Raksha Anirveda, Defence Magazine, April - June 2021

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Vol 4, Issue 13, Apr-Jun 2021

VOL. NO. 4 l VISSUE 13

ROLE OF R&D IN NATION BUILDING

APRIL - JUNE 2021

DRDO needs to solely focus on cutting-edge technologies in its Research and Development

ICT & India’s National Security

Indo-Gulf Ties in Strategic Domain

CAATSA: A Silent Elephant in the Room

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West Asia-India Defense Relations in New Order with Renewed Intent

Penalising or Absolving India on S-400 not an easy task for US

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Editor & Business Director Ajit Kumar Thakur Editorial Director PK Ghosh Consulting Editor Vinay Shukla Sri Krishna Ramesh S Advisory Board Amb Smita Purushottam, IFS (Retd) Amb Vishnu Prakash, IFS (Retd) Air Marshal M Matheswaran (Retd) Lt Gen PC Katoch (Retd) Lt Gen PR Shankar (Retd) Lt Gen AB Shivane (Retd) Maj Gen JS Kataria (Retd) Cmde Ranjit B Rai (Retd) Cmde Anil Jai Singh (Retd) Cdr KP Sanjeev Kumar (Retd) Dr Mathew Simon Amit Cowshish Sameer Joshi Dr Punit Saurabh International Roving Correspondent Arie Egozi Legal Advisor Ramesh Sharma Creative Director Md Moeen Aijaz Design & Layout Design Cubicle For Advertisement contact us: ajitk.thakur@gmail.com ajit@raksha-anirveda.com rakshaanirveda@gmail.com For any complaint and query contact us: info@raksha-anirveda.com ajitk.thakur@gmail.com Raksha Anirveda is printed and published by PBG Media Ventures Published, Edited & Printed by Ajit Kumar Thakur on behalf of ‘PBG Media Ventures’ 649/4, Konark Residency, Nambardar Colony, Burari, Delhi -110084 Printed at: Star Print-O-Bind, Star House, F-31, Okhla Industrial Area Phase-I, New Delhi-110020 Editor: Ajit Kumar Thakur All disputes are subjected to the jurisdiction of Delhi Mobile: +91-9910252485 Disclaimer: Views expressed are those of individual authors and do not represent any policy of this publication.

-Editor

RESPONSE ‘Raksha Anirveda’ editorial team looks forward to receive comments and views from the readers on the content of the magazine.

Editorial INDIA AS AN EVOLVING IDEA: MAKE IT HAPPEN he first quarter of 2021 was action-packed and its positive outlook has instilled optimism.

While the pandemic continues to bare its fangs, India’s soft power outreach through vaccine diplomacy has been impactful. The Great Power game between US and China has intensified further, each asserting its supremacy – the former as a reigning superpower and the latter announcing its arrival as the rising power and challenger.

India’s centrality in the ongoing geopolitical power tussle is unique. It provides India with an opportunity to establish itself as an evolving idea, a compelling alternative to take on the Chinese belligerence and cut short its threatening expansionist influence. India’s growing proximity with the US, assertive diplomacy and expansive global influence as a reliable trade and business partner were the main reasons behind China’s Himalayan aggression. China perceives India as the real challenger to its regional hegemony. The main objective of the Chinese adventurism was to strangle India and slow down its growth trajectory.

The post-pandemic scenario for India has been challenging on multiple fronts, testing its resilience and resolve continuously. The response to its biggest challenge — regaining its pre-Covid economic growth performance — has been positive and on track with special thrust on infrastructure, healthcare and green energy. And to keep the momentum going, it’s imperative that the defence sector powered by technonationalistic industrial policies acts as a catalytic force to help steady India’s rise as an economic powerhouse.

India may have missed its big ticket

goals. But it should take pride in its small achievements. These tiny delights are the real bedrock, sound platform from where India should ready itself to take a giant leap into the future. Aero India 2021 effectively showcased to the world that India is ready for rebound and open for business.

Moving ahead, India will have to continuously introspect and find answers to some hard questions. Why India’s aspiration to be a key player on the global stage remains unfulfilled? Shouldn’t the Strategic Autonomy be given wider scope to navigate the Great Power game challenges and reap maximum benefits? Why is a comprehensive National Security policy that’s aligned to the global geopolitical challenges still not in place?

Is it succumbing to the expansion of snowflake syndrome across the spectrum (political, administrative and societal) on the domestic front? How can it chart its own course to achieve high growth in economic, military and technological fields that benefits the world too?

The current edition focuses on the indigenous research, development and innovation efforts in the defence sector and explores the possible innovative roadmap for the country to make the most of the silver-lining opportunities the future beholds. Achieving self-reliance militarily is now within reach – all it requires is resource optimisation and planned and dedicated effort.

Before signing off, I would like to share a pointer with our esteemed readers.

Have you noticed a trend: the term self-reliance being gradually taken over by Atmanirbhar and used more frequently? Does it have something to do with how self has overtly come to mean ‘harness maximum benefits for self’? Do share your thoughts with us.

Jai Hind!!.

Ajit Kumar Thakur Editor & Business Director

Contents

VOLUME 4 | ISSUE 13 | APRIL - JUNE 2021

RAKSHA ANIRVEDA

04

LEAD STORY

FUTURE FIREPOWER: IAF FLEET SHOULD REFLECT INDIA’S NEW PUNITIVE STRIKES POLICY A well-balanced fleet is critical to war fighting, therefore while expanding its fleet the IAF must have enough number of aircraft and there should be a good mix of aircraft keeping in mind future threats and counter-missions. Numerical superiority too is required to counter Pakistan and China’s plan to significantly increase their air power

p10 Why ‘Make-I’ will Not Make p14 MSMEs, Start-ups Crucial for Atmanirbharta in Defence 20. Technology-Driven Future Wars and Mankind’s Final Tryst with God! 32. Indian Navy Needs Augmentation 35. EMI /EMC Testing as per MIL-STD-461 36. Land Military Equipment: No Solutions, Only Trade-Offs 50. ‘Conceptualisation to Fruition in Two Years’ Time a Remarkable Event’ 54. India-Russia Relations under Stress?

60. HSTPL: Another ‘Mr India’ in the Making 62. Large Area Displays for the Modern Fighter 64. Multi-layered Missile Defense Systems Israel’s Safeguard against Iran Attacks 68. Aiming High: Indigenous Defence Research & Innovation 86. EndureAir: A Drone-manufacturing Company with a Difference 94. The Secrets of Israel’s Military Research and Development 98. See-Saw Ties: India and Neighbours 100. India-South Korea Strategic Cooperation in the Defence Domain 106. Realistic Simulated Battlefield Model: A Sturdy Way to Train Israel Air Force

P109-119 CIVIL AVIATION SECTION p120 Aero India 2021: An Event of Accomplishments & Opportunities p126 Green Shield: A System by Safe Shoot Preventing Friendly Fire p128 IDEX report p130 Book Review p134 Appointments p138 News Round Up p144 In News

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Boeing Defence India MD emphasizes the company’s commitment to Indian customers and explains how valuable the F/A-18 Super Hornet Block III fighter aircraft is for the Indian Navy

Given the security scenario in the neighbourhood, India needs to be aware, cautious and proactive against the cyber warfare that could be unleashed by its better – equipped adversary

Indian Ministry of Defence and the country’s military planners need to be on the same page for the implementation of the policy of import substitution, failing which will end up in placing gargantuan orders by the Services

Why India is still far away from ‘Atmanirbharta’ is the mismatch between the arms we produce and the arms we buy to use. The govt is trying to bridge this anomaly for the nation to be on road to high technology defence production

The MD and Country Head P&W India delves into the details of company’s strategies levelling with Government’s Make in India policy to develop India as a MRO hub

F/A-18: Boeing’s Unrivalled Value to Indian Navy

Quantum Dome: An Turning The Tide: Indigenous Technology India’s Defence R&D to Tackle Cyber Attacks Dilemma

High-Tech Indigenisation P&W: The Largest and Atmanirbharta in Footprint of an Engine Defence Maker in the Country

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FUTURE FIREPOWER: IAF FLEET SHOULD REFLECT INDIA’S NEW PUNITIVE STRIKES POLICY

superior force is often neglected while air force brass chase the mirage of wonder weapons.

Two, there should be a good mix of aircraft keeping in mind future threats and types of missions. In a nuclearised subcontinent, fullon wars are unlikely and short localised conflicts and punitive strikes – such as Balakot – are more likely.

GETTING THE MIX RIGHT

Since a well balanced fleet is critical to war fighting, the IAF fleet expansion must factor in two things: It must have enough number of aircraft and there should be a good mix of aircraft keeping in mind future threats and types of missions.

Numerical superiority can be the decisive factor in the backdrop of both Pakistan and China planning to significantly increase their air power

Indian Air Force Rafale fighter aircraft

By RAKESH KRISHNAN SIMHA

T

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he Indian Air Force has a total strength of 1,276 aircraft, including 434 combat/ air superiority jets and 102 ground attack planes. Although the IAF remains the fourth largest air force in the world, its fighter fleet is severely depleted and well below its sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons or 756 aircraft. The good news is that with modern aircraft acquisitions being a priority under the Narendra Modi government, the IAF may finally be able to enhance its fleet strength to the optimum number of squadrons needed to fight a collusive two-front war with China and Pakistan.

While the 36 new French Rafales together with the Su-30 MKI Sukhois (set to cross 314) will form the spearhead of the IAF’s air dominance fleet, it is the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft that will form the bulk of the future fixed wing fleet. The Centre’s green light in January 2021 for the acquisition of 83 Tejas Mark 1A jets will not only give a boost to India’s aeronautical industry, it will also help fill the gaps in the IAF’s current fleet, which is down to 30 squadrons or less. These 83 jets are in addition to the 40 Mark 1 already ordered.

The Tejas acquisitions tie in with Deputy Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Sandeep Singh’s statement that the

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number of fighter squadrons in the IAF is expected to improve in a decade’s time. In October 2020, at a programme jointly organised by the New Delhi-based Centre for Air Power Studies and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, he had said, “The IAF will have around 37-38 fighter squadrons in a decade.”

Since a well balanced fleet is critical to war fighting, there are two things the IAF must keep in mind while planning its fleet expansion.

One, the service must have enough number of aircraft as a hedge against war attrition. This may seem like stating the obvious but the importance of having a numerically

WHY NUMBERS MATTER The IAF’s desire for 42-plus squadrons is compelling if India is to preserve the airpower superiority it has enjoyed in the Indian subcontinent since 1971.

Since the IAF also aims to transform itself into a strategic force with the ability to take on regional tasks, its needs will only grow.

Numerical superiority can be the decisive factor in the backdrop of both Pakistan and China planning to significantly increase their air power. By 2032 the Pakistan Air Force aims to acquire 614 fighters, eight to 12 AWACS/AEW&C aircraft and six flight refuelling aircraft.

China’s PLA Air Force is currently the third-biggest in the world with more than 2,000 combat aircraft, including fighters, bombers and multi-mission tactical and attack aircraft.

The history of aerial warfare brings out the importance of higher numbers of aircraft in a specific

engagement for success. According to a report titled ‘IAF Equipment and Force Structure Requirements to Meet External Threats, 2032’, by the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi, “Two forces equal in numbers and reasonably close in equipment and skills have tended to have equal losses in combat.

On the other hand, whenever the numbers ratio has become favourable to one side, its losses as well as loss percentages have fallen disproportionately, with the opposite effect on the less numerical party. Thus, technology and skills irrespective, numbers do matter in aerial combat. The slogan of ‘fighting outnumbered and winning’ has no place at the operational level of war unless a very large technological asymmetry exists.”

The report adds: “Numbers will matter always as there are limits to how much a fewer number of aircraft and crew combinations can do. That is why the USAF plans

to induct several hundreds (1,763 to be exact) of the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning-II fighters…. The US does not have a high-tech enemy since the demise of the Soviet Union, but still sees the need for large numbers of very advanced fifth-generation fighters.”

The 26 February 2019 raid by twelve Mirage-2000 fighterbombers on Balakot, deep inside Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakthunkhwa province, didn’t just destroy the training camps of the Jaish-eMohammed terrorist group. More significantly, the IAF raid strike shattered the myth that nuclear weapons can help protect Pakistan from India’s punitive actions.

Balakot wasn’t the first time the IAF used air power to expose Pakistan’s vulnerability. According to a Strategy Page report, the PAF’s “psyche took a big beating” because of the IAF’s aggressive deployments during the 1999 Kargil War and the 2002 border stand-off.

In the nuclearised environment, full-on wars as happened in 1965

THE IAF’S DESIRE FOR 42-PLUS SQUADRONS IS COMPELLING IF INDIA IS TO PRESERVE THE AIRPOWER SUPERIORITY IT HAS ENJOYED IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT SINCE 1971.

SINCE THE IAF ALSO AIMS TO TRANSFORM ITSELF INTO A STRATEGIC FORCE WITH THE ABILITY TO TAKE ON REGIONAL TASKS, ITS NEEDS WILL ONLY GROW

A pair of Mirage-2000 in the sky

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ABSOLUTE POWER

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have very poor fleet availability.

As compared with the Western average of around 70 per cent for their frontline fighters, the Sukhois have a fleet availability of around 50 per cent and the MiG-29K has an abysmal 45 per cent.

MISSION-ORIENTED AIRCRAFT

MiG-21 on display at Aero India

and 1971 are highly unlikely. Even those two wars were of short duration – lasting 22 and 14 days respectively. Modern wars will be swift and localised. Against Pakistan they will be more like Balakot and the 2016 surgical strikes of Uri. It is worth noting that of the myriad of aircraft in its fleet, the IAF deployed 12 Mirage-2000 fighter-bombers that are nearly 40 years old.

The reason the IAF assigned the Balakot mission to its old warhorse is that the multirole French fighter is best equipped for such a dangerous mission.

Compared to the much larger

Su-30 MKI

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Sukhoi Su-30 MKI, the Mirage-2000 is more nimble and has a smaller radar cross section, making it ideal for a shoot and scoot raid deep into Pakistan. In fact, the Mirages did such a brilliant job that they were back in Indian airspace before the PAF could scramble its American F-16s.

The IAF currently has around 45 Mirage-2000s although back in the early 1980s it had

planned to acquire 150 of these versatile aircraft. However, after buying just 50 jets, the air force brass decided not to exercise the option to buy more. The Soviet lobby seems to have played a role in the scuttling of the plan to expand the Mirage fleet. That legacy continues to haunt India. While the Sukhois and MiG-29s are excellent dogfighters, there is no denying that the IAF’s Russian aircraft

With the political leadership in Delhi now represented by a new breed of nationalist leaders such as Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, India has shed its Congress-era reticence for military retaliation.

This political dispensation believes in giving the military a free hand to deal with military matters. In particular, it agrees that the Indian armed forces must be allowed their right to retaliate – with disproportionate strength – in response to an attack on India.

In this backdrop, the IAF needs to orient its fleet for punitive strikes against Pakistan and have the capability to absorb retaliatory strikes in response to such strikes.

This is an area in which the IAF needs to improve. While Balakot was a brilliant success, the IAF wasn’t 100 per cent prepared for its repercussions.

For instance, just six hours after the 12 Mirage-2000s had returned from their raid on the terror factories in Balakot, the PAF launched a counterattack across the Line of Control. Comprising a package of 28 PAF fighters, Operation Swift Retort had two objectives. One, attack the Brigade HQ at Bhimber and the ammunition depot at Narian in J&K in order to mollify the Pakistani public that the PAF wasn’t completely helpless.

These targets were to be attacked by standoff missiles launched by Pakistani jets from within their own airspace.

Two, knowing that Sukhois would be scrambled to intercept these attacking aircraft, the PAF hoped to bring down a few Sukhois by firing their AMRAAM long-range

air-to-air missiles at the IAF’s air dominance fighter. Had the plan succeeded, the PAF would have scored a coup and embarrassed the IAF. It is worth mentioning here that the IAF had the edge over the PAF during the 1999 Kargil War but lost it in 2010 when the PAF’s better planning allowed it to acquire the 56-km range American AMRAAM. The Sukhois were equipped with the much inferior R-73 with a mere 40-km range, giving the Pakistanis an edge in beyond visual range (BVR) warfare.

The PAF took advantage of the IAF’s Rules of Engagement which do not permit IAF fighters to fire on PAF aircraft — until fired upon or in violation of the Line of Control.

As the Sukhois raced to intercept the Pakistani jets, some of them launched AMRAAMs against the Sukhois.

While the Su-30MKIs were outclassed in BVR missiles, they are unbeatable in supermaneuverability – which gives

them a huge advantage in dogfights – and have vastly superior electronic warfare systems. For instance, the Sukhoi’s BARS radar has a 350 km search range and a maximum 200 km tracking range, and 60 km in the rear hemisphere.

The radar can track 15 air targets and engage the four most dangerous ones simultaneously.

These targets can even include missiles and motionless helicopters. Additionally, the Su30MKI can function as a tactical

THE IAF NEEDS TO ORIENT ITS FLEET FOR PUNITIVE STRIKES AGAINST PAKISTAN AND HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO ABSORB RETALIATORY STRIKES IN RESPONSE TO SUCH STRIKES. THIS IS AN AREA IN WHICH THE IAF NEEDS TO IMPROVE. WHILE BALAKOT WAS A BRILLIANT SUCCESS, THE IAF WASN’T 100 PER CENT PREPARED FOR ITS REPERCUSSIONS

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ABSOLUTE POWER IN ORDER TO BRIDGE THE CURRENT SHORTFALL AND REPLACE RETIRING MIG-21S, THE IAF REQUIRES AN ESTIMATED 400 NEW FIGHTER AIRCRAFT OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. BUT THE ONLY REPLACEMENTS IN SIGHT ARE THE 36 RAFALES, 40 TEJAS MK1 AND 83 TEJAS MK1A FOR A TOTAL OF 159 FIGHTERS

airborne command post or a miniAWACS. Due to this capability, the Sukhoi’s second pilot, the Weapons Systems Operator, is able to provide directions to other aircraft in the heat of combat. In comparison, the PAF F-16s are single-pilot aircraft.

These advanced capabilities along with the much superior training and morale of IAF pilots blunted Operation Swift Retort. The IAF pilots who not only avoided the missiles but one of them, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, chased a Pakistani F-16 into Pakistani controlled airspace that was bristling with air defence guns and missiles and shot it down before his own MiG-21 got shot down.

The lesson from this episode is that the Pakistanis, despite being outnumbered, were able to find a window of vulnerability in India’s air defence – the lack of enough capable combat aircraft in J&K. The PAF knew there was only a single interceptor squadron based in Srinagar for the defence of J&K. The Pakistanis were

Air-to-Air ASRAAM missiles fitted to a Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jet

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not overly concerned about it because the squadron comprised the outmoded MiG-21. Plus, the PAF exploited the gaps in the

aircraft was way out of its comfort zone. It was designed to intercept enemy aircraft and shoot them down; it is not equipped with

changeover times of the IAF’s combat air patrols over the Kashmir Valley.

Designed in the 1950s, the MiG-21 has very short legs, with a loiter-time of just 30 minutes.

In comparison, the Sukhoi and Rafale can remain airborne for more than four hours without aerial refueling. This is not to trash the MiG-21, which despite its age remains an excellent interceptor.

However, by chasing the F-16 into heavily defended airspace, the 60-year-old Russian

opt for multirole aircraft and equip them with long-range beyond visual range aircraft.

Over the past 60 years, India license-manufactured nearly 800 units of the outdated MiG-21 while rejecting the vastly more capable Mirage-2000. Such a state of affairs must not happen again. Again, in the area of BVR

even more top-heavy than it is now.

What the service needs are fewer silver bullets and more hard working workhorses like the Mirage-2000. While the Sukhois

WHILE EXPANDING AND RE-EQUIPPING ITS FLEET, THE IAF SHOULD HAVE A SIMPLE RULE – ACQUIRE THE RIGHT MIX OF AIRCRAFT THAT WILL HELP IT DO THE JOB IN THE TRANSFORMED BATTLE SPACE OF THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT life of around 25 years, which is extendable through midlife upgrades. Replacements have to be ordered years before the aircraft is likely to be retired or mothballed.

The IAF is currently overhauling its plan to induct

HAL Tejas Mk1

electronic warfare systems to survive in an air-defence rich environment like PoK. While multirole aircraft like the Mirage-2000, Rafale and Su30MKI are able to both attack and also defend themselves, the barebones MiG-21 is simply not equipped for such multitasking.

Had Wing Commander Varthaman been flying a Mirage-2000, he would have safely brought it back because the French jet is a more survivable aircraft.

In view of the success of the Balakot strike plus the shortcomings of the IAF’s fleet that were revealed during the J&K air battle, the IAF should

warfare, the IAF is set to regain the advantage with the 150-km French Meteor and the 80-km Astra missiles.

BETTER PLANNING NEEDED

In order to bridge the current shortfall and replace retiring MiG-21s, the IAF requires an estimated 400 new fighter aircraft over the next few years.

But the only replacements in sight are the 36 Rafales, 40 Tejas Mk1 and 83 Tejas Mk1A for a total of 159 fighters.

To meet this wide gap the government has two easy options – approve additional Rafale purchases or crank up the production of its fallback fighter, the Su-30MKI. The problem is it will make the IAF

are set to cross an unprecedented 314, the Mirage fleet is now in the low 40s. The reality is there are some tasks that the Sukhois are simply not equipped for. They are air dominance fighters that can create an impregnable cover for other IAF aircraft to operate with impunity. What they are not ideal for is a raid into Pakistan where they will light up like a Christmas tree on enemy radar.

Similarly, the MiG-21 is on its last legs and no amount of upgrades can help it survive an air-defence rich environment.

This sorry situation did not happen overnight – it was caused by two decades of flipflop by the political leadership.

Modern aircraft have a technical

114 medium-weight multirole fighters that will cost about $17 billion, making it bigger than the $8 billion Rafale contract.

These aircraft will be built in India with significant foreign technology transfer and no foreign procurement. While expanding and re-equipping its fleet, the IAF should have a simple rule – acquire the right mix of aircraft that will help it do the job in the transformed battle space of the Indian subcontinent.

–The writer is a globally cited defence analyst.

His work has been published by leading think tanks, and quoted extensively in books on diplomacy, counter terrorism, warfare and economic development. The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda

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ANALYSIS

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WHY ‘MAKE-I’ WILL NOT MAKE Private defence industry is as important to the nation as public sectors and need to be supported via tax breaks and subsidies, to encourage them to invest more of their own funds in defence innovation. Unless, this realisation dawns, ‘Make – I’ will not ‘Make’

By CDR RAGHVENDRA CHATURVEDI (RETD)

‘M 10

ake’ Procedure under the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 (DAP-2020), is publicised as the most critical, towards building a robust defence industrial ecosystem and tapping the emerging dynamism of Indian industry in the defence sector; and in words of many in the Ministry of Defence (MoD), boost ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’. However, after spending years chasing various DAP/DPP (defence procurement procedures), the juxtaposition of the contrast between theory and practical, the current Make Procedures, in my opinion, fall short of the expectation; and one of the reasons behind this is incentive, which seems to be missing.

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The incentive problem in defence procurements, as highlighted by former chief economist of Federal Communications Commission William P Rogerson, is an outcome by four underlying economic characteristics of any defence procurement process. 1) Research and Development – Innovation is as important as the product and also is an inherently difficult product to purchase, thereby creating a need for providing incentives for innovation. 2) Uncertainty – Internal uncertainty, due to technological unknowns in design of new weapons and external uncertainties in the demand, due to changing threat, availability of substitute

weapons and availability of funds. 3) Economies of scale of production – relatively small quantities purchased of most weapons, it is uneconomical to have multiple firms produce same weapons system. 4) Government is sole buyer – Creating a major ‘hold-up’ problem; at R&D phase the firms worry, if they will ever recover their sunk expenses and at production phase, firms worry if they will ever recover investments, as product has little use outside the defence industry.

The three stakeholders listed in DAP under the Make-I procedure, Service Headquarters (SHQ) while shouldering the maximum responsibilities (Figure 1 refers), have the least incentive.

The incentive for SHQ would be the timely delivery of the product meeting all Staff Qualitative Requirements (SQRs). Going with the past precedence of projects undertaken under the Make category and India’s defence industrial base (DIB) far away Service Headquarters (SHQ) • Identification of project • Advanced planning and consultation • Feasibility study • Formulation of PSQRs • Categorisation and AoN • Project facilitation team • Issue of expression of interest • Evaluation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) • Shortlisting of Development Agency (DA) • Issue of RFP/Tender • Selection of DA • Seeking approval of MoD • Field evaluation trials • Commercial Negotiations

from being mature, chances of both the incentives fructifying, are greatly reduced.

To make it worse, ‘Make’ cases are challenging to pursue, compared with either ‘Buy’ or ‘Buy & Make’ cases. Figure 2, depicts the difficulty level of the three main categorisation, from Easy to Difficult. ‘Buy Global/ Government to Government’ (G to G) is the easiest (and fastest) while ‘Make’ is the most difficult (and slowest). Difficult here would mean – multiple agencies, multiple approvals, prolonged monitoring, monumental paper/file work, higher chances of failure and extended timelines for project fructification. It is thus no surprise that SHQ has acquired most big ticket purchases via ‘Buy’ route and in it the easiest – G to G. Rafael aircraft, Hercules transport aircraft, M777 155mm Howitzers, Apache helicopters, S400 Surface to Air Missiles, all have been procured via the Buy – G to G route.

On the other hand, Make – I has only two projects listed under it, totalling only Rs 3,665

Private Industry Submit DPR Reply to RFP/Tender

Figure 1: Responsibility of various stakeholders

Ministry of Defence Approve projects identified by SHQ Accord AoN Approve CNC and Contract

Crores. So the risk for SHQ and the incentive are quite low for pursuing cases under Make – I. The government, the second stakeholder, wants Make – I to succeed as a successful project will give its flagship p rog ra m (‘ M a k e in I ndia ’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’) the necessary impetus. Other than political dividends, it will increase employment in high skill sector (in the long run), reduce import bill and increase the defence industrial base.

Future exports of the product and or technologies developed under the project would further reduce development cost. So incentive are higher, both long and short term.

However, while having higher incentive, the government risk under ‘Make – I’ is quite low (Figure 3 refers).

The government’s financial is limited to a maximum of 70 per cent of the cost of the prototype up to a maximum of Rs 250 Crores (to be paid in phases).

Further, each phase payment is again secured against Bank Guarantee (BG) provided by the private industry/ development agency (DA), amounting to 20 per cent of the cost of the prototype. The 70 per cent share of development is further hedged against complete ownership of all tangible assets created under the project and besides, ‘Government – Purpose Rights’, ‘Unlimited Rights’ and ‘March in Rights’, on all the IPs developed under the project.

Private industry/DA, the third stakeholder, is on a very tenuous wicket. While the incentives are not gargantuan, the risks somewhat are that way.

Besides bearing 30 per cent of the development, and reduced IP rights, it will also have to share the production, with

AFTER SPENDING YEARS CHASING VARIOUS DAP/ DPP (DEFENCE PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES), THE JUXTAPOSITION OF THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THEORY AND PRACTICAL, THE CURRENT MAKE PROCEDURES, IN MY OPINION, FALL SHORT OF THE EXPECTATION; AND ONE OF THE REASONS BEHIND THIS IS INCENTIVE, WHICH SEEMS TO BE MISSING

RAKSHA ANIRVEDA APRIL - JUNE 2021

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RAKSHA ANIRVEDA

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Products 4

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THE GOVT, THE SECOND STAKEHOLDER, WANTS MAKE – I TO SUCCEED AS A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT WILL GIVE ITS FLAGSHIP PROGRAM (‘MAKE IN INDIA’ AND ‘ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT’) THE NECESSARY IMPETUS. OTHER THAN POLITICAL DIVIDENDS, IT WILL INCREASE EMPLOYMENT IN HIGH SKILL SECTOR (IN THE LONG RUN), REDUCE IMPORT BILL AND INCREASE THE DEFENCE INDUSTRIAL BASE

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2 SHQ

3 Private Industry/ DA

Incentive

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Risk (a)

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Figure 3: Risk vs incentive of various stakeholders, Make - 1; (a) Existing (b) Desired L2/ L3 (second/third lowest bidder), thereby eating away his profits. This is in addition to the encumbrances of BG, payment delays, bureaucratic hurdles, which are Omnipresent in all defence contracts. Even the 70 per cent which it will receive in phases, will have to pass the test of relevancy, financial prudence, reasonability and relationship, every time. So maximum tangible risks and greatly reduced perceived incentive.

One of any government’s primary roles is to promote investment in research and development (R&D). In the defence sector, where the government is the sole buyer and also largest beneficiary, this responsibility assumes a larger role. Government has to realise that, other than protecting its investments; existence and safeguarding

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of defence businesses, protecting commercial interests of DAs, provision of skills and competencies of the defence value-chain also, are inescapably parts of its role (The Defence Industrial Triptych – H Heidenkamp, J Louth and T Taylor).

The government has to be the big brother in the Trinitarian and take the largest share of risk, which presently is shouldered by the private industry/DA. The share of investment in prototype development has to be 100 per cent from the current 70 per cent. The government need to ensure that innovation by the DA is rewarded through profits on the production and product upgrades. The prospects of earning profit, gives the defence industry /DA an incentive to exert their best efforts at design/ innovation phase (William P

Rogerson). The ask is similar to what the government provides to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) in all Make projects pursued by them; private defence industry is as important to the nation as public sectors and need to be supported via tax breaks and subsidies, to encourage them to invest more of their own funds in defence innovation. Unless, this realisation dawns, ‘Make – I’ will not ‘Make’.

– The writer is voluntarily retired from active service after more than 21 years of commissioned service. He is an alumnus of Naval Academy (first course 10+2 X) and Defense Services Staff College and a specialist in Anti-Submarine Warfare.

Presently, he is pursuing PhD in Defense Industrialization and Exports (India) from Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT). New Delhi. The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda.

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RAKSHA ANIRVEDA

OPINION

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MSMES, START-UPS CRUCIAL FOR ATMANIRBHARTA IN DEFENCE

The main purpose of public and private defence sectors is to ensure that the three wings of our forces are at all times equipped to match the firepower of the adversary and our men do not feel handicapped. In this era of hi-tech warfare, it is critical that technologies and competencies of our industry are aligned and developed in tandem with the needs of our forces

By DHANENDRA KUMAR

A

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chieving self-reliance in the country’s defence needs is of critical importance. It has been noticed earlier that during a crisis when the needs of arms, ammunition, spares and equipment is urgent and critical, the suppliers sometimes back out, dither or raise prices. The requirements of our forces have to be anticipated and adequately planned for various eventualities and must be met.

India is one of the world’s largest importers of defence equipment.

Although our defence sector was opened up for private players about two decades ago, a lot is yet to be achieved. It must be ensured that all the three wings of our forces are at all times equipped to match the firepower of the adversary and our men do not feel handicapped; and there is availability of needed surge capacities to sustain possible extended periods of operations.

Besides, in this era of hi-tech warfare, it is critical that technologies and competencies of our industry are also aligned and developed in tandem with the needs of our forces.

As the government is the only buyer in most situations, there is a need for institutional reforms and nurturing a culture of trust and long-term partnership to proactively develop the private sector. There are several reputed companies in the private sector that are like national assets — Tatas,

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L&T, Bharat Forge (Kalyani Group), Mahindra Aerostructures, private shipyards (ABG, Reliance) etc., and many more reputed names are getting into the arena.

There is, however, a need for consistency and predictability in policies to enthuse private players to invest. The government institutions involved in research, innovation and defence excellence like DRDO, iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) must come forward to share their technologies, incubate and nurture start-ups.

Sometimes defence PSUs consider private players as competitors or adversaries. This feeling must change and they should work in tandem in the national interest.

In fact, defence PSUs should help in building stable and strategic partnerships with MSMEs and startups. There should be a periodical survey and capability mapping of our entire private sector ecosystem to review and update the negative

list for imports and encourage local production.

There is a strong need for encouraging MSMEs and start-ups in the defence eco-system to achieve self-reliance. These enterprises built by young entrepreneurs have a deep emotional and passionate connect with the defence of their motherland. Besides, it has been found that sometimes there is a preferential need for smaller and lighter platforms that are designed with flexibility and intelligence to cater to a given situation. Start-ups are scalable companies, and with support and hand-holding can deliver strategically strong, customised and innovative products.

At times, several of these companies face a near-death situation due to lack of finances. There is a need for creating an “Indian Defence Finance Corporation (IDFC)” on the lines of the “Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC)” to raise bonds from the market. It should also be ensured that their cash flows are maintained and there are no delays in their payments. It is fortuitous that DPP-2020, which has now become DAP-2020, is one of the main helpful policy of the government, insulating start-ups from bigger players, and enabling them to legally participate in the “Make in India Policy” wherein defence has been identified as one

of the most promising sectors, contributing to external and internal peace and security and socio-economic development of the country. By 2030, India’s Aerospace and defence industry is estimated to reach a market valuation of $70 billion.

To strengthen India’s defence efforts, the 15th Finance Commission made a host of recommendations in its report for the years 2021-22 to 202526. The panel suggested a nonlapsable modernisation fund of Rs 2.38 lakh crore for the fiveyears for defence and internal security. The government has given an in-principle nod to the setting up of the fund. The panel suggested the fund can have four sources of financing: transfer from the Consolidated Fund of India, disinvestment proceeds of defence public sector enterprises, proceeds from monetisation of surplus-defence land, and funds from sale of defence land likely to be transferred to state government and public projects in the future.

If we look at the early history of India’s defence industrialisation, this was mainly given to the state sector: Nine Defence Public Sector Units (DPSUs) along with 41 factories of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB); Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) collaborated with foreign defence companies primarily from France, UK and Germany; Defence Research and Development Organization’s (DRDO) 50 establishments focused on research on various technologies in aeronautics, robotics, navigation and propulsion etc.

India’s ongoing military modernisation for advanced equipment has been largely fulfilled through imports. In the last decade, India imported defence equipment worth about $34 billion. The top five suppliers are

Russia, US, Israel, France and UK. Under the “Make in India” policy, the government has launched an ambitious program to expand domestic production for a larger role to the private sector. Recently, the government has raised FDI in the defence sector to 74%.

To encourage the private sector, the Strategic Partnership (SP) model has been introduced wherein tie-ups will be forged between Indian and foreign defence companies to produce equipment like fighter jets, submarines, medium lift and utility helicopters, warships etc. The SP model is applicable for Tier 1 manufacturers. To encourage MSMEs from Tier 2 and 3 regions, procurement projects up to the development cost of Rs 10 crores (government funded) and Rs 3 crores (industry funded) will be reserved for them.

Another step forward in encouraging defence start-ups is the stimulus given through the Defence Innovation Fund, established in 2017. Under this,

Asteria Aerospace-built UAS

HAL and BEL funded the setting up of the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), which promotes start-ups through the innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) program. Under this, a few solutions identified relate to individual protection systems, secure hardware encryption devices, GPS anti-jamming devices, unmanned surface and underwater vehicles, and 4G/LTE tactical local area network among others.

This can help not only the huge homeland security market but also exports to friendly countries.

Modern warfare is based on technologically advanced platforms and cyber and other emerging digital technologies.

These may include cyber-defence,

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RAKSHA ANIRVEDA

OPINION

SOMETIMES DEFENCE PSUS CONSIDER PRIVATE PLAYERS AS COMPETITORS OR ADVERSARIES. THIS MUST CHANGE. IN FACT, DEFENCE PSUS SHOULD HELP IN BUILDING STABLE AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH MSMES AND STARTUPS IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST

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blockchain, quantum computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), swarming drones and additive manufacturing. With the advancement in Information Technology (IT) there are important implications in the threat landscape — deep fakes, Internet-of-Things (IoT)-based threat vectors, social engineering attacks etc., not just for causing the ‘fog of war’ but to attain complete privacy in a battle. This opens up new opportunities for Indian IT companies like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tech Mahindra, Wipro and HCL Technologies. A joint public-private effort is needed to reorient the defence technology ecosystem. For example, Tech Mahindra has partnered with Israel’s Elta Systems to offer cybersecurity-based products.

There are several instances of successful innovations from the start-ups and MSMEs. Some of these are given below

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as an illustration: CRON Systems: Gurugram-based CRON System is developing border security solutions. Founded in 2015 by young entrepreneurs Tushar Chhabra, Tommy Katzenellenbogen and Saurav Agarwala, CRON Systems initially began focusing on building laser walls for the BSF, expanding to include automation for drones, rovers and a central dashboard to control the applications through its command, control, communication & information (C3i) hub miCRON. According to CRON System, its core product, the Kavach security system, uses multiple sensors such as time of flight cameras, mmWave radars and LiDARs to help ‘detect, track and classify’ intrusion up to 150 m ahead of the perimeter.

Asteria Aerospace: Bengalurubased Asteria Aerospace is a robotics and artificial intelligence start-up that provides dronebased solutions to the military, paramilitary and police forces for security and surveillance purposes.

The start-up was founded in 2012

by Neel Mehta and Nihar Vartak, who completed their B.Sc degree in Aerospace Engineering from Purdue University. The start-up also deploys its drones to provide endto-end solutions for autonomous surveys, inspection and to monitor assets in industries working in the oil and gas, mining, construction and agriculture sectors.

Optimized Electrotech: Ahmedabad-based Optimized Electrotech is an electro-optic start-up providing security and surveillance solutions. It was founded in 2017 by Anil Yekkala, Dharin Shah, Kuldeep Saxena, Purvi Shah and Sandeep Shah.

The start-up provides electrooptics systems that can be used for the surveillance of smart cities, satellite-based imaging, border surveillance, medical imaging, access control, machine vision,

automotive (Advanced driverassistance systems, i.e., ADAS) and consumer electronics.

The start-up’s InfiVision product series can detect a tank from a distance of 30 km. The start-up is going to soon launch its OmniVision product series, which will allow users to monitor a long-range area amid any weather obstacles such as smog, smoke, fog or darkness.

Last year, Optimized Electrotech was announced as a winner of IDEX (Innovation for Defence Excellence), Make-in-India for Defence challenge.

VINVELI: The Iowa and Chennaibased Vinveli, founded in 2013 by Gokul Anandayuvaraj along with his friends Eshan Halekote and Yuan Qu, focuses on providing solutions to the aerospace and robotics industry. The start-up is involved in building Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for both commercial and defence purposes.

The Iowa Startup Acceleratorbacked firm is focused on providing infrastructure, communication and service needed to encourage maintaining a fleet of drones and commercial and industrial applications of UAV technology.

Vinveli, which counts the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Home Affairs as its clients, deploys its drones for riot control and combat operations.

It also deploys them for commercial use in agricultural and wind farms.

Acquiring defence-industrial self-reliance is crucial for India’s Atmanirbharta and the government is giving it a new, real and pro-active thrust. With an integrated support from all agencies concerned, we can expect India to achieve true selfreliance in this field and also export these technologies to other friendly countries, in the face of changing geopolitical dynamics in the world.

–The writer is former Secretary of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, Government of India

RAKSHA ANIRVEDA

BUSINESS INITIATIVE

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HENSOLDT’S TWINVIS PASSIVE RADAR SYSTEM TO SEE WITHOUT BEING SEEN

C

THE PERFECT PARTNER FOR ACTIVE SYSTEMS

an you please share with us more information about HENSOLDT Passive Radar System?

With the TwInvis passive radar, HENSOLDT has revolutionised classical radar technology. This system does not emit any signal itself, which means that it remains virtually invisible.

Nevertheless, it can even locate aircraft equipped with stealth technology.

For the first time, TwInvis allows the airspace to be monitored over a radius of up to 250 kilometres, without emitting radar signals. Mobile, and unobtrusively integrated into a small van or off-road vehicle, this radar’s possible uses are almost unlimited, ranging from air surveillance during particularly sensitive events to civil air traffic control and military applications.

Conventional radar systems’ all work being done using the following principle: they emit signals that are reflected by an object. The radar in turn visualises that object based on the echo received. However, TwInvis follows a radically different approach: the system uses the countless radio signals which are already in the air from broadcast and TV transmitters and evaluates their echoes when reflected by an object.

What are some of the possible areas where HENSOLDT Passive Radar can be utilised?

MORE SECURITY

For political and business events, safety is a key issue. In this context, it would be possible to use a mobile TwInvis to even track small aircraft without transmitting any signals of its own. Thanks to its innovative technology, it can be installed directly in valleys and monitor the airspace irrespective of the radar “shadows” of mountainous terrain, which was only possible with a great deal of effort, if at all, with conventional radar systems.

And that is just one of many applications.

In addition, TwInvis could, for example, detect the aircraft of smugglers in a specific region, provide additional security in urban areas or cost-effectively supplement conventional radars in air traffic control. As it doesn’t broadcast any signals, it can even be used without any additional official approvals.

This ‘super radar’ is made possible by the extension of the computing performance and by a speciality of HENSOLDT: a highly sensitive, multi-channel digital receiver technology, which makes it possible to locate radar echoes that are up to 10 billion times weaker than the output signal, for as many as 25 transmitters at the same time.

“WE LOOK FORWARD TO LAUNCH TWINVIS UNDER THE AEGIS OF MAKE IN INDIA POLICY OF GOI THROUGH AN INDIAN PARTNER. WE ARE IN INITIAL STAGES OF DISCUSSION WITH VARIOUS CUSTOMERS IN INDIA AND PLAN TO ORGANIZE NO COST NO COMMITMENT PRODUCT DEMONSTRATIONS IN COMING DAYS” 18

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NO VISIBILITY

In the military field, TwInvis even combines several advantages. In addition to its high mobility, the system itself remains ‘invisible’, this means that it cannot be jammed or eliminated in a targeted action. At the same time, it can also be used to discover previously undetectable stealth aircraft that conventional radar systems cannot pick up because of the low observable technology.

Stealth aircraft prevent detection by conventional radar using two principles: First, a special coating of the aircraft absorbs high-frequency signals as used by air defence radars, thus almost eliminating radar echoes. And second, the airframe avoids rectangular structures that normally send back echoes to the emitting radar so that the energy intercepted by the radar is extremely low. Both effects together result in the stealth aircraft being virtually invisible to conventional radar.

TwInvis makes this technology vulnerable by reliably detecting the echoes in the frequency range of broadcast and TV signals. Stealth aircraft thus become visible.

The market launch is imminent A single TwInvis can monitor airspace over a radius of 250 kilometres. Up to 200 aircraft are visible at the same

time in 3D (range and altitude). Moreover, several TwInvis can be linked up into a networked system so as to monitor even larger areas, coasts or borders.

TwInvis has already shown what it can do in several impressive demonstrations to military customers, air traffic control organisations and other interested parties.

Any measurements done for HENSOLDT Passive Radar?

During the recent measurement campaign of the NATO Science and Technology Organization under the leadership of the Polish armed forces in 2019, HENSOLDT passive radar “TwInvis” showed outstanding detection performance.

For this purpose, a passive radar sensor cluster with two sensors was installed on the Polish Baltic coast.

During the measurement campaign, a system integrated in a container was used alongside a system variant integrated in a van. TwInvis reliably detected a large number of targets in the air and at sea, ranging from light aircraft and combat aircraft to ballistic and ground-to-air missiles. The achieved ranges over the Baltic Sea coast were up to 300 km. The live data from the TwInvis cluster were fed into the Polish MilRad network and analysed and evaluated in a nearby Polish CRC. A passive radar acts purely as a receiver, i.e. it does not transmit itself, and locates aircraft by evaluating the signals reflected at the target from existing external transmitters. The TwInvis is creating a comprehensive air situation picture, which is generated from the simultaneous evaluation of a large number of frequency ranges. TwInvis is able to simultaneously evaluate up to 16 FM transmitters (analogue radio) and 5 frequencies with several contributing transmitters from DAB and DAB+ (digital radio) as well as DVB-T and DVB-T2 (digital terrestrial television) due to its highly developed digital receiver technology and special algorithms.

In civil applications, passive radar enables low-cost control of air traffic without additional emissions and without using scarce transmission frequencies. In

TwInvis allows the airspace to be monitored over a radius of up to 250 kilometres, without emitting radar signals. Mobile, and unobtrusively integrated into a small van or off-road vehicle, this radar’s possible uses are almost unlimited, ranging from air surveillance during particularly sensitive events to civil air traffic control and military applications military applications, the system enables covert surveillance of large areas using networked receivers and offers the advantage that the “passive radar” cannot be located by the enemy and is very difficult to be jammed.

Will India be launching Passive Radar anytime soon? What are your plans for this product?

We look forward to launch TwInvis under the aegis of Make in India policy of GoI

through an Indian partner. We plan to position our product in both Military and Non-Military Security segment. We propose to offer an Indigenous solution adapted to the needs of Indian Market.

We are in initial stages of discussion with various customers in India and plan to organize no cost no commitment product demonstrations in coming days. We are hopeful of finalizing our Indigenous approach with relevant stakeholders soon.

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RAKSHA ANIRVEDA

INSIGHT

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TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN FUTURE WARS AND MANKIND’S FINAL TRYST WITH GOD!

Dud weapons or equipment systems such as manned aircraft, tanks, guns and infantry would lose their relevance in future wars. They will be sitting ducks. AI and Cyber warfare would be the force multipliers of future belligerents

By COL RAJINDER SINGH (RETD)

T

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echnology, both disruptive and growth-oriented, has opened up new horizons for mankind to conquer. Destruction and construction both go simultaneously alongside each. Technology, thus, not only proposes to create new frontiers but it disposes them, too. Humanity, it seems, is at the cusp of another “Big Bang”.

Future wars are not only going to be technology driven, but they will be “Non Contact” wars, fought by “Smart Soldiers” with “Smart Weapons” of BVR (Beyond Visual Range) nature. Drones, missiles, EMP & Laser guns, as well as Bioweapons are changing the whole concept of war-making. There is a paradigm shift from physical force of humans to ruthless force of mind.

“Swarm” technology, with deadly lethality, extensive ranges and computerised accuracy, would go for an all out kill of “Concentrated forces”. Nano-technology will produce weapons of the kind of “Bumblebees” — very, very difficult to detect but with a potential of massive destruction.

Therefore, dud weapons or equipment systems such as manned aircraft, tanks, guns and infantry would lose their relevance in future wars.

They will be sitting ducks. AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Cyber warfare would be the force multipliers of future belligerents.

Also, note that there would be no more Monkey Dancing of soldiers across the borders. Armour and Infantry, hitherto known as ‘King and Queen’ of battle would lose their relevance. White-collared soldiers, sitting thousands of miles away from the battle zone would rule the roost.

Infantry would only supplement internal security force and may be in

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a static role on the borders. However, radars and Unattended Ground Sensors (UGS), supported by BVR weapons systems, can perform this role better.

Your “eyes in the sky” would further deprive infantry & armour this privilege of being sentinels of the border. There would be no more urgency to rush

A soldier in action with smart weapon system

additional forces as happened in the case of the Chinese offensive in Eastern Ladakh during 2020.

Borders would be made impenetrable by adversaries. Wars will, thus, be designed to soften up one’s adversary by BVR systems before delivering the final blow as a surgical strike.

Finally, Land wars will be replaced by wars in the “space and seas”. Territorial gains would no longer be considered a political purpose of war. It would be total annihilation of one’s adversary.

Indian think tanks have to gear up towards this new concept of Designer Wars. The flab must be cut down to concentrate on LAMA

Space Elevators

(Lean and Mean Army) to engage the enemy in a “Non-Contact duel”, where BVR or smart weapon system would play an important role.

While wars and military conflicts are reshaping themselves, so is the concept of mankind’s progress in different domains. Man’s foray into space is gaining momentum — of course driven by cutting-edge and a new technology. Time is not far when wars may extend into outer space. The latest mission to Mars by NASA has added a new dimension to human reach beyond the earth.

With the mission to Mars, the race for “colonisation of space” will begin. This might become a new cause of human conflict and a new version of “Lebensraum” (Living Space or additional territory).

And looking some 150-200 years beyond the present times, into the 23rd Century, I find exciting new prospects for humanity — if it does not destroy itself by the use of WMD (weapons of mass destruction) such as viruses like Covid -19 or

even “Anti-Matter” (10 grams are adequate to obliterate life from the earth’s surface).

Let me emphasise here that keeping with the growing community of ‘Continent Hopping’ citizens of today, mankind has the potential of upgrading to ‘Galaxy Hopping’ in the next 150 years.

Why do I say this? Have I found an answer to Stephen Hawking’s quest for “Unified Theory” or the “Theory of Everything”? Or, is it that I am on a war-path with Francis Fukuyama’s postulation of “End of History”? No, it is nothing of the sort. I am only putting two and two together to work out a shape of things to come. No, I do not claim to be a futurologist. I am only taking a holistic view of the innovations and technological advances and then working out a synthesised model of Future Human Beings who will re-enact the feats of mythological characters of Vedic tales — which talk of sages like Narada or other celestial beings who could move

LAND WARS WILL BE REPLACED BY WARS IN THE ‘SPACE AND SEAS’.

TERRITORIAL GAINS WOULD NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED A POLITICAL PURPOSE OF WAR. IT WOULD BE TOTAL ANNIHILATION OF ONE’S ADVERSARY across the ‘Tri Lok’ (Three Worlds) in the blink of an eye. They could come and go at will. We are moving towards this. How is this possible?

Let me first recount the technological advances that have set the ball rolling: l SIMULATED WORLD: Nixon Bostorm, director of the ‘Future of Humanity’ project at Oxford University says that by 2030 AD we could have “Virtual Brains” like the ones you saw in the movie ‘The Matrix’. These virtual brains could simulate their bodies and move around anywhere. In fact he goes on to add that there is a 20 percent chance that ours was a simulated world and it could go off like the computer screen as you log out.

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HELD UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT ABDEL FATTAH EL-SISI THE PRESIDENT OF THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT, THE SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE EGYPTIAN ARMED FORCES

RAKSHA ANIRVEDA

INSIGHT

A drone system inflight

THE DANGERS ARE THERE THAT MAN MIGHT DESTROY HIMSELF AND THIS UNIVERSE BEFORE HIS FINAL MEETING WITH GOD. IS THIS GOING TO BE THE WAY MAN WANTS TO MEET HIS CREATOR? IS IT HIS FINAL TRYST?

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In such a “Virtual World” we will have “Virtual Brains” roaming the Cosmic Space at will. l RECYCLING HUMAN LIFE: The Human DNA has been mapped. This could lead to the Robotisation of human beings. Now if you please, if you want to recycle your life you can digitalise yourself. (Kindly read my post, “Digitalising Human Beings” posted on Sulekha Blogs in September 2007). We can produce robotised clones and re-enact our entire life or we can make our self Space Travellers by sending our animated clones into space to various galaxies. Once they return, the “Original You” might not be there but they can re-enact your life with stored digitised data in your Digitalised Life File and also make corrections wherever required. Of course, there are moral questions.

But let us first conquer the final frontiers of human anatomy and space mysteries. Let us seek its synthesis with the virtual world. l SPACE ELEVATORS: NASA is currently working on a project on Space Elevators, which they say is likely to be ready by the year 2100 AD. It is said that the elevators would be like a lift and go up to 100,000 km into space.

The elevator would comprise a

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cable whose one end could be anchored to a floating ramp in an ocean and the space end would be attached to an orbiting satellite.

The elevator is meant for the use of space travellers for moving from one space station to another. This is the preliminary step towards large-scale space travel. It is said this would facilitate space tourism, space hotels and space factories.

Efforts are also being made to harness Space Energy — which will come from undiffused sunlight.

Emphasis is now on the concept of producing reusable space vehicles.

There are teething problems here but work is on to find answers. l LIFE ON OTHER PLANETS WITHIN AND OUTSIDE OUR GALAXY: Scientists have found planets in other galaxies, which could have earth-like atmosphere and support life. So far five such planets have been identified.

Besides, in our own solar system, Mars seems to be the ideal candidate that could fulfil the criterion for a life supporting planet. NASA is planning a one-way mission of one hundred humans in the next 5-6 years to colonise Mars. Traces of water have been found on Mars by NASA’s Mars orbiter. In some quarters, there is speculation that life might have

existed in some form on Mars in the distant past. A loud thought hints that life on earth might have come from Mars. So, the question: Has life been hopping from one planet to another? Does the creator of life destroy it when it reaches the peak of its technological advancement and attempts to reach God itself?

Now compare these technological advances in Genetic Engineering, NanoTechnology and Space Research with innovations and inventions in Life Sciences and you will get a synergic view of the future. Think of advances in Psychiatry and Neurology. In fact, Past Life Regression Therapy (PLRT) is becoming very popular in curing psychic maladjustment of individuals. Just think beyond this and you will land up justifying the Theory of Rebirth and the Karmic Cycle. In fact, the ID (Intelligent Design) Theory of the beginning of this universe, as opposed to the Big Bang Theory, has almost acknowledged this. Maybe the Simulated World theory of Nixon Bostorm might authenticate the Karmic Theory and Cyclical Nature of time. I am not on this subject but I have highlighted this only to suggest that “Man might have a tryst with God in the distant future”.

What is going to be this Tryst with God? I do not know. But the dangers are there that man might destroy himself and this universe before his final meeting with God. Is this going to be the way man wants to meet his creator? Is it his final Tryst? After all, we might be the Simulated World.

Bostorm says there was a 20 percent probability that it was so. Are we heading for our final destination?

Think—and think hard.

–An ex-NDA and Wellington Staff College graduate, the contributor is a renowned author and security analyst, and has authored four books. His bestselling books are Kashmir – A Different Perspective and The ULFA Insurgency.

The views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda

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OPINION: GEOSTRATEGY

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INDIA AND THE GULF: PROSPECTS FOR COLLABORATION IN DEFENSE SECTOR India’s defense and security ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia have strengthened significantly in the recent years. In addition to other areas, there is a greater intent for collaboration in the field of defense industry

By DR MD MUDDASSIR QUAMAR

I

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ndia’s defense and security relations with the Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have flourished in recent years.

Bilateral cooperation in maritime securityand counter-terrorism, and militaryto-military ties have strengthened due to persistent diplomatic outreach and security calculations in New Delhi, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. High level exchange of visits by political and military leadership has created greater understanding and appreciation of each other’s threat perceptions. This has led to an emphasis on expanding defense cooperation to newer areas such as joint exercises, training of defense personnel, research and exploration and defense manufacturing and acquisition.

A key component ofdiscussion on defense cooperation is the potentials for collaborative efforts to promote indigenous defense industries in India, Saudi Arabia and the UAE to reduce their external reliance for defense acquisition. Among the Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Saudi Arabia in October 2019was between Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Military Industries (GAMI) and the Department of Defense Production in the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD). The MoU envisaged “collaboration in military acquisition, industries, research, development and technology.” Similarly, anMoU on cooperation in the field of defense industry was signed between Indian and Emirati defense ministries during the visit of Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed to New Delhi in January 2017.

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20 period, Saudi Arabia’s defense purchases rose by 61 percent. The UAE has been in talks with the US to acquire F-35 fighter jets and armed drones that would cost billions of dollars. From an economic point of view, establishing a defense industrial base will not only reduce external reliance but ease the burden on the exchequer. It will also help in the economic diversification efforts away from the oil-driven economy and also create the muchneeded local employment.

Accordingly, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are ramping up efforts

2014 by integrating 16 smaller defense manufacturing companies.

This was followed up with further consolidation of 25 smaller defense companies with the launch of EDGE in November 2019. With an estimated consolidated revenue of US$5 billion and 12,000 employees, the EDGE has emerged as one of the largest defense companies in the region.

With a focus on acquisition of technology, innovation and research, the company is expecting to become a provider of cuttingedge solution for the future warfare.

INDIGENOUS DEFENSE INDUSTRIES IN UAE AND SAUDI ARABIA

Given the geopolitical climate in the Gulf and West Asia, the regional countries face serious security challenges. There are several geopolitical and economic factors that have forced Arab Gulf monarchies to look for diversification of their defense procurement while simultaneously focusing on developing a local defense industry. For one, there are security threats due to tensions with Iran, the rise of non-state actors such as Houthi rebels in Yemen andthreats from jihadi-terrorist organizations such as Islamic State (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda.

On the other hand, their most reliable security partner, the United States (US) on which they had depended for their security for long, is keen on reducing its regional commitments to

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the signing of

focus on the Indo-Pacific to contain a rising China.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are among the top defense importers in the West Asiacausing a significant burden on their exchequer.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) during the 2016-

agreements between India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh

to develop indigenous defense industry. The UAE is a pioneer in this field in the Gulf region and is emerging as a regional hub for defense manufacturers. The first step in this direction was the formation of the Emirates Defense Industries Company (EDIC) in

Faisal Al Bannai, CEO and managing director of the conglomerate said at the time of its launch,“The solution to address hybrid warfare lies at the convergence of innovations from the commercial world and the military industry. Established with a core mandate to disrupt

an antiquated military industry generally stifled by red tape, EDGE is set to bring products to market faster and at more cost-effective price points.”

The UAE is also focusing on bringing more international partners to shore up its local defense industry. A key aspect of this is the biennial organization of defense exhibitions to display the evolution of the local industry and attract international partners. The International Defense Exhibition (IDEX) and the Naval Defense Exhibition (NAVDEX) in Abu Dhabi, the 15th edition of which were held on February 21-25, have emerged asmajor regional attraction in this sector. According to Abu Dhabi Exhibition Company (ADNEC), the organizer of the IDEX and NAVDEX 2021, the expo witnessed participation of 900 exhibitors from 59 countries and deals worth US$5.7 billion were signed by the UAE armed forces during the event.

Independent reports from think tanks and industry observers underline the prospects of growth in the local defense industry in the UAE as well as the efforts made by the Saudi monarchy in this direction. In 2017, Saudi Arabia floated two companies to work on enhancing the prospects for local defense production. The Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) was inaugurated in May while the General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) was launched in August last year.

While the SAMI aims to become one of the top regional defense production companies, the GAMI is a regulatory body that aims to promote local industries and reduce import dependence of the kingdom “by developing industries, facilitating research and technologies, developing national human capital.” Simultaneously, it wishes to “enhancing exports through enabling the sector by

HIGH LEVEL EXCHANGE OF VISITS BY POLITICAL AND MILITARY LEADERSHIP HAS CREATED GREATER UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF EACH OTHER’S THREAT PERCEPTIONS. THIS HAS LED TO AN EMPHASIS ON EXPANDING DEFENSE COOPERATION TO NEWER AREAS SUCH AS JOINT EXERCISES, TRAINING OF DEFENSE PERSONNEL, RESEARCH AND EXPLORATION AND DEFENSE MANUFACTURING AND ACQUISITION

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RAKSHA ANIRVEDA

OPINION: GEOSTRATEGY long-term planning of military purchases and providing incentives to local manufacturers.”

Needless to say, that the two regional power house are ahead in comparison to other Gulf competitors both in terms of the intent and capacity to invest in developing local defense industries and reduce the external dependence.

EMPHASIS IN INDIA ON DEFENSE INDUSTRY

India too faces serious internal and external security challenges. It has been working towardsmodernisation of its armed forces to meet the challenges of future warfare. The evolving hybrid nature of warfare is leading to a shift of focus in the armed forces from a personnel-driven to a technology-driven approach.

INDIA, UAE AND SAUDI ARABIA INTEND TO DEVELOP INDIGENOUS DEFENSE INDUSTRIES, SHARE STRONG SECURITY TIES AND HAVE EVOLVED MECHANISMS FOR COOPERATION AMONG THEIR ARMED FORCES. WITHIN THIS FRAMEWORK, THE NEED IS GREATER CONTACTS AND DISCUSSIONS AMONG INDUSTRY LEADERS AND EXPERTS TO TRANSFORM THE INTENT INTO A REALITY

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But due to a lack of local defense industry and production, currently India overwhelmingly depends on imports to fulfill the requirements of its forces.This has led to India being among the top defense importers in the world. According to SIPRI, during the 2016-20 period, India was the second largest defense importer in the world after Saudi Arabia, though its overall imports fell by nearly 32 percent, in comparison to the 2011-15 period.

Recognizing the changing nature of warfare and the need for reducing the import-dependence, the Government of India (GoI) has been focusing on promoting local defense industry. Both the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives include this objective with the larger aim of increasing the proportion of made in India weapons and equipment in acquisition and procurement for the armed forces. Eventually, India wishes to enhance its defense exports wherein it currently ranks 23rd among top 25 defense exporting countries.

There are two basic aspects that are important in this regard; one is capacity-building in defense production and second is the need for acquiring cutting-

PM Modi with Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of UAE 26

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edge technology. Both require international partnerships in addition to local efforts toward capacity building, research and innovation. There are some movement in this direction and the MoD is focusing on acquisition of home-grown equipment and weapons for the armed forces.

During 2018-20, the GoIhas “accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to 112 Defence proposals, worth Rs 1,99,860 crore [US$275.62 billion] approximately, under the various categories of Capital Acquisition” to promote domestic manufacturing. Accordingly, “Many significant projects including 155mm Artillery Gun system ‘Dhanush’, Bridge Laying Tank, Thermal Imaging Sight Mark-II for T-72 tank, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) ‘Tejas’, ‘Akash’ Surface to Air Missile system, Submarine ‘INS Kalvari’, ‘INS Chennai’, Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette (ASWC), Arjun Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle, Landing Craft Utility (LCU) etc. have been produced in the country under ‘Make in India’ initiative.”

COMMON GROUNDS

As noted in the introduction, India’s defense and security ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia have strengthened significantly in the recent years. In addition to other areas, there is a greater intent for collaboration in the field of defense industry. India has signed MoUs with both the UAE and Saudi Arabia for cooperation in this sector.

The MoU signed with the UAE envisages greater cooperation in the “fields of defense manufacturing and technology, including through studies, research, development, innovation and cooperation between public and private sector institutions.” It furthers provisions forpartnerships in “areas of armaments, defense industries and transfer of technology.”

India, UAE and Saudi Arabia intend to develop indigenous defense industries, share strong security ties and have evolved mechanisms for cooperation among their armed forces. Within this framework, the need is greater contacts and discussions among industry leaders and experts to transform the intent into a reality.

There are immense possibilities given that India has many advantages such as expertise in cyber security and its large pool of trained personnel ready to be channelized. Joint ventures between industry leaders can boost capacity-building and local production. In addition to bilateral collaboration, given the strong relations between the three countries trilateral joint ventures can be explored.

Besides, there are possibilities for collaboration in research and development, especially in niche areas of artificial intelligence, cyber security, electronic surveillance, space exploration etc. wherein India can offer its expertise while the UAE and Saudi Arabia can invest capital. The defense exhibitions, such as DefExpo and AeroIndia and IDEX and NAVDEX, offer the platforms for explore collaborative opportunities.

CONCLUSION

Participants in a group photo at India Pavillion at recently-held IDEX/ NAVDEX in Abu Dhabi

The defense industries in India, UAE and Saudi Arabia are at various stages of development.

India has an advantage because of its large market and huge pool of human resource as well as a well-established manufacturing ecosystem and research institutions working in niche areas.

The UAE with its concentrated efforts and track record of successful transformation in other economic sectors is emerging as the leading defense industrial hub in the Gulf and West Asia. It

also has immense potentials in terms of the ability in technology acquisition and capital infusion.

Likewise, Saudi Arabia as a regional giant has advantages in terms of capital infusion and technology acquisition. Its nascent defense industry is in need of fast growth.

The governments in all three countries have put an emphasis on the need to reduce external dependence for defense acquisition, and are taking steps to push for self-reliance in defense manufacturing. The

excellent relations and existing agreements on collaboration in this field provide the template for collaborative efforts. Industry leaders in the three countries need to take initiatives and tap this hitherto underdeveloped area which is vital national security and has both economic and geopolitical implications.

THE EXCELLENT RELATIONS AND EXISTING AGREEMENTS ON COLLABORATION IN THIS FIELD PROVIDE THE TEMPLATE FOR COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS. INDUSTRY LEADERS IN THE THREE COUNTRIES NEED TO TAKE INITIATIVES AND TAP THIS HITHERTO UNDERDEVELOPED AREA WHICH IS VITAL NATIONAL SECURITY AND HAS BOTH ECONOMIC AND GEOPOLITICAL IMPLICATIONS

–The writer is Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi. Views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of MP-IDSA or Government of India

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GUEST COLUMN

www.raksha-anirveda.com

WILL THE US SUCCEED IN DECOUPLING INDIA’S DEFENCE BEAR HUG WITH RUSSIA? The Biden-Harris administration faces a serious dilemma.

Having sanctioned other countries for similar Russian military equipment purchases, it simply cannot absolve India from being correspondingly penalised AMIT COWSHISH

T

he maiden two-day visit of US Secretary of Defence, Lloyd J Austin to New Delhi in March 2021 signified the BidenHarris administration’s intent to continue bilateral strategic engagement with India, without any significant departure from the previous policy.

Secretary Austin struck the right chord by commending India’s leadership in the IndoPacific region and growing engagement with like-minded democracies in the region, to promote shared strategic, political and economic goals.

This was an obvious reference to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, in which India has invested considerable diplomatic and naval capital.

He also stressed the importance of the India-US strategic and defence partnership and its impact on the international rulesbased order which he claimed would only proliferate.

Addressing a select media interaction after talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on March 20, Secretary Austin stated that they had “discussed opportunities to elevate the US-India defense partnership

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… through regional security cooperation and military-tomilitary interactions and defense trade”.

Bilateral military commerce has, indeed, been the cornerstone of deepening strategic engagement between the two countries. It now stands at close to $20 billion with recent US equipment buys by India including P-8I Neptune long-range maritime multi-mission aircraft, AH-64E Apache Guardian attack a n d CH- 4 7 F Ch i n o o k SOME ANALYSTS heavy-lift helicopters, IN DELHI, C-17 Globemaster III and C -130J-30 military HOWEVER, transport aircraft and BAE BELIEVE THAT Systems M777 155mm/39 SECTION 231 calibre howitzers.

OF CAATS ACT The two sides are also in advanced negotiations COULD PROVIDE for assorted equipment A FACE-SAVING and weapon systems REPRIEVE FOR worth $10-12 billion, like THE US, EAGER the armed MQ-9 Reaper or Predator-B unmanned TO COLLABORATE aerial vehicles (UAVs) WITH INDIA AS and National Advanced A ‘FRONTLINE’ Surface-to-Air Missile STATE IN ITS System-2 (NASAMS-2), amongst others.

SHADOW-BOXING Such thriving unilateral WITH CHINA trade, however, seems headed for a moment of

truth later this year after Russia begins delivery of first of the five Almaz-Antei S-400E Triumf self-propelled surface-to-air (SAM) systems that India had acquired in October 2018 for $5.5 billion for the Indian Air Force (IAF). For inducting the advanced SAM system renders India vulnerable to being penalised by Washington under the US’ Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions ACT (CAATSA).

CAATSA became law in August 2017 after being approved by the US Congress in response to Russia annexing Crimea in 2014 and its alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections.

The Act authorises the US Government to impose unilateral sanctions on countries — or specific entities within an offending country — for entering into bilateral contracts with Russia. It also applies to Iran and North Korea because of their respective rogue nuclear programmes.

In 2018 the Act was invoked against the Chinese Defence Ministry’s Equipment Development

Department (EDD) and its director, Li Shangfu, for acquiring two S-400 systems as well as Sukhoi Su-35 ‘Flanker-E’ combat aircraft. Thereafter, in December 2020, sanctions were imposed against US’ NATO-ally Turkey also for taking delivery of the first of two S-400 systems, similar to the ones India awaits.

And, faced with the prospect of being sanctioned under CAATSA in March 2020, Indonesia opted to scrap the acquisition of the Russian Su35 fighters under a barter deal, choosing the Dassault Rafale fighters and Boeing F-15EX Advanced Eagle fighter aircraft instead to upgrade its obsolete fighter profile.

If anything, these precedents do not bode well for India, which has so far shown no signs of terminating the S-400 buy or procurement of other assorted Russian materiel it has contracted to acquire over the past five years. These include four Admiral Grigorovichclass stealth frigates, leasing of a second Project 971 ‘Akula’ class nuclearpowered submarine (SSN) in addition to assorted ammunition and missile systems.

India is also negotiating the licensed production of some 750,000 Russian Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles by its stateowned Ordnance Factory Board and 140 Kamov Ka-226T ‘Hoodlum’ light multi-role helicopters — in addition to initially acquiring 60 others in ‘fly away’ condition. India is also in advanced talks with Moscow to import 21 additional secondhand MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum’ fighters and to locally

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with the US Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin after bilateral talks, in New Delhi

licence-construct the Sukhoi Su30MKI Flanker multi-role combat aircraft.

Consequently, the BidenHarris administration, hoist with its own petard, faces a serious dilemma. Having WHATEVER THE sanctioned other countries OUTCOME, IT for similar Russian military IS DIFFICULT TO equipment purchases, it simply cannot absolve India ASSESS WHAT from being correspondingly STRATEGIC penalised. But inexplicably, OBJECTIVE THE US the gathering storm is WILL ACHIEVE BY continuously underplayed by both US and Indian COMPELLING INDIA officials, as it was during TO ROLL BACK, Austin’s visit, even though IF NOT SEVER, delivery of the S-400 ITS MILITARY systems is scheduled for later this year.

COMMERCE WITH In his joint presser in RUSSIA OTHER Delhi Austin declared THAN PUSHING that he had taken up the MOSCOW EVEN S-400 issue with Singh, but there was no question CLOSER TO CHINA of discussing the matter AND PAKISTAN of sanctions because

India was yet to take delivery of the system. In an anodyne declaration the US Defence Secretary declared that the US urged all its allies and partners to ‘move away’ from Russian equipment and to ‘avoid any kind of acquisition that would trigger sanctions’ but declined to elaborate.

The expectation of sanctions being imposed surfaced immediately before Austin’s visit.

The chairman of the US Senate’s foreign affairs committee Robert Mendez urged Austin to warn India that acquisition of the S-400 systems would render it liable to be sanctioned under CAATSA. The New Jersey senator also urged Austin to raise concerns regarding human rights issues in India and perceived dilution of democratic norms by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

Eventually, however, all three issues were underplayed by

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RAKSHA ANIRVEDA

UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF HIS MAJESTY KING HAMAD BIN ISA AL KHALIFA, www.raksha-anirveda.com KING OF THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

GUEST COLUMN

Defence Minister Mr Singh with US Defence Secretary, Mr Austin at the bilateral meeting, in New Delhi on March 20, 2021. Defence Secretary Dr. Ajay Kumar, the Secretary (Defence Production), Raj Kumar, the Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO, Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy are also seen

Austin, indicating a realisation at the political level in the US that Washington remains chary of offending a close ally, leave alone imposing sanctions. It also raises the spectre of both sides being in denial over the issue, even when being ostrich-like was simply not an option.

Even so, it’s irrefutable that there can be no escape for Washington from enforcing CAATSA on India, as it remains a law approved by the US Congress and rebutting it is not an option.

Some analysts in Delhi, however, believe that Section 231 of the Act could provide a face-saving reprieve for the US, eager to collaborate with India as a ‘frontline’ state in its shadowboxing with China.

Under this section, sanctions can be waived if the country concerned is ‘taking or will take

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steps to reduce its inventory of major defence equipment and advanced conventional weapons produced by HOWEVER, A the defence sector of the LESS CHARITABLE Russian Federation…over a specified period’. The VIEW IS THAT case for waiver is further THE THREAT reinforced if the said OF ENFORCING country cooperates with CAATSA ON the US on other security DELHI IS BEING matters critical to its KEPT ALIVE TO interests.

This could prove ‘PERSUADE’ INDIA fortuitous for India as TO ACQUIRE it more than measures US COMBAT up on both counts.

FIGHTERS FOR Firstly, according to the THE IAF AND THE Stockholm International INDIAN NAVY Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) India’s share of (IN) FOR AN Russian materiel buys ESTIMATED US$30 had declined from 70 BILLION per cent in 2010-2014 to 58% in 2014-2018, while

conversely, between 2008 and 2017 Indian military platforms and defence kit procurements from the US had increased a whopping 557 per cent. Additionally, India had substantially increased defence procurements from the US’ strategic partners France and Israel. And secondly, India-US bilateral and military ties too are robust with the Quad being a most recent instance with regard to China, the common foe.

However, a less charitable view is that the threat of enforcing CAATSA on Delhi is being kept alive to ‘persuade’ India to acquire US combat fighters for the IAF and the Indian Navy (IN) for an estimated US$30 billion. The IAF has long been demanding 114 medium multi-role combat aircraft to make up its depleted fighter squadrons, while the IN is seeking 57 MultiRole Carrier Borne Fighters for its third aircraft carrier that remains under consideration.

The US is a strong contender in this programme.

Whatever the outcome, it is difficult to assess what strategic objective the US will achieve by compelling India to roll back, if not sever, its military commerce with Russia other than pushing Moscow even closer to China and Pakistan. It will be equally challenging for India to parse the sanctions, should they be imposed, as around twothirds of its military inventory is sourced from Moscow.

On the flip side, this could also impact the impending defence deals with the US. The suspense continues.

– The author is Ex-Financial Advisor (Acquisition), Ministry of Defence

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INDIA HAS JOINED QUAD BUT MUST AUGMENT ITS NAVY ON PRIORITY China has followed Alfred Mahan’s strategy on maritime power that made the US rise through a joint maritime based trade and military policy in the 20th century. The PLA Navy with 335 warships has overtaken America’s 295. The Indian Navy has around 134 ships. Numbers matter and India can neglect its Navy at its own peril

By CMDE RANJIT B RAI (RETD)

I

n March 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi enunciated India’s maritime policy as, “We seek a future for the Indian Ocean that lives up to the name of ‘SAGAR’ — Security and Growth for All in the Region.” In 2016, at the International Fleet Review at Visakhapatnam, PM Modi spoke of the concept of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – the world as a family – vividly witnessed on the oceans and added that defending our Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) is vital.

These two mantras in absence of a prescribed National Maritime Strategy have guided the 134 warships and 200 aircraft of the Indian Navy, and 70 large platforms and 44 aircraft of the Indian Coast Guard, to pursue maritime operations in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Under these same principles, India has invited the coastal states to become members of the Maritime Fusion Centre established at the Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) in Gurgaon, near Delhi, for Maritime Domain

Naval ships at Quad Plus nation exercise

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Awareness (MDA) to maintain peace, stability and free and open navigation for trade.

The Indian Navy uses ports in Singapore, Mauritius and Oman for operational turn around (OTR) for its ships and aircraft as the Net Security Provider (NSP) in the IOR and has augmented its MDA capabilities with networked inputs from coastal radars, ships and aircraft like P-8Is connected to the GSAT-8 satellite in cooperation with the US Navy after signing the three foundational agreements namely LEMOA, COMCASA and BECA. MDA is critical to police and pursue naval operations and safe guard the region’s Blue Economy and combat terrorism and piracy.

Despite having limited assets and a reduced share of the Defence Budget (down to 14 per cent from 18 per cent) after the 2014 Doklam and the Ladakh incursion by the PLA and the Covid pandemic since last year, the Navy has maintained an operational tempo with patrols in the IOR and inter-service

exercises like Tropex to further jointness – in keeping with PM Modi’s call for synergized power of India’s armed forces. However, orders for replacement of platforms have not been pursued. The Navy actively took part in international exercises like Malabar in the Indo-Pacific, HADR operations and repatriated Indians during the Covid pandemic and acted as first responders to nations affected by natural calamities even on the Eastern seaboard of Africa.

The Navy’s framework for effective security bears testimony to the growing bonds between the maritime forces as India has also supplied platforms and set up coastal radar chains for security in the IOR.

INDIA-CHINA TIES POST LADAKH INCURSION

China’s friendship with Pakistan and its control of Gwadar port in Balochistan province, and the less reported progress on a submarine facility at the Jinnah Naval Base at Ormara, has made the security dynamics in the region complex and the maritime situation in the IOR and Indo-Pacific, which houses the world’s fastest-growing economies, competitive. Military expenditures have increased with more submarines in the region and

India has had to take a hard look at its own land and maritime security interests after the PLA transgressed across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh last year.

PM Modi resolutely beefed up the Army and Air Force to deter Chinese aggression as the past CBMs and border agreements holding the peace were overtaken by events like the Galwan clash on April 15 and Operation Snow Leopard launched on August 29 last year when the Indian Army gained control over the dominating heights in the Chushul region. With no immediate threat at sea in the IOR, the Indian Navy has been neglected.

The capabilities of the PLA (Navy) pose a global security risk, especially when there is a strong evidence of fierce competition over natural

resources and overlapping claims on strategic hotspots in the South China Sea. It has led to a coalition of the four quadrilateral nations (USA, Japan, Australia and India) to deter the assertive rise of China in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain with its illegal acquisition and conversion of rocks in the South China Sea into Islands. China has made inroads in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) with support to Pakistan and PLA (N) has fortified a logistic base in the Republic of Djibouti. The strategic struggle between a risen China and the US, the reigning superpower, comes with its baggage of security concerns in the waters of the IndoPacific and IOR. China has upgraded the capability of her naval strike-power with 395 ships and 60 submarines with lethal

missiles and has been conducting naval exercises in the South China Sea in an explicitly offensive posture.

There is a saying, “When elephants fight the soil below gets trampled”.

USA and China are the elephants and Indian waters may get muddied as China has ambitious designs to win the Great New Maritime Game in the IOR. The IOR has been India’s parish, but the strategic balance has altered that. Experts say India is probably at a considerable strategic disadvantage to China in its economy, technology and especially the military. China’s military is supported by Pakistan, dubbed as India’s two-front war dilemma. Only in the Indian Ocean, which includes China’s vital energy routes from the Persian Gulf and Africa, does India have the upper

CHINA’S FRIENDSHIP WITH PAKISTAN AND ITS CONTROL OF GWADAR PORT IN BALOCHISTAN PROVINCE, AND THE LESS REPORTED PROGRESS ON A SUBMARINE FACILITY AT THE JINNAH NAVAL BASE AT ORMARA, HAS MADE THE SECURITY DYNAMICS IN THE REGION COMPLEX

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US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin calls on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi

A snapshot from Malabar Naval Exercise

hand. India must pay attention to strategic thinking that suggests the Indian Navy should be strengthened to meet China, notwithstanding the support it will get from Pakistan in its own interior lines (IOR), which will be China’s weak exterior with a long THE line for logistical support that can be CAPABILITIES disrupted by the Indian Navy and the OF THE PLA (NAVY) POSE Quad’s maritime power and prowess.

The India Navy has the capability to A GLOBAL stop China’s designs in the IOR at choke SECURITY RISK, points and one of China’s Achilles heel ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE is called its Malacca Dilemma. India is IS A STRONG also establishing outposts in Alagaga EVIDENCE in Mauritius, Accession Island in OF FIERCE Seychelles and Duqm in Oman and COMPETITION the Comoros islands, all pursued by OVER NATURAL EAM S. Jaishankar. India will have to RESOURCES make choices about the parameters AND OVERLAPPING of the Quad as it could fall into a ‘Thucydides Trap’, a situation when a CLAIMS ON hegemonic emerging power like China STRATEGIC HOTSPOTS IN threatens to displace the existing power America and a lesser power THE SOUTH CHINA SEA may suffer in the process.

The US has always depended on 34

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its military allies for success and covets India’s maritime support and has supplied high-end interoperable systems and could ask India to join a military coalition like NATO in the Indo-Pacific. Indian has to bear in mind its relations with Russia, especially for its strategic nuclear submarine programme and military dependence and the S-400 missiles contract, at a time when America’s new Biden administration seems to have taken on both China and Russia.

At the first virtual summit of Quad leaders arranged by US President Joe Biden on March 12 with Prime Ministers Modi, Morrison and Suga, they failed to name China or mention China’s illegal claim on the South China Sea rocks that it has reclaimed with technology and converted into an artificial fortified island to extend its deficient maritime geography. The QUAD leaders stressed the need for free and open navigation in the IndoPacific and cooperation on issues like Covid and joint production of vaccines and Climate Change. US Defence Secretary Gen Lloyd Austin visited India for further talks.

India must ponder whether the time is opportune to join a military pact as the global economy, including India’s, has suffered the ill effects of the Covid pandemic and India has expended much in warding off the PLA in Ladakh by beefing up the Air Force at the cost of the Navy. China claims

its economy is recovering faster than other nations, and EAM Jaishankar has admitted China’s growth has been explosive and has set conditions to bring about better relations or India will show China a gun for a gun.

World over there is a trend for nations to demand that warships take permission before entering the 12-mile exclusive territorial waters. Nations, including China, permit innocent passage as per UNCLOS Article 24, which has to be continuous and expeditious and not prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the state.

Stopping and anchoring is only permitted in an emergency. In our neighbourhood, Bangladesh expects a foreign warship or a submarine passing through its territorial sea, to do so only after giving prior notice to the government, implying it may be denied as a sovereign right. India too expects no warship with nuclear weapons to enter Indian jurisdiction.

This is where the size and role of the Indian Navy will matter.

The prophecy attributed to Alfred Mahan (1840-1914) is that the future of the world will be decided on the waters of the Indian Ocean in the 21st Century. India’s maritime thinkers KM Pannikar and Rear Admiral Shridharan in their writings emphasized the Sea as India’s Saviour. China has followed Mahan’s strategy on maritime power that made the US rise through a joint maritime based trade and military policy in the 20th century. The PLA Navy with 335 warships has overtaken America’s 295, and China has the world’s largest mercantile fleet, though the US Navy commands superior technology. The Indian Navy has around 134 ships and 200 naval aircraft, many aging. Numbers matter and India can neglect its Navy only at its own peril.

–The contributor is the author of Warring Nuclear Nations–India And Pakistan. The views expressed in the article are solely of the author

EMI /EMC TESTING AS PER MIL-STD-461

M

IL-STD-461 specifies the requirements for the control of electromagnetic interference characteristics (emissions and susceptibility) of electronic, electrical, and electromechanical equipment/system/ subsystems (Rack mount/Wall mount/ Floor standing) designed for various agencies of the Department of Defence (DoD). MIL-STD-461 has been an active document since 1967 and has undergone several revisions over the years due to changes in Electromagnetic Environment (EME) caused by the rapidly increasing use of electronics and advancements in technology.

ERDA has vast EMIEMC testing experience of different electrical and electronics products made for defence application like control panels for Missile launcher , Missile controller, Radar System, Flood detection for Navy application & Motors for Naval application.

ERDA is fully equipped, capable and accredited as per ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 to perform testing as per E&F revisions of MIL-STD-461. ERDA is equipped with 10 meter Semi Anechoic chamber

having 3 ton weight bearing capacity to accommodate big & bulky equipment.

In-house testing of equipment, in excess of 20 feet in length and weighing up to 3 tons is already performed.

Tests undertaken at ERDA as per MIL-STD-461 Revision E & F TEST NAME

TEST DESCRIPTION

CE 101

Conducted Emissions, Power Leads, 30 Hz to 10 kHz

CE102

Conducted Emissions, Power Leads,10 kHz to 10 MHz

CS101

Conducted Susceptibility, Power Leads, 30 Hz to 150 kHz

CS114

Conducted Susceptibility, Bulk Cable Injection, 10 kHz to 200 MHz

CS115

Conducted Susceptibility, Bulk Cable Injection, Impulse Excitation

CS116

Conducted Susceptibility, Damped Sinusoidal Transients, Cables and Power Leads,10 kHz to 100 MHz

RE101

Radiated Emissions, Magnetic Field, 30 Hz to 100 kHz

RE102

Radiated Emissions, Electric Field, 10 kHz to 18 GHz

RS101

Radiated Susceptibility, Magnetic Field, 30 Hz to 100 kHz

RS103

Radiated Susceptibility, Electric Field,2 MHz to 18 GHz (up to 50V/M)

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ANALYSIS

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LAND MILITARY EQUIPMENT: NO SOLUTIONS, ONLY TRADE-OFFS Slightly simpler, more rugged and reliable options will give a long-lasting advantage in a strategic or operational setting, and the possibility to acquire, for the same price, enough units to form an actual military force

By NATALIA FREYTON

I

n Land military equipment, there are no solutions, only trade-offs: countries outside the military top-tier find themselves with strategic equations they need to figure out, when shaping their forces. A very small handful of countries have the luxury of wishful thinking and unlimited hardware spending. For most others, though, securing their territory is a complex business which involves striking the right balance between ruggedness and sophistication, and another between sovereignty and costeffectiveness. India, with its two long and hot borders with Pakistan and China, is up against this choice right now.

In two decades’ time, only a few countries in the world will have access to hypersonic weapons

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A STRATEGIC CHOICE NEARLY EVERY COUNTRY MUST MAKE A microscopic share of the near200 countries in the world have lavish military budgets, either because their economy is so flourishing that they can afford it, or because they stretch their military budgets way above par. In short, this category encompasses the United States, and only to a certain extent China, Russia, and a very few Western European countries.

This financial abundance (which remains relative for all nations besides the US) affords them a comfortable strategic deadlock with on-par players and immense domination over the rest. These nations therefore hold arsenals which contain ever-modernizing nuclear warheads, large-scale robotic systems, space weapons, hypersonic weapons, or all of the above, at various development stages, or even directed-energy weapons, at experimental level.

But for the great majority of countries, building an effective defense apparatus is not a matter of snapping one’s fingers: it involves a generous amount of judgement,

Indian Army Howitzer deployed in a mountainous region

acumen and astuteness. For them, it is a matter of finding the right balance between four main parameters, to form an effective and coherent strategy: scalability, territory control, cost effectiveness and independence.

CHOOSING WHAT TO PUT THE MONEY ON

Every country needs a trump card. For a few countries, nuclear deterrence is the one.

Other countries have their own: Germany holds a deadly combination of heavy armor and mechanized infantry, as does Israel. Russia, on the other hand, on top of its nuclear arsenal, has fearsome aviation and electronic warfare. This will place them on the level of their main opponents and form the main line of conventional deterrence. Should deterrence fail, these assets need to be fully operational and reliable. For the most part,

most armies will focus on one “area of excellence”, designed to be the backbone of their warring strategy and the main repellent for potential attackers, articulated within a relevant strategy. Needless to say, the might of their military force doesn’t only apply to battlefields, as nations will be judged on this very scale by their diplomatic counterparts. As a means of illustration, the very select club of nations which possess nuclear warheads or aircraftcarriers benefit from additional and beneficial standing within diplomatic channels. Many wars have been terminated on the simple demand from one nation which possessed one of these super-weapons.

However, one such high-tech toy is never enough and needs to be supported by more sturdy, if less shiny, military hardware.

These high-tech “trump cards’’ are, in essence, expensive and precious. A national defense plan

worth its salt therefore needs to complement them with more affordable and bulky military means - a series of conventional units, which can interoperate, and will make the “beef” of military muscle.

Nations rely on gradual response strategies, and therefore need to be able to increase military by small increments, before pulling out the big guns. Quite often, the use of intermediate military potential is precisely designed to avoid going to extremes.

Intermediate and numerous military equipment will enable the long-lasting control of territory, deep into its reality and whatever its geographic configuration. No territory is truly controlled until boots come onto the ground.

There is a reasonable cost per unit, which will enable redundancy and resilience.

Accountants tend to shy away from redundancies,

SECURING THE TERRITORY OF A COUNTRY IS A COMPLEX BUSINESS WHICH INVOLVES STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN RUGGEDNESS AND SOPHISTICATION, AND ANOTHER BETWEEN SOVEREIGNTY AND COSTEFFECTIVENESS. INDIA, WITH ITS TWO LONG AND HOT BORDERS WITH PAKISTAN AND CHINA, IS UP AGAINST THIS CHOICE RIGHT NOW

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ANALYSIS considering for instance that artillery units are not needed, as long as ships can fire from their even bigger guns, deep inland. Naturally, commanders disagree, and tend to greatly appreciate redundancies which ensure continuity of service during battle.

Finally, countries may desire to increase home-based military production, in order to decrease strategic dependence. The increase of domestic military production has the effect on the producing country of transferring mid- to high-tier technology. This, in turn, will place the producing country in the very select club of nations which are able to independently create their own defense. The natural consequence of this situation will be their supplying of neighboring and allied countries, and the ensuing increase of their diplomatic influence.

The current state of global affairs follows, in its most part, the following simple layout.

On the one hand, naval and air forces group together with their cost, reliance on high-

tech and constant innovation, and their strategic stance. They both lean on the side of soft power: their mere existence is enough for a country to throw its weight around. They give their nation a global standing, due to their capacity to project large military forces at considerable distances. They are seen as “technical deterrence” and their constant technical improvement aims to equal or overtake the technical excellence of opponents and counterparts. A long story short, growing sophistication tends to become their central characteristic, over time.

Land forces, on the other hand, hold the noblesse, if they lack the heavy funding and the nifty toys. Based above all on the human factor, they have historically been the decisive factor and embodied the reality of outcomes. Their number and morale will be the factors in the equation of their excellence, more than their technicality will ever be. Naturally, the sophistication of their equipment will nonetheless matter greatly, and ground soldiers rely on true

Russian MBTs and IFVs of the 1990s, upgraded with the latest technology, may prove relevant if encapsulated within the appropriate C4I and ground-to-air defence networks. However, they are still not high intensity “combat proven”.

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and tested kit, as their lives and performance depend on it.

A balance is therefore sought between the weapon systems and the human systems. The duo must be durable and resilient, and it must be affordable and relevant.

INDIA AT THE CROSSROAD

Should we take the interesting example of India, which is restructuring its forces, with an established ambition to build domestically, we would see two main risks, each of which lying in the extremes of the spectrum of possibilities.

India could go for a rugged, low-tech and cheap army.

Either an upgrade based on 80s-era equipment, or new designs based on that same technology, would enable the multiplication of units at a low price and easily-attainable domestic production. But these units would be so far behind, technologically speaking, that the little money spent would be wasted in the face of what their modern counterparts can display. This would yield quantity over quality, and would have a disastrous effect on morale, given that troops would know that the choice to equip them poorly was deliberate (poor equipment leading to poor morale is often quoted as a main factor to the blitz collapse of the Iraqi army). In fact, several neighboring countries have advanced military equipment (namely China’s rocket force) which immediately invalidates India’s option to turn to the military flea market.

The opposite mistake would be to engage in a “Future Combat System” of its own, which is to say in a bottomless

pit of questionable strategic relevance. Some innovations are relevant, and some are just expensive gimmicks. It is still too early to tell whether the latest technological jumps aiming to revolutionize warfare into the network-centric era are foolish endeavors or actual steps forward. Going overboard with a high-tech strategy runs the risk of losing touch with terrestrial and effective action.

The US has, on occasions, fallen into this groundhog hole, namely with the extremely expensive and yet-to-be-proven XM 2001 Crusader. Defense specialist Stephen Rodriguez writes on the matter: “Secretary Rumsfeld cancelled the program in 2002 after spending $2,000,000,000, making it one of the first RMAera programs to dissolve.

Ironically, many of the Crusader technologies were incorporated in the FCS family of XM1203 Non-Line of Sight (NLOS) cannons, which were subsequently cancelled as well.”

But even if these obscenely expensive military programs are worth their salt, their resulting products would only supply India with fancy toys to display, would do little to increase their long-term standing and deplete their capacity to acquire simpler equipment in a sufficient number to yield a strategic advantage.

India has historically shared tense rapport with Pakistan, since their respective inceptions, and recent clashes with China has highlighted the PLA’s new military capacities. The motto “si vis pacem, para bellum” applies also in Asia, and in the case of India, preparing for a war that would involve such huge demographic numbers with a strategy mainly based on small and high-tech units, is obviously off the table. China counts 2

PHOTO CREDIT: INSTAGRAM / PETER T.

THERE IS A REASONABLE COST PER UNIT, WHICH WILL ENABLE REDUNDANCY AND RESILIENCE. ACCOUNTANTS TEND TO SHY AWAY FROM REDUNDANCIES, CONSIDERING FOR INSTANCE THAT ARTILLERY UNITS ARE NOT NEEDED, AS LONG AS SHIPS CAN FIRE FROM THEIR EVEN BIGGER GUNS,DEEP INLAND. NATURALLY, COMMANDERS DISAGREE, AND TEND TO GREATLY APPRECIATE REDUNDANCIES WHICH ENSURE CONTINUITY OF SERVICE DURING BATTLE

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Indian soldiers on radio during a combat operation

LAND FORCES, ON THE OTHER HAND, HOLD THE NOBLESSE, IF THEY LACK THE HEAVY FUNDING AND THE NIFTY TOYS.BASED ABOVE ALL ON THE HUMAN FACTOR,THEY HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN THE DECISIVE FACTOR AND EMBODIED THE REALITY OF OUTCOMES million military, and Pakistan 650 000.

This makes a strong and numerous conventional force a must-have for India.

In military matters, tech does count. An increase in speed, range, stealth, or even adaptability can give one warring faction a decisive edge over the other. Better still, the capacity to integrate numerous and potent capacities, in one integral system which reaches objectives and counters all types of threats homogeneously, will surely be a must-have for major military forces, in the years

to come. But going overboard with technological ambitions will lead straight to acquiring a small amount of fragile toys with little or no actual use on the battlefield.

Slightly simpler, more rugged and reliable options will give a long lasting advantage in a strategic or operational setting, and the possibility to acquire, for the same price, enough units to form an actual military force.

– The writer is a defence and security industry consultant having varied experience working with medium and large companies majorly in European market. The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda

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IN CONVERSATION

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BOEING CONFIDENT OF OFFERING

Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet Block III

UNRIVALLED VALUE TO INDIAN NAVY THROUGH

MULTI-ROLE F/A-18 SUPER HORNET BLOCK III

S

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urendra Ahuja is Managing Director of Boeing Defence India (BDI). A retired Rear Admiral, Ahuja is in charge of delivering on Boeing’s commitments to its Indian defence customers while positioning it for new business opportunities. In an interview to Ajit K Thakur, Editor. Raksha Anirveda, he delved into the details of Boeing’s ‘For India, By India’ aircraft sustainment strategy besides describing how valuable F/A-18 Super Hornet Block III is for India and Indian Navy in particular. Edited excerpts:

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Boeing has made a strong pitch for F/A-18 Super Hornet Block III for the India Navy. How this advanced new generation aircraft is different from competitors especially in terms of technology and cost? Kindly elaborate.

An advanced, multi-role, frontline fighter of the US Navy, the Super Hornet Block III was designed alongside the US Navy to meet its mission requirements through the next decade and beyond. Indian Navy stands to gain from the multi-billion dollar investments that have gone into the platform resulting in a most lethal and highly networked naval fighter.

The F/A-18 Super Hornet Block III will offer the Indian Navy several unique and differentiated capabilities. Its single-seat and the two-seat versions are carrier compatible.

Recent demonstrations conducted by Boeing and the US Navy proved that the F/A-18 Super Hornet can operate from a ‘ski jump’ ramp, validating the aircraft’s suitability for the Indian Navy’s aircraft carriers.

The two-seat variant (F/A-18 F) shares the same mission scope as a single seat (F/A-18 E) while allowing for carriercapable training and the ability to fly advanced missions from the carrier that benefit from a second crew on-board.

Most importantly, carrier based naval aviation technologies related to mannedunmanned interface can also be effectively operationalized with a two-seater carrier compatible version.

The aircraft can interface with P-8I and other US origin assets that the Indian Navy

KC-46A F/A-18 Milestone

“Our growing partnership with the country’s defence forces, airline customers and expanding supplier base makes it imperative for us to invest in, develop, and nurture talent” Surendra Ahuja Managing Director, Boeing Defense India

and the Indian Air Force have, or are in the process of acquiring.

This will further augment lethality of these platforms and enhance India’s force projection capabilities.

The Super Hornet automatically lends itself to enhance maritime cooperation between the US Navy and Indian Navy in several areas of naval aviation. The commonality and interoperability benefits that Indian Navy will get as a result of F/A-18 Super Hornet on Indian Navy carriers would be unmatched.

As part of Boeing’s “For India,

by India” aircraft sustainment strategy, we are exploring the possibilities of the Block III Super Hornets being serviced in partnership with the Indian

C-17 Delivered to India

Navy, US Navy and industrial partners from India and the US throughout the lifecycle of the aircraft. This will further develop advanced expertise in aircraft MRO in India, resulting in higher availability of the aircraft.

We’re confident that the multi-role F/A-18 Super Hornet Block III will offer unrivalled value to the Indian Navy, that can be appreciated in the current economic environment, as it not only has a low acquisition cost, but also costs less per flight hour to operate than any other tactical aircraft in the US forces inventory.

Please elucidate on Boeing’s experience with local manufacturers of aerostructures and compo-

nents even for F/A-18 Super Hornet and creating an aerospace and defence ecosystem in India, including the active role it plays in Make in India / Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Boeing has always supported the development of indigenous aerospace and defence capabilities in India, and has through the years invested in partnerships with the Indian aerospace ecosystem in skilling, research & technology, and manufacturing.

Our growing partnership with the country’s defence forces, airline customers and expanding supplier base makes it imperative for us to invest in, develop, and nurture talent.

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IN CONVERSATION

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Apache Helicopter

Indian Air Force Chinook

BOEING EXPLORES THE POSSIBILITIES OF BLOCK III SUPER HORNETS BEING SERVICED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE INDIAN NAVY, US NAVY AND INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS FROM INDIA AND THE US THROUGHOUT THE LIFECYCLE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THIS WILL FURTHER DEVELOP ADVANCED EXPERTISE IN AIRCRAFT MRO IN INDIA, RESULTING IN HIGHER AVAILABILITY OF THE AIRCRAFT

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Our sourcing from India stands at US$1 billion a year from over 250 suppliers who are manufacturing critical systems and components for some of Boeing’s most advanced products.

For instance, SASMOS HET Technologies manufactures electrical panel assemblies for the F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-15 Strike Eagle. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) manufactures F/A-18 gun bay doors. They are only two of our many supplier partners who manufacture components for some of our advanced aircraft.

Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL), Boeing’s joint venture with Tata Advanced Systems Limited, is an example of our strategic focus on Make in India and makes fuselages not just for the six Apaches that the Indian Army is on contract with Boeing for, but also hundreds of Apaches for customers around the world, including the US Army.

We are also working with Indian companies to develop capabilities in the country so they can perform aircraft maintenance locally, including heavy checks and supply of indigenous equipment. In addition, we’re accelerating our skill development and

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F-15 Strike Eagle

engineering involvement in India. Through our skilling and up-skilling initiatives, we are training aircraft maintenance engineers, technicians and frontline factory workers across India with our industry partners like Tata, Rossell Techsys, Jaivel and Lakshmi Machine Works. We are committed to India for the long term, and our vision is a robust, globally competitive aerospace and defence ecosystem in India.

Boeing considers India as a unique market like no other. Kindly provide insights into Boeing’s future plan and long-term goal to further consolidate its dominant presence in India.

We want to bring the best of Boeing to India and the best of India to Boeing… and to the world! Boeing has been working with India’s defence forces for many years supporting their mission-

readiness and modernization objectives. Our portfolio of products and services offer unmatched operational capabilities across the entire mission spectrum.

In addition to our response to the Indian Navy’s (IN) MRCBF with the F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet, there are several other opportunities we are pursuing here in India. The US Government recently approved our license to market the F-15EX to India. The F-15EX is a futureready, multi-role solution in the form of unmatched payload, performance, and persistence by integrating leading edge technologies, networks, weapons and sensors. The Indian Air Force has information regarding F-15EX as per the RFI released for the Multi Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) program. We look forward to working with IAF on their detailed requirements.

In 2020, the Ministry of Defence signed the contract for the acquisition of an additional six Apaches for the Indian Army.

We’re also having discussions with IAF on their tanker requirements.

We are seeing the growth of our services business and with it, in the value Boeing is able to provide through the lifecycle support. We are working with the IAF and the IN to provide high operational capability and readiness for the P-8Is, the C-17s, and the Head of State aircraft through sustainment contracts, and the Chinooks and Apaches through warranty.

The recent developments in India’s space arena that allow the private sector to participate in this sector are positive. We look forward to partnering with ISRO in their endeavours related to the human space flight.

Boeing has offered KC-46 as the best solution to India’s long-pending need and requirement for air-to-air refueling. What makes KC-46 different and with an edge from other mid-air refuellers in fray?

As India expands its Air Force and increases its defensive capabilities, the KC-46 is the perfect choice for a multirole tanker-transport aircraft.

The brand-new KC-46 is designed from the ground-up to be a combat-ready tanker. This means that unlike other tankers, it can operate closer to the fight, covertly and with the ability to protect itself. The recent contract award from the US Air Force (USAF) for an additional 27 KC-46A Pegasus aircraft is a testament to the versatility of the air-refueling platform by Boeing which is enabling the US Air Force to provide in-flight refueling services to bombers, fighters, airlifters, surveillance aircraft, and other aircraft flown by the US military. Recently, Japan became the KC-46 program’s first international

customer and is scheduled to receive its first jet this year.

With the IAF’s expeditionary status, the air refueler of the type of KC-46 has already become a necessity. The IAF is enhancing its operational reach by enabling most of its aircraft and helicopters for mid-air refueling. The most reliable and economical tanker to operate, purpose-built, KC46 will provide India with the combat capability IAF needs for sovereign operations and will also serve as an aircraft to move people and material. Pegasus is the best choice for today and decades to come.

Boeing has been a regular participant in Aero India.

Kindly share your experience from Aero India 2021 and the major take away from the event.

We designed our presence at this year’s Aero India by taking all necessary precautions to safely engage with our customers, suppliers and the media. We had a delegation of senior leadership

THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN INDIA’S SPACE ARENA THAT ALLOW THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS SECTOR ARE POSITIVE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH ISRO IN THEIR ENDEAVOURS RELATED TO THE HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT

P-8I

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IN CONVERSATION

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The first-of-its-kind initiative will benefit customers with best-in-class solutions, efficient turnaround times, and optimal economic value, all available incountry. An important aspect of the hub is training programs to increase skilled manpower by developing sub-tier suppliers and medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) to build high quality MRO capabilities in India. The focus on skill development and knowledge transfer programs will help suppliers develop capabilities and gain experience across Boeing platforms.

F/A-18 Super Hornet demonstrates the ability to operate from Indian Navy aircraft carriers during its successful and safe launch from a ski-jump ramp

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from the US at the show despite the pandemic. Aero India provided us the opportunity to meet our customers to discuss their existing and future needs, and strengthen our commitment to them. Our presence at the show also conformed to the guidelines laid down by the Ministry of Defence and the State Government to ensure the safety of our team members and visitors at the exhibit.

Aero India provided us an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to India and highlight our strategic investments in developing India’s aerospace ecosystem.

The show allowed us to showcase our capabilities in multi-role fighter aircraft, vertical lift platforms, aerial multi-role tankers, unmanned systems, and commercial platforms, in addition, to our services, technologies, and local

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sustainment capabilities.

We announced a strategic agreement with Air Works for the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of two key Boeing defence platforms in India, the P-8I operated by the Indian Navy (IN) and the VIP transport fleet operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF). We also announced the addition of a new production line at our joint venture, Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) in Hyderabad, Telangana, to manufacture complex vertical fin structures for the 737 family of airplanes.

Aero India 2021 enabled us to continue our discussions on India’s future aviation, defence, and security requirements, as we leverage and develop incountry manufacturing and engineering skills.

The defence MRO market segment in India is

projected to reach an approximate figure of $2.5 billion by 2025? Do you propose to offer any solutions on this front? Also, tell us about Boeing’s recently launched BIRDS hub initiative.

We’re seeing growth in the localization of MRO services and training, and the value Boeing is able to provide through the lifecycle of its products. We continue to work with the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy to provide exceptional operational capability and readiness to the P-8Is, C-17s, and Head of State aircraft through local sustainment services as also warranty services on Chinooks and Apaches. Through the lessons learnt from supporting C-17s and P-8Is in India, coupled with Boeing’s in-depth experience in sustaining aircraft worldwide, we’ve been able to

set processes to develop similar sustainment concepts for other aircraft. It means deploying the best global expertise gleaned from the experience of operating these aircraft in different conditions, and to suit different needs.

As part of shaping and strengthening our MRO and services strategy for the country, we recently launched the Boeing India Repair Development and Sustainment (BIRDS) Hub initiative. BIRDS Hub is an incountry network and alliance of our suppliers and brings together ecosystem partners to shape India as a strategic destination for aerospace engineering, maintenance, repair, skilling and sustainment services. This is an important step in our commitment to the government of India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision of developing India as an MRO hub.

Can you also provide an update on Boeing India’s engineering work in India?

Boeing believes in building indigenous capabilities towards driving innovation and contributing to the growth of the Indian Aerospace and Defense (A&D) industry. Teams in India undertake high-quality, advanced aerospace work spanning engineering design of structures and systems, manufacturing support, developing systems to test our aircraft, and providing digital solutions to our airline customers. Cutting-edge R&D in traditional and emerging areas such as next-generation airplane health management, environment-friendly coatings, advanced networks and securecommunication are areas where teams are leveraging new-age technologies to replace traditional approaches, enhancing safety and productivity.

Boeing engineering design teams are working with the R&D team to leverage Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning methods to introduce

BOEING INDIA REPAIR DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINMENT (BIRDS) HUB INITIATIVE IS AN IMPORTANT STEP IN OUR COMMITMENT TO THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA’S ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT VISION OF DEVELOPING INDIA AS AN MRO HUB automation in the process, resulting in a significant reduction in time taken for tasks, and also enhanced quality of output. Digital aviation efforts are helping airlines reduce fuel consumption through route optimization, and make effective utilization of their crew. Digital engineering is being used to enhance the manufacturing environment and provide value to customers. Digital threading is being used to create a digital twin before manufacturing aircraft systems, resulting in fewer manufacturing issues.

This drives efficiency, optimizes product design, and enhances manufacturability, making the end-to-end supply chain more digital.

Boeing Research & Technology India has delivered commercially viable solutions for Airplane Health Management (AHM) and Air Traffic Management (ATM). Its ATM experts are currently working with the Airports Authority of India to develop a roadmap for air traffic management modernization in the country.

Today, the research center is using artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve the quality of wide-body airplanes that Boeing delivers.

Using Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies, its engineers are finding ways to improve passenger experience during air travel.

So, as you can see, there’s lots that Boeing is doing in this space as well.

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STARTUP FOCUS: INDIGENOUS TECH

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QUANTUM DOME

AN INDIGENOUS TECHNOLOGY TO TACKLE CYBER ATTACKS India has seen increasing number of cyber attacks on its critical infrastructure in the last few years and some of these attacks are suspected to be state sponsored. Given the security scenario in the neighbourhood, India needs to be aware, cautious and proactive against the cyber warfare that could be unleashed by its better--equipped adversary

By SUNIL GUPTA

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n 2011, Israel created a brilliant technology, the Iron Dome, to defend itself from the short-range rocket attacks. This tech allowed Israel to detect and prevent enemy attacks, which in turn protects the population and critical assets. The Iron Dome can detect, analyse and thwart a range of incoming threats. The Iron Dome has three central components that contribute to its huge success in managing threats at an efficacy of 90 per cent: Detection Component: Detects the threats and evaluates the nature of threats in real time Management & Control Component: Helps manage the different aspects of battle and control mechanism Action Component: The unit which takes action to neutralise the threat in real time to ensure that there is no damage In 2013, NSA contractor Edward J. Snowden of the US made startling revelations that shook the world. He revealed the extent of the surveillance activities being undertaken

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by the British GCHQ and its US equivalent, the National Security Agency (NSA), which is largely gathering intelligence based on intercepted communications. Data or cyber war is the most consequential war being waged today. The term is applied to a cyber attack that has the backing of one nation with the intent of hurting another.

A full-blown cyber warfare could mean: the complete and prolonged shutdown of a power grid (something that has struck Ukraine twice,

presumably at the hands of Russian cyber warriors); the wipe-out of data centres by malware that overheats circuits; the scrambling of bank records to cause financial panic (a 2013 attack froze three major South Korean banks); interference with the safe operations of dams and nuclear plants; blinding of radar and targeting systems of fighter jets or targeting critical infrastructure sectors, including energy, water and aviation.

In one of the recently reported “The intelligence coup of the century”, the spy agencies rigged the encrypting devices of a company so they could easily break the codes that countries used to send encrypted messages. Manipulating the randomness of the encryption key material where a system could be made to appear it was producing endless streams of randomly generated characters, while in reality it would repeat itself at short enough intervals, is one of the most soughtafter backdoors in encryption products.

In 2013, one of the top spy agencies asked encryption company RSA to incorporate

the weaker algorithm into an encryption product so that the encryption was defaulting to a fundamentally flawed encryption algorithm, which the NSA could subvert whenever they needed to.

The program had a random number generator, but there were a number of fixed, constant numbers built into the algorithm that can function as a kind of skeleton key. Anyone who knows the right numbers can decipher the resulting cryptotext.

Fast-forward to 2021. Now we have supercomputers such as Fugaku that has demonstrated a sustained performance level of 442,010 teraflops per second indicating the physical barriers of Moore’s Law

appear to have been reached; Google has achieved and demonstrated quantum supremacy and IBM promises a 1000-qubit quantum computer – a world changing milestone – by 2023.

Cyber security experts are increasingly concerned about nation-state sponsored cyber attacks, according to the 2020 CrowdStrike Global Security Attitude Survey, produced by independent research firm Vanson Bourne. Cyber security researchers and analysts are rightly worried that a new type of computer, based on quantum physics rather than more standard electronics, could break most modern cryptography. Also the pervasive weakness of randomness in encryption

keys and digital certificates used in computational cryptography is a matter of great concern. The effect would be to render communications as insecure as if they weren’t encoded at all. Experts believe that with the astounding progress in building quantum computers in the past 2-3 years, the cryptography underpinning modern

CYBER SECURITY EXPERTS ARE INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT NATION-STATE SPONSORED CYBER ATTACKS...THESE ANALYSTS ARE RIGHTLY WORRIED THAT A NEW TYPE OF COMPUTER, BASED ON QUANTUM PHYSICS RATHER THAN MORE STANDARD ELECTRONICS, COULD BREAK MOST MODERN CRYPTOGRAPHY

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STARTUP FOCUS: INDIGENOUS TECH

EXPERTS BELIEVE THAT WITH THE ASTOUNDING PROGRESS IN BUILDING QUANTUM COMPUTERS IN THE PAST 2-3 YEARS, THE CRYPTOGRAPHY UNDERPINNING MODERN INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS AND E-COMMERCE WOULD SUCCUMB TO A QUANTUM ATTACK IN THE NEAR FUTURE

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internet communications and e-commerce would succumb to a quantum attack in the near future.

India has seen increasing number of attacks on its critical infrastructure in the last few years and some of these attacks are suspected to be state sponsored to steal IPs of Indian companies or to create disruption in some of the mission critical services.

Considering the growing military tension and recent stand-off with one of the neighbours, India needs to be aware, cautious and proactive against the cyber warfare that could be unleashed by its better equipped adversary.

In light of the above

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NEWS ROUND UP

highlighted threats to the country’s security, time has come for India to seriously and urgently embrace an indigenous technology that meets the following criteria: l Protects its ICT infrastructure l Full control and ownership of hardware and software involved in it so that no manipulation of algorithms and program can be done by an outside party l Future secure – unhackable by upcoming scalable quantum computers l All the components and assemblies used in the product are from known and white-listed vendors l M a n u f a c t u r i n g o f t h e hardware is completely done in India QNu Labs, a home-grown R&D company has developed fully indigenised quantum safe security products that meet the above mentioned criteria. It has spent over Rs 30 crores in last four years to not only develop India’s first commercially ready and deployed quantum

safe security products and solutions, but has also built an ecosystem consisting of academia partners, technology partners, professional services partners, vendors and suppliers to develop fully indigenised products from concept to manufacturing.

A decade ago, Israel built an Iron Dome to protect itself from short-range rockets from classical warfare. But in the current time when cyber warfare is more relevant, India should build a Quantum Dome to protect its national security and critical infrastructure from any potential quantum computer attacks.

QNu Labs offers India a fully indigenised dome leveraging its two fully indigenised products – Quantum Random Number Generator (Tropos) and Quantum Key Distribution (Armos) – that meet the following criteria expected from such a defensive technology: Detection Component: Detects the eavesdropping threats and evaluates the nature of threat in real time Management & Control Component: Carries out the critical key management, synchronisation and autotuning functions Action Component: Takes action to neutralise the threat in real time by stopping the key generation process to ensure that keys do not get in to the hands of an adversary Tropos and Armos have already been tested, field trialed and under procurement and deployment by different defense entities. Armos is also integrated with BEL equipment for automated real time transfer of encryption keys.

–The writer is chief executive officer of QNu Labs

DEFENCE MINISTER JOINS ‘VIVECHANA SESSIONS’, DISCUSSES WITH COMMANDERS AT COMBINED COMMANDERS CONFERENCE

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evadia, Gujarat. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh joined the Combined Commanders of the Armed Forces for the Vivechana Sessions at the ongoing Combined Commanders Conference 2021 at Kevadia in Gujarat on March 5.

Delivering the inaugural address, the Defence Minister dwelled on a wide spectrum of issues affecting the defence and security of the nation. He spoke at length on the emerging nature of military threats, the critical role of the Armed Forces in meeting these threats and the anticipated changes in the nature of warfare in future.

The Defence Minister expressed his heartfelt appreciation and respect to the selfless courage displayed by the soldiers during the Eastern Ladakh standoff with People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Secretaries of Department of Defence, Defence Production, Department of R&D and Financial Advisor Defence Services also shared their thoughts on various

relevant aspects with the Combined Commanders.

The two Vivechana sessions held during the day in the presence of the Defence Minister deliberated over a wide range of issues, some of them held behind closed doors. These deliberations addressed the ongoing modernisation of Armed Forces especially focusing on creation of integrated Theatre Commands and infusion of modern technology.

Issues like morale and motivation and promotion of spirit of innovation in the Armed Forces witnessed enthusiastic participation with useful feedback and suggestions from the soldiers and younger officers of the three Services.

IN A MISSION SUCCESS, LOCKHEED MARTIN’S EXTENDED-RANGE GUIDED MULTIPLE LAUNCH ROCKET SYSTEM SOARS IN FLIGHT TEST DALLAS. Lockheed Martin successfully tested its next-generation Extended-Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (ER GMLRS) munition in an 80-kilometer flight demonstration at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. During the flight test, the ER GMLRS round was fired from the US Army’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher, built by Lockheed Martin, meeting test objectives.

The demonstration confirmed the missile’s flight trajectory performance, range and validated interfaces with the HIMARS launcher and system software performance.

Lockheed Martin has produced more than 50,000 GMLRS rounds and is under contract to produce more than 9,000 new GMLRS unitary and alternative-warhead rockets, more than 1,800 low-cost reduced-range practice rockets and integrated logistics support for the US Army and international customers. The systems are produced at its Precision Fires Center of Excellence in Camden, Arkansas.

For more than 40 years, Lockheed Martin has been the leading designer and manufacturer of long-range, surface-to-surface precision strike solutions, providing highly reliable, combatproven systems like MLRS, HIMARS, ATACMS and GMLRS to domestic and international customers.

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DEFENCE SUBSYSTEMS

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‘CONCEPTUALISATION TO FRUITION IN TWO YEARS’ TIME A REMARKABLE EVENT’ KRAS CEO ON ROLL OUT OF MRSAM MISSILE KITS FOR INDIAN ARMY AND INDIAN AIR FORCE

The rollout event marked KRAS’ commitment to deliver more than 1000 MRSAM ‘missile kits’ for the Indian Army and Air Force over the coming years. These missile sections will then be ‘forwarded’ to India’s state-run defence miniratna Bharat Dynamics for further and future integration

By PK GHOSH

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yderabad. “Today’s event is a very important event. Around one and half to two years back we secured order from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems (RADS) for manufacturing subsystems for Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (Barak 8), which started bearing the fruits now,” said Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems Pvt Ltd (KRAS) CEO Rudra B Jadeja. He was speaking in his introductory remarks addressing media persons at the Kalyani-Rafael Joint Venture (JV) facility in Hyderabad on March 16 while announcing the roll out of the first delivery of 1,000 MRSAM missile kits for the Indian Army (IA) and Indian Air Force (IAF). The present roll-out is in consonance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Make in India.

(L to R) Brig. Gen. Pinhas Yungman (Res.), Rudra B Jadeja and Rajinder Bhatia in a group photo with model of MRSAM missile subsystem

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“For Medium Range Surface to Air Missile, Indian Army and Indian Air Force are the main customers from whom we received the order for procurement of the same.” MRSAM is basically a Government-toGovernment (G-to-G) programme.

From the Israeli side Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is the Government representative and the Indian side is represented by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which is also the custodian of this programme.

The two like-minded nations India and Israel came together to ensure peace in the region and so is the genesis of this programme.

Kalyani Group and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems entered into an agreement to make a JV Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems Pvt Ltd (KRAS) to manufacture missile subsystems.

“I must say that we found a good partner in Rafael. The Israeli company stood by us when we together started exploring the Indian market and customers for the MRSAM here,” Jadeja noted.

Baba Kalyani, Chairman and

Managing Director, Kalyani Group, said, “This is beginning of a new era, filled with selfconfidence, a marked stepchange in technological expertise and a collective demonstration of capability to be the global manufacturing hub for defence products. We are confident to complete the order far ahead of the stipulated time, and support the armed forces with the bestin-class missile kits. Apart from the missile kits, we will extend our support in Maintenance and Repair Operations (MRO) as in-service Air Defence Missile System for the armed forces.”

Asked whether a planned Research & Development (R&D) Centre will come up in the same facility of KRAS, Bharat Forge Ltd (BFL) President and CEO Rajinder Bhatia told Raksha Anirveda that the work is on in this direction, and the JV between Rafael and Kalyani Group, KRAS, is a high technology company. Its R&D, design and engineering will altogether be a separate facility.

“More projects are coming up, and we have decided not only manufacturing the missile subsystems but also of providing design, development and service facilities as well. One such facility has already been established which was founded in 2015 and the next year in 2016, it became operational,” Bhatia stated.

“We have also planned for establishing six technological centres with 35-40 engineers in an R&D centre, and any increase in numbers and expansion of facility will depend on orders,” he observed.

“Our R&D work will mainly focus on RF and Microwave Engineering, but all these are very small steps as of now. As far as R&D work is concerned, it is totally in control of Kalyani Group as of now.”

Answering on identification of 100 MSMEs with which Kalyani Group is planning to collaborate with, the KRAS CEO told Raksha Anirveda “When we are planning to collaborate with MSMEs, MSMEs will also grow with us. Capabilities will be put together to create a defence ecosystem. We also plan to integrate six section of missiles.

But this all will depend on order and environment support. We are also in talks with Telangana Government.”

On creating integrated defence ecosystem, he said, “When we are creating defence ecosystem and leveraging our partners’ capabilities, this covers all gamut of activities – production, integration, development, supply

chain, services, etc.”

Speaking on the occasion, Brig.

Gen. Pinhas Yungman (Res.), Head of Air and Missile Defense Systems division of Rafael Advanced Defense System said, “Because of Covid restrictions we asked KRAS to lead from the front to get the order and the result is here. We are planning to bring maintenance (MRO) service by 2021.”

“KRAS is planning to bring more and more capabilities to design and production table, and has planned for investment in Indian markets and of exports too.” KRAS is a strategic business asset and it is to bring business from all around the world not only Israel, Brig Gen Yungman observed.

“We have been a reliable

“When we are creating defence ecosystem and leveraging our partners’ capabilities, this covers all gamut of activities – production, integration, development, supply chain, services, etc” Rudra B Jadeja, CEO, KRAS

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NEWS ROUND UP

ISRAELI ARROW-4 BALLISTIC MISSILES INTERCEPTOR TO HAVE CONTROL WINGLETS TO BE CAPABLE AGAINST HYPERSONIC MISSILES

“We have been a reliable partner to the Indian armed forces for almost three decades, and these missile kits are a testimony of our commitment to ‘Make in India’ cause. We are confident KRAS will not only build products for the Indian armed forces but will, at the same time, trigger and help achieve Indian Government’s vision of exports from India” Brig. Gen. Pinhas Yungman (Res.), Head of Air and Missile Defense Systems division of Rafael

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partner to the Indian armed forces for almost three decades, and these missile kits are a testimony of our commitment to ‘Make in India’ cause. We are confident KRAS will not only build products for the Indian armed forces but will, at the same time, trigger and help achieve Indian Government’s vision of exports from India.”

Replying to a question, Bhatia said, “KRAS wants to expand the facility whether it is production, MRO, R&D but a lot more will depend upon if the customers coming back to us.”

The KRAS CEO informed that as of now the current roll out of missile subsystems manufacturing is 100 per cent for Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF). If everything settles on Covid front, there will be more scope of work. As of now, only 2030 per cent indigenous content is there in Rafael-designed kits.

The rollout event marked KRAS’ commitment to deliver more than 1000 MRSAM ‘missile

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kits’ for the Indian Army and Air Force over the coming years.

These missile sections will then be ‘forwarded’ to India’s staterun defence miniratna Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for further and future integration.

Also, the event designated the beginning of the journey of an Indian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME), which is committed not only to the Make in India concept, but taking its own stride towards the larger ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ idea (selfreliance) as well. In this effort the company has fused Rafael’s state-of the-art technology with the engineering excellence of the Kalyani Group.

The event was attended by dignitaries from the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Indian Army, Indian Air Force, DRDO, BDL, and the Israeli delegation including Brig General Pini Yungman and also by representatives from the IAI, Israel. The Kalyani delegation was led by BFL President and CEO

Rajinder Bhatia.

KRAS is India’s pioneering private sector MSME with advanced manufacturing capabilities and facilities dedicated to especially address the Assembly, Integration and Testing (AIT) of state-of the-art weapon system being inducted by the defence forces.

Parallel with manufacturing, KRAS is maturing to address MRO operations too, that of a major inservice Air Defence Missile System for the Indian Air Force. As part of its Make in India efforts, KRAS has also expanded its scope to include development of Advanced Defence Systems and Remotely-Controlled Weapon System.

The Joint Venture, thus, is a testament to the enhanced and deep cooperation between Israel and India in the strategic defence sector space, as coming together it leverages and conflates the technology of Rafael and engineering strength of the Kalyani Group.

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el Aviv. Israeli Arrow-4 ballistic missiles interceptor will have control winglets to make it capable against hypersonic missiles.

An expert who talked with Raksha Anirveda said that Israel needs to plan its missiles defense capabilities for many years to come. “At this point there is no hypersonic missile threat on Israel but when you design such an advanced interceptor, this capability should be included as some countries develop such missiles and in the Middle East you must expect the unexpected.”

As reported by Raksha Anirveda, Israel and the US have begun the development of the Arrow-4 ballistic missile interceptor. The design is aimed at dealing with new threats posed mainly by the Iranian long range ballistic missiles.

The Arrow Weapon System is a major element of Israel’s multi-layered missile defense array. It includes advanced radar

systems, developed and produced by IAI subsidiary, Elta.

It also includes a BMC system developed by Elbit Systems, and a Launch Array including interceptors produced by MLM, another subsidiary of IAI. Defense industries Rafael and Tomer are also involved in the development and production of the Arrow interceptor.

Arrow-2 is operational since the year 2000, providing endo-exoatmospheric defense.

Arrow-3, an exoatmospheric missile defense system, was delivered for operational use in 2017. It serves as the upper layer of Israel’s multi-tier missile defense array.

Over the past few years, both of the interceptors were upgraded, and demonstrated excellent capabilities during successful tests held in Israel and Alaska, US. Iran has developed a range of longrange ballistic missiles. Some are based on liquid fuel while others are powered by solid fuel.

IN SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATION DRDO CONDUCTS FLIGHT TEST BASED ON SFDR TECHNOLOGY New Delhi. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on March 5 successfully carried out flight demonstration based on Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology from Integrated Test Range Chandipur off the Coast of Odisha at around 1030 hours.

All the subsystems including the booster motor and nozzle-less motor performed as expected. During the test many new technologies were proven including Solid Fuel based Ducted Ramjet technology.

Successful demonstration of Solid Fuel based Ducted Ramjet technology has provided DRDO with a technological advantage which will enable the Organisation to develop long range air to air missiles. At present, such technology is available only with a handful of countries in the world. During the test, air launch scenario was simulated using a booster motor. Subsequently, the nozzle-less booster accelerated it to the required Mach number for Ramjet operation.

The performance of the missile was monitored using the data captured by Electro Optical, Radar and Telemetry instruments deployed by ITR and confirmed successful demonstration of the mission objectives. The launch was monitored by senior scientists of various DRDO labs including DRDL, RCI, and HEMRL. Dr G Satheesh Reddy, Secretary DD R&D & Chairman DRDO congratulated the team involved in the successful flight test.

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MUSINGS FROM RUSSIA

INDIA-RUSSIA RELATIONS UNDER STRESS? Speculation has been rife on the viability of the India-Russia partnership in view of Moscow’s changing geo-strategic dynamics. But the upcoming bilateral summit and President Putin’s India visit could recalibrate and solidify further this enduring partnership

By VINAY SHUKLA

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he cancellation of the annual bilateral summit in 2020 has led to the widely prevalent view that India-Russia relations are under stress and New Delhi must look at Washington to secure its vital interests.

Although the Covid-9 pandemic is blamed for the cancellation of President Vladimir Putin’s scheduled India visit last year, many parallel developments deepened the impression of a withering trust among the “privileged” strategic partners over a plethora of issues. Like India’s pro-US tilt in the backdrop of the border stand-off with an assertive China; the growing proximity of Moscow and Beijing under Western sanctions; or the virtual summit of the leaders of India, US, Australia and Japan in the Quad format to manage the Indo-Pacific to counter China.

Also, while the new Biden administration invited India to join the Afghanistan talks in Istanbul under UN aegis, Russia did not invite New Delhi to the Moscow-sponsored talks involving the US, China, Pakistan and the warring Afghan sides including the Taliban. Russians argued that the Moscow talks involved parties having some channels of communications with both conflicting parties in Afghanistan – the Kabul government and the Taliban — Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin

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while India could join at the later reconstruction stage.

All this gave rise to speculation on the viability of the IndiaRussia partnership in view of Moscow’s changing geostrategic dynamics. Things look in different perspectives from the top of Borovitsky Hill (the Kremlin) than from Raisina Hill (South Block). This is where the strategic partnership mechanism is instrumental in dovetailing different perspectives having direct bearing on the vital interests of the two countries.

The two-day visit of Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla in February, his first foreign trip this year after relaxation in COVID-19 restrictions, was aimed precisely at putting an end to these speculations. Moscow was eager to hear about India’s vision of the Indo-Pacific where the two countries have openly voiced differences of opinion, and in this context Shringla meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was significant. Mr Lavrov rarely entertains foreign secretarylevel officials visiting Moscow.

“India-Russia relationship is very close, very special, very privileged, and strategic,” Foreign Minister Lavrov assured Shringla.

Prior to Shringla’s visit,

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) and India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla shake hands during a meeting at the Reception House

Indian Ambassador to Russia DB Venkatesh Varma described relations with Moscow as “rock solid and diverse” and that the FS will set the agenda for the bilateral interaction in 2021, including visit of President Putin to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the annual summit, which could not be held on schedule last year due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, President Putin, who had the first shot of the Sputnik V vaccine on March 23, himself

ACCORDING TO SOURCES, FOREIGN SECRETARY SHRINGLA HAD VERY SUBSTANTIVE AND DETAILED TALKS WITH HIS COUNTERPART, DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR MORGULOV, ON A WHOLE RANGE OF ISSUES AND AGREED TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN BILATERAL MULTIFACETED COOPERATION declared that after three weeks he is going to have the second dose of the vaccine and three weeks later on developing immunity will extend the geography of his foreign visits.

According to sources, Shringla had very substantive and detailed talks with his counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, on a whole range of issues and agreed to further strengthen bilateral multifaceted cooperation.

As COVID-19 anxiety slowly subsides due to massvaccinations underway in Russia and India, the two sides are considering a series of highprofile visits to India of Duma Speaker Viacheslav Volodin,

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S-400 Air Defence System

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, co-chair of inter-

governmental joint commission, to pave the ground for the summit that was postponed last year.

The two countries are planning to sign several key agreements during the upcoming summit, including a mutual investment protection treaty. But no mention is being made of defence related agreements for obvious reasons, except for the commitment of Russia to commence timely deliveries of the five S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems under a $5.5 billion deal, starting later this year. India is very much on the US watch list for this deal, as indicated by US Defence Secretary Lloyd Justin during his recent India visit.

The US Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanction Act, in short known as CAATSA, to punish Russia for alleged meddling in the presidential polls leading to the victory of Donald Trump in 2016, is hanging like

INDIA, RUSSIA FOREIGN MINISTERS DISCUSS

By SRI KRISHNA

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ew Delhi. Foreign Ministers of India and Russia discussed the modalities for the upcoming annual summit of leaders of the two nations. Even the issues like pending delivery of Moscow's controversial S-400 weapons system to India did not figure out, however, both the Ministers vowed to deepen military-technical cooperation (MTC).

"We reiterated our commitment to militarytechnical cooperation," Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said after discussions with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar.

"We have an intergovernmental commission (IGC) on military-technical cooperation. It has its plans, and this includes discussion of additional manufacturing of Russian military equipment on Indian territory."

Jaishankar said the S-400s would be discussed at a meeting of defence ministers later in the year. The two sides also discussed vaccine cooperation and an expected visit to India of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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India is set to clear the Russia-made Sputnik V Coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, which will make available a third vaccine option for the country, as the country battles a steep resurgence of Covid-19 infections. To be manufactured by Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd., Sputnik V is a two-dose vaccine which needs to be stored in liquid form at or below -18 degree Celsius.

The meeting comes at a time when the

US is pushing Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and the Taliban to reach a peace deal so it can withdraw the remaining 2,500 American forces from the war-torn country, and amid strained relations between Washington and Moscow. Despite the tensions, Russia has publicly backed the US proposal for an interim government of national unity bringing together the Taliban and Afghan leaders.

"The Taliban movement is part of Afghan

the Damoclean sword over India-Russia arms trade. The US Defence Secretary said the issue of imposing secondary sanctions against India was not discussed during his New Delhi talks as the actual delivery of S-400 has not taken place, unlike in the case of China and Turkey, who were sanctioned after receiving deliveries of the A2AD (anti access/area denial) weapons.

Experts in Moscow claim that the S-400 can detect and destroy the much-hyped American F-35 stealth fighters within 400 km range. The proliferation of the S-400 missile systems in sensitive areas is the main concern for the US. However, it is most likely that Washington will use CAATSA as a bargaining tool to sell more expensive arms and systems to

New Delhi in exchange for a Indiaspecific waiver. Although, in the backdrop of a 33% reduction in India’s arms import in 2011-15 and 2016-20, a SIPRI report noted that in 2016-20 Russian share in arms exports to India also dropped and stood at 49% as compared to up to 80% in the heydays.

India is withholding many big ticket arms deals with Russia, so as not to irk Washington. At the same time Russia still remains the source of critical strategic assets like lease of nuclear submarines and some specific technology that the US does not share even with its NATO allies.

Russia is also gradually readying to embrace the “Make in India” philosophy. Under an intergovernmental agreement signed in 2019 during Prime Minister Modi’s Vladivostok visit, many

Russian companies are preparing to set up shop in India for making critical defence spares through technology transfer.

The head of the Kremlin-linked Russian International Affairs Council, Dr Andrei Kortunov, and the editor-in-chief of “Russia in Global Affairs” magazine, Fyodor Lukyanov, believe that Moscow balancing its relations with India and China would be “counterproductive”.

They called for “parallel” development of bilateral ties with New Delhi and Beijing. A similar message on India’s policy towards Moscow and Washington was conveyed by Foreign Secretary Shringla during his meetings in the Russian capital in February.

HOWEVER, IT IS MOST LIKELY THAT WASHINGTON WILL USE CAATSA AS A BARGAINING TOOL TO SELL MORE EXPENSIVE ARMS AND SYSTEMS TO NEW DELHI IN EXCHANGE FOR A INDIASPECIFIC WAIVER

- The writer is a Moscow-based independent analyst. Views are personal.

TWO NATIONS’ UPCOMING ANNUAL SUMMIT society and decisions on the settlement in Afghanistan should foresee the participation of all political, ethnic and religious groups in Afghanistan, otherwise it won't be durable," Lavrov said. "And this settlement should reflect a balance of interests of all political, ethnic and religious groups, including their representation in governing structures."

In a statement which is welcome news to India and yet another step towards strengthening Indo-Russian ties, Russia ruled out any military alliance with China, with Lavrov saying that Moscow supply of military equipment will continue.

While Lavrov did not answer questions about India buying additional regiments of the S-400 air-defence system, he said military ties were deepening and he respected India's decision to diversify the purchase of military weapons from other countries, a reference to the United States and France. He said Russia was reassured that there was no plan for an Asian NATO. "I shared our viewpoint on the Indo-Pacific. As our Prime Minister

pointed out at the Shangri-La Dialogue some years ago, contemporary challenges require countries to work together in new and different ways," Jaishankar said.

"By the way, we have heard speculation about pro-military alliances not only with respect to Russia and China relations, we have also heard about such alliances allegedly being promoted such as Middle East-NATO, Asia-NATO. Today we exchanged views on this and our Indian friends have the same position as we. We believe that this is counter-productive," he said in Russian.

"We are interested in inclusive cooperation that is for something, not against somebody," Lavrov asserted. Defence cooperation as well as weapons manufacturing was also discussed during the talks, he said.

At the joint presser after the talks, Jaishankar said the discussions were warm, comprehensive and productive. "We talked about long-standing partnership in nuclear, space and defence sectors.”

He said the discussions also covered the

rapidly expanding energy cooperation as well as views were exchanged on regional and global matters. Such cooperation also reflects the multi-polar and re-balanced character of global politics, Jaishankar said.

India is strongly committed to ASEAN centrality and this is outlined by the IndoPacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) that it has been advocating at the East Asia Summit (EAS), he said. “As we implement our Act East and Beyond policy, Russia is a very important partner,” Jaishankar added. The India and Russia annual summit was postponed last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both the countries have a mechanism under which India's Prime Minister and the Russian President hold a summit meeting annually to review the entire gamut of ties.

So far, 20 annual summit meetings have taken place alternately in India and Russia.

Russia has been a time-tested partner for India and the country has been a key pillar of New Delhi's foreign policy.

–The writer is Consulting Editor with the publication

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BUSINESS INITIATIVE

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HENSOLDT’S XPELLER BUSINESS: A LOOK BACK AT SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH AND PLANS FOR INDIAN MARKET HENSOLDT’s Xpeller counter-UAV system provides protection from the ever-increasing threat posed by over-the-counter drones, both in the military and the civilian sector

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onitoring the airspace is an important task. Even more so when dangers are becoming smaller and smaller. The use and circulation of small drones has increased substantially over recent years and months. While some regulatory frameworks exist, their implementation has proved difficult in practice. Airports especially are high-risk areas, as a collision between drones and airplanes – whether intentional or not – may result in accidents and even deadly crashes.

Added to that the risk of drones employed as weapons by dropping explosives, biological or chemical substances, it becomes clear that airports and other critical infrastructures must be continuously monitored, secured and have access to means of intervention in cases where drones enter their airspace.

adding radio detectors and countermeasures to some of its existing and proven technologies for monitoring airspace using radar and cameras. This system can locate and classify even small hobby drones at a range of several kilometres.

HENSOLDT technology enables sensitive sites, like airports, sports stadiums or industrial operations, to match solutions to their exact requirements, whilst avoiding the risks associated with a hard kill.

High-resolution cameras make it easier to determine whether there is a serious threat.

If so, the threat can then be countered by choosing appropriate countermeasures.

The Xpeller approach towards countering the UAV threat is based on a multi sensor/ effector layer and a three-step workflow:

Xpeller is a highly efficient, modular and scalable counter UAV system designed for civil and military domains. The system allows for a combination of radar, electrooptical and RF signals, all integrated in operational software for an optimized detection of unauthorized drone threats. The resulting signal domination allows an optimized usage of countermeasures such as intercepting signals to defeat the drone threat successfully.

1. Detect the potential threat with the best possible probability of detection.

2. Identify the potential threat as an actual threat with the least possible false alarm rate.

3. Act on the threat by raising alarms, or engaging the threat with a counter measure.

What differentiates HENSOLDT Xpeller from the rest of the brands in the market?

The counter-UAV solution market has been consistently growing with increasing in threats due to terrorism and illicit activities across the world and rising incidences of security breaches by unidentified drones.

There are been numerous players in the market acting locally and globally offering variety of solutions.

“WE ARE ALSO COGNIZANT OF INDIA’S UNCOMPROMISING FOCUS ON MILITARY SELF-RELIANCE THROUGH ITS “MAKE IN INDIA” POLICY. OUR PROPOSED APPROACH IS TO OFFER OUR COMPLETE XPELLER SOLUTION FRAMEWORK TO INDIAN CUSTOMERS. THROUGH A JOINT DEVELOPMENT WE COULD REALIZE AN INDIGENOUS COUNTER-UAV SOLUTION IN THE MOST PRACTICAL AND INCREMENTAL WAY”

The key differentiating factors for HENSOLDT solution are: 1. Mature and already in-service 2. Scalable and modular solution framework catering to different needs of customers 3. Man portable, vehicle mounted and fixed installations 4. Catalogue of sensors and effectors to pick and chose

Can you please share with us some more information about HENSOLDT’s Xpeller System?

The name Xpeller is derived from the idea of expelling an intruder. HENSOLDT has developed a powerful modular system by

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5. Very high probability of intercept and very low false alarm rate 6. Limited interference with friendly use of air-space and spectrum.

7. Complete solution available based on in-house-products with no third-party interdependency.

Are there any successful stories? What is the most recent one that is worth mentioning?

The recent deployment of Xpeller during the Dutch Day of Remembrance in Amsterdam in May 2020 marks the successful introduction of Xpeller as a service.

The system selected in this case consisted of two SMS-D, made up of a Spexer 360 radar, daylight and thermal cameras, in addition to one Spexer 500, two Skyscan 7x and one jammer. On location these various sensors were set up on two buildings approximately one kilometre apart to ensure the best radar and DF coverage. Coverage maps options in the CxEye software allow operators to optimize sensor placement quickly and efficiently. Using a communications link to join the different locations, Xpeller provided a common operating picture with fused radar, camera and DF information, while a live-stream of the operating picture was provided into the police headquarters.

The request had been made by the National Police as part of a task force including the Royal Netherlands Air Force and Army, only three weeks before the event. HENSOLDT’s Xpeller team responded with resources from Germany, South Africa, the UK and the Netherlands. Because of COVID 19 restrictions, the equipment was shipped from different locations and set up the day ahead of the event with remote support from all of the entities involved.

The successful deployment was closely monitored by representatives of the authorities involved.

Besides this, HENSOLDT also demonstrated its Xpeller counter-UAV system in 2018 at the Airbus airfield in Hamburg. During the demonstration, Xpeller detected UAVs approaching from

Xpeller is a highly efficient, modular and scalable counter UAV system designed for civil and military domains. The system allows for a combination of radar, electro-optical and RF signals, all integrated in operational software for an optimized detection of unauthorized drone threats a number of locations and was able to identify a variety of UAVs, including small recreational models, from a distance of several kilometres away.

Among our most recent successes is supporting the German Armed Forces in the protection of their forward operating bases in their operational areas.

Here, the Xpeller modules are used as part of container-based drone defence systems within the GUARDION overall system of ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH and its partners for a total of five drone defence systems. The Spexer2000 3D radar is characterized by outstanding detection capabilities, especially against asymmetric threats.

The Z:NightOwl M camera was specially developed for high ranges. With it, we support drone defence against so-called Class I drones, that is, unmanned aircraft weighing up to 25 kg.

What are your plans for India Market?

India is a vast country with challenging

security situations. There have been several instances related to drone threats in civil and military areas.

We are also cognizant of India’s uncompromising focus on Military selfreliance through its “Make in India” policy. Our proposed approach is to offer our complete Xpeller solution framework to Indian customers.

Through a joint development we could realize an indigenous counterUAV solution in the most practical and incremental way, for example in supporting Indian capabilities like sensors or third party Hard Kill effectors with selected Xpeller modules.

Currently, we are working on a few projects in India with multiple government agencies and successfully concluded field trials. We have been able to achieve a jamming range of up to 10.4 kilometres for small drones. Our talks with Indian stakeholders are at mature level and Xpeller system for trials to Indian customers will be in the field by July 2021.

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STARTUP FOCUS

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HSTPL: ANOTHER ‘MR INDIA’ IN THE MAKING, A COMPANY OF PERFECT STEALTH SIGNATURE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

Tank painted good

Hyper Stealth Technologies has been evolved as a unique signature management solutions providing company of the country as the start up claims, and the uniqueness of the solutions it provides is that it is adaptive in nature

By PK GHOSH

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ew Delhi. “HSTPL is providing a variety of signature management solutions and adaptive coating is one of them. Adaptive in the sense, the coating is so uniquely developed that it immediately adopts the signatures of the surroundings it comes in contact with.” says Manish Dalmmia, Hyper Stealth Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (HSTPL) Managing Director and CEO.

Sniper suit

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“Apart from various solutions for our Indian Army jawans, we have stealth coating solutions which can be used for Indian UAV, UGV, Armoured Vehicles, Navy stealth frigates & Stealth aircraft.”

“Because of our in-house R&D programme and development of

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this unique technological solution within the country, HSTPL being a startup has marked its niche, and therefore was recognised and received ‘iDEX India Open Challenge Award’ in this year’s Aero India at the hands of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and others,”HSTPL CEO observed.

“Very few countries like Israel and US have such technology,and even may not......advanced solutions what HSTPL has, and we provide Signature Management solutions too and the uniqueness of the solution is that it is adaptive in nature,” Dalmmia said, adding that these solutions are multispectral and a force multiplier for the Indian Armed Forces.

“For the last five to six years, since the time we have started our product development, we

have been receiving lucrative offers from various defence R&D organisations in India and abroad to work with them. But our intent is of taking the country’s research and development in the field of stealth and camouflage on par with the world independently,” the HSTPL MD said.

“Our motto is to provide all the stealth technology solutions to the Indian Armed Forces first.

Why giving others, why not our own forces first,” observes Manish Dalmmia, who is laced with patriotic fervour.

Citing a discussion during the “Startup Manthan” programme on thesidelines of Aero India 2021 in Bengaluru, he said he heard Defence Minister Rajnath Singh talking to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and his ministry officials saying that the startups are doing well, therefore the grant the ministry is giving should be increased.

“With the employment of indigenous technology and deployment of engineers from various streams, our company is striving to achieve high level

GOVERNMENT’S ANNOUNCEMENT OF GIVING ALL FUTURE CONTRACTS BELOW RS 200 CRORES TO BE GIVEN TO INDIAN COMPANIES IS INDEED A GOOD INITIATIVE TAKEN RECENTLY WHICH WILL HELP BOOST THE MSME AND STARTUP SECTOR IN DEFENCE AND AEROSPACE OF THE COUNTRY

Sniper suit

of proficiency in developing, designing and manufacturing advanced Stealth Solutions for Defence Industry,” said Vedanssh Dalmia, Director,Marketing, HSTPL. “Taking inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clarion call of ‘Make in India’ and now ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ we have started and been working on the journey to develop these advanced solutions which is absolutely Made in India and 100 per cent indigenous,” the HSTPL MD observed.

Thermal Signatures-sniper suit

“We deal in Multispectral Camouflage Nets, Adaptive Sniper Suits,Sniper Tents, Anti-Thermal/AntiIR Coatings and Radar Absorbing Material(for UAVs and Jet Fighters, Stealth Ships) and other such solutions under stealth signature management. Besides winning the Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX) startup challenge award for ‘Adaptive Stealth Coating Solutions,’ we also have received Certification from National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bengaluru,” he said, noting “Our product and solutions are tested under stringent specifications of military camouflage requirement.”

On Government’s initiative that all future contracts below Rs 200 crores to be given to Indian companies, he complimented

saying that it is indeed a good initiative taken recently which will help boost the MSME and startup sector in defence and aerospace in the country.

“We are for patriotism and an element of Indianness, we simply want hand holding by the users that is Indian Defence Forces, and it will indeed be a morale boosting once we start receiving the orders.”

Without delving into the details, he said, “Our signature managementsolutions have recently been used, and is proved up to the mark in delivering the results. Our specialised stealth solutions provide unsurpassed protection against advance tracing devices.”

HSTPL’s fundamental principle is to achieve ‘Perfect Signature Management’ so that assets are unidentifiable by all modern surveillance and identification systems, Dalmmia noted.

“BECAUSE OF OUR INHOUSE R&D PROGRAMME AND DEVELOPMENT OF THIS UNIQUE TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTION WITHIN THE COUNTRY, HSTPL BEING A STARTUP HAS MARKED ITS NICHE, AND THEREFORE WAS RECOGNISED AND RECEIVED ‘IDEX INDIA OPEN CHALLENGE AWARD’ IN THIS YEAR’S AERO INDIA AT THE HANDS OF DEFENCE MINISTER RAJNATH SINGH, DEFENCE SECRETARY DR AJAY KUMAR AND OTHERS”

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PRODUCT WATCH

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LARGE AREA DISPLAYS FOR THE MODERN FIGHTER The MFD 4820 LAD can be installed on a wide range of platforms and is highly customizable to new aircraft or existing retrofits by minimizing modifications required

By SUNIL RAINA

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he Cockpit Revolution: Technology has never been more significant in our lives; it has elevated sensory experiences, changed the way we communicate, introduced automation and reduced cognitive workloads for the better.

From everyday consumer technology to as far as outer space – the Digital Revolution has transformed many facets of our daily lives.

The same goes for aviation, where in the past five decades we have witnessed the cockpit evolution from analog displays to computer-type screens (CRT), and to the current liquid crystal displays (LCD) that enable dynamic display capabilities.

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The driving force behind cockpit advancements is largely ergonomics, which is optimising product design for effective human use. Pilots are the gatekeepers of the aircraft, and the last line of defence in any emergency. As such, the goal is to enable maximum access to critical information without compromising the pilot’s concentration.

This is where improvements in human-machine interface (HMI) in the cockpit such as touchscreens are necessary for operating a highly complex machine with lesser cognitive workload.

The Rise of Large Area Displays: Research on the dynamics of HMI with touchscreen displays demonstrates significant yields in decision-making, information and cognitive processing. These studies also revealed touch as an intuitive and efficient way to interact with displays. With higher performance of information perception and processing, it augments situational awareness and lessens cognitive

MFD-4820 Large Area Display

workload that can be utilized for other tactical tasks.

It is therefore no surprise that large area displays (LAD) for fighters have been gaining traction. Significant leaps in computer processing have enabled more flexibility of flight information to display for fighter pilots. US fighters were the first to implement a panoramic cockpit display unit; a large area touchscreen display that integrates and displays mission sensitive information on a single screen. It has now been widely accepted and used in current generation fighters.

Providers of large area displays are unanimous on hygiene factors — they have to be intuitive for usability and enable the ergonomic presentation of critical information to the pilot.

Other important features for consideration include redundant design architecture and resistive touch capabilities to prevent unintended interactions in case of turbulence.

The Collins MFD 4820: Collins Aerospace unveiled the MFD 4820 LAD, an 8” by 20” monolithic screen display, at the 2019 Dubai Air show. Its wide, resistive multi-touch surface is compatible with flight gloves,

and comes with optimised touch activation force that prevents unintended interactions with the screen. It enables maximum flexibility of content and visual configurations on display information for the pilot, who can navigate using single touch and multi-touch capabilities.

Another key element is the incorporation of tactical synthetic vision, where a separate application, driven from a remote processing unit, shows the video up to the display unit itself.

Functionally independent left and right halves of the display unit allows screen redundancy, where the failure of a comment on one side will not affect the other side of the display, thereby enhancing operational usage and safety.

Other highlights include compatibility with night vision goggles, and clear visibility in strong or ambient light environments. Its rugged, lightweight design makes it highly appropriate for use in multiple aircraft types; fighters, transporters, tankers and rotary wing platforms.

What does it mean for the modern fighter?: Jet fighters were created for air combat and offensive air support, and hence it is even more pertinent that the

pilot has a bird’s eye view of the sky, and direct, context-sensitive interaction with mission critical information via different visual configurations and video interfaces, all of which the MFD 4820 provides.

The MFD-4820 LAD is also designed for easy maintainability and the ability to display and use moving maps and related technologies. The large surface area improves the pilot’s situational awareness to increase the amount of information available to them.

The LAD can be installed on a wide range of platforms and is highly customizable to new aircraft or existing retrofits by minimizing modifications required. Designed with an open architecture in mind, it should be relatively easy for the MFD 4820 to be incorporated into existing or future Indian platforms. In addition, the ruggedness and lightweight design of the LAD helps it handle prone damages (both internal and external) during intense g-forces or turbulences during flight.

Aligning to India’s Strategic Autonomy: The development of India’s fighters is a resounding success and reinforces India’s goal of self-reliance. This is a turning point for India as it demonstrates how its local capabilities can meet its defence needs, and strengthen India’s autonomy through the rise of local MRO providers of components, parts and technology. In addition, strategic collaborations with private companies and technology providers will help accelerate India’s ambitions to be fully selfreliant and contribute towards building the local workforce.

- The writer is Managing Director, Customer & Account Management, Collins Aerospace

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MUSINGS FROM ISRAEL

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MULTI-LAYERED DEFENSE SYSTEMS OF BALLISTIC MISSILES, ROCKET SYSTEMS: ISRAEL’S SAFEGUARD AGAINST IRAN, HEZBOLLAH ATTACKS New threats are emerging in the region and that brought Israel and the US to recently launch a program aimed at developing the Arrow-4 ballistic missile interceptor. The design is aimed at dealing with new threats posed mainly by the Iranian long range ballistic missiles

By ARIE EGOZI

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srael is continuing the upgrade of its multi layered ballistic missiles and rockets protection system. Some of the efforts are made clear to the public while others are classified. The main ballistic missiles threat is posed by Iran that has developed a long line of long-range ballistic missiles. The other threat is posed by Hezbollah terror organization in Lebanon that is fully controlled by Iran. At 2.40 AM on March 17, 2017, the officer in front of the radar display of an Israeli air force (IAF) Arrow-2 anti-ballistic missile battery saw suspicious blips on the screen in front of him.

Israel and US carrying out test of their advanced Arrow 3 missile defense system 64

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There was no time for further consideration and a second later, an Arrow -2 missile was launched from its canister. A few second later loud explosions were heard in Eastern Israel near the border with Jordan.

Minutes before the sequence of events began, Israel Air Force (IAF) fighter jets attacked a convoy that carried advanced weapons made in Iran, and was in Syrian territory on its way to the Hezbollah terror organization in Lebanon.

When the fighter aircraft were on their way back to base, a Syrian unit launched a Russian made SA-5 surface to air missile that missed the Israeli aircraft.

But the big heavy missile continued its trajectory with a projected hit point inside Israeli territory. The Arrow-2 operator

had a few seconds. The Israeli interceptor hit the Syrian missile armed with a 200 kg warhead. It exploded over Jordan.

This was the first operational intercept by an Arrow- 2 antiballistic missile.

But new threats are emerging in the region and that brought Israel and the US to recently launch a program aimed at developing the Arrow-4 ballistic missile interceptor. The design is aimed at dealing with new threats posed mainly by the Iranian long range ballistic missiles.

The Arrow-4 will have winglets because it is designed to intercept inside the atmosphere. There was no official explanation of that capability.

According to the Israeli MOD, the Arrow-4 will be an advanced, innovative interceptor missile with enhanced capabilities. It will address a wide range of evolving threats in the region and will replace the Arrow-2 interceptors over the next decades.

Head of the Israel missile defense organization (IMDO) Moshe Patel said on February 18 that Arrow-4 will have unprecedented flight and

Raytheon is the developer of the mobile transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) system of David’s Sling

interception capabilities, ensuring the security of the State of Israel.

Jacob Galifat, General Manager of Israel aerospace industries (IAI), MLM division said that the new version will be the most advanced-of-its-kind in the world and will provide a new layer of defense to the State of Israel and its citizens.

The Arrow Weapon System is a major element of Israel’s multilayered missile defense array. It includes advanced radar systems, developed and produced by IAI subsidiary Elta.

It also includes a BMC system developed by Elbit Systems, and a Launch Array including interceptors produced by MLM, another subsidiary of IAI. Defense industries Rafael and Tomer are also involved in the development and production of the Arrow interceptor.

Arrow-2 is operational since the year 2000, providing endo-exoatmospheric defense.

Arrow-3, an exoatmospheric missile defense system, was delivered for operational use in 2017. It serves as the upper layer of Israel’s multitier missile defense array. Over the past few years, both of the interceptors were upgraded,

and demonstrated excellent capabilities during successful tests held in Israel and Alaska.

Iran has developed a variety of long-range ballistic missiles.

Some are based on liquid fuel while others are powered by solid fuel.

One example is the Khorramshahr that has a reported range of 2000 km. The missiles is 13 meters long has a diameter of 1.5-2.0 m. Launch weight is approximately 19,00026,000 kg.

According to Iranian officials, the missile is capable of carrying multiple warheads of up to 1,800 kg. The Arrow batteries are interconnected to one command center which can decide what battery or rather what launcher will achieve the best results after an incoming missile is detected by the “Green Pine” phased array radar and its advanced versions like the “Super Green Pine” (SGP). Detection is also performed by the Americans who have one missile detection X band radar system in southern Israel and share with Israel data collected by their spy satellites.

The decision on what battery will launch can be made also using the communications network between the batteries

David’s Sling during launch

with no need to go through the central command center.

Israel has a four layered rocket and missile protection system that is operational and being upgraded continuously.

The Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 are the upper layers of a system that is designed to defend Israel from rockets and missile. The Rafael “Iron Dome” has intercepted hundreds of short and medium range rockets during the “Protective Edge” operation in Gaza in 2014.

One layer above is the RafaelRaytheon “David Sling” designed to intercept longer range rockets and cruise missiles. All these systems are fully operational.

The threat on Israel is diversified and constantly changing. Israel has in recent years performed attacks on convoys that tried to transfer missiles from Iran to Syria.

NEW THREATS ARE EMERGING IN THE REGION AND THAT BROUGHT ISRAEL AND THE US TO RECENTLY LAUNCH A PROGRAM AIMED AT DEVELOPING THE ARROW-4 BALLISTIC MISSILE INTERCEPTOR. THE DESIGN IS AIMED AT DEALING WITH NEW THREATS POSED MAINLY BY THE IRANIAN LONG RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILES

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MUSINGS FROM ISRAEL Iron Dome Air Defense System is launch ready

WHILE THE “ARROW-2” HAS A PROXIMITY FUSE THAT DETONATES THE WARHEAD, THE “ARROW-3” IS DESIGNED AS A “HIT TO KILL” INTERCEPTOR. A KILL VEHICLE IS EJECTED FROM THE MAIN MISSILE AND MANEUVERS ITSELF UNTIL IT ACHIEVES A KINETIC KILL WITH THE INCOMING ENEMY MISSILE

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Currently the Iranians are trying to build a production line for their missiles in Syria. Israel has declared that it will make any needed effort so that this facility will be destroyed once there is evidence that production started.

Syria is equipped with old Scud B/C/D ballistic missiles and the Iranian effort is to upgrade them and manufacture newer versions in Syria to protect them from night attacks by Israel.

But the major ballistic threat is from Iran. This country has a big arsenal of long-range missiles. While some reports in the Iranian press about new versions of existing missiles are considered false, the experts say that this country can launch a massive ballistic missile attack on Israel.

The Shihab-3 was the first intermediate range ballistic missile that was built by Iran’s

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military, a local clone of the No Dong from North Korea. Its first version has a range of 1,300 km.

Soon after, Iran came with two new models, which has a range of 1,650 and 1,950 km respectively.

Another long-range ballistic missile is Sajil. The Iranians claim that it has a 2000 km range.

While the “Arrow-2” has a proximity fuse that detonates the warhead, the “Arrow-3” is designed as a “hit to kill” interceptor. A kill vehicle is ejected from the main missile and maneuvers itself until it achieves a kinetic kill with the incoming enemy missile. Sources said that the Arrow 4 will also be a hit to kill missile.

The “Arrow-3” will intercept outside the atmosphere. it is much smaller and lighter than the “Arrow-2” and has super maneuverability.

The US has a permanent

presence in the Israeli ballistic missiles defense system. In a remote site in the Israeli Negev, the desert part of southern Israel, an American X- band detection radar has been operational for some years.

This radar detects missiles launched in “long ranges” in the Middle East and beyond.

An expert who talked with Raksha Anirveda on condition of anonymity said, “Israel needs to plan its missiles defense capabilities for many years to come. At this point there is no hypersonic missile threat on Israel but when you design such an advanced interceptor like the Arrow-4, this capability should be included as some countries develop such missiles and in the Middle East you must expect the unexpected.”

-The writer is an International Roving Correspondent of this publication

INDIGENOUS R&D-INNOVATION SPECIAL A recent study by defence website Military Direct, positions India as having the fourth strongest military force.

The biggest differential being the capability and capacity in research, development and innovation in defence technology, the top three – China, USA and Russia have as compared to India. Can India enhance its military strength ranking and further strengthen its defence technology prowess in near future?

Raksha Anirveda presents a curated collection of articles that explores the journey of indigenous research and development, analyses the achievements and missed opportunities, emerging defence technologies and innovative solutions from MSMEs, SMEs and start-ups that have added wind to the Indian R&D efforts and powered its wings to aim and soar higher successfully….

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R&D – INNOVATION: STARTUP FOCUS

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AIMING HIGH: INDIGENOUS DEFENCE RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

With right policies, synergies between stakeholders, collaborative, competitive and collective approach, supportive business model, long term public-private funding for research, development and innovation and time efficiency to bring in efficacity in investment - the indigenous R&D and Innovation is well poised to take a giant leap forward

By AARTI BANSAL

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ndigenisation of the defense sector is of crucial importance for any sovereign nation and it becomes even more crucial for a country like India with an expanding economy, a wide variety of security challenges, and growing international obligations. India’s complex strategic environment makes it highly imperative for New Delhi to have a valiant defence industry. New Delhi is seen as a bulwark to a rising China, but its defence spending is three times less than that of China. As one of Observer Research Foundation’s (ORF) recent reports on ‘The Future of War in South Asia’ mentions, ‘The face of war is changing alongside the rapid development of advanced war fighting technology. Grabbing these technologies and decoding the strategies to employ them will be key to counter China. In the words of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chief Dr G Satheesh Reddy, “Manned systems are becoming unmanned and unmanned systems are becoming autonomous systems.”

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USHERING POLICY INITIATIVES Changed circumstances over the decades have allowed the government to think out of the box. Under the larger policy establishment of our Make in India initiative, the government has promoted the start-ups and private sectors not only to build manufacturing capacity but also to achieve technological competency.

As Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated at the Startup Manthan seminar on the sidelines of Aero India show, “GoI has given a big push to the indigenisation programmes through major policy changes such as opening up the patents and laboratories of DRDO to private industry, setting up of Young Scientists labs in niche technology areas, programmes like iDEX, Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC), Technology Development Fund (TDF), iDEX4Fauji, etc. Dare to Dream was another such flagship contest announced by DRDO for individuals and start-ups to come up with innovative ideas in six verticals, viz. artificial intelligence and robotics, quantum computing, autonomous systems, smart materials, hypersonic technologies, and advanced communications technologies.

Defence India Start-up Challenges

DRDO Air Independent Propulsion System

(DISC) have been launched under iDEX. It was spearheaded by MoD and was formulated by Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) to manage Defence Innovation Fund (DIF). To quote Cdr Suchin Jain (Retd), Program Director, iDEX, “The DIO has begun to create a viable ecosystem for start-ups to come out with the products that could cater to the specification of military-grade. It began with the corpus of 100 crores contributed equally by HAL and BEL. iDEX came as an operational arm under this initiative with the core aim to create corporate models for Indian Defence needs and allow the sector to harness start-ups. In a continuous bid to reduce cost on defense imports and seeking local solutions to the country’s defence requirements, the government, in December last year, launched the third edition of DISC. Since 2018, under three iterations of DISC, 18 problem statements have been promulgated by different arms of armed forces on which start-ups must work upon. 44 contracts for building prototypes have been signed from

among 700 start-ups that have participated in the challenge. There was a total of 58 winners who got up to 1.5 crores in project funding.

The latest iteration of the DISC has witnessed more than half of the challenges in AI and machine learning.

In another remarkable manifestation of continued efforts to add muscle in defence production, government has recently released draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) 2020 which is committed to providing a focused, structured, and significant thrust to defence production capabilities to fulfill the twin objectives of selfreliance and exports.

Start-ups are the latest and most remarkable entrants in the defence manufacturing sector who’ve been given a big boost through Innovation in Defence excellence program. They are currently engaged in building new prototypes, products, and technology. ideaForge is one of the major players which is specialised in making UAVs. It has provided drones to Indian military

“GOI HAS paramilitary and aero technology GIVEN A BIG is second on the list. Big Bang PUSH TO THE Boom is another influential case INDIGENISATION in point. It is working with MoD PROGRAMMES THROUGH through the iDEX platform. Within a moderate span of two years, it has MAJOR POLICY done a commendable job of putting CHANGES SUCH AS OPENING a defence start-up ecosystem in UP THE place bringing together military PATENTS AND users and operators with start-ups, LABORATORIES innovators, and entrepreneurs. The OF DRDO iDEX is testimony of the fact that TO PRIVATE beyond a vibrant defence market, INDUSTRY, innovation systems and startSETTING UP ups can unlock a huge homeland OF YOUNG SCIENTISTS security market not just in India LABS IN NICHE but also abroad.

TECHNOLOGY AREAS, PROGRAMMES LIKE IDEX, DEFENCE INDIA START-UP In a recent interview at Aero India CHALLENGE 2021, the DRDO Chairman quoted (DISC), Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General TECHNOLOGY Bipin Rawat who has declared that DEVELOPMENT FUND (TDF), the next war will be fought with IDEX4FAUJI, only indigenous weapons. So, allETC” round development is taking place, Defence Minister from diverse range of missiles, or Rajnath Singh at tanks like Arjun Tank or LCA Tejas Startup Manthan, or nuclear submarine-like Arihant, Aero India

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE DAY

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R&D – INNOVATION: STARTUP FOCUS

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Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh

START-UPS ARE THE LATEST AND MOST REMARKABLE ENTRANTS IN THE DEFENCE MANUFACTURING SECTOR WHO’VE BEEN GIVEN A BIG BOOST THROUGH INNOVATION IN DEFENCE EXCELLENCE PROGRAM. THEY ARE CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN BUILDING NEW PROTOTYPES, PRODUCTS, AND TECHNOLOGY

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DRDO has done it all. The LCA which is designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and DRDO and produced

by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd is the first-ever single largest order is a major boost to the Indian aeronautics sector.

The aeronautics sector will have a quantum jump in the ecosystem coming which will pave way for the new and advanced infrastructure, manufacturing capabilities, and technological advancements. In LCA 1, AESC is being tried on the aircraft. The navigation system, the complete software, weapon system, the onboard oxygen generating system have been developed in the country. It has also paved the way for the development of LCA Mark 2 which is a higher weight class that is in advanced stages of development.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) granted an Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) last month which pave way for the Indian Army to acquire 118 Arjun Mk1A tanks in a deal worth Rs 8,400 crores in the

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years ahead. This is one of the best manifestations of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. He also talked about HALDRDO Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), a 5.5 generation, the most technologically advanced aircraft in the world being produced by a public-private partnership (PPP). The government has given impetus to push this project very fast so that we can soon have AMCA developed in the country. This is the kind of self-sufficiency and technological base that has been created by the DRDO in the country for the defence system.

India is now the fifth country to have an indigenous nuclear missile tracking ship. This secret ocean surveillance ship, VC 1184, commissioned in October 2020. It will play a crucial role in triangulating incoming ballistic missiles in conjunction with geostationary satellites and landbased radars. It will have a key role in India’s antiballistic missile capabilities. On March 10, 2021 Indian Navy commissioned the

third Kalvari class submarine, INS Karanj into service. This is the third in the series of six Scorpene class submarines built

by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd launched in January 2018. As mentioned by commanding officer Captain Gaurav Mehta, “It is the first truly indigenous submarine which truly encapsulates the spirit of making in India. Karanj is like a child to us we have seen into growing war weapon.” Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Karambir Singh said that the Indian Navy has been a strong proponent of indigenisation and self-reliance in defence. At present out of 42 submarines and ships on order, 40 are being built in Indian shipyards.

Marking another major milestone, DRDO has successfully tested the home-grown Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) that is significant stealth to conventional submarines enhancing their operational effectiveness. This system was developed in partnership with the private sector L&T and Thermax.

THE DEADLOCKS

The defence sector is very unique where the government is both the largest producer and the only consumer of its manufactures.

This is now beginning to change with the ushering in a private sector as the second growth engine which will help in identifying major technological trends and commercialisation.

However, the primary problem we are facing is that several private corporations are entering this field and several agreements have been signed for small arms and drones, but we don’t have enough buyers domestically.

This issue recently confronted Larsen and Toubro (L&T), one of the largest private company in

“WE NEED TO USHER IN MORE CHANGES THAT COULD PROMOTE LONG-TERM PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT IN DEFENCE, PARTICULARLY IN R&D. CUSTOM DUTY EXEMPTIONS SHOULD BE GIVEN TO START-UPS THAT’LL GIVE THEM LEVERAGE TO EXPERIMENT MORE” DR. ABHISHEK, IIT, KANPUR

the defence sector. The company warned GoI that Vajra 9 howitzer that it has manufactured with South Korean company in a joint venture and they are to run out of orders in six months and unless government can provide them another order, they may have to close shop and shift their skilled staff somewhere else. This is going to be a recurring problem.

As defence analyst D Raghunanadan argues, the defence exhibition (DefExpo) that was held in Lucknow last year, we’ve announced our grandeur plans.

Our ministers spoke about how our defence exports increased from Rs 2,000 crores to 17,000 crores in last two years and the target for the next five years is export of Rs 35,000 crores, which was highly exaggerated. But the reality is, a large chunk of that amount owes to civilian aerospace parts and components which were exported.

And most of the equipment showcased there is produced

by DPSUs. The hollowness of the narrative that has been built around about strengthening the private sector was displayed in Defence Expo.

To quote R Shivaraman from BBB, the best part about iDEX is that it entails a feedback mechanism that makes the entire ecosystem a lot more agile. Nonetheless, there are a lot of limitations that haunt start-ups in India. Defence startups in India are not a preferred destination for the Venture

Capitalists (VCs) to invest the money due to which raising capital becomes extremely challenging.

The other reason for the feeble appearance of Indian start-ups is the long procurement cycle and the non-transparent ways in which the defence acquisition takes place today. So, there is a dire need to streamline processes. VC is very important for the working capital and that makes it a big challenge given the current ecosystem.

Another major stumbling block as highlighted by Kannappa P from EyeRov (IROV TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE LIMITED)is that, even with iDEX and Make in India Initiatives the day for ground breaking civilian technology to penetrate defence uses is highly crippled because of threestage tender policy, extensive

certification leading to prolonged cycle time from a prototype to field realisation and often beaten by some foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) offering at 10 to 20X price. Multiple certification stages and the huge financial and design stage implications delay the whole process. By then most companies die out of funds. Young companies cannot start or survive only believing on defence clients until some serious measures are taken to finance the product and give Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) and business guarantee.

So, we need multiple phase-wise funding and handholding of companies throughout the product development cycle to launch. We must buckle up in sustaining the momentum in scaling up the technology to actual service.

LOOPHOLES IN R&D

India ranks 52nd in the Global Innovation Index and contributes only 2.7 per cent in the Global R&D. Since its very inception, DRDO reminded the primary body for indigenous design and development of defence equipment. Notwithstanding the fact that it has made tremendous

INNOVATION AND INDIGENISATION ATTEMPTS IN THE DEFENCE HAD A MIXED BAG OF SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES. WE ARE VENTURING ON THE TWIN ROAD OF MODERNISATION AND INDIGENISATION. CERTAIN AREAS NEED TIMELY REFINEMENT OR ELSE WE’LL ALWAYS LAY ON THE BRINK OF BEARING SOME REAL COSTS

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R&D – INNOVATION: STARTUP FOCUS “TIME IS THE ESSENCE. ABOUT WHATEVER WE DO WE MUST REDUCE TIME NOW. THESE POLICY INITIATIVES HAVE BROUGHT DOWN THE TIME-LAPSE BUT IT NEEDS TO GO DOWN EVEN FURTHER. WE NEED TO START WORKING IN PARALLELS INSTEAD OF WORKING IN PERIODS. EFFICIENCY IN TIME WILL BRING EFFICACITY IN MONEY AS WELL” ABHISHEK JAIN, ZEUS NUMERIX

WE SHOULD LEARN FROM THE MISTAKES COMMITTED

BY OTHERS; LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO COMMIT ALL OF THEM ON OUR OWN. A CASE IN POINT HERE IS THAT THE ‘VALLEY OF DEATH’ SYNDROME WITNESSED IN THE US

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achievements in developing a range of complex systems including LCA, Main battle tank Arjun, advanced towed artillery guns, Pinaka multibarrel rocket system, and myriad weapons and sensors despite consistent lack of human resources and budgetary constraints, its optimal performance is often marred by time and cost overruns.

India’s low inventiveness largely owes to the poor investment, unavailability of a dedicated defence R&D policy, governmentled R&D spending, poor HR base, and poor collaboration between research labs and industry. Along with that, there is a desperate lack of funding in training institutes and educational courses to up skill existing human resources. Our industry is service-oriented, and thus our education system caters to that. Moreover, the R&D sector pays you much less than what finance or any other sector does that incentivising the talent.

India’s current spending in R&D as per DRDO is less than six per cent of the defence budget compared to over 10 per cent in countries like the US and China. This investment deficit in R&D limits India’s capacity to innovate new technologies for future use. We can learn from Israel where its defence exports finance the country’s R&D to a great extent. But in India, we have a very meagre fraction of exports.

An exporting defence industry can reduce the costs of defence acquisitions and helps subsidise a

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country’s defence budget.

UAS has seen exponential growth in demand in India over the past five years. But its ecosystem within India is currently host to only a handful of companies that are manufacturing and catering to the consumers including DRDO. These companies are also concerned about the ongoing discussions on UAS regulations and funding crunch. We still don’t have a very conducive ecosystem for the indigenous production of drones.

ROAD TO SELF- RELIANCE

So, it is justified enough to say that the innovation and indigenisation attempts in the defence had a mixed bag of successes and challenges. We are venturing on the twin road of modernisation and indigenisation.

Certain areas need timely refinement or else we’ll always lay on the brink of bearing some real costs. As identified by Rear Admiral Ravindra Jayant Nadkarni, Flag Officer of the Offshore Defence Advisory Group, on the sidelines of Aero India, there are two challenges India faces: improving the economic complexity index and quickening the pace of technologies required for a stronger defence.

As highlighted by Dr Abhishek, Co-Founder and Director at EndureAir Systems and Associate Professor IIT Kanpur, the key areas that require effective redressal include administrative hurdles, funding crunch, supply chain

management, stagnation in DPSUs, lack of specialisation in MoD and political leadership, lack of long-term spending and lack of confidence in our people. So, there is no single policy that is likely to be a panacea, different challenges demand different solutions. To address these diverse challenges, bureaucratic streamlining, empowerment of JPMT, effective synergy in various stakeholders, limited trials will go a long way. We need to usher in more changes that could promote long-term private sector investment in defence, particularly in R&D. Custom duty exemptions should be given to start-ups that’ll give them leverage to experiment more. Policies could be sufficient but policy stability and predictability in identifying requirements and financial outlay – are of the greatest importance.

We should learn from the mistakes committed by others; life is too short to commit all of them on our own. A case in point here is that the ‘Valley of death’ syndrome witnessed in the US. Bureaucratic obstacles and complex regulations faced by the start-ups and private sector in Silicon Valley debunked the initiative. Lastly, to quote Abhishek Jain from Zeus Numerix, a leading defence start-up, “Time is the essence. About whatever we do we must reduce time now.

These policy initiatives have brought down the time-lapse but it needs to go down even further. We need to start working in parallels instead of working in periods. Efficiency in time will bring efficacity in money as well.”

We need to march ahead without compromising on quality, cost, and commitment. We’ve come a long way in the last decade, but still there is a long road ahead.

–The writer is a Research Intern, Strategic Studies Programme at ORF. The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda

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THOUGHT POT

MASTERING ICT, R&D WILL MAKE OUR NATIONAL SECURITY FUTURE-READY A strong ICT industry will be India’s force multiplier for National Security and the successful conduct of modern warfare. In fact, all future technological progress would depend on mastery of ICT technologies. Unless India upgrades its indigenous technology and R&D capacity to get future-ready, it will forever remain part of the global South

By SMITA PURUSHOTTAM

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ith the increasing lethality of China’s military, cyber operations and advanced Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), never has the urgency of investing in India’s domestic technological capabilities been more acute. China very early on started leveraging ICTs for military modernisation, even as India’s defence strategy and weapons acquisitions policy continued to address physical, kinetic threats. In lockstep, China started reorganising its “civilian” Information Technology and Industry Ministries in 1998/2008 to promote ICTs manufacturing and R&D. Ultimately, China aimed to have a “world-class” military by 2049, with Informatisation at its core, creating a Strategic Support Force integrating information systems in all battlefield domains.

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China soon began aiming at enhanced military lethality through ‘Intelligentisation’ and enlisted the AI and ICT capabilities of its business behemoths Tencent, Alibaba, Hikvision, iFlytek etc, for its military, under its MilitaryCivil Fusion strategy. Elsa B. Kania (Battlefield Singularity) describes the ultimate objective being “Intelligent machines becom(ing) primary war-fighters’’. In the future, Indian soldiers will be faced with autonomous unmanned systems and warfighting robots, suffering unacceptable casualties if they do not have corresponding domestic technological capabilities.

As opposed to China’s massive lead in ICTs (AI, 5G and Quantum Tech) – and indigenous, modernising, digitising and intelligentising defence industry and force – India has still to understand the foundational role ICTs play in national security.

Moreover, it has an imported weapons park (although domestic procurement has begun), foreign control of communications systems, half a dozen AI “strategies”, silo-

based decision-making, and timid organisational defence production processes reform.

Thus, defence production and acquisition functions are siloed from each other, which benefits only import lobbies.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) are also siloed from each other and MEITY is oblivious to national security considerations. Despite DoT’s mandate to nurture domestic industry, not a penny in R&D support or substantial procurement orders have gone to domestic industry. B.K. Raghuveer, CEO of Nivetti Systems, one of India’s best router manufacturers, said: “Smart City infrastructure, Surveillance Networks, military communications infrastructure, Airport and Railway infrastructure, etc. are huge spends by the government that is gifted to overseas economies by India.”

Moreover, India signed away

all protections to its nascent electronics hardware industry (including telecommunications) by joining the Information & Technology Agreement-1 (ITA1) in 1997. China joined ITA-1 only when its industry was firmly established. India followed up this folly by signing FTAs with countries with a trade surplus (even with China) in high-tech electronics products – Japan and South Korea – further decimating its hardware industry.

In 2012, Indian OEMs’ share of the domestic telecom market was still a respectable 23%. China now set out to drive out domestic competition, aided by a lack of strategic trade and procurement policy on the Indian side. As a result, Indian OEMs’ share declined to 7% in 2018 due to China’s unfair bidding practices.

A series of 40,000 cyber-attacks after the Galwan standoff – on Government establishments, the banking sector, vaccine producing pharmaceutical companies and

power grids, the most famous of which was last year’s massive Mumbai blackout, many of which were attributed to Chinese hackers and Advanced Persistent Threat groups, alerted the Government.

Our organisation SITARA had earlier alerted the National Security authorities about the risks associated with Chinese ownership of sensitive networks – exponentially magnified if Chinese companies entered 5G. National and Economic Security had to be prioritised in Telecom Policy and secure networks starting with 4G built with Indian equipment, so that they could be 5G ready.

Massive procurement reform to combat corruption was required.

Full commitment to domestic procurement would turbo-charge domestic economic/technological development by imparting a 40% stimulus to GDP. A strong ICT industry would be India’s force multiplier for National Security and the successful conduct of modern warfare. In fact, all future technological progress would depend on mastery of ICT technologies. Unless India upgraded its indigenous technology and R&D capacity to get futureready, it would forever remain part of the global South.

Moreover, Chinese equipment in our sensitive networks would be incompatible with the Quad and US security partnership. The US IndoPacific Commander just announced the establishment of an information fusion centre and stressed interoperability and information sharing between partners. The US also said it will help develop India’s defence industrial base – we have to hold them to it and not sacrifice domestic technological capabilities to any grouping, even as we explore partnership opportunities with them.

As a result, procurement reforms giving some margin of

IT IS DIFFICULT TO QUANTIFY THE MINDBOGGLING NATIONAL SECURITY IMPLICATIONS OF MEITY’S DECISION TO ACCORD GOOGLE CLOUD PERMISSION TO STORE GOVERNMENT DATA, EVEN AS THE WORLD GEARS UP TO CONTROL BIG TECH

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THOUGHT POT OUR FLAWED PROCUREMENT SYSTEM AND COLONIAL-ERA SUBSERVIENCE TO FOEMS HAS COST INDIA 1000S OF LAKHS OF CRORES IN CONTRACTS AWARDED TO FOREIGN COMPANIES, WHICH HAVE GROWN RICH OFF THE INDIAN MARKET. THIS IS THE MAIN REASON INDIA HAS NEVER EMERGED OUT OF POVERTY AND WE HAVE NOT DEVELOPED A ROBUST DOMESTIC INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

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preference to domestic producers and warning against artificial skewing of tender specifications to exclude domestic bidders – were indeed passed by Government.

The BSNL tender for national 4G networks, initially tailored to Chinese needs, was revoked and retendered for domestic bidders.

SITARA’s request for telecom security legislation was partly met by the Telecom Security Directive and Trusted Source Order.

But there is a long way to go.

There is no sign of R&D support to the sector as yet. Very few tenders have actually been given to domestic companies. The private sector is no better. Airtel and Vodafone have just placed huge procurement orders on Huawei, despite the security risks involved.

Meanwhile, Niti Aayog and MEITY have given away critical Government contracts to foreigners. It is difficult to quantify the mind-boggling National Security implications of MEITY’s decision to accord Google Cloud permission to store Government data, even as the world gears up to control Big Tech. Indian data centres and cloud providers will be unable to offer matching terms, with Google even offering to host it for free and profit from the massive meta-data monetisation opportunities! All applications will

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be developed on Google, rather than Indian clouds. Business will be stolen from the Indian ecosystem, again relegating us to poor cousin, coolie status. The exodus of talent from India will intensify.

Over decades, our flawed procurement system and colonialera subservience to FOEMs has cost India 1000s of lakhs of crores in contracts awarded to foreign companies, which have grown rich off the Indian market. This is the main reason India has never emerged out of poverty and we have not developed a robust domestic innovation ecosystem.

India must invest in futuristic domestic capabilities in ICTs. Gen. Rajesh Pant, National Cybersecurity Coordinator has called the country’s Information Infrastructure “Supercritical”, not just Critical. To this end: • India’s ICT networks must be treated as Super-Critical, Sensitive and Strategic Information Infrastructure vital to national security, like the US, China and other countries, to prevent overturning Prime Minister’s national security vision and Atmanirbharta directives.

• MEITY and DoT must be merged into a Ministry/ National Commission of Information & Communications Technologies & Industry under the Prime Minister, to ensure security oversight.

• MOD must be reorganised: Defence production must be given priority over defence acquisition and ICT ascendancy integrated into warfighting strategies.

• A National Strategic Mission to fund R&D in ICTs must be declared. A DST draft recommends national mission mode projects and technology development. The CAREL model can fund domestic technologies developed through the public sector or Universities with 100% pass-through funding to the private sector (we prefer direct funding to the private sector for spiral iterations but this is the next best thing).

• The USOF (Universal Service Obligation Fund), which has been used to fund a Japanese company, must be used for domestic companies.

• Domestic procurement is the key to prosperity and National Security.

Orders to domestic companies to build a secure indigenous cyber infrastructure must be given. PPPMII Orders must also be enforced in capital and revenue Defence Procurement.

• Indian IPR ownership must get greater weightage than price in tenders.

• R&D tax incentives must be restored.

• The MEITY Order giving Google Cloud permission to store Government data and all other awards and contracts to handle Government data given to Big Tech and Big 4 Consultancies – must be rescinded. These contracts undermine all the good work the Govt has done recently.

• A Telecom Security Act must be passed.

• The Commission must adopt a unified national AI plan spanning several security and line ministries.

– The author is a former Ambassador to Switzerland and Founder & Chairperson, SITARA (www.sitara.org.in)

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ANALYSIS

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ROLE OF R&D IN NATION BUILDING:

THE WAY AHEAD

The DRDO needs a complete overhaul to focus solely on cutting-edge technologies and weapons systems. A number of its 52 laboratories can be merged to make it lean and mean. Production of packaged foods, clothing items and other such activities should be hived off to the private players

By LT GEN VK CHATURVEDI (RETD)

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ew Delhi. The research and development (R&D) organisation in any country plays an important role in the development of the nation as well as its society. All nations, therefore, invest a sizeable portion of their budget on creating an effective and potent R&D establishment. The investments are always high initially and with no returns. To create a scientific environment, facilities, infrastructure, educational institutes of excellence, the technology development projects have to be undertaken and funded.

Till a few years ago, there was a feeling in the scientific community that we will always be able to procure or transfer technology from outside.

Therefore, we did not endeavour and put in sincere efforts to create anything new.

Israel, born after India got its Independence, today spends more than 4% of its GDP on R&D whereas India spends only 0.7%.

However, post the nuclear tests of 1998, sanctions were imposed on us by many developed and developing countries. This prompted and motivated many exceptional minds in the country to put in that extra bit and produce indigenously several critical cutting-edge technologies, which until then were beyond our imagination. The Cryogenic engine is a case in point. Since we started late, there are still miles to go. With

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our Prime Minister’s focus on selfreliance and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, there is a great push for R&D and we today feel ‘Bharat’ can and produce indigenously, anything and everything within the country.

THE PRESENT STATUS

The DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation), was established in India in 1958 after amalgamating the Defence Science Establishments and some of the technical development establishments. It has come a long way since then. However, it has failed to give the user, (primarily, the Armed Forces of India), the much needed confidence that our

DRDO will be able to develop the best products in the world.

There is always a sense of unease in this regard amongst the Armed Forces personnel. There are surely some bright sparks, like the development of missiles, the state of the art WLR (Weapon Locating Radar, SWATI), ACCCS (Artillery Command Control and Communication System) etc., but the list is not long, as one would expect. This makes it an absolute necessity to introspect and internalise.

WHAT WE CAN DO

Over time, different committees have recommended a number of reforms to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and output of DRDO. However, because of the internal equations and the reluctance to change not much has been achieved. After a long time, three laboratories, namely DTRL, LASTEC and ANURAG, were shut or merged with laboratories involved in similar activities.

These are, however, only cosmetic

Akash Weapon System

reforms. There is a need for a major surgery as over time the issues involved are critical and affecting the effectiveness and efficiency of the organisation.

It would be worth mentioning that today India is one of the largest importers of weapons and high-tech defence equipment. More than 70% of our defence needs, as far as capital expenditure is concerned, is being imported. The Prime Minister’s call for self-reliance and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ is therefore an apt call. There is no doubt that it is going to be a beacon of light for this vital organisation to act speedily and produce results.

The requirement is to have a change in perception. At present, there is a lot of self-glorification.

This must stop forthwith. The aim is to collaborate, cooperate and even compete but at no stage confront.

The Bharat of today is, in fact, leading the world in almost all

fields where mind, intelligence, management, execution is involved. Most of the renowned technology companies the world over are being led and spearheaded by Indians. Our esteemed institutions like the IITs, IISc and the IIMs have all done us proud. The DRDO, therefore, must commence interacting with these institutes.

There is no harm giving and sharing the credit where due and acknowledging the same publicly and even honouring some of them at appropriate forums.

There are several high-end technology-oriented companies in the private sector, who have the capabilities and the wherewithal to produce high-end technology-oriented weapons and equipment catering to the demand of our armed forces.

Their credibility and ethics are beyond doubt. I have no hesitation in naming a few like TATAs, L&T, Bharat Forge etc. who have the capabilities, the

wherewithal and the passion to work on projects of national importance with the same zeal, enthusiasm and responsibilities

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ANALYSIS NOW WITH OUR DEFENCE PRIVATE SECTOR HAVING DEVELOPED TO AN EXTREMELY GOOD STANDARD WITH REACH ACROSS THE LENGTH AND BREADTH OF THE COUNTRY, THERE IS AN IMPERATIVE NEED TO REVIEW THE ROLE AND CHARTER OF THE DRDO

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as any of our Government Institutions. The only need is to either give them firm orders initially, subject to their meeting the Qualitative Requirements (QRs) or fund them for the research. I have no doubt they will produce the results. It has been done in the past — the Pinaka MBRL is a case in point.

The 52 DRDO laboratories must be reduced to a bare minimum by merging a number of them. The DRDO should not be producing packaged foods and clothing items, these could be outsourced to some private laboratories. The DRDO must

focus on cutting-edge technology, cyber, space, missile systems, ammunitions, MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) and HALE (High Altitude Long Endurance) UAVs, the seekers, the electronic systems, aircraft and helicopter design and development, software algorithm development and other such high-end technology systems where sensitivity, competitive superiority and confidentiality is involved and paramount in national interest. Even in these areas a certain amount of collaboration could be explored, but the nucleus and

Weapon Locating Radar ‘Swathi’

the leadership must always be from the DRDO.

MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE

This is a very difficult phase to bring in any material change in the functioning, reorganisation, merging and implementation of the proposal. The basic resistance comes from within, the people who are used to a certain way of working. They want to remain in their comfort zones and do not want to change. Therefore, the most important task is to motivate them, by being extremely transparent, explaining the reasons for the change and taking them along to achieve the aim.

At no stage should anyone who has been working on a particular project or in a specific field be made to feel ‘left out’. There will be some surplus of manpower, whenever such major changes are brought about.

The foremost duty of those implementing the change and the decision makers is to ensure that these people are adequately compensated or rehabilitated. It must be ensured that their selfesteem is not hurt. It must be remembered that they are not inefficient or unwanted, but are extremely effective. Unless the change is managed in the most professional and compassionate manner, the best of plans will fail.

It must however be noted that the change is a must and must be put in place sooner than later.

AWARDING THE BEST TALENTS

Prithvi Missile System

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There is always a need to get the best talent for our Research and Development. We have some of the finest educational institutions in the world.

Therefore, we must ensure that the best comes to our DRDO. The Government of India must give

waiver in deserving cases to get the best talent. The aim is to get the best brains for our research and to ensure that funds are not a constraint. A lean and mean organisation with well-defined and clear objectives for research and development in cutting edge technologies and development of sensitive, critical weapons platforms and systems must remain the sole aim of the DRDO. Equally important, those who make extraordinary contributions and develop state of the art technology should be awarded for their work. These awards must be something like the Nobel Prize in the field of R&D. The value of the award, the selection system, the award ceremony etc. must be world class. We (Indians) may not get the award initially, as the best will win, but soon many Indians will compete and add glory to our DRDO. This will ensure that our DRDO is talked about the world over and achieve greater glories.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

This is one important field that affects the quality of the product and ultimately has a major bearing on its development.

Therefore we must have an extremely committed, honest and effective quality assurance set-up.

This again is required to be an independent and autonomous body totally dedicated to the national cause. The motivational level of the employees must be of the highest order with impeccable record of honesty, integrity, and dedication. The present set-up of our DGQA has failed to inspire confidence in the user, primarily because of the attitude of empire building both by the OFB and the Department of Defence Production. How can the DGQA be under the production agency?

They should be preferably under

the user or an autonomous body.

In conclusion, it would be pertinent to mention that our DRDO over a period of time has some feathers to its credit like the missiles systems (Prithvi, Agni, BrahMos, Nag, Akash etc.), Weapon Locating Radars (SWATI), Rockets like Pinaka and some Naval systems, yet there is a lot to achieve. The present organisation system may have been okay for the 1950s and 60s, when the private sectors were not well developed and equipped, and our R&D was involved in developing even minor technologies.

However, now with our private sector having developed to an extremely good standard with reach across the length and breadth of the country, there is an imperative need to review the role and charter of DRDO. A lean, mean and focussed organisation with the sole aim of developing the best and state of the art cuttingedge technologies and producing strategic weapon platforms and ammunition systems for the Armed Forces is the need of the

hour. The government must provide and give waivers to the rules and regulations wherever required to ensure the best minds come to our DRDO. The necessary checks and balances must be put in place to see that our DRDO is among the best in the world. The capability exists and we need to now ensure it happens in the earliest time frame.

– The writer is a veteran who served the Indian Army for 40 years in various Command and Staff Appointments. His last appointment was Director General Manpower Planning and Personal Services at Army HQ. He is a gallantry award winner of 1971 Indo-Pak War and has tremendous experience about the modernisation of the Artillery, and is also a recipient of PVSM AVSM SM.

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ANALYSIS

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TURNING THE TIDE: INDIA’S DEFENCE R&D DILEMMA Time and again we see the Ministry of Defence usher in policies with the sole aim of import substitution by promoting indigenous defence manufacturing. Yet our military planners end up placing gargantuan orders that result in leveling out the very process of import substitution.

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ew Delhi. According to a recent report by Stockholm-based Sipri, India’s import of arms decreased by 33% between 2011-15 and 2016-20. The reason for the decline has been a combination of a convoluted procurement process and an aggressive attempt by the Government of India to reduce its dependence on Russian arms. While India’s defence import bill appears to have come down significantly, on the contrary India is planning large-scale arms imports in the coming years from several suppliers.

India will soon be placing an order for 30 armed MQ-9B SkyGuardian/SeaGuardian class drones for keeping an eye on China, Pakistan and the Indian Ocean.

The drones are going to add a significant persistent surveillance and deterrence capability to the Indian military and at the same time kill or make redundant the domestic DRDO Rustom program? No enduser would want the Rustom when the SkyGuardian/SeaGuardian or an upgraded Heron is available..

Consequently the private sector companies will have little room to operate in the development of higher classes of UAV in the near future?

Time and again we see the Ministry of Defence usher in policies with the sole aim of import substitution by promoting indigenous defence manufacturing. Yet our military

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planners end up placing gargantuan orders that result in leveling out the very process of import substitution.

The second negative import arms list, which is likely to be out by the year end, should include an import ban on UAVs up to the tactical class to leave some room for the vibrant

DRDO Rustom Unmanned Air Vehicle

private sector UAV companies engaged in innovation and R&D, that would like to move up the weight class. The ban should extend to unmanned systems in water and land as well. AI based unmanned systems are the future of warfare and diluting this space via imports will not be justified. The private sector will not burn cash on developing local technologies in the absence of a level-playing field.

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in an event organised by CII and the Society

General Atomics’ MQ-9B SkyGuardian

of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) assured the nation that India will soon become a major exporter of defence equipment.

To this effect the Government of India has been aggressively pursuing procurement of defence items from local industry and to this effect the Ministry of Defence has assured a revised list of items that cannot be procured from foreign manufacturers.

Nearly Rs 70,000 crore will be reserved for capital procurement from domestic industries. This is perhaps the single most defining moment for the local aerospace and defence (A&D) industry as it gives a clear path to procurement in money terms.

On March 9, 2021, Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha said, “So far, FDI inflows of about Rs 4,191 crore have been reported by

companies operating in defence and aerospace sector in the country.” This is although a far cry from the billions of dollars in FDI inflow envisaged in the A&D sector, but FDI inflow has certainly come a long way from a meagre $5 million over the last decade.

As on date, FDI approvals have been given to 44 companies including DPSUs, for joint ventures or co-production of various defence items. While there has been a huge push by the government for local procurement, the FDI limit has also been raised from 49% to 74% making it easier for foreign OEMs to either set up shop or invest into Indian companies.

It is for the first time in over a decade, since the privatization of the Indian defence sector, it seems as though the policy for local procurement is not just about

WHILE THERE HAS BEEN A HUGE PUSH

BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR LOCAL PROCUREMENT, THE FDI LIMIT HAS ALSO BEEN RAISED FROM 49% TO 74% MAKING IT EASIER FOR FOREIGN OEMS TO EITHER SET UP SHOP OR INVEST INTO INDIAN COMPANIES providing lip service in events, but has become a diligent policy imperative.

One has to remember that there is a significant difference between local procurement and real indigenisation. In house research, design and development of products by the defence sector industry is still a work in progress. The development and the induction of the LCA and now the LCH are two of the most significant achievements of the Indian defence industry in terms of putting out relevant indigenous

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PHOTO STORY

IAF HAL Light Combat Helicopter

INDIA CAN LEARN A LESSON OR TWO FROM THE LIKES OF TURKEY, CHINA AND THE UAE, ALL RECENT ENTRANTS IN THE DEFENCE SECTOR THAT ARE NOW EXPORTING HIGH QUALITY WEAPONS SYSTEMS ACROSS THE GLOBE

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high quality products.

The Indian defence industry is yet to reach a tipping point where it is able to design and develop combat systems in a given time frame. There is enough brouhaha generated when a company puts out defence products as a result of a joint venture or co-production arrangement. While the deal pays for employment and a feel good factor of ‘make in India’, it does very little in terms of technology gain or being able to manufacture a similar product once the license reaches its expiry date.

R&D activity in the defence sector is controlled and literally owned by the DRDO. Private sector for the present stays miles away from real R&D work due to its low risk and higher profit mentality. R&D work is generally time-consuming and a cash burning exercise. Core R&D technologies never become a part of technology transfer as time and again claimed by OEMs who entice our MoD bureaucrats while pitching their products. In most cases, core R&D work is done and owned by a plethora of large, mid-and small-size companies in a particular country, which

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in turn are protected by their local laws. No government can claim a complete transfer of technology (ToT) on their behalf while negotiating a governmentto-government (G2G) deal etc.

Large Indian companies that have the funds and resources tend to go in for JVs or a coproduction arrangement with OEMs, essentially where the scope for R&D work is nil. As for the MSMEs, some of whom are engaged in the R&D of core technologies, they find it hard to survive in a culture of JV and licensed productions as it is cheaper for the systems integrator to acquire technology via this route. In fact, large private sector groups even shy away from adopting products developed in-house by the likes of NAL (National Aerospace Laboratories) as it would entail setting up R&D houses to bring the product up to their higher technology readiness levels.

To its credit, the Ministry of Defence has been engaged in a series of policy initiatives to make life easier for the Indian defence sector companies, but the time has come to evaluate policies and set

time limits for ineffective policy measures to be done away with.

The failure of the Indian defence offset policy is a case in point that in spite of multiple iterations, failed to generate compliance from OEMs that were legally bound to discharge the offset obligations.

R&D objectives and policies should not be any different.

Ongoing DRDO projects stand at $ 7.3 billion. An organisation that is endowed with this level of public money and trust must put in place mechanisms that closely monitor the successes and failure of its R&D objectives. The demands of the warfighter are based on what the enemy has or is expected to have.

This gap in demand and expectation has led to the huge surge in imports of defence equipment.

India can learn a lesson or two from the likes of Turkey, China and the UAE, all recent entrants in the defence sector and are now exporting high quality weapons systems across the globe. The MoD must evolve a mechanism to measure the impact of its policies initiatives and whether its programs are delivering the right activities for the desired outcomes. Its monitoring and evaluation framework can be based on the “Theory of Change”, where the impact can be measured in terms of a real drop in import of defence equipment and greater participation of domestic industries.

If the impact is not producing the right results then in that case either the inputs in programs have to change or the policies have to be tweaked or discarded. If India has to be a true strategic power, it has to focus on weapons platforms that are ‘made in India’ for which it will have to find its own success model in R&D. –The writer is Chief Business Officer of the Andhra Pradesh Aerospace and Defence Electronics Park, a mentor at the Atal Incubation Centre and Strategic Advisor to Kadet Defence Systems

SKETCH BY: AMARTYA MITRA

ANALYSIS

C-130J IN MISSION: PARATROOPERS JUMPING FROM THE AIRCRAFT A decade long journey of C-130J Super Hercules with Indian Air Force has been exemplary. It started with the induction of first aircraft in February, 2011 as the first major military contract between the US and India in more than 40 years.

Considered as the world's most successful and advanced tactical airlifter, Indian Air Force performed the highest landing of a C-130J at the Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip in Ladakh in the hot summer of 2013 and was extensively used last year during the standoff with China. As a proven workhorse of IAF, C-130J Super Hercules is capable of working in every environment and mission scenario and has exceptionally performed its role to support a variety of missions, from cargo delivery to providing vital humanitarian aid.

RAKSHA ANIRVEDA

START-UP: BUSINESS PITCH

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ENDUREAIR SYSTEMS: A DRONE-MANUFACTURING COMPANY WITH A DIFFERENCE

The key differentiator for this very promising startup is its origin, which lies in more than a decade of Research & Development in the area of Unmanned Aerial Systems aka drones

E

ndureAir Systems Pvt Ltd incubated at SIDBI Innovation and Incubation Centre (SIIC), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur is not just another run-ofthe-mill drone startup. The key differentiator for this very promising startup is its origin, which lies in more than a decade of Research & Development (R&D) in the area of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) aka drones. The co-Founders of EndureAir are two highly experienced faculty members of IIT Kanpur Dr Abhishek (PhD from University of Maryland and B. Tech, IIT Kharagpur) and Dr Mangal Kothari (PhD from University of Leicester), who between them have 10 patents and more than 100 publications related to drones.

If that is not enough, the other two co-founders are young and dynamic Chirag Jain (B. Tech from IIT Patna and MS from IIT Kanpur) and Rama Krishna (B. Tech and M. Tech from IIT Kanpur) who are spearheading the autonomy and design aspects respectively for the high efficiency and high endurance drones that the company is churning out.

Inspired by the call for atmanirbharta the company is focused on deep tech indigenous drone development leveraging on the decades of experience in

Vibhram

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design and autonomy. Currently, the product line of this company consists of Vibhram UAS (winner of First prize in stage 3 of endurance challenge organized

by National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA), which is a conventional single main rotorbased design with option for fuel or electric power plant that can lift five (5) kg payload at sea level with endurance of 80 minutes. With a lighter payload the same system can fly for over three hours while outrunning and out manoeuvring

most conventional multirotor drones with a top speed of 100 km/hr. The second product called Endure BiTs (Biplane Tailsitter) drone is a novel design that offers unprecedented simplicity, gust tolerance, ease of operation and reliability. The current system is capable of transporting five (5) kg payload over a range of 40 km. Two other variants are also under development, the first one for surveillance mission and the second one for lifting 10-20 kg payload. This configuration is an electrically powered Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) configuration with two small wings for compact footprint and distributed propulsion system for high efficiency and quietness.

Vehicle takes off vertically and then transitions to the forward flight by performing pitch down manoeuvre to fly like a tailless airplane. Unlike other VTOL

Endure Bilane Tailsitter (BiTs)

systems this UAS is free from dead weight and drag penalty experienced in quadplanes (quadrotor-airplane hybrid) due to separate thrust and lift motors and no complexity and weight penalty that is associated with tilting of propellers. These UAS are undergoing testing and trials for surveillance, disaster response and payload delivery missions.

EndureAir is committed to develop best in class products with focus on ease of operation and system reliability to meet user requirements. The company goal is to become the best UAS developer and manufacturer in India by: • P r o v i d i n g c u t t i n g e d g e

Unmanned Aerial Systems to the Indian Armed Forces and Industries and thereby reducing their dependence of procuring expensive UAS from foreign suppliers.

• Giving proper training to the operators of our UAS in order to reduce the risk associated with operating UAS. • Eventually designing and developing UAS systems with higher payload capacity to meet the most challenging requirements of the nation.

The focus of the company for now is on technology development, crystallising the product and seeking potential customers. The unmanned systems research running in

parallel with the business, focused on knowledge building through system analysis will empower them to compete in global market as credible provider of UAS. More efforts can then be concentrated in the post-infancy stage on marketing and modularising products to suit all kinds of global partners in this field. In addition to the above products that are already on track to be made available to various users, EndureAir is also doing significant research in UAS swarm, Counter UAS (CUAS), Counter Counter UAS (CCUAS) and GPS denied navigation technologies, some of which would be reaching the market in near future.

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OPINION

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APPROACHES TO HIGH-TECH INDIGENISATION AND ATMANIRBHARTA IN DEFENCE The major reason why India is still far away from ‘Atmanirbharta’ is the mismatch between the arms we produce and the arms we buy. The government is trying to bridge this anomaly and create an improved environment for us as a nation to take a quantum leap into high technology defence production

By DR BRIG DEEPAK DAS (RETD)

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elf-reliance or ‘Atmanirbharta’ is both a human as well as a national aspiration, which most associate with self-esteem and respect, but which has much larger connotations when it comes to the defence of a nation. India, despite seeking to attain this ambitious goal for decades has still been struggling to shed the tag of being the world’s largest importer of arms from 1990 till 2019, and as per SIPRI data published on 15 Mar 2021 still retains the inglorious distinction of being the second largest importer of arms globally.

Apart from shifting the goal post periodically, the only other thing India has shifted is its dependence policy from purely ‘look east’ (USSR/ Russia) to ‘look west’ (USA/Europe) and now to a more diversified group of countries (Israel /South Korea).

Between 1990 and 2019, India bought the most defence weapons globally and is ranked 38th in arms exports (mainly to countries like Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, etc.).

WHY HASN’T INDIA’S ATMANIRBHARTA IN DEFENCE IMPROVED?

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It’s not that we do not have the money, as we are the largest military spender iin the world today after the United States and China. However, it’s time that we stopped asking ‘Why haven’t we fared better?’ and focus on answering the question ‘How can we fare better?’ Notwithstanding the constant of ‘corruption in defence deals’, the major reason why India

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become ‘Buy Indian IDDM’ vendors.

The Consolidated FDI Policy 2020 (April 2020) has also been tweaked to safeguard against hostile takeovers or covert financing of anti-national activities by making it mandatory for any country with land border with India (China, Pakistan, etc.) to obtain government approval for all the

limit of FDI in defence (automatic approval) to 74 per cent.

Similarly, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has formulated a draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 (DPEPP 2020), the key objectives of which also promote the development of a strong defence industry leading to higher selfreliance. Setting its sight on the need to reduce the current high import dependency, the draft policy identifies 13 sets of weapon systems/platforms (including fighters, helicopters, warships, missile systems, ammunition and explosives, land systems, and electronics) whose development and manufacture would commence latest by 2025.

Other objectives include an increase in domestic arms sales to Rs 170,000 crore ($26 billion)

by 2025, with around one-fifths of it – Rs 35,000 crore ($5 billion) – coming through exports. The policy also intends to make India a “global leader in cyberspace and AI (artificial intelligence)

is still far away from ‘Atmanirbharta’ is the mismatch between the arms we produce or try to produce and the arms we buy. The government is trying to bridge this anomaly and create an improved environment for us as a nation to take a quantum leap into high technology defence production.

technologies”. The MoD has concurrently released the DRDO’s Research Procurement Manual on 20 October 2020 and is in the process of revising the Defence Procurement Manual (DPM 20092011), through a committee under defence acquisition for streamlining revenue procurement.

The coordinated and consolidated review of several defence related policies by the GoI based on the evidence of experiences of previous initiatives, wide circulation, and stakeholder review, has been a landmark achievement, which must be lauded.

The government has of late taken several consolidated policy initiatives like reviewing and promulgating a new defence acquisition policy – the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 (October 2020) which bans a list of 101 items from import, gives priority to ‘Buy Indian’ and incentivises technology acquisition though Defence Offsets, Strategic Partnerships (SPs), Design and Development (DRDO, DPSUs and OFB), Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Technology Development Fund (TDF), promoting MSMEs & start-ups to

Although criticised by some quarters for being overly ambitious and lacking commensurate institutional and pragmatic financial support, these policy initiatives, if implemented in sync with our envisaged integrated capability development plan, will push India closer towards its twin goals of achieving ‘Atmanirbharta’ and ‘exports in Defence’ and becoming a strong national power.

In terms of process optimisation,

POLICY ENVIRONMENT

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY AND INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath being

briefed upon the infrastructural development towards state’s defence industrial corridor

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OPINION

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Light Combat Aircraft LCA Mk II in Final Weapons Trials

ON THE NEED TO REDUCE THE CURRENT HIGH IMPORT DEPENDENCY, THE DRAFT DPEPP 2020 IDENTIFIES 13 SETS OF WEAPON SYSTEMS/ PLATFORMS (INCLUDING FIGHTERS, HELICOPTERS, WARSHIPS, MISSILE SYSTEMS, AMMUNITION AND EXPLOSIVES) WHOSE DEVELOPMENT AND MANUFACTURE WOULD COMMENCE LATEST BY 2025

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the policies include strict timelines and clauses to cater for a wide variety of contingencies to ensure accountability and fair play without compromising on integrity.

Multi-layered Trial Evaluation, preferably through dedicated organisations like Trial Wings in each Training Establishment, has also been recommended in the DAP 2020.

STRATEGIC THOUGHT & VISIONARY ACTIONS

However, there is one major area where we are still taking tentative and incremental steps to promote indigenisation in hightechnology defence capability.

This area is our weak strategy implementation capability. The incremental increase in Indigenous Content (IC) from 30 per cent to 50 per cent to 60 per cent in various categorisation schemes and the lack of quantification in terms of specific indicators or timelines for achieving self-reliance and export capability is indicative of the lack of commitment and clear resolve to achieve milestones through resource commitment and collaborative accountability.

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What the defence industry really needs is assured orders, which though given to DPSUs/ DRDO/OFB (e.g. LCA, Aakash, Dhanush, Arjun, etc.) is still not being given in equal measure to the private sector, as incentive enough for them to get fully energised and mobilised. To break the glass ceiling of ‘Atmanirbharta’ in hightechnology defence systems will require an extraordinary effort in both thought and action. It’s time we took courage to think strategically and adopt creative business models to try new approaches to technology development and acquisition. We have the capability but need the will to mobilise our minds and vast pool of national talent and resources in order to achieve self-reliance in defence in an accelerated time-frame.

IDEAS AND APPROACHES

1. National Defence Technology Acquisition & Development Strategy: How do we ensure that we provide the right incentives and triggers for innovation of high-technology systems to ensure that our integrated capability for defence is built on time and remains ahead of that of our

adversaries? At the outset, it is of utmost importance to align our defence strategic planning process with our defence technology acquisition and development programme and strategy. At present the defence planning structure is neither inclusive of all the relevant stakeholders nor integrated at the strategic, operational and functional levels of governance and implementation.

The Raksha Mantri’s Operational Directives and not a formal National Security Strategy document still provide the guidelines for defence planning. The sole reliance on a Defence Planning Committee, SHQs/DRDO’s Technology Perspectives and advice to the RM will not allow us to progress at the rate our collective national talent and capability may allow. There is also constant debate the world over on making smart choices in defence planning and acquisition.

This can only happen if we open up our archaic institutional mechanisms and have objective debates before deciding to invest ugly sums of money on say – a nuclear triad, given that we already have a ‘second strike capability’; or ponder over 110 imported fighter jets over indigenously manufactured variants of such aircraft like LCA MK2, AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft); or not reprioritise UAVs / UCAVs, precision hypersonic SSMs or DEW (Directed Energy Weapons) over manned aircraft; UCVs (unmanned combat vehicles) over MBTs (Main Battle Tanks)… and are they really ‘main’ in today’s context? Also, who will watch the horizon or look into the future for transformative defence technologies and capabilities using AI/ML, robotics, quantum computing, cyber, or such other constantly evolving means? Should we leave it to happenstance, or MSMEs or iDEX or can we

institutionalise it? Why are we preparing for conventional wars when the threat is hybrid?

2. Creation of Defence and Aerospace Corridors / Ecosystem: Just as a fledgling start-up needs a business incubator / accelerator, the Indian defence industrial base (DIB) needs a conducive defence and aerospace eco-system to attain the DPEPP 2020 vision of making India ‘amongst the leading countries of the world in defence’. The creation of a defence and aerospace ecosystem / corridor costs billions of dollars and decades to mature, but stands out as generational steps in a country’s history. The Private Sector adds immense value; but governments both central and states need to have skin in this game. This is a real challenge in our country. The Private Sector shies away because government policies are not consistent and major programs are tied to DRDO & DPSUs with minimal private sector traction.

DRDO and DPSUs do add immense value but they certainly have limitations and need the private sector to bring talent, money, and global reach. The MoD had announced two defence corridors – one around Tamil Nadu and the other in Uttar Pradesh in 2018. The corridors overlap with existing defence public and private sector companies already existing in the corridor. The Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) has six nodes at Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Aligarh, Chitrakoot and Jhansi. The Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor (TANDICO) has five nodes at Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Coimbatore, and Tiruchirappalli.

The decision to build a defence and aerospace corridor in the southern states (Andhra, Telangana, Tamil Naidu, Karnataka, Kerala) presents the

most promising value proposition in terms of basic infrastructure, supporting industry, talent pool, institutions, existing industry (HAL, BEL, ECIL, BML, TATA, Mahindra, Leyland, L&T, Bharat Forge, Kirloskar, TVS, many others…..), Real Estate/Infrastructure Developers, Armed Forces Training Institutions/Operational Commands/ Test Ranges (Army, Navy, Air force), Science and Technology Institutions (IITs/ IISc/NITs…), Major Labs (DRDO, ISRO, BARC), a multitude of 3,000 plus SMEs developed by DRDO, DPSUs, ISRO & BARC, presence of global majors, etc. It is time that the country leverages this ecosystem.

The UPDIC will have to overcome several challenges before it can benefit from a similar ecosystem.

At present, the Defence and Aerospace Corridors of TANDICO and UPDIC have extended incentives and concessions through a plethora of subsidies, including an Offset Multiplier of x2 for IOPs established in the corridors. However, the FDI or acquisition of technology through new policy initiatives has still not fructified to the extent expected.

Perhaps, we should analyse and build our own institutional

infrastructure and processes to feed and support this ecosystem.

We need to understand that a US DARPA like structure without the help of associated institutions like SCO (Strategies Capabilities Office), DIU (Defense Innovation Unit), AFC (Army Futures Command), AFRL (AF Research Laboratory), ONR (Office of Naval Research), and such organisations would be incomplete. Should we then, in the Indian context, always fall back to examine the ISRO and Atomic Energy Commission models or should we endeavour to build up our own DARPA like institutional arrangements to support the ecosystem?

While there is merit in giving priority to identified key development sectors, making them autonomous and/or placing them under the direct purview of the PM, too many overly centralised structures may make development imbalanced and limit open innovation. India currently imports more than 80% of its precision scientific instruments for space projects and fear of this dependence led to the creation of IN-SPACe (Indian Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre). Perhaps, we can invigorate the defence

OTHER OBJECTIVES OF THE DPEPP INCLUDE AN INCREASE IN DOMESTIC ARMS SALES TO RS 170,000 CRORE BY 2025, WITH AROUND ONE-FIFTHS OF IT – RS 35,000 CRORE – COMING THROUGH EXPORTS. THE POLICY ALSO INTENDS TO MAKE INDIA A “GLOBAL LEADER IN CYBERSPACE AND AI TECHNOLOGIES

BrahMos II ER supersonic cruise missile under development trials

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OPINION DRDO AND DPSUS DO ADD IMMENSE VALUE BUT THEY CERTAINLY HAVE LIMITATIONS AND NEED THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO BRING TALENT, MONEY, AND GLOBAL REACH. THE MOD HAD ANNOUNCED TWO DEFENCE CORRIDORS – ONE AROUND TAMIL NADU AND THE OTHER IN UTTAR PRADESH IN 2018

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industrial eco-system through the setting up of similar support institutional arrangements for the Defence Industrial Corridors (DIC) to encourage the participation of private players.

Also, institutionalised initiatives like open innovation competitions amongst companies/consortiums with the award of a defence contract as the prize may boost participation. We may also make the policy of co-location in the industrial corridor more flexible by allowing a graduated process of obtaining defence orders first and relocating with benefits in phase two, so as to encourage existing private MSMEs. Other initiatives may include the opening of Regional Academic Centres for Defence and Aerospace like the RAC-S for Space at IIT (BHU). In fact, cross functional technologies like AI, robotics, autonomous devices, quantum computing, big data, etc should be given direction and impetus through such institutional arrangements.

3. Adoption of an Open Architecture Technology Development Approach: The Common Standard OpenArchitecture approach to technology development is another interesting way to promote

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high-technology indigenous development in defence as has been proved in several open architecture activities in western countries. Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA) or Open Systems Approach is a technical and business strategy for designing an affordable and adaptable system.

A MOSA is the US DoD preferred method for implementation of open systems, and it is required by United States law.

Given the nascent stage at which the private defence industrial base in India is, this approach would promote collaborative research, rapid design and prototyping, and afford equal opportunities to defence firms in the DIB. The open-architecture approach to technology development, as the name suggests, replaces the SQR with an open-architecture with common standards, which is the outcome of a preliminary consortium project. Once the open architecture is evolved, it is demonstrated and/or promulgated to the DIB to use for design and development of systems by individual companies or consortiums. An open architecture approach apart from setting a high-technology common standard and reducing

cost, supports the retention of the critical capabilities of portability, scalability, and interoperability of forces/equipment/training and logistics chains. Currently, there are several open architecture activities in the EU/EDA, UK, USA, NATO, etc. in areas of vehicles/ platforms, communication devices, soldier systems, etc. The creation of a Defence Industry Standards through a MOSA like working group will support interoperability, portability, scalability and make products and services equally available to the public under fair and reasonable terms.

4. Building Up Sector-Specific Ecosystems/Parks: Aviation, Maritime and Land: The LCA is a great step forward after almost six decades of India inducting the HF-24 during the late 1950s. HAL has emerged as system integrators with indigenous content being 50 per cent, which will increase to 6070 per cent with time. On the other hand, India has been manufacturing (assembling) foreign aircraft since the 1960s. However, it had to go back to OEM as well as pay heavily for upgrades – be it the MiG-21, MiG-29, Su-30, Mirage-2000 or the Jaguar. This would not be the case with LCA as India would be able to integrate sensors and weapons

systems on its own in future, which will give independence in capability building.

While there is merit in enhancing the involvement of the private sector, that should not cast aspersions on or be linked only to the LCA program. The LCA has also given India options to build LCA Mk-2, AMCA & UCAVs. There is news that the IAF is tendering another 114 aircraft costing an upfront $15 billion with an estimated lifetime support cost of approx. $82 billion. The IAF plans to acquire 450 fighter aircraft for deployment on the northern and western frontiers of the country over the next 35 years. Shouldn’t the government or MoD think it prudent to channel most of these monies into the programme for the evolving Tejas series of aircraft – Mk-II, AMCA (advanced medium combat aircraft), or building UCAVs/UAXs, etc.?

A possible solution to speed up development in the aviation sector with the least amount of changes would be the establishment of an Aeronautics Commission. JS, MOCA in one of the webinars mentioned that India is going to establish a National Aeronautics Board that would be headed by the Prime Minister. If this happens, it would be a great step to fill the gaps in the aeronautics ecosystem and stimulate aeronautics research, development, and manufacturing.

Similarly, under the Naval P75 program, the TOT to Indian shipyard and industry has been extensive and encompasses transferring manufacturing capabilities and expertise in quality control for several tasks. This has resulted in qualification of skilled local manpower. Today India is one of the few countries that has mastered the complete chain of submarine construction and is at par with most other international shipyards. Can

INS Vela at launch at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd

we look at capitalising on this experience to promote exports in ship and submarine construction?

The eco-system for land warfare systems has similarly been growing around armament, wheeled, tracked and amphibious vehicle establishments. There is a clear desire to convert these to high mobility and /or autonomous and integrated platforms, which envisages a conversion of several high-end technologies or crossfunctional technologies. Our design of aerospace and defence sector specific parks should hinge on a shared pool of such cross-functional technological innovations and resources.

END NOTE

Even though we are taking several steps to move closer to our goal of ‘Atmanirbharta’ in defence, the singular intent should not be acquisition of high technology arms but rather acquisition of high technology itself. In spite of our endeavours to acquire highend defence technology through multipliers on value of discharge obligations (x3 and x4) given in the Offset Policy, increasing FDI from 26 per cent to 49 per cent to 74 per cent, and other means of incentivisation like the

SP Model, we are way behind our major adversaries. This should be addressed through the synergy of buying high technology through the efforts of strategic partnership with technology providers as well as investing heavily in research and development through an accountable public-private partnership open innovation model. We must also stop trying to play ‘wake up and catch up’ with the Dragon, but rather evolve our own innovative means of hybrid warfare, focussing on space, cyber, DEW, UAXs, and newer methods of combat.

One factor which belittles our efforts and confidence as a nation is the ‘constant of corruption’.

Time and again we see lucrative defence capital projects shift out from the ‘Design and Make in India’ bravado to the sad reality of mega ‘Buy (Global)’ Tenders architected by the import lobby. It’s perhaps time we changed this ‘constant’ by not weighing ourselves down with more gold in our individual pockets, but by putting our nation before self!

–The writer is an alumnus of NDA, DSSC and CDM and is currently based in Germany where he works as a defence research and strategy consultant. He is an active member of India’s Science, Indigenous Technology and Advanced Research Accelerator (SITARA) - a not for profit organisation

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CASE STUDY: R&D-INNOVATION IN ISRAEL

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THE SECRETS OF ISRAEL’S MILITARY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT The Israeli defence industry is based on cultural and organisational elements that allow innovation, daring, and advanced research and development

By DR. EYAL PINKO

I

srael is ranked eighth in world arms exports, and in relation to its population, Israel is the largest arms exporter in the world. There is an extensive defence industry in Israel, which began to develop even before the establishment of the state (in May 1948). Over the years, defence production has become a prominent component of the industrial sector in Israel. The defence industry market in Israel is controlled by three major companies (IAI, ELBIT, RAFAEL), but more than 300 other companies operate alongside them.

The Israeli defence industry is intended to address the Israeli defence system’s unique security needs, especially the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). Arms embargoes were imposed on Israel at various times due to economic pressure from Arab countries, mostly on European countries. Those embargos were among the main motives for Israel’s large investment in research, development, and

Israel-developed Anti-tank Guided Missile 94

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production of weapons.

The development of the defence industry in Israel was full of upheavals and contradictions. It was established to meet local security needs. However, in recent decades, very little of the defence industry’s output is related to meeting the IDF’s needs. In fact, more than 90% of the defence industry products are intended for foreign customers.

Initially, the defence industry’s

role was derived from restrictions and embargoes imposed by other countries, such as France, on the supply of weapons and military equipment to the IDF. The defence industry was tasked with developing combat systems, platforms, and technologies to assist the IDF, especially in the face of the arms race conducted by the Arab countries in the region.

The original technologies and developments were designed to achieve improved weapons performance that exceeded or at least equalled the caliber of the enemy’s weapons.

From the 1970s, a different approach was adopted, which gave technological options a role in implementing changes in warfare doctrine and the perceptions of warfare.

The new technologies and systems brought not only improved weapons and tactics, but also better warfare doctrines and more efficient force operations. As a result of these the forces’ structure was influenced – in terms of their armament and equipment, their operational objectives and the capabilities they could fulfill.

Two complementary trends have supported the IDF’s growing reliance on advanced technologies and innovative self-development.

The first trend is the diverse security-industrial base that has grown, and the advanced technological skills demonstrated, has dispelled doubts and strengthened the recognition of the local industry’s ability to offer innovations that would give the IDF impressive force multipliers and operational capabilities.

The second trend is related to developments in the global arms market: It has become a “buyer’s market”, in which the willingness of Israeli arms manufacturers (under government auspices) to sell modern systems, including those based on advanced technologies, has increased. Against this background, it was also decided that only a unique self-development, which is not offered for sale in the world market and can be hidden until use on the battlefield, can provide a surprise element that may be crucial in future warfare.

With the American willingness to provide Israel with its security needs and financial aid to purchase weapons in the United States, these trends have changed the technological developments and the defence industry’s role since the 1980s.

The defence industry has begun to play an essential and significant role in Israel’s economic development and its economic structure, including developing advanced technologies for the civilian market. Defence exports began as a secondary activity designed to balance domestic demand fluctuations and to lower development and production costs for the IDF. However, over time it has grown to dimensions that place Israel among the world’s largest arms exporters.

What, then, is the secret of the Israeli defence industry and Israeli military technologies?

Here we will now analyse the unique spices and ingredients that make up the secrets of the Israeli defence industry’s innovation successes.

THE SECRET OF THE ISRAELI DEFENCE INDUSTRY POWER

The Israeli defence industry develops and manufactures a large

Israeli Anti-ship Missile on a maritime security mission

and diverse number of products.

Anti-tank missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-missile interceptors, precision rockets, smart bombs, tanks, lasers, sensors, satellites, satellite launchers, unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned ground and maritime vehicles, special operations vehicles, ships, and much more.

The defence industry’s foundation began as a real security need for developing systems and platforms to protect the State of Israel and enable its freedom and sovereignty. The defence industry is based on cultural and organisational elements, which allow innovation, daring, and advanced research and development.

Culturally, the secret components of the Israeli defence industry are: Most of the engineers, researchers and marketing managers in the defence industry are former military personnel in the IDF and served in military service for at least three years. Most of the managerial and marketing personnel started working in the defence industry after long service and senior ranks in the IDF and the security services.

The Israeli defence industry’s development is based on engineers who understand and

Aero Anti-ballistic Missile at launch in an Israeli territory

recognise the various operational, technological, and logistical needs and requirements from their own experience. Technological development based on deep personal knowledge of the battlefield will be reflected in the solutions it offers in terms of operational insights, technologies, training, logistics, and the like, leading to improved systems and products.

In addition, IDF officers, engineers and operations personnel are integrated into the industry’s

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CASE STUDY: R&D-INNOVATION IN ISRAEL development teams and stationed in the production facilities. These officers manage the IDF projects from the inside, defining the system engineering and the system’s specifications from all aspects, and even taking part in the development process itself.

This approach allows for deeper dialogue and understanding of the current and future needs and requirements of the systems under development, thus improving the system’s capabilities and performance in all aspects.

Moreover, the defence industries’ joint work with the IDF (and academia) produces identification and closeness between the stakeholders and creates a higher motivation among the industry’s engineers to develop better products with more advanced

capabilities.

The second cultural element is developing an organisational and personnel culture, which encourages IDF officers and the defence industry members to think creatively, think outside the box, dare, try and test boundaries and capabilities.

This culture is also reflected in the relatively great freedom that junior engineers and young officers enjoy to carry out research activities and proof of concept studies in parallel with their day-to-day tasks while performing their duties.

This culture creates energy and motivation among all personnel to find sophisticated solutions to problems and find technology development ideas. For example, in the IDF and industries, everyone, from juniors to seniors, reserves the

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right to offer development ideas to cope with problems and operational gaps or improve operational and technological capabilities.

In this regard, it should be noted that there is great openness in the IDF to accept and assimilate new technologies that provide solutions to operational problems and technologies that change perceptions, doctrines, and especially mindsets.

This culture also supports pluralism, acceptance of failures, renewed attempts, and learning.

Without these components, the wheels of creativity and innovation cannot be driven.

The last aspect in the secret of the Israeli defence industry’s unique ingredients is the understanding that without technological solutions and innovation Israel will not survive the emerging threats, given its size and political inferiority vis-àvis the Arab countries and terrorist organisations.

This sense of mission is also an essential factor among development engineers in the defence industry.

The first prime minister of the State of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, said in 1957 that “every soldier in the IDF should know that the entire campaign hangs on his shoulders.”

On the managerial-organisational side, several elements can be specified.

The first element concerning the professional level and development processes touches on one of the main specialisations developed in the Israeli defence industry.

It is systems engineering, which combines operational elements, intelligence, and understands operational gaps and requirements.

THE OPERATIONAL ENGINEERING (Clockwise from top left) Rafael’s Smart Bomb, Elbit Systems’ HERMES 900 UAV, An Israeli satellite launcher system and New Precision Rocket System 96

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Operational Engineering, in a holistic point of view, is taking into consideration the military campaign conditions, the combat

soldiers, systems operation, the platform, the environment, and the technological intelligence.

The technological intelligence presents the existing and emerging threats that are expected to appear on the battlefield.

Operational engineering occurs in all development stages – needs and requirements specifications, systems specifications, research and development processes, experimental and testing processes, and even the most essential stage – the systems training and assimilation phase at the operational and technological levels.

Of course, Israel’s security arena and the proliferation of fighting in the region allow Israeli weapons to be tested under combat and operational conditions, not just in laboratory conditions.

The accumulated operational experience is applied in all aspects of systems development and improvements. This is a significant factor in developing weapons for future generations and upgrading existing weapons and systems.

The second element is the military and security research and development processes, most of which are managed by one central body, MAFAT (DDR&D – The Directorate for Defence Research and Development). MAFAT operates under the Ministry of Defence, with huge budgets, whose entire functions are to examine technological infrastructure, invest in technology research and development, and invest in the defence industries innovation, even if they do not reach technical or operational maturity.

MAFAT also examines and funds research to integrate civilian technologies, from the best Israeli high-tech and start-up companies, in future combat systems.

MAFAT’s budgets and the Israeli Ministry of Defence’s assistance are fuel for developing

new and innovative technologies in the defence industry.

And finally, the last element is the strange combination of the fruitful competition between the defence companies and the occasional cooperation between them. This combination exists thanks to the Ministry of Defence encouraging it. The defence industries understand that collaborations promote sales.

Each side brings its strengths and technologies to be integrative, sophisticated, and advanced combat systems.

SUMMARY

Israel has an extensive and advanced defence industry, which includes more than 300 different companies. The Israeli defence industry’s roots lie in the days before the founding of the state when the Jewish community in Israel defended itself against the Arab terrorist attacks and acted against the British Mandate.

The significant accelerating factor in the development of Israeli defence industries was the French embargo in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Charles de Gaulle’s administration suspended sales of aircraft, missile boats, and other weapons to Israel, given Arab pressure and France’s dependence on Arab oil.

The Israeli defence industry was required to develop technologies and systems that would help the IDF deal with the threats and massive force potential of Arab armies, equipped with the best technologies of the Soviet Union.

Since then, the Israeli defence industry has developed and, in recent decades, joined the ranks of the eight largest arms exporters in the world, even though its population is about nine million and its economic resources are limited. The defence industry

has become the spearhead of the economy and is a livelihood source for many Israeli citizens.

Israel’s defence industries develop and manufacture aircraft, ships, autonomous tools, intelligence systems, cyber, satellites, missiles, and advanced armament. All of these combine the best technologies and operational and technological capabilities.

The secrets of the growing prowess of the Israeli defence industry’s R&D processes are based on an organisational culture that promotes pluralism, creativity, daring, allowing for mistakes and learning processes; all this combined with the practical knowledge of engineers from industry along with military personnel enable the development of unique systems and technologies.

The corporate culture is based on the guidance and control of the Ministry of Defence, which encourages competition as well as cooperation, along with huge government budgets invested in the defence industries, which support the development of ideas, technologies, and solutions.

These budgets are in addition to the research and development budgets that the various IDF arms – the Navy, the Air Force, the Intelligence Corps, and the Army – invest in developing combat systems and platforms.

Despite the many challenges, the Israeli defence industries have constantly evolved and innovated to enable the IDF and the defence establishment to deal with future threats to Israel’s security.

THIS UNIQUE CULTURE OF THE ISRAELI DEFENCE INDUSTRY ALSO SUPPORTS PLURALISM, ACCEPTANCE OF FAILURES, RENEWED ATTEMPTS, AND LEARNING. WITHOUT THESE COMPONENTS, THE WHEELS OF CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION CANNOT BE DRIVEN

–The writer is a former commander served in the Israeli navy for 23 years. A PhD in Defense and Security Studies, he was a senior consultant at the Israeli National Cyber Directorate. He is a recipient of various Israeli awards including Prime Minister’s Decoration of Excellence.

The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda

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GEOPOLITICS: NEIGHBOURHOOD

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SEE-SAW TIES: INDIA AND ITS DOZEN NEIGHBOURS In the rapidly changing international scenario, India is fast emerging as a regional power developing international influence and a prominent voice in global businesses. India has also been playing an important role in various regional groupings like SAARC, BIMSTEC and BRICS

By SRI KRISHNA

“Y

ou can change friends, but not neighbours,” these famous words of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Parliament in 2003, hold good in today’s prevailing scenario in India’s neighbourhood. Having to share land and sea borders with 12 nations, India has seen several ups and downs in its ties with these neighbours. India’s position is unique in that it shares borders with all other South Asian nations unlike any other South Asian nation (except Afghanistan and Pakistan).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited all the neighbouring nations with five visits to China as Prime Minister and four as Chief Minister of Gujarat, with the last visit to China being on June 9-10 to Qingdao to attend the SCO Summit. Chinese President Xi Jinping has visited India thrice, in September 2014, October 2016 and for an informal summit with Modi at Mahabalipuram in October 2019.

Ironically, there is tension with China on the northern border in Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and it continues to simmer despite 10 rounds of talks (11th round slated for April 9) to resolve the border tension between the two giant Asian nuclear powers. After four visits to the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, relations with that country soured over the issue of maps, and surely all this calls for extra diplomatic efforts to cement ties.

Recently, former Nepal Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai assured India that Kathmandu is not leaning towards China and wants good ties 98

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with New Delhi while emphasising on strong economic and cultural relations between Indian and Nepal.

With the world’s eighth largest military expenditure, third largest armed force, seventh largest economy and third largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, India is indeed emerging as a major regional power. And undeterred by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Modi has continued to maintain cordial relations with India’s neighbours, visiting these nations several times in the pre-pandemic times.

Modi has visited Bangladesh twice, with the last one being in March this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of that nation’s independence from Pakistan in which India played a key role. The visit coincided with the assembly elections in Assam and West Bengal (Indian states sharing borders with Bangladesh) where the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) were contentious issues among the migrant populations, which perhaps were the cause of

the widespread protests and rioting in Bangladesh during and after Modi’s visit.

However, in the rapidly changing international scenario, India is fast emerging as a regional power with international influence and a prominent voice in global businesses. India has been playing an important role in various regional groupings like SAARC, comprising South Asian nations; BIMSTEC, comprising East Asian nations; as also BRICS, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. India’s Foreign Policy has always regarded the concept of neighbourhood as one of broadening concentric circles, around a central axis of historical and cultural commonalities.

Millions of people of Indian origin live and work abroad and constitute a vital link with the mother country. An important role of India’s foreign policy has been to guarantee their welfare and well-being within the framework of the laws of their adopted country.

Apart from Indians working abroad, people from Nepal and Bangladesh have also been coming to work in this country, so it is indeed a case of mutual understanding.

In the decades of the 1960s and 1970s, India’s international position among developed and developing countries faded in the wake of wars with China and Pakistan, disputes with other countries in South Asia, and India’s effort to balance America’s support to Pakistan and China by signing the Indo-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in August 1971.

Although India obtained substantial Soviet military and economic aid, which helped to strengthen the nation, India’s influence was undercut regionally and internationally by the perception that its friendship with the Soviet Union prevented a more forthright disapproval of the Soviet presence in Afghanistan. In the late 1980s, India developed relations with the US, other developed countries and China, while continuing close ties with the Soviet Union. Relations with its South Asian neighbours, especially Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, occupied much of the nation’s energies.

In the mid-1990s, India drew world attention towards the menace of terrorism supported by Pakistan in Kashmir. The Kargil War resulted in a major diplomatic victory for India.

The US and European Union (EU) recognised the fact that Pakistani military had illegally infiltrated into Indian territory and pressured Pakistan to withdraw from Kargil. Several anti-India militant groups based in Pakistan were labelled as terrorist groups by the US and EU. After the disastrous terror attack in New York on 11 September 2001, Indian intelligence agencies provided the US with significant information on Al-Qaeda and related groups’ activities in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

India’s extensive contribution to the War on Terror, along with a surge in its economy, has assisted its diplomatic relations with several countries.

India has always championed the cause of peace in the world. Being a large country, India has a long border and many neighbours. It has traditionally maintained welcoming and good neighbourly relations with each of them. Countries in India’s vicinity include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Burma, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan and Nepal. These neighbourhood countries are members of the SAARC grouping.

The constituent countries individually

as well as collectively represent a world of historical links, shared legacies, commonalities as well as diversities that are elaborately reflected in their ethnic, linguistic, religious and political fabric. China and Myanmar, the other two neighbours, are no less complex.

The South Asian region is also full of inconsistencies, disparities and paradoxes. In the post-colonial period, South Asia has been a theatre of blood spattered inter-state as well as civil wars.

It has witnessed liberation movements, nuclear rivalry, military dictatorships and continues to suffer from insurgencies, religious fundamentalism and terrorism,

besides serious problems associated with drugs and human-trafficking.

SAARC has been in existence for over two decades, yet South Asia is considered the least integrated of the global regions. This is despite the stipulation in its Charter that “bilateral and contentious issues shall be excluded” from its deliberations, thus making it possible to put the contentious issues on the back burner and focus on areas of possible cooperation. On the positive side, the region has been registering good growth during the past several years.

Also democratic forms of governance are beginning to gain some ground in most parts of the region.

India’s relations with Afghanistan are healthy and there is cooperation in economic, technical and cultural fields.

India applauded the UN-sponsored Geneva Agreement on Afghanistan in 1988. India recapped its stand for an independent, non-aligned Afghanistan.

With Bangladesh, India shares a common tradition and has helped Bangladesh in the rescue of cyclone victims in 1985.

Even though Bangladesh’s relationship with India has been difficult in terms of irrigation and border disputes post 1976, India has nevertheless maintained a favourable relationship with Bangladesh even during governments formed by the Awami League in 1972 and 1996.

India’s ties with Bhutan have been friendly and this has been strengthened recently with India helping Bhutan in industry development in the field of telecommunications, hydel survey, education and forestry. Historically, there have been strong ties with India since the two countries signed a friendship treaty in 1949, where India would support Bhutan in foreign relations.

For many years, IndoMyanmar relations were strong due to cultural links, prosperous commerce, common interests in regional affairs and the presence of a significant Indian community in Myanmar.

However, after the February 1 military coup in Myanmar this year, India has been walking a tightrope and what is indeed causing concern is the large number of Myanmarese refugees pouring into the Indian border states of Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and other northeastern states. And disallowing their entry at the border posts is also causing strain in relations on the domestic front between the Centre and the states in India. The country has to tread a very sensitive path..

The writer is Consulting Editor with the publication

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DEFENCE COOPERATION

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with his South Korean counterpart Suh Wook at a delegation-level talks in New Delhi

INDIA-SOUTH KOREA STRATEGIC COOPERATION IN THE DEFENCE DOMAIN There is a growing synergy and complementarities between South Korea’s New Southern Policy and India’s Act East Policy. Therefore, India and Korea need to be more aggressive on defence deals to become dominated strategic partners in the Asia Pacific

By DR BHUSHAN KUMAR AND SANGEETA YADAV

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ndia-South Korea strategic relationship: Brief introduction: Paradigm shift in the geopolitics of the Asia Pacific has resulted in strategic policy making by many regional powers. Since May 2015, India – South Korea, officially known as Republic of Korea (RoK), bilateral relationship has been upgraded to a ‘Special Strategic Partnership’ which gave synergy to have stronger ties in the field of defence. Another two milestones one each from both India and South Korea -- India’s “Act East Policy (AEP)” and Korea’s “New Southern Policy (NSP)” have provided a high level of strategic interactions between both the nations. Under ‘Special Strategic Partnership’ both nations looking for more defence ties to bolster the relationship.

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WHY INDIA AND KOREA SHOULD HAVE MORE DEFENCE TIES? India and Korea looking for a strong strategic relationship that will reduce the security dependence on the big powers like China and the US. India for its defence and security requirement has largely been dependent upon major arms suppliers from Russia, US and Israel. At the same time, India is looking for other defence suppliers because of overdependency on the traditional allies and trade war between big powers, and so is the reason India looks for cooperation with fast-track defence deals with like-minded countries like South Korea. India is in search of similar

defence equipment which is as efficient as East Asian countries like China specially in the backdrop of recent Sino-Indian border standoff at Galwan valley in Eastern Ladakh. South Korea and China’s defence equipment have similar scientific advancements. During the faceoff, India and China’s heavy artillery and other military equipment moved along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Galwan valley. India requires advanced military defence technology like China, and the Republic of Korea can fulfill India’s need that can boost Indian Army’s capabilities on the border. The South Korean advance defence arms supply to India can provide new synergy

in India-Korea strategic partnership.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh opened a new roadmap for bilateral cooperation in arms industries in the mid of 2020. The then South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeongdoo and Rajnath Singh held talks in New Delhi where they pledged closer defense industry cooperation.

INDIA-ROK DEFENCE COOPERATION, AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF INTERNATIONAL ARMS TRANSFERS

Traditionally, India’s arms import has been dependent upon the Russian suppliers.

However, a recent global trend

shows Russian arms exports, which accounted for 20 per cent of all exports of major arms in 2016–20, dropped by 22 per cent. The bulk around 90 per cent of this decrease was attributable to a 53 per cent fall in its arms exports to India.

SINCE MAY 2015, INDIA – SOUTH KOREA, OFFICIALLY KNOWN AS REPUBLIC OF KOREA (ROK), BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A ‘SPECIAL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP’ WHICH GAVE SYNERGY TO HAVE STRONGER TIES IN THE FIELD OF DEFENCE RAKSHA ANIRVEDA APRIL - JUNE 2021

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DEFENCE COOPERATION

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Share of arms exports (%) Exporter

Percentage change from

Main recipients (share of exporters total exports in %), 2016–20

2011–15

2016–20

2011–15 to 2016–2020

1st

2nd

3rd

1

United States

37

32

15

Saudi Arabia (24)

Australia (9.4)

South Korea (6.7)

2

Russia

20

26

-22

India (23)

China (18)

Algeria (15)

3

France

8.2

5.6

44

India (21)

Egypt (20)

Qatar (18)

4

Germany

5.5

4.5

21

South Korea (24)

Algeria (10)

Egypt (8.7)

5

China

5.2

5.6

-7.8

Pakistan (38)

Bangladesh (17)

Algeria (8.2)

6

United Kingdom

3.3

4.6

-27

Saudi Arabia (32)

Oman (17)

USA (14)

7

Spain

3.2

3.5

-8.4

Australia (33)

Singapore (13)

Turkey (9.7)

8

Israel

3

1.9

59

India (43)

Azerbaijan (17)

Vietnam (12)

9

South Korea

2.7

0.9

210

UK (14)

Philippines (12)

Thailand (11)

0.2

0.1

228

Myanmar (52)

Sri Lanka (24)

Mauritius (13)

10 India Source: SIPRI

EXPORTERS OF MAJOR ARMS AND THEIR MAIN RECIPIENTS (2016-20)

South Korean K-30 Biho tank

There is a notable development which shows India’s arms import has been decreased by 33 per cent between 2011–15 and 2016–20. The reason behind drop in India’s arms imports is its complex procurement processes combined with an attempt to reduce its dependence on Russian defence equipment.

IN RECENT YEARS DEFENCE COLLABORATION BETWEEN INDIA AND KOREA WAS REFLECTED IN K9 VAJRA-T GUNS, WHICH IS A US$720-MILLION DEAL BETWEEN INDIAN COMPANY LARSEN & TOUBRO (L&T) AND SOUTH KOREA’S HANWHA TECHWIN (HTW). KOREAN FIRMS ARE ALSO BUILDING MINESWEEPERS AND ‘BIHO’ SELF-PROPELLED ANTI-AIRCRAFT DEFENCE SYSTEM, WHICH IS UNDER THE ‘MAKE IN INDIA’ POLICY 102

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India is planning large-scale arms imports in the coming years from outside its traditional suppliers. Therefore, it’s a good opportunity for a country like South Korea to increase its arms export to India. A recent survey conducted by SIPRI shows South Korea’s arms exports were 210 per cent higher in 2016–20 than in 2011–15.

Changes in volume of major arms exports by the 10 largest exporters between 2011–15 and 2016–20:

INDIA-KOREA DEFENCE AGREEMENTS Under India-Korea Special Strategic Partnership, the South Korean defence industry has ambitious plan to sell US$2.6 billion worth of anti-aircraft artillery. The Korean defence companies are keen to the Indian arms market which is second largest arms importer in the world. Seoul administration also looking for more arms deals

to improve its market share in India. From the Korean side the contract involves exporting 104 Biho systems, 97 ammunition carriers, 39 command vehicles, 4,928 missiles, and 172,260 rounds of ammunition, bringing the contracts’ total value to between 2.5 trillion won and 3 trillion won.

In recent years defence collaboration between India and Korea was reflected in K9 Vajra-T guns, which is a US$720million deal between Indian company Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and South Korea’s Hanwha Techwin (HTW). Another deal is K9 Vajra-T, which is a selfpropelled howitzer. The total weight of K-9 Vajra-T is 50 tonnes and can fire 47kg bombs at the targets 54 km away.

Korean firms are also building minesweepers and ‘Biho’ selfpropelled anti-aircraft defence system, which is under the ‘Make in India’ policy.

The rise of Korea’s arms supplier to India is one of the

important strategic deals in the Asia Pacific region. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had announced US$3 billion contract for Self Propelled Air Defence Gun Missile System (SPAD-GMS). The SPAD-GMS contract has created fierce competition between Korean arms maker Hanwha Defence and its Russian competitor.

India has planned to reduce the dependence on Russian arms and the SPAD-GMS deal was given to South Korean company Hanwha Defense. But, following the Russian objection of shortlisting the South Korean company, the decision of the SPAD-GMS project is under consideration, which defines the future India-Korea Strategic Partnership.

This controversy erupted on SPAD-GMS deal has also threatened the export of K30 Biho by the Korean government and Hanwha. The Biho has the capability of short-range antiaircraft artillery and shooting

down enemy planes and drones at low altitudes. In DefExpo 2020, South Korea promoted Biho and a statement was issued from Korean side stating: “We are awaiting the results, since the Biho was the only system that satisfied the performance requirements set by India, and agreements were reached between both countries’ ministers.”

PROBLEM WITH INDIA-KOREA DEFENCE COOPERATION

India is the second-largest arms importer in the world and it accounts for 9.5 per cent of the total global share after Saudi Arabia (11 per cent). South Korea was the ninth-largest arms exporter in 2016–20 with a 2.7 per cent of the total global share.

However, India’s import from South Korea is far lagging behind Russia (49 per cent), France (18 per cent), and

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DEFENCE COOPERATION

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INDIA, SOUTH KOREA DEFENCE MINISTERS EXPLORE AVENUES TO STRENGTHEN LONG-STANDING BILATERAL DEFENCE PARTNERSHIP

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ew Delhi. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of Defence of Republic of Korea (RoK) Suh Wook successfully concluded their bilateral talks on defence cooperation in New Delhi on March 26.

The defence and security engagements between India and RoK have grown exponentially over the last few years. The latest talks explored new domains of bilateral defence cooperation and avenues to strengthen the long-standing bilateral defence partnership.

The two leaders acknowledged that the bilateral defence cooperation has

broadened significantly in scale and scope across Tri-Service as well as agencies dealing with defence technology and industry. Both the countries have also found common ground on several multilateral fora and engagements.

Both the Ministers exchanged views on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the defence and security engagements as well as best practices followed by the Armed Forces of the two nations. During the talks Singh also lauded stellar contribution of RoK in the pandemic mitigation efforts.

They reaffirmed their support to multilateral initiatives to

promote lasting peace and stability in the region and beyond.

As brought out by the Defence Minister during interaction with his South Korean counterpart, the bilateral relations between both the countries are set to grow further and the meeting between them will give it the necessary impetus to take it to the next level.

The Ministers also expressed satisfaction over the commitment exhibited by diverse agencies of both countries to sustain structured annual dialogues at various levels of leadership through virtual means when travel and physical engagements became increasingly challenging

DEFENCE MINISTER RAJNATH SINGH ANNOUNCED US$3 BILLION CONTRACT FOR SELF PROPELLED AIR DEFENCE GUN MISSILE SYSTEM (SPAD-GMS), WHICH CREATED FIERCE COMPETITION BETWEEN KOREAN ARMS MAKER HANWHA DEFENCE AND ITS RUSSIAN COMPETITOR. POST RUSSIAN OBJECTION, THE DECISION OF AWARDING THE CONTRACT TO HANWHA IS UNDER CONSIDERATION WHICH DEFINES THE FUTURE INDIA-KOREA STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

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Israel (13 per cent). India and the Korean government can work together to enhance the arms cooperation between both the nations. India and Korea’s arms deal are suffering from few challenges like India’s inability to leave its traditional arms supplier and bureaucratic limitations.

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PRESSURE FROM TRADITIONAL ALLIES AT INDIA’S DEFENCE DEALS From the Cold war era, India has been dependent on Russian arms imports. Dominated Russian lobby is creating a barrier for new defence partners like Korea.

The delay of the SPAD-GMS deal between India and Korea is one

of the prime examples that show dominated Russian lobby inside the Indian defence deal. Indian side must choose the rational way of defence deal to have better and modern technology that fulfills the interest of its armed forces.

BUREAUCRATIC CHALLENGES

The success story of the IndiaKorea defence partnership has been slowed down because of bureaucratic challenges to understand the Korean defence industries. India must understand what kind of Korean defence products are good to use and project its strategic positioning through Indian Armed Forces.

From the Korean side also, it is necessary to understand India’s

during the ongoing pandemic.

This has kept up the momentum of bilateral defence engagements.

The Armed Forces of both countries hope to approach 2021 with renewed confidence.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, Chief

of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General MM Naravane, Secretary (Defence Production) Raj Kumar and Secretary Department of Defence R&D and

Chairman Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Dr G Satheesh Reddy formed part of the Indian delegation during the talks.

Before the bilateral delegation level talks, Rajnath Singh and Suh Wook jointly inaugurated the India-Korea Friendship Park in a ceremony to mark the occasion at Delhi Cantonment. The park is a symbol of close relations between both the countries and acknowledges the contribution of the Indian Army’s Medical Mission during the Korean War. The presence of distinguished guests from the Korean War Veterans Association during the inauguration ceremony was an acknowledgement of the event. Both the Ministers planted a sapling each to mark the momentous occasion. Suh Wook felicitated Korean War Veterans Association of India General Secretary Anil Malhotra on the occasion.

stronger positioning in the space sector. There is also a need of stronger bureaucratic systems which can help in strengthening India-Korea defence cooperation.

CONCLUSION

There is a growing synergy and complementarities between South Korea’s New Southern Policy and India’s Act East Policy. Both policies aim to look for a more strategic partnership. The recent high-profile visits from both sides have boosted India-Korea defence cooperation.

In 2020, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh intensified the India-Korea bilateral and strategic relationship at both the macro and micro levels.

The agreements signed during the visits raised our hope to see more

K-9 Vajra

and more collaborations in the future between the two countries.

India and Korea need to be more aggressive on defence deals to become dominated strategic

partners in the Asia Pacific.

–The author is a Lecturer at Department of Political Science and International Relations, Kookmin University, South Korea and the co-author is a strategic affairs expert presented her papers at various international forums

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SIMULATED BATTLEFIELD

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A full spectrum of Training and Simulation Systems for Air, Ground and Naval platforms

REALISTIC SIMULATED BATTLEFIELD MODEL: A STURDYWAY TO TRAIN ISRAEL AIR FORCE

Israeli Air Force F-16C Falcon jet fighter pilots

The combat pilots begin to train in the simulators center immediately after they finish their initial training and get to their specific squadrons

By ARIE EGOZI

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he canopy of an Israeli air force (IAF) F-15 flew off when the aircraft was at 30.000 feet. The pilot and weapon systems operator, managed to bring the damaged aircraft to a safe landing in a base in southern Israel.

This happened after being exposed to extreme temperatures. A Lt Col, Commander of the IAF’s connected simulators squadron, was very clear when I asked him about the outcome of losing the canopy “they knew exactly what to do and that is because they have been trained again and again, in our advanced simulators.”

When I visited the IAF’s connected simulators facility in the Hazor airbase, I could experience the uniqueness of this special squadron that has a major role in making the IAF combat pilots among the best

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in the world.

The mission training center (MTC) has been built in 2010, after a decision was made to concentrate all the combat simulators in one place.

“We have here two types of

simulators - one that helps the pilots to learn about the aircraft they fly and a mission simulator.”

Each of the IAF’s fighter aircraft has a dedicated simulator - F-15 C, F-15 I and F-16 and F-16 I. The simulator is a copy of a real cockpit and is located in big domes. The single simulators are operated in front of a 180 degrees picture projected on the dome, while the connected simulators, the ones that simulate real combat missions, are operated in a 360 video dome.

The combat pilots begin to

train in the simulators center immediately after they finish their initial training and get to their specific squadrons.

“There are situations that cannot be simulated in real flying “said the Lt Col. The IAF, that in recent years performed hundreds of operational combat missions in neighboring countries like Syria and Lebanon, and in some distant ones, is relying on a major infrastructure of simulators to

train the pilots and prepare them for specific missions.

A full squadron arrives at the center on a regular basis for training. When they sit in the simulators, the instructors, 20 years old woman in their compulsory army service, operate the simulation. “These are the cream de la cream, and they have a major contribution to the success of the stimulation.”

The training of the simulator instructors takes eight months

and therefore they have to sign to serve two years, which is the normal service period and another eight months.

Some years ago the MTC was upgraded to allow F-15 pilots to use it.

Until this upgrade, the MTC could be used only by F-16 pilots.

The upgrade allows F-15 pilots and weapon systems operators, to train in very realistic conditions.

The MTC allows to train crews of exact versions of fighter aircraft operated by the IAF, F-16 C/D and F-16 I, and F-15 C/D and F-15 I. “The cockpit of each version is built with attention to each specific system in it.”

The different simulation cockpits are rolled in and out according to the specific training session.

The MTC is based on a very advanced “arena generator” that is being updated continuously according to the enemy, his capabilities and the threats posed by him.

While the MTC is the peak of the IAF’s simulation infrastructure, in recent years other building blocks have been added.

“The enemy continues to progress, both in technology and force operation. They are becoming more and more up to date as time goes by, and the variety of tools at their disposal is challenging,” emphasized the Col, Head of the Training Department. “As a result, the IAF continues to advance and develop. We are planning our training so as to be able to handle a constantly changing enemy. Our training program focuses on activity during times of uncertainty – that is, operation in a theatre in which we don’t exactly know how the hostile forces operate. We need to know

A FULL SQUADRON ARRIVES AT THE CENTER ON A REGULAR BASIS FOR TRAINING. WHEN THEY SIT IN THE SIMULATORS, THE INSTRUCTORS, 20 YEARS OLD WOMAN IN THEIR COMPULSORY ARMY SERVICE, OPERATE THE SIMULATION. “THESE ARE THE CREAM DE LA CREAM, AND THEY HAVE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE SUCCESS OF THE STIMULATION”

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SIMULATED BATTLEFIELD

Elbit Systems Remote Simulation Through Cloud Services Demonstration

THE MTC PROVIDES REALISTIC SIMULATED BATTLEFIELD TRAINING USING A VARIETY OF AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS AND MISSION SCENARIOS AND UTILIZES A SOPHISTICATED COMPUTERGENERATED FORCES (CGF) SOLUTION TO ENABLE SIMULTANEOUS PARTICIPATION OF FRIENDLY AND ENEMY FORCES

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how to adjust to a situation in real-time”.

The MTC provides realistic simulated battlefield training using a variety of aircraft systems and mission scenarios and utilizes a sophisticated computer generated forces (CGF) solution to enable simultaneous participation of friendly and enemy forces.

According to Alon Afik, VP training and simulation at Elbit systems, the MTC is being upgraded all the time “this is needed as new weapon systems are introduced into service in addition to new versions of avionic systems.”

He added that the use of the MTC saves 30 per cent of flying hours and that is why the IAF will soon perform 50 per cent of training flights in the facility.

Elbit Systems is a market

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leader in Simulation and Training, developing, fielding and operating advanced training systems for fighting aircrews, ground forces, special-forces and first responding forces, working closely with the IAF and additional defense forces and homeland security authorities in several other countries.

Speaking with IAF technical people and pilots they all point to the contribution of Elbit systems to the huge simulation infrastructure of the IAF. They agree that blending combat experience with today’s innovative simulation technologies, Elbit Systems offers operational and tactical, virtual and embedded trainers and simulators.

Elbit Systems announced some years ago that it completed the first phase of a next generation development.

This generation of simulators enables to link two air training simulators, in remote locations, via a cloud-based simulation environment by providing a common Synthetic Natural Environment (SNE).

The company revealed it developed the ability to connect simulators through a secure simulation cloud, using standard protocols, to provide simulation and information services.

The pilots of the IAF F-35 are using an advanced mission simulator that was built in the IAF’s Nevatim airbase. This simulator was supplied by Lockheed Martin with the dome made by Rockwell Collins.

The Israeli F-35 is combat proven, after taking part in the war against the Iranian operations in Syria.

-The writer is International Roving Correspondent of this publication.

RAKSHA ANIRVEDA

IN AUDIENCE

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Pratt & Whitney, a Raytheon Technologies company, manufactures a variety of engines including for military and civilian purposes. However, the use of civilian engine has gained more popularity over its military counterpart. Is it related to company’s policy decision over the years keeping in mind the future strategy to tap the civil aviation market as a leader?

Your take?

Pratt & Whitney has long focused on building a balanced portfolio of engines that power nearly all facets of aviation.

Every segment we compete in, from commercial to military, to civil/utility aircraft, we are leaders in the space.

Pratt & Whitney has supported India’s aviation growth for more than seven decades. More than 1,500 engines and APUs power over 680 aircraft for 120+ operators – across commercial, military and civil/ utility aviation. In fact, IndiGo and GoAir operate 185 Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbo Fan GTFTM powered A320neos, and India was one of the first countries worldwide to adopt the GTF. The engine has now powered efficient, economic and sustainable flying for five years.

(IAF) is looking at the Airbus C295 light transport aircraft that’s powered by our PW127G engines, while the Indian Navy is considering the Sikorsky S-76D helicopter, with our PW210S engines, for the Naval Utility Helicopter (NUH) program.

The PW100 family of engines has delivered reliability and versatility in any environment, while the PW210 engine family has been instrumental in shaping a new generation of helicopters worldwide. We believe that both engines will give India’s armed forces the right capabilities for their respective platforms.

When it comes to warfighters, Boeing’s F-15EX is competing for the 114 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft campaign for the IAF. Pratt & Whitney’s F100

engines have powered the United States Air Force’s (USAF) entire operational fleet of F-15s for the past 40+ years. The latest upgraded F100-PW-229 has a fully modular architecture that ensures ease of maintenance and incorporates leading-edge technologies in materials, cooling and health management, including some advanced 5th generation technology. We are also proud of the fact that the iconic PT6A engine powers India’s indigenous NAL-SARAS MkI transport aircraft.

How do you see P&W’s engine market, in competition with GE Aviation, Rolls Royce, Honeywell Aerospace and CFM International and

others, worldwide in general and India in particular?

We are the makers of the most advanced engines in the world – including of F119 for the F-22 fighter and F135 for the F-35, the only fifth generation aircraft.

In commercial aviation, the GTF takes center-stage for us. The engine powers more than 900 aircraft for nearly 50 airlines and three aircraft families – the Airbus A320neo, Airbus A220 and Embraer E-Jets E2. This game-changing engine has delivered on its promised ability to reduce fuel burn and carbon dioxide emissions by up to 20 per cent versus previousgeneration aircraft.

Closer to home, the GTF powered fleet of A320neos

P&W IS PROUD TO POWER SOME KEY PLATFORMS FOR INDIA’S ARMED FORCES, INCLUDING THE BOEING C-17 GLOBEMASTERS THAT FLY ON OUR F117 ENGINES, AS WELL AS THE PT6A-POWERED PILATUS PC-7 MKII TRAINER FLEET

WE HAVE THE LARGEST FOOTPRINT OF ANY ENGINE MAKER IN THE COUNTRY, SAYS P&W INDIA MD

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shmita Sethi is the Managing Director and Country Head of Pratt & Whitney India (P&W India), a Raytheon Technologies company, based in New Delhi. Prior to joining P&W India one and half years ago, she was Director, Communications & Corporate Affairs, Boeing. Ms Sethi has also worked with Rolls-Royce as Vice President, Communications & Public Affairs South Asia.

In a candid conversation with Ajit K Thakur, Editor, Raksha Anirveda, P&W India Country Head explains about the company’s future course of action in facilitating Indian Armed Forces, Civil Aviation sector and developing India as an MRO hub. Edited excepts:

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When it comes to defense, we are proud to power some key platforms for India’s armed forces, including the Boeing C-17 Globemasters that fly on our F117 engines, as well as the PT6A-powered Pilatus PC-7 MkII trainer fleet.

Of course, there are other modern platforms which India is looking at, which are Pratt & Whitney powered.

For example, the Indian Air Force

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IN AUDIENCE PRATT & WHITNEY IS ALIGNED TO THE GOVERNMENT’S ‘MAKE IN INDIA’ VISION OF A GLOBAL MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND OVERHAUL (MRO) HUB IN COUNTRY. WE WELCOME THE GOVERNMENT’S MEASURES AND ARE OPTIMISTIC OF THEIR POSITIVE IMPACT

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has crossed two million flight hours in India. It has flown more than 110 million passengers, and saved 120 million gallons of fuel in the past five years! Our customers recognize the superior fuel efficiency that these engines deliver – and are prioritizing operating their GTF-powered aircraft before any others. We have the largest footprint of any engine maker in the country, and one in every two people flying in India, fly on planes powered by Pratt & Whitney engines.

P&W, one of the biggest geared turbofan (GTF) engine suppliers in the world, has multiple OEMs as customers, who in turn power fleets for airlines like IndiGo and GoAir, etc. With the change of engines in A320neo for IndiGo, what impact we may witness?

Your viewpoints.

We are the only engine company with geared turbofan technology in service, and that puts us years ahead of other engine makers. IndiGo is, and remains a valued long-term

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partner – and was one of the first GTF operators in the world. It was purely a commercial decision for a tranche of engines.

Now, if you look at commercial aviation in India, fuel efficiency and cost have always been top priorities for airlines. That’s why Indian airlines took to the GTF early, and the engine family has delivered on its promise. The GTF lets our customers not only fly further with the same fuel load, but also take more efficient flight routes, while delivering an engine dispatch reliability rate of 99.98 per cent.

As the industry ramps up recovery, the need for more efficient, sustainable and economical air travel will be more important than ever. And that’s why we will continue to advance the engine with further improvements in fuel burn and operational efficiency. With the GTF, we are just getting started, and Pratt & Whitney will be ready for what the industry needs next.

Over 7,000 P&W military engines are in service with 34 armed forces

worldwide. It is a world leader in the design and manufacture of next generation propulsion technology. It has a global network of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and Military Sustainment Services (MSS) facilities focused on maintaining engine readiness for the company’s customers. Do you have any plan to have such facility in India in near term?

At Pratt & Whitney, we offer a comprehensive engine repair and overhaul services and support that is backed by a global, state-of-theart service network of owned and designated facilities.

Our customers’ operational success and mission readiness depends on reliable engine performance, predictable maintenance, planning and responsive support. Even in India, our sizeable fleet and growing suite of engine sustainment solutions support the Indian Air Force’s mission readiness.

Throughout 2020, we expanded GTF MRO network to nine facilities, and we will have 11 active GTF MRO engine centers by 2021. We announced Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) as a provider of maintenance services in support of GTF operators in India in 2020. We have strong history of partnership with AIESL, and for over 20 years, AIESL has been performing overhaul services on legacy engines, such as the JT8D, JT9D, & PW4000.

For us, establishment of an aircraft engine MRO in India offers multiple benefits: it brings our engine support closer to our customers, it supports the government’s vision of developing India as a regional MRO hub, and it enables us to leverage India’s skills into our global MRO

capabilities. That’s exactly why we expanded our global network to include AIESL.

India has now emerged as the third largest domestic aviation market in the world. By 2024, it is expected to overtake UK to become the third largest air passenger market, which in no uncertain terms will increase the demand both for civilian carriers and aircraft engines. What is your future strategy to grab most of Indian civil aviation market?

We firmly believe that the F135, PW800, PT6 and GTF engines are engines of the future. We continue design and deliver next-generation engine technologies and manufacturing breakthroughs; while constantly innovating advanced materials, aerodynamics, big data, artificial intelligence and emerging digital technologies.

The GTF will continue to power the Indian airline fleets efficiently over the next few decades, delivering the advantage our customers need to grow rapidly.

Regional Aviation is another frontier that’s expanding, and we have seen recently seen airlines open up new routes rapidly.

Regional connectivity serves a vital role in building economies and connecting families – and globally, Pratt & Whitney didn’t just invent the Regional Aviation market, we changed the industry and people’s lives! Our PW100 and PW150 turboprop engines power more than 3,200 regional aircraft globally. That’s nearly 90 per cent of the 30-to-90passenger regional turboprop aircraft in operation!

We have been shaping the regional market and powering a vast majority of turboprop aircraft in India as well. Pratt & Whitney

powered the first 90 passenger twin-engine Bombardier Q400s that SpiceJet operated, and our PW100 engines power more than 70 ATR and Bombardier/Viking with Alliance Air, IndiGo, SpiceJet and TruJet. Regional operators will require cost-efficient aircraft to make connectivity affordable, and we will be there to help operators in meeting their goals.

Lastly, what’s your view on Ministry of Civil Aviation’s (MoCA) policy initiatives towards civil aviation sector? Do you think there is more to catch up for the sector, please elaborate?

Pratt & Whitney is aligned to the government’s ‘Make in India’ vision of a global maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) hub in country. We welcome the government’s measures and are optimistic of their positive impact. From opening up of FDI to 74 per cent and 100 per cent on case-to-case basis for defence, and tax and policy reforms in aviation, to focused efforts in growing the

“WE ARE ENCOURAGING INDIAN STARTUPS TO CREATE NEXT-GEN AEROSPACE SOLUTIONS AS PART OF THE RTX INNOVATION CHALLENGE AND WE CONTINUE TO GROW OUR PARTNERED INVESTMENTS IN SUPPLY CHAIN, SUSTAINMENT, R&D AND ENGINEERING” – Ashmita Sethi, Managing Director & Country Head, Pratt & Whitney India MRO sector to make it more inclusive and competitive – the efforts will provide a strong operational ecosystem in the near future.

Meanwhile, we continue to build on our ‘Make in India’, ‘Skill India’ and ‘Start-up India’ programs.

Our Pratt & Whitney Customer Training Center in Hyderabad is undertaking significant aerospace skilling programs with state governments and universities in-country. We are encouraging Indian start-ups to create nextgen aerospace solutions as part of the RTX Innovation Challenge and we continue to grow our partnered investments in supply chain, sustainment, R&D and engineering.

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CIVIL AVIATION NEWS

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WILL SE 200: NEW WIDE BODY GREEN JET BE THE INDUSTRY GAME CHANGER? The SE200 promises more efficient flight, lower cost of operation, increased passenger safety, and a useful lifespan that is double that of a traditional aircraft

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ecessity is the mother of invention may be an old saying but clearly that is how the ongoing pandemic Covid 19 has impacted the aviation sector and as airborne disease safety must be at the forefront of any aircraft manufacturer’s design process, American startup based in Alabama SE (Super-Efficient) Aeronautics has developed a new Green 264-seater widebody aircraft.

This aircraft has a new “once-through” air feed ventilation system that never recirculates air in the cabin, dramatically reducing the risk of exposure from other infected passengers. This, coupled with their new “tilting” seat design,

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creates a comfort experience that economy passengers have yet to experience.

Despite the impact of COVID on aviation, sustainability remains at the forefront of the industry’s focus. Outgoing CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Alexandre de Juniac, pegged sustainability as the biggest challenge facing his successor, Willie Walsh, once the industry gets back to some sort of normal.

As such, multiple stakeholders are developing new technologies and strategies to reduce aviation’s impact on the environment.

So far, these solutions have revolved around new engine technology, new construction materials, and new ways of powering aircraft. But what if the aircraft, as we know it, is ready for a radical redesign?

SE Aeronautics, the leader in sustainable air travel technology, has announced the launch of its new widebody airliner concept, SE200, a 264-seater which

is a 100 per cent monocoque moulded widebody airliner that is a new generation of aircraft. The company’s technological improvements turn the corner on efficiency, sustainability, safety, comfort and operating cost.

The aircraft has a range of 10,560 miles and reducing CO2 production as measured by per seat kilometer by 80 per cent.

Aircraft manufacturers have been using the same aircraft design for the past 60 years, with few exceptions. “Our innovative technology and new aircraft design will lower fuel consumption by 70 per cent and lower CO2 emissions by 80 per cent as measured by per seat kilometer. The innovative design is a more efficient, lighttri wing configuration that greatly improves lift over drag, resulting in short take-off and

SE AERONAUTICS, THE LEADER IN SUSTAINABLE AIR TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY, HAS ANNOUNCED THE LAUNCH OF ITS NEW WIDEBODY AIRLINER CONCEPT, SE200, A 264-SEATER WHICH IS A 100 PER CENT MONOCOQUE MOULDED WIDEBODY AIRLINER THAT IS A NEW GENERATION OF AIRCRAFT

landing (STOL) capabilities and extremely long flights. The construction is all composite, moulded in one tough, safer piece. We also incorporated super thin, long wings and complete streamlining from the nose to the tail. We did it all,” says Lloyd Weaver, Chief Engineer, SE Aeronautics.

This disruptive new design is also expected to double the lifespan of an aircraft, while reducing overall block hour cost by half when compared to other aircraft its size. With an emphasis on safety, the design is made of one solidmoulded piece of fuselage that is many times stronger than existing aircraft. The fuel is not stored in the wings but in self-sealing bladders on top of the fuselage and in the event of emergency landing over water, the aircraft floats.

The SE200 promises more efficient flight, lower cost of operation, increased passenger safety, and a useful

“THIS AIRCRAFT WILL BE THE MOST PRACTICAL, PROFITABLE AND PERMANENT SOLUTION TO THE GROSSLY UNDERPERFORMING AIRLINER TECHNOLOGY OF TODAY. OUR MANUFACTURING EFFICIENCY WILL ALLOW US TO PRODUCE AIRCRAFT IN SIGNIFICANTLY LESS TIME THAN THE CURRENT TRADITIONAL METHOD. BUT THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN IS REALLY OUR ABILITY TO GET THAT FUEL CONSUMPTION RATE DOWN BY 70 PER CENT. WE ARE GOING TO REVOLUTIONIZE THE INDUSTRY” Tyler Mathews, CEO of SE Aeronautics

lifespan that is double that of a traditional aircraft.

Propulsion will be delivered by two superefficient engines mounted at the rear, which the company says will give it a thrust of 64,000 lbf. SE Aeronautics has considered cargo, too, with a ‘stateof-the-art bulk container system’ and a maximum takeoff weight of 170,000 lb.

“This aircraft will be the most practical, profitable

and permanent solution to the grossly underperforming airliner technology of today.

Our manufacturing efficiency will allow us to produce aircraft in significantly less time than the current traditional method. But the jewel in the crown is really our ability to get that fuel consumption rate down by 70 per cent. We are going to revolutionize the industry,” said Tyler Mathews, CEO of SE Aeronautics.

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CIVIL AVIATION NEWS

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SOUTHEAST ASIA AVIATION MARKET WELL POSITIONED FOR RECOVERY, SAYS BOEING FORECAST

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BOEING ESTIMATES OPERATORS WILL NEED MORE THAN 3,500 NEW SINGLE-AISLE AIRPLANES IN THE REGION BY 2039. SINGLEAISLE AIRPLANES LIKE THE 737 FAMILY WILL CONTINUE TO DRIVE CAPACITY GROWTH IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, WHERE LOW-COSTCARRIERS HAVE THE HIGHEST MARKET PENETRATION GLOBALLY

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ingapore. Boeing anticipates airlines in Southeast Asia will need 4,400 new airplanes valued at $700 billion to support expanding demand for air travel over the next 20 years. The intra-Southeast Asian market will become the fifth largest in the world by 2039, and the vast domestic and regional air-travel network across the region positions it well for a post-pandemic recovery, according to Boeing’s 2020 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO).

With low-cost carriers providing affordable service and added capacity, the CMO projects passenger traffic growth in Southeast Asia to grow by 5.7 per cent annually throughout the forecast period. Through the period, Southeast Asia will become the second largest aviation market in the AsiaPacific region after China.

Boeing projects the region’s commercial airplane fleet will grow 5.3 per cent annually over the next 20 years. In addition, demand for aftermarket commercial services – valued at $790 billion – will help maintain the fleet over the same period.

“Southeast Asia’s fundamental growth drivers remain robust.

With an expanding middle-class and growth in private consumption, the region’s economy has grown by nearly 70 per cent over the last decade, which increases propensity to travel,” said Darren Hulst, Boeing vice president of Commercial Marketing. “In addition, governments in the region continue to recognize the travel and tourism sectors as important drivers of economic growth.”

While near-term airplane deliveries are impacted as a result of the pandemic’s effects,

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Boeing estimates operators will need more than 3,500 new single-aisle airplanes in the region by 2039. Single-aisle airplanes like the 737 family will continue to drive capacity growth in Southeast Asia, where low-cost-carriers have the highest market penetration globally.

Twin-aisle airplanes such as the 777X and 787 Dreamliner will remain foundational to Southeast Asia’s air travel industry. Over the next 20 years, nearly one in four twinaisle airplanes delivered to the broader Asia-Pacific region will go to a carrier operating in

Southeast Asia.

Overall, Boeing forecasts regional demand for 760 new widebodies by 2039, enabling efficient replacement and versatile network growth for Southeast Asia’s airlines. While long-haul

market recovery is expected to take longer, Southeast Asia’s twinaisle fleet is slated to grow by 55 per cent – to 780 widebodies – by 2039. The region’s commercial aviation services growth remains promising in the long term.

Southeast Asia commercial services are valued at $790 billion over the next 20 years, a slight increase from last year’s projection, driven largely by growth in freighter conversions and digital solutions and analytics.

The region is expected to require 183,000 more commercial pilots, cabin crew members and aviation technicians over the forecast period.

22 ROUTES INAUGURATED AND OPERATIONALISED UNDER UDAN New Delhi. In a constant endeavour to connect the unconnected regions, 22 new routes have been operationalised in the last three days under the UDAN scheme out of which six new routes have been operationalised in NorthEast India, a Ministry of Civil Aviation press statement said on March 31.

The operationalisation of these routes aligns with the objectives of UDAN scheme to strengthen the aerial network of the country, create affordable, yet economically viable and profitable air travel on regional routes.Till date, 57 unserved and underserved airports (including 5 heliports + 2 water aerodrome) with 347 routes have been operationalised under UDAN across the length and breadth of India.

On 28th March 2021, 18 new routes were flagged off under the UDAN scheme. The routes that commenced operations were Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) to Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) which is a state supported UDAN route, Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh) to Bangalore (Karnataka), Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), and Chennai (Tamil Nadu), from Agra (Uttar Pradesh) to Bangalore (Karnataka) & Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), from Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) to Bhubaneswar (Odisha) & Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh). In addition to these routes, new flight connectivity was established from Dibrugarh (Assam) to Dimapur (Nagaland).

The Indigo airlines was awarded the Shillong-Agartala, Shillong – Silchar, Kurnool - Bangalore, Vishakhapatnam, and Chennai routes under the UDAN 4 bidding process last year.

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES ORDERS 100 BOEING 737 MAX JETS, PLUS 155 OPTIONS SEATTLE. Boeing and Southwest Airlines on March 29 announced the carrier will continue to build its business around the 737 MAX family with a new order for 100 airplanes and 155 options across two models. The deal comes after a multi-year fleet evaluation by Southwest and means that Boeing and its suppliers could build more than 600 new 737 MAX jets for the airline through 2031.

Southwest had been exploring options to modernize the largest component of its fleet: the 737-700 that serves the airline’s needs for a 140-150 seat airplane. With the new agreement, the airline reaffirmed the 737-7 as its preferred replacement and growth airplane. The jet will complement the 737-8, which serves Southwest’s needs for a 175seat model. Both 737 MAX family members will reduce fuel use and carbon emissions by at least 14 per cent compared to the airplanes they replace, helping to improve operating costs and environmental performance. Southwest said the solution allows it to maintain the operational efficiencies of an all-Boeing 737 fleet to support its low-cost, point-topoint route network. The new purchase agreement takes Southwest’s order book to 200 737-7s and 180 737-8s, more than 30 of which have already been delivered. Southwest will also have 270 options for either of the two models, taking the carrier’s direct-buy commitment to more than 600 airplanes. The airline also plans additional 737 MAX jets through third-party lessors.

BCAS, YIAPL SIGN LOA FOR CIVIL AVIATION SECURITY

New Delhi. A Letter of Agreement (LoA) was signed between the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) in New Delhi on March 24. The LoA defines provisions for civil aviation security responsibilities and functions at the upcoming international airport at Jewar, Noida. The agreement letter was signed by Ankit Garg, Deputy Director General, BCAS, and Christoph Schnellmann, CEO, YIAPL. RAKSHA ANIRVEDA APRIL - JUNE 2021

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CIVIL AVIATION NEWS DOMESTIC CARRIERS CAN GIVE CONCESSIONS IN TICKET FARES TO PASSENGERS HAVING NO BAGGAGE OR ONLY CABIN BAGGAGE: DGCA New Delhi. In what is surely good news for those travelling by air on the domestic circuit, domestic flight operators are allowed to give concessions in ticket prices to passengers who carry no baggage or only cabin baggage, aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has said in a circular.

As per the current rules, a passenger can carry up to 7 kilograms of cabin baggage and 15 kilograms of check-in baggage. Any additional weight is chargeable. The new rule will allow the operators to provide tickets at lesser prices to those who opt to travel with no baggage or only with cabin baggage within the permissible weight limit.

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GOVERNMENT APPROVES 34 GREEN ZONE SITES FOR NPNT COMPLIANT DRONE OPERATIONS

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ew Delhi. Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has granted permit to “NoPermission-No-Takeoff’ (NPNT) compliant drone operations at 34 additional green zones to facilitate, smoothen, and promote drone operations in the country. The approved sites allow drone usage up to 400 ft Above Ground Level (AGL). These zones are in addition to the 26 green zone sites approved dated February 2 and six green zone sites approved dated

April 3 last year. As per Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), “NPNT or ‘No Permission – No Take-off’ compliance enables every Remotely Piloted Aircraft (except Nano) to obtain a valid permission through Digital Sky platform before operating in India. This further allows non operationalization of drones prior to necessary approvals. Flying in these approved ‘green-zones’ will require only intimation of the time and location of the flights via the Digital Sky portal or the app.

Ulan-Ude. The Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant (U-UAP) Training Center under the Russian Helicopters holding company (part of the Rostec State Corporation) has successfully completed training a second group of foreign specialists studying to operate and maintain the Mi-171A2 helicopter. The pilots and engineering staff of the Indian company Sky One Airways LTD were trained in two groups.The foreign experts studied the aerodynamics of the Mi-171A2, its design and technical operation, avionics, the VK-2500PS-03 engine with its integrated digital control system and the auxiliary power unit.

Each of the Sky One Airways LTD personnel received an established certificate for passing the training.

Among the trainees there were also specialists from the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation, who conducted a preliminary inspection of the training center for its validation.

RUSSIAN U-UAP SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES TRAINING OF INDIAN MI-171A2 PILOTS

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COLLINS AEROSPACE PRO LINE FUSION AVIONICS UPGRADE PATH RECEIVES FAA APPROVAL FOR CESSNA CITATION CJ1+, OTHERS CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa. Collins Aerospace, a unit of Raytheon Technologies Corp. on March 23 announced its Pro Line Fusion integrated avionics system for Cessna Citation CJ2+ light business jets has been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with the Cessna Citation CJ1+ light jet certification soon to follow. Owners now have a new aftermarket option for taking advantage of NextGen airspace enhancements while adding the many other benefits of Pro Line Fusion when upgrading from Pro Line 21.

Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certifications are targeted by the end of the year.

“We are bringing better situational awareness and reducing pilot workload to Citation CJ operators worldwide via a new flight management system that meets the latest equipment mandates, while also delivering cutting-edge performance to the flight deck,” said Christophe Blanc, vice president and general manager of Business and Regional Avionics for Collins Aerospace. “By leveraging Pro Line Fusion across platforms, we have a single solution that covers an entire family of aircraft.”

AIRBUS TO BOOST “COLD” TECHNOLOGY TESTING AS PART OF ITS DECARBONISATION ROADMAP FOR FUTURE AIRCRAFT oulouse. Airbus has launched “ A d v a n c e d Superconducting and Cryogenic Experimental powertraiN Demonstrator” (ASCEND) to explore the impact of superconducting materials and cryogenic temperatures on the performance of an aircraft’s electrical propulsion systems.

The introduction of superconducting materials can lower electrical resistance, meaning that electrical current can supply power without energy loss. When coupled with liquid hydrogen at cryogenic temperatures (-253 degrees Celsius) electrical systems can be cooled in order to significantly increase the performance of the overall electric propulsion system.

Airbus will use ASCEND to explore the feasibility of these promising technologies in order to optimise propulsion architecture ready for low-emission and zero-emission flight. Results are expected to show the potential for component weight and electrical losses to be at least halved, as the volume and complexity of systems installation is reduced, as well as a reduction in voltage to below 500V, compared to current systems.

New Delhi. Minister of State (MoS) for Civil Aviation Hardeep S Puri has stated that India must leverage its growing air traffic to establish a robust aircraft leasing industry, which would finance new aircraft deliveries through its own policies and products. Addressing the India Aircraft Leasing Summit 2021- Rupee Raftaar held in New Delhi on February 26, Puri said that it is vital to develop this new line of business in India for financial services and add India on the map of global financial centers for international financial services.

Pradeep Singh Kharola, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Injeti Srinivas, Chairperson, International

Financial Services Centre Authority, Vandana Aggarwal, Senior Economic Advisor, M/o Civil Aviation, Uday Shankar, President, FICCI, Remi Maillard, Head of Airbus India, and stakeholders from the Indian civil aviation sector and industry members attended the event.

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INDIA MUST LEVERAGE GROWING AIR TRAFFIC TO ESTABLISH ROBUST AIRCRAFT LEASING INDUSTRY: CIVIL AVIATION MINISTER

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AERO INDIA: POST EVENT REPORT

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AERO INDIA 2021: AN EVENT OF ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR GOVT, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR START-UPS The decision of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India to hold Asia’s largest air show in a hybrid manner – physical as well as virtual – was bold and timely.

Billed as the first-ever hybrid defence show in the world, the Aero India 2021 was a successful event showcasing India’s prowess in the defence sector

engaluru/New Delhi: Aero India 2021 was a very satisfying and well-organised event for Government of India (GoI) and its affiliate organisations, mainly the organisers – Department of Defence Production, DRDO and Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) like Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). Also, it proved to be a great opportunity for start-ups as well.

One of the major attractions of this year’s Aero India was the ‘Startup Manthan’ seminar, specially organised to discuss and address the issues of start-ups and to facilitate their journey of unique innovation. The event also felicitated the technological innovations of a select few startups. Zeus Numerix and

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“Well, we (General Atomics) are here and this one is a fantastic show.

We have had many high-level visits ever since” Robert Schoeffling, Regional Vice-President, International Strategic Development, General Atomics

BrahMos Aerospace CEO and MD Dr Sudhir Mishra

By PK GHOSH

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“This Aero India is being organised in the background of the Corona pandemic and I must say the organisers — Department of Defence Production, HAL, DRDO, all the PSUs — have made it a very, very satisfying, wellorganised event of this edition in Bengaluru”

Hyper Stealth Technologies Pvt. Ltd, to name a few, were among the awardees of the Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC) under the Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX) scheme of the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Sharing his experience of Aero India 2021, Vignesh Ranganathan, Technical Lead

(Anti Drone Defence System) from a start-up named Big Bang Boom (BBB) Solutions stated: “It’s very nice, it’s very good.

Let me tell you today, different kinds of products being deployed here from India...., start-ups, and even up to all the foreign defence systems from different countries like Senegal….so it’s a unique experience for individuals to see what all the applications being utilised, and we could be able to grab up some of the things which we would be able to use in our own systems. Yes, overall experience is superb.”

Asked whether he and his company participated in previous editions of Aero India, Ranganathan said, “No, this is the first time we are participating in Aero India and for the first time Big Bang Solutions being a startup has set up a stall here. So, it’s great.”

Commenting on recent government policies for promoting start-ups, the BBB Solutions Technical Lead said: “It’s fantastic actually. So, they are really helpful for us. Any queries are addressed as soon as possible which is a nice step.”

Held in February, Aero India 2021 was organised at

a time when the world’s two largest air shows, namely the Farnborough Air Show scheduled for July 2020, and the Paris Air Show due in June 2021, were cancelled due to the Corona pandemic, holding a physical air show with thousands of global visitors spending curtailed three days seemed almost unlikely.

The decision of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India to hold Asia’s largest air show in a hybrid manner – physical as well as virtual – was bold and timely.

Billed as the world’s first-ever hybrid defence show, the Aero India 2021 was a successful event showcasing India’s prowess in the defence sector.

By organising the event physically, the Government also sent a clear message to the world of defence and aerospace that with resilience and Covid compliance India is open for business. Although it was curtailed to just three business days and the global industry participation was less in number, the overall comparative figure was not too bad given the global spread of the pandemic. The state government of Karnataka too lent a big support in the overall conduct of the event.

One of the highlights of Aero

India was the government announcing the single largest contract for Indian defence industry, by placing an order of Rs 48,000 crore to manufacture 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas for the Indian Air Force (IAF). This was the government’s ‘vocal for local’ pitch under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Asked about the arrangements at the start of the Aero India show, BrahMos Aerospace CEO and MD Dr Sudhir Mishra said, “This Aero India is being organised in the background of the Corona pandemic and I must say the

“It’s very nice, it’s very good. Let me tell you today, different kinds of products being deployed here from India...., start-ups, and even up to all the foreign defence systems from different countries like Senegal….Yes, overall experience is superb” Vignesh Ranganathan, Technical Lead (Anti Drone Defence System), BBB Solutions

organisers — Department of Defence Production, HAL, DRDO, all the PSUs — have made it a very, very satisfying, wellorganised event of this edition in Bengaluru. If we had postponed it, we would have had to wait for another two years for it to happen. So, we are very happy.

The place has been sanitised and maintained very well to protect the health of participants. There is excellent security, excellent social distancing is being maintained. In all, it is a very good experience.”

On the government opening up the defence sector, including

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AERO INDIA: POST EVENT REPORT ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF AERO INDIA WAS THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCING THE SINGLE LARGEST CONTRACT FOR INDIAN DEFENCE INDUSTRY,

BY PLACING AN ORDER OF RS 48,000 CRORE TO MANUFACTURE 83 LCA TEJAS FOR THE IAF. THIS WAS THE GOVT’s ‘VOCAL FOR LOCAL’ PITCH UNDER THE ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT INITIATIVE

export of the Akash missiles, and some countries evincing interest in the BRAHMOS missile, Dr Mishra said: “There is a level up to which our armed forces can use, consume the production capability so it became imperative for the government to allow the export once the requirements of Indian armed forces are met.

We have reached a point where our Defence Minister has given us a defence export target of US$5 billion and we feel that we would be able to contribute in achieving this target. Regarding the nations, it is the prerogative of the Government of India to decide the nations to whom we can export. So, we shall wait and see who all are interested and how can we meet their requirements. Do they have friendly relations with us or not? So, it is just opening up and we will see how far we go in this and I can promise you on behalf of BrahMos Aerospace we will certainly contribute quite a lot in this objective.”

Not only Indian, even the global participants were full of appreciation for the successful conduct of the event. Robert Schoeffling, Regional VicePresident, International Strategic Development, General

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Atomics, said, “Well, we (General Atomics) are here and this one is a fantastic show. We have had many high-level visits ever since.”

On future prospects of General Atomics India business and its collaborations with companies

“Aero India is a platform that fosters collaboration among the leading private companies, start-ups and government to solve the most complex challenges for our nation. Being a defence start-up, the exposure, support and business opportunities we got here have put us miles ahead in making our vision a reality.”

“Irrespective of the company size, one can spot innovation and technology as the common underlying phenomena in all the solutions presented at Aero India. It was a great experience to connect with the best technical brains in the country who all have one vision in common - Making Bharat Atmanirbhar.”

Pankaj Raut, CEO, AjnaLens

Abhishek Tomar, CTO, AjnaLens

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here, Schoeffling said: “General Atomics is very proud to be in India working for the Army, Air Force and Navy. We look forward to them for many-many years to come as we work for SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian.”

“Aero India 2021 has proven to be highly productive and fulfilling for us. It gave us an opportunity to forge new relations and carry forth the existing relationships to the next level. The kind of exposure companies get here, especially startups, is unparalleled in the defence sector.”

Rishi Desai, Sr Marketing & Growth Strategist, AjnaLens

About his experience of the Show, he quipped, “Absolutely, the crowd is friendly, the venue is great. It’s going to be top-notch.”

On being able to make any headway in trying to convince the government (for GA products and solutions), the General Atomics RVP said: “We had many fruitful conversations at very senior levels in the government, and there can be many forthcoming information exchanges back and forth. It has been very valuable and has been working for us.”

Indian industry in general and the startups in particular were on the same page when they spoke about the opportunities and benefits of the latest edition of Aero India. Speaking about his experience, Pawan Kumar Chandana, CEO, Skyroot Aerospace, said: “It is my first time at Aero India, and it’s been a fantastic experience. Also, we had a lot of partnerships with many complementary companies, and we are able to display all our products and services to a lot of people you know around the world (Aero India 2021 being a hybrid show – virtual as well as physical) so that’s a great opportunity for us. First time you know, we are able to reach so many people in a few days. We have a stall in Startup Manthan, a flagship event from the iDEX and we are able to display our products in the presence of the Defence Minister as well. So, it is a fantastic experience. Thank you.”

The Aero India 2021 was a great meeting point for Indian and foreign participants. With the Indian government focusing on Atmanirbhar Bharat, the show provided a platform for the Indian defence industry to showcase its wares and also explore the opportunities for tie ups with foreign counterparts.

Besides strict Covid-

PARAS TO BE INDIA’S FIRST INDIGENOUS ANTI DRONE TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPMENT COMPANY Bangalore. Paras Anti Drone Technologies Private Limited is a subsidiary of Paras Defence and Space Technologies Limited and aims to become the first indigenous anti-drone technology development company in India.

There is an extensive adoption of commercial drones/ Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in plethora of applications which increases vulnerability to UAV/ UAS based surveillance, attacks and security breaches. “We at Paras Anti Drone Technologies focus on design, development and integration of sensor system solutions to detect, track and neutralise the unauthorised flying objects and securing the airspace. Technology development focus is in the areas of homeland security, military, border protection and Special Forces requirements in India and around the world. The company offers end to end system solutions from development to certification of Anti Drone systems as per customer applications.

Paras’ portfolio offerings include sensor systems, control and command centre, machine learning and Artificial Intelligence Intelligence (AI) based UAS classification pipeline. Paras offers broad range of portfolio in sensors going from smart spatial filtering antennas systems to SWaP-C counter UAS sensor fusion of Electro Optical sensors, Detection and localisation RF systems, Micro doppler drone detection Radars and cognitive & selective jammers for Anti-Drone operation with plug and play system modules. Flexible and open architecture command and control centre combining power of multi modal sensors with jamming and cyber effects can take down drones effectively.

The company has collaborations with leading UAV Anti Drone Technology firms and has expertise to design customer specific systems. Paras Anti Drone’s flagship items include specialised anti-drone decoy sense and jamming solution for VIP convoy security applications. At Paras Anti Drone, we have world class team of professionals and engineers developing and integrating HiTech solutions required. We work as OEM in Anti-Drone areas to customise and build customer target solutions and fulfill customer requirements under Make in India initiative.

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AERO INDIA: POST EVENT REPORT

ANOTHER UNIQUE DISTINCTION OF THIS YEAR’S AERO INDIA WAS THE PRESENCE OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE INDIAN ARMED FORCES AND PRESIDENT RAM NATH KOVIND DURING THE VALEDICTORY FUNCTION OF ASIA’S LARGEST BIENNIAL AIR SHOW

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compliance rules to follow for the visitors, the Health and Family Welfare Department of Karnataka government was closely monitoring and taking stock of the situation from days ahead and till the conclusion of the event.

Unlike the earlier editions, the people of Bengaluru city along with others got the opportunity to witness this edition in virtual mode to make way for the safe in-person interactions between global aerospace and defence businesses so as to forge partnerships in the New Year.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the biannual event, which saw 601 exhibitors, including 523 from India and 78 from 14 foreign countries, the Defence Minister had said that the

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NEWS ROUND UP

event displays the vast potential of India, and the multifarious opportunities that the country offers in the field of defence and aerospace.

As part of the run up to the mega event, the Defence Ministry conducted a series of webinars from December 17 last year by leading luminaries and themed on contemporary defence and aerospace topics. The webinars were streamed worldwide.

The changing global dynamics and the latest border standoff with China have put India’s future course of action in an altogether different gear. India, which was moving at a snail’s pace in the acquisition of arms and modernisation of the armed forces, has been acquiring weapons and platforms under Fast-track

Procurement Process (FTP) apart from notifying a list of negative items to discourage imports and encourage indigenous production and exports. Aero India 2021 also witnessed the conduct of Global Chiefs of Air Staff Conclave by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Ocean Region Defence Ministers’ Conclave.

With ‘Atmanirbharta’ in defence production being a key focus for the government, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has set a target to increase defence exports to US$5 billion (Rs 36,410 crore) by 2025. Not only this, a plan is also afoot to slash defence imports by US$2 billion (Rs 14,564 crore) by the end of 2022.

The Aero India event was graced by various dignitaries from across the world, with physical participation by 26 countries and 14 others marking their virtual attendance due to the Covid constraints. With the award of the biggest Make in India defence contract, the threeday mega event from February 3-5 concluded on a high note.

Another unique distinction of this year’s Aero India was the presence of Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces President Ram Nath Kovind during the valedictory function of Asia’s largest biennial air show.

The main objective of the latest Aero India air show was the endorsement and showcasing of India-designed and built helicopters and fighter jets. Apart from the scintillating aero show with IAF’s Rafale for the first time, the major focus of the 13th edition of the air show was to create a robust defence and aerospace ecosystem through the government’s indigenisation, Make in India, self-reliance and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.

AS PART OF 70TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS OF SLAF, IAF TAKES PART AT AIR SHOW IN SRI LANKA

SCHIEBEL CAMCOPTER S-100 PERFORMS MARITIME SURVEILLANCE FOR ROMANIAN BORDER POLICE

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ienna. Austria-based helicopter UAV-manufacturing company Shiebel’s CAMCOPTER ® S-100 has recently performed maritime surveillance activities for the Romanian Border Police. The country’s border police operates the CAMCOPTER® S-100 for the surveillance purposes.

The Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) service is delivered by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and is also extended to Bulgaria.

Stationed in Mangalia, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 supports the Romanian authorities in carrying out general Coast Guard functions, conducting day-to-day monitoring and surveillance of all shipping including port security, as well as responding to any search and rescue, accident and disaster needs.

The S-100 executes these various tasks equipped with an L3 Wescam Electro-Optical / Infra-Red (EO/IR) camera gimbal, an Overwatch Imaging PT-8 Oceanwatch, a Becker Avionics BD406 Emergency Beacon Locator and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver. Operations in Romania

and Bulgaria are part of the EMSA awarded multi-year maritime surveillance contract for a Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) RPAS, awarded to Schiebel in November 2018. In the execution of this contract, Schiebel provides simultaneous maritime surveillance services to several EU member states and EU bodies. Most recently, the CAMCOPTER ® S-100 was operational in France, Denmark, Finland and Croatia.

Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group, speaking on the development said: “Once more, we are supporting local authorities with our ‘eye in the sky’. The CAMCOPTER® S-100 has proven its outstanding capabilities numerous times and we are proud to be working with EMSA on supporting EU member states with these vital tasks.”

Colombo. Indian Air Force’s aerobatic display teams, the fixed wing “Suryakirans’ and rotary wing ‘Sarang,’ along with Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas arrived at Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February 27 on an invitation from Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana, Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF).

The Suryakirans, Sarang and LCA Tejas participated in an Air Show at Galle Face, Colombo, which was held from March 3–5. The Air Show was organised as part of the 70th anniversary celebrations of SLAF. IAF and SLAF have seen active exchanges and interactions for a number of years in diverse fields like training, operational exchanges and through professional military education courses.

IAF’s participation in the event is a further manifestation of the strong professional bonds that the two Air Forces share. The IAF Suryakiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) had earlier toured Sri Lanka in 2001 for the 50th anniversary celebrations of SLAF. As the IAF aircraft took to the skies of Colombo to mark the event, they scripted another significant chapter in the traditionally strong IAF-SLAF ties. The ties got reinforced with the presence Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria PVSM AVSM VM ADC. ACM Bhadauria was invited by Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana, Commander of Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF).

As part of his visit, the CAS attended the inaugural ceremony on March 3, during which a Flypast and Aerobatic Display was held. The air show at Galle Face Colombo saw participation by the IAF contingent comprising of Suryakiran & Sarang Aerobatic Display Teams and Tejas LCA. The flypast, a significant event, is a reminiscence of the IAF’s Suryakiran Display Team performance at the Golden Jubilee celebrations of SLAF, two decades ago.

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SHOWCASE

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GREEN SHIELD: A SYSTEM BY SAFE SHOOT THAT PREVENTS FRIENDLY FIRE, ENHANCES SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF THE SHOOTER System as a whole can operate By ARIE EGOZI in stand-alone mode and can n the coming months Israel defense forces (IDF) intend to test easily be integrated with other Green Shield system developed by Israeli company Safe Shoot. The systems like aiming devices, unique system will be tested by new98 “Ghost” unit of the forces, sights, observation or Command the multi-dimensional unit. The IDF is currently fighting the “war and Control existing or futuristic between wars” – small operations to stop the enemies far and near, accumulating mass potential to perform major attacks against Israel. solutions. This flexibility that This is achieved by attacks on shipments of Iranian made accurate knowing where your troops are missiles to the Hezbollah in Lebanon, and allegedly disrupting the significantly improves the overall Iranian nuclear program by “a variety of means”. situational awareness

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To be more effective in the “war between wars” and in major fighting, the IDF decided to implement a multi-dimensional strategy. In simple words- closing the sensor to shooter cycle as fast as possible and then attacking the target with massive fire that will

end the fighting in a short time.

To achieve that, the IDF formed the new multi-dimensional unit.

It is based very generally on the idea of the US military concept of revolution in military affairs (RMA) that was developed years ago in order to lay the basis for the change

SafeShoot US Soldier Aim

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in the US army. The new unit is described as a “Battalion with the capabilities of a division.”

Israeli sources said that the unit will be equipped with highly sophisticated weapon systems and will be able to directly operate in air and sea units to get the advantage in battle. This is without the need to ask other military echelons to approve or even coordinate.

“This unit will be able to produce very accurate fire power based on intelligence generated by tools that have never been in the tool box of any unit in the IDF,” an Israeli source said. It makes a lot of sense that the Green Shield system will be tested by the new multidimensional unit. This unit will be able to locate the enemy fast and hit it with the minimum sensor to shooter time.

When so many diversified fire sources are involved, one very important mission is to avoid friendly fire. This is exactly what

the Green Shied does.

According to Amir Nadan, CEO of Safe Shoot, Green Shield is a system that prevents friendly fire and enhances the situation awareness of the shooter. “The wide range of sensors used by our system ensures the highest possible safety standards.”

Brig General (Res.) Nadan held very high-ranking positions in the IDF’s Paratroopers Brigade and the Northern Command.

The CEO added that using the system reduces the load on headquarters; created by the need to coordinate between forces, and therefore release the HQ to other more needed tasks.

He explained that each participant in a shooting activity is equipped with a Green Shield device. Upon taking aim, the system immediately and automatically alerts shooters when there is a high risk of friendly fire, thus preventing a potentially disastrous outcome.

Brig General (Res.) Nadan told Raksha Anirveda that the system was tested by the US army in March 2020, and creates great interest in other armed forces. “Our system is the solution for the major and deadly problem of friendly fire. We simply solve it.”

He further told this Correspondent that India is a big potential market for the company’s products. “We already transferred some systems to different organization is India.

We assess that the Indian Army and border patrol units can be seen as initial customers.”

According to the Israeli company, the Green Shield system is a light weight, modular, self-contained, battery operated system. The device can be operated during daylight, darkness, adverse weather and dirty battlefield condition.

The system has two parts: A weapon mounted part that weight 50 gram and a second part that is carried inside the user combat vest

SafeShoot Concept

that weight 200 gram. The weapon mounted part can be mounted on the weapon without having to remove the Rifle Combat Optic or Close Combat Optic. This allows using the same aiming tactics, techniques and procedures.

According to Brig General (Res.) Nadan, it provides a wireless target link between the users. The range can be increased with different configurations of the system.

The system as a whole can operate in stand-alone mode and can easily be integrated with other systems like aiming devices, sights, observation or Command and Control existing or futuristic solutions. This flexibility, the company says, that knowing where your troops are, significantly improves the overall situational awareness, command flexibility and effectiveness of the whole performance.

The Green Shield system provides a solution for misidentification of friendly forces and improves inter-force coordination between all forces including aviation and ground forces. The system has different configurations applicable to tanks, attack helicopters, UAV, aircraft, infantry and ground support forces.

It allows rapid maneuvering with

close fire support, continuity of combat operations and improves tactical situation awareness in different terrains even in urbanized and complex terrains.

The SafeShoot CEO says that contrary to other command and control systems currently available, the Green Shield system automatically and autonomously alerts the shooters when there is a high risk of friendly fire, without the need of direct headquarters control or even network link bringing back confidence and trust at all levels.The system can be expanded into afteraction-review and reporting (AAR).

The vest mounted part should be carried by every soldier and the weapon mounted part should be mounted on every light weight weapon. Similar device should be connected to heavy weapons such as tank, UAV and helicopters. The capability should be used in all weather and light conditions and the recommended number is one per person or weapon system.

According to the company’s CEO, the system improves the combat capability in any multiforce operation that combines infantry, support fire, combat tanks, UAV and other systems.

ACCORDING TO SAFE SHOOT, THE GREEN SHIELD SYSTEM IS A LIGHT WEIGHT, MODULAR, SELFCONTAINED, BATTERY OPERATED SYSTEM. THE DEVICE CAN BE OPERATED DURING DAYLIGHT, DARKNESS, ADVERSE WEATHER AND DIRTY BATTLEFIELD CONDITION

-The writer is an International Roving Correspondent of this publication

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IDEX 2021

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IDEX/NAVDEX-2021: A BIG PLATFORM FOR INDIA TO TAP DEFENCE EXPORTS MARKET A major defence exhibition in the Gulf region, the Abu Dhabi IDEX 2021 gave India a great platform Indian participation in good numbers augurs well given the changing geopolitics and defence ties in

By RAMESH S.

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he United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital of Abu Dhabi held the prestigious International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) 2021 from February 21-25 by hosting more than 1,300 vendors as well as five countries that participated for the first time. Coming on the heels of the Aero India 2021, which concluded in the first week of February, the 15th edition of IDEX and its sister event Naval Defence and Maritime Security Exhibition (NAVDEX) were among the first few global defence exhibitions that took place amid the Corona pandemic.

The IDEX and NAVDEX are organised by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, or ADNEC, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence and the General Command of the UAE Armed Forces. Israel, Azerbaijan, Portugal, Luxembourg and North Macedonia took part for the first time. Though delegations from nearly 40 Israeli defence companies were expected to take part, they had to pull out at the last minute 128

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due to Corona restrictions in their home country. So, some of the bigger companies had a digital and virtual presence at the defexpo.

IDEX and NAVDEX are also of prime interest for India’s defence sector. The big Indian defence PSUs like DRDO, OFB, Bharat Dynamics, GRSE and Mazagon Dock participated (under the India pavilion) along with small and midlevel private enterprise like Hughes

Precision, JSL Defence, Mittal Group, Rashtriya Metal Industries, Ashoka Manufacturing Ltd and a few others with their independent stalls.

Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) participated in the IDEX in furtherance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision on SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region), towards Maritime Security and Cooperation. The GRSE expanded its footprint and shipbuilding prowess in the Gulf region by inking three agreements towards Mutual Cooperation in Shipbuilding Project in the Defence and Maritime Sector in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The Defence PSU played the pivotal role in setting up the India Pavilion during the exhibition. Pawan Kapoor, Indian Ambassador to UAE, inaugurated India Pavilion at IDEX 2021 in the presence of CMD GRSE, DGNO Indian Navy Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi,

to showcase its formidable defence manufacturing capabilities and bolster its export potential. the West Asia region

CMD BDL, Director (CP) MDL and other dignitaries from DRDO and OFB. A Mahindra Group subsidiary company, Mahindra Emirates Vehicle Armouring, displayed a range of its latest armoured and tactical vehicles at the 15th edition of IDEX. In a tweet, SP Shukla, Group President – Aerospace, Defence & Agri Sectors, Mahindra Group, said: “Our specialty armoured vehicles are fast gaining traction in Africa & Middle East.”

Global Aerospace and Technology company Paramount Group and Indiabased Engineering & Technology conglomerate Bharat Forge Limited (Kalyani Group) signed an agreement that will see them join the technologies, capabilities and expertise of both groups to manufacture Armoured Vehicles in India.

The Kalyani M4 is a multi-role platform, designed to meet the specific requirements of armed forces for quick mobility in rough terrain and in areas

THE GRSE EXPANDED ITS FOOTPRINT AND SHIPBUILDING PROWESS IN THE GULF REGION BY INKING THREE AGREEMENTS TOWARDS MUTUAL COOPERATION IN SHIPBUILDING PROJECT IN THE DEFENCE AND MARITIME SECTOR IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA (MENA) REGION affected by mine and IED threats. It offers best-in-class levels of ballistic and blast protection. It will likely see service with the Indian Armed Forces in the very near future.

CARACAL, a world-renowned, UAE-based small arms manufacturer, launched two pioneering products that underpin the company’s innovation credentials. The second-generation CARACAL F Gen II pistol and the CSA338 Semi-Automatic rifle were unveiled for the first time at the IDEX 2021. CARACAL is part of the Missiles

& Weapons cluster within EDGE, an advanced technology group that ranks among the top 25 military suppliers in the world.

EDGE also launched its first family of multi-rotor loitering munitions, the QX range. In addition, Shadow 50 and Shadow 25, Rash 2 gliding munition kit, as well as new variants of the RW24 range – all designed and manufactured in the company’s first year of operations – were unveiled on the first day of the IDEX 2021.

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BOOK REVIEW

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‘BREAKING THE CHINESE MYTH’: UNCOVERING CHINESE MYTH AND EXPOSING PLA’S INVINCIBILITY

BREAKING THE CHINESE MYTH Author: Maj Gen Dr Rajan Kochhar (VSM) Publisher : BRIKA BOOKS Language : English ISBN-10 : 8194870348 ISBN-13 : 978-8194870340

reaking the Chinese Myth’ is a book of an indepth analysis of the Chinese psyche and India’s counter to the same. Written by Major General Dr Rajan Kochhar, Indian Army, who is known to be an astute professional and thinker, “Breaking the Chinese Myth” is an extra ordinary compilation on current geopolitical issues with reference to belligerent neighbour China and the need for modernisation of Indian armed forces.

The book is a first-hand

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account of a soldier who has watched the developments in our neighbourhood in the recent past, and is extremely relevant to the present times. It makes a fascinating reading and will add to the learning curve to those who love their country.

Although a much has been written about the ongoing IndoChinese conflict but this book is in a different genre as it uncovers the Chinese Myth and exposes the invincibility of the PLA. “Breaking the Chinese Myth” begins interestingly with the management of our borders and a hostile neighbourhood.

The author brings out in a lucid manner how difficult task

it is for the security forces to manage a diverse border, which is manifested with different kinds of terrains and extreme variation in climatic conditions. He brings out the need for getting all the security agencies under a single umbrella namely “National Border Management Authority”, to ensure amore coordinated effort and better command and control of all resources to counter border infiltration and smuggling.

The book gives an interesting account of China’s emergence as a global power and its transformation as an economic power of reckoning.

The grandiose design of its “One Belt One Road” initiative taking 65 countries along smacks off its expansionist designs. ‘The Chinese Three World’s Theory’ beautifully explains how China has endeavoured to unite with other third world countries to counter the influence of United States and its allies as well as Russia. The key elements of Chinese foreign policy have been well enunciated and its linkages with the Chinese self=perception brought out. The book lends a great insight on how China’s foreign policy has emerged under Xi Jinping with an attempt to remodel the world’s global order.

The book includes another interesting chapter that deals with a comparative assessment of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with the Indian Army. The chapter becomes quite useful as is very informative and makes us aware about the latest military acquisitions by the IndianArmy as well as the need to embrace

disruptive technologies especially the likes of artificial intelligence, quantum information, big data analytics and cloud computing.

The modernisation of PLA has been explained in detail and the lessons which the Indian Army can derive to enhance its own effectiveness.

The present Indo-China Conflict has been well covered with all factual details and strategic assessments. The author brings out the requirement to enhance the strike capability of the Mountain Strike Corps to make the Indian Army a potent force to guard the Ladakh sector. A need for re-orientation of our defensive posture and the requirement for a multi layered ISR system to cover the operational and strategic depth areas have been analysed in detail.

Our future relationship with China has been discussed and the book brings out the all-pervasive need to arrive at an early solution to the LAC claim lines.

An essential chapter deals with the requirement of a comprehensive defence strategy is yet another attraction of the book and the author has outlined a concept for its formulation.

The threat perceptions as well as military preparedness of our adversaries have been well outlined and explained in sufficient detail. The reality of a two front threat has been correctly analysed and the need to bolster capability building has been voiced.

In the last chapter, which perhaps should be most relevant to citizens of the country, is the development of the Indian defence industry and Make in India initiatives of the Government.

The author analyses the efficacy of the various defence reforms announced by the Government and the need for the resuscitation of the Indian Defence Industry. Some very cogent recommendations which

are workable and necessary have been given. The Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 (DAP-2020) has been analysed in detail and areas for more emphasis brought out. The book makes very interesting recommendations to further the Make in India programme towards an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

It is interesting to note that in the entire saga of the present Sino-Indian conflict Indian soldiers emerge to be superior.

The grit, determination and strength of the Indian soldier have stood out. The Chinese have not been able to cope up with the harsh realities of the mountainous terrain. The senior leadership of the PLA has been found lacking at times showing their relative inexperience in strategy formulation and tactical execution. Sun Tzu teaching couldn’t have been more apt to sum things up, ““If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will

also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” The goal of any conflict is to control your opponent and overcome them.

The book has been forthright to highlight all the above issues which would merit the attention of the appropriate forums of policy making in our Government.

It infuses a sense of secure future for our nation. Counting on the strengths and weaknesses, the author weaves a strategy that visualises India at 100years of Independence, a country commanding international respect and dignity and also equipped with strong deterrent capability to any misadventure by its neighbours. Coming from a celebrated soldier it is both credible and reassuring. A must read for all, who care for India.

The book is available on the following link to buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.in/ dp/8194870348/ref=sr_1_1?dch ild=1&keywords=breaking+the+ chinese+myth&qid=1615455573 &sr=8-1.

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POWER SHIFT: INDIA-CHINA RELATIONS IN A MULTIPOLAR WORLD

By SRI KRISHNA

POWER SHIFT: INDIA-CHINA RELATIONS IN A MULTIPOLAR WORLD Author: Zorawar Daulet Singh Publisher : Pan Macmillan India Language : English ISBN-10 : 9389109728 Pages: 347

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he more the US and China beat each other up, the more room for manoeuver other powers will have,” said historian Odd Arne Westad and the author Zorawar Daulet Singh feels that this equally holds good to India and China relations and that unrestrained competition only benefits other powers.

Though Sino-Indian relations have of late not been on too friendly a term with the tension along the border on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern 132

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Ladakh continuing to simmer, but the writer feels that “history is obliging both countries to step up and play constructive roles to shape the emerging world order even as it is impelling both sides to learn to co-exist in a common neighbourhood.”

In the 335 page book, Singh who is a Delhi based historian and strategist says that the emerging multipolar world has brought the relationship at a crossroads where today’s choices will set in course events that will profoundly impact India’s economy, security and the regional order. It is therefore, critical,

that India’s leaders get their China policy right.

The book indeed provides plenty of food for thought on Sino-Indian relations and China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which was not supported

by India and the recent border tension has brought geopolitics and hard security back to the forefront, making any nuanced conversatin on geoeconomics less attractive to the mainstream policy discourse.

“In such a context of mutual mistrust, and before a new reset in ties, it is unrealistic for both countries to dovetail their connectivity visions and engage in a less prejudiced dialogue where overlapping interests are perceived more objectively,” the author observed.

The writer is of the view that the region and structural shifts in globalisation will not wait and India will need to juggle its varied interests and priorities in an even more complex China policy framework.

“Multilateralizing China’s future engagement through a subcontinent-wide network of norms is more likely to convert the BRI into an advantageous proposition rather than a purely competitive approach that disappoints India’s recipients with her feeble outcomes, and frees China to pursue an ad hoc bilateral deals with little concern for the regional political economy,” writes Singh.

As the author says that for India to truly leverage the multi-polar

world for national and geopolitical advantage, it needs to possess a normal and stable equation with all the great powers. China is the only major power with which India has struggled to normalize its relationship, despite years of high-level summitry, multilateral coordination and inter-state commerce. The obstacle lies more in the realm of beliefs and choices. Although there is a large measure of continuity in India’s foreign policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attempting to effect change to make the necessary adjustment to a postunipolar order. He is re-steering India’s role to focus on the neighbourhood, which in his words “occupies a special place in my national development plans and foreign policy.”

In each of his summits, the author says Modi’s body language with the Chinese President Xi Jinping has been one of confidence and equality with his Chinese interlocutor. But, Modi has

also appeared conscious of Nehru’s ghost and the enduring suspicion and mistrust for China in the Indian mind. It will require statesmanship and a clear communication strategy to transcend the deep elite resistance against resetting India’s equation with China. For Modi, changing China policy truly is as much domestic challenge as getting China to take India more seriously.

Even though Modi’s optics and efforts to connect the Indian people to the world of diplomacy and high politics is new, it is the substance of statecraft that ultimately matters.

As the author says that there appear to be two competing worldview related to the China part of the Indo-U.S. equation.

One view is that India is swinging towards total alignment in its wider AsiaPacific policy with the U.S. like the “Joint Strategic Vision” for the Asia Pacific and Indian

Ocean which is an endorsement of each other’s role in the IndoPacific.

However, given US maritime predominance over the large area, India is in effect bandwagoning with the U.S. and its allied network.

Another view is that India’s overall foreign policy vis-avis the major powers has not changed fundamentally. As Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar recently clarified ‘a rejection of non-alignment does not mean a rush to alignment: India will not join an alliance system.’

So, all in all, it is a book which gives valuable insights and makes suggestions that need to be heeded at the highest quarters to steer the country through the turbulent waters of Sino-Indian relations and the imperative need for removing the suspicion with which relations between the two neighbours are viewed from either side of the fence.

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LT GEN CP MOHANTY TAKES OVER AS VICE CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF

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ew Delhi. Lieutenant General Chandi Prasad Mohanty, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM assumed the appointment of the Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS) on February 1.

Lt Gen CP Mohanty takes over the appointment of the Vice Chief of the Army Staff from Lt Gen SK Saini, who superannuated on January 31 after completing four decades of illustrious career in the Army.

An alumnus of Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC), Dehradun, National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Lt Gen CP Mohanty was commissioned into the Rajput Regiment

on June 12, 1982. He commanded a battalion on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and later in the North East.

He has the unique distinction of commanding two brigades: first on the Line of Actual Control and later on, the multinational UN Brigade in Democratic Republic of Congo.

VICE ADMIRAL R H KUMAR TAKES OVER AS FLAG OFFICER COMMANDING-IN-CHIEF WESTERN NAVAL COMMAND New Delhi. Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM took over as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Western Naval Command (WNC) at Mumbai on February 28. He succeeds Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC, who retires upon superannuation, after an illustrious career, spanning 40 years, in the Indian Navy. Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy was commissioned into the Indian Navy on January 1, 1983.

He specialised in Gunnery and has commanded five ships including a Destroyer and the aircraft carrier INS Viraat.

He has held important staff appointments both ashore and afloat and has also been Naval Advisor to Government of Seychelles. The Flag Officer is a recipient of the Vishist Seva Medal (VSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) for distinguished service.

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VICE ADMIRAL NAVEEN CHAWLA TAKES OVER AS DGMS, INDIAN NAVY

New Delhi.

Surgeon Vice Admiral Naveen Chawla, VSM a s s u m e d appointment of Director General Medical Services (Navy) on January 28.

Prior to assuming the present appointment, the Flag Officer held the appointment of Director General Hospital Services (AF) in the office of Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS).

An alumnus of Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune he was commissioned on December 17, 1983 in the Armed Forces Medical Services. During his 37 years of service, the Flag Officer has held numerous important administrative and staff appointments.

For his dedication and devotion to the service, the Flag Officer was awarded VSM in 2015.

REAR ADMIRAL S VENKAT RAMAN ASSUMES COMMAND OF NAVAL WAR COLLEGE, GOA

New Delhi. Rear Admiral S Venkat Raman, VSM assumed command of the prestigious Naval War College of the Indian Navy, at Goa on February 26. The Admiral took charge of the Navy’s Apex Training Institution from Rear Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh, AVSM, NM. The Naval War College conducts training for senior officers, including foreign participants, on defence planning, strategic and operational subjects, with a view to promote a culture of strategic and operational thinking.

Rear Admiral Venkat Raman is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) Khadakvasla. Commissioned on January 1, 1990, the Rear Admiral is a specialist in Communications and Electronic Warfare, and has tenanted various appointments onboard frontline warships of the Indian Navy.

VICE ADMIRAL ATUL KUMAR JAIN ASSUMES OFFICE OF CISC New Delhi. Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain, PVSM, AVSM, VSM took over as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) on March 2.

Vice Admiral Jain got commissioned in July 1982 into the Indian Navy. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Staff College (Wellington), the College of Naval

Warfare (Mumbai) and the National Defence College (Pretoria, South Africa).

The Flag Officer is also a graduate of Jawaharlal Nehru University (Delhi) and has received his Masters in Defence and Strategic Studies from Madras University.

Prior to his appointment as CISC, Vice Admiral Jain has held various Operational, Staff and Command Appointments in the course of his distinguished career spanning over 38 years.

For his distinguished service, he was awarded Vishisht Seva Medal in 2009, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2015 and Param Vishist Sewa Medal in 2020.

VICE ADMIRAL AJENDRA BAHADUR SINGH APPOINTED FOC-IN-C, EASTERN NAVAL COMMAND

Visakhapatnam. Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, AVSM, VSM took over as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOCin-C), Eastern Naval Command (ENC) from Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain, PVSM, AVSM, VSM at an impressive Ceremonial Parade held at the Naval Base in Visakhapatnam on March 1.

Commissioned on July 1, 1983, Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh is an alumnus of the prestigious National Defence Academy (NDA) Khadakvasla. A Navigation and Direction Specialist, Vice Admiral AB Singh has held various Operational Staff and Command Appointments in his career spanning over 38 years.

He is the first Alumni of UP Sainik School to achieve the rank of Commander-in-Chief in the Indian Navy. For his distinguished service, he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2011 and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2016.

SURGEON REAR ADMIRAL ARTI SARIN ASSUMES CHARGE OF COMMAND OF INHS ASVINI

New Delhi. Surgeon Rear Admiral Arti Sarin assumed command of INHS Asvini, the flagship Hospital of the Indian Navy, from Surgeon Rear Admiral Sheila S Mathai at a ceremonial parade on January 30. Surgeon Rear Admiral Sheila S Mathai takes over as the Command Medical Officer, Headquarters Western Naval Command. The event assumes significance in that not many Armed Forces have a precedent of a handing taking over between two women flag officers.

LT GEN AMARDEEP SINGH BHINDER ASSUMES CHARGE AS CHIEF OF SOUTH WESTERN COMMAND New Delhi. Lieutenant General Amardeep Singh Bhinder on March 31 took over as the chief of Jaipur-based South Western Command of Indian Army.

He was the Deputy Chief of Army staff (IS&C) at the Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Army) in New Delhi prior to taking over the reins of Sapta Shakti Command. On assuming command, he exhorted all ranks to be operationally prepared to meet the multi-faceted security challenges, Defence Spokesperson Lt Col Amitabh Sharma said.

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LOCKHEED MARTIN ANNOUNCES HIGHER MANAGEMENT APPOINTMENTS

James D. Taiclet

Marillyn A. Hewson

RAVI NIRGUDKAR APPOINTED BAE SYSTEMS INDIA MANAGING DIRECTOR Greg M. Ulmer

ethesda, Maryland.

The Lockheed Martin Corporation board of directors has elected President and CEO James D. Taiclet as chairman of the board, effective March 1. Hewson will transition to be a strategic advisor to the CEO through February 28, 2022. The board also elected Gregory M. Ulmer, 56, as executive vice president of Aeronautics. He succeeds Michele A. Evans, who passed away earlier this year. Ulmer has served as acting executive vice president, Aeronautics since December 1,

2020, and as vice president and general manager, F-35 Lightning II Program since March 2018. His appointment is effective Feb. 1.

Hewson became executive chairman of Lockheed Martin on June 15, 2020. Prior to that, she served as chairman, president and CEO and led Lockheed Martin from 2013 to June 2020 through a period of consistent financial performance and impressive growth. Taiclet joined the Lockheed Martin board of directors in 2018 and was elected president and CEO of the corporation last year. He assumed that position on June 15, 2020.

New Delhi. BAE Systems Inc. has named Lisa Hand as vice president and general manager for the company’s Integrated Defense Solutions business.

In this role, she leads an

organization of more than 2,600 employees across the United States and internationally, who provide engineering, integration, and sustainment services to enhance customers’ mission effectiveness.

Integrated Defense Solutions business is part of BAE Systems Inc.’s Intelligence & Security sector, which delivers a broad range of services and solutions enabling militaries and governments to successfully carryout their missions. The company provides large-scale systems engineering, integration, and sustainment services across air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains.

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BAE SYSTEMS APPOINTS LISA HAND AS VP & GM FOR COMPANY’S INTEGRATED DEFENSE SOLUTIONS BUSINESS

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New Delhi. Ravi Nirgudkar appointed as Managing Director, BAE Systems India. He succeeds Nik Khanna, who concludes his tenure in India and takes up a new role with BAE Systems’ Air Sector in the United Kingdom.

Nirgudkar would spearhead BAE Systems’ operations in the market and build on the company’s proud track-record of partnering with the Indian defence industry.

He has more than 25 years of experience in international business development and programme management, including 21 years with Raytheon’s Intelligence, Information and Services and Space and Airborne Systems businesses.

On joining BAE Systems, Nirgudkar said: “I am thrilled to join BAE Systems which has been at the heart of India’s defence industry for more than 65 years and been a founding partner of defence manufacturing. I look forward to working with my colleagues in India, and around the world, and leading BAE Systems’ endeavours to develop further a world class defence and security capability in India.”

BAE SYSTEMS APPOINT SHELLY O’NEILL STONEMAN TO LEAD GOVERNMENT RELATIONS FOR COMPANY

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arnborough, United Kingdom.

BAE Systems has named Shelly O’Neill Stoneman to become the Senior Vice President for Government Relations effective April 17. In her new role, Stoneman will assume responsibility for all government relations activities for the company, overseeing BAE Systems, Inc.’s relationships with members of Congress, the Department of Defense and other Executive branch organizations, as well as state government leaders.

Stoneman will report to BAE Systems, Inc. president and CEO Tom Arseneault, and serve as a member of the Inc. senior leadership team. She will also serve as a director on the BAE Systems, Inc. Board of Directors.

Shelly is currently the company’s vice president for Executive Branch and International Government Relations, serving as BAE Systems, Inc.’s primary liaison to the

Pentagon, State Department, Intelligence Community, and the White House. She also supports the company covering foreign military sales and direct international commercial sales through engagement with the US government and foreign embassies.

Prior to joining BAE Systems, Stoneman had a distinguished career of nearly 15 years of public service, including serving as the Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense and White House Liaison for three Secretaries of Defense under the Obama Administration.

From 2009-2011, she also worked in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, where she served as Special Assistant to the President and was responsible for the defense and national security legislative portfolio. Earlier in her career, she served on Capitol Hill, working for a Senate committee, as well as a Member of the House Appropriations Committee.

Stoneman will succeed Frank Ruggiero, who will remain with the company as a Legacy Fellow, advising the office of the CEO, for the coming months.

TONY SEXTON APPOINTED GROUP SALES DIRECTOR OF NASMYTH GROUP

MV RAJASEKHAR ASSUMES ADDITIONAL CHARGE AS CMD, BEML

London. Nasmyth Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Tony Sexton as Group Sales Director effective February 2021. Tony joined Nasmyth Group in 2007 as Managing Director of IEC and has more recently held the position of Director of Systems and Defence for both the Nasmyth IEC and Nasmyth CE businesses.

In his new position, Tony will develop a new integrated, global sales and marketing focus for the Nasmyth Group’s UK engineering businesses and those in the US, India and the Philippines.

Bengaluru. MV Rajasekhar, Director (Mining & Construction) and member of the board of BEML Limited, previously Bharat Earth Movers Limited, took additional charge as Chairman & Managing Director of the company from February 1. He succeeds Dr Deepak Kumar Hota, who retired from service on account of superannuation.

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INDIA’S MILITARY LEADERSHIP NEEDS TO MATCH VISION OF POLITICAL LEADERSHIP FOR CREATION OF THEATRE COMMANDS TO ADDRESS FUTURE SECURITY THREATS

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ew Delhi. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat said the Indian armed forces face greater challenges than any other military in the world and there is an urgent need to bring structural reforms in higher defence and operational organisations. India’s military leadership will have to “more than match the political vision” that has mandated the creation of theatre commands to address future security threats, he said while highlighting the need to stay prepared to counter threats from China and Pakistan, even as he stressed that the former seeks to “establish dominance” in the country’s neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

General Rawat said “service parochialism” will have to make way for “a combined services outlook” to take theaterisation forward, calling for the military’s transformation to “outthink and outfight” India’s adversaries.

“It will not be easy and the transition to theatre commands will indeed be a challenging

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process. There is a need to create and propagate the narrative of strategic advantages that accrue at the national and armed forces levels (with theaterisation),” CDS said ahead of a top commanders’ conference to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Theaterisation refers to placing specific units of the Army,

the Navy and the Air Force under a theatre commander. Such commands are led by an officer from any of the three services, depending on the roles assigned to them.

“Such seminars are expected to generate ideas about evolving joint structures that will address voids at the strategic and operational levels that single-service commands at present fail to address,” General Rawat said. He said the military currently has 17 single-service commands, none co-located with each other and with each of the three services discharging their operational and strategic roles in isolation — “a marked lack of synergy in operations.”

The points raised by CDS are extremely relevant, said former Northern Army commander Lieutenant General DS Hooda (Retd).

“We cannot continue with 17 individual commands while paying lip-service to integration and joint war fighting. The three Services will have to look beyond their stovepipes and work with CDS to find the best model and optimum command and control arrangement for integrated commands that is suitable for India,” Lt Gen Hooda added.

Apart from the Air Defence and Maritime Theatre Commands, India is expected to have three other integrated commands to secure its western, northern and eastern fronts – these will be rolled out by December 2022. In addition, a logistics command is in the works to avoid duplication of efforts and resources.

CDS’s mandate includes bringing about jointness in operations, logistics, transport, training, support services and repairs and maintenance of the three services.

“Theatre commands will

“THEATRE COMMANDS WILL OPTIMISE RESOURCE UTILISATION AND LEAD TO SAVINGS THAT CAN BE USED FOR FORCE MODERNISATION”

SUPREME COMMANDER OF INDIAN ARMED FORCES PRESIDENT KOVIND WITNESSES OPERATIONAL DEMONSTRATION BY ANC

– Gen Bipin Rawat optimise resource utilisation and lead to savings that can be used for force modernisation,” Gen Rawat said. The military was expected to make a presentation to the PM on the situation along the borders and progress made towards the creation of theatre commands at the Combined Commanders’ Conference being held at Kevadia in Gujarat on March 5-6.

“Some important steps that we need to take include defining the national security strategy, higher defence strategic guidance, and structural reforms in higher defence and operational organisations.”

He also spoke about remodelling organisational structures to fight future battles.

“The organisational structure for conventional wars or limited conflicts under nuclear overhang already exists. But it needs to be re-modelled, re-equipped and reoriented to conduct joint battles in digitised battle space to have necessary flexibility for other types of operations,” he said.

The CDS said the main dimensions of the military’s transformation relate to doctrine, force structure, technology, sustenance and readiness.

Referring to the border standoff in eastern Ladakh, he said, “We stood up to our belligerent neighbour on the northern borders and thwarted its nefarious design.

Now, more than ever, military transformation is vital to us.”

Port Blair. President Ram Nath Kovind witnessed a Joint Services Operational Demonstration at the Radhanagar beach, Swaraj Dweep in Andaman & Nicobar Island on February 28.

Integral combat platforms and forces of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) demonstrated multi-dimensional operational capabilities of the Command, including an amphibious landing.

The President was earlier briefed by Commander-in-Chief Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN) Lieutenant General Manoj Pande on the operational capabilities and state of readiness of the Command.

Fourteen ships of the Indian Navy, two Fast Attack Crafts of Coast Guard, aircraft of the Indian Air Force and over 300 troops of the Indian Army with six BMPs showcased integrated application of combat power of the only Tri-Service Command of the nation.

The demonstration highlighted the synergy, cooperation and interoperability between the Services towards achieving desired outcomes.

The Operational Demonstration showcased various facets of joint operations and included Combat Free Fall (CFF) and helocasting by the MARCOS, Special Heliborne Operations (SHBO) by Ghatak Platoon and amphibious assault by infantry troops, who landed on the beach with six BMPs and over 300 combatants.

Naval Gun Fire Support (NGFS), Counter Surface Force Operations (CSFO), Search and Rescue (SAR) operations and vertical replenishment at sea were also demonstrated. The amphibious landing of Infantry troops on the beach was executed

by Landing Ship Tank (Medium) and Landing Craft Utility.

Operational Demonstration culminated with the fly past of Dornier aircraft, MI-17 V5 and Chetak helicopters flying in close formation depicting the Tri-Service synergy and Combat potential of the Andaman & Nicobar Command.

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INDIA’S DEFENCE BUDGET FOR 2021-22 TO BUY MILITARY HARDWARE, FIGHTER JETS, HELICOPTERS, TANKS AND MISSILES

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ew Delhi. The budget set aside for domestic defence procurement in 2021-22 will be used for buying a variety of military hardware, ranging from fighter jets to combat helicopters and tanks to missiles, official sources said. India has set aside ₹70,221 crore — 63 per cent of the military’s capital budget — for buying locally-produced weapons and systems to boost defence indigenisation.

The allocation for indigenous procurement, made for the second consecutive year, will power the purchase of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, MK-1A jets, Light Combat Helicopters (LCHs), Basic Trainer Aircraft (BTA), Arjun MK1A tanks, Astra beyond-visualrange (BVR) missiles, Pinaka rocket systems and anti-tank missiles, the sources said.

The budget will be used for making milestone payments for several domestic acquisitions through the year. Such payments refer to a certain percentage of the total deal amount that has to be paid at different stages of the execution of a contract.

Last year, the ministry spent over ₹51,000 crore, or 58 per cent of the capital budget,

on domestic purchases. The ₹48,000-crore contract for 83 TEJAS MK-1A jets, awarded to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) last month, is the biggest indigenous defence procurement deal so far.

The first MK-1A aircraft will be delivered to the Indian Air Force in three years, with the rest being supplied by 2030. The deal involves the supply of 73 MK-1A fighter jets and 10 TEJAS MK-1 trainer aircraft.

The dedicated financial allocation for indigenous weapons and systems is a game changer and will contribute in a big way to India becoming Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) in defence, said Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia (Retd), a former director general of military operations (DGMO).

“Our dependence on imported military hardware is a major weakness which is being corrected. Dedicated financial allocation will give a muchneeded boost to the Make in India initiative as also help develop the domestic defence ecosystem. But the procedures and processes too should be addressed as they continue to be laborious,” Bhatia said.

Last week, the defence ministry cleared domestic

INDIA HAS SET ASIDE RS. 70,221 CRORE — 63 PER CENT OF THE MILITARY’S CAPITAL BUDGET — FOR BUYING LOCALLY-PRODUCED WEAPONS AND SYSTEMS TO BOOST DEFENCE INDIGENISATION 140

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military purchases worth ₹13,700 crore including proposals to buy 118 Arjun MK-1A tanks and equipping armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) with modern protection and countermeasure systems.

The new tanks will cost ₹8,380 crore, with the order likely to be placed with the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) this year. Protection systems for the AFVs will cost ₹5,300 crore.

Basic trainers and LCHs figure on the government’s negative import list that seeks to ban the import of 101 different types of weapons, systems and ammunition over the next five years. This year, the government is likely to notify a second list of weapons, systems and ammunition that cannot be imported.

HAL is likely to be awarded a contract to supply 15 LCHs to the Indian military this month. The IAF and the Army together require 160 LCHs. The state-owned plane maker is also likely to be awarded a contract soon for 106 basic trainer aircraft for IAF. Last August, the defence acquisition council (DAC) accorded its acceptance of necessity (AoN) for 106 Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) aircraft for IAF. Also, India will sign a US$2.5billion contract this year for buying 56 medium transport aircraft for IAF to replace its fleet of ageing Avro-748 planes.

Airbus Defence and Space and TATA Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) will jointly execute the project to equip the Air Force with 56 C-295 transport aircraft under the Make in India initiative in the aerospace sector.

Under the contract, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in flyaway condition while the remaining 40 will be assembled in India by TASL

GRSE LAYS KEEL OF YARD 3024, SHIP OF PROJECT 17A FOR ADVANCED STEALTH FRIGATE Kolkata. Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) achieved a major milestone with ‘laying of the Keel’ of Yard 3024, a ship of the Advanced Stealth Frigate Project P 17A. As per GRSE tradition, the Keel was laid by a senior operative Mithailal Pasi, Structural Fitter of Shipbuilding Shop at the Main Works Unit of GRSE, in the august presence of Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani, Controller of Warship Production & Acquisition (CWP&A), Indian Navy and Rear Admiral GK Harish, VSM, Director General of Naval Design.

The occasion was graced by Rear Admiral VK Saxena, IN (Retd.), Chairman and Managing Director, GRSE; Cmde. Sanjeev Nayyar, IN (Retd), Director (Shipbuilding); Cmde. PR Hari, IN (Retd), Director (Personnel); RK Dash, Director (Finance) and other senior officials of the Indian Navy and GRSE. The contract for construction of three Stealth Frigates under Project 17A is the largest ever order awarded to the shipyard by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) with a value of over Rs 19,293 crores.

The shipyard despite all challenges amid Covid – 19 pandemic, launched the first ship of P17A Stealth Frigate “INS Himgiri” ahead of schedule on December 14, 2020.

The Keel laying of Yard 3024 has also been achieved ahead of schedule. It is important to note that the Keels for both first & second ships viz, Yard 3022 and Yard 3023 were also laid ahead of schedule on November 10, 2018 and January 24, 2020 respectively.

The important milestones of ship building involve the process of cutting of steel which is called the ‘Start Production’ stage followed by ‘Keel laying’ subsequent to which, the other blocks are built around the keel block.

The next phase is launching, when the Ship is placed in water for the first time, Subsequently, the ship is outfitted with equipment and systems post launch, followed by trials of equipment. On completion of all trials and once the compartments are ready, the ship is delivered to customer. P17A ships shall be the most advanced state-of-the-art Guided Missile Frigates, 149 m long, with a displacement of approximately 6670 T and advanced CODOG Propulsion enabling speed of over 28 knots. These complex platforms are equipped with a powerful weapon and sensor package capable of neutralising threats in all three dimensions of Air, Surface and Sub-surface.

The project’s Stealth Frigates are being built using Integrated Construction Methodology with enhanced pre-outfitting to enhance quality and reduce build periods.

M/s Fincantieri, Italy is the Knowhow Provider for Technology Upgrade and Capability Enhancement in this project. An advanced PDM-PLM system is being implemented at GRSE to manage the project over its life cycle. Since its takeover by the Government in 1960, GRSE has delivered high end warships ranging from Fast Patrol Vessels, Survey Vessels, Landing Ship Tanks, Landing Craft Utility, Fleet Tanker to Frigates and Missile/ ASW Corvettes. The shipyard has made a significant advancement towards self-reliance in state-of-the-art warship design and construction and furthered ‘Atmanirbhar’ abhiyaan by achieving over 90 per cent indigenous content onboard ASW Corvettes and Landing Craft Utility ships.

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IN A BID TO EXPLORE POSSIBILITY OF BUYING; JINDAL STEEL, RUSSIAN USC

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ew Delhi. In a move aimed at possibility of buying the Gujaratbased Pipavav Shipyard of Anil Ambani Group’s Reliance Naval and Engineering Limited (R-Naval) by industrialist Navin Jindal’s Jindal Steel and Power Limited and Russian government-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation carried out an inspection of the shipyard.

The Jindals completed inspection of the naval shipyard during the last week of February, while a five-member team of the Russian government concluded its inspection on March 2, media reports quoting sources said.

R-Naval is undergoing process of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and

facing claims of over Rs 43,587 crore from several financial creditors, including the State Bank of India (Rs 1,965 crore), the Union Bank of India (Rs 1,556 crore) and the IDBI Bank (Rs 1,375 crore).

According to sources, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Ahmedabad,

in its order dated February 24, has granted an extension of 153 days (September 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021), owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, for the completion of the Resolution Process of R-Naval

by August 2021. In addition, the Resolution Process of R-Naval has extended the bids submission date for the fifth time, to March 15, 2021.

The extension of the insolvency process for Pipavav comes at the same time when a new bidder has entered the fray — Jindal Steel and

AFTER BHARAT FORGE, MAHINDRA; TATA GROUP SET TO RECEIVE CONTRACT FROM INDIAN ARMY TO DELIVER ARMOURED VEHICLES New Delhi. After Bharat Forge and Mahindra, the TATA Group is set to bag a contract from the Indian Army for heavy armoured protection vehicles for its soldiers deployed in key sectors.

Sources in the defence and security establishment said the programmes to ensure better mobility and protection to infantry soldiers started years ago. The Indian capability was seen wanting in Ladakh where the Chinese displayed greater mobility, inducting and de-inducting troops from frontline areas faster as they used different kinds of vehicles for the infantry.

“The vehicles not only provide protection to the soldiers but also help in faster induction and de-induction,” a source said. The Indian Army has now sped up the process for its own acquisition process. The first to hit off the ground were M4 armoured vehicles, of South African origin, which were tested in Ladakh during the standoff with China. Last month, the Ministry of Defence also signed a contract with Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd (MDSL) for a supply of 1,300 light specialist vehicles to the Indian Army, at a cost of Rs 1,056 crore.

Sources said there are two more programmes for procurement of special wheeled vehicles, one of which has TATA as the frontrunner. However, in terms of units, the numbers are less than 100 vehicles when combined together, the sources said. With the Army upgrading its mobility power,

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orders for 27 M4 armoured vehicles were placed in February with the Pune-based Bharat Forge of the Kalyani group, which has a tie-up with the South African firm Paramount Group.

The vehicles, a multi-role platform, designed to meet the requirements of the armed forces for quick mobility in rough terrain and in areas affected by mine and IED threats, are expensive as 27 of them cost Rs 177.95 crore. Meanwhile, the 1,300 light specialist vehicles that Mahindra is to deliver in the next four years are authorised to various fighting units for carriage of medium machine guns, automatic grenade launchers as well as antitank guided missiles. The Mahindra vehicles, in fact, beat a TATA platform to be selected.

“These vehicles are different from the M4 and are meant for specific operations. The Army is looking at different types of troop carrying wheeled vehicles which offer various grades of armoured protection,” another source in the defence establishment said.

Incidentally, certain specialised units of the Army have gone in for light strike vehicles (LSVs) from Force Motors that offer a lot of room for special operations as they can be air-dropped for operations deep inside enemy territory. While contracts are being signed now, the fact is that they are long pending programmes, a source explained.

INSPECT ANIL AMBANI GROUP’S GUJARAT-BASED PIPAVAV SHIPYARD

Power Limited, India’s thirdlargest producer of the alloy by market value. All potential bidders want assurances from the Defence Ministry and the Indian Navy, besides the Coast

Guard, that orders will be given to the new buyer in order to pay for their risk and investment.

It is learnt that the government is unwilling to

give any such assurance to any bidder, including the Russian government, saying the yard would have to follow established rules to competitively bid for the potential shipbuilding orders.

SCHIEBEL AWARDED NEW SERVICE PROVISION CONTRACT WITH EMSA Vienna. Schiebel has won another significant contract with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).

Schiebel, with its CAMCOPTER® S-100, is yet again one of the service providers for EMSA’s Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) operations carrying out ship emission monitoring and general maritime surveillance for EU member states.

The scope of this EUR 16.5 million framework contract includes monitoring the sulphur content of ships’ emissions to ensure compliance with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) sulphur emission limits from sea going vessels, as well as maritime situational awareness for coastal authorities.

This contract comes in addition to the one awarded in 2018 under which Schiebel provided EMSA and local authorities in Croatia and Finland with maritime surveillance services and which is still ongoing.

The CAMCOPTER® S-100 operates day and night and can carry multiple payloads with a combined weight of up to 50 kg. Due to its minimal footprint and size, it is ideally suited for maritime operations. Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group, said: “After successfully operating in the skies of Europe as

part of our first contract with EMSA, we’re very proud to have been chosen once again for providing RPAS services. It proves that our extensive experience, reliability and maturity – we have over 100,000 flight hours under our belt – remains unrivalled.”

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IN NEWS DRDO DEVELOPS ADVANCED CHAFF TECHNOLOGY TO SAFEGUARD NAVAL SHIPS FROM MISSILE ATTACK

New Delhi. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an Advanced Chaff Technology to safeguard the naval ships against enemy missile attack. Defence Laboratory Jodhpur (DLJ), a DRDO laboratory, has indigenously developed three variants of this critical technology namely Short Range Chaff Rocket (SRCR), Medium Range Chaff Rocket (MRCR) and Long Range Chaff Rocket (LRCR) meeting Indian Navy’s qualitative requirements. The successful development of Advanced Chaff Technology by DLJ is another step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. Recently, Indian Navy conducted trials of all three variants in the Arabian Sea on Indian Naval Ship and found the performance satisfactory.

Chaff is a passive expendable electronic countermeasure technology used worldwide to protect naval ships from enemy’s radar and Radio Frequency (RF) missile seekers.

The importance of this development lies in the fact that very less quantity of chaff material deployed in the air acts as decoy to deflect enemy’s missiles for safety of the ships. The DRDO has gained the expertise to meet the futuristic threats from adversaries.

The technology is being given to the industry for production in large quantities. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has congratulated DRDO, Indian Navy and Industry for the achievement. Secretary Department of Defence R&D & Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy appreciated the efforts of the teams involved in the indigenous development of this vital technology to safeguard Indian Naval Ships.

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IAF LOOKS TO LEASE 20 BASIC TRAINER AIRCRAFT THROUGH EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT ROUTE New Delhi. Indian Air Force is looking to lease at least 20 basic trainer aircraft (BTA) through the emergency procurement route approved by the government last year, reports said. The Air Force has already sent out a request for information (RFI) to global vendors in view of the shortage of trainer aircraft it is facing currently. The homegrown HTT-40 will be inducted into the service in the coming years. According to the RFI, while Indian companies would be given priority, global entities have been invited to participate in the competition as well. The RFI also specifies that the air force needs a trainer that can undertake four to six sorties a day for intensive training of pilots. The leasing company has to maintain the aircraft during the duration of service and provide a simulator for pilots as well. The RFI also adds that the aircraft would be used to impart training to the Air Force personnel for an initial period of three to four years, extendable in batches of two years. The Indian Air Force currently operates approximately 260 trainer aircraft, which include Pilatus PC-7 Mk-II, Kiran MkI/IA, and Hawk Mk-132 advanced jet trainer, according to the Ministry of Defence.

USE OF AI CAN BRING ENORMOUS CHANGES IN THE WAY WARS ARE FOUGHT: IAF CHIEF New Delhi. The use of artificial intelligence can bring enormous changes in the way wars are fought and the Indian Force has started looking at its applications in a range of areas, including training and threat monitoring, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said. The chief of air staff said his force is also looking at using artificial intelligence (AI) in areas of data and intelligence fusion, maintenance as well as in its decision support system.

“These are huge areas of focus for our immediate future,” he said at a FICCI seminar on use of AI for air warriors. Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria also urged the industry to work on developing various military applications of AI. “Smart technologies like AI have the potential to totally change the way we train and fight future wars. We are living through some interesting times,” he said. “It is the right time for all of us, the military operators, the industry, the think-tanks and all the AI specialists for creating next-generation AI enablers for air war,” the IAF chief said. He said it was time to plant a “robust tree” for development of AI in the country.

At the same time, he mentioned that different nations with different threat perceptions would have different requirements and this would have evolved over a period of time and experience. ACM Bhadauria elaborated that AI is being developed in multiple areas in the air domain to accrue diverse and asymmetrical operations benefits. He added that currently AI has not matured to an extent where completely autonomous missions can be executed. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been focusing on application of AI in the three services.

INDIA TO RECEIVE ANOTHER BATCH OF 8-9 RAFALE JETS BY MID-MAY TO COMPLETE FIRST SQUADRON OF FIGHTERS IN IAF New Delhi. India will receive another eight to nine Rafale jets from France by mid-May, with some expected later this month, completing the first squadron of the fighters in the Indian Air Force (IAF), according to a defence official. “The number of jets that will arrive in India by month end is being finalised. In all around eight-nine jets are expected by mid-May,” the official said.

With the inductions this month set to complete the first squadron, which currently has 14 jets, the IAF is all set to operationalise the second Rafale squadron at Hasimara in West Bengal later this month. Last September, the IAF inducted the batch of five Rafales of 36 jets contracted from France under a €7.87 billion Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) signed in September 2016 with 13 India Specific Enhancements (ISE). The first batch of five Rafale jets, three single seat and two twin seater trainers, were formally inducted into No. 17 ‘Golden Arrows’ squadron of the IAF

BOOSTING DOMESTIC DEFENCE PRODUCTION, DRDO OPENS UP MISSILE PRODUCTION FOR PRIVATE ENTITIES

last September at Ambala Air Force station. They arrived in India in July 2020 with a stopover at Al Dhafra airbase in United Arab Emirates (UAE).

During the first leg of the flight from Merignac airbase at Bordeaux in France to the UAE, the jets were accompanied by French Air Force mid-air refuellers. For the journey from UAE to India they were accompanied by IAF mid-air refuellers. The second batch of three Rafales arrived in India last November, also flying non-stop from France with three in-flight refuellings supported by French Air Force mid-air refuelling aircraft.

New Delhi. In a major development, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has given a green signal to the private sector entities to both develop and produce missile systems such as vertical launched surface to air missile systems programme. The move is slated to boost the indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem in the country and realise the ‘Make in India’ project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The initiative will enable the private sector industries to take part in the development of complex military systems for the nation. “Under the Development cum Production Partner (DCPP) programme, we have allowed the private sector to co-develop missile systems with us and then also produce them,” senior DRDO officials said.

INDIAN NAVY, COAST GUARD OFFICERS JOIN TO SERVE IN MARITIME RECONNAISSANCE AND ANTI-SUBMARINE WARFARE AIRCRAFT New Delhi. At an impressive Passing Out Parade held at INS Garuda, Kochi on April 5, 11 officers of the Indian Navy and two officers of the Indian Coast Guard graduated as Observers.

Rear Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) reviewed the parade and awarded the coveted ‘Golden Wings’ to the passing out officers. The officers of the 92th Regular were trained in air navigation, flying procedures, tactics employed in air warfare, anti-submarine warfare and exploitation of airborne avionic systems.

These officers would serve on-board Maritime Reconnaissance and Anti-Submarine Warfare aircraft of the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard. Lieutenant Ankush Kumar Yadav from the regular observer course was awarded the Uttar Pradesh Trophy on being adjudged ‘First in the Overall Order of Merit’ while ¬Lieutenant Ravinder Nain was awarded the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command Trophy for being adjudged ‘Best in Flying’. Assistant Commandant Ankur Singh Pawar was awarded Sub ¬Lieutenant RV Kunte memorial Book Prize on being adjudged ‘Best in Ground Subjects’. The occasion also had four officers of the Indian Navy graduating as Qualified Navigation Instructors (QNIs). The QNIs were trained at imparting instructional techniques on ground and during flying. They were provided in-depth knowledge of tactics and sensor exploitation. These officers would function as Qualified Navigation Instructors at Observer school before proceeding to take up operational assignments at various frontline naval air squadrons.

The successful QNIs were also awarded the ‘Instructor Torch’ by FOST.

GOVERNMENT SIGNS DEAL WITH MAHINDRA DEFENCE TO SUPPLY LSVS TO INDIAN ARMY New Delhi. In a boost to ‘Make in India’, Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd (MDSL) for supply of 1,300 Light Specialist Vehicles (LSVs) to the Indian Army, at a cost of Rs 1,056 crore, in New Delhi on March 22 with the induction of vehicles planned to be completed in four years.

The Light Specialist Vehicle is a modern fighting vehicle and will be authorised to various fighting units for carriage of Medium Machine Guns, Automatic Grenade Launchers as well as Anti-tank Guided Missiles. The Light Specialist Vehicle is indigenously designed and developed by MDSL. These combat vehicles are extremely agile with all round protection against small arms fire and will assist small independent detachments which are required to operate this weapon platform in the operational area.

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IN NEWS

INDIA-US SPECIAL FORCES CARRY OUT MILITARY DRILL IN HIMACHAL PRADESH New Delhi. Indian and American Special Forces carried out a joint military exercise at Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh in March to further enhance interoperability between the two sides, the defence ministry said. It was the 11th edition of the exercise ‘Vajra Prahar’ that is aimed at sharing best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics. “The 11th edition of Indo-US joint special forces exercise Vajra Prahar 2021 was conducted at Special Forces training school located at Bakloh, in Himachal Pradesh in March,” the defence ministry said. It said the exercise was aimed at improving interoperability between the special forces of the two countries.

The ministry, in a statement, said bilateral

military exercises and defence exchanges are an important facet of deepening bilateral defence cooperation between friendly countries.

“During such events, the armies of participating nations jointly train, plan and execute a series of operations for neutralisation of threats of varied nature with a common aim of countering threats of international terrorism through mutual training and jointness,” it said. India and the US carried out a two-day naval exercise in the eastern Indian Ocean Region on March 28 and 29. The Indian Navy

INDIA ENTERS A SELECT LEAGUE OF NATIONS, COMMISSIONS SECRETIVE NUCLEAR MISSILE TRACKING VESSEL New Delhi. India has commissioned its secretive nuclear missile tracking vessel that had been under construction since 2014, entering a select league of nations with the capability to monitor missile launches at long distances, enhancing the testing programme and adding a crucial part to a national missile defence system. Called the VC 11184, the specialised Ocean Surveillance Ship was commissioned in October last year in a ceremony that was not made public, sources said. The ship delivery was delayed by a few months due to the Covid-19 crisis but all tests and trails were cleared in 2020 to ensure it is ready to enter service. The ship will be operated by a joint crew of the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), the Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Indian Navy.

At present, only the US, France, China and Russia operate similar vessels that are used to track missile launches at sea. The vessel will be able to monitor India’s developmental trials of missiles of greater range than ever before — virtually unlimited due to its ability to traverse the oceans. Besides, it will have the ability to detect launches by adversaries like Pakistan and China, giving India an early warning capability. The 15,000 tonne ship, which has specialised surveillance systems of three dome-shaped antennas packed with sensors, has been extensively tested since 2018 by the joint team. The 15,000 tonne class vessel was initially constructed in a covered dry dock at the Hindustan Shipyard Ltd, the country’s largest, to keep roving satellites and spying attempts at bay. However, since 2018 the vessel has been docked in the open, with its large globe shaped radar placed on the aft giving a distinctive visibility to visitors at Vizag.

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deployed its warship Shivalik and long-range maritime patrol aircraft P8I in the ‘PASSEX’ exercise while the US Navy was represented by USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group.

LOOKING TO ACQUIRE, MALAYSIAN AIR FORCE TEAM TO VISIT INDIA SOON TO ASSESS FORCE’S SUITABILITY FOR LOCALLY-DEVELOPED LCA New Delhi. A Malaysian Air Force team is expected to visit India soon to assess the suitability of the light combat aircraft (LCA), a locally developed system that has recently been ordered in large numbers by the Indian Air Force (IAF), as the force looks to acquire new fighter jets. The Malaysian team is likely to visit Bengaluru within two months, depending on travel restrictions, and will be given a full tour of the LCA production facilities, test infrastructure as well as a demonstration of its combat potential, sources said.

They said the Indian LCA has emerged as a top contender for the Malaysian Air Force since it is being offered at cheaper rates than the Swedish Saab Gripen and is more modern and capable than the China-Pakistan origin JF 17.

India is offering the LCA Mk1A version, with a modern AESA radar, new avionics and the capability to integrate a variety of weapons, for the potential export order and is confident that the aircraft will be an ideal fit for the Malaysian requirement. The initial requirement is for 12 jets, with options for 24 more in the future, sources said.

Besides full support in training both ground and air personnel, India has offered to create a full maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility for the LCA fleet in Malaysia to ensure a high rate of availability.

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DELENG19655/F-2(R-6)Press2018

Vol 4, Issue 13, Apr-Jun 2021

vol. No. 4 issue 13

Role of R&D in Nation Building

april - june 2021

DRDO needs to solely focus on cutting-edge technologies in its R&D and contracting out production of packaged foods, clothing items, etc to private players

ICT & India’s National Security

Indo-Gulf Ties in Strategic Domain

CAATSA: A Silent Elephant in the Room

Nation’s Security to Shoulder upon Industry’s Mastery of ICT

West Asia-India Defense Relations in New Order with Renewed Intent

Penalising or Absolving India to be Penalised Not an Easy Task for US