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Sunday, April 2, 2017
From T-6/Bhim To K-9/Vajra-T: Tracing The Tracked SPH Merry-Go-Round-1
207 comments:1 – 200 of 207 Newer› Newest»
- buddha said...
Indian counter insurgency grp may look into the prospect of having this small but effective drone system
- April 2, 2017 at 1:47 AM
Hi Prasun,
Is the MMMA/MRMA version for the C-295 platform still on the cards?
Any interest for the Refuelling version or the Airborne Early Warning version of the C295. Makes sense for the Army, BSF, IAF, Coast guard and Navy to go for the same platform.
- April 2, 2017 at 2:58 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To BUDDHA: LoLz! Such UAVs (including the Netra) are used primarily by road-clearing parties so that ambushes don't take place while convoys are on the move.
Meanwhile, do watch this documentary on India's Siachen Warriors:
To VIJAY: Today the essence is on speed in terms of reaching the desired patrol area. Turboprop-powered aircraft can;t deliver on this when compared to turbofan-powered solutions like the P-8I. In fact, missions like maritime surveillance can now carried out much cheaper & more efficiently by MALE-UAVs, thereby doing away with the need for smaller platforms like the Do-228. Still if the reqmt is for turboprop-powered platforms, thern the US-2i amphibian is a far better choice than the C-295.
- April 2, 2017 at 3:51 AM
I agree. The C-295 is no P-8i but it I think a high/low mix is where the IN needs to end up for its ASW and AEW requirement as it scores over the P-8I in cost and versitality and it can also be used for overland air dropping and SF expeditionary roles.
By the way, Can the US-2i be weaponised?
- April 2, 2017 at 4:42 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To VIJAY: It's the exact opposite: having fleet standardisation results in reduced direct operating costs. Having diverse manned platforms only adds to the cost of operations. For coastal surveillance & maritime surveillance--missions that are dull-n-dry--MALE-UAVs & HALE-UAVs again score over manned platforms in terms of operating costs. As for AEW & CS, these platforms are used 90% of the time for airborne battle management, & not for plugging air-defence gaps over friendly territory--a job that can be done by land-based or tethered aerostst-mounted airspace surveillance radars. For airborne battle manegement, any AEW & CS platform will be reqd to move speedily to its designated orbiting area & stay there for eight to 10 hours. Turboprop-powered platforms therefore lose out on both counts of speed & endurance. Even air-to-air refuelling can't make amends because turboprops have only 1 set of mission-crew that cannot operate beyond 6 hours due to biological limitations. For supporting air-mobile operations, the An-32REs will remain operational for another 20 years & therefore C-295s aren't reqd for such operations. Yes, US-2i can be weaponised as per a customer's reqmts.
- April 2, 2017 at 6:35 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
Interesting discussion on Pakistan's plans for fencing & mining those sections of the Durand Line that run along Pakistan's Bajaur & Mohmand Agencies:
And finally, the long-awaited book (I had known about its drafting 18 months ago) is out & is discussed here:
The book's author, Brig (Ret'd) Naeem Salik (who replaced Brig Feroz Hasan Khan in SPD's ACDA) partially reveals how & why the decision was taken in May 1998 to test the plutonium-based devices offered by PAEC & not any other HEU-based devices which Dr A Q Bhopali Khan was advocating at that time (& thus Pakistan has to date never field-tested any HEU-based nuclear WMD warhead). The book of course does not make any mention of the 3 trips to Lanzhou, China via Xinjiang that were made by the PAEC's Dr Samar Mubarak Mand between May 16 & 26, 1998. So to all those Caucasians & ill-informed Indians who have so far ASSUMED that Pakistan's nuclear devices were/are HEU-based, it's high time they all admitted that I be allowed to have the last laugh!!! If they still require more convincing, then just buy the book & read it.
- April 2, 2017 at 6:43 AM
But if the IAF and BSF are buying into the C295, then shouldn't the established logistics and maintenance arrangements support an increased number of C295 (for the IN's MRMA and IA's transport or ELINT/SIGINT roles and Coast Guard's Patrol roles, without having the disproportionate cost of unique types?
- April 2, 2017 at 7:05 AM
Why should Pakistan need to field-test any HEU-based nuclear WMD warhead when its well known that China in the early 1980's already supplied a reliable, tested HEU bomb design and Pakistan had cold tested it quite a few times since 1984?
- April 2, 2017 at 7:57 AM
Hi prasun,
Would T-6/Bhim sph given the same performance as K-9/Vajra SPH if the program had been successfully implemented?
- April 2, 2017 at 8:08 AM
- Ved said...
Dear Prasun,
Thanks for this insight on SPHs.But do you think 100 of k9s are enough for western theatre?
- April 2, 2017 at 9:20 AM
- Jyoti Sen said...
Dada how many k9 will atlast join in IA? And what about the motorised howitzer which ceaser howitzer was favourite. And what happened to the m777 light howitzer?
- April 2, 2017 at 9:59 AM
Excellent detailed post........as usual.
So - some movement on the Artillery front.........so hopefully in 3 years from now.....we should have @100 K9/10's, @100 odd M-777's and about @70+ Dhanush's..........and hopefully a few more Pinaka's 1's/2's.....and additional Brahmos ..........
Guess - time for Prasun to put up a nice detailed/updated post on the Indian Arty !!
By the way: who's gonna be the new RM (how long will Jet-ly do this part time) ??
- April 2, 2017 at 10:14 AM
- The Engdoc Society said...
Very Interesting article
Do in future any further tracked Guns will be ordered K9 or any other Gun
When do we see selection of wheeled guns and what contenders are there in the race
Further your expert views on shortage of ASW helicopters in IN, is n't limiting the capability of IN to a greater Extent and also now some of the MPA have been decommissioned and the requirement of ASW is more than ever and on the other hand MOD has approved purchase of HAL Dhruv For IN and CG, why can n't much needed ASW helicopters be purchased urgently.
Dada can this be the case HAL has modified and developed HAL Dhruv into ASW helicopter
- April 2, 2017 at 11:22 AM
1.Sir even Indonesia is making it's own UAVs,Assault Rifle,Large Transport Aircraft through it's private companies.
Sir in your opinion,what's stopping our Private Industry to from doing their own R&D and manufacture products like American,British,Indonesian,South-Korean or even Spanish companies do?
2.There's a recent news that Indian company SAMTEL is going to make JV with a South-Korean company for making Avionics.So it this Avionics for AMCA?
3.There's a pic circulating over the internet shared by Shaurav Jha of Ground based fairing separation tests with the booster for HSTDV.So what's this facility used for?Missiles or MIRVs?
Thanks in advance.
As usual Awesome article.Looks like L&T is serious about Make In India.
- April 2, 2017 at 12:50 PM
- Senthil Kumar said...
Dear Prasun,
Yes everyone agrees with you about Pakistan 1998 Nuclear Testing is based on Plutonium.
But I read one article saying that A.Q Khan team tried HEU based nuclear explosion before trying Plutonium based explosion in 1998. (One week before Plutonium Explosion).
He thought it will work. But it failed. After failure only, Bopali khan got humiliated and joins PAEC team for Plutonium Explosion to save his face.
S.Senthil Kumar
- April 2, 2017 at 3:53 PM
- RJS said...
In the light of these revelations , would it be right to assume that Pakistan's arsenal is only Pu based and since they lack Pu re processing facilities, all such re processing is done in China .
Hence , their N arsenal is very limited .
- April 2, 2017 at 3:58 PM
- himanshu vij said...
U said l&t will procure nsv 12.7 mm guns from Russia but , aren't these guns are manufactured by OFB & there was some news regarding , increased production of 130 mm & 155 mm artillery shells , is it true hasve we gained complete sufficiency in artillery sheels manufacturing & what about the uae , artillery shells export.
& Sir how many weapons do ofb actually produce themselves , instead of assembling & importing knoc-down kits.
- April 2, 2017 at 8:21 PM
Your observations and conclusions regarding the pakistani HEU Vs Pl atomic bombs and their numbers must be nearest to the reality.
- April 2, 2017 at 8:44 PM
Do you believe that China covertly tested n-warhead on Pakistan's behalf at its facility in Lop Nur testing range quite a few times in 1983 and again in 1986 and 1990 ?
- April 2, 2017 at 10:36 PM
- April 2, 2017 at 10:38 PM
So Sir, Is it possible that Pak has both Uranium & Plutonium based devices, Uranium warhead being a Chini design and so field-tested covertly in China so as to prevent getting sanctioned? and they later tested their plutonium designs on fruition during May,1998, which they was pursuing parallelly with HEU based design?
- April 2, 2017 at 11:04 PM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To VIJAY: What is it that the C-295 can do that the An-32RE can't? Why is it that the IN & ICGS have BOTH requested for MALE-UAVs like the Predator's Guardian variant? So, let's first get the mission reqmts right before going into the related economics of such procurements.
To GOPI: So is it your view that a fully validated design is good enough & therefore it is totally unnecessary to acquire a corresponding totally validated & proven industrial eco-system required for turning those designs into hardware for any kind of field-tests? In the history of the industrial revolution can you give me any 1 example where such a practice has been successfully conducted? Also, FYI Dr Khan himself has subsequently stated that the 1st so-called cold-test was carried out in April 1989, & not in 1984. All claims relating to 1984 & 1987 were meant merely to bluff the bworld & the likes of journalist Kuldip Nayyar.
To BLACK BOX: Yes, definitely so. In fact, the same 52-cal barrel of the BHIM could easily have been used also for a motorised 155mm/52-cal howitzer that could well have been co-developed by DENEL & OFB & this would then have become the Mounted Gun System. That's why I have given the entire history of this merry-go-round to showcase how unplanned & ill-conceived procurement plans make mincemeat of any potential military-industrial roadmaps that are not only operationally the optimum choice, but are also financially the most viable.
To VED: More than enough, as I will explain later tonight in the concluding part of the narrative.
To JYOTI SEN: The numbers are already given above. M-777 UFH procurement contract has already been inked. The only outstanding one concerns the 155mm/52-cal MGS.
- April 3, 2017 at 12:21 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To RAMAN: Yes, matters are progressing ahead, but in an incoherent manner when viewed from the military-industrial angle. Only when there is hardware commonality can procurements become financially viable. For instance, now the IA will have imported 155mm/39-cal barrels, 'desi' 155mm/45-cal barrels, plus 'desi' & imported 155mm/52-cal barrels. Furthermore, I had suggested to the MoD that instead of placing piecemeal orders for 2 Regiments of Pinaka-1/2 once every 5 years, the MoD should place orders for up to 6 Regiments for a symbolic payment of Rs.1, with actual contractual payments being spread out over a 5- or 10-year period. That's because while the MoD may have financial constraints, the private-sector OEMs don't & they therefore can create immediate cashflows merely by showing their confirmed orderbooks to financial institutions & use that as collateral for borrowing funds reqd for executing the contracts on a fast-track basis. However, the main hurdle for implementing such a scheme remains an entrenched bureaucratic mindset within both the MoD & Union MoF that prevents the practical realisation of multi-5-year long-term integrated perspective plans.
To RAMAN: Those were all speculations that were later confirmed to be as such by no lerss a person than Dr A Q 'Bhopali' Khan who went public in 2013 (after being released from house arrest) by stating that the first so-called cold-test of a nuclear device to be conducted by KRL was done in only April 1989. So, if China had already conducted actual field-tests of such devices as a favour for China, where then was the need for conducting such laboratory cold-tests?
To THE ENGDOC SOCIETY: The IA's stated total reqmt for 155mm/52-cal T-SPHs remains 120 units, 145 155mm/39-cal UFHs, & 814 truck-mounted 155mm/52-cal MGS & 1,850 towed 155mm/52-cal ATAGS, plus the 114 Dhanush 155mm/45-cal towed howitzers. As for the 8 Tu-142Ms being decommissioned, their roles have now being taken over by 12 P-8Is & if the 25 Guardian MALE-UAVs are acquired, then maritime surveillance throughout the IOR won't be a problem. The Dhruv ALH lacks the endurance of an ASW platform & therefore a stretched 7.5-tonne version of the Dhruv is reqd. However, this won't become available in the near future. Existing Dhruv ALHs for IN & ICGS are meant for some flight-training & SAR purposes. In fact, the ICGS requires more of these than the IN, while the IN requires 44 10-tonne NMRHs & 24 12-tonne NMRHs. Since the 10 Ka-28PLs are now being upgraded, what remains an immediate priority is the upgrade of the Sea King Mk.42Bs.
- April 3, 2017 at 12:21 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To ASMIT S: What's stopping? It is the existence of the MoD's Dept of Defence Production & Supplies, whose Secretary is a sitting Board-member of all DPSUs. So why should he encourage private-sector companies to win contracts when by doing so he will be committing criminal breach of trust against the OFB? 2) No, not for avionics but for vectronics. 3) Dunno. Better ask the one who's circulating such pix. Lastly, the K-9 & K-10 won't be made in India. They will only be assembled in India.
To SENTHIL KUMAR: All those erroneous ASSUMPTIONS were the result of deliberate disinformation generated by the Pakistanis during the years when their nuclear WMD activities were under a state of public denial. Even now, after coming out in the open, several critical details are being kept under wraps, with the only exception being the activities of Dr A Q 'Bhopali' Khan & this is because he is now an international pariah & therefore it becomes far easier to make him the scapegoat while in the process hiding all other activities involving the PAEC & NESCOM & their Chinese collaborators.
To RJS: Ask anyone involved with reactor engineering & he/she will be able to tell after seeing the photos of the Khushab installations that what's there are only PHWRs & their new heavy water production plants, & no fuel reprocessing facilities. In short, what's been under circulation since 1987 is only bluff followed by bluster about 'full-spectrum deterrence. India's answer to that has been to call the bluff through 'full-spectrum dominance'.
To HIMANSHU VIJ: They're all ASSEMBLED by OFB. Kits are imported from Russia in knocked-down condition. That's why the NSV HMGis NEVER shown or displayed by the OFB during either Aero India or DEFEXPO expos as part of its product portfolio. It is impossible to produce everything in-house due to limited quantity of the reqmts. Hence the most critical items like the chemicals used for making propellants & explosive materials have to be imported, just like the composite resins used for making the airframes of Dhruv, LCH, LUH & LCA are all imported.
- April 3, 2017 at 12:22 AM
There is an example -Israel, who in late 1966 achieved the capability of making nuclear bomb. It had designed the bomb but dare not test it since it would have annouced its programme to the world. Instead by Nov 1966 it completed the cld testing of each critical parts of the weapon. And the decision to build the bomb was made during the tension packed days of May 1967 as they faced a threat of war from the combined forces of Egypt, Syria and Jordan and under enormous pressure, they assembled 2 nuclear bombs but their leaders rejected the proposal of announcing it.
Coming to Pakistan, even if China had not conducted proxy field-tests for Pakistan which is very unlikely, I think they didnt feel it necessary to hot-test after confirming the cold-testing, because they could rely on the blueprints and the China supplied DIY kit to manufacture a proven HEU based bomb specially after it became very evident to the world that Pakistan had mastered all the complex technological challenges of uranium enrichment in the 1980 s itself. And after the Shakti tests of 1998, they must have felt the need to test their unsubstantiated plutonium design so as to refine it and produce more compact designs with better yield.
I'd like to know your viewpoint on this matter.
- April 3, 2017 at 2:32 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To GOPI & RAMAN: The stuff about Israel's nuclear WMD capailities in 1967 is pure fiction/conjecture. Nor is there any conclusive evidence about China conducting proxy tests on Pakistan's behalf because Pakistan, for starters, never had any inclination to acquire nuclear WMDs that could be delivered by bombers & dropped as unguided gravity bombs. Why? Simple: the so-called N-bomb designs shared by China with Pakistan were all configured for delivery by H-6 bombers of the type Pakistan never possessed. Neither is it true that the whole world believed Pakistan's ability to acquire 'desi' HEU. Again why? because it was never evident. All reports by Western intelligence agencies that are now declassified only contain probable or speculative conclusions, & are not conclusive due to lack of supporting material evidence. Lastly, cold-tests at the laboratory are totally different from actual tests that have to be carried out in order to validate the robustness of all the 'desi' high-precision components under field conditions, especially for a country that's devoid of any high-precision engineering expertise or even experimental physics expertise. This, along with the attainment of criticality by the Khushab-based PHWRs way way way after October 1998 itself rules out any possibility of domestically-produced plutonium being used in any of the 'desi' devices tested by the PAEC/NESCOM in May 1998.
1) Pakistan never had an indigenous HEU production programme.
2) Pakistan never wanted nuclear WMDs that were based on gravity bombs.
3) Pakistan never tested any kind of HEU-based N-WMD either inside Pakistan or in China.
4) Pakistan did not possess any locally-produced weapons-grade plutonium in 1998 since its first PHWR at Khushab went on-line only in October 1998.
5) Thus, in light of all the above, the devices tested in May 1998 by PAEC/NESCOM were all off-the-shelf warheads procured from China & that explains Dr Samar Mubarak Mand's successive visits to Lanzhou via Urumqi, Xinjiang, between May 14 & 26, 1998. I'm sure he did not undertake such visits as mere recreational picnics at such a crucial time.
Those who want more anecdotal stuff about all this are more than welcome to read the book:
Learning to Live with the Bomb: Pakistan 1998-2016 by Naeem Salik
That will put an end to all the still on-going needless speculation (in this thread) about the type of weapons-grade fissile materials used, the type of N-WMDs reqd by the PA since the early 1990s (i.e. warheads delivered by BMs & not gravity bombs) & what were the actual roles of KRL & PAEC/NESCOM.
- April 3, 2017 at 3:14 AM
Just a few things.
1) Where can one read on Dr Samar Mubarak Mand's successive visits to Lanzhou via Urumqi, Xinjiang, between May 14 & 26, 1998??
2) I dnt think CIA or various embassy reports would mention anything in its reports without material evidence nor would the NSA.
3) Lop nur has an undergroud test facility too.
4) It may very well be possible that Pakistan did not possess any locally-produced weapons-grade plutonium in 1998 but they certainly do so now.
5) Their enrichment facilities are camouflaged and underground since China and Pakistan both knew that CIA was after them since 1960's.
Just trying to follow what Swami Vivekananda once said "Begin with disbelief. Analyse, test, prove everything, and then take it." I hope you do that too.
- April 3, 2017 at 4:41 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To GOPI: 1) It had appeared in several Indian newspapers in that very period. 2) The reports always contain material evidence descriptions that can be redacted if reqd. However, no such redactions are there in any of those reports. 3) It has always had since the 1960s. What's so great about it? 4) No they don't possess any in-country stocks since they don't even have any in-country fissile materials reprocessing facility. 5) Read the self-confession of Dr A Q 'Bhopali' Khan that was reproduced in THE SUNDAY TIMES newspaper in the previous decade. I had reproduced it in full in a thread in 2011 itself. In that everything is revealed about all of Dr Khan's smuggled hardware from throughout Europe being sent to Hanzhong in Xian, China by PAF C-130 air freight.
You ought to try harder to follow the Swami's advice since your comments are implying that you are trying to defend a materially indefensible PoV whose foundations rest not on established/proven/empirical ground realities but rather on 'alternative facts'.
- April 3, 2017 at 5:43 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
IA COAS Gen Bipin Rawat in Dhaka https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y81dhGIf5Y
Sri Lanka The new Hongkong? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swpR32sifrs
China's Burqa & Beard Ban https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViAOkIrkv9k
PLA Patrolling in Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S25ccv3UdnY
- April 3, 2017 at 5:59 AM
- Srinivasa Nanduri said...
Hi Prasun,
China is overwhelming India in its own neighbourhood. A media disinformation campaign seems to have started to put pressure on India with regard to RCEP / OBOR / MSR and CPEC. And now a report from USA as well on so called human rights abuses in India.
What is our MEA doing to address all this. We are fast loosing Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal and China seems to be everywhere, even in our own country.
A in flexible appraoch will only harm India and seems we have painted ourselves to a corner. And to add to this voilence in Kashmir. No matter who instigates it the terrorist nation Pakistan is getting good press and India is being slapped around.
What is the way out of all this? Or Am I reading to much into this?
Srinivasa Nanduri
- April 3, 2017 at 7:25 AM
1. A Q Khan in his 13 page self-confession in 2004 also states that "By 1984 we had conducted successful cold tests and had manufactured all components for 30 nuclear devices. Upon my personal request, the Chinese Minister for Nuclear Technology had gifted us 50 Kg of weapon-grade enriched uranium, enough for 2 weapons."
2. Again In his letter to his wife written in 2003, he says "(Darling), The Chinese gave us drawings of the nuclear weapon, gave us kg50 enriched uranium, gave us 10 tons of UF6 (natural) and 5 tons of UF6 (3%). Chinese helped PAEC in setting up UF6 plant, production reactor for plutonium and reprocessing plant.
What do you think?
- April 3, 2017 at 7:31 AM
Here's interesting Blast-from the past read report:
It says that Israeli agents were caught in Kochi for Spying on Indian Navy by RAW.
I though Israel is the country whom we can trust.What's you analysis over this PS?
- April 3, 2017 at 11:26 AM
- himanshu vij said...
Sir u haven't replied regarding my query on export of sheels to uae & increased production of 130 & 155mm shells ???
& How good is this k-9 vajra according to u , is l&t doing good work & l&t senior once somewhere I was reading said 13 are major subsystems & 25 domesticatcally developed ( with DRDOs help systems would be included. So how many systems are included.
- April 3, 2017 at 3:50 PM
PRASUN DA,Thanks for the Tracked SPH Merry-Go-Round"-Article.Any news about heavy fire-support combat vehicle (FSCV) & land-mobile 120mm breech-loading mortar?
About the "PLA Patrolling in Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor"- what is you views?
Wakhan — as the theatre of geo-strategic importance for stability in the restive Af-Pak region with a greater implication for shutting the terror tap from Pakistan.Gen. V.K. Singh once told The Telegraph that, China is opening its narrow border with Afghanistan with roads and probably a tunnel under the Pamir ranges skirting Jammu and Kashmir with strategic implications for India. Singh said that in the course of his research, he has found evidence of military engineering activity on the Chinese side of the border. A 2012 report by Gen. V.K. Singh :
Please share your views.
- April 3, 2017 at 8:05 PM
why is the ASI not leading the archaeological exploration/preservation efforts in Afghanistan especially sites that are under threat like mes aynak. strange lack of concern for own heritage.
- April 3, 2017 at 9:05 PM
- Jyoti Sen said...
Dada so India will order ceaser,? Why not archer? As it will bring commonality with dhanush and atags?
- April 3, 2017 at 11:04 PM
invented-designed-developed-made --- in india. but no commercial takers
good news about the TATA BRABO tho
if the labor reforms arent done soon while theres still time to put unskilled/low skilled people to good use...
- April 3, 2017 at 11:13 PM
Thanx. Now from all corners of the views, the Pakistani nuke program stands fully exposed.
- April 4, 2017 at 12:52 AM
- asd said...
Prasun ji,
You are correct. Pakistan is living in cuckoo land aka lilyput. Just Google "fox lady" and you will come to Knowthe mindset of the people there.
- April 4, 2017 at 1:00 AM
Is this tender to replace Flycatcher radars (with foreign vendors) still valid when LRDE is developing Atulya ADFCR radars...
- April 4, 2017 at 4:01 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To VIKRAM GUHA: 1) The AAM will be the Mistral ATAM from MBDA. Only the IAF's AH-64E Apaches will have Stinger AAMs. 2) Only Western air-to-surface PGMs & ASPJ pods are compatible with combat aircraft of Russian design origin. Western AAMs are not, because the source-codes of MMRs on-board the Russia-origin aircraft like MiG-29UPG, MiG-29K & Su-30MKI have never been shared by Russia with India. 3) There's no shortage of SSKs as such. The real shortage is for SSNs.
To SRINIVASA NANDURI: LoLz! Yes, you're absolutely right about the disinformation campaign now underway from certain vested interests who stand to make financial windfalls from such efforts. But at the same time, you're not reading too much, but too little of it all. I will explain all this in great detail later today.
To RAMAN S: It's no use trying to make sense out of disinformation being dolled out at a far later stage, i.e. 2003/2004 when a lot more was already known by then, thanks to the disclosures by Libya, Iran, Dubai & Switzerland about the exact business dealings involving Dr A Q 'Bhopali' Khan & KRL. And the Dr himself furbished further 'facts' to a few select Pakistani TV channels after his release from house arrest in 2013 (such as the first cold tests being carried out not by PAEC, but by KRL according to him in April 1989). The questions one should ask are: if China gave designs & fissile materials for making nuclear warheads, then what prevented Beijing from supplying all the industrial components for such devices as well? Why did Pakistan spend enormous resources throughout the 1980s in trying to get such high-precision triggering devices & measuring equipment from Western sources? Why were supercomputers excluded from such wishlists? Why did the NDC (later merged with NESCOM) never show any illustrations of CFD analysis calculations on any of its brochures since 1998 & instead only showed illustrations of missile cones? Why do all published literature originating from Pakistan continue to insist that KRL never had any in-house expertise in experimental nuclear physics or reactor physics—these being must-reqmts for any institution dedicated to developing N-WMDs? Why all such literature post-1998 have eulogized only the achievements of PAEC & PINSTECH? Answers to all these questions undoubtedly reveal that Dr Khan & his KRL were used primarily for 'mis-direction' & his network was actually used for conducting industrial espionage on China's behalf, with China being the ultimate material beneficiary.
- April 4, 2017 at 5:28 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To ASMIT S: That news-report never states anything about the target (like Indian Navy) of any Israel-sponsored/directed espionage activity. Nor will any large contingent of Israelis ever camp inside India for 2 years to engage in such activities, since this goes against all espionage-related trade practices.
To ASOK: It is not about ramping-up, but modernisation of shipbuilding capabilities. And the PLAN or any other navy won't ever set up any naval bases in any deep-water port (because it's impossible to do so), but will instead have such facilities at a Greenfield naval base at Ormara that is now under construction, as I have repeatedly explained since 2012.
To HIMANSHU VIJ: OFB now can export the following types of 155mm rounds:
155mm SHELL HE 107
155mm SHELL HE M 77B
155mm SHELL HEER
155mm SHELL SMOKE ER 24KM
155mm HE ERFB BT
155mm HE ERFB BB
SHELL 155 mm ILLUMINATING MIRA
SHELL 155mm HE
SHELL 155mm ILLUMINATING ERFB
SHELL 155mm SCREENING SMOKE BE M2A2
The K-9 Vajra-T is a proven T-SPH & has already been exported to other countries. All India-developed sub-systems to be used have already been named * identified in the narrative above.
To SUVO: VMT. The Wakhan Corridor at the southern base of the Pamir mountain range is a pretty inhospitable piece of land, as shown here:
It is through Tajikistan & thence through northern Afghanistan that the Uighurs from Xinjiang transit while heading for Turkey or Syria to join ISIS. Hence Beijing is hell-bent on closing this transit route, which is explained here:
Xinjiang https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM66CplHGqY
And here's a brief but detailed history of Xinjiang:
For India, the Wakhan Corridor is of vital strategic importance since it ensures physical territorial connectivity with both Afghanistan & Tajikistan. That's why foregoing or forgetting about India's sovereignty over PoK is no longer an option.
- April 4, 2017 at 5:29 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To BHOUTIK: Because those areas have yet to be firmly secured by the ANA, especially around Bamiyan. Meanwhile, on another note, matters are getting serious WRT 40,000 Rohingyas in India:
And in this documentary (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH-4e2RsnSY), watch from 0.35.48 till the end how easy it was for a Caucasian from the BBC to illegally cross over into Myanmar from Mizoram!
To JYOTI SEN: Archer is highly automated as it is optimised for operations in Sweden & is therefore more expensive than the Caesar. Therefore, in any competitive evaluation, the Caesar will easily emerge as L-1 because it has already been series-produced for export in large numbers.
To ASD: To get a precise idea of what kind of cuckooland it exactly it is, watch this discussion about the PA's former COAS now Heading for KSA to assume command of a phantom army (since it exists only on paper) that will ostensibly be made up of personnel from 39 countries:
Meanwhile, the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan last Sunday voiced Iran's severe displeasure & dissatisfaction over such an appointment. So it is now a case of the KSA being Pakistan's brother, while Iran remains only a 'friendly neighbour'. Therefore, the PA from now on ought to brace itself for fiercer exchanges of field artillery fire-assaults emanating from Iran throughout the Iran-Pakistan land border.
- April 4, 2017 at 5:30 AM
You had earlier said that IAF wants 40 Super Herons but media reports suggest IAF is going to buy 10 Heron TP. Are they true? Will they be armed as per reports? with Spike missiles or what?
- April 4, 2017 at 5:31 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
Telephonics FOPEN foliage penetration radar now undergoing field-trials in Bastar & elsewhere for the CRPF:
- April 4, 2017 at 5:31 AM
- Ved said...
Dear Prasun,
The DAC recently approved orders worth approx. 900 cr. of acquisitions including :
1. Barak 1 missile. Why are we buying additional Barak 1 system? I thought they will be phased out and new QRSAM will be developed and deployed to replace these Barak 1. I am confused.
2. The other proposals cleared by the DAC include the Rs 311 crore purchase of "clip-on suites" to counter mines at sea, as also the procurement of "expendable bathy thermograph systems" under the foreign military sales programme from the US. The thermograph systems basically check temperatures at various water depths to ascertain the range of sonars meant to detect enemy submarines. Can you please explain these acquisitions.The concept as well as the product.
3. Two additional Phalcon AEW&CS platform.This is welcome as three are inadequate for two frontiers.
- April 4, 2017 at 1:16 PM
- joydeep ghosh said...
@prasun da
1. you said 'They will need to be an integral part of the armoured formation, but at the same time it should not be a vehicle with five turrets and multiple weapons.'
does it mean a force multplyer option like the one below if done same with Pinaka MBRL
is not worth it for IA
I feel to save ICVs/APCs/MBTs from dung in fire assault as well as pulverise the opposition arty assault the kind of force multiplier option being proposed in above link if done the same with Pinaka MBRL can be helpful not just in plains but hilly areas where opposition cant be seen beyond a limit and its best to pulverise them with massive rocket assault
2. That K9 Vajra will be inducted is known but once a MGS like Ceaser Nexter (if chosen by IA) comes then these K9 will become obsolete, can IA afford that
3. What can a 12 ton NMRH do a 10 ton NMRH cant
4. The only way India can access Wakhan corridor without being obstructed by PA is by west of Karakoram highway N35/G314 (as per google maps) from sost via reshit in GB. To reach that place IA needs control of Saksgam valley/Trans Karakoram tract. I know u have said we can reach it without touching Saksgam valley, but as per google map access to hunza valley/saksgam vallay is must
your view
Joydeep Ghosh
- April 4, 2017 at 3:27 PM
- Jyoti Sen said...
So dada which variant of ceaser will IA order? 8×8 variant looks more automated.
- April 4, 2017 at 3:36 PM
Thanks for the reply.
China holds military exercises at Myanmar border amid tensions.According to state-run Xinhua news agency, Chinese authorities had informed Myanmar of the drill before it kicked off.
- April 4, 2017 at 8:23 PM
Whats your perspective to these points that NSA Shri Ajit Doval raises in that video-
1. China had told USPACOM that "You leave the IOR to us and We'll leave the Pacific to you. Eliminate India. We'd like to dominate the Indian ocean" to which the americans said "No"
2. In the IO they had made the Pearl of Strings i.e. in Coco Island, Myanmar, Chittagng, Habantota and Gwadar where they are going to have their naval vessels and their naval presence.
3. They have brought the D-25 to Tibet, and they have now been brought closer to the border.
4. There is no point in going for the tanks. Tank battles are over. So lets not go for the development of MBT but LCA.
5. Pakistan can hit a lot of targets in India to decapacitate us but what do we hit in Pakistan? There arent a lot of `(counter value) targets etc.
- April 4, 2017 at 9:39 PM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To VIJAY: LoLz! Is there any evidence anywhere about the Heron-TP being armed & being used by anyone in that manner? FYI the IDF of Israel uses only Hermes 450 & Hermes 900 as armed UAS, & not the Heron-TP. Nor was the Heron-TP shown at AI-2017 in an armed configuration. So what do all these indicate? And after India's inclusion within MTCR, has any RFI or RFP been released by anyone in India WRT procurement of armed UAS? So let's not get carried away by the rants of ill-informed 'desi bandalbaazes'. Yet another rant is about the replacement of Flycatcher fire-control systems. These morons don't even know that 200 Flycatchers were procured to replace the Oerlikon Super Fledermaus of 1970s vintage. The number of 66 therefore pertains not to the Flycatcher, but to the Signaal Reporter low-level early warning radars mounted to BEML-TATRA vehicles.
To VED: The additional Barak-1s are immediate replacements of those Barak-1s whose service lives have already expired. The naval QR-SAM will not be a 'desi' product since the co-development with MBDA has now been shelved for good. 'Clip-on Suites' refers to explosive devices that are carried by underwater ROVs procured by the IN from ECA of France & these ROVs then attach the suites to the detected sea mines for remote detonation. Expendable bathy thermograph systems are meant for the P-8I LRMR/ASW platforms & these will come from ULTRA Electronics.
To JYOTI SEN: The IA's Caesars will be mounted on Ashok Leyland 6 x 6 trucks.
To SUVO: That's why Myanmar recently showed off its latest acquisition from Russia: upgraded KUB/KVADRAT MR-SAMs. Here's the videoclip of that parade:
Also do watch the state of China's NH-219 in Aksai Chin:
After watching this, anyone who claims that the PLA can bring in 34 Divisions into TAR within a few hours must be living in cuckooland!
- April 4, 2017 at 10:52 PM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To SCRUTATOR: Only 66 Flycatchers with the IA??? These morons don't even know that 200 Flycatchers were procured to replace the Oerlikon Super Fledermaus of 1970s vintage. The number of 66 therefore pertains not to the Flycatcher, but to the Signaal Reporter low-level early warning radars mounted to BEML-TATRA vehicles.
To JOYDEEP GHOSH: 1) LoLz! Those MBRLs are useful only in flat terrain of the type prevalent in large portions of the Middle East where it is easy to construct highways without any sharp bends. That's not possible in either India or Pakistan or China & hence none of them have such MBRLs in service. It's that simple. 2) The K-9 Vajra-T as I had explained above will be plains-oriented where corss-country mobility across agricultural land is of the essence. Truck-mounted MGS or motorised 155mm/52-cal howitzers on the other hand can easily negotiate sharp bends on roads in the highlands & mountainous terrain & now they are also air-transportable with the C-17A Globemaster. 3) The 12-tonne NMRH can fly farther & has greater light endurance. 4) Why should the IA go by road to reach Wakhan Corridor? Can't air-mobile units be deployed faster? Why do you think the IAF has procured Mi-17V-5s in such large numbers?
- April 4, 2017 at 11:05 PM
1) Pravin Sawhney states in this 2012 article that,
"In the low-level threat, the PLA has been assessed to field 5 to 6 divisions on the LAC against India. The medium level threat envisages 8 to 12 divisions facing us. The high level threat could be 18 to 20 divisions staring us in the face."
What is your assesment according to the current scenario?
2) Who is the target customer here?
- April 4, 2017 at 11:16 PM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To VIJAY: 1) This was covered & explained in detail in the previous thread. Whether it is 8, 12, 18, 20 or 34, which exactly are these Divisions, where are they lurking & are they acclimatised enough to be suddenly inserted all along the LAC in the west, centre & east? Has such ba scenario even been wargamed by the PLA? Has the PLA since 2010 been able to insert even a complete Division or even a Brigade during any wargaming exercise held inside TAR? Why then has the PLA found it impossible (despite increasing perks & allowances) to find the quantum of trained military manpower for the annual Battalion-level training deployments into TAR? Whay has the PLA been practicing only the deployment of a lateral in-depth defence line north of thje Yarlong Tsangpo River? Why have no offenssive-oriented exercises been conducted south of this River till today? Isn't it being forgotten that even in 1962 the PLA could muster only a Brigade in Ladakh & two Brigades along NEFA for its offensive campaigns? Answers to all these questions will reveal the true state of the PLAS & its force orientations inside TAR all along the LAC.
As for the Condor-2 LOROP pods, they are meant for the IAF's upgraded Jaguar IS/DARIN-3 aircraft. Previous Condor-2 pods supplied to the IAF were for the Jaguar IS/DARIN-2 & Mirage 2000Hs.
- April 4, 2017 at 11:58 PM
Hi Prasun,
Some new videos that depict the infrastructure just across the border,
Chinese Infrastructure near Tawang
Chinese Airfields of relevance to India
Nyingchi to Lhasa
Xinjiang to Tibet
- April 4, 2017 at 11:59 PM
- Srinivasa Nanduri said...
Hi Prasun,
Thank you for your reply.
Hope you heard comments from Nikki Haley on Indo Pakistan dailogue and USA intervention into it. Also, India's rebuttal. Pakistani news channels are going ga ga over this. Pakistani news reporter was really smart in asking a direct question and boxing USA to a corner. How can she say something like this. Will Trump really meddle in Kashmir issue against Indian wishes?
And also, this is not the first time that Dalai Lama is visiting Arunanchal Pradesh. Why is China is making so much noise this time around?
Srinivasa Nanduri
- April 5, 2017 at 12:12 AM
With most of the major infrastructure in place, including highways, artery & feeder roads, railways, high speed trains, dual use airfields, missile tunnels, pipelines, cables etc and the upgradation and deepening of the logistic support force, and their current emphasis on joint campaigns; China undertaking and sustaining upto at least 20-24 divisions along our frontiers within a month in the form of PLA, Armed Police, Frontier Guards, PLAAF units, Garrison Duty Forces and reserves, is not a distant threat scenario. But yes, the troops and their reinforcements would require about one more week to acclimatise. Also they would rely mostly on long-range strike by long-range precision rocket, missile and strategic bomber forces to blunt India's defences. Presently the IA is seriously handicapped in all those fields, the only silver lining being the IAF.
However practically, I think their transition from peacetime to wartime operations, coordination procedures and the combat effectiveness of forces under joint campaigns are under serious doubt. But PLA joint operations are constantly improving and they appear to be pursuing a well-orchestrated strategy of positioning themselves in a situation of advantage. On the other hand, the situation on this side of the border leaves a lot to be desired.
Lastly, this report claims that it was the IA which assessed that PLA could move 34 Divisions to Tibet in a maximum threat scenario!
- April 5, 2017 at 2:35 AM
and isn't it 250 Flycathers that were procured from Hollandse Signaal in 1985 with a deal to produce the FCS?
- April 5, 2017 at 3:26 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To SRINIVASA NANDURI: LoLz! Nikki Haley's offer was only about lessening the heat in India-Pak relations, & not about any form of mediation. What she said was that in order for the temperature to come down, Pakistan will be required to renounce in a verifiable manner all kinds of support from terrorism. She never said that the US will mediate on the J & K issue. Pakistanis always claim otherwise (& try to brainwash their citizens with it) since they always assume that the US has bought the illogical & illegal Pakistyani narrative about J & K being the core reasons for all tensions between India & Pakistan.
China is making noises abiout the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh because of its own ideological insecurities. It suits India just fine because it gives India the perfect chance to remind Beijinbg that if there's no appreciation of 'One India' policy of India, then there can never be a 'One China' policy acceptance by India. In addition, if China continues to harp about India's infrastructure developments in AP, then India too gains credence when opposing all CPEC-related projects making use of or going through PoK.
To RAMAN S: The 2nd video of the Xinjiang to Tibet route isn't from Xinjiang to TAR. Instead, it starts from Tashkurgan & then heads west towards the Wakhan Corridor, with the Miustagh Pass to its left.
And here are some corresponding videoclips about developments south of the LAC inside India:
Trans-Arunachal Highway https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5FxAZXf9go
Indo-Arunachal Pradesh Highway https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zaBL488jig
NH 229 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuXuZ2UhCI0
Train to Manipur https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr6aj1jDKBk
Strategic Rail Links https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjLb-6GBJu8
- April 5, 2017 at 4:32 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To VIJAY: Just to give you an example of how much flawed that analysis is, just go to GooglerEarth & try to locate any dual-use airfield or missile tunnel inside TAR that is close to the LAC. None of these airfields (like Lhasa Gonggar or Shigatse or Linzhi or Ngari) have even the basic military infrastructure reqd for hosting MRCAs for prolonged periods, no dedicated military hangars or dedicated ammo storage igloos. Only Lhasa Gonggar & Shigatse have permanent SAM sites but the SAM detachments are only of a temporary nature & come all the way from Chengdu & Kunming. As for troop acclimatisation, only an armchair commentator will make such spectacularly erroneous conclusions, since it isn't just about acclimatisation, but also familiarity with the terrain's tyranny that counts & such familiarity can only come from deployments of a permanent nature in the forward areas, which the PLA is loathe to do & all this was brilliantly illustrated in 1986-87 during the Wangdung/Sumdorong Chu Incident when the deployed PLA units suffered enormous casualties from Malaria, Dyssentry & Typhoid when they were forced to deploy along mountain ridges close to the LAC. In sharp contrast, the IA never suffered any such casualty. The only lesson the PLA had then learnt was that a string of helipads have to be built all along the LAC to evacuate such casualties & that's what there even today. No large-scale heli-bases at all. Western commentators don't have access to all that had happened at that time & therefore are all blissfully unaware of the ground realities of OP FALCON at that time & hence their totally flawed estimations on the PLA's battlefield performance along mountainous terrain . Long-range rocket-artillery strikes of a punitive nature can now be conducted by both sides & neither party has any decisive advantage over the other.
That 2011 assessment by the IA HQ was in fact subsequently rubbished by both the IA's Eastern & Northern Command HQs when subjected to objective in-house operations analysis. The IA HQ had at that time found it expedient to selectively leak portions of its flawed assessment to the 'desi' media just for the sake of increasing its lobblying efforts for the proposed MSC at that time. But as we all know now, such efforts were shortsighted & therefore by 2013 they had backfired.
Only 200 Flycatchers were acquired to replace the same number of Super Fledermaus, along with 66 Reporter radars. Most of them were licence-assembled by BEL.
- April 5, 2017 at 4:35 AM
The RFI states that "The Indian Army is planning to procure 66 x Successor of Flycatcher and USFM Radars"
- April 5, 2017 at 7:41 AM
- Anonymous said...
Regarding the replacements for Flycatcher or the Reporter radars, the question still remains if LRDE's ADCTR or ADFCR radars in development could meet the requirement. These are pretty low tech stuff, is a foreign purchase really required? LRDE also has had decent track record in this area - the probability of them succeeding in the effort should be pretty high.
- April 5, 2017 at 8:05 AM
Prasun..Thanks for posting links to all of the infrastructure related videos, I never knew so much infrastructure work had already finished or had begun on the ground.
- April 5, 2017 at 12:26 PM
- buddha said...
1)some months earlier it was reported that India signed a deal with Israel for 10 armed drone for Indian Air-force....and AEW&CS.....so my question that when that will be delivered...and in the recent visit of Indian Prime Minister to Israel..what sort of defense deal may be discussed...I am bit confused of recently media uproar of deal of armed drones..
2) Will Indian Armed Force have to wait for nest decade to get Avenger type drone from America...
3)It is April....going on...is the Combined Air-land campaign to solve issue of Pakistan nuke and Pok will take place in the coming months...or until Rafale and S 400 to come and required force modernization and weapons stockpile..It will not take place in coming 3 to 4 years
- April 5, 2017 at 3:26 PM
- buddha said...
- April 5, 2017 at 3:31 PM
- Anup said...
As expected..Pakistan several killed in suicide attack census team in Lahore
- April 5, 2017 at 4:42 PM
- Pierre Zorin said...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPgDLhyRgaM&t=59s = what about the Wiesel? Could be very useful in the Western front as well as up the mountains being light with anti-tank capability and agility.
- April 5, 2017 at 6:11 PM
PRASUN DA,Thanks for the reply.
1) BANGLADESH Govt to restore rail links to India:
2) Bangladesh did ethnic cleansing in Chittagong Hill tracts(CHT). The main mystery is why was Chittagong Hill tracts area granted to Pakistan to begin with while it was overwhelmingly Buddhist majority area? Only Radcliff knew the answer. India could have also made a pact with provincial Bangladesh Government that after the war , Chittagong Hill Tract would be given to India . Additionally Pakistan and Bangladesh are erstwhile Indian territory,so here cant be the "expansionist agenda" work. Annexing Chittagang Hill Tract would be 1 step towards India's reunification. The woes of indigenous 'Pahari' people of Chittagong started with the Partition of the sub-continent. At the time of Partition, there were only three to five percent Muslims in the CHT region and it was only reasonable to place CHT with India.
The First Schedule of the Indian Independence Act, 1947 contained the list of Bengal Districts to be included in the New Province of East Bengal. It clearly laid down: "In the Chittagong Division - the Districts of Chittagong, Noakhali and Tippera". There was no mention of the Chittagong Hill Tracts at all.
The Radcliffe Commission submitted its Report on the 9th of August 1947. At the Staff Meeting on August 12, there was a virtual explosion and V.P. Menon, who was a confidant of Sardar Ballav Bhai Patel, reacted most violently when it came to be known that the Chittagong Hill Tracts was going to be given to Pakistan. Sardar Patel wrote an angry letter to Mountbatten expressing his indignation, calling the Radcliffe award "monstrous and a blatant breach of the terms of reference". He warned that "I am urging the tribesmen to resist amalgamation with Pakistan by force, if necessary". He was indeed a great patriot and a staunch nationalist. Mountbatten was himself surprised by the ferocity of Sardar Patel's reaction to the issue. In his memoirs he wrote "The one man I had regarded as a real statesman with both his feet firmly on the ground, and a man of honour whose word was his bond, had turned out to be as hysterical as the rest. Candidly I was amazed that such a terrific crisis should have blown up over so small a matter. However, I have been long enough in India to realise that major crises are by no means confined to big matters."
It may have been a small matter for Mountbatten in that exulted position as the Viceroy of India but what about the poor people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts?
On 2 December 1997 the Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS) signed an agreement which has been known as the 'CHT Treaty' with the Bangladesh (BD) Government:
1. Autonomy for the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
2. Withdrawal of the Bangladeshi settlers.
3. Dimilitarization of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
The BD government did not give in to the single of the JSS's demands.
The CHT is now a highly militarized zone.
The population of the Chakmas in India is now more than 230,000.
Here is a good article on CHT:
Your views.
- April 5, 2017 at 8:31 PM
- Ved said...
Dear Prasun,
Is there any realistic chance for MII fighter jets? With Reliance as a partner that option i believe is lost as Reliance will not be ready for manufacture of Rafale from raw material at least for next 5years.
What in your opinion will be MII fighter in the years to come? I seriously have begun to doubt the prospect of Rafale for MII.
- April 5, 2017 at 8:52 PM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To RAMAN S: That's right. It says 'Flycatcher and USFM radars', meaning 2 separate systems. One is Flycatcher & the other is USFM. The Flycatcher's replacement will be the LRDE-devceloped solution. That leaves the USFM for which the global RFP was subsequently released.
- April 5, 2017 at 9:07 PM
Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak himself says that "There is a possibility too that they (India) will buy our MiG 29 aircraft for refit. We reciprocate by accepting spare parts for our Sukhoi aircraft programme,"
and how big a possibility is this-
- April 5, 2017 at 10:27 PM
Is there any proposal that IN will buy 4 used sea-king helicopters from Canada?
A broader question - Are the Indian Armed forces looking out for used platforms to shore up their numbers in the 3 services in short run?
for e.g Used submarines, used Mirage2k or Mig-29 etc etc, rotary assets
- April 5, 2017 at 10:51 PM
- SUJOY MAJUMDAR said...
1. This report in ToI states that DAC has approved the purchase of of "clip-on suites" to counter mines at sea. What are these Clip On Suites?
2. Is OFB capable of designing munition for the K-9 Vajra or will that too be designed by L & T under licence?
Thanks, Sujoy
- April 5, 2017 at 11:22 PM
Dada, Then what will the 66 Reporter radar be replaced with??
- April 5, 2017 at 11:34 PM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To SCRUTATOR & ASOK: All the confusion has arisen due to the way that news-report was written. For example, there's no mention of the radar-type that has been short-listed by the IA. Nor is it mentioned for which AAA cannon-type the radars are meant for. Presently, the Reporter/Glycatcher comination is used by the IA for base air-defence tasks along with L-70 & ZU-23-2 cannons, with the IAF being responsible for operating the BVR SAMs & Igla-M MANPADS. Today it makes no sense to keep operating such cannons when SAMs of different types are available. For land-mobile air-defence the IA a;ready has upgraded ZSU-23-4 Schilkas & 2S7 Tunguska-M1s. Still, despite all this, if the IA insists on retaining the cannons, then the only solution that makes sense for both target acquisition & multi-sensor fire-control is the one shortlisted by the IA, which is the ELTA active phased-array target acquisition-trecking-engagement radar—the very same one on the upgraded ZAU-23-4 Schilkas. If the IA desires something even more expensive, then the BEL-built Lynx UX multi-sensor FCS that is now on several warships of the IN (and which is a licence-built version of the original FCS developed by Oerlikon Contraves of Switzerland (now owned by Rheinmetall) can easily be adapted for use on land. For early warning cues, use can easily be made of the IAF's Rohini S-band or later the Ashwini S-band radars. Therefore, the need for procuring new-build radars to replace the Reporter/Flycatcher combination to me appears to be highly questionable.
To THE HUNDRED: Here's some more for you:
J & K Tunnels https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRP7R9tt6O4
10.89km-long Chenani Nashri Tunnel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-WXlXkNE8M
Rohtang Pass Highway Tunnel in HP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRGk8VqnPVE
BRO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfkXvOwpWKo
BRO in Uttarkashi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFETNbJXiqs
Dhola-Sadiya Bridge on Brahmaputra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM4meCU2qlI
Bogibeel Rail-cum-Road Bridge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkomfU6iVo4
NWDA on River Interlinking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESJMILWA3L4
Kaladan Project https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTqWa37bvuU
WB's Bhor Sagar Port https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jCrddu3wrE
Sagarmala https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMe_pfRjM6c
- April 6, 2017 at 5:45 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To BUDDHA: 1) No one in India has asked for armed UAVs. The reqmt was for UAVs using diesel engines & the Super Heron meets that reqmt. The contract for 2 more A-50I PHALCONs will be inked in India before the Indian PM's visit to Israel. 2) If not, then one should ask the DRDO to first start delivering the less complex Rustom-1 & then the more complex Tapas, & then the armed Rustom-2. 3) You've jumped the gun by 1 full year. High-intensity hostilities are not due to begin this year.
To ANUP: And at the same time the desperado Pakistanis have resumed doing what they have always done in PoK just as they had in 1947 & 1948:
To PIERRE ZORIN: Such vehicles are useful only when it comes to fighting in built-up areas or urban terrain, i.e. cities & towns when they can take cover & easily manoeuvre even through alleyways.
To SUVO: That's been a wasted opportunity. The time to stake claim to CHT was in December 1971 & that time won't come back again. And in every Muslim-majority country the non-Muslim minority's population sizes will always continue to shrink without fail because of a practice called 'Daawat-e-Islam', meaning an invitation to become a Muslim by converting to Islam. The Muslim communities of South & Southeast Asia believe that if a Muslim succeeds in converting even one non-Muslim into a Muslim, then that Muslim has a guaranteed trip to paradise.
To VED: LoLz! Leave alone 5 years, it will NEVER be economically feasible to licence-build the Rafale in any shape. The same goes for the PMF/FGFA as well. The only cost-effective option therefore is to import in SKD kits & assemble them.
- April 6, 2017 at 5:46 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To RAMAN S: As far as the RMAF is concerned, they will keep using the MiG-29Ns till 2020. Its highest priority now is to bring its Su-30MKM squadron to full-strength, i.e. from 18 to 24. Next comes the MRCA/AEW & CS purchases, for which the decision was made back in 2003 to go for the JAS-39 Gripen/Erieye combination. Even though the Govt of Malaysia favours the Rafale, there's no money to buy them in the foreseeable future. And as per Russia's rules, India cannot purchase the MiG-29s from Malaysia, nor can Malaysia sell them to India. Malaysia will first have to sell them to Russia following which Russia will sell them to to another country. Nor is the IAF interested in obtaining those MiG-29s because that will leave the IAF with even less money for the Rafales. As it is the IAF is today suffering for its earlier decision to upgrade its Mirage 2000s & MiG-29s. For at a time when on one hand the IAF wants its Super Su-30MKIs, Rafales & Tejas Mk.1As with AESA-MMRs, imagine the very same IAF inducting into service the Mirage 2000Ns & MiG-28UPGs with mechanically scanning MMRs! And the IN too is in no better shape with its MiG-29Ks which should have been procured with Zhuk-AE AESA-MMRs instead of the older Zhuk-M2E.
To RAM BHARADWAJ: It wopuld be very good if the IN were to acquire about 10 surplus Sikorsky SH-3 airframes from the US & Canada & subject them to a deep upgrade, since this will easily meet the urgent reqmt for 12-tonne NMRHs meant for the 3 P-15, 3 P-15A & 4 P-15B DDGs. Both the existing 16 Sea King Mk.42Bs & these SH-3s have plenty of airframe life left in them & so during their deep upgrade the airframes can easily be zero-lifed. The only problem is that of new gearboxes & engines. But here too there's a solution: the existing Rolls-Royce engines & gearboxes can easily be replaced with certified T58-GE-16As that offer far superior hot-n-high performance parameters. All that needs to be done is for HAL to obtain a supplemental airworthiness type certificate for its glass cockpit avionics suite (the same one on the Dhruv ALH Mk.4) with the help of Sikorsky & ask Sikorsky to install & integrate the SELEX-built Osprey naval AESA-MMR on these SH-3s & Sea King Mk.42Bs. The resultant S-61T will then be a truly phenomenal NMRH. Presently, 2 US companies can offer competing S-61T configurations:
To SUJOY MAJUMDAR: 1) Had already explained that 2 days ago in my earlier comments. 2) The K-9 Vajra-T can fire all types of 155mm ammo rounds now being produced by OFB. No new-design rounds are reqd.
- April 6, 2017 at 5:46 AM
Some corresponding developments North of the LAC:
Largest CFST Railway Arch in The World Build in Tibet
World's Highest Bridge Opens in Southwest China
Linzhi Expressway
Tibet Lhasa-Xigaze railway
Chinese Roads near the Tibet-Arunachal border
Border Town Roads in Tibet
Tibet Tourism
- April 6, 2017 at 8:24 AM
China's Belt & Road Initiative
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NtprkECCiU ...
Will the new 'Silk Road' be a success?
What does China want?
- April 6, 2017 at 8:47 AM
Prasun Da,
Can you please put some light on this:
- April 6, 2017 at 9:03 AM
1.) Why should India be interested in Super Herons when it just has a MTOW of 1450Kg and 30000-ft operational ceiling compared to MTOW of 5,400 kg and operational ceiling of 45000ft for Heron TP?
2.) And if Heron TP cant be armed then why is it vying for the RAAF Project Air 7003 (Armed Remote Piloted Aircraft System) ?
- April 6, 2017 at 10:17 AM
Hi prasun,
http://idrw.org/no-takers-for-indian-nuclear-submarine-project/ is it true .Can u please give realistic information. Thanks
- April 6, 2017 at 11:13 AM
Dada.. woudnt it be better if IN were to acquire the SH-60B that were retired by the US Navy in 2015, and relife them? and have a commnality with the future S-70Bs?
- April 6, 2017 at 3:20 PM
...just like Spain which ordered US Navy FRCSE refurbished SH-60 or order surplus SH-60F via the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) Program like Israel did?
- April 6, 2017 at 3:30 PM
- Ved said...
Dear Prasun,
I keep asking this but has any torpedo been selected for Kalvari class? Is INS Kalvari sailing and training without torpedoes?
Do we have underground silos for our ballistic missiles?
When do you foresee the next war India will be fighting? Will it be for annexing PoK with both Pak and China simaltaneously.
- April 6, 2017 at 3:31 PM
- Arpit Kanodia said...
In this a new HEAT round is test fired or CLGM is tested. I am pretty confused.
- April 6, 2017 at 4:05 PM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To ARPIT KANODIA: The mention of 5km-range is indicative of the CLGM. APFSDS rounds are not meant to travel that far, especially in the Indian context where MBT vgersus MBT engagements have always taken place between 600 metres & 1.5km at best in both 1965 & 1971 due to the difficulties of acquiring targets visually in the presence of standing crops in the Punjab & Jammu land areas.
To GOPI: 1) Because a) the Super Herons use diesel as fuel, a prime reqmt specified by the end-user & b) the Super Herons have better stability when hit by cross-winds at cruising altitude. Neither the IA nor IAF have as yet specified any reqmt for armed UAVs since comparative evaluations are still underway & that too only in the paperwork stage. 2) Let IAI first unveil its armed version of the Heron-TP first & we can discuss it further at that stage. The RAAF project is a long-drawn one & won't happen in the near future for sure.
To AVIRAL & BLACK BOX: Those stories clearly show that all earlier claims of RELIANCE were bombastic & any such promises made in the past were never meant to be kept, especially WRT acquiring industrial land in Andhra Pradesh. In any case, L & T is the only industrial entity capable of making SSNs & it already has a functional shipbuilding yard at Katupalli.
- April 6, 2017 at 9:12 PM
1) The tri service RFI for MALE UAV doesnt specify any such requirement
2) Acc to this German Federal Ministry of Defence letter (Pg 7) IAI had submitted a study on the "low-risk integration of the weapons" on the Heron TP.
- April 6, 2017 at 10:42 PM
Thanks for the reply.
Due to the weak & third rated political will of our corrupt politician,many opportunity wasted in the past, in 1947 ,1971, 1999.Here, the National-security is always secondary issue,and "CHUNAO" is the main issue. It is ironic that India, which in six decades of its independence, had to cope with nearly 2 million refugees of various kinds (other than illegal immigration of over 20 million people from Bangladesh)& we have still,no polcy in this respect.
This Gov. is also doing some negative & positive things.The "ACT-EAST" policy is good one.
Here is another announcement by Union Road Minister Nitin Gadkari : The first express highway project in the northeast region will be developed along the Brahmaputra river in Assam at an estimated investment of Rs 40,000 crore.
- April 6, 2017 at 10:53 PM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To GOPI: LoLz! You're indeed completely lost & confused & are therefore comparing apples with oranges. The order for the Super Herons weas placed in the second half of 2014 & deliveries began late last year. They are meant for the IA & this therefore isn't a tri-services reqmt. This RFI you've quoted is of 2016 vintage & therefore has no connection to either Super Heron or Heron-TP. It takes 54 months to convert an RFI into a firm order. Secondly, the RFI states that the tri-services MALE-UAV will be acquired under the "Make in India" initiative from Indian companies, & not foreign OEMs. The UAVs are proposed to be developed and manufactured by Indian industry under an appropriate category of the DPP like Buy & Make (Indian) etc. Hence, acquiring a fully developed MALE-UAV is out of the question. Do read the 1st para of that RFI oncxe again. Lastly, the RFI states that the selected UAV of 'desi' design should be capable of operating in winds at least up to 70 Knots. Now go & find out up to what wind-speeds the Searcher Mk.2s & Herons can operate.
German analytical studies don't mean anything at all unless & until the OEM producing the UAV comes up with a fully validated & certified product that has demonstrated its capabilities as an armed UAS. Any self-respecting end-user will first & foremost insist on a proven platform if the proposal is for an existing UAS. This means the armed UAS has got to enter service with the armed forces of the country that is offering such a product for sale. If not in service, such an armed UAS proposal has already lost 50% of the marketing campaign to its competitors.
- April 6, 2017 at 11:00 PM
- Srinivasa Nanduri said...
Hi Prasun,
Myanmar is moving away from China and an intensified fight is going on between Mynamar Army and Kachin, Kokang rebels. There are many in social media outlets that are openly accusing that Chinese are instigating this war, to teach Mynamar a lesson as it was moving out of Chinese sphere of influence. What is the truth in these allegations?
Also, Mynamar has purchased few Yak 130s and said to be in discussion of procuring Mig 29. How true is this news. And how will China react to a speculated Russian entry into the arms bazaar of mynamar with active indian support?
Chinese media is openly saying that it will actively support Pakistan in Kashmir front and will use Pakistan to destabilize India. This might complicate indian issues regarding peace in kashmir, NSG and Masood Azhar. Also BRI / CPEC meeting in May will bring the world to China, isnt it wrong on our part to be so openly hostile. We can attend and put our point across in a constructive manner thus assuaging chinese to an extent. I still do not understand the over all game plan. Yes China is trying to box india and hyphenate it back with pakistan. but our reaction, what ends are we able to meet except for making china fume for a while?
Srinivasa Nanduri
- April 6, 2017 at 11:19 PM
1) How many total super herons are to be delivered to IA? and by when?
2) Since the privatee Indian companies dont have any proven or matured MALE UAV, and the first para of the RFI clearly mentions the 'Buy and Make Indian' category, so the RFI pertains to which UAVs?
- April 7, 2017 at 12:08 AM
- mad max said...
Hi Prasun,
Am a big fan of your blog and writing it is very clear and very analytical at the same time you keep it very simple for layman to get a clear picture and good understanding of various projects. YOur in depth Knowledge of Armed forces procurement process, bureaucratic hurdles and politics played at MOD is amazing along with amazing knowledge of the weapon system and geopolitics played in the region. All in all a very all round information center Prasun Ji.
Waiting for the second part of your bog on L&T Vajra K9.
Also one question in one of your comment above you mentioned that Indian Air force is buying large number of Mi 17V5 helicopters due to some area in Afghanistan which borders POK and China and central Asian republics, would request you to kindly throw more light on the same as to the reason for my better understanding.
Wait for your answer. and look forward to the concluding part. Thanks again
- April 7, 2017 at 12:59 AM
- buddha said...
drama waiting from Iranian front
- April 7, 2017 at 1:41 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To GOPI: The first three of 10 Super Heron MALE-UAVs that were ordered in September 2014 from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for the Indian Army under a USD400 million contract were delivered in mid-2016. They will all be used in the North-east for surveillance along that portion of the LAC ranging from Sikkim till Arunachal Pradesh. The Super Herons, each powered by FIAT AVIO of Italy's TDA CR 1.9 8V diesel engine rated at 200hp, will have a maximum cruise speed of 207kph (113 knots), and will incorporate a high-end M-19HD optronic sensor payload developed by IAI's TAMAM Division. The M-19HD is a multi-spectral, multi-sensor payload that provides day/night surveillance under all weather conditions. It also offers long acquisition ranges, and can accommodate up to seven sensors. Options include zoom and spotter high-definition day cameras, high-definition infra-red zoom camera, short-wave infra-red camera, and an electron-multiplied CCD camera. Laser options include designator, rangefinder, pointer andnear-infra-red illuminator.
The 2016 RFI is for an all-new-design MALE-UAV powered by diesel engine/s. It will eventually replace the existing Herons of all 3 armed services. The Tapas (formerly Rustom-2) is also a contender but as of now is only a technology demonstrator bereft of an internal sensor payload. Both HAL & BEL have already formed an industrial consortium to fully develop the Tapas. But the end-users want competing options from private-sector industrial players that can offer customised versions of existing foreign MALE-UAV designs & will be reqd to use India-developed avionics.
To MAD MAX: VMT. The Mi-17V-5s powered by VK-2500 engines are meant for use in support of mountain warfare campaigns where vertical envelopment tactics will be put to use, especially over areas like PoK. Compared to the earlier TV3117 engines the VK-2500 offers superior hot-n-high performance & even the IN's 10 Ka-28PLs now undergoing life-extension-cum-upgrade are being re-engined with VK-2500s.
To SUVO: The rot started setting in since 1968 & consequently from the 1970s till the mid-`1990s valuable time was lost & all roadways/railways infrastructure development projects were languishing. Even all those roads that are now being built along the arc stretching from J & K till Arunachal Pradesh had been planned as far back as 1981 under the BRO's OP FALCON project! Despite this, it took 15 years to connect Jammu with Udhampur by rail. The main problem has always been lack of inter-ministerial coordination in Delhi. And had India started building container trans-shipment terminals in both Kerala & Tamil Nadu in the 1990s itself, then today there would have been no such alternate terminals in either Colombo or Hambantota, because both these deep-water terminals in Sri Lanka were always meant to serve India. Now that India has begun building such terminals in Kerala & Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka is now saddled with bad debts & China is saying that its MSR should be merged with India's Sagarmala project, i.e. China wants India to stop building such terminals in southern India & instead focus in other areas. This is what China really keeps on insisting upon everytime it says that the MSR & Sagarmala are complimentary.
- April 7, 2017 at 1:55 AM
This reprt says HAL has received orders for "130 AL 31 SP engine for 230MKN worth around 8000 crore" .I am having trouble understanding this.
- April 7, 2017 at 2:29 AM
What is your view on this debate :
- April 7, 2017 at 4:05 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To GOPI: That sounds more like AL-31FPs for 65 Su-30MKIs. As usual the newsreporter wasn't paying attention to what was being fed by HAL.
Meanwhile, look at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B-vNx_WUoQ
Wonder why such Japanese OEMs never take part in the DEFEXPO expos.
To SRINIVASA NANDURI: Myanmar has been operating MiG-29B-13s for more than a decade. It is also expected to order several Kestrel 8 x 8s. Bangladesh will be ordering 46-metre bridging systems from L & T as well as OFB-built MPVs. L & T will also undertake the life-extension-cum-upgradation of Vietnam People's Navy's Petya-class ASW corvettes & will also install twin-tube torpedo launchers capable of launching Varunastra HWTs.
As for China's rants, do seem to have been terribly shaken by all the vitriol. One must bear in mind that publications like GLOBAL TIMES by & large have to cater to the domestic Chinese audience as well as Chinese citizens who are expats abroad. Hence the hyper-ventilating anger & disgust. In reality, nothing concrete will emerge from all this because 1) China risks losing the goodwill of the tens of millions of Buddhists throughout South, Southeast & East Asia. 2) India can now diversify its trading links & this will hurt China's export prospects in India. 3) China made similar rants whenever Taiwan acquired weapons from the US & France, but that did not stop China from continuing to acquire airliners from Boeing & Airbus. So kindly don't get rattled, stay firm & resolute & everything will be just fine.
- April 7, 2017 at 4:12 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To VIJAY: LoLz! Some patronising words from a China which wants itself to be the world's No.1 manufacturing powerhouse & wants India to be the world's largest host of back-offices! But just look at how that programme begins: it shows the the US & India warming up to one another. And that remains ther area of greatest concern for China.
In reality, matters are far more complex & of extremely high stakes. All such matters were discussed between the visiting Indian NSA in the US during his recent visit. Secondly, South Korea 2 days ago test-fired a new 800km-range ballistic missile. Now India is hosting the Dalai lama in Tawang at around the same time President Xi Jinpinbg is about to meet President Trump. The Malaysian PM just concluded his trip to India with a call for quickly signing the ASEAN-India FTA so that ASEAN countries can have an economic alternative to China. To me therefore all this appears to be a carefully choreographed affair--all aimed at piling up enormous pressure on China so that the US gains the upper hand with bargaining with China during the Xi-Trump summit-level meet in Florida. Like I said before, big countries play big games.
To SRINIVASA NANDURI: Looks like what I was saying almost 3 weeks ago is now being repeated elsewhere: the Dalai Lama could well reincarnate in Tawang:
Hope your nerves cool down after watching & listening to them.
- April 7, 2017 at 6:10 AM
- Kaustav said...
Well, we all know who is the super power now!!
- April 7, 2017 at 8:04 AM
Seems they are now trying to project the CPEC as an instrument to fight terrorism in the region!
- April 7, 2017 at 8:09 AM
And Watch Sartar Aziz getting thumped-
- April 7, 2017 at 8:30 AM
Prasun Da,
1)There are thousands of Pakistani Fake social media accounts which are leading widespread disinformation campaign.(eg: @defencepk on Twitter) What are we doing to counter these campaigns. Recently there was a news that JuD is organising social media workshops for Kashmir.. Do we have capability to start counter propaganda against these miscreants.
2)Do we have capability to launch widespread cyber attacks to disable the computers and electronic devices of Pakistan Army. Also do we have capability to infect the Pakistani communication devices with spyware and malware and cyber espionage.What is the status of our cyber warfare capability??
3)What do you think about Chief of Defence Staff post and do you think we will ever have theatre commands or it will be abandoned by policitians afraid of military coup in future??
4)CLGM was believed to have 4km range. How come it was fired for 5km??
5) Will DRDO make tripod launcher based version of CLGM and can we arm LCH with CLGM???
6) Maximum number of Helina missile that can be carried by LCH and Rudra helicopters????
- April 7, 2017 at 10:16 AM
- mad max said...
Hi Prasun,
Thank you very much for your prompt reply, very much appreciate it as well as clarifying my query about Mi-v5 helicopters.
May, I request you to shed some light on the progress of New Indian Aircraft carrier- Vikrant - as to when the construction will be finished, when will the new IAC go for trials and when will it be inducted, as only find old news or reports online.
Secondly- can you also guide as to why IA is against Arjun Mk 2 tank when it has proven to be a better tank as compared to T-90S and we are continuing to place more order for T-90S as compared to supporting Arjun Tank( is the only issue if of Arjun being over weight), it appears to be same kind of story like Indian Air forces reluctance to accept Tejas? YOUR thoughts please.
Lastly when will you publish the second part of your Varjara -K9 blong eagerly waiting for the same.
Thank you very much and enjoy your weekend. Regards.
- April 7, 2017 at 11:17 AM
- Srinivasa Nanduri said...
Hi Prasun,
Really thanks for your replies. And yes, they were helpful in getting full picture. It was a pleasant surprise to see karan thapar do such a sober and detailed segment.
Finally, it seems that India is able to payback China and in some proper way.
Srinivasa Nanduri
- April 7, 2017 at 2:38 PM
- himanshu vij said...
Hi sir
When will get to see a blog on barak-8 ? How many indian companies are going to be a part of it.
Israeli reported that , $ 400 million barak-8 contract for ins vikrant has been signed ??? & IAI has already exported barak-8 to India for Kolkata class destroyers ??? It was reported BDL manufactured the missiles & now Israelis saying that they exported barak-8 , what going on has we been able to manufacture anything ??? Plz put some light.
Has the Uttam AESA radar , integrated with lsp-2 ??? What's the case of Tejas mk-1a indigenization ???
- April 7, 2017 at 3:29 PM
hi prasun
pak has signed a n MOU with bren Czechoslovakia for its cz 805 rifle .they have a version chambered for the 7.62x39 as well. Its a good modern gun by all reports .Are we so stupid and penniless to accept a third rate hand made local solution rifle that will never be equal to any foreign players who have been in the business for centuries.? we buy the best fighter rafale , best sam ie barak, best transport ie c-17 , c-130 etc and then give the poor grunt on the ground a piece of shit to defend himself an the country ? what gives?
no takers for the nuke sub program? i thought L&T was in?
- April 7, 2017 at 3:57 PM
- Manoj G said...
Hi Prasun,
Throughout the 60s, 70s & 80s the Central Government invested crores that led to the growth of aerospace & defence sector in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Maharshtra. That explains why the IT sector also grew up in these areas.
1. Why didn't the Central Government make the same investments in Odisha, West Bengal, MP & Bihar?
2. Is there a possibility that we will witness massive Central Government investments in any part of the country now?
- April 7, 2017 at 9:21 PM
PRASUN DA, thanks for your replies.
Lobsang Sangay on Chinese sensitivities on Arunachal, Dalai Lama.He knows the Chinese psychology well.
Another important thing is the U.S missile strike in Syria at the moment of Trump-Xi meeting.
- April 7, 2017 at 11:03 PM
- buddha said...
- April 8, 2017 at 12:45 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To KAUSTAV: These 2 video-clips clearly expose China's weaknesses:
And now even The Philippines has had second thoughts about its rapproachment with PRC:
The poor Ruskies are now terribly embarrassed because they were pretty confident that the Dyrians had declared all their stockpiles for elimination under a UN-supervised process 2 years ago. But obviously the Syrians were duplicitous. And while the Saudi-led Sunni coalition (inclusive of Turkey) is jubilant after the US T-LAM strikes, the Pakistanis are now in a deep fix as they now have to decide on whose side it is: the KSA-led alliance or the China-Russia-Iran alliance. Consequently, all their earlier delirious expectations of a Russia-China-Iran-Pakistan-Turkey axis emerging has just gone up in flames. And Iran is now stopping its imports of commodities from Pakistan:
To VIJAY: They are also getting thumped by the IMF, with the existence of a 50-page classified report on CPEC's Unviability now slowly coming to light:
To AVIRAL: 1) Not thousanfds, but closer to 17,000. Thye mere fact that no one is buying Pakistan's self-righteous rhetopric itself is proof of the failure of such disinformation campaigns being waged in cyberspace. 2) Cyber-attacks are meant for attacking any army, but the strategic infrastructure like power generating stations, hydel projects, stock markets, national radio/TV broadcasting stations etc etc. 3) It will happen, but in a rather muddled way & not in any scientific manner like those done in other countries. 4) Be it the INVAR or CLGM or LAHAT, they all have 5km-range. 5) No. CLGM is anti-helicopter round & cannot be equally useful against MBTs. 6) Eight (8).
To MAD MAX: The IAC-1/Vikrant/Project 71's superstructure has been 90% completed & now only the wiring work is outstanding. It will embark upon its sea-trials only after 2020. The IA was never against Arjun MBT family as I had explained in a previous thread last month. The problem was caused by the various state govts that were unwilling to upgrade & strengthen the bridges over various rivers & canals along the border.
- April 8, 2017 at 5:30 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To HIMANSHU VIJ: The Barak-8 is like BrahMos-1. Some of it is built in Israel & some by BDL in India. Neither Israel nor India builds the entire missile & that's why it is co-production effort. But when it comes to EL/M-2248 MF-STAR, the entire radar is built by IAI/ELTA & is then exported to India. That explains the cost of the Barak-8/MF-STAR suite for IAC-1. And now with the IA too going for the Barak-8, it's time to say goodbye to Akash-1/2. The Uttam AESA-MMR as shown during Aero India 2017 is clearly unfit for mounting on any combat aircraft. A lot more work is reqd for making it airworthy. For starters, an airborne testbed capable of housing all monitoring/calibration computers & their 6-man crew compliment is reqd. Clearly no LSP can accommodate such hardware/crew on-board. Everywhere else in the world such airborne testbeds are used for developing MMRs. If LRDE & CABS want to create a world record in terms of stupidity by testing an AESA-MMR just out of the laboratory, then they have all my very best wishes! Tejas Mk.1A is still not a reality & will not be for as long as the IAF does not green-light its service-induction. Its entire flight-test regime has not even begun & therefore no air force will place orders for any MRCA whose performance parameters aren't validated.
To RAD: LoLz! I really fail to understand how & why you have already concluded that the 7.62mm Ghaatak SLR is already a total failure. Perhaps you could share with us here some if not all of its operating parameters that have already failed to impress the IA. WRT SSN, that news-report only states that Rerliance has failed to take up this programme & that all its earlier promises made to the AP state govt were pure gaseous matter. I'm not worried about that at all. Instead, can anyone recall that April 5 was Indian Maritime Day & do you know that the SCI urgently requires 46 new-build vessels but no contracts for them have been placed so far with any Indian shipyard?
These 2 should interest you:
Originally made by Dornier GmbH, HAL tied up with the German company and has built 125 Do-228s since 1985 for the armed forces and the Coast Guard, initially by just assembling the aircraft before it started manufacturing all the parts in India. HAL may now give the aircraft on dry lease to Indian civil aviation companies. Air India Ltd. has shown interest in using Do-228s for regional connectivity. "We have an inquiry from Air India for 20 aircraft and were asked to give a schedule of 10 aircraft which we have proposed. We are also looking for other customers".
A service-life modification could include engineering and sustainment improvements designed to increase the F/A-18E/F's operational life from 6,000 flight hours to 9,000 flight hours. The Block III upgrades could include the supplemental heat tracking and more. The proposals have shifted since 2013 when the company talked about making the Super Hornet stealthier. Now, for example, a priority is to enhance the F/A-18E/F's tactical targeting technology in part by turning the plane into "a smart node" in the Navy's Integrated Fire Control Counter-Air (NIFC-CA) network. As previously proposed, the modifications would include shoulder-mounted fuel tanks capable of carrying 3,500 lbs of gas to increase the aircraft's range by 120 nautical miles. The enhancements would also include larger displays for an advanced cockpit system. The cockpit interface is designed to incorporate data from a "smart node" and the heat-seeking IRST sensor.
- April 8, 2017 at 5:30 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To MANOJ G: 1) LoLz! Do you really think that successive Govts of India had serious industrial roadmaps for the military-industrial sector? The way I see it they are all spread out in uncoordinated fashion. Had it been otherwise, the DRDO wouldn't have then recommended the setting up of clusters earlier in this decade. And that explains why no military-industrial clusters have come up in those 3 states. 2) Central Govt is already in the process of implementing the SAGARMALA concept.
To SUVO & BUDDHA: Nett Assessment of China's Naval Power 2005-2030
Pay close attention to the 2nd speaker who exposes all the institutional weaknesses of the PLAN.
F-35C simulator https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwO8bAwWVXk
3-D Printed Submarine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZvyJIUzMvU
- April 8, 2017 at 5:31 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
- April 8, 2017 at 5:33 AM
Some more interesting developments :)
India Afghanistan Iran Gang up To Bang Pakistan
Anti-Pakistan protests break out across Afghanistan
...But this one beats them all
- April 8, 2017 at 6:08 AM
- April 8, 2017 at 6:31 AM
Regarding testbed for AESA radar, LRDE had used this HS-748 testbed for the MMR radar onboeard the Tejas, cant it be used to test the Uttam AESA Radar?
- April 8, 2017 at 7:04 AM
hi prasun
just a gut feeling that they will screw up .have they ever produced anything that was world class or some where near?. i have personally seen the revolvers , pistols and rifles made by them . THe whole concept of gov run arms manufacturing in india has to be closed down and privatized as it is mainly an employment factory with no accountability . this acceptance of mediocracy should be thrown out for our survival that has permeated all walks of life in india!.No wonder Parrikar ran away as he was defeated b y the defense bureaucracy!!we seem to have tied ourselves into knots!! what will you suggest ??
the malays are offering us the migs at 4 mill$ seems to b a good deal! why not?
are the israelis supplying the c4 fro the barak, sams, radar etc , how will i t be tied into the indian network? has the chinese delivered the ly-80 sams and where are they deployed ?
can you give us some dope on the aesa radar system on the zsu-24 schilka guns?
- April 8, 2017 at 10:22 AM
- mad max said...
Hello Prasun,
Thank you very much for your reply. Much appreciated. Have a great weekend.
Best Regards.
- April 8, 2017 at 2:50 PM
- himanshu vij said...
Sir According to TOI report of 2007 India Should , have 250 bramhos by 2017 so do we have such missiles ???? & Feeling pretty irritated after hearing about Akash 1/2 missiles fate !
By the way whatever what your view on yesterday's us missile launch , on Syria are we heading for a gloomy future ( I mean ww3 ) or we gonna see a new operation Iraqi freedom -2.
By the way whatever link u post here , I can't see none of them ! & When is part 2 of the k-9 is coming ??? Waiting eagerly.
- April 8, 2017 at 3:39 PM
Dear Sir,
One thing has become very clear from the latest US strikes. Cruise missiles are near to impossible to stop. Our enemy to the left has 2 types in its inventory: Raad and Babur. They can use these from Air, Land and Sea. They have been investing in these for the last 15 years or so. The only thing I see them doing after these strikes is making more of them. I have been saying that that will be their main route to attack us. Unlike BRAMOS, these missiles stay close to the ground and have lower heat/IR signiture, so much harder to track. What defenses can we realistically deploy against them?
- April 8, 2017 at 5:22 PM
prasun bhai this seems weird. why use chem-weapons when the war is going in their favor and given past reaction from US? is bashar not in control of his forces?
- April 8, 2017 at 6:17 PM
This newsletter from IAI says " In its existing version, MRSAM is operational with the Indian Air Force, Indian Navy and Israel Defense Forces."
How many sqdns are operational in with the IAF and IN?
- April 8, 2017 at 7:59 PM
Prasun da ,thanks for the links.
(1)Is there any proof that Assad is involved in gas attack. May be this is the effort to remove Assad from power. Assad is so fool to send a gas attack when he is already winning ?
What you think?
(2)Anti-Pakistan protests break out across Afghanistan. The protesters asked Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani to declare war on Pakistan. They said that if war was declared then the Afghan Taliban would fight against the Pakistan Army.Anti-Pakistan protests have broken out across Afghanistan over Islamabad's incessant shelling of areas inside Afghanistan like Nangarhar and Kunar. The Pakistani Law enforcement agencies have launched a crackdown against Afghan nationals in Balochistan and other regions on fabricated charges of terrorism.
- April 8, 2017 at 8:25 PM
As I remember reading, the US fired 59 Tomahawks from two ships within 4 minutes. Can this be correct? If yes, then how such a wave can be stopped??
Is it not possible that Putin and Trump are combined hands in gloves and are teaching a lesson to Xi-Jinping???
- April 9, 2017 at 12:10 AM
- buddha said...
- April 9, 2017 at 1:26 AM
- Arpit Kanodia said...
I am unable to understand how China planning to deploy such huge force. I mean how they planning to train commanders, officers and sailors.
Commanders of such ships require totally different type of skills, and while PLAN only able to train with forces like Pak Navy.
How they produce top quality commanders in such short time, even when a ship right now deploy beyond SCS, there is requirement and necessity in PLAN that Vice Adm remain onboard.
Even they don't trust there own Capt.
- April 9, 2017 at 2:22 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To GOPI: LoLz! Is anyone else in the world using turboprops as airborne testbeds for MMRs destined for supersonic MRCAs? Has the HAL-supplied MMR that was tested on this HS-748 of CABS been adopted for service on Tejas Mk.1? Or was EL/M-2032 MMRs ordered from IAI/ELTA for Tejas Mk.1s? You need to revisit the phtsics textbooks of your schoolgoing days!
To MAD MAX: Enjoy your weekend while watching these:
Cyber War-1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPHHd8YW9EA
Cyber War-2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU2XPFoyAR8
Stuxnet Virus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEjUlbmD9kQ
To HIMANSHU VIJ: Akash-1 is a legacy design as it is a re-engineered version of the late 1960s-era KVADRAT SAM. As for the future, for some it may be gloomy but one man's loss is another man's gain. So there always are opportunities to be sought out.
To MONKEY: LoLz! The video-clips above clearly show that even with 59 TLAMs it is impossible to shut down an air base. For realistic air-defence against LACMs, a network of land-based & aerostat-mounted high-definition IRST sensors needs to be developed for base air-defence. The Chinese have already developed such a system.
To ASOK: Deliveries of series-production Barak-8s began only last year. How many squadrons do you think may have received them by now? And even if they received the SAMs, where are their EL/M-2258 early-warning/engagement radars?
To BHOUTIK: The Ba'ath regime in Syria is nowehere near to winning the civil war. In fact, matters have been getting worser ever since the KSA began creating this 30-state anti-ISIS alliance since this is an all-Sunni alliance & therefore it will give unstinted support to all the enemies of the ruling Syrian regime like the Free Syrian Army & the Kurds. Here's a good videoclip of Syria's Civil War History:
- April 9, 2017 at 2:54 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To SUVO: 1) No one has so far provided any proof that non-Syrian Govt actors had used Sarin gas. To produce Sarin-type gas requires industrial infrastructure not available to non-state actors. Nor has Russia has confronted the US with any proof that proves the US assertions. The ruling Ba'ath regime in Syria never loved its people. Had it been otherwise, then by now it would have made peace with Israel WRT Golan Heights & would have ushered in genuine democracy. But like all national secuirity states, the days of the present regime of Syria are numbered & its fate has already been sealed. 2) This will further alienate the grassroots-level Afghans from Pakistan. It's now time for India to intervene & quickly help Afghanistan to erect dams along the Kabul River so that the stored water can be used for agricultural purposes, which is now the prime reqmt of the Afghans in the northern part of Afghanistan.
To RAJESH MISHRA: These 2 videoclips explain it all:
To BUDDHA: US ICBM Silos:
Russia's Mobile ICBMs:
- April 9, 2017 at 2:55 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To RAD: LoLz! Don't worry, for this time the Gtaatak SLRs will be world-class offerings. As for MiG-29s, it is not for Malaysia to make any offer to India. As I had explained earlier, the buy-back has to occur & be brokered by Russia & it is for Russia to make the financial offer to India. Only those Caucasian & Indian retards who don't understand such inter-governmental processes tend to present mis-representative options/offers. I was one of the speechwriters for the current Malaysian PM when he was the Defence Minister in the late 1990s & enjoyed the golf game with him earlier this week in Delhi. I have also known the present Malaysian DPM Ahmed Zahid Hamidi since 1993. So I should know a lot more on India-Malaysian bilateral affairs than such Caucasian/Indian retards now blabbering about the MiG-29Ns. Ass for Barak-8, when the entire system architecture has been developed in Israel, it is logical therefore that the C4I network arhitectiure too has been developed by IAI. As for Tomahawk T-LAM strikes in Syria, 60 wedre fired, of which 59 hit their targets. The Ruskies claim only 23 reached their targets. But the US says all 59 hit their targets. Watch these:
And this is what it what it looks like when LACMs are flying overhead:
And despite advance warning given to Russia by the US, the Russian S-400s & Pantsyrs did not intercept the TLAMs:
Now watch Russia's National Defence Management Centre:
President Xi Visits Russia's National Defence Management Centre:
USSR's Nuclear Command-n-Control Centre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CL9hiccwMI
PLA Joint Battle Command Centre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsNFpHdFsHs
US Regional Command Centre in Qatar:
US Super Sentinel Mobile Command Centre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Sfje83F6hM
Wonder why no one in India has developed such a deployable system for the NDMA.
NATO Air Command & Control System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDOfWLZqwEU
USAF E-4B NAOC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maZdUtB0ojs
Theatre-level US-UK Joint Operations Centre: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zLU0XpvRSU
- April 9, 2017 at 2:55 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To ARPIT KANODIA: A careful listening of the RUSI presentation by both speakers reveals that none of the 2 speakers said anything about the shore-based training establishments & their respective capacities. And that's what frequently creates confusion. In reality, the growth of the PLAN's fleet strength hasn't been matched by a corresponding growth of the training establishments or training vessels. What this means is that while the warships of different types are commissioned at a rapid rate, almost 50% of them are not manned or on operationbal patrols. This in turn means that one crew compliment keeps manning more than 1 warship, meaning as one warship docks for routine periodic repairs/servicing, the crew compliment boards another identical class of warship & mans it.
Meanwhile, here's an interesting development:
Former PA Colonel goes missing in Nepal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFx-IoEUnbY
- April 9, 2017 at 3:27 AM
- Pierre Zorin said...
Observation from the ICBM videos: 1) Russian helmets somehow seem oversized and not as comfy or technically advanced 2) Same sort of protection for both US and Russia - yet Russian equipment and bunkers are clearly are from Soviet days - will do the job but years behind American 3) regardless of the new US and older Russian equipment it is absolutely clear whilst these two nations have a defence preparedness based on an attack, India on the other hand lives on the ideology that there would be no attack. Forget the planes and missiles - India's military network is patchy, underdeveloped and totally isolated compared to the network centric systems of the US and even Russia. Am I right?
- April 9, 2017 at 6:48 AM
- Kaustav said...
Dear Prasun Da,
I have always found you to be rather impartial and stating the facts as you see it. More often than not you have junked DRDO projects. But of late, I find that you have favoured DRDO and OFB efforts. Is there a change in your understanding or are DRDO/OFB/HAL/RFI more competent and mature in delivering to the Users their requirements?
- April 9, 2017 at 6:55 AM
WRT Mig-29, As Malaysia seems reluctant to upgrade their Mig-29s, dont you think that russia will be willing to broker such a deal with India and Malaysia as that would mean more business for them as India's ongoing program for MiG-29 upgrade can be extended to the RMAF Mig-29s.. ?
- April 9, 2017 at 9:14 AM
- abhijit mitra said...
A small doubt -- if S400s were deployed how could Tomahawks strike the airbase.
Does this mean compliance between US and Russians for the attack or is this a failure of S400s or were they not having enough presence at the designated airbase
- April 9, 2017 at 9:17 AM
- abhijit mitra said...
Also got a chance to speak to BEL CMD about the later LRSAM contract to them of Rs 65bn. This is for the MFSTAR largely -- with only 40% scope of value addition for them to start with which can move to 50% if BEL can achieve additional indigenisation.
- April 9, 2017 at 9:19 AM
- abhijit mitra said...
The extent of ordering these days is extremely skewed to BEL it seems ... assuming orderbook will be met by next 3-4 years other equipment budget and projecting a growth rate given the requirement of systems in public domain, BEL's current orderbook is ~15% of forward four years other equipment budget. This used to be 7-8%. Is this the new normal? Would love to hear your thoughts
- April 9, 2017 at 9:24 AM
- Pierre Zorin said...
For some reason Russians seem to lack tact and are very good at isolating themselves. Like you mentioned and even the opposition leader in Syria said- it is just not possible for the rebels even terrorists to have manufactured chemical weapons without the infrastructure. It appears the Syrians hoodwinked the Russians, who are now too embarrassed to admit this so they are crying foul. I also think that Basher Al Assad took a punt thinking that the "blasting off terrorist chemical depot" theory might mask his bombing. By denying that the Syrians did it, the Russians have ruined what was a good base to start fresh with Trump. I reckon they should have adopted an investigative approach as to say nothing other than it is being investigated. But then again the MH-17 issue would still dog them so no escape there either. Russia should have joined planning with the West to chalk out a post Assad Syria so Iraq wasn't repeated.I just can't understand this younger Assad, he is a medical doctor apparently and trained in the West - why still such an idiot?
- April 9, 2017 at 10:15 AM
- buddha said...
Under the first bid, Lockheed has offered to sell 8 upgraded US Navy P-3 aircraft to replace a fleet of vintage Russian reconnaissance planes for $550-700 million.
The other bid is for 16 multi-mission MH60R helicopters costing $350-400 million, said Royce Caplinger, head of Lockheed's Indian operations.....How far do you see these offer will be materialised
- April 9, 2017 at 11:14 AM
Dont know but its was reported that a new production facility to deliver 100 missiles a year has been established last year. Also it was reported that in March 2009, the IAF signed a contract for 18 MR-SAM fire units. Have they entered squadrom service?
- April 9, 2017 at 12:49 PM
- F said...
Given the latest statements made by politicians and the aggressive marketing done by the French; do you still feel that the Gripen remains the main contender to fulfill the RMAF's requirements for 18 new MRCAs or have things changed?
A while ago you mentioned the MKI/MKM's Bars radar not having a terrain following mode. Would I be correct in assuming that the APG-73 as well as all the AESA radars on the F-22, F-35, Typhoon, Gripen and Rafale have a terrain following mode?
- April 9, 2017 at 12:51 PM
hi prasun
knowing the malay pm and dpm !! i am realy impressed!! as they will not entertain any tom dick and harry to paly golf with them .Realy impressed.
as for cruise missile attack why dint the rusians jam or shoot i t down while being pre informed??
tell us more about chines cruise missile defense you talked about .
what would be our best options on that on hardware.
- April 9, 2017 at 1:23 PM
Indian Agencies taking steps to counter 16000 jihadi social media accounts::
- April 9, 2017 at 3:40 PM
For best interests of the country what do u think GOI should do ideally on this project?but what will our headless GOI will do in reality?
- April 9, 2017 at 4:41 PM
Prasun Da,
Indian Ground Forces are not able to communicate with the Attack helicopter pilot.. (http://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/2017/apr/09/indian-army-lacks-striking-chopper-power-1591525.html )
What are we doing or have done to solve this problem??
- April 9, 2017 at 5:12 PM
hi prasun
a Pak colonel missing in nepal ? cool !! we can get him to talk an d exchange for kulbhushan!. good old doval!
what is this akash ng with a seeker?
and what is the new version with all solid rocket propulsion?
it is exciting to hear at least ,that quad band x band aesa modules are ready for t he seeker of the qr sam!! true? is it so easy to mount a aesa on small missile ??
seems to be a folding wing version of the astra??
basic version going to be flight tested this year ! ?
- April 9, 2017 at 5:32 PM
Have a look at the Armadillo TA-2, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-nFdiFi6Jc
and also the Panhard Crab, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrB-8K4w3A0
What do you think of such MRLS or Autocannons or ATGM armed onto 4x4 's developed for the Indian Army?
- April 9, 2017 at 6:27 PM
Being just north of the McMohan line, is it just for "monitoring atmosphere and environment of the plateau" or does it have military significance ?
- April 9, 2017 at 7:16 PM
Stealth coating for combat aircrafts?
- April 9, 2017 at 8:14 PM
Thanks for the reply.
- April 9, 2017 at 10:50 PM
Hi prasun,
In your reply you said despite the us info regarding the tomahawk missile strike the ruskies weren't able to take it down using s400 was it intentional or simply didn't the system have that capacity? Your take on it. Thanks
- April 9, 2017 at 10:58 PM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To PIERRE ZORIN: LoLz! The lkate Gen K Sundarji used to refer to the ruling Indian elite as the 'Vlind Men of Hindoostan', who give a damn about mational security or its national security component when it really matters the most. That's why today instead of debating about national security reforms concerning higher defence management in Parliament, everything else under the Sun is debated. And instead of building infrastructure like national command-n-control centres of the type possessed by the US, Russia & China, the priority is on constructing religious shrines in Ayodhya. Instead of promoting proud patriotism, the emphasis is on cultivating zenophobic cultural nationalism which, by the by, has now become a full-blown embarrassment due to a BJP nitwit labeling southern Indians as 'Black-coloured Indians'. I guess the day is not too far when these nitwits accompanied by the RSS retards (whose knowledge base doesn't extend southward beyond Nagpur) will blame the south Indians for worshipping Ravan instead of Ram! I can already seed that day fast approaching judging by the way matters are now proceeding. So, don't be surprised at all if matters proceed in the most unscientific 7 non-commonsensical manner, i.e, one will just have to muddle once's way through. Meanwhile, here's a taste of how a DF-31A is cold-launched inside China:
And also watch what NORAD is all about:
To KAUSTAV: LoLz! I have always been objective in order to draw fair assessments. In my view, therefore, only those DRDO-initiated projects that have taken recourse to 'smart industrial partnerships' have progressed. And those that have tried to re-invent the wheel have utterly failed. Then there's the issue of the 'CAPACITY versus CAPABILITY GAP', i.e. even though the DRDO can design the best engineered solution, often the matching industrial capability lacks in converting those designs into optimally engineered products. This was the case until 2005 & once the US & EU lifted several of the technology denials sanctions from 2002 onwards, you will find a number of Indian industries being able to source high-precision industrial machinery from the West & also being allowed to become members of the global supplier chain. It is such exposure to the West that has now enabled the still fledgling military-industrial complex of India to make meaningful, value-added gains. However, it still cannot be hailed as a full-fledged revolution since the various DPSUs are all still MoD-owned & will remain stunted unless & until they are allowed to become full-fledged publicly-listed industrial OEMs.
- April 10, 2017 at 6:33 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To ABHIJIT MITRA & BLACK BOX: The US had given a 1-hours advance heads-up to Russia about the impending TLAM strike. The Russians knuew too well that the S-400 is incapable of inbtercepting low-flying cruise missiles. So Russia now has to explain why the quick-reaction Pantsyr SHORADS too had failed to respond. One reason is that their deployment pattern prevented them from being given advanced warning about the inbound TLAMs.
Here are the videos of the post-strike damage assessment:
To PIERRE ZORIN: There was similar inaction during the 1980s when the Soviets could well have cut down Pakistan to size between 1984 & 1986 when Pakistan instigated the Afghan Mujahideen to cross the Amu Darya River & stage attacks inside Soviet Tajik & Uzbek Republics. If only the Sovets had then taken advantage of India's EX BRASS TACKS of 1986 & had launched surgical air-attacks against Pakistani targets like the Ojhri Camp ammo dump (between Islamabad & Rawalpindi) being used by the Mujahideen, almost the entire covert war effort of Pakistan & the US would have buckled & Afghanistan would have been a totally different entity today.
To BUDDHA: That P-3 offer had long elapsed. The Tu-142Ms have since been replaced by P-8Is. The IN requires S-70B variant of the Seahawk so that it can be equipped with sonar suites chosen by the IN. The SH-60MR version comes with THALES FLASH dunking sonar. Meanwhyile, watch this interesting documentary on the CIA's Covert War Inside Tibet in the 1950s:
To ASOK: Do you know how much time it takes for any industrial workforce to attain professional proficiency? Just because a facility can produce 100 missiles every year does not mean that from Day 1 of its operations it proceeds in full-steam.
- April 10, 2017 at 6:33 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To FARIS: Politically, Putrajaya would like to procure the Rafale, but this is an unaffordable option in financial terms. Hence, the decision now is to stay put & wait for crude oil prices to go up, following which the Rafale will be procured, that is if Najib continues to be in power. The NO-11M BARS is a PESA-MMR & like mechanically scanned radars, it has only 1 transmitter/receiver & therefore it cannot undertake simultaneous/interleaved operations in various modes. When operating in the terrain-following mode, the antenna has to remain tilted towards the surface, meaning it cannot do airspace scan/track. AESA-MMRs are different since they contain several transmit/receive modules & hence each module can perform a single mission. Together, such modules can at the same time operate in different modes like terrain-following/avoidance, airspace scanning & tracking, BVRAAM fire-control, directional jamming, collision avoidance & weather mapping.
To RAD: My guess is that the Russian Pantsyrs were not optimally positioned to intercept the TLAMs. The US had only forewarned about the inbound TLAMs, but not their approaching direction.
To RON: In my view, those who are expecting industrial ToT for the FGFA are engaging in daydreaming. Ultimately, the entire airframe will have to be imported for obvious reasons—one of them being construction of any stealthy airframe will be a herculean effort & the industrial eco-system reqd is too expenbsive to be replicated elsewhere. That's exactly how the Russians will present the FGFA to India & in the end, India-developed sub-systems & components will have to be shipped to Russia for installation & integration, mark my words.
To AVIRAL: LoLz! That news-report should go down as a masterpiece of self-induced illusion. Whenever any surgical air-strike is mounted by either MRCAs or helicopters, there's always strict radio silence. There's ZERO RF emissions for frear of alerting the adversary. The real problem is the lack of comms radio frequency spectrum synchronization between the helicopters of the IA & IAF. This is due to each armed service having its own unique operating protocol instead of a shared common protocol. Thus, an Army Dhruv ALH won't be able to communicate with an IAF Mi-17V-5. That's the real story.
To APU: Those high-mobility ATVs are best suited for counter-insurgency warfare scenarios over terrain of the type porevalent in Darfour or Afghanistan & that too against adversaries that don't possess tank destroyers or ICVs. They won't stand a chance in high-intensity battlefields in the Indian subcontinent.
To APU: The Russians have already developed such coatings for the T-50 PAK-FA's airframe.
To RAMAN S: The TAR's plateau is extremely sensitive to global warming, i.e. a slight change in temperature will cause the permafrost in TAR to melt & once that happens, the entire Qinghai-Tibet rail-link will be destroyed. That's why this scientific observatory is being built, i.e. to keep an eye on changes in weather in TAR.
To SUVO & SRINIVASA NANDURI: Interesting developments concerning Nepal:
- April 10, 2017 at 6:34 AM
- Pierre Zorin said...
I remember you saying a Kolkata (Jadavpur) University was developing radar proof paint coating several years ago. It was on your way there that you taught an unforgettable lesson to a couple of peeing citizens of the URI-NATION relieving on the wall, having parked their bikes on the centre divide that said do not relieve on this wall! What happened to the paint?
Perhaps building a temple at Ayodhya is a command and control centre between heaven and earth or at least for the Ram Rajya so the elite hopes when the enemy is trying to give it up the bum they can get help from Ram!
- April 10, 2017 at 7:15 AM
- Gd said...
A primer on Tomahawk.
- April 10, 2017 at 11:14 AM
- Sethz said...
Prasun , is this true ?
HAL Caught supplying used AL-31FP engines on brand New Sukhoi 30 MKI
- April 10, 2017 at 12:04 PM
- Srinivasa Nanduri said...
Hi Prasun,
Thank you for sharing the links. Interesting read.
Regarding the Kul Bhushan Jhadav, the haste to which PA is resorting is a little discomforting. Will he be hanged. And few days ago a PA colonel went missing in Nepal.
Any connecting dots here.
Srinivasa Nanduri
- April 10, 2017 at 4:20 PM
- asd said...
Prasun ji,
Contrary to your assessment Kulbhusan Jadav is going to be hanged. What's going on?
- April 10, 2017 at 5:37 PM
- AVIRAL SINGH said...
Prasun Da,
Pakistan Has sentenced Kulbhushan Yadav to death. What should GOI do to get him back???
Why did Pakistan announce a death sentence to Kulbhushan Jadhav out of the blue? What are they scared of?
My theory::
A pakistani colonel who went missing in nepal was an ISI operative and probably have been kidnapped by RAW. Indian government would have used him for exchange with Kulbhushan Yadav, who was kidnapped from Chabhar by ISI. If handed over to India,Kulbhushan would have exposed Pakistani fauj that how he was kidnapped and was used to show RAW's involvement in Baluchistan,therefore now he is sentenced to death before India can come up with the offer to exchanging both of them.
What do you think?????????
- April 10, 2017 at 5:39 PM
Prasun, we thot that the Pakis were struggling to get evidence to nail kulbhushan jadhav. But this military court verdict is a shocker. He may be sent to the gallows in 2 days. Is there anyway to stop this? What options does the GoI have?
We didnt disown him unlike they who ditched kasab. We had asked for consular access but were denied.
- April 10, 2017 at 6:11 PM
- SUJOY MAJUMDAR said...
Just adding another dimension to the above comment that you made about RSS/BJP. According to data from the Census of India's Sample Registration System Baseline Survey, 2014, States with the largest non-vegetarian populations are mostly ruled by non-BJP parties; those with the largest numbers of vegetarians, mostly by the BJP.
Given your hectic schedule I'm not sure if you got time to observe, but of late social media as well as MSM is being flooded by so called Right Wing activist with hate messages directed towards South Indians & Bengalis because they have NOT elected a BJP government. Even Assamese people were being attacked till last year but that has now changed after BJP won in Assam.
While there is no denying the fact that for 60 yrs the Congress (including Left) were busy writing India's epitaph & took tremendous pleasure to divide people in the name of caste, community, language, the RSS has picked up the threads exactly from where the Congress left.
- April 10, 2017 at 6:41 PM
"If only the Soviets had then taken advantage of India's EX BRASS TACKS of 1986 & had launched surgical air-attacks against Pakistani targets like the Ojhri Camp ammo dump (between Islamabad & Rawalpindi) being used by the Mujahideen, almost the entire covert war effort of Pakistan & the US would have buckled & Afghanistan would have been a totally different entity today."
This of your observation is historical. Then I too was wishing for the similar things to happen but they did not. Their politburo had gone foolish then.
- April 10, 2017 at 7:54 PM
Prasun da,
i beg to differ with you regarding the xenophobism of certain right wing nitwits. As we see India is progressing and changing her over all attitude with respect to the conservative line of thought. I cannot recollect who, but a decade back, some one from the strategic community opined in a TV discussion that when India as is progressing, we can see a lot of faultlines being fluidic. Everybody who keeps a conservative agenda is forced to offer the strongest counter opinion to resist the changes (the inertia of Newton?!!!) when the country itself is changing. We can see a lot of rightists and leftist joining the bandwagon and offering a strong appeal to their own support base.
However, I feel that the progressive path is not negotiable, unless a tragedy occurs, these appeals are going to be in vain, because above all, each individual is bound to think in 'what is in there for me' line.
i feel that the Hindu-Muslim equation, the North-South equation, the caste equation, etc, all are going to be redefined to individual-state equation. This may take a bit of time in Indias case, being a populous country of 130 crores. But it wont be too long.
Sreenivas R.
- April 10, 2017 at 9:30 PM
- সুমন্ত নাগ said...
Prasun Da, eagerly waiting for 2nd Part of the enlightening blog, as usual.
Dada, kindly share your views on recent developments mentioned below:
1) Hurriedly awarding the death sentence to Kulbhushan Jadav for episonage
and India's retaliation by stopping release of Pakistani Prisoners
http://www.news18.com/news/india/kulbhushan-blog-live-india-calls-kulbhushan-death-sentence-by-pak-premeditated-murder-1370630.html. Has it any connection with the missing of ex - PA Colonel in Nepal ?
2) Joint IN & PLAN rescue mission of Cargo Ship in Gulf of Aden, and later Chinese non-acknowledgement of IN role, despite photographic evidence.
3)Source of Ababeel Missile.
- April 10, 2017 at 9:31 PM
Thank you for sharing the links.
Is Kulbhushan already dead? And because of this,they played the drama of-"Missing PA colonel in Nepal"?
- April 10, 2017 at 10:11 PM
Hi Pierre
You touched upon the Ram Mandir issue. If you forget the present status quo at the Ayodhya Site for a moment, you would realize that it is not about 'building' the temple. Its to restore a temple that already existed and was uprooted.
The holy site of Lord Rama's birthplace is a matter of centuries of faith. We can't shift that. The mosque can, and a grander one can be made nearby, or even right next door. Now you might say that 'But God is everywhere, so why here?' Or 'What is the proof Lord Rama was born here?' Well, God is everywhere. But we still need places of worship as with any religion. Not for Command Control and Communicatins but so that when we go there, we can focus on God and God alone. As far as proof of Lord Rama's birth goes, there is none. But we do have proof that this site has been known as the birthplace of Lord Rama for centuries, and excavations have shown that there was a temple here before the mosque.
India is a nation that respects all religions. To prove that, sometimes we tend to become extra sensitive to issues related to minority religions, but ignore any issues the majority religion may have. The Ram temple is just one of them. Previous governments, particularly, had a policy of appeasement for the Muslim community, which took things to the extent that even a reasonable request was made to look like a form of Hindu bullying. This temple can be a symbol of understanding between the two dominant religious communities of India. Let us have our temple. Bless its restoration. Muslims can build a grande mosque nearby, so that we can, peacefully, create one of the greatest sites of religion and cooperation in the whole world.
- April 10, 2017 at 10:29 PM
- Gd said...
Giving his family background, Ronja, who comes from Dumduma village in west Gao Hills district of Meghalaya, described how it was difficult for his father to pay for his and his three brothers' education. He had his early education in a school run by Vidya Bharati that was located 70 km away from his village.
He was admitted there at a very tender age and stayed in the school hostel. For higher schooling, he was sent to Maharashtra where he was admitted in class 8 and now he is completing his BAMS from Parshuram Medical College at Lote-Chiplun in Maharashtra. He will be graduating from that college by the year end and work amongst his people from January next year. During his entire education, his parents could not pay any fees, and the entire expenses were borne by the 'parivar' organisations.
Also in my district RSS appointed 2 teacher carry a mobile science lab to teach children about science. They go schools which can't afford scientific instruments. They also conduct annual science exhibition for all schools in district.
A cursory search for flood relief work Chennai will show you rss worker doing their job.
Hope you will not rely on media to form opinion about rss without knowing ground reality.
- April 11, 2017 at 12:23 AM
"Western diplomatic missions and some international NGOs not only began funding projects for the promotion of ethnicity-based "identity politics.." - is this true? if so, why are these diplomatic missions doing this?
- April 11, 2017 at 1:41 AM
Hello Mr. Sengupta,
You said that an Army Dhruv ALH won't be able to communicate with an IAF Mi-17V-5.
Army Dhruv has a UHF & S-band Satcom, a SoftNET radio, SDR-2010, working in V/UHF and L-band and with Frequency Hopping, providing simultaneous voice and data radio communication and having COMSEC AND TRANSEC features and an ACS-235 Tactical Airborne Transceivers which is a Multi-mode, multi-band, V/UHF Airborne Transceiver capable of net centric operations with the AFnet. How is it not able to communicate with IAF Mi-17V5?
- April 11, 2017 at 3:15 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To PIERRE ZORIN: Both the radar-absorbing paint & composites-based radar absorbent marerials have been developed & are already in use on board various platforms. Meanwhile, do watch this to have a good laugh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlvNMlIMWhw
To SETHZ: LoLz! As I had explained several times before, in aviation parlance, there's no such thiong as new or obnsolete, barnd-new or used. The TTSL of every component is quantified by its usage. So is the case with turbofans. It is perfectly normal to use a turbofan after it has emerged after its scheduled overhauls after reaching its TBO. Such engines can be used by existing aircraft or even one just off the final assembly line. If HAL did such a thing, it was done because there probably a shortage of new-build AL-31FP arrivals & therefore HAL had to delve into its stock of overhauled AL-31FPs so that aircraft deliveries aren't delayed. It's a perfectly normnal & certifiable practice & does not violate any rule of regulation as far as floight safety goes.
To ASD: Have I indeed been proven wrong? In what way? Kindly elaborate further. Meanwhile, do watch these riveting reports:
Immersive Reality of J & K:
To SRINAVASA NANDURI: This game has yet to be fully played out, so no need to count the chickens until they're hatched. Do watch these
Analysis of Kulbhushan Jadhav's Sentencing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp2F-2BMxGs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87VP7iNxSL0&spfreload=10
- April 11, 2017 at 5:01 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To ABHIJIT MITRA: New German Cyber Command:
Novator Kalibr-NK LACM Explained:
To AVIRAL SINGH, RAM VHARADWAJ & SUMANTA NAG: Rest assured that the Govt of India does not practice the kind of dirty tricks that the PA does. Instead, do view the videoslips I've uploaded above for a better insight into this issue.
To SUJOY MAJUMDAR: Indeed you're quite right, for one party of NGO is to be solely blamed for the present state of affairs. And as divine law states, we only get the leaders that we truly deserve. Therefore, to claim that the BJP is holier than thou or to expect/hope that the RSS/BJP/BHP combine is fallen from the heavens for the sake of India's deliverance would be the height of stupidity. As I see it, common-sense & deep analysis are fast disappearing from this subcontinent. Especially if one analyses empirical data over the past 250 years, it will emerge that it isn't relinion, but the far-more-dilutred cults that have been responsible for ushering in such a sad state of affairs. This report explains it all:
Consequently, the end-result is the emergence of descriptions like Lord Rama being labelled as Maryada Purushottam (a person who is excellent in following the righteous norms of the society) despite the fact that he was instrumental sentencing his wife Sita to banishment into the wilderness without even giving here the chance to present her PoV. In other words, no fair trial. So if this was what Ram's Maryada was (LoLz!), & if this the very Ram that one worships as a Lord, then bot even God will waste time on trying to rehabilitate such retards.
To RAJESH MISHRA: VMT. In fact, it has been explained in great detail by ex-PA Brig (Ret'd) Mohd Yousaf in his book AFGHASNISTAN: THE BEAR-TRAP.
- April 11, 2017 at 5:02 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To SREENIVAS R: While I share your optimism, it also needs to be borne in mind that a changing world always requires corresponding changing rules/regulations/responsibilities/obligations. Only in an unchanging world will there be unchanged rules/regulations/responsibilities/obligations.
To SUMANTA NAG: 2) That's China for you. When it suits them they claim credit & when it doesn't, they pass on the buck. For instance, if the Chinese Foreign Ministry was not in possession of all the fact as it has claimed (i.e. not be fully briefed by the Ministry of National Defense), then why did it take the lead in making a statement about that incident? Couldn't it have asked the MND to issue a statement? In my view therefore, the Chinese Foreign & National Defense Ministries only displayed their amateurish styles of functioning.
To SUVO: No. Watch these:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp2F-2BMxGs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87VP7iNxSL0&spfreload=10
To SRIKANTA: You're missing the woods for the trees. What's the greater priority for India today? Building religious shrines or state-of-the-art industrial/academic infrastructure? And what the hell was the Indian PM doing yesterday? Why was he accompanying the visiting Australian PM to the Akshardham Temple in Delhi? As per diplomatic protocol, escorting such VVIPs isn't the job of any PM. Does he have so much free/discretionary time on his hand for such matters? If yes, then he certainly did not earn his salary for that working day!!! So, like the PM, you too need to get your priorities right by starting to realise that religion was never about morality, but always about ethics, i.e. a righteous code of conduct. So stop preaching morality & start practicing ethics on a daily basis.
To GD: Why should any NGO engage in activities that are the responsibilty of the State? Isn't it the State that is obliged to discharge duties without fear or favour as the Constitution of India mandates? If any NGO engages in such activities, then it can only mean that the State has failed to discharge its fundamental duties—which byfar is the biggest dilemma for the Republic of India. Ask any RSS card-holder & he will say that such activities in India's North East are all aimed at reducing the rate of conversiobn among the tribal folks from animism to Christianity--which is an oversimplification of prevailing societal inequities. The agenda is as simple as that, & has nothing to do with nation-building. Nor will such outfits ever be capable of nation-building simply because they don't even know what the building blocks ought to be. They, like most others, are well-contented with oversimplified perceptions & beliefs that have spawned from sects & cults. So while one 1 hand they pretend to adhere to the edicts of the Bhagwat Gita, on the other they violate those very edicts on a daily basis by preaching the much-more trunciated & corrupted/absurd.distorted/perverted beliefs of cults like the Bhakti Cult (followers of Sri Krishna) & the Arya Samaj. To me these are the true enemies of the Dharma code of conduct as enunciated in the Bhagwad Gita & the Vedas & Upanishads & from all these flow the seeds of perverted/distorted animosities & intolerance of the type displayed by the grotesque likes of Tarun Vijay & his ilk.
- April 11, 2017 at 5:07 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To LAMA/GERALD SHASTRI/APU/LEONARD/THE SEEKER/SPYKAR: You most certainly are a true hater of the lays of physics! For starters, where exactly inside the Dhruv ALH is the antenna & VSAT terminal reqd for any kind of SATCOM link? Secondly, AFNet is a terrestrial network only with SATCOM uplinks/downlinks for networking all land-based IAF infrastructure components. What has this got to do with airborne air-to-air or air-to-ground comms? Thirdly, most, not all those radios/transceivers you've mentioned ARE NOT on the Army's Dhruv ALHs, but on the IAF-operated Rudra ALH Mk.4s. Are you therefore even aware about what the respective comms protocols of the 3 armed services are? Or do you believe that a cellphone registered in India will be capable of offering the same connectivity inside China as well just because the same cellphone model is also sold inside China? Are you really devoid of all grey matter inside that thicj skull of your's? Or are you just a fucked-up retard who is totally beyond hope & beyond despair?
To SUVO: These should be interesting:
- April 11, 2017 at 5:20 AM
You are barking at the wrong tree. Building toilets and temples and state-of-the-art industrial/academic infrastructure can go hand in hand. Rules and protocols are only a means towards an end rather than an end in itself. How the PM achieves his end or what or how he goes about doing his dealings should be left to him as he is doing a great job, lot more than the salary he gets for doing it.
- April 11, 2017 at 6:58 AM
- Pierre Zorin said...
Watched it. The problem here is- whilst one group of Muslims say something is forbidden/ against Islam - another group has to approve it and it is accepted everywhere. Like Jihad. All it needs is a rogue preacher fulfilling his sick dreams on a Friday and there you have it - a Boko Haram, or Al Qaeda or Al Shaba or whatever. There is No consistency in this religion and sadly it is like knowing a crocodile only eats six months of the year but only one way of finding out which six and by then it is too late. India will end up the same if Hindu fundamentalism takes root and relies on "pundits" to push their agendas down people's throats. I am deeply concerned that even people like Trump is starting to say 'he likes Hindus" or there is a Hindu coalition for Trump! India or land around Sindhus as it was, should be a much greater country than accommodating one narrow minded group of people. Unity is in diversity. India won't be any different to Pakistan because they would do the same thing one calling Muslim another Hindu. What you said is very true- some people are using religion unethically by promoting they are religious! Building educational and cutting edge industrial hubs, Military command and control centres along with high network connectivity, high speed rails, roads should be the focus.
- April 11, 2017 at 7:24 AM
- Pierre Zorin said...
Srikanta - it is not a question of whether or not to build a temple. The part Prasun and I are referring to is - is it a priority? For example it is a fact there aren't adequate public toilets in the Indian cities at least or the state of them beggars belief and don't tell me I am wrong because I know. Fundamentalists would be more keen on wasting tax payers money in restoring toilets used by some mythical figure were they given the opportunity, yet stay put on matters of real national concern and urgency. More soldiers in India die at peace time than at war and almost always it is due to negligence of some sort or inadequacy of some sort. Videos Prasun posted are eye openers for many. Please be objective - I have no intention of downplaying the role of any religion or belief.
- April 11, 2017 at 7:35 AM
My understanding regarding the sanctity of the cows :
While it's true that cattle were sacrificed and their flesh eaten in ancient India when it was largely a pre-pastoral society but it was exception rather than the norm as a large number of people were living a hunter gatheres life and hadnt shifted to large scale farming specially in the forested and hilly areas. Its also true that cow protection movement started to rise in the 1800 because earlier there wasnt any particular need for it because till 1760 most of India even under Mughals had banned not only cow slaughter, but also prostitution and drinking wine was banned as well. Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultan who ruled the Mysore State had made cow slaughter and beef eating a punishable offence and the crime would be punished by cutting off the hands of the person who committed the crime!
Robert Clive made all three legal and removed the ban to break the backbone of agriculture in India and for its divide and rule policies. When cow slaughter increased phenomenally, the cow protection movement also increased to protect the cattles of those villagers whose life was dependent on it. What Babur and Akbar and Jahangir and Tipu Sultan termed as a crime was converted into a norm by Robert Clive. And today the soil of India is filled with artificial fertilizers and pesticides while the benign Cow cries in the slaughterhouses. While there were over 70 breeds of cows in the country at the time of independence, today we have only 33 and even among them many breeds are facing extinction.
And veneration of the cows wasnt started by some Hindu nationalists as that article claims but it can be traced to the Vedic period, like the Rig Vedas, the Mahabharatas and the Manusmritis, revered by people who were mainly pastoralists and the cattle had major economic, utilitarian and nutritional significance, as in the olden days, cattle being limited to select few fortunate folks, the cows enjoyed the status that gold or money enjoys today. Even today in many places the total number of cattle are more than the number of humans living there and is the measure of their prosperity or status.
But its true that some radical elements seem to have hijacked the cow for political ends but as I see, Beef eaters and Cow worshippers have to coexist side by side without hurting each other directly or sentimentally. And any violent measures by the vigilantes defames the cause itself and must be fought tooth and nail. Also the humble cow should not be used to polarize societies and the effort should be to help the displaced cows roaming about in the cities and towards stopping inhumane treatment of cows like beating etc.
- April 11, 2017 at 8:50 AM
I feel that the growth of right-wing nitwits in the recent times is due to the natural law of cause and effect i.e. the duality of the Law of Dharma (very profoundly mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4, Verse 7-8) which in effect counterbalances the negative effect of those in the opposite end who are equally nitwits. So nitwits cancel each other just like two ripples from opposite ends and a practical equilibrium is thus maintained and any tilt in one side is naturally countered by the growth of the other side and vice versa and the world just moves on.
- April 11, 2017 at 9:26 AM
- asd said...
Prasun ji,
Can you please tell me when did I say that you are wrong? I need your analysis about Pakistan's intention to hang Kulbhusan. Is this what can trigger an high intensity war between India and Pakistan?
Everyone including me in this blog is a headless chicken. People coming to your blog here is to get a taste of human common sense. So bless us with your words.
- April 11, 2017 at 11:54 AM
- himanshu vij said...
Sir when will u upload second part of the k-9 ??? & Does Indian army has 259 bramhos in it's ware wastage reserve ???
& Earlier a news came , in which it was written that drdo , has developed ejection seat for LCA Tejas ???
- April 11, 2017 at 3:29 PM
- financeblogger said...
What was stated by you, is becoming true. Interview on CNBC-TV18 by HAL person, has stated that we are going in for IPO to list HAL on stock exchange
- April 11, 2017 at 3:53 PM
- Ved said...
Dear Prasun,
How exactly is the 50% offsets be complied to in Rafale deal? Is there any serious value addition in terms of transfer of technology?
Why is there absolutely no news about other sister submarines of Arihant? Is Arihant deployed or still in trials?
In regard to the AESA radar RFI for Tejasmk1A, will there be ToT or just off the shelf purchase? Which radar is best suited for Tejas?
- April 11, 2017 at 8:40 PM
Prasun Da,
1)In 2015 there was a news that government will establish joint cyber and space command and also joint special Forces command. How far have we progressed and when will we see a these as a full fledged command???
2)A recent annual report 2016-17 by MoD talks about indigenous Ku-band seeker which was integrated with Astra missile. Can you put some light on this development and whether it has some imported Russian tech..
3)IK Gujral winded up RAW's operations inside Pakistan. Has RAW revived its capability inside Pakistan and whether it has attained same operational efficiency??
4)What is USHAS (Not USHUS) project of DRDO??
5)What is the status of JVPC/MSMC?? Will it ever be inducted?? When do you think JVPC will be cleared for production??
- April 11, 2017 at 9:27 PM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To SRIKANTA: LoLz! If only you knew the A, B & C of economics you would have realise that they don't go hand-in-hand. Expenditures always have to be prioritised—a fact that cannot be challenged. The mere fact that these haven't gone hand-in-hand over the past 68 years is ample proof of the reality. And anyone who is a public servant & is deriving income from the Indian taxpayer's money has to be held accountable for his/her actions. But that won't be penetrable inside your skull as you haven't even read the Govt of India's Rules of Business volumes & therefore you are oblivious to the rules & regulations governing India. Hence, do read up prior to commenting in case you desire to have an element of self-respect/self-esteem within you.
To ASD: LoLz! Alright, here it is: Kulbhushan Jadhav will neither be released nor exchanged (exchyanged for what? He never was a high-value Indian citizen nor was he a spy) or be hanged (due to severe international legal repercussions). And that's because the moment he's released, the truth about his abduction will emerge much to the detriment of Pakistan'[s relations with both India & Iran. The same will be the case the moment he's granted Indian consylar access. Therefore, he will continue to be incarcerated in Pakistan & his incarseration will always be used by the PA for domestic propaganda purposes. The reason he was abducted was that Pakistan wanted to prove to China that all the unrest in Balochistan wasn't a purely domestic affair, but was externally-sponsored. At the same time, Pakistan was desperate about securing the value-added CPEC-related deals, especially those would have come from granting transit trade access to Afghanistan. But since neither Afgfhanistan nor India approved of the CPEC & instead for the Chah Bahr FTIZ formula, a vindictive Pakistan sought to cause fissures within the Afghanistan-India-Iran axis WRT the issue of opening up the land-locked Central Asian Republics to the warm waters of the Persian Gulf, & when that happened, Pakistan lost all its leverages that it was once expecting to exercise against Afghanistan. All this, consequently, will have a debilitating impact on Pakistan's economy since all the SEZs originally planned to come up all along the CPEC for servicing the economies of Afghanistan & the other central Asian Republics have since gone up in smoke & this consequently has already begun posing a huge burden on Pakistan's already struggling economy. In the years to come, this debt repayment crisis will assume even more frightening proportions. The PA already knows this, as it does that India will call the bluff & will not be blackmailed unlike what had transpired during the IC-814 hijack in late 1999. If the PA thinks that such stunts will force India to come to the negotiating table, then it is living in a fool's paradise, just as it has been all along since October 1947.
And here's more on the MIA Lt Col Mohammad Habib:
- April 12, 2017 at 5:44 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To SIDDHARTH: S-400 was never designed to intercept cruise missiles. No LR-SAMs are used for such purposes. The S-400 version offered to India is for intercepting TBMs, IRBMs & MRBMs but that version won't be fully developed before 2020 as per the Russians. Low-flying cruise missiles can only be intercepted by already-forewarned (by long-range optronic sensors) quick-reaction SAMs that are IIR-guided.
To HIMANSHU VIJ: Those are speculative figures. What has been developed is a cockpit canopy sererance system, & not Zero-Zero ejection seats.
To FINANCEBLOGGER: You must be referring to this:
To VED: LoLz! You & several others are perhaps always basing your assumptions on how ToT works on the discredited Soviet/Russian practice on military-industrial cooperation (that was prevalent in India since the 1960s) in which there's no value-addedness & no genuine ToT. Therefore, you're assuming that ToT will automatically translate into Indian companies learning all the hows & whys of a platform's manufacture. Since this has never happened even with the various platform linenced-production programmes of the past, it will thus never happen in future as well. When dealing with Western aerospace OEMs, value addition by a licenced-producer of components/sub-systems comes from 'buy-back' arrangements under which Indian companies become part of the global supply chain. In the Rafale's case, therefore, 50% of the contract value will be accounted for by the quantum of sub-systems & components that various Indian vendors will build & supply to their French counterparts not just for those Rafales meant for delivery to the IAF, but for all Rafales produced by Dassault Aviation. S-72 Arihant is still undergoing sea-trials. For the ASESA-MMR for Tejas Mk.1A, again as I have just explained, the ToT will involve only buy-back arrangements for sub-systems & therefore the EL/M-2052 will never be built inside India in its entirety. ToT was never meant to teach anyone how to replicate an indigenous version of bthe imported product. For example, of each of the 300 sets of tank-tracks supplied to India by Germany DIEHL, 80% of each track's content is built in India by a subsidiary of L & T, but the most critical item--track-pins—all come from Germany because this technology is a highly guarded secret & no one in the world will share its IPRs for such critical products.
To AVIRAL: 1) That proposal was instantly shot down by the MoD'sa bureaucracy since a 'Command' translates into the creation of several new posting billets & the bureaucracy assumed that this will be highly expensive. Hence the whole proposal was downgraded & now only a Joint Cyber Warfare Cell is to be established within a year's time. 2) That's the seeker for Astra-2. I had already uploaded its photo before & it is made by VEM Technologies. Astra-1 & its QR-SAM version will use the imported Russian seeker. 3) R & AW's operations were never wound up. What was terminated were the kinetic operations. Non-kinetic operations of a passive nature that included information gathering were never terminated. 4) Dunno. Maybe a typo error. 5) It has already entered service with the CRPF & CISF on a pilot basis.
- April 12, 2017 at 5:45 AM
Prasun you say Kulbhushan Jadhav will neither be released nor exchanged as he isn't a high-value Indian citizen.
Isn't being an Indian civilian facing execution on dubious grounds in Pakistan are reason enough for the Indian government to secure his release or exchange?
- April 12, 2017 at 10:19 AM
Dada, you say the proposal to create a joint theatre command was shot down in 2015 but media reports a couple of months ago reported that the armed forces have briefed the govt on the creation of theatre commands and PM Narendra Modi has reportedly directed the MOD to start working towards creating these commands
- April 12, 2017 at 3:10 PM
- AVIRAL SINGH said...
Prasun da,
This report mentions USHAS as an AWACS:::
- April 12, 2017 at 3:17 PM
and also i was of the view that creation of such joint commands will enable our military to share their resources and manpower at various levels an will ultimately be highly cost effective ??? or willl it be expensive in the long run ??
- April 12, 2017 at 3:23 PM
Prasun, you had earlier said that the IN would continue with the existing Brahmos (with 290 km) range since the IN cannot not use the Brahmos-ER due to technical limitations.
My question is can the IN use shore based Brahmos-ER (maybe in Gujrat coast) and hit Pakistani surface naval combatants?
- April 12, 2017 at 6:52 PM
plz provide complete details regarding china rejection?
- April 12, 2017 at 9:12 PM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
To SOMNATH: Your eyes are playing tricks with your brain, i.e. lack of synchronisation. Do read my comment again. It says Joint Cyber Warfare Cell. Nothing to do with joint theatre commands which by the way already exists in the form of the tri-services A & N Command in Port Blair.
To AVIRAL SINGH: Then it must be the project name for the A330-200 AEW & CS with S-band radar that the CABS wants to develop.
To RAM BHARADWAJ: Where's the need for coastal ASCM Batteries when the IN already possesses a network of coastal air enclaves capable of accommodating ASCM-equipped MRCAs? Why can't the IN take over such a role from the IAF's Jaguar IMs & MiG-29UPGs based in Jamnagar? I'm sure a fleet of 40 LCA (Navy) Mk.1As armed with Kh-35UE ASCMs can do this job. So why is the IN shying away from the LCA (Navy) Mk.1A option? And no one seems to be asking this question. An ASCM LCA (Navy) Mk.1A armed with ASCMs will have four times the engagement envelope both laterally & in-depth when compared to that of shore-based coastal ASCM Batteries.
To RON: Of course China is still sulking after the highly successful visit of HH the Dalai lama to Tawang. What more can therefore be expected from China. In any case Beijing has a lot more to worry WRT the situation in the Korean Peninsula especially after President Trump gave President Xi 90 days to sort out matters WRT North Korea. In the meantime, this also gives Russia the opportunity it needs to bolster support for its Eurasian Economic Union in partnership with India & Iran. Russia definitely doesn't want Iran to become too dependent on China because Iran & Iraq together now constitute Russia's next big markets for the export of military hardware. And these 2 countries in turn require India's help in extending technical training expertise for operating all the hardware that Russia wants to sell or has already sold to Iran & Iraq.
- April 13, 2017 at 5:47 AM
- Prasun K. Sengupta said...
- April 13, 2017 at 5:49 AM
Dada Joint Cyber Warfare Cell is good news. My query is about the full-fledged commands to handle space, and special ops, 4 to 5 theatre commands and the post of a permanent chairman of CoSC: that those reports mention as being on the anvil. When is that expected to happpen??
- April 13, 2017 at 6:05 AM
- The Indian said...
Do you really think that Kulbhushan Jadhav is still alive?I think the ISI would have murdered him by now! They cannot release him you know even if he is for fear of revealing the truth.What Pakistan needs now is complete economic blockade from Indian side!Can you throw some light on what the Indian Government would or can do to act against Pakistan now?Don't you think that it is high time that Pakistan is declared a Terrorist State and dealt with accordingly?Wonder whether our revered leaders would really go all the way for Jadhav? Or deal with Pakistan in the manner it deserves?It does not fetch them any votes you see!And Jadhav is not an important man.Not like Rubaiya Saeed!Your opinion please?
- April 13, 2017 at 11:14 AM
- Abhay Jain said...
Prasun sir,
What engine is he talking about? never heard of it!
- April 13, 2017 at 8:41 PM
P Chidambaram advised the Government to find a way to prevent the frequent and persistent violations of ceasefire including using diplomatic channels. "Ultimately, the answer lies in diplomacy," the Committee noted.
ur views
- April 13, 2017 at 8:52 PM
- blackurrant said...
Hi Prasun,
From which aircraft was the MOAB dropped by the US in AFG? What was it's likely flight path?
- April 13, 2017 at 11:33 PM
Can this be branded as a qualitative change or is it only a quantitative change? Please comment.
- April 14, 2017 at 12:47 AM