India, Russia to export BrahMos to mutually agreeable countries

     The governments of India and Russia have agreed that BrahMos missile will be exported to a list of mutually agreeable countries for defensive purposes. There is also a negative list to which exports are barred.

The missile has been showcased in several countries to apprise the potential customers of its capabilities. “If any country approaches us we will look into it on a case by case basis. BrahMos Aerospace has the production capacity, game plan and skilled labour to supply. I would like to state that we are ready and waiting. It is for the government of India to decide”, Sudhir Mishra, CEO and MD of BrahMos Corporation said on Wednesday.

Can India Emerge As A Top Global Military Power?

     

      A recent study by Britain's ministry of defence has predicted that India is likely to be among the top three military powers in the world by 2045, along with the US and China, with a projected defence outlay of $654 billion. Though India's military-industrial acumen is unlikely to surpass technological sophistication of the US by 2045, it may, along with China, rival it in terms of size. 

It is also likely to surpass Japan, Australia and South Korea (which will be ahead of other regional military powers) by developing sizeable and technically advanced armed forces, including ocean-going navies, capable of delivering an enduring and capable maritime presence both regionally and further afield, according to the study titled 'Global Strategic Trends - Out to 2045'.

Mistral Decision Coming Next Month

      French President François Hollande will decide in November whether France will go ahead with a delivery of the Mistral-class helicopter carrier to Russia, Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Tuesday.

Sources have said previously that a decision was expected in either late October or early November.

“In early September, the president said that if the political conditions did not change, he could not imagine authorizing a delivery,” Le Drian told journalists at the Euronaval trade show.

Nuclear power not the best option for China's next aircraft carrier

Want China Times

Chinese Navy's Liaoning aircraft carrier

Cao Weidong, a Chinese military expert told state-run Beijing Television that China should not build its first domestic aircraft carrier as a nuclear-powered vessel since the nation does not have the technology to operate it.

During the interview, Cao said that it is better for China to construct an aircraft carrier for the People's Liberation Army Navy with a displacement of 60,000 tons. Since a light aircraft carrier cannot carry as many aircraft, Cao suggested that China's new aircraft carrier should at least be a medium-sized vessel like the Liaoning, China's first carrier introduced from Ukraine. However, a medium-size carrier can only carry 30 aircraft on board.

Airbus Defence teams with Tata for Indian Air Force bid

Flightglobal

Airbus C-295

     Airbus Defence and Space has announced it is teaming up with Tata Advanced Systems to bid to replace the Indian air force’s ageing fleet of small tactical transport aircraft with the Airbus C295 twin-turboprop medium airlifter. The main competitor is for the bid is Alenia Aermacchi with its C27J Spartan.

If the C295 were to be chosen for the contract, Tata Advanced Systems would be the Indian production agency for the project, which entails replacing a fleet of 56 severely ageing British Aerospace Avro 748s.

China's Mysterious J-31 to debut at Zhuhai air show next month

Want China Times

Chinese Shenyang J-31 Gyrfalcon Stealth Fighter

China's mysterious J-31 fighter jet will make its long-awaited debut at the annual China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai on Nov. 11, reports our Chinese-language sister paper Want Daily.

The J-31, also known as "Gyrfalcon," or Falcon Hawk by some military enthusiasts, is a twin-engine, mid-size fifth-generation jet fighter currently under development by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. The jet is said to be even more mysterious than the J-20, the fellow fifth-generation fighter being developed by the Chengdu Aerospace Corporation.

British Forces Hand Over Control of Last Base in Afghanistan

     British forces Sunday handed over formal control of their last base in Afghanistan to Afghan troops, ending combat operations in the country after 13 years which cost hundreds of lives.

The Union Jack was lowered at Camp Bastion in the southern province of Helmand, while the Stars and Stripes came down at the adjacent Camp Leatherneck — the last US Marine base in the country.

Israel Positions Itself To Boost Satellite Business

    
 After silently settling what many here have characterized as the most potentially damaging lawsuit in Israeli aerospace history, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has taken full control of ImageSat International (ISI), a company it created to stimulate satellite business, but ended up as a renegade, aspiring rival.

The merger of ISI into the corporate portfolio of state-owned IAI aims to revitalize Israel’s remote sensing sector and fuel export sales after a decade of edge-eroding industrial infighting.

Nirbhay Cruise Missile : Fearlessly taking India to new heights

Deccan Herald

Nirbhay long range subsonic cruise missile

     The successful launch of India’s first long range subsonic cruise missile Nirbhay is an important landmark in the country’s missile development history. 

It is expected to fill a vital gap between supersonic cruise missiles and long range ballistic missiles in the country’s war fighting capabilities. It has long been in development and the success now comes after a failure when it was launched for the first time in March 2013. The missile had then strayed off its course and failed to hit the pres-designated target. But this time, it was a complete success with the missile flying along 15 pre-determined points on its 1,000 km course in the Bay of Bengal and maintaining an accuracy of 10 metre in the entire path. 

Airbus may partner Tatas for manufacturing defence transport aircraft in India

   TNN

Airbus C-295 AEW&C

     European aeronautics giant Airbus is likely to tie up with the India's Tata group to manufacture transport planes for the defence sector, sources familiar with the development told TOI.

The planned partnership is likely to mark the first big-ticket entry after the Narendra Modi government raised the FDI limit in defence production to 49% from 26% to boost domestic manufacturing and reduce outgo of foreign exchange.

The proposed entry of Airbus in partnership with the Tatas puts at rest doubts that were expressed when the sector was opened up. The government had faced criticism for not allowing majority control for foreign partners and there was an apprehension that global majors might stay away.

India Air Force has plans to replace its Avros aircraft, and the Airbus-Tata combine is one among several groups that are expected to bid for the contract. An email sent to a Tata Sons spokesperson did not elicit any response.

Several Indian companies ranging from Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries to the Mahindras and Bharat Forge have entered the defence industry but the Tata Group seems to have taken an early lead in a segment hitherto dominated by imports.

The government has embarked on a "Make in India" campaign to ensure that the country emerges as a global hub for low-cost quality manufacturing; the defence sector is a key element in this strategy.

In August the Union cabinet approved raising the FDI in the sensitive defence sector and opened up railway infrastructure to foreign firms. The cabinet had also decided that FDI beyond 49% would be allowed in state-of-the art defence equipment manufacturing, with technology transfer under Indian control and management.

Technically, this means 100% FDI is allowed, but sources said this has been the position since 2002. As a safeguard, the Cabinet Committee on Security will approve such proposals. Sources also said that FDI up to 24% would be allowed via the automatic route.

Headquartered in Toulouse, Airbus has had close links with India, a key market for planes, for a while now. In 1988, Airbus struck a deal with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the Indian PSU to manufacture passenger doors for the A320 aircraft. In addition, Airbus India Engineering in Bangalore employs 350 local engineers working in engineering design and innovation activities; the number working directly or indirectly on Airbus programmes has reached some 5,000 Indian jobs, according to the company's website.

Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, is the strategic aerospace and defence arm of the Tata group. It has a tie-up with US helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky.

US Army Explores Its Armored Vehicle Options

Defense News 

M2A3 Bradley IFV

    Nearly a year after the US Army canceled the Ground Combat Vehicle, officials defended the program as on-budget and called the decision to scuttle it a pragmatic move to improve further-along armored vehicle programs with available money.

On Tuesday, Brig. Gen David Bassett, commander PEO Ground Combat Systems, noted that the Future Fighting Vehicle (FFV) program, a follow-on to the GCV, is largely a science-and-technology development effort, meant to help the Army explore its options while it pursues various engineering-change proposals for its existing armored vehicles.

US Military Girds for More 'Unconventional Warfare'

      

      The US military must prepare for murky, undeclared wars in which foreign entities use proxy insurgencies against established governments, typified by Russia and Iran, US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) writes in a new white paper.

The paper, “Counter Unconventional Warfare,” describes how US rivals are employing unconventional warfare (UW) — the external sponsorship of insurgent and separatist movements — and argues for a comprehensive joint, inter-agency, intergovernmental and multinational [JIIM] strategy that applies “political, economic, military and psychological pressure,” with a prominent role for US special operations forces.

Selex, Raytheon Compete To Supply IFF System to UK

Defense News

      Raytheon UK and Selex ES are going head-to-head to supply a new identification friend-or-foe (IFF) system for the British military, the Ministry of Defence announced.

The two companies have each been awarded £5.1 million (US $8.2 million) assessment phase contracts to provide the new NATO-mandated Mode 5 IFF system for British military aircraft, warships and battlefield vehicles.

Britain to speed up Typhoon upgrade for Iraq campaign

Telegraph

EurofighterTyphoon and C-27J Spartan

     The Ministry of Defence is speeding up plans to upgrade the RAF’s Typhoon jets with precision missiles in case they are one day needed to bomb Isil fighters in Iraq.

Defence sources said Britain’s role in the unexpected campaign against Islamist militants had exposed a shortage of ground attack jets which will only get worse as the RAF’s ageing Tornado planes retire.

Why India needs to rethink the Rafale deal

Russia India Report

Fighter planes fall into two categories – the hunters and the hunted. The French are pitching their Rafale as the dogfight duke that is the crème de la crème of jet fighters. But the Russian side disagrees. Alexander Kadakin, Russia's ambassador in India, says Chinese-made Sukhoi-27s would be able to swat the Rafales like “mosquitoes on an August night.”

At this point it’s pointless to deliver the verdict on which aircraft is superior. The Rafale is a largely unknown commodity in aviation circles. Like most French fighters, it is most likely an unassuming, unspectacular but honest aircraft.

China could nuke India from Tibet: Russia

    Want China Times

     After India declared plans to construct a road in the disputed region of Northern Arunachal Pradesh near the Chinese border, the Voice of Russia, a Moscow-based radio broadcasting service, said that Beijing is capable of launching a full scale nuclear strike against New Delhi from Tibet.

     India spent US$7 billion for the construction of a road in northern Arunachal Pradesh state. Due to its proximity to the Chinese border, check points will be established along the road using the most advanced equipment. Meanwhile, India also decided to increase the number of troops stationed in the border region next to China.

Embraer rolls out KC-390 military transport aircraft in Brazil amid huge fanfare

The first completed prototype of the Embraer KC-390 military transport aircraft 
rolled out of the company’s Gavião Peixoto, Brazil, production facility on 21 October.

Saab nears Gripen contract with Brazil

    

Saab Gripen

      Saab is on track to sign a contract with Brazil to provide its air force with
 the Gripen NG multirole fighter, following the nation's selection of the type for
 a 36-aircraft purchase in December 2013.

Speaking on 23 October, chief executive Håkan Buskhe said an agreement 
should be signed “in the near future”.

“The negotiations with Brazil regarding Gripen NG (Gripen E/F) move forward
 according to plan, and the ambition is to reach an agreement in the near future,”
 Buskhe states, as part of the Swedish company's year-to-date financial results 
release.

China to be UAV market leader in 10 years

Want China Times

China will become the world's largest manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles within the next decade, according to a report from Russia's Military-Industrial Courier.

Citing industry analysts, the report also said Chinese arms dealers will account for about half the world's UAV market by that time as well.

China has made major strides in UAV research and development over the last 10 years. While the domestic aviation industry is still imitating western products it has also begun developing it's own unique drones, the report also said.

US-Led Strikes Kill More Than 500 Militants in Syria

USN F/A-18 Hornet

US-led airstrikes in Syria were reported Thursday to have killed more than 500 jihadists in a month, as Kurdish fighters readied to reinforce the embattled border town of Kobane.

An AFP correspondent across the frontier in Turkey reported fierce clashes and fresh air raids in Kobane, with heavy gun and mortar fire rocking its western side in the evening.

The Islamic State (IS) group, which on June 29 declared a “caliphate” over territory it seized in Iraq and Syria, was on Thursday described as the world’s wealthiest “terror” group, earning $1 million a day from oil sales alone.

China’s Submarines Add Nuclear-Strike Capability, Altering Strategic Balance

Chinese Nuclear Submarine

One Sunday morning last December, China’s defense ministry summoned military attachés from several embassies to its monolithic Beijing headquarters.

To the foreigners’ surprise, the Chinese said that one of their nuclear-powered submarines would soon pass through the Strait of Malacca, a passage between Malaysia and Indonesia that carries much of world trade, say people briefed on the meeting.

Second Chinese aircraft carrier to be completed in 6 years

China is capable of completing construction on its first Type 001A aircraft carrier within just six years according to Kanwa Defense Review, a military magazine operated by Andrei Chang, a military analyst in Canada who is also known as Pinkov.

To celebrate the Liaoning's second year of service with the People's Liberation Army Navy, the Sina Military Network based in Beijing displayed photos of the ship.

India to double border outposts, use drones in Arunachal Pradesh to check aggressive China

NEW DELHI: Though much of the border trouble vis-a-vis China has been visible in Leh-Ladakh region recently, it is the Arunachal Pradesh border which is most vulnerable because of its terrain and lack of infrastructure. In view of this, home minister Rajnath Singh on Friday announced that ITBP border outposts (BoPs) in Arunachal would be more than doubled and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) deployed for effective surveillance.

This would eventually result in infusion of close to 10 more battalions (around 10,000 soldiers) in the region, considerably increasing the presence of Indian forces in Arunachal. Singh also announced sanction of Rs 175 crore for repair and maintenance of border infrastructure in the state.

India clears Defence Projects of Worth Rs. 80,000 Cr

French Scorpene SSK Submarine

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Arun Jaitley led Defence Acquistion Council on Saturday gave approval to the defence procurements of worth Rs. 80,000 crore.

Major long pending proposals have just seen the light with the defence ministry giving clear signal to the navy’s Project 75 India i.e construction of six new submarines with the cost of approximately Rs. 50,000 crore.

India picks Israel's Spike anti-tank missile over U.S. Javelin

Israeli Spike ATGM

US Javelin ATGM

India has opted to buy Israel's Spike anti-tank guided missile, a defence ministry source said on Saturday, rejecting a rival U.S. offer of Javelin missiles that Washington had lobbied hard to win.

India will buy at least 8,000 Spike missiles and more than 300 launchers in a deal worth 32 billion rupees ($525 million), the source said after a meeting of India's Defence Acquisition Council.

India: Israel's Next Major Military Ally?

India's Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is set to make a high-level visit to Israel next month, in the first Home Minister visit since a 2000 trip that began resurgent bilateral ties - the visit comes after India last month approved a $144 million missile purchase from Israel.

Singh, whose position is roughly parallel to Internal Security Minister, is to meet Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on November 6 as part of a four-day trip with senior officials, Indian diplomatic sources told the Times of India on Thursday.

India, Singapore can consider warship-building venture

SINGAPORE: Singapore and India should consider exploring the untapped potential of cooperation in naval ship building, an expert from an Indian naval think-tank said here today. 

There are excellent opportunities for the two countries to jointly build warships in India, given Singapore's technological and design expertise and the low production costs in India, particularly in terms of labour and raw-material, said Captain Gurpreet S Khurana, who is the Executive Director of the National Maritime Foundation in New Delhi. 

India may accept Vietnam's South China Sea offer

New Delhi: Ahead of the visit of Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to India next week, India on Friday indicated that it is open to accepting Vietnam’s offer, if found commercially viable, of participation in additional oil blocks in the South China Sea, despite Chinese concerns.

Asked if China’s concern on India’s presence in the South China Sea will be an impediment in the country accepting Vietnam’s offer of additional oil blocks to it, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, “Vietnam has offered some oil blocks in the South China Sea.

China to build second aircraft carrier at Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard

Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning

China will soon start building its second locally designed aircraft carrier in Shanghai, according to a Canadian report.

Kanwa Asian Defence, an English-language monthly defence review produced in Toronto, said Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard was preparing to start work on the carrier. When completed, the carrier and another under construction in Dalian will give the PLA Navy two fully functioning, battle-ready aircraft carriers. The recently completed Liaoning, the refitted former Soviet carrier Varyag, is classed as a training platform, not a full combat vessel, by the navy, since it went into service in September 2012.

Details emerge on India's super-secret OSS project

IHS Janes

          Details are slowly coming to light of the mystery Indian Navy (IN) vessel being built under the secretive Ocean Surveillance Ship (OSS) project at the Ministry of Defence-owned Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL).

           IHS Jane's understands that the OSS project is managed by the Indian Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in a similar manner to the Arihant nuclear submarine project. 

           The layout of the ship - a long open deck with space for several tracking antennae aft of the forward superstructure - suggests it could be a ballistic missile tracking ship operated by the IN for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

China to build airfield on Fiery Cross Reef

To further project its power into the disputed South China Sea, China has decided to build an airfield on Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratlys after its land reclamation program according to the state-run China NewsWeek.

The Chinese foreign ministry claims China has a right to conduct any activity in its own territory and the People's Liberation Army has stated that countries like the Philippines and Vietnam, rival claimants to the island group along with Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia, do not have any right to comment regarding the construction. The magazine stated that the land reclamation program on Fiery Cross Reef, which China calls Yongshu Reef, indicates that China is constructing a new airfield as a forward base for the PLA Navy and Air Force.

Mystery Deepens Over Reported Russian Sub in Sweden

STOCKHOLM — Mystery deepened Sunday over a Swedish military operation triggered by “foreign underwater activity” off the coast of Stockholm, amid an unconfirmed report of a hunt for a damaged Russian submarine.

Late Saturday, Swedish armed forces stepped up an operation — involving more than 200 men, stealth ships, minesweepers and helicopters — in an area about 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of the Swedish capital. The manuevers were initiated Friday after the armed forces said they had been informed of a “man made object” in the water.

Officials denied they were “submarine hunting,” calling the mobilization — one of the biggest, barring purely training exercises, since the Cold War — an “intelligence operation.”

Russia also denied on Sunday that any of its submarines were involved.

China's PLA building fleet of 100 large transport aircraft

China is building a fleet of a hundred large transport aircraft that will be able to deploy troops all around the world, according to a Russian military expert.

In an article published Oct. 16 on the Russian Council website, Vasily Kashin, a China expert at the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies in Moscow, says that the People's Liberation Army hopes to complete the project by 2020.

To reach that goal, China is in the process of acquiring Il-76 multi-purpose four-engine strategic airlifters and Il-78 four-engined aerial refueling tankers from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, and is also developing its own Xian Y-20 large military transport aircraft.

Indian Government gives go-ahead to 4 strategic rail lines along China border

The Indian government has kick-started the process of building four top-priority strategic railway lines along the China border — a project that had been stuck in deliberations for years for want of a political decision at the highest level. 

Last week, at a high-level meeting with officials from the Planning Commission, Defence, Railways and Finance ministries, the PMO finally asked the Railways to carry out detailed engineering survey of the 1,000-odd kilometres of lines identified by the Defence Ministry as strategically crucial. They are in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, and J&K.

The Railways has been given time till next month to come up with a cost of the detailed survey, which will be borne by the government (Defence/Finance). Sources said the cost of the engineering survey could be around Rs 200 crore.

India to ground its entire Sukhoi Su-30MKI fleet after crash

Two Sukhoi Su-30 MKIs refuelling from IL-78 tanker

India has grounded its entire Sukhoi-30 fleet after a recent crash because it doesn’t want to put its pilots in harm’s way.

The fighters have not flown for a week after a Su-30 MKI of the Indian Air Force crashed near Pune, raising questions about the safety record of the fighter.

With the IAF operating close to 200 twin-engine Su-30s, the grounded planes represent almost a third of the country’s fighter fleet. India is due to get 72 more of these planes, each worth over Rs. 200 crore.

The IAF is down to 34 combat squadrons, as against an authorised strength of 44. Each squadron has up to 18 fighter planes.

Taiwan building own Aegis fleet to take on China: report

Taiwan intends to build its own fleet of warships and frigates equipped with the powerful Aegis Combat System over the next 15 years, reports Hong Kong-magazine Yazhou Zhoukan.

The fleet, which will be developed domestically, will include four 6,000-tonne Aegis-equipped warships and another 10-15 2,000-tonne Aegis-equipped guided missile frigates, the report said.

The project, which was initially abandoned back in 1995, has reportedly been reactivated due to lower costs and concerns over the the significant improvements made to the People's Liberation Army Navy, including the introduction of its own aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, as well as larger, heavier and more powerful vessels. As a result, the ROC Navy is said to be determined to be become more flexible and make strides in speed, technology, stealth capabilities, missile launch capabilities and reconnaisance speed.

PLA may transfer 100,000 soldiers to Xinjiang: report

The Chinese government may transfer 100,000 People's Liberation Army soldiers to northwestern China's restive Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region to prevent ongoing violence from spiraling out of control, claims the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights & Democracy.

Analysts at the center predict that ethnic violence in Xinjiang will be one of the focal points of the ongoing fourth plenum of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party later this month.China's state media has so far only stated that the central theme of the plenum is rule of law, though there are reports that other major issues are the status of former security and oil tsar Zhou Yongkang, who was officially nabbed for corruption in July, as well as a potential personnel reshuffle at the top levels of the Central Military Commission.

New-generation nuclear-powered missile destroyer under development in Russia

MOSCOW, October 21. /TASS/. Russia’s Defense Ministry has approved the technical design specification for the Leader class destroyers, a high-ranking source in the ministry told TASS on Tuesday.

The destroyer’s nuclear-powered and gas turbine versions are planned. He said there was no clarity yet concerning the weapons, but the new ship will be most likely equipped with the Caliber high-precision cruise missile system and the S-500 antiaircraft defense system.

“The Leader technical design specification prepared by the Navy command has been signed by the Defense Ministry leadership that approved the engineering design for two versions of the destroyer — nuclear-powered and gas turbine,” the source said.

US, Japan to bolster space cooperation over Chinese threat

The US and Japan will boost military cooperation in space to counteract China’s growing capability to shoot down satellites, a leading Japanese daily reports. The plan follows recent moves to increase space-based intelligence sharing between the states.

The plan comes as part of the revised Guidelines for Japan-US Defense Cooperation, due to be published by the end of the year, Asahi Shimbun reported on Wednesday.

The plan will fundamentally alter Japan’s previous commitment to the peaceful utilization of space, and put an end to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) only monitoring Japanese space satellites.