Armée Indienne / Indian Armed Forces

Rappel du premier message :

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

Citation :

 L'Inde aura besoin de munitions russes



MOSCOU, 31 mars - RIA Novosti  

L'Inde compte créer prochainement un nouveau corps alpin de choc comptant 90.000 hommes, qui devrait être déployé à la frontière chinoise, a annoncé le 25 mars le commandant de l'armée de terre indienne Bikram Singh. A ces fins, il est selon lui nécessaire de débloquer plus de 3 milliards de dollars supplémentaires dans le budget militaire pour compenser le déficit de munitions, écrit lundi le quotidien Izvestia.

New Delhi redoute l'escalade du conflit frontalier avec la Chine en raison du litige autour d'un territoire de 140.000 km². C'est la raison pour laquelle le nouveau corps alpin représenterait une force conséquente: 32 bataillons d'infanterie appuyés par trois divisions blindées, l'artillerie et la défense antiaérienne. Il devrait recevoir des chars russes T-90S, des obusiers M777 et des hélicoptères Apache américains, ainsi que des systèmes de défense antiaérienne israéliens.

L'argent pour la création de ce corps arrivera à partir du 1er avril, le début de l'année fiscale en Inde. Son armement complet devrait s'achever d'ici 2019. Mais uniquement si le budget alloué est suffisant.

Selon le général Bikram Singh, si le budget n'était pas revu à la hausse, les "troupes atteindront la capacité de mener des opérations militaires en 40 jours", au lieu de 20, tel que prévu par les directives.

Ali Ahamed, de l'Institut des études stratégiques et de défense, a rappelé que Bikram Singh n'était pas le premier général indien à pointer les sérieuses lacunes de l'état opérationnel de l'armée.

"Son prédécesseur Vijay Kumar Singh avait écrit il y a deux ans une lettre à ce sujet au premier ministre. La fuite de cette lettre dans la presse avait provoqué un scandale au sein de l'establishment indien. Le général a été accusé de haute trahison pour avoir rendu publiques ces informations, certains ayant pointé la motivation politique de son acte. Effectivement, immédiatement après sa démission, il avait rejoint l'opposition. Cependant, on peut difficilement reprocher au commandant actuel de l'armée de terre d'être déloyal", a-t-il déclaré.

"Des achats de nouveaux armements sont prévus ces prochaines années: du matériel d'artillerie, des systèmes de défense sol-air, des canons antichars et des hélicoptères d'attaque. Evidemment, ils auront besoin de nouveaux modèles de munitions. C'est la raison pour laquelle les 3 milliards de dollars sont nécessaires dès aujourd'hui, et pas dans les années à venir", a expliqué l'état-major de l'armée de terre.

Toutefois, l'allocation des fonds ne règlera pas le problème à elle seule. Le représentant de la chambre de commerce et d'industrie Arvind Kumar estime qu'il est nécessaire de fixer au niveau gouvernemental une directive exigeant, en cas d'achat d'armements étrangers, la production en Inde des munitions destinées à ces armements.

"Cela réduirait significativement leur prix et permettrait de gérer efficacement les réserves stratégiques et d'organiser des exercices militaires à moindre coût. A l'heure actuelle, l'Inde dispose d'une quarantaine d'entreprises qui pourraient participer à cette tâche. Cependant, une modernisation en profondeur de ces dernières s'imposerait", a déclaré Arvind Kumar.

Etant donné que 70% des armements de l'Inde sont des systèmes soviétiques et russes, il conviendra de régler la question des achats de munitions en collaboration avec Moscou.

http://fr.ria.ru/presse_russe/20140331/200842861.html

Citation :

India scans for new AWACS platform

New Delhi has issued a global tender for the supply of six aircraft that will serve as platforms for its ambitious Airborne Warning and Control System India (AWACS India) programme.

The tender invites bids from airframers by 15 July for the “supply of suitable aircraft with necessary structural modifications, power and endurance adaptations”, along with “equipment installation/installation provisions for the AWACS India role”. The project will also include design and certification tasks, including the manufacture and installation of a 10m (33ft)-diameter antenna rotodome and supporting pylon.

The Bengaluru-based Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) is leading the AWACS India programme, which received approval from the nation's Cabinet Committee on Security in February 2013. The effort is scheduled to be complete by 2020-2021.

CABS is also currently involved in the design and development of an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system which is being integrated with three Embraer EMB-145 regional jets. This activity is running three years behind schedule.


Defence Research and Development Organisation

The long-term integrated perspective plan for India’s armed forces envisages the deployment of AWACS and AEW&C platforms. The Indian air force at present has three A-50EI Phalcon platforms developed from the Ilyushin Il-76, with earlier plans to acquire an additional two having so far failed to progress.

http://www.flightglobal.com

Citation :

La Russie livrera à l'Inde 66.000 munitions pour chars

MOSCOU, 2 avril - RIA Novosti

La Russie livrera 66.000 munitions 3-UBK-20 "Mango" pour les chars T-90C de l'Inde conformément à un contrat signé par l'Agence russe d'exportation d'armements (Rosoboronexport) et le ministère indien de la Défense, a annoncé mardi le groupe Techmach, producteur des munitions.

"Le contrat russo-indien comprend deux parties consacrées à la livraison de munitions pour chars Mango et au lancement de leur production sous licence en Inde. Au total, la Russie livrera 66.000 projectiles pour chars à l'Inde dans le cadre de ce projet", a indiqué Techmach dans un communiqué.

Le projet d'organisation de la production de munitions pour chars en Inde prévoit la traduction de documents techniques nécessaires, la livraison d'équipements, la formation de personnel et la mise en service de la chaîne de production.

Le projectile 3-UBK-20 Mango est destiné à détruire les chars, les canons automoteurs et d'autres cibles blindées.

http://fr.ria.ru/defense/20140402/200891545.html  

tiré du DSI N°104 d'avril 2014 page 23 :

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les responsable de la force aerienne indienne et de HAL se sont largement plaints, dans la presse, du manque de réaction des industriels russes à la suite d'une série de problèmes de maintenance.
Concrétement, environ 50% des Su-30 MKI - soit une centaine d'appareils - souffriraient de pannes, en plein vol, des ordinateurs de missions, des écrans multifonctions et des viseurs tête haute  . Les responsables de HAL indiquent par ailleurs que les premiers problèmes de ce type sont intervenus à la mi-mars 2013 et qu'ils ont immédiatement averti les industriels russes.....mais sans recevoir de réponse. Par ailleurs, alors que le contrat de mise en place d'un centre de maintenance pour les appareils a été signé par les autorités indiennes et russes en 2009, le dossier n'a guère avancé, en dépit des assurances données par les ministres de la défense de moscou et new delhi.

par ailleurs, un autre article précise qu'à terme l'inde disposera de 272 Su-30 MKI. A fin février 2014, il y en avait 184. 50 ont été livré par les russes et les autres montés sur place. la production annuel s'établi entre 16 et 21 appareils produits/an.

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MARINE INDIENNE :

serie noire pour les kilo : après la perte d'un premier kilo, un second rencontre des problème séreux (émission de fumée et intoxication des personnels). Un troisième kilo est entré en cale sèche en 2006 et n'en ressortira qu'en 2015 !!! il ne reste plus que 9 SM opérationnels...

Quelle bordel cette armée....qui expérimente les limites de la tropicalisation et du suivi russe en matière de maintenance/assistance.

Cet article aussi était pas mal   (non posté je crois)

Citation :

Govt buys non-AC tanks, draws CAG fire
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Govt-buys-non-AC-tanks-draws-CAG-fire/articleshow/30643885.cms

Citation :

No One to Spare a Thought for Naval Warship Upgrades



India’s major warships are facing a shortage of spare parts for their normal, medium and short refit programmes, which might explain the regular accidents, including equipment failures that have happened in recent times.
For all warships, particularly those of Russian origin, only 50 per cent spares are available with the Mumbai and Visakhapatnam naval dockyards for refits. These are much below the demand for spares and have resulted in delays in the refit programmes or in low satisfaction levels after the refits.
These refits are usually midlife upgrades of the warships, required to make these modern fighting machines last longer than their envisaged service life that could extend from 20 to 30 years.
In the 37 warships recently audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for refit performance, it was found that lack of spare parts hit the midlife upgrades, including those of key surface combatants.
The warships hit include the Delhi class and Rajput class mainline Destroyers; amphibious warships such as the recently inducted INS Jalashwa bought from the US in 2007, apart from Gharial and Magar; and the Talwar class frigates built at a Russian shipyard.
Among those audited included those involved in recent accidents/incidents reported since August 2013, including INS Talwar, INS Vipul and INS Konkan.
INS Talwar had rammed into an unlit fishing boat off Ratnagiri in Maharashtra on December 23 last year, throwing off the 27 fishermen onboard into the Arabian Sea. The fishermen were rescued later by the warship and returned to the shore.
A minor fire was reported on board INS Konkan, a minesweeper, when it was under a refit programme at the Visakhapatnam naval dockyard in early December 2013. INS Vipul, a corvette/missile vessel, reported a gaping hole found in the pillar compartment in late 2013.
Though the CAG audit has not directly linked the incidents involving the three warships in the last seven months to the lack of spares, the report submitted by the government auditor to Parliament in February this year points towards the lack of best practices for maintenance of key strategic assets of the Navy and the Defence Ministry establishments in charge of procurements.
The audit found that the Refit Planning Programme had envisaged that the refitting yards have to forward the standard Forecast List (FCL) of required spares, determined on the basis of standard work package, to the material organisation at least 58 weeks (nearly 14 months) in advance in the case of medium refit and normal refit, or before 30 weeks (nearly seven months) in the case of short refit.
In the case of the medium and normal refits, the material organisation are to revert to the naval dockyards at least 20 weeks (about five months) in advance of the expected date of supply. And also required to send a list of items that may not be available so that the firm requirements of the yards could be finalised before the refit programme begins at the dockyard.
Similarly, the Post Defectation Demands (PDD) for defects other than those of the routine type would have to be sent to the material organisation 13 weeks (three months) ahead of the medium/normal refit and eight weeks (two months) in case of short refit.
‘‘We noticed that non-compliance of FCL and PDD of ships based at Visakhapatnam was up to 67 per cent and 100 per cent respectively. At Mumbai, the non-compliance was 73 per cent for FCL and 92 per cent for PDD," the CAG noted.
The lack of availability of spares “resulted in the postponement of essential routines and use of refurbished components, resulting in adverse impact on quality, reliability and longevity of equipment on board,” the report said. “In the absence of supply, the demands were met either by refurbishing old spares or by resorting to local purchases,” it added.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/No-One-to-Spare-a-Thought-for-Naval-Warship-Upgrades/2014/04/06/article2151880.ece

Citation :

Rafael targets Indian Rafale opportunity

Israeli guided weapons manufacturer Rafael is offering its Python 5 and Derby air-to-air missiles for integration with some of the Dassault Rafales expected to enter service with the Indian air force.

India in January 2012 selected the Rafale for its 126-unit medium multi-role combat aircraft deal, with the first 18 examples to be completed by Dassault with a full complement of integrated weapons. The type is flown by the French air force and navy with air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons produced by MBDA and Sagem.



An earlier request for proposals also required airframers to “integrate additional weapons of the Indian air force’s choice, as required”.

Joseph Horowitz, director of business development and marketing for Rafael's air superiority directorate, confirms that the Israeli company is in the competition to arm later Indian air force aircraft. Russian industry is also pursuing potential opportunities, with the air force still evaluating its options.

http://www.flightglobal.com

Citation :

INS Kochi to start sea trials in June


INS Kochi, the second ship in the INS Kolkata class of stealth destroyers, will commence sea trials in June, an important step before the ship is accepted and commissioned by the Indian Navy. Constructed at the Mazgaon Docks Limited (MDL) in Mumbai, the ship has finished basic construction according to MDL officials and only the “outfitting” of external equipment and cabling work remains.
Laid down on October 25, 2005, the ship is a part of the Project 15A which involves three ships to be constructed at the MDL, the two others being the INS Kolkata and the INS Chennai. While the Kolkata has finished sea trials and outfitting, it is expected to be commissioned by the Indian Navy very soon. “The Kochi has finished the primary stage of construction and the sea trials should start by May or June. However, the machinery trials have already been conducted in February. We are working very hard towards finishing the project,” said MDL’s CMD Rear Admiral (retired) Rahul Kumar Shrawat.
Although installation of the major equipment like the radars and weapon systems will be done after the sea trials, basic navigation and communication equipment have been fitted for bare minimum readiness during the trial sailing. “After the trials, the outfitting will take place but the most important part is the intricate cabling, electrical and electronic work which often takes the most time since it is complicated. The piping work would also be done at this stage. This would be followed additional testing of the outfitted equipment by us and the Navy,” added Mr. Shrawat.
The Kolkata-class boats are the second such stealth warships to join the Indian Navy, with the first one being the Shivalik-class stealth frigates — also built at MDL — which have already been commissioned into service. These include the INS Satpura and INS Sahyadri, apart from the INS Shivalik.

http://www.asianage.com

Citation :

Light Combat Aircraft Navy goes super sonic



Just days before the second anniversary of its maiden flight the naval variant of the Light Combat Aircraft-LCA Navy (NP-1) has successfully completed its first super sonic flight signaling that the aircraft is now able to fly faster than the speed of sound.

The Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) the nodal agency for the development of the LCA said that this feat was achieved in the month of March.

The NP-1 during the flight is said to have crossed the Mach 1 barrier.

An aircraft is classified as a supersonic aircraft when it is able to clock Mach1 speed.

Sources told dna that the aircraft flew at a specified altitude and went supersonic touching 1.1 Mach speed.

This milestone is considered significant as the LCA Navy programme since it made its maiden flight on April 27, 2012 had made little progress. In next one year after its first flight the NP-1 made just four test sorties.

The NP-1 which is the sole prototype build under the LCA Navy programme by the ADA has been bogged down with a few problems and had to undergo a few modifications with regard to the landing gear and a
few other systems to meet the ski jump requirement. The LCA Navy is being developed to operate from an aircraft carrier with a concept of ski-jump take-off but arrested recovery (STOBAR).

The aircraft to prove that it is fit for carrier-borne operations it would be subjected to ski-jump launch and arresting recovery tests at the naval air station in Goa.

Meanwhile, air force version of the LCA which is known as Tejas has already flown several sorties covering a flight envelope at supersonic speeds. ADA says that the aircraft can attain maximum supersonic speed at all altitudes. The aircraft can attain a maximum speed of Mach 1.8.

Compared to its Air Force counterpart, the LCA is different as it has a new stronger and longer landing gear, arrestor hook for ship deck landing, front fuselage drooped for better over the nose vision to
facilitate ship landing, an additional control surface to reduce ship landing speed and consequential changes in various systems. The NP1 aircraft would be flying with the GE-F404-IN20 engine.

The LCA will replace the depleting Sea Harrier squadron and operate along the MiG29 K's by 2014 from the Indigenous Air Craft Carrier which is being constructed at Kochi.The outgoing Government has
already sanctioned limited series production of the LCA Navy under which eight aircraft would be developed.

http://www.dnaindia.com

Citation :

India’s Air Force to get 40 strike fighters with BrahMos missiles

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16, /ITAR-TASS/. India’s Air Force will get 40 SU-30MKI strike fighters armed with a smaller version of BrahMos missiles, Russian-Indian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace President Sivathanu Pillai told ARMS-TASS at the international arms exhibition DSA-2014 in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, April 16.

The company is working to reduce the weight of the missile so that it could be integrated with different platforms, including the fifth-generation fighter India is creating together with Russia, he said.

Pillai noted that the commissioning of the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier complete with deck-based MiG-29K/KUB jet fighters required accelerated work to arm them with a smaller version of the BrahMos missile so that the aircraft could take off from the carrier with two missiles under their wings.

While the fifth-generation jet fighter and MiG-29K/KUB aircraft can be armed with two BrahMos-M missiles, the Su-30MKI strike fighters can carry three such missiles. The latter aircraft will be modernised to take and fire the missiles. The Indian Air Force has already made the relevant decision.

Pillai hopes that the first ship-based version of the BrahMos missile will be fired in the fourth quarter of this year from a SU-30MKI jet fighter.

The missile will be 6 metres long and have a diameter of 0.5 metres. It will be able to travel at a speed 3.5 times the sound velocity and carry a charge of 200 to 300 kg over a maximum distance of up to 290 km. The BrahMos missiles that have been tested up to date are two-stage cruise missiles 10 meters long and 0.7 metres in diameter.

The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test fired from the Indian Navy's newest guided missile frigate INS Tarkash off the coast of Goa in late May 2013.

The missile performed high-level “C” manoeuvre at pre-determined flight path and successfully hit the target. The surface-to-surface missile, having a range of 290-km, was test launched from the Russian-built Project 1135.6 class warship.

BrahMos cruise missiles have been adopted by India’s Army and the Navy's surface ships. The Indian Air Force has also ordered a batch of land-based missiles. Work is also underway to adapt the missile to Su-30MKI planes used by the Indian Air Force.

BrahMos is an acronym of the two rivers: Brahmaputra in India and Moskva in Russia.

When visiting the headquarters of the Russian-Indian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace Limited that makes supersonic cruise missiles, the chief of the Russian Army General Staff said that the joint venture made reliable missiles that have few matches in the world.

The joint venture has designed a new version of the supersonic cruise missile of the same name that can be launched from submarines.

The missiles are intended for use aboard the Scorpion-type submarine, for which the Indian Navy has placed orders in France.

The Russian-Indian joint venture BrahMos has designed a new version of the supersonic cruise missile of the same name that can be launched from submarines.

The BrahMos missile has a flight range of up to 290 kilometres and is capable of carrying a conventional warhead of 300 kilograms. The missile can cruise at a maximum speed of 2.8 Mach.

C130J avec moins de 3 ans de service   

rien de nouveau pour cette airforce incompetente

Citation :

Indo-French Air exercise 'Garuda-5' to begin from June 3

Jodhpur: India and France would start a ten-day joint Air exercise 'Garuda-5', aimed at training the pilots and crew of Indian and French fighters in air superiority operations in Rajasthan's Jodhpur airbase from June 3, IAF sources said.

Both the Indian Air Force and French Air Force would be engaged in various missions ranging from close combat engagement of large forces, slow mover protection, and protecting and engaging high-value aerial assets in the exercise at the strategic airbase near Indo-Pak border, they said.

The flying consisting of air to air refuelling, basic and advanced fighter interceptions, protection of high-value aerial targets and group combat manoeuvring would be the main focus of the exercise, IAF sources said.

Objective of the exercise is to expose IAF Pilots to French Fighter Tactics and French Pilots to Indian Fighter Tactics, to?expose IAF Aircrew to Air to Air Refuelling, Cross-servicing of a common type between ground crews and Understanding basic concepts of each countries fighter operations.

Four Rafale multi-role fighter aircraft and one air Refueler aircraft with more than 100 personnel would form the France delegation.

"The focus of the Air Exercise from June 3 to June 13 is learning from each other's best practices," Defence spokesperson Col SD Goswami told PTI today.

PTI

http://zeenews.india.com

Citation :

Air Force likely to get entire Sukhoi-30MKI fleet by 2019

The delay stems from the IAF's wish to make the Su-30MKI the high-performance fighter that it eventually turned out to be


Walking along the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) production line at its Nashik plant is a good way to realise how gargantuan the Sukhoi-30MKI fighter is. Yet, its sheer size, the sleekness of its lines and the menacing "bird-of-prey" droop of its nose are not why this fighter is the backbone of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The Su-30MKI is pure performance - it is astonishingly agile, a favourite in aerobatics displays; and its 8-tonne armament payload makes it a formidable multi-role aircraft. It has the missiles to protect itself while flying on a mission, the bombs and rockets to comprehensively pulverize a target, the electronics to deceive enemy radars, and can return home while warding off enemy fighters.

The IAF is keen to quickly induct the 272 Su-30MKI fighters it has on order, especially since the Rafale contract remains uncertain. But HAL - which delivered an impressive 15 fighters last year - says completion would be possible only by about 2019, a two-and-a-half-year delay from the 2016-17 target that was set when the contract was signed with Russia in 2000.

The delay stems from the IAF's wish to make the Su-30MKI the high-performance fighter that it eventually turned out to be. Unsatisfied with the Su-30 initially supplied by Russia, the IAF demanded improved aerodynamic performance. Russia added canards and a thrust-vectoring engine, the AL-31FP, which could push the fighter in multiple directions, adding agility. All this took time and Sukhoi transferred the technology two-and-a-half years late.

Business Standard was granted access to HAL's Nashik division, the birthplace of multiple Russian fighters that have given teeth to the Indian Air Force (IAF) since the 1970s. This factory was set up in 1964 to build the MiG-21 E7FL, now retired, followed by another variant, the MiG-21M, then the MiG-21BIS. Later, HAL Nashik built the MiG-27, and then upgraded 123 MiG-21BIS fighters into the BISON, which is still in service. Finally, it upgraded 40 MiG-27s, an entirely indigenous upgrade that has kept the aging fighter in service till today.

HAL's Nashik unit is still called the MiG Complex - ironic, given that it builds a Sukhoi fighter, the greatest rival of Mikoyan, builder of the legendary MiGs. The Su-30 variants, Russia's most successful recent design, have wiped out Mikoyan from the global marketplace. Compared to some 800 Sukhoi-27 and Sukhoi-30 variants bought by the air forces of Russia, China, India, Ukraine, Malaysia, Algeria, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, only a handful of MiG fighters find customers today.

Yet, India remains a Mikoyan loyalist, of sorts. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is upgrading its fleet of 60-odd MiG-29S fighters; while the Indian Navy has bought 45 MiG-29K/KUB fighters for its aircraft carriers, a $2 billion purchase that has breathed life into the fading Russian company.

Yet this is small change compared to the massive order of 272 Su-30MKIs, which started out as a bargain at $30 million apiece, but which are now priced at $75 million each.

Business Standard spoke to HAL officials to find out why prices have risen despite an ongoing indigenisation programme that has met all its targets. The reason, it emerges, lies in the nature of the manufacturing contract signed with Sukhoi, which was to see a progressive enhancement of Indian content through four phases. Yet, even though Phase IV has recently been achieved, this provides for only limited indigenisation. While Sukhoi was bound to transfer technology for building the fighter, the contract mandates that all raw materials - including titanium blocks and forgings, aluminium and steel plates, etc - must be sourced from Russia.

This means that, of the 43,000 items that go into the Sukhoi-30MKI, some 5,800 consist of large metal plates, castings and forgings that must contractually be provided by Russia. HAL then transforms the raw material into aircraft components, using the manufacturing technology transferred by Sukhoi.

That results in massive wastage of metal. For example, a 486 kg titanium bar supplied by Russia is whittled down to a 15.9 kg tail component. The titanium shaved off is wasted. Similarly a wing bracket that weighs just 3.1 kg has to be fashioned from a titanium forging that weighs 27 kg.

Furthermore, the contract stipulates that standard components like nuts, bolts, screws and rivets - a total of 7,146 items - must all be sourced from Russia.

The reason for this, explain HAL officials, is that manufacturing sophisticated raw materials like titanium extrusions in India is not economically viable for the tiny quantities needed for Su-30MKI fighters.

"For raw materials production to be commercially viable, India's aerospace companies would need to produce in larger volumes. That means they must become global suppliers, as a part of a major aerospace company's global supply chain. Licensed manufacture for our own needs does not create adequate demand," says Daljeet Singh, HAL Nashik's manufacturing head.

Still, HAL builds about 10,000 of the 30,000 fabricated components in each fighter. While a significant percentage of this is outsourced to private sector vendors in aerospace hubs like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Coimbatore, the Nashik facility itself hums with activity, which includes modifying the Su-30MKI to fit on the air-to-surface Brahmos cruise missile, which will make the fighter even more deadly.
Read more on:
Sukhoi

http://www.business-standard.com

Citation :

India Prepares Long-Range Missile Defense Test 



In the coming weeks, India will test its anti-ballistic missile system as well as new two missiles.
India will conduct its first long-range missile defense test next week, according to the head of its military technology agency.
Avinash Chander, Director General of India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), told reporters over the weekend that Delhi will test its anti-ballistic missile defense system beyond 100 km from Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast. The Times of India noted that India has previously tested its anti-ballistic missile system six times, but only from ranges of between 20 and 30 km. Most notably, in November 2012, India simultaneously shot down two separate missiles.
“It is a system to intercept enemy missiles with a range of 2,000 km. The missiles will get intercepted at range of more than 100 km away so that damage to our cities can be prevented,” Chander was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
The report went on to explain that the test would start with an Indian Navy vessel launching a missile that would mimic the enemy weapon. In an automated process, the ballistic missile defense system would shoot its interceptor, destroying the fake enemy missile midair.
In the weeks following the test, DRDO plans to test two emerging missiles in its arsenal. The first is the Nirbhay, a long-range, surface-to-surface sub-sonic missile with a range of about 1,000 km. The Nirbhay is often compared to the U.S. Tomahawk. It can carry multiple warheads and engage several targets, a DRDO official told The Hindu back in 2012.
“Even if there are multiple targets, it can pick out a target and attack it. It is a loitering missile; it can go round and round a target, perform several maneuvers and take it apart. It has precision, endurance and accuracy. It is an important missile,” The Hindu quoted the DRDO official as saying.
The Nirbhay’s maiden test flight took place in March of 2013 and failed. DRDO later said the failure had to do with issues with the missile’s inertial guidance system. Chander had previously promised the second test flight of the missile—which will initially be employed by India’s Navy—would take place sometime in February of this year. The missile has been plagued by other various delays as well. As Chander explained it to reporters earlier this year: “Nirbhay is a typical model of how we should not do project R&D. Earlier it was piecemeal work, but new thrust has been provided to this project.” Over the weekend Chander said that the second test flight of the missile will take place early next month.
Chander also said that DRDO will conduct the first test of its new Astra missile around the same time. The Astra is a beyond visual range air-to-air single stage, solid-fueled missile. It will be tested from one of India’s Russian-made Su-30 aircraft. According to The Times of India report: “If Astra is successfully fired, India will break into [an] elite group of nations, including the U.S., France, Russia and Israel, possessing such missiles. The missiles are capable of engaging ultra-modern supersonic fighter jets. Astra can carry a 15-kg high-explosive warhead.”

http://thediplomat.com/2014/04/india-prepares-long-range-missile-defense-test/

Citation :

L’Inde cherche un nouvel avion AWACS




New Dehli, l’Inde ne cesse de nous surprendre, ce pays possède déjà deux types d’avions AWACS, et pourtant celui-ci vient de lancer un programme de prospection pour un troisième modèle ! En  effet, l’Indian Air Force dispose aujourd’hui des avions d’alerte lointaine : l’IL-76 «Maintays» modernisé par Israël et l’Embraer EMB-145 AEW&C. 
 
Selon les premières informations disponibles, l’Inde via le ministère du Centre de Défense des Systèmes Aéroportés (CABS), envisage de se doter d’un AWACS de longue portée permettant une capacité opérationnelle en altitude plus élevée. Les candidats pourront se faire connaitre à partir du 15 juillet prochain.
 
L’avion devra être dérivé d’une plateforme civile qui en facilite l’entretien. Des essais en situation pourraient débuter d’ici la fin de l’année en Inde. L’Indian Air Force pourrait disposer de 1,2 milliards de dollars pour cette acquisition, ce montant ne tiendrait pas compte de coûts relatifs aux essais de base.
 
Deux candidats sérieux : 
 
A première vue, deux candidats pourraient déjà se positionner sur cette compétition, l’européen Airbus Military (Airbus Group) pourraient proposer une version AWACS, basée sur une cellule d’A330 similaire à l’actuelle A330 MRTT. En effet, l’Inde a justement passée commande de l’A330 MRTT, ce qui pourrait justifier de nombreux avantages en matière de maintenance et de facilités dans la formation des futurs équipages.
 
Boeing semble vouloir se lancer avec une version dérivée de son KC-46A de ravitaillement. L’avionneur américain se montre déjà fébrile quant aux possibilités de développement de cette nouvelle version dérivée du B767.



http://psk.blog.24heures.ch/archive/2014/04/15/l-inde-cherche-un-nouvel-avion-awacs-855737.html

Citation :

L’Inde peaufine sa défense antimissile

Posté dans Asie-Pacifique, Défense antimissile par Laurent Lagneau Le 28-04-2014  



 L’Organisation de la recherche et du développement pour la défense (DRDO), l’équivalent indien de la DGA française, a procédé à un nouveau tir expérimental d’un missile capable d’intercepter un engin balistique à haute altitude, le 27 avril, depuis l’île de Wheeler, au large de la côte de l’Etat de l’Odisha (ex-Orissa).

Le missile à intercepter a été tiré par un navire. Spécialement conçu pour cet essai et doté de deux étages, il devait simuler un engin hostile d’une portée de 2.000 km.

« Cela entre dans le cadre du système de défense que nous développons (…) La mission est accomplie et les paramètres d’interception ont été atteints », a commenté Ravi Kumar Gupta, le porte-parole de la DRDO.

Seulement, d’après la presse indienne, les objectifs de cet essai de l’antimissile Prithvi Air Defense (PAD) n’auraient été que partiellement atteints. Mais Avinash Chander, un conseiller scientifique du ministère de la Défense, a expliqué que « l’objectif principal de cet essai était de suivre le missile cible ». Et de préciser : « Nous voulions vérifier les performances de l’autodirecteur infrarouge (IR). L’ogive dans le missile intercepteur n’avait pas été conçue pour exploser dans cette mission ».

Le programme de défense antimissile indien repose sur deux couches. La première fait donc appel à un intercepteur basé sur le Prithvi pour contrer un missile balistique évoluant à haute altitude, grâce au radar Swordfish, inspiré du Green Pine israélien, également utilisé par le système Arrow. La seconde, appelée Advanced Air Defense (AAD), a un plafond d’interception de l’ordre de 15-30 km.

La nécessité de mettre en place une défense antimissile s’explique avant tout par la menace chinoise. Pour les généraux indiens, New Delhi doit en effet se préparer à une guerre sur deux fronts, à savoir la Chine et le Pakistan, qui, doté de capacités balistiques et nucléaires, demeure un pays instable.

« Toutefois, face au Pakistan, il semble que les stratèges indiens privilégient une stratégie de la dissuasion jugée efficace et qui pourrait selon eux se voir remise en cause par la mise en place d’une capacité de défense antimissile. La problématique est différente face à la Chine qui conserve une large supériorité en matière de capacité nucléaire et stratégique. Selon les termes du ministère indien de la Défense : les principales cités indiennes sont sous la menace d’une frappe chinoise. Cette asymétrie renforce potentiellement les capacités d’action de la RPC et pèse sur la marge de manœuvre de New Delhi. Dans ce contexte le développement d’une capacité de défense antimissile en Inde peut contribuer à la stabilité stratégique au niveau régional », soulignait une étude (*) de la Fondation pour la recheche statégique, publiée en janvier 2011.

Aussi, le bouclier antimissile indien doit assurer une meilleure protection des forces stratégiques indiennes afin de préserver leur capacité de frapper en second (conformément à la doctrine nucléaire du pays) ainsi que des centres de décision.

(*) Défense antimissile au Japon, en Corée du Sud et en Inde  

http://www.opex360.com/2014/04/28/linde-peaufine-sa-defense-antimissile/  

Citation :

India successfully test-fires PDV missile interceptor


India successfully conducted a high-altitude test of a new interceptor missile capable of neutralising incoming long-range missiles on 27 April.
The Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) is a two-stage solid propellant interceptor that is a modified version of the Prithvi liquid-propellant tactical ballistic missile. It is designed to shoot down intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs), such as Pakistan's Ghauri and Shaheen missiles, at an altitude of 110-150 km within a range of 2,500 km.
This is substantially higher than the 50 km-high interceptions carried out by the exo-atmospheric Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) missile, which the DRDO is reported to have started developing in 1999.

http://www.janes.com/article/37122/india-successfully-test-fires-pdv-missile-interceptor

Citation :

Dhowan sharpens focus on undersea capabilities

The navy appears to be focusing on efforts to strengthen its undersea warfare capabilities to counter the rapid expansion of China’s submarine fleet. The main thrust of Admiral Robin Dhowan’s maiden visit to Vizag as navy chief is expected to be the refit of an attack submarine leased from Russia and deterrent patrols to be launched by India’s first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine.
Dhowan’s two-day visit to the Vizag-based Eastern Naval Command (ENC) is seen as significant as the nuclear-powered submarine, INS Chakra, is set for a three-month refit, two years after the navy inducted the Akula-II class attack vessel. It is on a 10-year lease from Russia for almost Rs. 6,000 crore.
India, however, will complete its nuclear triad (ability to launch strategic weapons from land, air and sea) only when it inducts the indigenous ballistic missile submarine, INS Arihant. INS Chakra cannot deliver nuclear warheads in its current configuration.


The navy currently operates 13 submarines, compared to the 50-plus boats in the Chinese fleet. While Chinese submarines are growing in numbers and sophistication, India is grappling with an ageing fleet that has been involved in a number of mishaps.

A source said that Dhowan asked naval dockyards to take pride in maintaining older platforms to meet demanding resource challenges. He warned officers against mediocrity and asked them to take every incident seriously.

Dhowan is expected to take stock of the Scorpene project during an upcoming visit to the Mumbai-based Western Naval Command. Six Scorpene submarines are being built at the Mazagon Dock Ltd with technology from French firm DCNS under a Rs. 23,562-crore project codenamed P-75. But the first of these boats will be ready only by 2016-17, almost five years behind schedule.

Another priority for Dhowan would be to push the new government to speed up the acquisition of six new submarines under a Rs. 55,000-crore project codenamed P-75I.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/dhowan-sharpens-focus-on-undersea-capabilities/article1-1214220.aspx

Citation :

Les intercepteurs de Couach à l’œuvre dans la baie de Mumbai

http://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/les-intercepteurs-de-couach-loeuvre-dans-la-baie-de-mumbai

Citation :

INS Vikramaditya operationally deployed: Navy chief

India’s largest warship, aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, is “operationally deployed” along with its fleet of MiG 29K combat aircraft, Navy chief Admiral Robin Dhowan said in Kochi on Wednesday

“The Navy has inducted aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya which is now operationally deployed with MiG— 29K aircraft embarked and being flown by Indian naval pilots,” he told reporters.

The 44,500—tonne Admiral Robin Dhowan procured from Russia at a cost of USD 2.33 billion had arrived in India in January this year and is stationed at its home—base in Karwar in Karnataka.

Navy sources said the aircraft carrier has already taken part in one of the war games conducted recently by the Western Navy.

The aircraft carrier, which does not have air defence guns, is expected to get its weaponry for protection against aerial attacks at its scheduled first refit, they said.

Highlighting the list of capabilities and platforms to be acquired by the Navy in the near future, Dhowan said the first indigeneously built aircraft carrier christened INS Vikrant being built at the Cochin shipyard, will be ready for trials in 2017 and for delivery by 2018—end.

He said the force has already inducted nuclear attack submarine INS Chakra, the P—8I long range reconnaissance and anti—submarine warfare aircraft along with the Shivalik class frigates among others, he said.

http://www.thehindu.com

Citation :

Inde : Le dossier Rafale suit son cours malgré la trêve électorale

http://www.aerobuzz.fr/spip.php?breve3389

Citation :

Indian Air Force plans to upgrade ageing Jaguars hits roadblock



The Indian Air Force's (IAF) plan to add much-needed new teeth with advanced missiles, engines and avionics to its ageing fleet of Jaguar fighters has failed to take off as the programme has got stuck with certain design and development issues.

The IAF initiated the process of upgrading the Jaguars in 2009 to bring a fleet of 61 aircraft to DARIN (Display Attack Ranging Inertial Navigation III) standards.

This meant that the more than four-decade-old aircraft would be transformed into a modern fighting machine with a head-up display, all-glass cockpit, advanced avionics, auto-pilot and new weapon systems.

The DARIN III standard Jaguar prototype also has a new mission computer and flight instrument system, besides a multi-function display and a digital video recording system. The first prototype of an upgraded Jaguar, made by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, started flying in November 2012, but the results were far from satisfactory. The IAF had hoped the upgraded Jaguar would get initial operational clearance by December 2012. However, the deadline was missed because the prototype could not meet expectations.

Sources said the design and development aspects of the upgraded aircraft did not match with what was intended. As a result of the glitches, the schedule for completing the programme has gone haywire.

The IAF will not have an upgraded fleet of Jaguars even by 2019 now. It was earlier planned that the series upgrade would be completed by December 2017. The delay has come as a setback for the IAF, which is struggling to halt a slide in its fighter squadron strength.

Apart from Jaguars, the IAF is upgrading its Mirage 2000 fighters as well. The Mig-27s have also undergone a cockpit upgrade. The IAF's plan to replace the Jaguar's underpowered engine too, has been stalled for long. Officials, however, said price negotiations with engine maker Honeywell will start soon.

The IAF currently has a strength of 34 fighter squadrons. The fighter shortage is a serious problem being faced by the IAF, which hopes to seal a deal for the much-needed 126 French Rafale combat jets in this financial year.


Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indian-air-force-jaguar-darin-iii-standards-hindustan-aeronautics-limited/1/360143.html