Navy Chief reviews operational readiness at sea

Admiral Karambir Singh, the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), reviewed the operational preparedness and combat-readiness of the Indian Navy’s principal combatants during the last week of October.

CNS along with Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command, Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar, interacted with personnel and emphasised key issues of repairs, maintenance, spares support and oplogistics for afloat units to sharpen their war-fighting capabilities at Karwar Naval Base. He also reiterated aspects of cyber-security, force protection against terrorist attacks, asymmetric warfare and exhorted all personnel to maintain highest-level of alertness.

Admiral Karambir Singh thereafter departed by helicopter to embark the Carrier Battle Group, comprising Vikramaditya, destroyers, frigates, corvettes, fleet support ships and integral swing-role fighters and helicopters. On embarking indigenous guided-missile destroyer Chennai, he was given an operational readiness briefing by the Fleet Commander, after which weapon firings, air-to-air combat operations, anti-submarine drills and fleet manoeuvres were demonstrated under realistic conditions. CNS thereafter embarked Fleet Support Ship Deepak to interact with the ship's crew, followed by embarkation on aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, where he witnessed the Carrier Battle Group’s capabilities for integral fleet air defence and strike.

Addressing the combatants of the Carrier Battle Group over broadcast from Vikramaditya, CNS complimented them for continuously maintaining peak combat-readiness and high tempo of operations over the past months, in spite of COVID-19 related challenges. The Indian Navy has remained missiondeployed and combat-ready across the IOR, even through rough seas during the monsoon period, towards maintaining the maritime security of the nation. He highlighted the nation’s appreciation for the Navy’s contributions in ‘Op Samudra Setu’ towards for repatriation of our distressed citizens from IOR countries and towards providing medical and logistics assistance to our friendly neighbours in the IOR, as part of ‘Mission SAGAR’. He expressed satisfaction at the high levels of motivation and reiterated that the Indian Navy has the best human capital manning our platforms.

Giving an overview of the prevailing security situation, he stated that the Navy would continue maintaining a high-tempo of operations in coming months. He also complimented the Carrier Battle Group and its combatants for accurate and effective weapon firings, which left no doubt about the Navy’s readiness to meet any emergent contingencies. CNS highlighted that tri-service synergy and coordination has peaked with establishment of the Department of Military Affairs as was visibly demonstrated in the joint response of the three Services to recent events.

Concurrent with CNS’s review of combat readiness on the Western seaboard, the Indian Navy’s Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capability was further augmented by commissioning of ASW Corvette Kavaratti by General Manoj Mukund Naravane, Chief of the Army Staff, at Visakhapatnam, on the Eastern seaboard. Designed by the Indian Navy and built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd, Kolkata, the ship is a fine example of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Indian Navy continues to maintain a high tempo of operations and combat-readiness despite the COVID-19 pandemic by adhering to stringent protocols onboard warships, submarines and aircraft squadrons and bases, and is fully prepared to tackle challenges in the maritime domain, in coordination with Sister Services.

QRSAM System: Second Successful Flight Test in a week

In yet another flight test, the Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) System tracked the target accurately and successfully neutralised the airborne target. The flight test, second in the series was conducted from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha on 17th November. The test was carried out once again, against the high-performance Jet Unmanned Aerial Target called Banshee, which simulates an aircraft.

The Radars acquired the target from a long range and tracked it till the mission computer automatically launched the missile. Continuous guidance was provided through Radar data link. Missile entered the terminal active homing guidance and reached the target close enough for proximity operation of warhead activation.

The flight test was conducted in the deployment configuration of the weapon system comprising of Launcher, fully Automated Command and Control System, Surveillance System and Multi-Function Radars. The QRSAM weapon system, which can operate on the move, consists of all indigenously developed subsystems. All objectives of the test were fully met. The launch was carried out in the presence of the users from Indian Army.

A number of range instruments like Radar, Telemetry and Electro Optical Sensors were deployed which captured the complete flight data and verified the performance of the missile.

Teams from ARDE and R&DE(E) from Pune, LRDE Bengaluru, and IRDE Dehradun in addition to the Missile Complex Laboratories from Hyderabad and Balasore participated in the test. The first in the series test of QRSAM took place on 13th Nov 2020 achieving the milestone of a direct hit. Second test proved the performance parameters of warhead.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Secretary DDR&D & Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy congratulated the teams who worked on the QRSAM project, on the second continuous successful flight test.

Army awards 1325 Cr. order to OshoCorp for APU for T-72 & T-90 Tanks

OshoCorp Global has been selected by the Indian Army for the development & supply of Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) of T-72 and T-90 Tanks under Make II guidelines of Ministry of Defence. The sanction order has been issued,after four years of selection process.

Ashutosh Khate, CEO of OshoCorp Global said that T-72 and T-90 Tanks are the mainstay of the Mechanised Forces. The Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) is an alternate source of power for the Fire Control System of the Tank and ancillaries, to cater for power requirements, while deployed in surveillance mode during a lull in battle, and during training, with a view to conserve the life of main engine of the Tank.

Initially the company was asked to develop Four APU’s (2 each for T-90 and T-72 Tanks) for trial & approval and subsequently produce Quantity 3257 Nos APU’s. The project will help India towards self-reliance in APU manufacturing technology for Tanks and fulfil the vision of Atma Nirbhar Bharat of the Prime Minister.

Col PK Juneja, Head, Special Projects at OshoCorp explained that , the present project cost is more than rupees 1325 Crore (USD 190 Million) and it has huge potential to generate future domestic & export business which can be many times more than the current procurement of APU’s as it is a continuous requirement keeping in mind the present inventory of T-72, T-90, Arjun Tank and BMPs held by Indian Army and new tank supplies in coming years. In the export market, the countries using Russian T-72, T-90 Tanks can be benefited by procuring India’s newly developed Auxiliary Power Unit for tanks.

OshoCorp Global Pvt Ltd is a DIPP certified Defence & Aerospace Start-up with ISO 9001:2015 certification, having NCAGE No. 1691Y (NATO). OshoCorp is in receipt of multiple Defence Industrial License’s (DIL) from Goverment of India for manufacturing Restricted & Sensitive Defence Systems, Weapon platforms & Ammunitions including Auxiliary Power Units (APU) & Environmental control units (ECU) for Tanks.

OshoCorp as a reliable partner, supports their client base with pioneering conceptual Defence Solutions to improve sustainability and self-reliance of the Armed Forces.