Indian Army News and Discussion

[aaaditya]

hey guys,great news here,bharat electricals limited is to manufacture israeli designed medium ranged night vision devices for the indian army.

here check out this link and article:

http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/feb232007/national2247222007222.asp

Within six months of receiving the Navratna status, Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) is likely to enter in a joint venture with Israeli major, Elop, for manufacturing medium range night vision devices.

Meant for infantry soldiers, these devices will enable soldiers to see clearly in the night up to a distance of one to three km. The demand for such indigenous devices is increasing among the paramilitary forces too.

Though a MoU with the Israeli firm was inked during the recently concluded Air Show in Bangalore, the details of the joint venture and business plans would be worked out in the next six months, BEL’s chairman and MD V V R Sastry told Deccan Herald here.

The Bangalore-based defence PSU will spruce up its research centres in Bangalore and Ghaziabad as well as the manufacturing plants in Machhlipatnam for joint development and production of these devices. BEL’s joint ventrue is first of its kind as earlier ones were only technology transfer from foreign vendors.

Night vision devices, currently available in the market, can be categorised into two groups. The better ones capable of maintaining a vigil up to a distance of 10 km require to be kept in an artificially cooled environment while the one that works in room temperature can see only up to a distance of 1.5 km.

“The one, to be developed in the JV, will have a range of one-three km. This will fill in the gap for a medium range night vision device,” Mr Sastry said.

Elop is a subsidiary of Elbit, an Israeli firm that specialises in optics and electronics.

Asked about the quanta of investment and production targets, Mr. Sastry refused to divulge the details.



Pact with Boeing

Opening up more business avenues, BEL is about to sign an agreement with Boeing for contract manufacturing and offset implementation for the global aviation major. Boeing is one of the companies eyeing the much-awaited order from Indian Air Force to procure 126 multi role fighter aircrafts.

If Boeing gets the deal, the US company will need to plough back 30 per cent of the roughly six billion dollar deal as defence offset for encouraging the domestic manufacturing sector. In such a case, BEL will be a major beneficiary. Also, BEL intends to take up contract manufacturing assignments from Boeing.

“The deal would have been inked during the air show. But our lawyers could not meet then. The discussions are now going on and the deal will be signed soon,” Mr Sastry said. The company has also established relationships with global players like Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin.

The company that expects a turnover of approximately Rs 4,000 crore in 2006-07, presented a cheque of Rs 24,27,58,400 towards interim dividend for the current fiscal to Defence Minister A K Antony here on Wednesday.

 

[aaaditya]

hey guys,great news here,india's defence research and development organisation in a joint collaboration with the reva private electric car manufacturer is to develop a series of fuel cell vehicles for use by the indian army and border security forces .

here check out this link :

http://www.fuelcellsworks.com/Supppage6947.html

 

[aaaditya]

hey guys,great news here,finmeccanica of italy and bharat electronics limited of india are to jointly develop for the indian army, these radios are known as the tetra.

here check out this link and article:

http://rfdesign.com/military_defense_electronics/news/indian_army_radios_0228/

Italy's Finmeccanica and India's Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) have signed an agreement to produce Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) standard secure radio systems for the Indian Army. TETRA is a digital trunked mobile radio standard conceived by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute for use by military, security and emergency services. The standard was designed to enable radio terminals built by one manufacturer to function with infrastructure built by another.
TETRA can broadcast encrypted voice and data that enable group communications and also functions in the event of network congestion.
Finmeccanica's unit, Selex Communications, will transfer technology to BEL for production of the radios in India, with around 100 systems to be built in the next three years under the contract that is expected to reach a total of several hundred systems with a value of 200 million euros ($263 million).
The Indian sale follows on the heels of the Italian government order in which the Italian Interior Ministry signed a 260 million euro contract in December to buy TETRA-standard radios for Italy's police and security forces, in the first installment of an expected 3 billion euro program.
Finmeccanica also signed a memorandum of understanding this month with Indian state-owned engineering company Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.(BHEL) in Mumbai for the development of radar systems. In the past, BHEL has produced naval gun turrets for the Indian Navy and coast guard under license from Finmeccanica unit Oto Melara. Finmeccanica and BEL are also exploring the possibility of licensed production of large caliber gun mounts for warships.

 

[Turk]

Mil Mi-28 because India use to Russian weapons if they buy US weapons it can cost more and they have got some disadvantages like some logistics...

 

[aaaditya]

Mil Mi-28 because India use to Russian weapons if they buy US weapons it can cost more and they have got some disadvantages like some logistics...

india has no interest in the mi28n havoc,they were offered the ka50 by russia but havent decided yet,they upgraded their mi32's with israeli assistance and are currently developing the indigenous 5.5 ton lch,the lch is believed to be in the same class as the eurocopter tiger and incorporates a degree of stealth.

 

[aaaditya]

hey guys,interesting news article here,seems that hezbollah is satisfied with the indian peace keaping force in the palestine region and want them to take a greater action.

here check out this link and article:

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200703121756.htm


New Delhi, March. 12 (PTI): Lebanese movement Hezbollah today lauded the Indian Army deployed as UN peacekeepers in the southern part of that country and said it looks forward to New Delhi's political and diplomatic support to the Lebanese and Palestinian people.
"The role of the Indian army deployed as part of UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon is very positive and it has no problem with the people and Hezbollah," Hezbollah spokesperson Ali Fayyad said here.
"We decided and we still deal positively with the international forces deployed in southern Lebanon," Fayyad said, adding "Hezbollah fully complied with the UN resolution 1701 despite knowing that the resolution is biased and against the Lebanese people."
"We are looking for more co-operation and more political and diplomatic support from India to the people of Palestine and Lebanon," Fayyad, who was here to participate in a three-day conference on West Asia, told PTI on the sidelines of the conference.
Fayyad also dismissed the US allegation that Hezbollah is training the Iraqi Shi'ite militias and said "We don't have any relation with Iraqi parties and our role is in Lebanon only. We refuse to make any influence in other countries".
He accused America of leading the world towards chaos and violence, and destabilising Lebanon and said there was no civil war in his country.
During the three-day conference, academics and political activists including those from Hamas and Hezbollah and Arab leaders will express their views and opinions over the region's crisis and its possible solution.

 

[aaaditya]

hey guys,great news here ,indian army has invited bids for the acquisition of tactical communication systems.

here check out this link and article,it also gives valuable information regarding the indian army's efforts to modernise its communication networks:

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=2600965&C=navwar

India will issue a request for proposals in two months to acquire a tactical communication system (TCS) to link theater command areas with deployed troops.
The Indian Army is on a global hunt to acquire the $500 million system by 2012 in three phases.
The request is to be issued to several Indian and foreign defense companies, a Defence Ministry official said. The domestic companies include Bharat Electronics, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro Infotech, Tata Power, Electronic Corp. of India and Indian Telephone Industries.
The foreign companies to be invited include Thales and Alcatel, both of France; EADS and Siemens, both of Germany; Elbit of Israel; Singapore Technologies of Singapore; Sweden’s Ericsson; and U.S. firm General Dynamics.
“The Tactical Communication System, or TCS, will be the Indian Army’s futuristic backbone for a digitized battlefield communication network facilitating the communication application from the theater command areas to the troops deployed up the forward areas,” the Indian Defence Ministry official said.
The project will use a variety of communication applications, including wired or wireless equipment supporting voice, video, data, fax and other value-added services.
Net-centric Aspirations
TCS is part of the Army’s quest to build a network-centric warfare system, a service official said.
Last year, the Indian Army launched the Army Static Switched Communication Network, called Mercury Thunder — a digital, fully automated, secure and survivable static communication system based on microwave radio, fiber-optic cable, satellite and millimeter-wave communications equipment.
The TCS architecture will comprise secure radios, satellite terminal systems and fiber-optic links, and will have modern protection systems against electronic jamming threats, the Army official said.
The system will be linked with smart antenna systems to support its transmission systems and will be tied to several Army surveillance and intelligence-gathering systems, including the aerostat radar and several unmanned aerial vehicles.
The TCS project is to be completed in five years under three phases. Phase I will be done by the original equipment manufacturer, and Phases 2 and 3 will be handled by the offset partner, which could be any Indian state-owned or private-sector defense company
As part of their ongoing program to establish network-centric warfare systems, the Indian defense forces are inducting various state-of-the-art communication networks like the Integrated Air Command, Control and Communication System (IACCCS) and Delhi Area Defence Centre (DADC). These network-centric systems will use fiber-optics and satellite links for efficient battlefield integration of Army, Air Force and Navy command centers.
Under the IACCCS program, the Air Force will integrate air command, control and communication systems and modernize the existing Air Defence Ground Environment System communications network using fiber-optic media, state-of-the-art radar and communication systems, the Defence Ministry official said.
Under the program, instant feeds can be received from satellites, radar, unmanned aerial vehicles and the airborne warning and control system aircraft to be inducted this year.
In the future, even space-based assets like satellites and surveillance systems will be integrated into the network-centric systems under development, the ministry official added.
The DADC is another air defense system being installed to connect various assets of the Army to defend strategic installations around the capital, Delhi.
Military tactics in the future will depend on how quickly Army commanders can process the information available to them from various sources, and TCS is an advanced battlefield communication system, the Army official said. •

 

[aaaditya]

hey guys,interesting news here,indian army is to close down the army run dairy farms in bangalore.

here check out this link and article:

http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/15/stories/2007031500120400.htm


Bangalore: In yet another move to make the Army lean and mean, the 180-acre Hebbal Military Farm and the 483-acre Agram Military Farm are being disbanded. The closing of the two farms that supply milk and butter to Defence personnel and their families stationed in Bangalore, will also free up space for Defence establishments that have in recent years either been moved to the city or have been formed here.
Confirming the closure of the farms to The Hindu, Commander of the Karnataka and Kerala Sub Area Brigadier Clement Samuel said that it was cheaper to procure diary products in the market rather than maintain specialised and dedicated farms.
While the Hebbal farm has been home to milch cattle, the milk chilling and diary products processing units are at Agram. Fodder is grown at the Agram Military Farm.
The Hebbal farm will become home to the Pioneer Corp Training Centre. The Corp has been moved out of its location in Bangalore after the Parachute Regiment Training Centre was moved from Agra. The Agram farm is likely to house the Army Software Development Centre, now at Mhow, and also a Naval unit.

 

[aaaditya]

hey guys,great news here ,the indian army's advice on the bell 407 shen and the eurocopter helicopters after the completion of the trials has been accepted by the governement of india.

here check out this link and article:

http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?rep=2&aid=360292&sid=NAT&ssid=

Army`s advice on Bell-407, Eurocopter accepted New Delhi, March 16: The trials of the Bell-407 and Eurocopter helicopters have been completed and the defence ministry has accepted the Indian Army`s recommendations on the two machines, parliament was informed Thursday.

"The government has received a trial report of Bell-407 and Eurocopter AS 350 B3 helicopter to be incorporated in the Indian Army," Defence Minister A.K. Antony said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

"The trials have been completed and the general staff evaluation of the trial report approved by the Indian Army has been accepted by the ministry of defence," he added.

There was no indication which machine had got the nod.

Informed sources said the details would be revealed only after negotiations between New Delhi and Washington were concluded, as the sale would be governed under the US law on foreign military sales.

The Indian Army has projected a requirement for a helicopter that can carry loads of up to 75 kg heights of 23,000 feet on the Siachen Glacier in Jammu and Kashmir. Flying at these heights poses unique challenges due to the rarefied atmosphere. The 197 helicopters the army proposes to purchase are meant to replace it`s ageing fleet of Chetaks and Cheetahs, some of which were inducted more than three decades ago.

The army, which had issued its request for information (RFI) in 1999, had shortlisted the Bell-407 and the Eurocopter in its request for proposal.

The two machines underwent a series of extensive trials in the Siachen Glacier and the deserts of Rajasthan, where they will primarily be deployed.

According to an official, the army wants to buy 60 helicopters outright with the remaining 137 being licensed manufactured by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

 

[aaaditya]

hey guys,check out this interesting article,it contains detailed information on the positive role being played by the indian army in the south lebanon.

here is the link:

http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20070326&fname=Lebanon+(F)&sid=1

 

[aaaditya]

hey guys,great news here,the indian army has completed the field trials of the 155mm towed artillery guns.

here check out this link and article:

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/002200703160334.htm

Trials of 155-mm towed-guns complete: Antony

New Delhi, March 16 (PTI): Without specifying the choice, the Government on Thursday said that trials of 155 MM towed-guns had been completed.
This information was given by Defence Minister, A K Antony, to the Lok Sabha in reply to a question.
The Swedish SWS Defence Bofors and Israeli Soltam guns are in contention for Indian Army's project to acquire 400 upgraded 155MM .52 calibre guns at an estimated price of $ 4 billion.
Emphasising that the modernisation of the Corps of Artillery was an on-going process, the Minister said "this will be carried out strictly in accordance with the Defence Procurement Procedure as applicable from time to time."
"Induction of equipment is done only after ensuring compliance with the above procedures," Antony told the House. The Indian Army has held an unprecedented four rounds of trials for the selection of the towed guns between 2002 and 2007, but political controversy seems to have bogged down the acquisition of the guns badly needed by it.

 

[Superczar]

www. bharat-rakshak. com/NEWS/newsrf.php?newsid=8417

Foreign technical know-how demanded for Arjun tanks

New Delhi, March 18: Even seven years after it was cleared for serial production, the country's main battle tank Arjun is yet to pass Army user trials and now recommendations have been made to DRDO to seek foreign tie-ups to overcome shortcomings in the tanks.

Army had put out requirement of 3,500 new tanks for its strike and armoured formations and with the induction of 300 T-90 tanks and upgradation of about 700 T-72 tanks, it is still far short of the mark.

Though the Army has given the nod for 300 more upgraded T-90 tanks to be built at the heavy vehicle factory at Avadi near Chennai, under technology transfer, the remaining Army tank rolls had to be filled by the Mbt Arjun.

Taking exception to what it labelled as "inordinate delay" in induction of these tanks, the parliamentary standing committee on defence has recommended that to remove any flaw or snag, the DRDO should take foreign help.

"The Ministry of Defence should think seriously as how to comply Arjun's requirements in a time-bound manner with the help of private industry-- joint ventureship or otherwise," the high-level committee said in its latest report just tabled in Parliament.

For the past one year, the Army and DRDO have been saying that Arjun would undergo comparative trails against Russian Mbt's T-90 and T-72m, but the exercise is yet to take off.

The committee in its report censured the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) saying it had failed the country in efforts to make it self-reliant in weapons systems and platforms and called for its total revamp by making it accountable through independent performance audits.

"It is perturbing," the committee said, adding "though the government accorded clearance for an indigenous MBT Arjun in May 1974, even after the lapse of 32 years, DRDO could not execute the mission."

"Inordinate delay has escalated the original cost of the MBT project from Rs 15.50 crore in 1974 to Rs 306 crore in 2005," it said, noting "yet no tank in service for all this money".

Army has serious reservation on the tank saying its large silhouette makes it a "sitting duck" in a tank to tank confrontation. Chief of Army Staff Gen J J Singh has said that Army could use the tank in different role in subsidiary sectors of confrontation.

Out of the 124 tanks ordered for production by the government, only 15 tanks have so far been built by the Avadi plant and only five have been given to armoured formations for trials.

While Arjun has been face teething problems, the country's main adversary Pakistan has produced and inducted the MBT al Khalid and Chinese Red Army has already produced fourth of the series of MBTs.

DRDO officials try to make light of the defects claiming that Arjun is far superior to both T-90 and upgraded T-72 tanks boasting of a second generation thermal imager to give it capability to engage targets at 2,500 metres.

"The tank has now been made capable of firing homing anti-tank Lahat missiles from its gun barrel, a capability which only T-90 has," the officials said.

While Pakistan has secured orders for export of al Khalid tanks to Persian Gulf and Arab states, the DRDO is saying that MBT Arjun has a good potential of exports to some "African countries".

They say the entire bulk of 124 tanks would be produced in 2008, but as per figures placed before the Defence Ministry, the Indian tank, priced at Rs 17.20 crore, is proving to be far costlier option than Russian T-90 tanks which the Army is currently buying for just Rs 12 crore a piece.

But for the Army, Arjun seems to be poser as the tank weighs 60 tons compared to 50-ton T-90 and T-72 tanks.

DRDO officials said once they get the Army nod, the heavy vehicle factory could roll out 50 tanks a year by 2009 and they are saying that initial snags could be rectified when future version of Arjun rolls out.

What a crappy report, Israeli help isnt enough?
Arjun is a sitting duck? with mobility more than T90 and Groundpressure less than T90?

IIRC there are over 30/40 tanks in service, You have pictures in google on Arjun in 5 numbers rolling out of Avadi factory in 2004, January DRDO newsletter CLEARLY states Arjun passed all Trials and Production "with each batch being trialed" is going on.

Problems like Fuel/Power injection was solved.
BMS systems has been added, many spin offs has gone to other tank upgrades.
Ammo turret cooling system from General Dynamics of Israel is there in Arjun as well, which is in Abrams?

I have been told the armoured corps of Army has serious issues, they previously have changed the specs of Arjun 5 to 6 times...

There might be a problem with production line but it is being sorted out as we speak.
Lets hope for the best of all 124 rolling out, so that the MK2 gets go ahead with ERA, Third gen CIT etc etc.

 

[aaaditya]

hey guys,great news here ,the indian governement will invest upto 25% in private sector for defence related design and development purposes.

here check out this link and article:

http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/21/stories/2007032102161500.htm

Government will invest for design, development of products


Applicants must have a Rs. 1,000-crore turnover
A few companies have made presentations
BANGALORE: The Government of India might shortly enter into financial collaborations with the private sector in defence equipment manufacture.
Its investment will primarily be for the design and development of defence products that will be jointly developed, and could amount to a maximum of 25 per cent of the developmental costs.
The Government's financial stake will ensure product quality and assured orders from the armed forces. But the investments will be restricted to manufacturing companies that are listed as `Raksha Udyog Ratnas' (RURs), or "Champions."
According to N.R. Mohanty, former chairman and managing director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and the Independent Technical Expert on the Defence Ministry's committee that is selecting companies that are to be given the RUR status, the list of such companies could be out as early as April.
Mr. Mohanty said: "Applications have been invited from the companies that have a Rs. 1,000-crore turnover and a capital outlay of Rs. 100 crore. A few companies have made presentations before the committee; some have also been visited (by Engineers India Limited who are providing the requisite technical support) for verification."
Once on the RUR list, a company will be able to compete on a par with public sector enterprises (PSEs) or other RURs for lucrative contracts such as undertaking licence production with transfer of technology from overseas sources and involve in prestigious development projects.
The RUR list could have giants such as Larson and Turbo, Tatas, Reliance, Mahindra & Mahindra and others that have the technical and financial competence to build fighter aircraft, tanks or warships.
Those PSEs, which are not in defence production, but keen on getting into it, could also apply for the RUR status.
Mr. Mohanty disagreed that defence PSEs would be at a disadvantage vis-à-vis their private sector competitors. "This will enhance competition and efficiency in the defence PSEs."
According to Mr. Mohanty, the decision to go in for RURs would not only enlarge the country's technical base, but also create employment and wealth to small and medium enterprises.
"Becoming an RUR naturally means more global business opportunities," he said.
Once recognised as an RUR, a company would enjoy the status for five years, with the possibility of a three-year renewal.
The genesis for RURs stems from the Government's Defence Procurement Policy 2006, under which in a bid to strengthen self-reliance in defence preparedness, it had constituted the Vijay Kelkar Committee "to examine and recommend changes in the acquisition process in order to synergise the efforts of various stakeholders, improve the prospects of indigenous production and to utilise the resources available both in the public and private sector". The Kelkar Committee had in turn recommended that tier-I industries may be identified and systematically encouraged to contribute in defence production, eventually becoming system integrators of large weapon systems and producers of platforms that are required by India's defence forces.

 

[aaaditya]

hey guys,interesting news here, it seems that the indian army has re-tendered its requirement for 155mm/52 caliber self propelled and field howitzers,this deal is estimated to be worth atleast 9 billion dollars ,and will include besides the original companies(bofors and soltam),the french caesar and the south korean k9 also the us m109 howitzers.

here check out this link and article:

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070405/asp/nation/story_7607631.asp

New Delhi, April 4: India has reopened an artillery competition for global armament manufacturers for an order that could be worth more than Rs 15,000 crore.
The defence ministry has re-floated two global tenders — called Requests for Proposals (RFP) — inviting bids from 12 makers of 155mm/52 calibre self-propelled guns, a source told The Telegraph here today.
This signals the beginning of a fresh round of big-ticket defence procurements for Indian military orders running into billions of dollars. An RFP for 126 multi-role combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force (for an order that may run upwards of $9 billion) was expected by March 31. It is now said to be likely in June.
The self-propelled guns — to be mounted on truck or tank chassis — are part of an artillery modernisation programme that also includes towed guns.
An RFP for the towed guns of the same calibre is also likely to be re-floated shortly because Bofors had emerged as the single vendor for the towed gun. The Bofors gun — currently a product of Bae Systems Land and Armaments Division — is also competing for the self-propelled version.
The first of the tenders is for wheeled guns — for which an RFP was floated in early March. It was sent to makers and prospective competitors.
The second tender was floated last fortnight for tracked guns.
The source said the offers would be evaluated in accordance with the new procurement policy. A small number of guns would be bought off the shelf — the effort is to get them by 2008.
The defence ministry will assess the offers for not just the price quoted at face value, but also for the licensed production arrangements, spares support and spin-offs (offsets) for domestic industry.
The defence ministry re-floated the tenders after the cabinet committee on security concluded that:
a) A single-vendor situation must be avoided (as with Bofors for the towed artillery)
b) There have been technological developments in heavy artillery in the five years since the first tender
c) The defence procurement policy has been revised
d) The standards for the selection of the guns also needs to be revised
e) Denel, the South African gun maker, that had emerged as the single vendor for the tracked version, was blacklisted in 2005 on another deal involving anti-materiel guns.
Among the competitors in the fray are many of the original bidders — such as Bofors and Soltam of Israel but also new entrants like K-9 of South Korea. The US was also nudging the Indian defence establishment to try out its Paladin M109A that was studied by the Indian Army during the 2003 war on Iraq.
Bofors is likely to compete for the order with a variant of its FH 77B mounted on a 6X6 wheeled Volvo truck chassis. Israel’s Soltam had offered the Atmos 2000 last time and claimed that it could be mounted on a 6X6 Tatra truck that is manufactured by the public sector Bharat Earth Movers Limited.
France’s Nexter (originally called Giat) is likely to bid with the Caesar GCT AUF1. The army chief, General Joginder Jaswant Singh, is understood to have been given a demonstration of the gun during a visit to France last year.
The decision to re-float the tenders conforms to policy and is also politically convenient to the Congress-led UPA government. Only last month, the Bofors controversy re-surfaced with the detention of Ottavio Quattrocchi — suspected of being the middleman in a 1997 deal — in Argentina.
The wheeled guns would be mounted on truck chassis. The tracked guns would be mounted on caterpillar tracks — like those of a tank. The Indian Army proposes to initially buy 180 tracked and 220 wheeled systems.
The two RFPs have been issued after the General Standard Quality Requirements were revised. The guns will be evaluated on the basis of performance in extremes of climate and terrain — in Rajasthan and Ladakh — and their performance for target acquisition, firing rate, command and communication will be assessed. Among the other bidders in the fray are likely to be Kerametal of Slovakia, now a division of Rheinmetall with its Zuzana howitzer.​

 

[oskarm]

Huta Stalowa Wola is going to parcitpace in this tender with its Krab SPH. More info/tech data/photos about Krab:
http://www.hsw.pl/eng/s_krab_p.php
http://www.hsw.pl/eng/pobierz/kateng.pdf (11.7MB)

 

[Waylander]

Any reason why the PzH2000 is not in the race? Too expensive?

 

[aaaditya]

Any reason why the PzH2000 is not in the race? Too expensive?

yes ,it is considered to be the most expensive of all the artillery guns,however i believe that it would be the best option for the arjun platform,though i dont know wether it is available as only a turret to be incorporated on the arjun chasis or as a complete system including the leopard chasis which would make it extremely expensive.

remember india plans to acquire atleast 6000 155mm howitzers in the long run ,including a mixture of field and self propelled howitzers.

 

[Waylander]

The PzH2000 doesn't use a Leo II chassis it has its own. But when I consider that we out aa PzH2000 turret onto a MLRS chassis or onto a shipt (F124) I don't think it would be huge problem.

 

[kams]

Indian Army selects Eurocopter's AS 550 C3

New Delhi, April 8 (IANS) Eurocopter has won the Indian Army's much-awaited deal for 197 modern light helicopters, estimated at around US$ 550 million.

According to a report in the latest issue of India Strategic magazine on defence and foreign affairs, the army chose Eurocopter's AS 550 C3 Fennec over the Bell Helicopter's Bell 407 after trials in hot, humid and high altitude conditions in Rajasthan, Punjab and Kashmir, including in Siachen - the Himalayan battlefield between Indian and Pakistani forces.


The new machines will replace the old and aged 1970s generation Chetak and Cheetah helicopters of the Indian Army, which has an appropriate plan to modernize and expand its Army Aviation Corps (AAC) in line with current and future rapid mobility battlefield requirements.


Eurocopter will supply 60 helicopters in a fly-away condition, made at its plants in France and Germany, while the remaining 137 will be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at its Bangalore facility.


Company sources told India Strategic that it would take three years to supply the Made in Europe lot, but that assembly lines would be set up simultaneously at HAL to facilitate their manufacture in India under Transfer of Technology (ToT).


Eurocopter also has the obligation to invest 30 percent of the deal back in the Indian defence industry under the now mandatory offset clause, a brainchild of Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt.


Commercial negotiations between Eurocopter, a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS) company, and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) are slated to begin this month to fine-tune the deal as also to work out the weapons and electronic warfare package. A formal contract would be signed then.


The cost of weapons and other systems would be extra.

Good to hear that this long pending acquisition plan is finalized. I was bit surprised to read that Bell 407 lost the competition though.

Link

 

[aaaditya]

hey guys,great news here,the indian army has recieved 14 additional arjun mark1 main battle tanks.

here check out this link and article:

http://www.hindu.com/2007/05/13/stories/2007051301111000.htm

Fourteen Arjun main battle tanks delivered to the Army

Special Correspondent
They are to be put on reliability analysis in deserts

In 2000, Army had placed orders for 124 Arjun tanks
"Accuracy of weapon system proved beyond doubt"

[SIZE=-2]PHOTO: K. V. SRINIVASAN [/SIZE]

INDIGENOUS: Demonstration of the main battle tank Arjun at Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment at Avadi near Chennai on Saturday.

CHENNAI: The first batch of 14 Arjun MBTs (Main Battle Tanks), the Defence Research and Development Organisation's flagship weapons system, has been delivered to the Army and they are to be put on reliability analysis in Rajasthan deserts this June.
Talking to reporters, who visited the Combat Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) of the DRDO here on Saturday, S. Sundaresh, Director, said that in 2000 the Army had placed orders for 124 Arjun tanks, enough to equip two regiments.
Rs. 50-cr. facility

The CVRDE established a Rs. 50-crore facility here to complete delivery of the entire consignment to the Army by July 2009. "We, however, are keen to get orders for another batch of at least 124 MBTs to put the facility to its optimum use," said R. Jayakumar, Additional Director, CVRDE.
Earlier, Mr. Sundaresh said Arjun underwent exhaustive field trials before the Army placed the orders. Thermal imaging for nigh-time warfare, high acceleration, mobility and hydro gas suspension were some of the significant features of the totally indigenous Arjun, comparable to all tanks of its class in the world.
Factory's progress

Highlighting the performance of the factory, Mr. Sundaresh said noteworthy progress had been made in armoured patrol car, armoured recovery vehicle, self-propelled medium artillery gun and bridge layer tanks. Scientists were working on missile firing capability, advance air defence gun, automatic target tracking and stealth technology such as unmanned drones, which detect and clear mines.
Mr. Jayakumar said Arjun was the most tested battle tank in the world, as it had clocked 70,000 km, in addition to about 10,000 trial firings. Major General H.M. Singh, Additional Director in charge of trial and evaluation, said last year's user field trial report had certified that the accuracy and consistency of the weapon system was proved beyond doubt. R. Shankar, Director of Combat Vehicles, DRDO headquarters at New Delhi, said a total of 27 tanks — 15 pre-production and 12 prototype — were produced with a budget outlay of a "paltry" Rs. 300 crore. Arjun was the cheapest tank in its class, he said, adding the CVRDE was ready to supply the system to friendly nations if the Government takes a policy decision.