Netra Airborne Warning and Control System Block 2 program cleared
The Cabinet Committee on Security on Wednesday approved Netra AEW&C Block 2 program on Six Airbus 319 aircraft to be provided by the state-owned Air India developed by the DRDO under an Rs 11,000 crore project. Six Airbus 319 aircraft would be modified to fly with a radar that will give 300-degree surveillance capability to the defense forces with Airbus Defence and Space as the prime contractor for the conversion of this aircraft.
DRDO will soon be issuing tender as a formality before a deal
is sealed with Airbus Military, and already a joint team of Airbus-IAF has
identified six aircraft candidates from the fleet of 19 owned by Air India that
will soon move to an Airbus A319 facility in Germany where these commercial
airliners go through final assembly. idrw.org has been told main areas of
modification are removing of standard avionics, seating arrangements and
addition of military communications, and a defensive aids suite.
Netra AEW&C Block 2 will use DRDO’s latest AESA (Active
electronically scanned array) radars that utilize Gallium Nitride that comes
with improved detection and tracking performance and better cooling of the main
radar unit. Block 2 will also be equipped with DRDO developed a synthetic
aperture radar (SAR) as a secondary sensor to create high-resolution images
that will also be used for imaging stationary ships and small vessels, coastal
and overland surveillance.
Weather radar located on the nose cone of the A319 will be
replaced by a derivate of UTTAM-based AESA Radar to provide additional frontal
radar coverage. Block 2 will also feature Wideband Global satellite
communications (SATCOM) system and will also be equipped with secure
communication systems to support operations under and beyond the line of sight
(LOS / BLOS) conditions.
Airbus Military will be in charge of the conversion and
certification of the aircraft so that it can fly international routes if and
when required for military deployments. Airbus Military will deliver the first
aircraft in the next two years to the DRDO that will then start equipping it
with radars and sensors in India before developmental trials of the aircraft
will start in the next 4 years.
ALUAV: What are we developing with Americans?
India and the US have signed an agreement for cooperation in
the development of Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (ALUAV) under the
framework of the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) by Air Force
Research Laboratory, Indian Air Force, and Defence Research and Development
Organisation.
While both countries have not shared much of the details of
what ALUAV they plan to develop jointly but it is speculated that it will be
the development of smaller disposable swarming drones launched from canisters
by fighter aircraft that could be used on the battlefield.
The second speculation is that it will be a much bigger drone
relatively low-cost unmanned aircraft that can be launched from a “mothership”
transport aircraft and then be recovered by the mothership after their mission
is complete. A jet-powered drone that can be launched from the rotary weapons
bays of the C-130 is equipped with a docking cable and a crane-like recovery
arm.
ALUAV drones will act as a potential line-of-sight
communications link in environments where radios could be jammed, as well as
sensor platforms for surveillance and targeting. India has developed swarm
drones and already four companies have developed them, India is also working on
air-launched swarm drone technology so it seems it will be C-130 Air-Launched
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle that has been pursued with the US air force.
All Hands on Deck: GRSE and Naval Group of France Tie Up to
Make Surface Ships in India
In a development that some analysts
have termed a step towards transitioning from ‘Make in India’ to ‘Make from
India’, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd, (GRSE), a Miniratna
(Category 1) defence PSU and a leading warship-building company, signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Thursday with Naval Group of France, a
leader in the European maritime defence industry. The two firms will
collaborate in the field of surface ships that will cater to the requirements
of India and international naval forces.
Under the administrative control of
the defence ministry, GRSE primarily attends to the shipbuilding needs of the Indian
Navy and the Indian Coast Guard. The MoU was signed for GRSE by its director of
personnel Commodore PR Hari (retd). Under the agreement, the two entities will
collaborate and engage to offer high-end surface ships based on the sea-proven
Gowind design developed for the export market. Having built over 100 warships
for Indian and foreign naval forces, GRSE will work closely with French and
Indian industries.
The pact also seeks to leverage the
capabilities of both firms for meeting the growing requirements of the
shipbuilding industry and offer a robust world-class product, utilising the
state-of-the-art capabilities of both the organisations. This blend of modern
technology, innovation and management of resources by Indian and French naval
industrial leaders will be a real value proposition for international navies,
officials say.
Highlighting the importance of the
collaboration Rear Admiral VK Saxena (retd), chairman and managing director of
GRSE, said, “Our association with Naval Group of France aims to set a new
benchmark in capitalising the export market in the Indo-Pacific region. The
partnership will set new ground for surface shipbuilding using design and
technology assistance from Naval Group. This will not only bring mutual benefit
to both the nations but also enable GRSE to deliver surface ships to Friendly
Foreign Countries in line with our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of ‘SAGAR’.”
On the occasion of the inking of
the MoU, Alain Guillou, senior executive vice president of international development,
Naval Group, congratulated the teams. “This extension of cooperation with GRSE,
with whom we had worked for the propulsion system of Kamorta Class ASW
Corvettes, clearly highlights our long-term investment in India and emphasises
the potential of strategic relations between France & India in the
Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
INS Dhruv: India gets
its first nuclear missile tracking ship today. Details here
In what comes as a significant
boost to the country’s naval power, India is all set to launch its first
satellite and ballistic missile tracking ship Dhruv on Friday. The 10,000-tonne
vessel will be commissioned from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh in the
presence of senior officials from the Indian Navy, the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO), and the National Technical Research
Organisation (NTRO), among others. INS Dhruv lies at the heart of India’s
future anti-ballistic capabilities and the ship will play a key role in
advancing the country’s presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
INS Dhruv, the latest addition to
the Indian Navy’s arsenal, was built by the Hindustan Shipyard in collaboration
with the DRDO and NTRO. The ship is equipped with multiple features that make
it a state-of-the-art instrument in modern naval warfare.
Here’s a look at some
of the features of INS Dhruv:
INS Dhruv: A key contender in
anti-ballistic warfare INS Dhruv, with its anti-ballistic missile capabilities,
will act as an early warning system for enemy missiles headed towards Indian
cities and military establishments.
Dhruv also possesses a
state-of-the-art active scanned array radar (AESA), developed by the DRDO,
which will enable it to scan various spectrums and monitor spy satellites
watching over India, as well as monitor missile tests in the entire region.
Dhruv is India’s first naval vessel
that is capable of tracking nuclear missiles at a long range, which assumes a
special significance with an increasing threat of nuclear ballistic warfare in
the Indo-Pacific region.
In addition to these, INS Dhruv is
also equipped with the capability to map ocean beds for research and detection
of enemy submarines.
IAF inducts Barak 8 air
defence system that can hit multiple targets 70km away
The Indian Air Force on Thursday
inducted a medium range surface-to-air-missile (MRSAM) system capable of
knocking out aerial threats such as enemy fighter jets, missiles, helicopters
and unmanned aerial vehicles at a range of 70 km. Defence minister Rajnath
Singh described the capability as a “game changer” in air defence.
India and Israel have jointly
developed MRSAM or the Barak 8 air defence system that includes advanced radar,
command and control systems, and mobile launchers. The missile is powered by a
locally-developed rocket motor and control system for high manoeuvrability in
the terminal phase.
“With the handing over of the MRSAM
system to IAF, we have taken a giant leap towards achieving ‘Atmanirbhar
Bharat’ (self-reliant India). The MRSAM will prove to be a game changer in air
defence,” Singh said at the induction ceremony in Jaisalmer.
The system has been developed
jointly by the Israel Aerospace Industries and the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO). Other firms involved in the project include
Israeli firm Rafael, Bharat Electronics Limited, Bharat Dynamics Limited and
Larsen & Toubro.
DRDO chief G Satheesh Reddy handed
over the first firing unit of the system to IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS
Bhadauria in Singh’s presence.
“The system is capable of hitting
multiple targets simultaneously up to a range of 70 km, even in bad weather.
Its success in a string of stringent tests is a proof of its reliability,” the
defence minister said.
A naval version of the MRSAM is
already deployed on a few Indian warships to boost their anti-air warfare
capabilities. The army too has placed orders for the MRSAM but it has not yet
inducted the system. India and Israel have inked separate deals worth around $3
billion over the last four years for advanced surface-to-air missile systems
for the three services.
“The MRSAM system was long-awaited.
Its induction now will boost the IAF’s air defence capability significantly.
The impending arrival of the S-400 missile defence systems from Russia will
make those capabilities even more formidable,” said Air Vice Marshal Manmohan
Bahadur (retd), former additional director general, Centre for Air Power
Studies.
India is set to soon begin
induction of the S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems ordered from Russia
in October 2018. New Delhi has placed orders for five such missile systems
capable of destroying a variety of aerial threats, including enemy fighter jets
and missiles, at a range of 400 km, and expects the first deliveries by the
year-end.
Singh said MRSAM was one of the
best missile systems available globally and the project highlighted the close
partnership between Indian and Israel in the defence sector. The minister said
the MRSAM project strengthened the defence industrial bases of both India and
Israel, and was “a win-win situation” for both countries. It has also led to
the creation of new test facilities and other infrastructure in the country, he
said.
Israel has been among India’s top
three arms suppliers during the last five years, according to a report
published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) in
March 2021. India’s top three arms suppliers during 2016-20 were Russia
(accounting for 49% of India’s imports), France (18%) and Israel (13%).
Singh said geo-political changes
impacted trade, economy, power politics and the security scenario. “In such a
situation, strengthening our security and self-reliance has become a necessity,
not an achievement.”
The minister said the global
scenario was transforming very fast. “Equations between countries are also
changing rapidly according to their interests. Whether it is the South China
Sea, Indian Ocean Region, Indo-Pacific or Central Asia, uncertainty can be seen
everywhere,” Singh said.
The MRSAM induction ceremony took
place after Singh and minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari
jointly inaugurated an emergency landing facility for the IAF on the
Satta-Gandhav stretch of NH-925A near Barmer. The two ministers also witnessed
aircraft operations on the new landing facility, which supports landing of all
aircraft in the air force’s fighter and transport fleets.
