India set to seal $3 billion Predator drone deal with US
India is set to finalise a long-conceived proposal to procure 30 multi mission armed Predator drones from the US for the three services at an estimated cost of over $3 billion (around 22,000 crore).
The proposal to acquire the MQ-9B long endurance drones,
armed with air to ground missiles, is likely to be cleared by the Defence
Acquisition Council in the next few weeks following which it will be placed
before the PM led Cabinet Committee on Security.
The sources said various key aspects of the procurement
including the cost component and weapons package have already been finalised
and the mega deal is set to be sealed with the US by the current fiscal.
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Indian Navy confident of positive response for third aircraft
carrier
The Indian Navy is confident of a positive response from the
government on its demand for a third aircraft carrier and the warship will be
designed to accommodate both fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles.
At present, India has only one aircraft carrier INS
Vikramaditya which is a Russian origin platform. Indigenously built aircraft
carrier INS Vikrant is expected to be fully operational by 2022.
Discussions on various aspects of the third aircraft carrier
were on and that its overall displacement may be brought down from the proposed
65,000 tons to bring down cost and time for its construction.
Navy is looking at various aspects of the project. Still Indian
Navy may not get approval for a third aircraft carrier anytime soon as the
priority is to bolster its submarine fleet.
China sends long range bomber to border with India
The People’s Liberation Army has deployed at least one long range
strategic H6K bomber to its borders with India in a move meant as a warning to
the Indian military not to escalate tensions over winter.
It’s very easy for the PLA to fly H6K Bombers to the China India
border, because the aircraft are stationed in Kashgar under the Western Theatre
Command.
With a combat range of more than 3,500 kilometers (2,200
miles), the H6K is designed to carry long range CJ-20 cruise missiles for
attacks on land and sea targets as well as short range missiles like the KD-63.
In response to the PLA deployment, the Indian Air Force sent
MiG-29UPG and Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets to their frontline airbases in Ladakh,
Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
Pakistani Military delegation meets LCA Tejas at Dubai
Visiting Delegation of Pakistan’s Aircraft Manufacturing
Factory and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra that is owned by Pakistan Air
Force visited and checked out the FOC LCA Tejas Mk1 jet (SP-22) that was part
of the Static Park display on the Tarmak at the ongoing Dubai Air Show 2021.
India has sent 3 LCA Tejas Mk1 aircraft out of which one has
been kept on Static Park display, while two were part of the flying display
team along with the Suryakiran and Sarang Helicopter Display Team of Indian Air
Force.
As part of the Security Protocol, Access near the aircraft
was given to greet and meet the Indian air force team present at the air show
but no access to the cockpit was allowed.
Can India work on Kaveri Powered Medium Range Stealth Bomber?
India’s premier defense research agency, DRDO has commenced
taxi trials of the Stealth Wing Flying Testbed (SWiFT) that will be a
technology demonstrator for the DRDO’s secretive program to create an unmanned
combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) that will be as big as an LCA Tejas.
SWiFT resembles B2 stealth bomber in layout as both have a
‘flying wing’ configuration. The flying wing configuration is a widely used
design in upcoming UCAVs and Long-range bombers due to its reduced radar cross section
as the design has no definite fuselage and its ability to carry more fuel and
weapons.
If a 1 ton SWIFT can be used as a base to develop a 13 to 14
tons UCAV same can also be used to further scale it to develop a 100 tons
manned stealth bomber that can be used to hunt for surface and sub surface
targets both over Sea and Land. 4X
Kaveri non afterburning turbofan engines generating 46kN of thrust each could
be ideal for cruising at Mach 0.95 at sea level and still have a Service
ceiling of 50,000 feet.
India doesn’t require very long range, large, heavy payload
stealth intercontinental strategic bombers like US B2 stealth bombers but one
that still can carry out strikes over 5000 to 6000 kilometers without the need
for aerial refuelling while carrying both conventional and nuclear payloads
should be enough to tackle threats in the region.
SWIFT, Stealth UCAV, and AMCA Program will provide a
necessary base to develop most of the complex technologies that are required to
master stealth and flying wing configuration that can be adapted for a larger
program like a stealth bomber project.
Bharat Dynamics Limited shows its Armed Quadcopter Drone at
Dubai Air show
Bharat Dynamics Limited participating in the ongoing Dubai
Air show 2021 has showcased an Armed Quadcopter Drone that can be used as swarm
drone to carry out saturated strikes over ground targets with 1kg bomb.
Drone has a 45 minutes hover time with no payload and 32 minutes
of hover time with payload of 1.5 kilograms. Drone has empty weight of 16.5 kg
and has maximum take-off weight of 17 kg.
