à équiper les forces françaises. Plus récemment, la modernisation de la flotte des 51 Mirage 2000 indiens n’a pas échappé à la règle. Démarrées au milieu des années 2000, les négociations menées avec son partenaire Thales n’ont abouti qu’en… 2011 ! L’extrême lenteur de la bureaucratie indienne n’est pas une légende. "La notion du temps n’est pas la même. Quand vous demandez à vos interlocuteurs des précisions sur le calendrier des opérations, vous récoltez souvent un 'very soon' car eux-mêmes n’en savent rien. Cela peut vouloir dire dans trois mois comme dans cinq ans", en sourit cet observateur.

Nombreuses fuites à New Delhi

Il n’empêche. Le fabricant du Rafale veut avancer vite. "Notre objectif est d’avoir fini de rédiger toute la documentation – technique, commerciale, juridique – relative au contrat pour la mi-février. Nous avons une cinquantaine de personnes mobilisées sur ce projet", précise Éric Trappier. Le PDG de Dassault Aviation fait un point quotidien par téléphone, en fin de matinée, avec les équipes indiennes. Et tous les jours ou presque, les medias indiens, citant "des sources anonymes proches du ministère indien de la Défense", apportent leur lot d’informations sur l’évolution des discussions !

Citation :

Le contrat en chiffres

- 126 appareils, dont 108 assemblés en Inde
- 9 milliards d’euros (estimation)
- 50 % de la charge industrielle pour l’Inde
- 1 intégrateur final : Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)

Le 26 janvier, le site d’informations local DNA a évoqué le doublement du montant initial du contrat, qui friserait maintenant la trentaine de milliards de dollars ! Ces informations sont invérifiables. D’autant qu’elles ne sont ni démenties ni commentées par les principaux intéressés. "Jamais aucun montant officiel concernant ce contrat n’a été communiqué ni par l’avionneur ni par les autorités indiennes. La plupart des estimations repose sur l’achat brut des 126 appareils, or le contrat est bien plus complexe que ça", assure un observateur averti.

Le contrat englobe toute la prestation d’industrialisation associée à la livraison des avions. Hormis les 18 premiers exemplaires, qui sortiront de l’usine de Mérignac (Gironde), les autres exemplaires du Rafale seront assemblés en Inde par le constructeur aéronautique public Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). La moitié de la fabrication ira à des sociétés locales. Pour y parvenir, le montage d’une supply chain made in India est tout sauf une évidence. Malgré la qualité des ingénieurs indiens, la maturité industrielle n’est pas la même qu’en France. Les transferts de technologies n’y sont jamais faciles.

"Dans le cadre de la production sous licence des Mig 21 et des Sukhoi 30, HAL a rencontré de nombreuses difficultés. Les chantiers navals Mazagon ont aussi souffert pour produire les sous-marins de DNCS en Inde", rappelle Jean-François Maulny, le directeur du pôle recherche à l’Institut de relations internationales et stratégiques (Iris). Pour signer avec leurs fournisseurs des accords de licence sur chacun des équipements du Rafale, HAL et Dassault Aviation ont évalué les compétences des bureaux d’études, audité les capacités de production, défini des plans d’accompagnement à travers la formation.

Soutien sans faille à Paris

Les négociateurs n’ont rien voulu laisser au hasard. "On entre dans tous les détails. Cela prend du temps. Cela va jusqu’à la vis de 5, qui est fabriquée localement", selon Éric Trappier. Peu d’informations filtrent sur le futur schéma industriel, mais on se dirigerait vers une supply chain ramassée autour de quelques grands acteurs comme HAL et le conglomérat privé Reliance Industries. Celui-ci fabriquerait les ailes du Rafale, selon la presse indienne. La différence serait notable avec la France, où quelque 500 PME participent au programme de l’avion de combat.

La question centrale de la responsabilité finale des avions sortis de l’usine de HAL à Bangalore a fini par être tranchée. Ce point délicat a, semble-t-il, longtemps freiné l’avancée des discussions. Réputé intraitable sur le plan commercial, Dassault a refusé d’endosser une telle responsabilité alors que HAL est l’intégrateur final. En 2005, le fabricant de navires militaires DCNS, dans une situation comparable, avait accepté de prendre la responsabilité des deux premiers sous-marins Scorpène sur les six assemblés en Inde par son partenaire, le chantier Mazagon.

Dassault Aviation bénéficie du soutien sans faille du gouvernement français. L’équilibre de la loi de programmation militaire qui définit les budgets de la défense pour la période 2014-2019 repose largement sur la vente de Rafale à l’export. L’État, qui a réduit ses achats pour les prochaines années, compte sur les commandes étrangères pour assurer une charge minimale d’au moins 11 appareils par an à l’usine de Mérignac. L’État et Dassault Aviation ont prévu de refaire un point en 2015. Lors de l’exécution de la loi précédente, l’armée de l’air avait dû acquérir cinq appareils de plus entre 2009 et 2011 pour compenser l’absence d’exportation !

La sophistication du Rafale, souvent décriée, reste pourtant son meilleur atout pour que les négociations de Dassault Aviation avec les autorités indiennes aboutissent. Capable d’emporter 1,5 fois sa propre masse en armement et en carburant, et de mener une grande variété de missions (interception, combat air-air, dissuasion nucléaire…), il répond aux besoins d’un pays en froid avec deux puissants voisins, la Chine et le Pakistan. "Ce n’était ni le cas du Brésil ni de la Suisse, qui lui ont préféré le Gripen suédois plus basique, rappelle Jean-Pierre Maulny. Seule une poignée de pays dans le monde ont besoin du Rafale." L’Inde en fait partie.

Hassan Meddah

Citation :

Dassault en a rêvé,  DCNS l’a fait

Les chantiers navals Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL), à Bombay, tournent à plein. Six sous-marins Scorpène conçus par le français DCNS y sont en cours d’assemblage. Le plus avancé d’entre eux prendra la mer pour les ultimes tests en 2015,en vue d’une livraison à la marine indienne un an plus tard. Pour le groupe naval français, ce sera l’aboutissement de plus de dix années d’efforts pour se développer sur ce marché stratégique. En 2005, DCNS signait un contrat pour la fabrication de six sous-marins conventionnels Scorpène pour un montant évalué à 1,1 milliard d’euros, après trois années d’intenses négociations. Pour y parvenir, DCNS a actionné plusieurs leviers. "Nous avons joué à fond la carte du transfert de technologies", explique Bernard Buisson, le directeur de DCNS India. Cela passait par la fourniture des plans de fabrication des navires ainsi que les spécifications techniques des équipements. Pour finir de convaincre les autorités indiennes, le français a pris des risques.

"Tous les sous-marins sont fabriqués et pas seulement assemblés en Inde. Même si nous ne les construisons pas, nous nous engageons sur le niveau de performances en termes de vitesse, de discrétion acoustique, de manœuvrabilité… des deux premiers exemplaires. C’est un engagement fort de notre part que le transfert de technologies et de savoir-faire s’opère bien", explique le dirigeant. Pour cela, DCNS a dû faire monter en compétence son partenaire MDL, qui n’avait plus construit de sous-marin depuis dix ans. Aujourd’hui, ce dernier emploie environ 2 000 salariés, dont un grand nombre est venu se former à Cherbourg (Manche). À la signature du contrat,il en comptait 80. DCNS a aussi dépêché des équipes sur place pour s’assurer que son partenaire appliquait correctement les normes de qualité. Surtout, il a fallu construire une supply chain. "Nous avons étudié le tissu industriel indien riche d’environ 400 PME. Cela a pris deux ans pour trouver les partenaires avec le niveau de qualité requis et les qualifier. Pour sélectionner quatre partenaires, nous avons audité près d’une centaine de fournisseurs", explique Bernard Buisson. Une sélection sévère fondée sur une cinquantaine de critères, à la fois techniques et financiers. De quoi tomber sur quelques pépites, comme SEC, une PME d’Hyderabad, qui travaille avec l’agence spatiale indienne !
 

http://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/le-rafale-tarde-a-atterrir-en-inde.N239387

Citation :

Indian Navy's INS Vikramaditya faces embarrassing glitches during voyage



New Delhi: The Indian Navy has launched preparations to start flying operations from its prestigious aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.

The MiG-29K fighter aircraft have started taking off from the ski-jump and making arrested landings. But all this did not started smoothly.

INS Vikramaditya faced embarrassing glitches during its home-bound voyage from the north Russian shipyard of Sevmash to the Karwar naval base in Karnataka, causing jitters in the defence ministry.

The aircraft carrier, bought second-hand from Russia and delivered five years behind schedule, reportedly suffered a boiler breakdown during its 42-day journey, compromising the warship’s ability to cut through choppy seas at a top speed of up to 56 kmph, a navy source said.

The vessel has a history of boiler problems with 2012 sea trials failing due to a design problem in the ship’s boilers.

Moreover, the tanker accompanying the 44,500-tonne aircraft carrier failed to carry out a refuelling mission near the Portuguese coast, raising doubts about the navy’s ability to replenish warships on the high seas.

INS Vikramaditya, which was accompanied by INS Trikand, which is a Talwar class frigate, INS Delhi which is a Delhi class destroyer and INS Deepak, the fleet tanker, fired ceremonial guns to salute the flag of the fleet commander Rear Admiral Anand Chawla, who was leading the flotilla of the Western Fleet, that also comprised aircraft carrier INS Viraat.

http://www.indiatvnews.com

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Boeing expects Indian helo contracts before end of 2014




Boeing expects to sign contracts with India for the CH-47F Chinook transport and AH-64E Apache attack helicopter before the end of the year, a company official said on 11 February.
Speaking at the Singapore Airshow, Leanne Caret, Vice President and General Manager Vertical-Lift, said that she anticipates the signing of the contract for 15 Chinooks to take place in the first half of 2014, with the contract for 22 Apaches to follow in the second half.
"We are in the final signature routing right now," she said, "and are targeting 2014 to close both of these deals." Caret noted that Boeing has been able to hold its price points for both platforms, despite having submitted its Chinook and Apache proposals as far back as 2009 and 2010 respectively.
Caret's comments come weeks after senior Indian military officials told IHS Jane's that it is unlikely that contracts for any of the country's major military programmes will be signed before the general election scheduled for May.
In addition to the Chinook and Apache tenders, the Indian Ministry of Defence is also waiting to sign off 126 Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft; six Airbus DS A330-200 Multirole Tanker Transport aircraft; 145 BAE Systems M777 howitzers; 66,000 assault rifles; 44,618 carbines; 33.6 million rounds of ammunition; tank rounds; very-short-range man-portable defence systems (VSHORADS); 16 naval multirole helicopters; eight mine-countermeasure vessels; and Project 75I submarines for the navy. Other programmes awaiting governmental approval include whether to licence build 106 additional Pilatus PC-7 Mk II basic trainer aircraft and plans to acquire 197 light utility helicopters for the army and air force.

http://www.janes.com/article/33844/singapore-airshow-2014-boeing-expects-indian-helo-contracts-before-end-of-2014

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India Signs Contract for Ukrainian Anti-Aircraft Artillery

MOSCOW, February 10 (RIA Novosti) – An Indian company has signed a contract with a Ukraine weapons exporter to buy up to 138 anti-aircraft vehicles, the Ukrainian defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom said on its website Monday.

According to the statement, one anti-aircraft gun and one command vehicle will be sent to India’s Larsen & Toubro for evaluation, and the company will then have the right to purchase up to 138 of the systems under the contract.

The vehicles, which were not named, would be produced by three Ukrainian firms, according to the statement.

Ukraine has earlier produced an upgraded version of the Soviet Shilka self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, which can engage low-flying targets with radar-guided rapid-fire cannons.

The ZSU-23-4 Shilka, which resembles a tank with four short cannons in place of a long gun, has seen combat in numerous conflicts, including in the Soviet war in Afghanistan and the ongoing civil war in Syria, where it has been used in an improvised fashion against elevated ground targets.

Citation :

First Indian MiG-29 Fighter Jet Lands on Vikramaditya

http://air-attack.com/news/article/5079/02-10-2014-First-Indian-MiG-29-Fighter-Jet-Lands-on-Vikramaditya.html

Citation :

Salvage work on sunk submarine finally kicks off in Mumbai

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Salvage-work-on-sunk-submarine-finally-kicks-off-in-Mumbai/articleshow/30310456.cms

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India Proposes Joint Maintenance of Aircraft Carrier With Russia

http://en.ria.ru/military_news/20140213/187496039/India-Proposes-Joint-Maintenance-of-Aircraft-Carrier-With-Russia.html

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Indian air force Kirans to fly on, as IJT wait continues

India’s defence ministry has announced that delays in the entry to service of the Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) Sitara intermediate jet trainer (IJT) will require the Indian air force to continue flying its ageing Kiran Mk 1 trainers until 2017-2018.

In a statement, the ministry says the decision to extend the use of the Kiran was “due to repeated revisions in the timeline set for the initial operational clearance [IOC] of IJT, and also considering the present state of the project regarding induction of the IJT in the Indian air force”. The total technical life of the existing type will be extended to reach the new retirement schedule, it adds.

asset image

Aero India

Designed and developed by HAL as a replacement for the Kiran, the HJT-36 Sitara has experienced repeated delays, but senior HAL officials have said they are confident of IOC status being obtained this year.

Weapons trials have already been completed and stall testing is currently under way, following which spin trials will begin. BAE Systems has been helping HAL to resolve issues related to the IJT’s stall- and spin-related handling qualities.

HAL plans to launch manufacturing of a limited series production batch of 12 aircraft as soon as IOC has been achieved. The Indian air force has a stated requirement for this initial number, plus 73 series production examples.

Meanwhile, HAL has selected the engine for its in-development HTT-40 basic trainer, and says design and development activities should be completed in 2015. Deliveries are expected to commence from 2017.

The Indian air force has a total requirement for 106 basic trainers, and already has 75 PC-7 Mk IIs on order from Pilatus, with the option to order 37 more by next year. The service, which has so far received 26 of the type, has made it clear that it would prefer to have its entire fleet centred on the Swiss type. An earlier statement released by India’s defence ministry says the air force “has expressed reservations over acquiring the HTT-40”.

http://www.flightglobal.com

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Hausse en trompe-l’oeil du budget indien de la Défense

18 février 2014 – 15:40

Le ministre indien des Finances, P. Chidambaram, a présenté, le 17 février, le budget provisoire pour l’année fiscale 2014-2015, qui commencera le 1er avril prochain. Cela étant, comme l’on ignore l’issue des prochaines élections législatives, qui auront lieu dans quelques semaines, ce projet risque fort d’être revu et corrigé si l’actuelle majorité au pouvoir doit céder sa place.

Quoi qu’il en soit, le budget du ministère de la Défense a été annoncé en hausse de 10% par rapport à la période 2013-14, pour être porté à 2,24 trillions de roupies (36,13 milliards de dollars). Quant à l’enveloppe dédiée à l’acquisition de matériels, son montant devrait augmenter de 3,28%.

Une progression à deux chiffres d’un budget, on en rêverait à l’Hôtel de Brienne. Sauf que, à y regarder de plus près, les moyens alloués aux forces armées indiennes ne seront pas plus importants que par le passé. En effet, cette hausse de 10% couvre une partie de l’inflation, laquelle affecte l’économie indienne, en proie à quelques turbulences depuis l’été dernier.

Et, si l’on compte en billets verts, le budget annoncé, souligne Times of India, passe de 37,86 à 36,13 milliards de dollars, en raison de la dépréciation de la roupie. “L’inquiétude des experts militaires, relève le quotidien, est que le budget indien de la Défense ne représente que 1,74% du PIB pour 2014-15, soit beaucoup moins que les 3% nécessaires pour assurer la modernisation” des forces armées et “la dissuasion contre la Chine et le Pakistan”.

Même si un effort particulier est fait sur les crédits d’équipements, les variations du taux de change, en défaveur de la roupie, complique quelque peu la donne car cela a pour effet de renchérir le prix des matériels acquis à l’étranger. Qui plus est, l’année passée, le ministère indien de la Défense y aurait prélevé l’équivalent de 1,3 milliard de dollars pour payer les soldes et les pensions de ses militaires. D’où le report de la signature de plusieurs grands programmes, comme l’achat de 126 Rafale.

http://www.opex360.com/

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Russia keen to sell anti-missile defence system to India


Mumbai, February 12:

Even as the Indian Army has entered the global market to buy short-range surface-to-air missile defence systems, Russia is keen to offer its anti-missile system Tor-M2KM to India, with the latter slated to undergo a series of tests.

Exhibited outside of Russia for the first time, a fully operational combat model of the Tor-M2KM anti missile system was displayed at the Defexpo-2014 exhibition held in Delhi recently.

Defence purchases have risen from just over $200 million in 2001 to over $14 billion currently. As part of the recently announced tender for 52 short-range air defence systems to form two missile regiments in the Indian Army, Russia has decided to test a modified version of the Tor-M2KM mounted on a wheeled chassis manufactured by Tata Motors.

Incidentally, Tata Motors also unveiled two new combat vehicles at Defexpo 2014. The Kestrel, an 8x8 wheeled armoured amphibious vehicle designed and developed indigenously by Tata and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and the Light Armoured Multipurpose Vehicle (LAMV), also developed indigenously, with technical input from Supacat, were showcased on the occasion.

Visitors to the Defexpo-2014 were able to check out a real combat model, said Vyacheslav Kartashov, Kupol’s assistant director for military technical cooperation and government orders. According to the company, Tor-M2KM is a highly versatile air defence system that can be mounted on a wide variety of platforms, including railway cars, rooftops and ships.

Yuri Baykov, spokesman for Almaz-Antey, the manufacturer, has said that the versatile nature of the Tor-M2KM missile significantly enhances the scope of its operational deployment, as the system can be used to protect stadiums from airborne attacks during large sports events.
Neutralise weapons

The main mission is to neutralise precision guided weapons, the spokesman added. The Tor-M2KM is equipped with modern electronics and radar capable of detecting and handling up to 48 targets, displaying information on the 10 most dangerous ones, and destroying four air targets simultaneously.

Rahul Madhavan, who leads the aerospace and defence sector with the US-India Business Council, noted in a statement, “Our two democratic governments have made tremendous progress in advancing technology release procedures and streamlining the acquisition process to accommodate two bureaucracies.

While seeking to advance our industrial cooperation, we also hope to advance our defence and strategic partnership.”

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com

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 Rafale : la liste des partenaires industriels indiens prend forme

 Par Elodie Vallerey -  Mis à jour le 19 février 2014, à 12h01  

Selon le site d'Europe 1 ce 19 février, qui cite le Délégué général pour l'armement, la liste des sous-traitants indiens serait arrêtée et le calendrier d’une signature prendrait forme dans le cadre des négociations exclusives entre l'Etat indien et Dassault Aviation pour l'achat de l'avion de combat Rafale.

A l'occasion du bilan d'activités 2013 de la Direction générale de l'armement, un sujet était sur toutes les lèvres : la vente du Rafale à l'Inde.

Et le très discret Délégué général pour l'armement Laurent Collet-Billon aurait laissé échapper quelques informations sur la signature de ce contrat entre l'Inde et le français Dassault Aviation qui prévoit la vente de 126 avions de combat Rafale à New Delhi.

"La phase d’identification des partenaires est achevée, il y a donc un accord entre Dassault et son principal partenaire industriel indien, qui est HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ld, ndlr). Dans les prochaines semaines, les discussions autour des aspects techniques et industriels seront terminées", a affirmé Laurent Collet-Billon, rapporte le site internet d'Europe 1 ce 19 février.

"Je suis incapable de vous donner la date très précise (de la signature définitive du contrat, ndlr), j’espère que ce sera avant la fin de l’année. Maintenant, l’essentiel n’est pas de dire que ce sera au mois de décembre 2014, l’essentiel est de constater, à un certain moment en 2014 ou début 2015, que le contrat existe et qu’il est bien mis en vigueur", a-t-il précisé à Europe 1, ajoutant qu'il était "inutile de mettre une pression excessive, et d’ailleurs probablement inefficace, sur le gouvernement indien et sur son administration".

http://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/rafale-la-liste-des-partenaires-industriels-indiens-prend-forme.N241960  

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India becomes biggest foreign buyer of US weapons


India imported $1.9 billion of military kit from the U.S. last year, making it the biggest foreign buyer of U.S. weapons, according to research from IHS Jane's.

The U.S., which remained the largest exporter of military equipment, displaced Russia as India's biggest arms supplier. In total, the U.S. exported $25.2 billion of military equipment in 2013, compared with $24.9 billion the previous year.

India, with total defense imports of $5.9 billion, became the most enthusiastic buyer from the U.S., knocking Saudi Arabia out of the top spot with purchases that included Boeing's C-17A strategic transport aircraft and P-8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft.

"We are seeing trade patterns fundamentally change for the dominant players," said Ben Moores, senior analyst at the security consultancy and the author of the report. "India is outpacing everyone."

India overtook China to become the biggest arms importer in 2010, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which monitors the global arms trade.

Until now, however, most of India's contracted arms purchases have been from Russia, partly because it has needed to replace or upgrade equipment bought from its former ally the Soviet Union.

India has struggled to create indigenous manufacturing of high-tech weapons systems, and depends on imports in its efforts to catch up with the better-equipped Chinese armed forces.

(Read more: What India needs to do to stamp out poverty)

"It is a big capability gap that's opened between the Indians and the Chinese," said Mr Moores. "India is buying a lot of high-end equipment from the Americans to address that gap."

In 2009 India imported $237 million in military equipment from the U.S. but this jumped to $1.9 billion last year, as almost half of its $13.4 billion defense procurement budget went overseas. India accounted for nearly 10 percent of the $63 billion international defense market, outstripping much of the Middle East and China.

Arms trade statistics can be volatile because of deliveries of high-value items such as aircraft. But the latest U.S.-India data, which measures deliveries rather than sales contracts, is significant because other western arms exporters have been unable to clinch deals with New Delhi in the face of periodic corruption scandals, slowing Indian growth and budget constraints.

France's Dassault, for example, is still waiting for India to finalize a preliminary agreement to buy Rafale fighter jets that could be worth up to $20 billion.

AK Antony, India's defence minister, this month said his ministry had used up most of its budget for the year ending in March and would make no large acquisitions until the next financial year.

"There is no money left," he said. "All major projects have to wait until April 1."

(Read more: India's finance minister unveils tax cuts in budget)

The Middle East, meanwhile, continued to import military equipment at a rapid pace, and now represents one-third of the global arms market.

Saudi Arabia, Oman and UAE together imported more than western Europe as a whole, buying $9.3 billion-worth of equipment compared with $8.7 billion for the latter.
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Saudi Arabia imported more than $5.4 billion worth of equipment, more than double the $2.2 billion it bought in 2009. By 2015 its imports are expected to increase to $7.8 billion. The United Arab Emirates' import program is expected to more than double. By 2015 imports are forecast to total $3.1 billion, up from a total of $1.4 billion. American companies accounted for half of all defense exports to the region.

South Korea is set to break into the top 10 global national military exporters for the first time in the next 18 months and is forecast to overtake China by 2015. It exported $600 million of equipment this year but by 2015 it will be exporting $1.5 billion a year in defense equipment and will supplant some of the large Western companies in the process, IHS Jane's said.

http://www.cnbc.com

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Smoke on INS Sindhuratna; 5 sailors airlifted

The incident happened off the Mumbai coast on the kilo-class submarine while it was on a routine training exercise.

Minor smoke was detected on Indian Navy Submarine Sindhuratna on Wednesday in the early morning hours. Five sailors have sustained minor injuries, Navy sources said.

The incident happened off the Mumbai coast around 150 Nautical miles on the kilo class submarine while it was on its routine training exercise.

The exact cause and the origin of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Sources claim that there is no grave damage caused to the submarine. As soon as the crew raised an alarm , a Navy helicopter and a Fast Attack craft were sent by the Navy.

"The smoke was detected around 6 am on the submarine by the crew. As soon as the Navy Operation Centre learnt about the mishap, Navy helicopters and a Fast Attack aircraft were pressed into service. The men who inhaled smoke because of the enclosed compartments were airlifted to INS base Ashwini and are recuperating at the Navy hospital ," Navy spokesperson told The Hindu.

"The submarine is afloat and no damage has been reported. The Navy crew is on board and the damage is being ascertained," the spokesperson added.

According to sources, the kilo class submarine was carrying no ammunition since it was still in testing mode and was yet to be placed under operation. Another submarine will also be pressed into service to render assistance , sources said.

Following the incident the submarine will be tested for its sea worthiness.

This is the third incident concerning a kiloclass submarine in the recent past. Last year 18 crew members died after a major fire broke out on INS Sindhurakshak.

http://www.thehindu.com

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India Looking Abroad For Intermediate Jet Trainers

Saddled with obsolete training aircraft, the Indian air force (IAF) has decided to snub the long-delayed, indigenous HJT-36 Sitara intermediate jet trainer (IJT) and purchase new trainers from abroad.

The IAF has issued a request for information for a lightweight, single-engine, twin-seat trainer with a secondary light attack capability, an official at India’s ministry of defense says.

“We have asked the vendors to provide cost details for the direct purchase of IJTs for batch sizes of 10, 20, 30 and 50 aircraft,” he says.

The RFI comes weeks after Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony said the much-delayed Sitara IJT is likely to be operational this year. “All efforts are being made by the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. [HAL] for achieving the final operational clearance by December 2014,” Antony had said.

The IAF has been reluctant to exercise the option of buying an IJT since the state-run HAL has been developing a trainer for the force for the last 15 years.

“We are forced to take this decision as deadlines for getting the operational clearance for Sitara have been breached on a number of occasions,” the IAF official says.

The RFI for new a IJT states that the aircraft should be capable of operating from airfields at least 2000 meters above mean sea level (AMSL), with a goal of 3,000 meters. Submissions are due on April 4.

The official says the aircraft should be capable of carrying at least 1000 kg (2,200 lb.) of external load and be equipped with a minimum of five hard points, with each stressed to carry at least 300 kg.

“The aircraft should be capable of employing a lightweight gun-pod with adequate ammunition for at least five seconds of firing time [and] reusable rocket pods, and [should] be able to carry at least [four 250-kg bombs],” he says.

http://www.aviationweek.com

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A big step in India's Rafale jet deal with France

New Delhi: The Indian government and French aerospace major Dassault have sealed a work share agreement in what is being described as a big step forward, almost two years after negotiations began in the deal for 126 Rafale fighter jets to be bought by India.

The government's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited or HAL will do 70 per cent of the work on the 108 planes that will be manufactured in India. Dassault would do the rest of the work, sources said.

The first 18 of the fighters will be fully manufactured in France and will be brought to India in "fly-away" condition.

India has apparently rejected Dassault's reservations about having HAL as the major player.

The final contract, though, is still far from being signed. For one, India's Ministry of Defence has no money in the current financial year that ends this month, for initial payment.

Also, general elections are due by May and the final contract will only be signed by the next government, if it chooses to go ahead on the same terms and conditions.

Dassault Aviation had won the contract to supply 126 Medium, multi-role combat aircraft or MMRCA in 2012. The massive contract is pegged at anywhere between 12 to 15 billion dollars.

Sources said the deal is complex and requires both sides to be in sync on commercial factors, logistics and HAL's ability to assemble the Rafale.

For instance, the radar on the Rafale jet is to be manufactured by Bharat-Electronics Ltd (BEL) in Bangalore. The Radome (the protruding snub nose on the aircraft) would, however, be manufactured by HAL at its Hyderabad facility. Dassault wanted clarity on how the two units would coordinate their activities.

Now, HAL has apparently agreed to set up a new facility close to the one that BEL has in Bangalore.

The French and Indian governments are also working on an agreement for a sovereign guarantee that Dassault will supply, service and maintain the Rafales over the next 40 years.

This is an important provision in the Indian defence procurement procedure, designed to ensure that manufacturers don't renege on their commitment.

http://www.ndtv.com

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Revealed: Delay in changing submarine batteries could have caused INS Sindhuratna tragedy


Red tape has crippled the blue water capabilities of the Indian Navy, and the nation is now paying in blood for it.
A shortage of submarine batteries after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) objected to the acquisition process may well be the starting point of the series of unfortunate events that resulted in the INS Sindhuratna mishap early on Wednesday.

Sources say that the batteries on the INS Sindhuratna were not changed during its refit that ended in December 2013.
The facts that are now surfacing from the depths of the Arabian Sea point to running the ill-fated submarine on ageing batteries as the likeliest reason for the explosion that claimed the lives of two officers and injured seven sailors earlier this week.
The INS Sindhuratna is a diesel-electric vessel, and runs on battery power while submerged. That power is provided by 240 lead acid batteries that weigh about 800kg each.
These batteries tend to release flammable hydrogen gas, especially when they are being charged, and submarines have safety systems to address emergencies arising out of this. Old batteries are even worse.
The INS Sindhuratna was powered by Russian batteries during the early years of its life in the Indian Navy. Later, the Navy began procuring batteries from an established Indian vendor, Mumbai-based Standard Batteries Limited, later bought out by Exide.

The Navy has bought batteries from Standard for a long time, and the two have had a smooth working relationship. Somewhere down the line, however, the battery purchase process was hit by objections raised by HILIFE Batteries, a Hyderabad-based competitor.

HILIFE took the Indian Navy to court, saying its products were superior and cheaper, and that it had been considered good enough to supply batteries for a DRDO submarine project. The MoD also intervened to end the "single vendor situation", a situation that is avoided in acquisition
As the web of litigation grew, battery purchases were hit, sources say, adding that the INS Sindhuratna mishap was waiting to happen.

The Iranian Navy operates Kilo-class submarines of the same manufacturing batch as India's (see box) and uses Indian batteries that it replaces regularly. There has been no major mishap reported from Iran's Kilos, and that only points another finger at the old batteries on the INS Sindhuratna.

The fact that the Navy is operating Kilo-class submarines for close to 30 years now, much beyond their lifespan, is also a reflection of the breakdown of perspective planning in the MoD.

The high level probe ordered by the Navy under Flag Officer (Submarines) Rear Admiral S.V. Bokhare will go into various aspects of the accident. It will be centered on finding the cause of explosion in the battery compartment that triggered the release of toxic gases.
As per the 30-year perspective plan for submarines, the Navy should have 24 new submarines by 2022. In fact, 12 submarines should have been inducted by 2012 if the plan had remained on track. It is tragic, say old submariners, that the MoD was well aware of the problem and did nothing.

The submarine fleet is centered on 10 Russian Kilo class and four German HDW type 209 submarines. Nuclear-powered INS Chakra was acquired two years ago, the only addition in the last three decades.
The government has been told several times about the teething problems in the construction of six French Scorpene submarines which has delayed the entire acquisition programme. All the six Scorpenes are now expected to be inducted only by 2021.

Kilo-class submarines of Soviet design are among the most silent-and proportionately deadly-vessels of their kind. The Sindhuratna, commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1988, had undergone an extensive refit from May through December last year, and was being put through the second, submerged phase of trials that would certify it as operationally fit when disaster struck.
The accidents involving two Kilo-class submarines within a span of six months are now likely to speed up the plan for construction of a new line of underwater vessels.


Iranian Kilo subs running perfectly on Indian batteries

The Iranian Navy operates three Kilo class submarines - Tareq, Noor and Yunesh - which are of the same vintage and type as the ones in the Indian Navy.
However, Iran is yet to face any serious accident. In fact, the Iranian Navy even routes its batteries from the same Indian vendor, Standard Batteries Limited.
The sinking of INS Sindhurakshak in August last year and the accident on board the INS Sindhuratna on Wednesday has brought focus on the Russian-made submarines.
A probe will indicate whether the fire in INS Sindhuratna was caused because of poor maintenance and inferior quality of spares, or because of some other fault.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2570530/Revealed-Delay-changing-submarine-batteries-caused-INS-Sindhuratna-tragedy.html

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Et si DCNS revendait des sous-marins à l'Inde


Associé au chantier naval Mazagon Dock, DCNS a déjà vendu en 2005 à New Delhi six sous-marins Scorpène

Le groupe naval et son partenaire indien Mazagon Dock vont transférer en mars le premier sous-marin Scorpène fabriqué en Inde au bassin. Une opération qui va redonner du crédit à DCNS au moment où New Delhi a besoin de sous-marins supplémentaires.
Le groupe naval DCNS a-t-il enfin terminé de manger son pain noir en Inde. C'est possible comme on l'espère fortement en interne. Qu'est-ce qui génère aujourd'hui ce nouvel optimisme après les très nombreuses vicissitudes qu'a connu le programme P-75, un projet ambitieux lancé en octobre 2005 entre New Delhi et Paris et qui prévoit la construction de six Scorpène, un sous-marin à propulsion conventionnelle, par le chantier indien Mazagon Dock (MDL) ? Selon des sources concordantes, DCNS et son partenaire indien vont mettre à quai le premier sous-marin en construction depuis décembre 2006 ce mois-ci.
"Nous espérons que la sortie du sous-marin du hangar va marquer les esprits, explique-t-on en interne chez DCNS. Cette opération va montrer à tout le monde, et notamment à la concurrence, la montée en puissance du chantier naval indien Mazagon Dock". Ce qui espère-t-on en interne clouera le bec des concurrents de DCNS qui ont beaucoup raillé les retards du programme. Ce qui est d'ailleurs souvent le cas de beaucoup de programmes développés en coopération entre le DRDO ou les industriels indiens et les groupes internationaux. Initialement le premier sous-marin devait être livré à la marine indienne en décembre 2012 et le dernier en décembre 2017.
Il est vrai également que le programme P-75 n'a pas été épargné par certaines accusations de corruption, qui se sont in fine révélées être toutes des allégations - un grand classique en Inde -, et par les difficultés techniques de MDL à absorber les technologies transférées par DCNS.
New Delhi conscient des difficultés de MDL
Le ministère de la Défense indien a toujours été bien conscient des difficultés de MDL à acquérir de nouvelles compétences en matière de construction de sous-marins. Un retard d'ailleurs bien identifié. Selon le ministère, il est "attribuable" à la difficulté de digérer les nouvelles technologies par MDL, au retard dans la croissance des infrastructures industrielles du chantier naval indien, et, enfin, aux hésitations de ce dernier pour acheter des équipements en raison de leur coût onéreux.
"La plupart des problèmes initiaux ont été résolus et des plans divers ont été mis en place pour minimiser des retards", avait expliqué le ministère de la Défense en mars 2012. Et d'estimer que ce programme va permettre dans le cadre du transfert de technologies (ToT) accepté par DCNS et la France d'acquérir un savoir-faire local "significatif dans la construction sous-marine, notamment dans le domaine de la fabrication de la coque, des équipements, de l'intégration des systèmes etc… d'ici à la fin du programme", avait-il également précisé
Un nouveau calendrier respecté
Depuis le recalage du programme, qui prévoit désormais la livraison du premier sous-marin en juin 2015 et du dernier en septembre 2018, le programme semble avancé conformément aux nouveaux objectifs. "On est on track (conforme au nouveau calendrier, ndlr)", assure-t-on chez DCNS. Du coup, le groupe naval a bien l'intention de communiquer fortement sur la mise dans le bassin du premier Scorpène indien.
"Nous voulons corriger la perception relativement négative du déroulement du programme", explique-t-on à La Tribune. DCNS tient également à montrer que son partenaire MDL est désormais capable de livrer des sous-marins en temps et en heure. D'autant que, hasard du calendrier, ces bonnes nouvelles coïncident avec de nouveaux enjeux commerciaux importants en Inde.
14 sous-marins commandés par New Delhi ?
DCNS et Mazagon Dock, qui maîtrise désormais la construction de sous-marins, lorgnent sur de nouvelles commandes de l'Inde qui pourraient fournir de la charge de travail au-delà de 2018, date de livraison du dernier Scorpène. D'autant que l'Inde a besoin très rapidement de nouveaux sous-marins face à la puissance navale de Pékin. New Delhi souhaiterait disposer de 24 nouveaux sous-marins modernes à l'horizon 2030. C'est dans ce contexte géopolitique que les deux partenaires ont proposé à New Delhi de fournir à la marine indienne deux nouveaux sous-marins Scorpène dans le cadre d'une procédure d'urgence (« fast track »). Ces deux nouveaux navires seraient assemblés en un temps record à Cherbourg mais DCNS achèterait les deux coques à MDL.
Ensuite, il a été convenu en 2005 lors de la signature du contrat P-75 qu'il y ait un "repeat order", une clause équivalente à des options pour la fourniture de trois à six sous-marins supplémentaires fabriqués par MDL. Ce qui fournirait au chantier naval indien une charge de travail pour une quinzaine d'années supplémentaires après 2018. Enfin, l'Inde est sur le point de lancer un nouvel appel d'offre international (P-75 I) pour l'acquisition de six sous-marins supplémentaires après une décision du conseil d'acquisition du ministère de la Défense. Quatre sous-marins seront construits par deux chantiers navals indiens - MDL (3 sous-marins) et Hindustan Shipyard Limited (1) contre initialement six fabriqués en Inde - sur la base d'un nouveau transfert de technologies et les deux autres par le chantier naval étranger sélectionné.

-20140304]http://www.latribune.fr/entreprises-finance/industrie/aeronautique-defense/20140301trib000817792/et-si-dcns-revendait-des-sous-marins-a-l-inde.html#xtor=EPR-2-[Industrie++Services]-20140304

à bord de l'INS Vikramaditya

Nouvel accident pour la Marine indienne : 1 officier décédé suite à une fuite de gaz sur le destroyer INS Kolkata ....  

Citation :

Indian Navy to commission 200th indigenous Goa Shipyard vessel


The Indian Navy will formally commission the Saryu-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV) INS Sumedha on 7 March, according to Indian newspaper reports.
Sumedha , built under the Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV) programme, is the 200th vessel to be indigenously produced by state-owned naval shipbuilder Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).
The third Saryu-class OPV to enter service with the navy, Sumedha was originally scheduled for commissioning in 2013.
The 105 m vessel will be based at the Eastern Naval Command port of Vizag. The commissioning ceremony will be presided over by Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command.

http://www.janes.com/article/35035/indian-navy-to-commission-200th-indigenous-goa-shipyard-vessel

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Missile Testing on Arjun MK II May be Delayed

By Jonathan Ananda - CHENNAI

Published: 08th March 2014 07:32 AM

Last Updated: 08th March 2014 07:32 AM

India’s indigenous Main Battle Tank, the Arjun MK-II may have its missile testing runs delayed for up to a year with some of the LAHAT missiles procured from Isreal Aerospace Industries misfiring during the end-user test runs conducted recently.

Director of the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment P Sivakumar told Express on Friday that with two of the Laser Homing Attack Missiles misfiring during tests, further tests with the tank could be held up until next summer if IAI is unable to deliver missiles conforming to the requirements of the Indian Army by this summer.

“Two missiles misfired during the test runs earlier this year. With end-user regulations calling for mandatory tests during summer, IAI may not be able to deliver corrected missiles during this summer. If that happens, further missile tests will be carried out only next summer,” he pointed out. The Laser Homing Missile capability is one of the 19 major upgrades in the MK-II.

With imported components playing spoilsport in CVRDE’s flagship project and comprising almost 60 per cent of the MBT, Sivakumar responded to a query on higher levels of indigenisation in the MK-II by pointing out that the small number of units ordered by the end user made it very difficult to reduce the percentage of imported components in the tank.

“The economics involved make it very difficult for us to incorporate a higher level of indigenisation. If the order is increased to 400 units from 120, the indigenisation level could be brought up to 70 per cent,” he stated.

But the CVRDE has also embarked on a `380 crore project for a completely Indian-made power pack for Futuristic Main Battle Tanks. The FMBT power pack will pack a power output of 1,500 hp and is expected to be in production by 2022.

“We have brought out the first specifications and completed the feasibility study. We will be developing the technology for the project along with other partners like the DRDO, IIT-Chennai, Ashok Leyland etc,” he said.

The Arjun MK-II has already completed three of the five user trials required to be undergone by the prototype.

http://www.newindianexpress.com

ils doivent externaliser leur defense franchement ces indiens,plus incompetents j´ai pas vu

Yakuza a écrit:

ils doivent externaliser leur defense franchement ces indiens,plus incompetents j´ai pas vu

armée à l'image de son pays ce pays est un bordel bien que il a plus de potentiel que la chine par exemple

Yakuza a écrit:

ils doivent externaliser leur defense franchement ces indiens,plus incompetents j´ai pas vu

Oui,mais dans ce cas il semble que le Lahat a eu des problèmes chose qui peut arriver,c'est a IAI de regler le problème;il ne semble pas que le arjun soit mis en cause.

Euh.....ils ont un Arjun qui marche bien maintenant