China Reacts To India’s Deployment of M777 Howitzers on LAC, Says It Opposes ‘Arms Race’
China has reacted to India’s deployment of US origin M777 Ultra Light Howitzers on the Line of Actual Control, where the two sides have been locked in a military standoff since May last year.
China says it opposes any arms race in the disputed border
areas for the purpose of competition over control. The development comes after India
had deployed three regiments of 18 artillery guns of M777 howitzers on the LAC
to deter Chinese misadventure of the kind seen last year, when the People’s
Liberation Army had diverted a large number of troops and equipment to the
Indian border after an exercise.
As the Border Roads Organisation further takes the road
network to forward areas, India will be able to deploy our guns in more
locations. Due to their light weight, 155/52 milimeter caliber M777 howitzers
can be airlifted to frontline locations using helicopters, including the
Chinook heavy lift, tandem rotor helicopters of the Indian Airforce.
India approves procurement of additional Dhruv helicopters
India’s Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Defence
Minister Rajnath Singh, has approved the Indian Army’s procurement of an
additional 25 Dhruv Mk III Advanced Light Helicopters for INR 38.5 billion.
The approval was announced by the Ministry of Defence in New
Delhi on 29 September alongside the acquisition of munitions and other
unspecified defence items. The total value of these procurements is INR 131.65
billion, with 87% of this sourced from local industry.
The Ministry of Defence said the procurement of additional
twin engined Dhruv helicopters will constitute a squadron and will enhance the
Indian Army’s integral lift capability, indicating that the version to be
acquired is utility.
The army operates both utility and armed versions of the
helicopter, which is produced by state owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The
company has provided about 80 utility platforms to the Indian Army’s Army
Aviation Corps since 2011.
India Issues Fresh NOTAM for trial of sub-sonic cruise
missile
India has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for a launch of
an experimental flight vehicle in the Bay of Bengal for the period from 06 to 08
October 2021. DRDO also had issued same NOTAM in 23 to 25 June 2021 earlier
this year but no Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile ITCM test had taken place
after initial confusion over some media section reporting successful trial,
which was contradicted by DRDO.
If indeed, DRDO plans to test Nirbhay subsonic cruise
missile, it will be fitted with the indigenous 450 kgf thrust class Small Turbo
Fan Engine STFE. Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in 2020
had carried out fresh trials for the first time with the STFE engine but
decided to abort the trial a few minutes later due to problems in the booster
stage.
ITCM is upgraded Nirbhay variant that is long range sub sonic
cruise missile capable of deep penetration into adversary territory to strike
high value targets with precision. the missile, which travels at a speed of 0.7
Mach, has both terrain hugging and sea skimming capability that helps it avoid
detection and counter measures.
The United States Has Nothing Like China's GJ-11 Drone
A stealthy armed drone such as this, can carry and fire glide
bombs, or precision strike air to ground missiles may not yet have an
operational US equivalent, despite appearing to be modelled after several US stealthy
aircraft designs.
China plans to unveil an underneath look at the internal
weapons bay on its GJ-11 stealthy
attack drone, unmanned weaponised platform that first emerged at a Chinese
parade in 2019. The drone is a weapon possibly intended to rival or exceed the
US stealthy RQ-170 Sentinel or armed MQ-9 Reaper drones.
While initial images of the Chinese drone appear to be a
possible design “rip off” of several US platforms, available photographs only
show the top of the aircraft. The areas under the wings were not previously
visible, which led many to speculate about whether the drone had an internal
weapons bay.
Chinese newspaper specifically says the GJ-11 configuration
resembles a “flying wing design similar to the United States’ B2 strategic
bomber.
