CATEGORIES

Stealth Tactics And Utilisation

It is unlikely that stealth fighters will replace fourth generation fighters in the future. More likely, stealth and fourth generation fighters will team up to present the adversary a formidable challenge, using technologies and tactics that are still evolving

South Korea Gets Big In India, To Help HSL Build Ships

Following the recent MoU between India and South Korea for Korean help in building 5 Fleet Support Ships at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) Visakhapatnam, and an earlier tie up between L&T and South Korea’s Techwin for collaborative manufacture of 155mm guns for the Indian Army, South Korea’s profile as an Indian defence partner is on the rise. A deal on building minesweepers at Goa Shipyard is likely

Multiple 'Plan B' Options For Growing India's Submarine Fleet

The delay in formulating guidelines for selecting and working with a Strategic Partner under the Defence Procurement Policy has frustrated the Indian Navy’s desire to augment its submarine fleet, to meet the emerging threat scenario. The good news is that the MoD has other options for procuring submarines - government to government contract, or an additional order on Mazagon Docks for AIP equipped Scorpenes

'Made In India' Small Arms

PUNJ LLOYD gets its defence business right in small arms, and has made a smart move along with Israel Weapons Industries to launch into defence manufacturing for products that already have a huge market in India

India Overhauls Policy Towards Sri Lanka

Tamil Nadu politics no longer determines New Delhi’s ties with Colombo and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has highlighted the common Buddhist linkage to woo the majority Sinhalese,

Enhancing Defence Manufacturing Capability In India

What ails the process of enhancing Defence Manufacturing capability in India? That is a serious question that needs to be answered since the government is keen to ensure that the ‘Make in India’ programme is a success.

Global Arms Industry From Hi-Tech To Lo-Tech

The international arms industry is now globalised. Gone are the days when a country could engage in techno-nationalism and build a weapons system purely at home—with the exception of a few nations like the US, Russia, China, and France. Instead, countries either collaborate to build systems or include a range of components from other nations. Considering this phenomenon, Indian defence production has to be broken into three categories: that which cannot be imported, that which can be assembled and co-produced in India, and that which can realistically be made in India.

I Am Now Like A Bania; No More Mufth Things To The OFB

Having obtained his BE (Hons) in Electronics & Communication Engineering from University of Madras and M.Tech in Microwaves and Radar Engineering from IIT, Kharagpur and Ph.D in Antennae and Measurement Techniques from IIT, Madras, DR. S CHRISTOPHER has been one of the most distinguished scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in the field of missiles and Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS). He was heading the Bengalurubased Centre for Airborne Systems before being appointed in May 2015 as the Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO. He spoke to PRAKASH NANDA about the changes in the work culture of the DRDO and its many success stories to dispel the common impression that the organisation was marked by lethargy and ineptitude. Excerpts from the interview:

Defence Acquisitions Wanted: A Paradigm Shift

While a recent internal report of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) points to the structural and procedural inadequacies in the acquisition process of defence items, it will be unrealistic to expect any structural improvements in the near future, especially if the ministry continues to follow the past practice of merely tinkering with the existing disjointed system built around the capital acquisition wing. This approach is unlikely to achieve much as this wing is not even in complete charge of the entire procurement process. This needs to change.

A Fresh Start

The Saras light aircraft programme has received a fresh impetus.

Remote Surveillance

India’s requirements for unmanned aerial vehicles and remotely piloted aircraft is growing at a rapid pace.

Boeing's Sees Growth In The Defence Services Business For India

Providing services and support capabilities is a significant growth area for Boeing in India and the company’s new Global Services business is working with the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy to provide training and support of Boeing platforms.

Meandering Road To India's Aircraft Carrier Plans

India’s plans for a formidable aircraft carrier fleet is at present in the realm of uncertainty. The Indian government is having second thoughts over the huge cost it may have to incur if it decides to go in for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier for the future. Geopolitics looks at the current processes and tries to make sense of it.

Air Defence: Countering A Deadly Threat to Warships

Indian Navy is pursuing a project for Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (SR-SAM) to fill the gaps in its capability and has found a boost in the recent months.

Giant On The Move

The emergence of Tata Aerospace and Defence could change the face of India’s defence industry.

Being Realistic On Strategic Partnerships And Technology Transfer

The real problem with India’s OFB and DPSUs should not be seen in terms of their “indigenisation” efforts, which, under the terms of their contracts, seem to be quite good, but rather in the excessive delays and cost overruns associated with manufacturing inefficiency as well as poor quality control which makes the foreign partners uneasy, writes SANJAY BADRI-MAHARAJ

Alternative Narrative To The BRI For India

Multiple connectivity projects, through land, water, and air, with South East Asia, Central Asia and Africa could be a fitting response for India to China’s aggressive Belt and Road Initiative, argues BALADAS GHOSHAL

India And Japan In Africa

ABHISHEK MISHRA explains how due to complementarities in Japan and India’s development cooperation approaches and their blossoming strategic convergences, both are exploring the possibilities of trilateral cooperation with the continent of Africa

Big Challenge Of Non-Traditional Threats

The Indian state has slowly evolved and is yet imperfect but nonetheless has viable capability to deal with low level casualties that might be caused by either a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack or by a non-state actor or an incident caused either by accident or by deliberate action at a nuclear or chemical facility. There are, however, significant deficiencies in its response mechanisms that need urgent attention, writes SANJAY BADRI-MAHARAJ

Selecting The Police Chief

The latest Supreme Court directive on the appointment of Police Chiefs in the States by bringing the “neutral” Union Public Service Commission in the picture is an attempt at minimising the political interference in the selection, argues AJAY K MEHRA

The New Brahmos: Faster, Stealthier, Deadlier

Envisioned as a more versatile and lighter variant of the deadly BrahMos missile, the BrahMos – Next Generation will enhance India’s offensive capabilities on a variety of battlefield platforms.

Indian Carriers: Are They Good Enough?

The emphasis on aircraft carriers can only be one part of the Indian Navy’s modernisation efforts. It requires a large and modern submarine fleet that can engage in successful sea denial to China and Pakistan, launch attacks on Pakistani land-based assets using cruise missiles, and be the essential part of a secondstrike capability for India’s nuclear force, argues AMIT GUPTA

Military Diplomacy Mantra: Love Thy Neighbour

After China, India is Asia's fastest growing military power this Century. That is an acknowledged fact. India has, in the last decade, astutely built its security ties with the US, also widening its basket beyond Russia to look for arms and defence systems to transform its 13.1 million military into ‘lean and mean’ fighting force. But, it quickly needs to address its defence diplomacy issues with its neighbourhood, even as it aspires to be permanently on the high table at the United Nations (UN).

Indian Navy's LPD - Procurement Picks Pace

Bracing itself for a possible "out of area" operations, the need for the Landing Platform Docks (LPD) has been projected and the process has restarted to build indigenously. It might take a while for the capability to be part of the Indian Navy's repertoire, but when it does, this is one capability that most of India's enemies would fear. A Geopolitics report

India's New Submarine To Join Fleet

India is yet to induct the six Scorpene submarines and expects to commission the first in August 2017, five years behind schedule. The programme for building the next six modern submarines has just begun, again behind schedule by over five years now. A Geopolitics compilation

India's Single - Engine Fighters Race Hots Up

It is yet another combat plane competition that the world is keenly watching, after the 2007 126-plane contest that India had announced. But this time, there are only two contenders for bagging this $25-billion contract for a 'Make in India' combat plane of global standards. A Geopolitics report

Imran, “Naya” Pakistan And India

How stable will Imran Khan’s new government in Pakistan be? Will India-Pakistan relations improve under his regime?

Untying The Kabul Knot

Seventeen long years have gone by since the war against the Taliban ended. But peace has not returned. The Taliban regrouped, thanks to the unceasing support of Pakistan, and returned with vengeance in less than a year and have since managed to wreak havoc all over the country. Since 2014, the Islamic State has joined in to find a niche for itself as it faces stiff resistance and rout in West Asia. Since 2001, the total number of Afghans killed in war is a staggering 111,000. APRATIM MUKARJI explains what is wrong with Afghanistan

Our Solutions Could Be Very Appealing To The Indian Market

Photonis Night Vision the World leaders in night vision technology, Photonis has close links with BELOP in Pune. MARTIN SNIJDERS, Photonis’ Marketing Communication Manager, talks about the new developments in image intensifier technology and the company’s plans for India.

The Punch That Matters

September 28 is a significant day for the Regiment of Artillery: it was on this day in 1827 that the first Indian artillery unit, 5 (Bombay) Mountain Battery, equipped with 2.5-inch RML gun – was raised. Today, India has made commendable progress in every aspect of indigenous development, manufacture and testing of various ingredients needed for total self-reliance in the field of Artillery – not just guns and howitzers but rockets and rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, weapon locating radars for fire correction as well as detecting locations of enemy’s firing positions, command and control systems enabling network-centric capabilities, secure communication and so on.