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NEW PROCUREMENT CATEGORY ‘BUY (IDDM)’ - AN ENIGMA

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UAVs

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CONTENTS

COVER STORY (P08)

THE UAV PUNCH UAV advantages are compelling enough for world powers to plan on acquiring optionally-manned fighters and bombers with evolution of UAV technology. In this UAV Special issue, Geopolitics touches various aspects of the unmanned aerial systems, their evolution and development.

MOD

COVER STORY (P12) COVER STORY (P30)

UAV DEVELOPMENT

GEARING UP FOR ARMED DRONES

Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public sector has had a chequered history of operational UAVs. Till date, it has only had two operational unmanned aerial vehicles, though it has a number of projects still in the works.

Admission to the MTCR would open the way for India to buy high-end missile technology, also making more realistic its aspiration to buy surveillance drones such as the Predator, made by General Atomics.

DEFBIZ TOUCHING THE SKIES

DEFBIZ (P48)

After a wait of over three decades, the IAF got its hands on the first squadron of home-grown Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas) on July 1.

PACKING A PUNCH

(P50)

The integration of the supersonic cruise missile system BrahMos on Su-30MKI fighter of the IAF will help the air force carry out air combat operations within and beyond visibility range.

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

CONTENTS

BUY (IDDM)-AN ENIGMA!

(P58)

With the release of the new DPP, the introduction of a new procurement category called ‘Buy (Indian Designed, Developed and Manufactured) or ‘Buy (IDDM)’ has been created to promote indigenous design, development and production of equipment.

AIR DEFENCE SYSTEM

PERSPECTIVE

(P70)

(P62)

With the S-400 systems deployed to cover India’s strategic assets, it would be impossible for an adversary to launch a first strike. Such a strike would require a massive salvo that would seriously deplete the attacker’s arsenal without guaranteed success.

MURKY RELATIONS

(P66)

While the common Nepali citizen is facing problems due to the political disturbances in the Himalayan nation, India will have to chalk out a clear diplomatic stand to make its good work appreciated.

PUBLISHER

K SRINIVASAN EDITOR

TIRTHANKAR GHOSH

VOL VII, ISSUE II, July 2016

SENIOR EDITOR

TOUCHING THE ZENITH Already acknowledged as one of the few space organisations in the world capable of end-to-end implementation of space projects, RLV-TD has demonstrated ISRO’s ability to successfully sail into uncharted waters in search of new solutions.

VIJAINDER K THAKUR ASSOCIATE EDITOR

MAYANK SINGH CONSULTING EDITOR

M MURLIDHARAN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

NAVEED ANJUM

SENIOR PROOF READER

RAJESH VAID

DESIGNER

MOHIT KANSAL

PHOTO EDITOR

H C TIWARI

NEW PROCUREMENT CATEGORY ‘BUY (IDDM)’ - AN ENIGMA

geopolitics Vol VII, Issue II, JULY 2016 n `100

DEFENCE n DIPLOMACY n SECURITY

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UAVs

NEW SENTINELS OF THE SKIES

Map not to scale Cover Design: Mohit Kansal The total number of pages in this issue is 76

All information in GEOPOLITICS is derived from sources we consider reliable. It is passed on to our readers without any responsibility on our part. Opinions/views expressed by third parties in abstract or in interviews are not necessarily shared by us. Material appearing in the magazine cannot be reproduced in whole or in part(s) without prior permission. The publisher assumes no responsibility for material lost or damaged in transit. The publisher reserves the right to refuse, withdraw or otherwise deal with all advertisements without explanation. All advertisements must comply with the Indian Advertisements Code. The publisher will not be liable for any loss caused by any delay in publication, error or failure of advertisement to appear. Owned and published by K Srinivasan, 4C Pocket-IV, Mayur Vihar, Phase-I, Delhi-91 and printed by him at Archna Printers 18, DSIDC Shed, Okhla Indl Area Ph-1, New Delhi -110020, Readers are welcome to send their feedback at geopolitics@newsline.in

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July 2016



LETTERS TO EDITOR

R SPOTLIGHT

SPOTLIGHT

efer to “AEW&CS: Force explaining the operational Multiplication Through edge of these systems, he has Command & Control of Batalso mentioned how to countlespace” (Geopolitics June ter AEW&CS. The Russian 2016). An AEW&CS provide S-400 Triumf mobile multian operational edge that extends far beyond early detecAEW&CS: FORCE MULTIPLICATION tion of threats; the THROUGH COMMAND & system plays a critCONTROL OF BATTLESPACE ical role in air combat. Relentless increase in onboard computing power governed by Moore’s law, improved airto-air missile range and more sensitive threat detection sensors have made beyond visual range (BVR) combat a potent realchannel air defence system ity. As in within visual range (ADMS) is designed for en(WVR) combat, so also in BVR gaging EA aircraft, AWACS and combat, the first to ‘see’ the AEW&CS, ISR aircraft, cruise adversary has the initial admissile bombers, tactical and vantage. The aim is to get a theatre ballistic missiles, me‘turkey shoot’ through ‘firstdium-range ballistic missile look’, ‘first-shot’ and ‘first kill’. (MRBM) and other air threats The author highlights the in dense ECM environment. importance of AEW&CS sysThe write-up also hightem for a nation to become a lights the Indian AEW&CS by regional prowess. Apart from developed by DRDO compris-

COVER STORY

efore being posted to an operational flying squadrons, IAF pilots are imparted flying training in three stages: basic (ab-initio), intermediate and advanced. The Basic Flying Training (BFT) stage serves as a combination training and filtering stage. Not only is an aspiring pilot taught basics of flying skills, his learning abilities are also assessed. Flight cadets found unsuitable for flying are channeled into non flying branches of the IAF, based on their respective academic backgrounds. BFT is currently imparted on the Pilatus PC-7 Mk-II aircraft. Intermediate flying training focuses on imparting additional flying skills as well as assessing the suitability of rookie pilots for the different flying streams of the IAF: Fighters, Transports and Helicopters. Intermediate flying training is currently imparted on the Kiran Mk-I and Mk-IA (Weaponized variant). Advanced flying training is aimed at preparing a pilot to fly operational IAF aircraft and is currently imparted on Hawk Mk.132 AJT (Advanced Jet Trainer).

THE MISSING INTERMEDIATE

LINK: JET FOR PILOT TRAINING

Modernisation of IAF Training

Till the early years of this century, BFT in the IAF was conducted on HAL built HPT32 aircraft, intermediate training on HAL built HJT-16 Kiran Mk-1/Mk-1A aircraft and advanced training on the re-engined HJT-16 Kiran Mk-2. Induction of Hawk AJT Following the induction in the IAF of contemporary aircraft featuring advanced systems, advanced avionics, and multifunction display based cockpit instrumentation, a need was felt to procure a more advanced trainer with better performance and avionics. In March 2004, India's MoD signed a $1.75 billion contract with British Aerospace Systems for supply of of 66 Hawk Mk.132 advanced trainers. The Hawk Mk.132 is an Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) with tandem dual seats with excellent field of view. The aircraft, which features Inertial Navigation / Global Positioning System, Head-Up Display and Hands-On Throttle and Stick controls, can be used for advanced flying and weapons training. The aircraft has outstanding flying characteristics and good stability. Day and night capable, it can perform a wide range of aerobatic maneuvers. It has 7 hardpoints and can carry a wide variety of external stores. Besides training, the aircraft can be used as a ground attack or air

defense fighter. As part of the initial procurement, 24 Hawk AJTs were delivered directly from the UK, and an additional 42 assembled in India by HAL using BAE supplied kits. In July 2010, MoD and HAL signed a follow up contract for supply of 40 Hawk AJTs for the IAF and additional 17 Hawk AJTs for the Indian Navy. Delivery against the follow-up order is nearing completion. Induction of Pilatus PC-7 Mk.2 Basic Trainer In July 2009 the IAF grounded its HPT-32 basic trainer for good because of it poor flight safety record and repeated engine failures. The government gave the IAF a go ahead to procure 181 basic trainers as replacement. It was planned that of the total order for 181 aircraft, 75 will be purchased off the shelf, and 106 built by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) under a joint venture In the interim, the IAF switched to imparting basic flying training using Kiran Mk-I. The syllabus for basic flying training was reduced, keeping in view the limited availability of the Kiran Mk-1 aircraft. To compensate for reduced basic flying training, intermediate and advanced training were extended. The Pilatus was formally inducted into the IAF on May 31, 2013. The first Pilots' course to be trained on the Pilatus PC-7 MkII commenced at the Air Force Academy at Dundigal, Hyderabad on July 8, 2013 with 14 PC-7 Mk-2s. In November 2015, Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. completed delivery of the 75 aircraft ordered. Additional Procurement In February 2015, the DAC cleared the purchase of an additional 38 PC-7 Mk-2 aircraft under the option clause of the original contract. The additional 38 aircraft purchase will meet the IAF's near future requirement, while giving HAL adequate time to develop its HTT-40 BFT and fulfill IAF's requirement for an additional 68 BTs.

HAL HTT-40 Basic Flying Training (BFT) Aircraft

Intermediate flying training focuses on imparting additional flying skills as well as assessing the suitability of rookie pilots for the different flying streams of the IAF: Fighters, Transports and Helicopters, writes VIJAINDER K THAKUR PILATUS

June 2016 www.geopolitics.in

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HAL is developing the HTT-40, powered by a turboprop engine, to augment the IAF's Pilatus PC-7 Mk-2 fleet. The first prototype of the aircraft was rolled out on February 2, 2016. The aircraft is currently undergoing ground runs and taxi trials ahead of its maiden flight. The HTT-40 development team is the

June 2016

efer to “The Missing Link: Jet For Intermediate Pilot Training” (Geopolitics June 2016). Rightly so, The Basic Flying Training (BFT) stage serves as a combination training and filtering stage. Not only is an aspiring pilot taught basics flying skills, his learning abilities are also assessed. Flight cadets found unsuitable for flying are channelled into non flying branches of the IAF, based on their respective academic backgrounds. BFT is currently imparted on the Pilatus PC-7 Mk-II aircraft. Intermediate flying training focuses on imparting additional flying skills as well as assessing the suitability of rookie pilots for the different flying streams of the IAF: Fighters, Transports and Helicopters. Intermediate flying training is currently imparted on the Kiran Mk-I and Mk-IA (Weaponized variant). If HAL can bring the IJT project back on track, the IAF could tide over the residual delay by temporarily restricting training to two stages. The Pilatus PC-7 Mk II has a turboprop engine, good performance and features a modern cockpit. The aircraft could be weaponised in quick time and used as an interim IJT. Rajesh Goel, New Delhi All correspondence may be addressed to: Editor, Geopolitics, D-11 Basement, Nizamuddin East, New Delhi-110013. Or mail to: geopolitics@newsline.in

As the DRDO is developing two AEW&CS aircraft with 360-degree coverage AESA radar mounted on an IL-76, Boeing or Airbus aircraft, VIJAINDER K THAKUR points out the various operational edges of these systems along with the different kinds of AEW&CS being used by global militaries

June 2016 www.geopolitics.in

efer to “Export Targets of The World’s Largest Arms Importer” (Geopolitics June 2016). The author, in this article writes that India, the world’s largest arms importer, is looking to become a decently big arms exporter, selling about $1 billion worth of defence products to the world in the next five years and increasing its sales abroad to $3 billion in the next 10 years. India’s Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told a conference in New Delhi on May 14, 2016 that India had doubled its defence exports in 2015-16 to about $300 million, compared to the 2014-15 exports worth $150 million. However, he personally set a target of $2 billion exports to be achieved over the next three years’ time. Till December 31, 2015, India has given out no-objection certificates to 92 industries, of which 65 has been issued

www.geopolitics.in

June 2016

FOCUS

EXPORT TARGETS OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST ARMS IMPORTER If India wants to improve its exports, the regions to focus on should be the ones where it has some existing/upcoming capabilities...

ndia, the world’s largest arms importer, is looking to become a fairly big arms exporter, selling about $1 billion worth of defence products to the world in the next five years and increasing its sales abroad to $3 billion in the next 10 years. India’s Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told a conference in New Delhi on May 14, 2016 that India had doubled its defence exports in 201516 to about $300 million, compared to the 2014-15 exports worth $150 million. However, he personally set a target of $2 billion exports to be achieved over the next three years’ time. In 2014-15, India did about $150

million (`994.04 crore) in defence exports and in 2015-16, it has done just over $103 million (`695.70 crore) till September 30, 2015, according to defence export data submitted to India's Parliament by Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh in December 2015. In 2013-14, India did $100 million (`686.27 crore) in defence exports and the year before (2012-13), it did $65.90 million (`446.77 crore) in defence exports, the data said. Rao Inderjit Singh also told Parliament that India’s private sector had exported defence products worth $65.06 million (`441.06 crore) till September 30, 2015. Whereas, in 2014-15, the Indian

private sector had done just $19.5 million (`132.17 crore). In 2013-14, they had done about $42.18 million (`286 crore), and in 2012-13, their defence export business was worth $20.37 million (`138.13 crore). To enable India’s public and private enterprises to achieve the target, the Narendra Modi government has put in place policy measures, including easing of export controls on defence products, since it stormed to power in the April-May 2014 elections. In September 2014, the Narendra Modi government notified the first ever defence export strategy and followed that up with easing of grant of no-objection certification for arms export, apart

June 2016 www.geopolitics.in

to Defence public sector Undertaking and Ordnance Factory Board, while 27 has been issued to the private sector, DRDO’s Director Public and Industry Interface Dr. S. Radhakrishnan said on January 11, 2016 in New Delhi. These 92 industries have a total of 214 products available for exports and the value of

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

ing of an indigenous radar and control system mounted on a EMB-145I aircraft under a Rs.1,800 crore effort. The system will augment the Phalcon AWACS being procured by the IAF. The AEW&CS A can detect, identify and classify threats and act as a Command Control Centre to support air operations. It can alert and direct fighters while providing Recognizable Air Situation Picture (RASP) to commanders at multiple Ground Exploitation Stations (GES). It can also support offensive strike missions and assist forces in the tactical battle area. Additionally, it provides Electronic and Communication Support by intercepting enemy radar transmissions and communication signals.

n airborne early warning and control system (AEW&CS) is a medium sized to large transport aircraft fitted with an externally mounted surveillance radar to detect enemy aircraft, ships and vehicles at long ranges. Internally, the AEW&CS carries electronics, work stations and trained personnel to command and control the battlespace, by vectoring air defense (AD) fighters onto intruding enemy strike aircraft and guiding friendly strike aircraft onto enemy ground and sea targets. An AEW&CS is a potent force multiplier for the following reasons 1. An operating height of 20,000 to 30,000 ft) gives its radar extended line of sight facilitating far longer surveillance range than ground based radars. A single AEW&C system can cover more airspace than multiple powerful ground based radars. 2. Being easily relocatable, an AEW&CS can plug gaps in ground based AD surveillance. Additionally, ; it can provide surveillance cover to expeditionary forces operating far from homeland. 3. Long detection range keeps AEW&CS safe from enemy air defenses and fighters. 4. The system's operating height and extended line of sight make it an excellent Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) platform Typically, the primary radar of an AEW&CS has a 400-km detection range. The SIGINT sensors fitted on the system can detect adversary aircraft at still longer ranges and even identify aircraft type and weapons carried! SIGNIT sensors are additionally integrated with the system's self-protection suite (SPS) to trigger threat warnings and initiate countermeasures. An AEW&CS can datalink its surveillance picture to a regional control center (RCC) on the ground where it can be fused with the surveillance pictures obtained from other ground based and airborne sensors.

AEW&CS Operational Edge

HC TIWARI

An AEW&CS provide an operational edge that extends far beyond early detection of threats; the system plays a critical role in air combat. Relentless increase in onboard computing power governed by Moore's law, improved air-to-air missile range, and more sensitive threat detection sensors have made beyond visual range (BVR) combat a potent reality. As in within visual range (WVR) combat, so also in BVR

Anand Kumar, Patna

these products amounted to Rs. 14,397 crore ($2.1 billion). The target of $3 billion exports is indeed a stiff one to achieve, unless Indian defence manufacturing sector puts its house in order and becomes a part of global supply chain in a few years’ time. Indian capacity is still limited despite sizeable governmentcontrolled and private entities. If reforms in all aspects of defence production and procurement are carried out with all sincerity, then only one can think of such a target. One has to understand that the Indian defence sector is still in its early stage of transition from an automatic model to an open competitive model. Indian arms exports policy is still at its early stage of evolution. Jitender Singh, Ghaziabad

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COVER STORY

UPTAKE IN UAV USE IN INDIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FUTURE MILITARY OPERATIONS Within a decade, India's inventory of UAVs may well cross a thousand at a cost of up to $3 billion

MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft

ndia will, in the next decade or so, emerge as the world's biggest market for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) of all kinds and the first step in this direction has already been taken by the 1.31-million-strong Indian armed forces. That obviously means there will be an uptake in the use of UAVs in the operations carried out either independently or jointly by the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force and the Coast Guard. Currently, the Indian armed forces UAV assets holdings are quite low. But this situation is about to change in just a matter of years, as you would see explained below. The Indian government is focusing on providing a major push to induction of UAVs, built indigenously as well as through off-the-shelf buys from foreign sources. Within a decade, India's inventory of UAVs may well cross a thousand at a cost of up to $3 billion, according to an assessment. The Indian UAV inventory may include platforms of different size, range and parameters, catering to varied military requirements. UAVs are low-cost, low-risk, highpayoff Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Target Acquisition (TA) systems. UAVs can be deployed

quickly to cover vast areas. UAVs can fulfil a number of Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition (RSTA) requirements common to all the three armed forces of India. UAVs improve situational awareness, increase operational tempo and reduce sensor-to-shooter time lag. Employed along with other sensors, UAVs enhance the efficacy of intelligence inputs and, thus, improve the information available to the troops and the commanders for a robust decision-making mechanism in a dynamic battlefield. India's armed forces will focus for the next few years on building unmanned capabilities apart from miniaturisation to provide its military operations a punch. This objective of the Indian armed forces is outlined in a 45-page Indian Defence Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap (TPCR) for the 2012-27 period. The roadmap also pointed out that as the world moved towards miniaturisation, the benefits from this technology, which should lead to development of microsystems, should play a key role in the development of navigation systems and warhead guidance. "This should lead to weapons becoming smaller and more effective incorporating multiple sensors

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

which work together." The roadmap listed unmanned systems to be one of the areas that would benefit from miniaturisation, which will make it possible to design small unmanned vehicles. "But the future unmanned vehicle, should become steadily more intelligent. Still further in the future, unmanned vehicles should be capable of working in groups with other vehicles, both unmanned and manned," it noted. India will look at future UAVs that are smaller and easier to transport. Among the essential features in UAVs that India would look for is, for example, the size. It goes without saying that the size, as well as modern stealth technology, should make them difficult to detect. The systems should also be able to make own assessment of the surroundings and use it as a basis for autonomous smart decisions relating to, for example, its choice of route and the use of sensors, according to the Indian Defence Ministry document. India also intends to develop technologies to enable unmanned, highly autonomous strike capabilities against the full spectrum of potential targets. "Flexibility of UAVs to operate from multiple platforms would rationalise manning and financial effects. In addi-

COVER STORY

tion, control of multiple UAV platforms from remote locations would incorporate flexibility in basing and operational deployment. Automated flight control and take off/landing systems are desired to enhance redundancy," the roadmap said. "The pay load and sensors need to be upgraded with changing technology. The future of the military aviation is moving towards the unmanned sector capable of undertaking multiple tasks. Capable of extended loiter times, it would provide a continuous flow of desired information to the pilot through the sensor fusion of all data automatically on board. "In the medium term, with the increase in the computing power on board the UAVs; there would be a gradual shift towards greater utilisation of these vehicles in all spheres of military operation. It is desirable that indigenous development, as well as collaborative ventures for future generation UAVs must be intensified now in order to have a credible capability," it added. That first step by India towards emerging as a large UAVs market in the world would be to buy a record number of 115 Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) to augment the already-in-service 60 Israeli Heron and 100 Searcher-II UAVs. This purchase will cost nearly $1 billion, it has been estimated. This purchase will be followed up with a purchase of 49 more mini UAVs for which tender has been floated recently. Of these, 60 UAS will go the Indian Air Force, 35 to the Navy, while another 20 Mini UAS would go to the Indian Army's Northern Command that is responsible for the defence of the Jammu and Kashmir province bordering both Pakistan and China, both traditionally arch military rivals in the region. That's a huge prospect for UAV manufacturers around the world and this only enhances the possi-

The US Navy inducted the first production AEW-TBM3W Avenger fitted with the AN/APS-20 radar - into service in March 1945. Around 40 aircraft were produced

bility of India going in for more UAV purchases in the next decade. India's buying spree of UAVs is happening as its armed forces have realised the utility of these systems â&#x20AC;&#x201D; as surveillance and target acquisition tools â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in both conventional and sub-conventional warfare front. These apart, the Indian Army has spread out a roadmap for inducting drones into the service, as part of the modernisation plans to raise Surveillance and Target Acquisition or SATA Regiments. "The plan is to progressively induct drones right down to the infantry battalions by the end of 2025," an Indian Army officer said. As a precursor to the induction, the Army has already step up UAV bases at various locations of operational importance such as Nagrota and Manasbal in Jammu and Kashmir and in Kumbhigram and Lilabari in the north-eastern region, bordering China. The Indian Navy too has been busy trying to raise new UAV squadrons. This,

IAI HERON TP

www.geopolitics.in

July 2016

after it in recent years set up three UAV squadrons at key locations along India's 7,500-km coastline at Kochi in Kerala province deep South-West, Porbandar in Gujarat on the West coast and at Uchipuli in Tamil Nadu in the deep South East, to carry out surveillance on threats emanating from the seas. The signals of India becoming the most attractive destination for global unmanned aircraft system makers came in the form of reports that India will by 10 Heron TP drones from the Israeli Aerospace Industries in 2015, even as all the three armed forces are in the process of acquiring large numbers of the platform for varied roles including for armed strikes and surveillance. India already has a fleet of Harpy armed drones from Israel that are selfdestructing systems tasked to bust enemy radar positions in a Japanese-style Kamikaze. These armed drones are in the possession of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the latest buy for Heron TP too would be for the IAF. The IAF, which has the Israeli Harop 'killer' drones in its fleet, will soon induct more of these equipped with electrooptical sensors. Harop has the capability to loiter over high-value military targets before ramming into them as and when the direction for the attack is given, in true Kamikaze style. The Army has plans of placing orders for more Harop drones. The future plan is to eventually have Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles or UCAVs in the fleet, following in the footsteps of the US forces that have deployed the Predators and Reapers in conflict zones. As of June 2016, the Indian defence ministry is expected to approve the authorisation of mini-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for infantry and mechanised infantry battalions as an integral surveillance asset. This will enhance the ability of these battalions to supplement intelligence that filters down to them from centralised reconnaissance and surveillance means, and fill in the gaps in their area of interest in real time. Mini UAVs will be forcemultipliers. "UAVs would play a vital role in future battles and there is a requirement to enhance the Indian army holdings," Indian Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag said recently. The Indian Army has, in August 2015, issued a global request for information from UAVs manufacturing, letting the world know its intention of buying 600 mini UAVs for its infantry units. These mini UAVs are used for battlefield surveil-

COVER STORY

INDIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FUTURE UAV NEEDS High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAVs The Armed Forces require HALE UAVs having all-weather capability to operate at altitudes of 36,000-65,000 feet with a minimum endurance of 96 hours carrying a payload up to 1,500 pound. Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAVs The MALE UAVs required should have allweather capability to operate at altitudes of 25,000-36,000 feet with an endurance of 36-48 hours at a cruising speed of at least 90 knots. Tactical UAVs These UAVs should operate up to a maximum altitude of 15,000 feet and having an endurance of 24 hours with a payload of IR/EO sensors. Mini/Micro UAVs These may be hand-launched UAVs in the weight category less than 30 kg and should have a minimum endurance up to 120 minutes. VTOL UAVs The Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) UAVs should have the capability to carry a payload of up to 2,000 pound, endurance up to 12 hours and a range of at least 100 nautical miles. The payloads should include a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), EO/IR sensors, communication relay, COMINT, SIGINT, ELINT payloads. Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs) Unmanned vehicles capable of engaging targets are already on the anvil. Technologies to provide the UAVs with light weight weapons having precision strike capability would provide operational flexibility. The UCAVs should evolve into full mission capable platforms, with the ability to carry and release precision guided munitions. These would minimise collateral damage which will be an important criterion in all future conflicts. These weapons should have a CEP of 3 metre or less.

lance and intelligence gathering missions in a limited range and are operated by the soldiers on the ground in a man-transportable format. The Indian Navy too is looking for buying 50 ship-borne UAVs for maritime surveillance roles. At present, the navy operates two squadrons of Israeli-origin Heron and Searcher Mk-II UAVs based at Kochi and Porbandar. But this is not the first time that the Indian armed forces are buying or using the UAVs for its operations. The Indian armed forces have been operating UAVs for over a decade now. The Indian Army was the first to acquire UAVs, in the late 1990s from Israel, and the Indian Air Force and Navy followed suit. Today, with 22.5 per cent of all UAV imports over the 1985-2014 period, India has topped the list of unmanned aerial systems importers and will continue to be so for years to come. The pace of India's UAV acquisitions is likely to quicken over the next five years or so and the size of the Indian market during the same period is estimated at over $2 billion. Teal Group, a top US defence market analysis company, has predicted that it sees a growing market in India with 50 Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) UAVs, 60 Navy UAVs, 70 Air Force tactical UAVs, 100 Army

SUCIDE DRONE: Harop UAV by Israel Aerospace Industries is an explosive-carrying suicide drone

Aerovironmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s RQ11 Raven Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

tactical UAVs and 980 mini-UAVs to be acquired over the next decade. The assessment from the US defence market analysis firm was done in 2014 and it states that UAVs are the most dynamic growth sector of the global aerospace industry this decade. It said UAV spending worldwide is projected to nearly double in a decade, from the current $6.4 billion annually to $11.5 billion by 2024. Although interest in civilian applications of UAVs is increasing, 89 per cent of the market is still military. The Indian Army initially obtained the Searcher Mk I, followed by the Searcher Mk II, which could operate at an altitude ceiling of 15,000 feet and finally, the Heron, which could operate at an alti-

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

tude ceiling of 30,000 feet. The Indian Air Force followed the Army and acquired the Searcher Mk I followed by Searcher Mk II and acquired the Heron UAVs prior to the Indian Army. The Indian Navy also acquired the Heron UAVs, which suited its long range offshore requirements. The function of a UAV is determined by its payload. The payload is directly related to the task. To undertake surveillance, there would be the necessity of carrying Charged Couple Device (CCD) cameras with Multi Optronic Software payload. For tasks entails lasing, the bird would carry a Laser designator, to facilitate pinpoint attacks by aircraft. After China and Japan, India is emerging as one of the key market for drones in

COVER STORY

UAV ROLES IN MILITARY OPS  Photo reconnaissance, thermal imaging and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) during peace time, preparatory stages and during a war for battles pace transparency  Target designation for ground, air and sea-launched Precision-Guided Munitions  Signals and electronic intelligence (SIGINT and ELINT)  Electronic warfare  Information warfare, psychological and propaganda operations  Relay platform to extend range of VHF and UHF communications  Digital mapping  Detection of missile launches  Suppressing enemy air defence  Post-strike damage assessment  Meteorology  Strategic surveillance of nuclear capabilities, movement of nuclear warheads and materials, and deployment of nuclear assets of adversaries, particularly during a war  NBC weapons detection, early warning and monitoring of contamination (nature and level of nuclear radiation, collection of air samples)

Asia-Pacific region. According to '6Wresearch', India UAV/Drone Market is anticipated to reach $421 million by 2021. Mini/micro drones are witnessing growth with its deployment in both military and law enforcement applications. In India, mini drones have been categorized into three types — quadcopter, hexacopter and fixed-wing drones, where quadcopter accounts for majority of volume shipment. Fixed-wing drones are medium range drones and are primarily being used for military application. India and US had expressed the desire to jointly manufacture AeroVironment’s 'Raven' (a medium range drone) from 2015 onwards in Bengaluru based production facility. But that project under the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative never saw the light of the day after the Indian Army said it wasn't much interested in the Raven. In all, 87 nations in the world today possess drones and conduct surveillance either over their own territories or be-

yond. Of these, 26 have either purchased or developed drones equivalent in size to the US MQ-1 Predator. Considerable work is also being done on Micro Air Vehicles that are small aerial vehicles with flapping wings. Israel is the second largest

The function of a UAV is determined by its payload. The payload is directly related to the task. To undertake surveillance, there would be the necessity of carrying Charged Couple Device (CCD) cameras with Multi Optronic Software payload

drone manufacturer after the US. India too is developing drones that will fire missiles and fly at 30,000 feet. In the Indian context, its armed forces need to immediate weaponise its UAVs or UAS, so as to provide it the capability to strike at hostile targets with precision, both within and beyond its borders, deep inside enemy territory. Especially, such a capability can provide the Indian political leadership a credible deterrent against those terror strikes carried out by nonstate actors inside Indian territory with assistance from state actors beyond its borders. It would be prudent for the Indian political and the military leadership to take a leaf out of the UCAVs being operated in Afghanistan and Pakistan by the western forces that has caused accurate destruction of specified enemy targets, leading to the deaths of numerous top leaders of Al Qaida and the Taliban. — Geopolitics Bureau

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COVER STORY

MIXED BAG FOR INDIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S UNMANNED FLIGHT India's public sector has had a chequered history in its efforts at designing, developing and producing successful, operational Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Till date, it has only had two operational unmanned aerial vehicles, though it has a lot more number of projects still in the works. Geopolitics Report

DRDO LAKSHYA

efence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has successfully designed and developed many versatile UAV systems that have been inducted into the Indian Armed Forces. Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru the major aeronautical systems research laboratory of the DRDO involved in practically all major aspect of aeronautical research, design, and development relevant to military aviation - is in the forefront, as the nodal agency, in the development of UAVs for the defence services. The DRDO has been ably supplemented by other Indian public sector agencies such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) in the development of indigenous drones of various types and sizes, meant for varied roles. Here we cover some of the indigenous unmanned systems, which have been already developed and some of which are under various stages of development:

Lakshya and Abhyas

Pilotless target aircraft (PTA) Lakshya is the result of ADE's development plan and successfully meets the requirements of

the Indian Defence Forces. The main feature of Lakshya is the tow target system that makes it cost-effective and versatile. Besides, Lakshya also plays an important role in training and assessment of weapon systems and operators. Lakshya can carry two tow-targets on wing-mounted pylons. These tow-targets, which trail the mother aircraft by 1.5 km, not only keep the mother aircraft safe but also enable reusability of Lakshya. Tow-targets are modular in construction and can be easily configured to mission requirements. They house radar, visual and infrared augmentation devices, and provide realistic aerial threat simulation. Acoustic and Doppler-based miss-distance indicators aid weapon systems performance evaluation. Zero-length launcher and parachute-based recovery systems allow launching of Lakshya from land or ship and its safe recovery on land or sea. Ground control station (GCS) and telemetry station allow pilotless control of Lak-

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shya and real-time data acquisition. Nearly 50 Lakshya systems have been delivered to the Indian Army after more than 200 trials. ADE has also developed an advanced digital PTA, named Lakshya-2, with enhanced endurance, autonomous and low-level flight capability, salvo flying, and automated test equipment. The target drone is used for discreet aerial reconnaissance and target acquisition. It is launched by solid propellant rocket motor and sustained by a turbojet engine in flight. Lakshya-2 is an advanced version. India's defence scientists are currently working on developing a manoeuvrable Pilotless Target Aircraft that can help the armed forces to practice firing of supersonic missiles such as the under-development beyond visual range air-to-air Astra. "We need to have manoeuvring targets that can pull 5g. That's what we are struggling to make now. Probably in 2-3 years you will hear that it is flying," the then DRDO's Director General (Aeronautical

COVER STORY

Systems) Dr. K. Tamilmani said, before his retirement from service. This comes in the wake of DRDO successfully transferring technology for the first time for its 'Lakshya' Pilotless Target Aircraft in 2015. The new manoeuvrable PTA, which is yet to be named, will be ready in two to three years and will do its first flight, he said. The DRDO has also developed an autonomous expandable high speed aerial target called Abhyas. "Abhyas is a small fellow for infantry men to practice gun firing. But for us the real challenge is for a manoeuvrable high speed autonomous aerial target for firing practice of supersonic air defence surface-to-air missiles and air-to-air missiles such as the Astra," Tamilmani said. In August 2015, India's Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told Parliament that the ADE has signed a licensing agreement with Larsen & Toubro for transfer of technology for upgraded digital version of Lakshya. The agreement is for non-exclusive production and supply to Indian armed forces. However, as per the agreement with L&T, for enquiries received from abroad for the product, L&T shall seek prior approval of DRDO in writing indicating the country to which such export is sought. "The grant of license for export of product shall be subject to government approvals and there may be additional licensing fees and royalty rates applicable and shall be decided by DRDO on caseto-case basis," Parrikar said. So far, ADE has not received any such request from L&T, which has the capacity and capability to deliver the first Lakshya to the users within 18 months of receiving orders, he said. Tamilmani said L&T paid Rs.14 crore (about $2 million) as fees for transfer of technology to DRDO and the private sector firm would pay licensing fees and royalty for every Lakshya produced by it. However, the company will have no rights to do changes to the existing product, though they may come up with an entirely new one using the technology as the basis, in consultation with DRDO. L&T would also be required to source systems and parts from the vendor base for Lakshya that DRDO has developed from among the Small and Medium Enterprises in the country, he added.

Nishant and Panchi

The DRDO has put in many years of effort towards an indigenous unmanned capability. However, the only operational UAV it has produced thus far is the Nishant

which was developed by the ADE, especially for the Indian armed forces. Nishant tactical multi-mission UAV system was conceived for surveillance was conceived with mobility as an important requirement. It is launched using an all-terrain hydro pneumatic launcher and recovery with an aero conical on-board parachute and an impact attenuation system underbelly airbag. High degree of automation built into the system reduces piloting skill requirements to a minimum during critical phases of launch and recovery. Nishant carries stabilised payload for both day and night missions. An onboard flight control and navigation system makes Nishant fly in autonomous waypoint navigation mode. Nishant can be used for day/night reconnaissance, target tracking and extraction of target coordinates, artillery fire correction, and damage assessment. The rotary Wankel engine of Nishant has been indigenised in collaboration with National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bengaluru, and Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE), Ahmednagar. The other upgrades of Nishant include altitude enhancement to 5.5 km and increase in endurance using electronic fuel injection (EFI) engine. It is designed for battlefield surveillance and reconnaissance, intelligencegathering over enemy territory, target tracking and localisation and target designation, and artillery fire correction, and damage assessment. The electro-optic payloads are mounted on a stabilised steerable platform. A sophisticated image processing system is used for analysing the images transmitted from the UAV. The aircraft has a jam-resistant command link and digital down link for transmission of imagery. The air vehicle has autonomous flight capabilities and is controlled from a user friendly ground control station. Nishant is also in use with India's paramilitary forces for internal security application, particularly in the fight against armed Maoist insurgents in central part of the country, following the successful development phase and user trials. The induction into the Indian armed forces and the paramilitary has led to its successful production. Nishant weighs 380 kg and has a service ceiling of 3,600 metres. With a cruising speed of 125 to 150 kmph, it has an operational range of 160 km and endurance of 4.5 hours. Despite its limited payload, it is ideal for use in the desert. The Army is inducting the first batch of 20 Nishant UAVs and a follow-on order of 40 is

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in progress. In December 2014, DRDO carried out the maiden flight of Panchi, the wheeled version of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Nishant capable of taking-off and landing on small airstrips. DRDO said that the maiden flight was preceded by a series of high speed taxi trials. The UAV Panchi has all the surveillance capabilities of UAV Nishant. However, it will have longer endurance as it does not have to carry the air bags and parachute system as in the case of UAV Nishant.

Rustom I and II

ADE is developing an indigenous, allweather, medium altitude long endurance (MALE) UAV, named Rustom. It will operate at medium-to-long ranges and gather near real-time high quality imagery and signals intelligence (SIGINT) from areas of interest. Rustom was successfully test flown on 16 October 2010. It flew for over 12 minutes on its maiden test flight despite inclement weather and landed safely after meeting all its objectives. Modelled on the American Predator UAV, the Rustom is a Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) system. Like the Predator, the Rustom is designed to be used for both reconnaissance and combat missions. The Rustom is still in development stage and is expected to replace and supplement Israeli Heron UAVs in the Indian Air Force. Rustom-I will be in the category of 1100-1300 kg UAV, having a similar design as Israeli Heron/American Predator class of MALE UAVs. According to DRDO, it has a maximum altitude of 35,000 feet and the range of 300 km. Rustom-1 is currently being positioned as a MALE UAV. However, efforts are on to integrate the Helina, the air-launched version of the Nag anti-tank missile, with it. If these efforts bear fruit, the Rustom-1 could become the country's first indigenous UCAV. Rustom-H, the Medium Altitude Long Endurance UAV with multimission capability and completely different from Rustom-I, is being developed indigenously for the Armed Forces. Rustom-H would be capable of taking-off from and landing on a prepared runway, carrying payloads up to 350 kg, and operating at altitudes up to 30,000 feet (9.1 km). It can be programmed to fly autonomously in waypoint navigation or in pre-defined patterns up to 35 hours and operates on line-of-sight communication up to 250 km and up to 350 km with a relay. A variety of state-of-the-art electro optic (EO) sensors, Electromagnetic Intelligence (ELINT) and Communication

COVER STORY

Intelligence (COMINT) payloads, SAR or maritime patrol radar (MPR), will be fitted onboard Rustom to provide multimission performance capabilities. The technical challenge lies in the design and development of lightweight airframe and systems that operate reliably for long durations. India has also already developed the 'Rustom-II' Medium Altitude Long Endurance UAV/drone, based on RustomH. Weighing 1,800 kilograms, Rustom-II will have a payload of 350 kilograms, and a flight endurance of up to 48 hours, with a wingspan of 21 metres. It takes off and lands using a conventional undercarriage. The two 100-horsepower engines will be capable of flying up to 36,000 feet with a range of 100 kilometers. The development cost of Rustom-II is estimated to be around $200 million. Rustom-II will have a tri-service requirement with initial order of 76. The cost of each Rustom-II would be around $5.83 million. DRDO had been facing hurdles in procurement of critical components including sensors and engines from foreign sources due to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) restrictions. Now that India's membership in MTCR is a foregone conclusion, the restrictions on the sale of certain unmanned systems and related technologies can be overcome with foreign help. Rustom-II is to go through several flight trials and weapons tests by 2017, before it can be declared as fit for induction and deployment with the Indian armed forces. India has already decided on the use of the Rustom-I tactical UAVs. The international maritime boundary line (IMLB) between India and Sri Lanka, frequently violated by fisher folk and smugglers from both sides, will be kept under surveillance by the Rustom-I. The DRDO is working with the Navy to fit the Rustom-I with an Automatic Identification System (AIS) that will identify Indian fishing vessels DRDO RUSTOM I

along the maritime boundary. The AIS on the Rustom-I will transmit an "interrogator" signal that reflects back from a transponder that will be fitted on every Indian fishing boat. Currently, the Indian Navy monitors this maritime boundary - in the Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar -with Dornier-228 manned aircraft, and a squadron of Israeli-built Heron and Searcher UAVs that operate from INS Parundu, a naval air base near Ramanathapuram District, Tamil Nadu. Since these aircraft do not have AIS systems, they cannot differentiate Indian vessels from Sri Lankan. After transferring technology for its Lakshya subsonic PTA to the private sector, Larsen & Toubro, for serial production earlier this year. Now, it is the turn of the Rustom-I and Rustom-II unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to go to the private sector. "We are now talking of sharing everything that we develop with somebody. That somebody is no longer confined to the Defense Public Sector Undertakings. The concept of DPSUs alone making everything that the Indian armed forces need is gone," Tamilmani said. "We will now go to the private sector for production of the Rustom-I surveillance UAV soon," he said, but did not identify the companies DRDO is talking to. In the case of Rustom-II, a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV, the lead integrator of the platform would be the public sector HAL and BEL that have jointly invested $46 million on the project, but its airframe is being produced by the private sector Taneja Aerospace and Trivan Industries. "HAL has been made to state in the Memorandum of Understanding signed with DRDO that it will source the systems, parts and components only from the private sector vendors developed by us," the defence scientist said. "There are at least two vendors from the private sector for DRDO RUSTOM II

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each of the systems and parts of RustomII. Its technologies will now be shared with the private sector for production," he added.

Aura and Ghatak

ADE and Defence Avionics and Research Establishment (DARE) are jointly developing an indigenous unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), named Aura. Flight control system and data link packages of the Aura is being designed and developed jointly by ADE and Defence Electronic Application Laboratory, Dehradun. Its salient features include, capability of short run take-off and landing on prepared runway; capability to fly at altitudes of 30,000 feet with payloads; and manual and autonomous controls, with radar warning receiver, identification of friend or foe, and traffic collision avoidance systems. Aura is similar to the Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel, a stealth drone that will be capable of releasing missiles, bombs, and precision-guided munitions. The details of the Aura project are still, for the most part, classified. Perhaps another decade or so into the future Aura, a stealthy autonomous UCAV witih the capability to carry smart weapons, firing missiles, dropping of bombs and precision-guided munitions will be ready for the IAF to operate. Another project currently on the drawing board is a solar-powered High Altitude Long Endurance UAV that can cruise for several days for round-the-clock Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions. After the success of Mars mission Mangalyan and working on the satellite navigation system IRNSS, expected to launch next year, India is all set to make its own stealth combat drones or UCAVs (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles). The Rs. 2,650-crore project named Ghatak is awaiting government nod.

COVER STORY

The Ghatak drones will have the ability to take off from its home base, fire missiles and other guided weapons at enemy targets and return to home base. The project comes as a result of successfully completed study on Aura (autonomous unmanned research aircraft) program, sanctioned in 2009 at a cost of Rs. 12.5 crore to study the feasibility and make a conceptual framework for future Indian UCAV. Project Ghatak, initiated by the Aeronautical Development Agency-DRDO combine in consultation with the IAF, now plans to bring in "collaborators" from the initial stage itself. Weighing less than a fighter jet since it will be "more of a flying-wing in design", the UCAV will take at least a decade to become fully-operational. A 52-kilonewton dry variant of the indigenously developed Kaveri aerospace engine will be used in the UCAV.

DRDO NISHANT

Kapothaka, Ulka and CADS

altitude control, Fault-tolerant features Kapothaka is a mini remotely piloted against temporary telecommand and GPS link losses, Manual override capabilvehicle (RPV) demonstrator with an allity, and Maximum range of 20 km when up-weight (AUW) of 130 kg and an enreleased from 10 km altitude. durance of 90 min. This RPV is equipped with TV and panoramic cameras. Ulka Other UAVs is an air-launched target with a launch A number of small fixed-wing air veweight of 360 kg, solid booster power hicles have been developed by ADE in plant, touching speeds of Mach 0.7 to collaboration with NAL. These micro 1.1, maximum range of 70 km, touchair vehicles are man-portable and have ing altitudes ranging from 100 metres to portable GCS command, control and nine km and having endurance of maxidisplay; image processing capabilities; mum of five minutes. optical flow-based obstacle avoidAn airborne guidance and conance; and horizon detection using trol system for controlled aerial computer vision techniques. Bedelivery system (CADS) has sides, these vehicles use sinbeen successfully develgle-axis tracking system for oped by ADE. CADS, in data link. Three configuits present form, delivrations, namely, Black ers a payload of 500 Kite, Golden Hawk, kg autonomously and Pushpak to a designated have been target within designed, 100 m cirDRDO AURA developed cular error and test flown. of probability The Gagan (CEP) using ram air UAV is modelled on an Israeli UAV and parachute (RAP). RAP can be easily mathe project is jointly handled by DRDO noeuvred as it can glide and turn. Guidand HAL. The Gagan UAV will have a ance and control system of CADS aurange of 250 km and will have an altitude tomatically steers RAP to a designated of 20,000 feet. point by operating its two lanyards as a The Naval Rotary UAV is aimed at function of the cross-track error in the providing real-time ISR capability to the flight path and heading errors. naval forces in a day-and-night operaUpon completion of the descent, a tion and for over-the-horizon target acflare manoeuver is performed for accomquisition, battle and damage assessment plishing soft landing. CADS has the foland communication relay. It a joint projlowing salient features: Manual and auect between HAL and Israeli IAI's Malat tonomous modes of operation, Low-cost division, according reports. sensors-based navigation, Energy manIndia is also planning to develop a agement manoeuvre-based guidance for

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solar-powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and scouting for a foreign partner for collaboration. The proposed solarbased UAV would have much longer flight duration - 15 to 30 days - compared to conventional UAV that have a two-day endurance, according to ADE. With specially-designed solar panels to keep it airborne even in nights and cloudy weather conditions, the UAV would be capable of providing real-time information and data of the area through a secure data link. The Pawan mini UAV program has an estimated development cost of $33 million and is a joint project between DRDO and IAI that commenced in 2006. Pawan is expected to have EO-IR surveillance capability, a range of 150 km and an endurance of five hours. NAL's Slybird drone is part of the larger micro air vehicle effort funded by the Ministries of Defence and Science & Technology to meet multiple requirements of portable drones for tactical/over-the-hill reconnaissance/ intelligence. NAL intends to create a 2-kg, all-composite, fixed-wing drone with an hour long endurance and 10-km range, comparable to American AeroVironment's Raven. It could have a 14,000feet service ceiling and would be meant for real-time telemetry and video surveillance using miniaturised EO-IR camera. Netra is a DRDO-developed UAV for anti-terror and counter-insurgency operations that has already been inducted into the Indian armed forces and paramilitary forces. Weighing 1.5 kg, Netra comes through collaboration with private sector IdeaForge.

COVER STORY

HUMAN TOUCH IN UNMANNED OPERATIONS Despite what their nomenclature suggests, UAVs are not unmanned. They are manned all right, albeit remotely, writes VIJAINDER K THAKUR

ome of us are inclined to think that Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) relieve humans of the grunt work associated with surveillance and gathering intelligence; and armed drones make it easy for us to eliminate the bad guys. Nothing could be further from the truth. UAVs eliminate the danger to human lives involved in surveillance and intelligence gathering, but not the grunt work. Despite what their nomenclature suggests, UAVs are not unmanned. They are manned all right, albeit remotely. The term drone is loosely used when talking about UAVs; drone implies autonomous behaviour, but UAVs always require a human in the loop. Typically, military UAVs used for reconnaissance, target identifiMANNING A UAV: A pilot from 39 Sqn remotely controls a Reaper MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (top) MOD.UK

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COVER STORY

cation and attack require more than one human in the loop. Besides piloting, navigation, maintaining situational awareness and monitoring flight parameters, tasks usually performed by aircrew, UAV operators also need to operate payloads and interpret sensor readings streaming in over data links, in real time for an attack mission. Interpretation of surveillance and intelligence data gathered from a long reconnaissance mission takes many hours and is mind-numbing. For UAV operations to be effective they need to be supported by highly trained manpower. Before releasing weapons, armed UAV operators need to positively identify their targets, plan their attack flight path and ensure release accuracy to prevent collateral damage. Not surprisingly, the US and Israel, have created separate cadres of UAV operators and the IAF is actively pursuing the concept, having so far managed to operate its UAV fleet using pilots temporarily reassigned to the task.

93 armed MQ-9 Reaper UAVs, wants to procure another 75 at a cost of $3 billion. (The USAF additionally has 150 MQ-1 Predators and 33 Global Hawks.) The usage of Reapers has doubled between 2010 and 2015. Reapers are logging as many hours as operationally deployed USAF F-16s. In Afghanistan, US drone pilots are logging up to eight times as many flight hours than the manned fighters remaining in the country and releasing more weapons than conventional aircraft. In the future, large UAVs are likely to

Air Warriors of the Future

be paired with fighters as arsenal planes, as has been discussed elsewhere in this issue. Under its UCLASS programme, the US Navy is developing its X-47B stealth UAV as a buddy refueller for its manned fighters. In other words, remotely piloted UAVs would eventually be flying in close proximity to manned fighters. As UAVs become an integral part of the battlefield, UAV operators would need to think and act like soldiers, airmen and seamen. By now it must be clear to the reader that piloting UAVs isn't akin to playing video games. Not surprisingly, the IAF has proposed to the government that those inducted into the UAV cadre have the physical and mental abilities required of a pilot and undergo 30-40 hours of ab-initio flying training. If USAF trends are an indication, the IAF which is struggling to meet its pilot requirements, will soon also be struggling to meet its UAV operator requirements.

Thales Watchkeeperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ground Control System is a primary mission-planning, command and control interface and can operate independentlyor as part of a C4I network

With low intensity, sub conventional warfare becoming the global norm, the use of armed UAVs is poised to increase. The USAF, which currently operates around

THALES

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COVER STORY

UNMANNED DRAGON: China’s Wing Loong Unmanned Aerial Vehicle that made its first test flight in 2009

XINHUA

CHINA’S MILITARY UAV PUNCH According to the US Department of Defense, China is investing heavily in UAVs to improve its long range surveillance, targeting and strike capabilities. VIJAINDER K THAKUR takes a look at China's developing military UAV fleet

hina started investing in military UAVs in the mid 1990s when it procured the ASN206 series lightweight tactical reconnaissance UAVs and Harpy loitering munitions from Israel. It went on to indigenously develop Medium Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE), Israeli Searcher like drones for surveillance, and then armed US Predator like drones for surveillance and strike. With time and as a result of impressive strides in electronics, Chinese UAV capabilities have grown considerably. China is currently developing a US Global Hawk analog High Altitude, Long Endurance (HALE) drone and a US MQ-9 Reaper analog that can be controlled over long ranges using satellite based data link. Even more impressive, China is in the process of developing a massive 15-t UAV capable of cruising at very high altitudes and detecting stealth fighters. China is not just developing new UAVs, it's accelerating the pace of development and acquisitions. It's estimated that China plans to produce upwards of 41,800 land and sea based unmanned systems, worth about $10.5 billion, be-

tween 2014 and 2023. Since 2013, when it first used its BZK005 UAV for ISR in a military exercise over East China Sea, China has focused on making UAVs an integral part of its military capability. Over a dozen Chinese aerospace contractors are involved in military UAV developments. The following is an overview of the most significant Chinese UAV assets.

BZK-005 Reconnaissance UAV

Jointly developed by Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) and Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics (BUAA), the BZK-005 is a reconnaissance drone powered by a pusher turboprop engine. The BZK-005 is similar in appearance and capability to the Israeli Searcher drone. The UAV has a speed of 150-180 kph, service ceiling of 8,000 m and an endurance of 40-hr. It can carry a 50-kg payload.

Pterodactyl I / Caihong-4 (CH-4) / Yilong I / Wing Loong I The Pterodactyl I is a MALE unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG),

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a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The UAV is marketed to international customers by both North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) as Sky Saker (or “Rui Ying” in Chinese) and China Aerospace Long March International (ALIT) as the CH-4 Wing Loong (or “Yi Long” in Chinese). The Pterodactyl I looks near identical to the US Predator, but significantly lags in performance. It has two variants. The CH-4A is a reconnaissance drone with 3,500 – 5,000 km range and 30 to 40-hour endurance. The CH-4B bundles reconnaissance and attack capabilities with a payload of up to 250 to 345 kg and provisions for 6 weapons. The armed variant CH-4B features a chin mounted reconnaissance/targeting pod as well as hard points to carry weapons such as 1. BA-7 air-to-ground missile 2. YZ-212 laser-guided bomb 3. YZ-102A anti-personnel bomb 4. LS-6 50-kG LS-6 miniature guided bomb. The PLAAF designation for the armed variant is GJ-1 (Gongji 1 or Attack 1).

COVER STORY

The GJ-1 / CH-4B can fire air-toground missile from altitude of 5,000 meters, staying well clear of ground fire. The UAV first flew in 2009 and its variants have been operationally deployed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and United Arab Emirates. Myanmar acquired a dozen CH3A (CH-4 predecessor) from China.

Long Range Attack Variant

In May 2016, China tested a new version of the CH-4 equipped with satellite control and improved EO payloads supporting HD standards. During the test, the drone launched AR-1 missiles which struck their targets with high precision. Two tests were conducted, one with the current version of the aircraft, fitted with a new SATCOM data link, the second test employed an upgraded electro-optical payload. In the first test, the Beyond-Line-ofSight (BLOS) satellite data link equipped CH-4 engaged its target when 1,000 km away from its controlling ground station. (The max range when using Line-OfSight datalinks is around 250-km.) The second test evaluated a new electro-optical HD sensor payload with 1080p HD output enabling target detection in daylight at 20 km range. The FLIR featured a continuous zoom lense, compared to past fixed fields setup. The FLIR's detection range has been improved to 18 km, in day or night.

Yilong 2 / Pterodactyl 2 / Wing Loong 2 UAV

Chengdu Aircraft Corporation unveiled its second generation armed UAV, the Wing Loong II, at the 2015 Beijing Air Show in September 2015. Wing Loong II, similar in design but larger than the Chengdu GJ-1/Wing Loong, is a US MQ-9 Reaper analog, being roughly the same size, weight and configuration. Like the Reaper, Wing Loong II carries its satellite communication system and primary optical system in the nose, and employs large V-stabilizers with a smaller vertical stabilizer below the empennage.

Performance

When compared to the MQ-9, the Wing Loong II features a less efficient engine and consequently lags in performance. The MQ-9 has a maximum speed of 482 kph and can reach a maximum altitude of 50,000 ft (15,240 m), the Wing Loong II has a maximum speed of 370 kph and can reach an altitude of 30,000 ft (9,000 m). Wing Loong 2 has a significantly smaller payload of 480-kg as compared to the 1,400-kg payload of the Reaper.

RECONNAISSANCE UAV: BZK-005 is a Reconnaissance drone powered by a pusher turboprop engine

The two UAVs also differ greatly in their external payload. The MQ-9 is credited with an external payload of 1,400 kg while the Wing Loong II can carry 480 kg. Wing Loong 2 can carry as many as 12 air-to-surface missiles, probably the 26.5 kg Norinco Blue Arrow 9 ground-attack missiles revealed at the 2014 Airshow China at Zhuhai.

Xianglong (Soaring Dragon) HI-4

Designed by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation and manufactured by Guizhou Aircraft Industry Corporation, Xianglong (Soaring Dragon) HALE UAV, is a US Global Hawk class HALE featuring a unique design: Its forward swept tailplanes are fused at the tips to the top midsections of its swept back main planes. The tail planes are placed higher on the fuselage than the main planes to avoid downwash. The structural cross-bracing allows higher aspect ratio while keeping down weight and staying within flutter limits. The relatively shorter wing chord as a result of the design ensures laminar airflow and hence lower drag allowing the aircraft to fly higher and more efficiently. The UAV, believed to be made using composites. has a wingspan of 75 ft., length of 45-ft. and cruise altitude of 55,000-to-60,000 ft. Take off weight is speculated to be 7,500 kg (16,500 lb) and range, 3,800 nm. The forebody is bulged to accommodate a high-data-rate satcoms antenna. The configuration could facilitate increased range and payload; and produce better handling at high altitudes. Powered by a single turbofan engine, the UAV has a low radar signature, a cruising altitude of 60,000-ft. and a radar surveillance range of 300 mi. US analysts believe the Chinese could

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employ the UAV for targeting their newly developed anti-ship ballistic missiles. The UAV was first unveiled at the 2006 Zhuhai air show and completed its highspeed taxi tests in 2008. It first flew on November 7, 2009.

Divine Eagle LO Radar Drone

Photographs of China's Divine Eagle drone first emerged in May 2015. The UAV reportedly first flew in February 2015. The twin fuselage, 15-t Divine Eagle is believed to be the largest UAV ever built; it's estimated to be 15-m long, 6-m tall and between 35-m to 45-m from one wingtip to the other. The drone features a five wheel landing gear layout. The Divine Eagle is powered by a single, 1-m diameter intake engine positioned between its tailfins. The engine is conjectured to a medium non-afterburning turbofan with 3 to 5 tons of thrust, sufficient to power a 12-18 tons max AUW drone. The US RQ-4 Global Hawk, uses a F-137-RR-100 turbofan engine with 3.4 tons of thrust. The twin fuselage configuration of the UAV facilitates installation of a large surface area L or S band radar, with minimum internal volume and weight. The Divine Eagle is planned to carry multiple Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars with SAR and GMTI capability. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) provides high resolution imagery of slow moving ground vehicles and static installations of the adversary. Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) radars are ideal for identifying and tracking ships, such as aircraft carriers. Chinese media suggests that the UAV would be used for a variety of missions such as early warning, targeting, EW, and satellite communications.

COVER STORY

PAKISTAN AND ITS FLEET STRENGTH VIJAINDER K THAKUR analyses Pakistani UAV fleet...

P 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

akistan is known to operate 4-5 types of military UAVs including 2-3 types of armed UAVs. Major UAV assets include Falco Reconnaissance UAV CH-3 Armed UAV Burraq / CH-3 Armed UAV Shahpar Reconnaissance UAV CH-4 / Wing Loong?

Falco

The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) license manufactures the Falco UAV at its facilities in Kamra. The first military UAV to be produced in Pakistan, the Falco, is used primarily for surveillance missions. The Falco (Hawk) is a MALE UAV designed and produced by Selex ES (now Leonardo-Finmeccanica). The UAV is capable of carrying a range of payloads, including several types of high resolution sensors, but does not have an armed variant. Pakistan reportedly requested Italy to develop an armed variant, but Italy declined. The Falco has a max altitude of around 16,400 feet (5,000 m) and max endurance of up to 14 hours.

Burraq

The Burraq is an armed UAV developed and built by the National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM), a civil scientific research and development organisation of Pakistan, along with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). Initially Burraq was fielded as a reconnaissance drone. Its attack capability was first publicly demonstrated in March 2015. The Burraq, like the Rustom 1 and the Chinese Cai Hong - 3 (CH-3), is an adaptation of Rutan Long-EZ, a homebuilt aircraft designed by Burt Rutan's Rutan Aircraft Factory. The aircraft is freely available in kit form. The design is optimised for fuel-efficient long-range flight. The Rutan LongEZ has a range of just over 2,000 miles (3,200 km). It can fly for over ten hours and up to 1,600 miles (2,600 km) on 52 gallons (200 liters) of fuel. Equipped with a rear-seat fuel tank, a Long-EZ has flown for 4,800 miles (7,700 kilometers). It is likely that the Burraq's sensors,

Shahpar UAV

targeting ability and weapons are adapted from those fitted on the Chinese CH3. Developing the CH-3 as Burraq would free Pakistan and China of any MTCR restriction, allowing Pakistan to augment Burraq's operational range by fitting a satellite based data link. Primarily used by the PAF, Burraq has also been used by the Pakistan Army (PA) in its counter-insurgency operations in north-west Pakistan. The Burraq carries various imagery and motion sensors, and is equipped with a laser guided air-to-surface missile named "Barq". The Burraq was first used in a military operation on September 7, 2015, when it attacked a terrorist compound in the Shawal valley in the Pakistani tribal areas, eliminating three high profile targets.

Falco UAV

Cai Hong - 3 (CH-3) Rainbow

China is reported to have sold Cai Hong3 (CH-3), or Rainbow-3, armed drones to Pakistan. As mentioned earlier, the CH-3 is an adaptation of the Rutan Long-EZ design. It can undertake reconnaissance and precision strike missions. The drone reportedly cruises at 220

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

kph and has an endurance of 12 hours. Maximum t/o weight is 640 kg and maximum range, 2400 km. It can carry upto two AR-1 air to surface missiles or FT-5 Small Diameter Bomb which are fitted with semi-active laser (SAL) seeker for terminal guidance.

Shahpar UAV

Built by Global Industrial Defence Solutions of Pakistan, Shahpar is an indigenously developed UAV used by the Pakistani military for reconnaissance. Other than its Rotax 912 engine and tyres, Shahpar is built entirely with Pakistan manufactured components. It's multi-sensor turret designated "Zumr-1 (EP)", is built at an Advanced Engineering Research Organisation (AERO) facility near Islamabad. The Shahpar, like the Burraq and CH3, is based on the Rutan Long-EZ design. It can take off and land autonomously on a runway. It can also be recovered using a parachute. The Shahpar became operational in 2012 with the Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Army.

CH-4 / Wing Loong

Recent press reports suggest that Pakistan may have acquired CH-4 Wing Loong UAV's from China. A PAF drone crashed on June 18, 2016 6-km from Mianwali airbase. The wreckage was identifiable as Wing Loong, a MALE Chinese drone almost identical in design to the US Predator.

COVER STORY

CRYSTAL GAZING

UAV advantages are compelling enough for world powers to be contemplating optionally manned fighters and bombers with evolution of UAV technology, writes VIJAINDER K THAKUR

NAVAL UNMANNED COMBAT AERIAL VEHICLE: Northrop Grumman’s X-47B taking off of the USS Bush

hen compared to manned aircraft, UAVs have advantages which will ensure their increased use and rapid evolution. Some of the advantages of UAVs are:  Don't put aircrew in harm’s way  Are more economical to operate  Have longer endurance  Allow multiple humans in operational control and decision making chain UAV advantages are compelling enough for world powers to be contemplating optionally manned fighters and bombers with evolution of UAV technology. Perhaps the greatest shortcoming with current UAV technology is incomplete situational awareness, but this is a shortcoming that evolving technology will surely address. The trends in UAV applications are discussed in the succeeding paragraphs.

US NAVY

Rotary Wing UAVs

The versatility of MALE UAVs is somewhat constrained by the infrastructure required to launch and recover them. Typically, such UAVs operate from full fledged airbases; they are launched by support crew stationed at the airbase and then over to UAV pilots who could be thousands of miles away. On completion of mission, a MALE UAV is handed back by its pilot to the support crew for recovery at an airbase. Airfield basing of UAVs, far away from their likely area of employment, introduces a time delay in their operational availability, a time delay that could well prove a show stopper. The problem is accentuated when UAVs are required to provide surveillance in support of naval ships. Efforts are on to develop rotary wing (helicopter) UAVs that can be stationed on ships or assigned to army formations.

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The Indian Navy is struggling with the problem. It would like to have a UAV based surveillance capability on its warships patrolling hundreds of miles away from home shores.

Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial System (NSUAS)

In 2011 it was reported that HAL and Israel's IAI are carrying out preliminary work to develop an unmanned variant of the Chetak helicopter. The current status of the project is not known. MoD released an RFI on February 5, 2015 to augment the Naval fleet by procuring from Indian vendors approximately 50 Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial System (NSUAS) for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), SLOC monitoring and Coastal/EEZ surveillance, anti-piracy and anti-terrorism, assistance in Search and Rescue and

COVER STORY

SWARMING CONCEPT: Darpa’s Developing Tiny Drones That Swarm to and From Motherships

UCAV TECH: Boeing’s X-45A Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) DARPA

assistance in Maritime Domain Awareness using AIS inputs. The Navy wants an autonomous UAS with small footprint that provides day and night intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability in the maritime domain. The UAS should be able to operate from naval vessels 50 m or longer, both with and without helicopter decks. The NSUAS should be equipped with surveillance radar and be capable of flying either pre-programmed or operator initiated missions guided by the Global Positioning System and its onboard flight control system.

Tilt Rotor UAVs

Rotary Wing aircraft have speed limitations. A tilt rotor aircraft, like the Bell V-22 Osprey can take off and land vertically like a helicopter, by tilting its rotors forward to cruise like a conventional aircraft, achieving much higher cruise speeds. Efforts are on in the US and Russia to develop tilt rotor UAVs that can be instantly available to combat units, and yet be capable of high cruise speeds. At the MAKS-2015, the Kronstadt Group of Companies showed their highspeed unmanned tilt rotor UAV called ‘Frigate’ designed for aerial surveillance and cargo transport. The Frigate’s builders say the aircraft would be able to take-off and land vertically, as also take-off and land like a regular airplane. The vertical take-off and landing facility works well where there are no regular helipads and airstrips. The Frigate can carry loads from 1 ton (helicopter-style takeoff ) to 1.7 tons (regular airplane-style takeoff ) and stay aloft for up to 10 hours. It can attain speeds that are impossible for modern helicopters, of

between 600 and 700 kph.

EW UAVs

Medium and heavy drones would be increasingly employed for EW (jamming or spoofing) in the future. EW UAVs are preferable to manned EW fighters as they don't put aircrew in harm's way. A UAV could conduct electronic warfare operating in very close proximity to adversary radars, data and communication nodes.

Assault anti-armour multicopters

In February 2016, during a conference on military robots, Russia unveiled a multicopter armed with anti-tank missiles. The multicopter would be capable of reconnaissance, battlefield monitoring and elimination of targets. The multicopter is part of a complex proposed by Russia's Rostec comprising four drones: a robotic helicopter, sentinel multicopter, reconnaissance multicopter, and an assault multicopter armed with “rocket-powered munitions.” The drones would be able to perform tasks separately or cohesively. The reconnaissance multicopter would stream data from a thermal imaging device in realtime to its control station. The sentinel multicopter would help monitor the battlefield and provide coordinates for artillery. The assault multicopter would attack enemy armour, mounted guns and logistics support vehicles. All the drones use the combined GLONASS/GPS navigation system for positioning, course bearing and target linking.

Arsenal Plane

The Pentagon plans to repurpose some of its existing strike aircraft into “arsenal planes” which would carry stand-off missiles into battle alongside fifth-generation

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

combat aircraft like the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning 2 and F-22 Raptor. Unmanned or optionally manned arsenal planes would serve as airborne magazines. They would launch cruise missiles from outside contested airspace using targeting information provided by networked fifth-generation stealth fighters that penetrate enemy defences undetected. The concept involves combining different systems in the US inventory to create whole new capabilities. USAF aircraft that maybe repurposed include B-52 and B-1 bombers and F-15 fighters.

UAV Swarms

Swarming technology facilitates information-sharing between UAVs, enabling autonomous collaborative behaviour in either defensive or offensive missions. UAV swarms can be used for reconnaissance, EW, or kinetic warfare. UAV swarms can be controlled by a single operator through a single UAV, with other UAVs in the swarm autonomously flying in formation. The loss of one or several UAVs through adversary action won't cripple a mission as any UAV can serve a communication and control node. A swarm of low cost, disposable drones can paralyze adversary defences by sheer number, with the important point being that even hundreds of small autonomous UAVs cost less than a single tactical fighter. In order to make UAV swarms more

COVER STORY

KILLER DRONE: A multicopter complex armed with anti-tank missiles unveiled at a military robot conference by Russia

ROSTEC CORPORATION

Martin and Raytheon will build on previous work to develop algorithms that will allow a single operator to control multiple UAS and specifically in environments where communications are limited. DARPA

effective, US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is exploring technology that would transform existing aircraft, such as C-130 airlifters, into planes capable of launching and recovering UAV swarms.

Fighter Launched Microdrones

The US Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) conducted an experiment in Alaska during the summer of 2015 during which tiny drones were ejected from flare dispensers of F-16 and F/A-18 fighter jets. Video footage of the experiment showed a drone initially descends inside a parachute-equipped canister and then burst free and deploy its twin wings. Weighing 1-lb, the drone featured a 1-in propeller. After deployment, the 3d printed drones gained situational awareness and moved together in a swarm. The SCO won't say what the drones are capable of, but it's likely they can be used for surveillance, electronic spoofing or a loitering munition. The micro drones tested could also be launched from the ground by hand, or using a sling-shot like device.

Collaborative Operations in Denied Environment (CODE)

DARPA is honing swarm technology to operate in denied environment under its Collaborative Operations in Denied Environment (CODE) programme. Under the programme, prime contractors Lockheed

UAV based Anti Stealth Radars

Airborne Early Warning & Control Aircraft (AEW&CS) are unable to detect stealth fighters because they typically feature S or L band radars whose radar waves don't reflect from Low Observable (LO) shaped stealth fighters. Low frequency (VHF, UHF band) radars are required to detect LO shaped fighters. The problem is, lower the frequency, greater is the antenna size requirement. VHF / UHF radars are easy to deploy on the ground, but ground based radar range is very limited; restricted to the radar horizon. Fitting a radar with a large antenna poses technical challenges. The Chinese have come up with a novel solution with their High Altitude, Long Endurance (HALE) UAV called the Divine Eagle. The 15-t UAV with a twinboom tail is estimated to feature a wingspan that is between 35-m to 45-m. The UAV reportedly features 7 different multiple (X/UHF) band AESA radars.

Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAV)

The US Navy and Air Force funded development of an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) under the DARPA managed J-UCAS programme. Two vehicles were developed and test flown under the programme - Boeing X-45 and Northrop Grumman X-47. The programme was terminated in 2006 with the USAF opting to develop a new bomber. Boeing continued development of a UCAV under its internally funded 'Phantom Ray' project using the X-45C that it developed under J-UCAS as baseline.

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Similarly, Northrop continued development of its X-47. Efforts to develop a UCAV received a boost when in August 2007 the US Navy launched the UCAS-D project and awarded Northrop a six-year, $635.8 million contract to build two X-47Bs. The project was initially limited to a demonstration to prove the viability of operating a large unmanned aircraft on carrier decks. In December 2008, the Navy added autonomous air-to-air refuelling to its qualitative requirements for the project. Meanwhile, in June 2013 the US Navy launched its Unmanned CarrierLaunched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) programme to develop an autonomous carrier-based unmanned stealthy combat aerial vehicle capable of strike or gathering intelligence. The Navy had planned to retire the two X-47B demonstrators after an X-47B demonstrated arrested carrier landing on USS Bush on July 10, 2013, but following an outcry from many on Capitol Hill and within the defence community, the service decided to use the X47B to prove the technology that would go into the Navy's Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) programme. In early 2016, the US Navy decided to retool its UCLASS project. Instead of stealthy bomber or scout, the vehicle would be developed as a Carrier-Based Aerial-Refuelling System (CBARS) to extend the range of manned fighters. The strike capability envisaged to be acquired from UCLASS would be met through additional purchase of Boeing F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets over the next several years and accelerated purchases and development of the Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

COVER STORY

THWARTING

ENEMYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S UAV A

s UAVs become integral to the battlefield, an increasing amount of effort is being channeled into countering them. UAVs can be attacked and destroyed kinetically or by using Directed Energy Weapons (DEW). They can additionally be blinded, disabled or spoofed using DEW and Electronic Warfare (EW).

Kinetic Attacks

Tactical UAVs used for battlefield surveillance can be engaged and destroyed using ground fire or man portable air defence systems (MANPADS). Most tactical UAVs f ly at heights well clear of small arms fire. Medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) and High-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAVs are best engaged using regular air defence (AD) systems.

link using EW can force the UAV to revert to an autonomous mode. Without datalink, the UAV cannot relay data from its EO/IR sensors, or receive piloting and navigation commands from its remote pilot. It can only survive by autonomously f lying out of EW range.

GPS Denial

Besides a datalink, a UAV is heavily reliant on GPS signals for precise navigation. It's possible for an adversary to jam or spoof GPS signals.

Disabling Datalinks

As has been stated elsewhere in our UAV coverage, surveillance and attack UAVs are essentially remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs) that are controlled through line-of-sight (LOS) or satellite based datalinks. Disrupting the data-

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

As UAVs become integral to the battlefield, an increasing amount of effort is being channeled into countering them, writes VIJAINDER K THAKUR GPS Jamming

GPS signals are easy to jam, and GPS jammers, while illegal in the US, are easily available. GPS jamming is effective and can force a UAV to skirt the jamming cone. However, GPS jamming rarely poses a threat to a UAV. More insidious than jamming is GPS Spoofing.

GPS Spoofing

A GPS receiver can theoretically be

COVER STORY

SUPER KILLER LASER GUN: The AN/SEQ-3 Laser Weapon System or XN-1 LaWS is a directed-energy weapon developed by the United States Navy

spoofed by a counterfeit GPS signal structured like a normal GPS signal, or by rebroadcasting an authentic GPS signal captured elsewhere resulting in a navigation error. A navigational drift can be caused by first broadcasting a signal synchronized with the actual GPS signal and then introducing a progressively increasing error. It is believed that such spoofing lead astray a Lockheed RQ-170 drone aircraft in northeastern Iran in December, 2011, resulting in the drone's capture.

Directed Energy Weapons (DEW)

Most military UAVs feature EO/IR sensor suites which can be blinded or damaged by directed energy such as high energy laser (HEL). Russia is reportedly developing a microwave gun that can shoot down drones or cruise missiles from 10-km away. The super-high-frequency radiation emitted by the gun fries the electronic brains of drones, cruise missile warheads and combat aircraft. Most US research is focused on HEL to fry UAV electronics and sensors. The challenge in developing anti UAV laser weapon is in creating a powerful enough laser that can efficiently propagate through atmospheric turbulence, dust and humidity to stay accurately focused on the target long enough to damage or destroy it. The range of the weapon is limited by atmospheric attenuation. Laser power of the order of 100 kw is required to cause the required damage. The beam delivery system has to

ANTI-DRONE SYSTEM: Rafaelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Drone Dome that can be used for detection and neutralization of the unmanned aerial systems

simultaneously perform several roles. It acquires and tracks the distant static and moving target in real time and points and focuses the laser beam on the target. The adaptive optical system has to compensate for the jitter and wave front distortion of the laser beam from the source. It's easy to understand why DEW are currently only effective against small tactical UAVs. Another challenge is the size of the HEL system. Tactical use laser weapons designed to take down UAVs need to be compact enough to be carried on a small vehicle, or even a man portable. HEL has the advantage of low operating costs and rapid fire. A laser burst costs considerably less than a MANPAD launch, and an HEL system can release energy bursts in rapid succession.

DRDO DEW Development Project

DRDO's CHESS (Center for High Energy Systems and Science), Hyderabad, is researching DEW systems.

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Laser Science and Technology Center (LASTEC) is working for the development of laser source technologies for DEW dazzling and LASTEC â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s imaging applications. (Imaging is required for targeting). LASTEC used the Aditya project as an experimental test bed to seed critical DEW technologies related to laser source, beam delivery and issues related to system integration on mobile platforms. The Aditya conceptual DEW would provide useful input to future laser weapon programs of DRDO. One of the DEW weapon systems being developed would target UAVs.

Protecting UAVs from DEWs

Even as DEW against UAVs are being perfected, efforts are underway to protect UAVs from being blinded or disabled by lasers by fitting the UAVs with sensors that rapidly detect radiation from laser-based DEW, determine the precise location of the source, and initiate countermeasures to the potentially hazardous energy.

COVER STORY

INTERNAL SECURITY: AN INDISPENSABLE PLATFORM

YOUTUBE

India needs to develop, maintain and continuously fine-tune its surveillance and reconnaissance assets. There is a dire requirement of UAVs at the tactical level which needs to be provided as force multiplier at the ground level for undertaking missions with accurate intelligence, writes AJIT KUMAR

he primary advantage of using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in internal security operations is the near zero loss of human lives among the paramilitary and police forces that are tasked for safeguarding the homeland. The secondary advantage is the force multiplier effect that the UAVs have on the homeland security personnel on the ground – in terms of providing the needed intelligence input to counter the insurgency and terror groups operating on Indian soil. Despite the overlap of responsibility with the Indian armed forces, the prime responsibility of maintaining internal peace and security is that of the Indian paramilitary and police forces, be they of

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

EYE IN THE SKY: Karnataka Police becomes India’s first department to own drones

the central or the state governments. For that reason alone, UAVs are useful as a platform for surveillance, intelligence gathering, target acquisition and to a limited level, offensive roles, against armed insurgents in Kashmir, Northeastern states and in Left-wing extremism-hit states. The UAVs or drones can be easily used as guided missiles to target key locations and installations. Modern day conflicts will be fought in a complex land/air environment based on cutting edge technology. UAVs – due to their versatility, ability to fly long ranges, long endurance and multi-payload capability – would play a major role in achieving success in such operations. It also helps to minimising the human loss. India needs to develop, maintain and

COVER STORY

DESHGUJARAT/TWITTER

Z axis Unmanned Machines Pvt. Ltd., a Gujarat based manufacturer and service provider of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles showcasing their UAVs

continuously fine-tune its surveillance and reconnaissance assets. There is a dire requirement of UAVs at the tactical level which needs to be provided as force multiplier at the ground level for undertaking missions with accurate intelligence. UAVs use in internal security and counter-terrorism operations has also spiked over the years. Indian security forces have been deploying UAVs to keep a tab on terrorist activities in the mountainous, inaccessible regions of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in the thickly forested regions of the North-eastern states. India’s present strength of UAVs with forces that provide internal security is meagre and there is an urgent need for greater quantities to meet operational requirements of the future and for border surveillance. Acknowledging its force multiplier role, UAVs will play a big role in the present and emerging Network Centric Warfare scenario and other internal security threats. According to S Sundaresh, Distinguished Scientist and Chief Controller R&D (Production Coordination & Services Interaction) and Director General (Armaments and Combat Engineering Systems) DRDO, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), National Security Guard (NSG), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Uttar PradeshSpecial Task Force (UP-STF), Snow & Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE), Maharashtra Police, Gujarat Police among others have already bought Netra. UAVs are the most advanced systems for obtaining the real-time imagery of the ground and is useful in the internal secu-

Air-borne drones being used to oversee security at the Ardh Kumbh Mela

rity scenario. Presently, CRPF has a holding of 10 Micro-UAVs (Netra) which have been deployed in LWE affected states, including Chhattisgarh. Besides, National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) is also providing their UAV coverage to CRPF for operations in LWE areas. Also, one Mini-UAV of BSF has been deployed in the LWE affected areas in Odisha. “It can be very effectively utilised in law enforcement, riot monitoring, as well as a ‘last minute last mile’ tool in jungle warfare and also finds application in traffic monitoring, mapping and surveying, real estate photography and crowd management,” Sundaresh added. In a scenario where homeland security has taken centre stage, annual UAV sales in India stand at about $5.2 billion, a figure which is expected to increase to $11.6 billion over the next decade. And

India’s present strength of UAVs with forces that provide internal security is meagre and there is an urgent need for greater quantities to meet operational requirements of the future and for border surveillance

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internal security makes a major chunk of this. Technological developments and operational requirements have got India to a situation where UAVs are increasingly being depended upon to deliver capabilities that formerly relied on manned operations. As their strategic importance increases, the UAS industry must respond to deliver systems that are ever more cost effective, dependable and survivable. “Adoption of best technology platforms by central armed police forces in prosecution of their duties is important. The recent advice of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to the BSF on harnessing technology in its operational work is timely and worthy of quick implementation. A stage has arrived for our security forces to consider the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for surveillance roles. There are several applications for this platform especially for BSF, ITPB, SSB, CRPF, CISF and NDRF units. Ideally, each unit should be equipped with UAVs to act as ‘eyes and ears’ in border guard duties, counter-insurgency operations, rescue and relief operations, crowd control and surveillance duties,” said former Special Secretary of Research and Analysis Wing and Managing Trustee of Institute of Contemporary Studies, Bangalore P M Heblikar in an article. Heblikar further adds, “This technology is available locally and can meet the requirements of our central forces leading to creation of force multipliers and also give fillip to the fledgling local UAV industry. The experience of central forces in use of UAV technology can be shared with state governments. Attractive pay and promotion packages for those join-

COVER STORY

ing the UAV stream or general pilot duties must be ensured. The induction of UAVs into central armed police forces must become an urgent item in modernisation programme of the central government and in doing so receive benefits from its ‘Make in India’ policy. A definite timeline for this induction should be made with adequate financial commitments under various modernisation schemes.” Strengthening of the ‘special units’of the central armed police forces must receive more attention of the home ministry. This involves a cross synergy between the home ministry and the defence ministry. It has been discussed in public domain for considerable period of time with very little results. The need to augment capacity to deal with asymmetrical warfare cannot be over-emphasised and in this direction sharing of expertise and experience becomes inevitable. In a recent paper, Observer Research Foundation senior fellow R Swaminathan says, “India currently operates close to 50 drones in various military reconnaissance and intelligence gathering configurations, a number more than that of France, Germany and Italy combined. Internationally, certified figures show that India has the second largest number of acknowledged drones in the world after the United States of America.” Even the most meticulously researched scenarios about the future of drones are, at best, a calculated guess. There is no sure way of knowing how drones are going to integrate with the future built and non-built environment. There is a distinct possibility that they may evolve into autonomous and inde-

There was a need for regulating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to prevent its misuse, particularly in populated areas and sensitive locations like airports. The Home Secretary said the government was also exploring the option of using UAVs for works like surveillance in large establishments such as refineries, secure oil pipelines from being broken or stolen, and crime detection Rajiv Mehrishi Union Home Secretary pendent systems capable of taking realtime, on-the-spot decisions. But there is still no clear idea whether they will turn into networked systems contributing to collective human intelligence or become a hub artificial intelligence in themselves, Swaminathan says in the article. Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said recently that there was a need for regulating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to prevent its misuse, particularly in

FUNASTER

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

populated areas and sensitive locations like airports. The Home Secretary said the government was also exploring the option of using UAVs for works like surveillance in large establishments such as refineries, secure oil pipelines from being broken or stolen, and crime detection. “One positive side of the homeland security (in terms of use of UAVs) is to whether to send relief in a disaster situation, how to send medicine, delivery of food, whether it is for traffic management (in a large city) and probably detection of crime. So, homeland security is an issue we have to look forward (when it comes to use of UAVs). We in the Home Ministry are little concerned about certain things in homeland security, including the issue of infiltration from the western side of the border from the hostile neighbour,” he said. The Home ministry official said, infiltration from across the Indo-Pak border has come down to almost negligible level even though there were areas that need to be secured through technology and increasing capacity, including by using UAVs. “One important aspect for us is to reduce boots on the ground. We are also using technology intensively so that we ensure security and less personnel on the ground,” he said. The Home Secretary said there was a need for homeland security specific facilities such as how to detect ungrounded mines where our security forces are exposed to in certain areas of the country. The government has sanctioned procurement of 50 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for central armed police forces like CRPF and BSF, according to Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The 50 UAVs are for enhancing and aiding the operations of central paramilitary forces, which are deployed in the country for rendering a variety of internal security duties, antiNaxal operations and border guarding tasks. Netra, the mini UAV for example, is already inducted in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and National Security Guards (NSG). Ministry of home affairs also plans to deploy UAVs for the border surveillance operations. However, in the absence of policies from the MHA on how to deploy these platforms, a decision is pending

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav launching an aerial surveillance project in Lucknow. The Drone is developed by Funaster

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over implementing the plan and the policy formulation is awaited. It is heard from BSF officials that the MHA is awaiting clearances from the Indian Air Force on using its UAVs for border surveillance. “Once the standard operating procedures for paramilitary forces, in consonance with the IAF's, are prepared, then we should be ready for deploying of border surveillance UAVs. The MHA is coordinating with the MoD on the matter,” the official said. “The BSF’s requirement for UAVs has already been approved in the procurement plan. We are only awaiting the response and the SOP for the use of UAV,” the official added. The BSF plans to induct the UAVs in both eastern and western sectors. “It is operationally a force multiplier. We have sufficient manpower on the border but we want to extend our capabilities with technology,” he said. Most probably, the BSF will be using an Indian UAV against this requirement that it has projected. Apart from the Indian government agencies such as the DRDO and HAL, there are also a number of private Indian companies working on both the hardware and the software of UAVs, though they sell exclusively to the government. "The item falls under Schedule II, and thus requires a licence from the Ministry of Industries for its manufacture," says Atul Khosla, Director, OM UAV Systems, a Delhi-based manufacturer. "The licence is given only after approvals from the defence ministry, home ministry and Department of Telecom and restricted to those making drones for the security forces." IdeaForge, started by five IIT Bombay alumni, working in close tandem with DRDO, developed the Netra UAV. Weighing barely 1.5 kg and rising to a height of about 15 metres, it has been used during the Uttarakhand floods, the tiger census, as well as to track a killer leopard in Uttarakhand. Others to have obtained licences include Dynamatic Technologies, Ashok Leyland, Taneja Aerospace and Aviation, Avaana Software and Services, Basant Aerospace and SasMos HET Tech. Netra is a fully autonomous, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed specifically for anti-terrorist and counter-insurgency operations. About 30

Guardian UAV by OM UAV Systems

units have been sold to fulfil the ever growing homeland security demand in post 26/11 India. After US President Barak Obama’s visit to India in January 2015, the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) took off with one of the suggestions being the joint development and production of the AeroVironment's RQ11 Raven mini-drone. The Indian Army may not be interested in the Raven, but the most important unmanned platform need of the Indian paramilitary and the police forces that fight internal security threats are mini-drones and Raven fits well into the slot. Raven is one of the most popular light weight unmanned aerial vehicle, which can be launched manually by the troopers. According to AeroVironment, Raven is a light-weight solution designed for rapid deployment and high mobility for military applications requiring lowaltitude surveillance and reconnaissance intelligence. It could enhance the tactical surveillance capabilities of India in both eastern and the western sector immensely. There is growing opportunity for drone use by hostile actors who want

Raven is a light-weight solution designed for rapid deployment and high mobility for military applications requiring lowaltitude surveillance and reconnaissance intelligence

to cause large-scale harm or disruption. Small aircraft can easily be used for espionage and delivery of explosives to damage critical infrastructure like nuclear, gas and electric facilities, bridges, dams, communication networks and other assets whose destruction would have debilitating effects on public safety and security. It is most likely that in the days to come, India's security forces may use unmanned drones for surveillance of these critical infrastructure and when that happens the requirement for UAVs in that sector could be in several thousands, it has been estimated. In January 2016, a BBC report citing London-based think-tank Remote Control Project said drones could be used by terrorist groups as "simple, affordable and effective airborne improvised explosive devices." The report authors suggested that UAV manufacturers should program drones with the GPS coordinates of no-fly zones, as a means to counter use of such unmanned platforms by terrorist groups. “A range of terrorist, insurgent, criminal, corporate and activist threat groups have already demonstrated the ability to use civilian drones for attacks and intelligence gathering,” the report read. “The best defence against the hostile use of drones is to employ a hierarchy of countermeasures encompassing regulatory countermeasures, passive countermeasures and active countermeasures.” It suggested that the countermeasures could include: Limiting the payload capacity of commercial drones; devising a security alert system when drones appear in no-fly zones; and the development of “innovative less-lethal antidrone systems.” The report also lists recent examples of suspicious activity involving drones: Unidentified drones that have been flown over various landmarks in France, including the US Embassy and the Eiffel Tower; the Metropolitan Police recorded 20 suspicious drone-flying incidents around London between January 2013 and August 2015; and the so-called Islamic State has released videos showing drones being used for reconnaissance in Iraq. Shockingly, none of the countermeasures are foolproof in preventing the misuse of drones by terror groups. — The author is Director, Center for Policy Reforms

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July 2016

COVER STORY

GEARING UP FOR THE ARMED DRONES IN THE FLEET

ndia's entry into the 34-member Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is now a foregone conclusion. It is not yet a member is just a matter of fine print that most writers in India have failed to mention. Nevertheless, the membership of the MTCR opens up immense opportunities for both India and the global defence industry. We will, though, deal with the opportunities that the Indian Unmanned Aerial Vehicle programmes and the global industry have in this specific sub-sector. It is just a small detail that India first applied for membership into the MTCR exactly a year ago and since then, its application was taken up for consideration once in October 2015. If there were any objections to India's admission into the grouping, it should have happened on or before June 6 and that never happened, thereby signalling that India's membership will sail through at the plenary of the MTCR later this year. It will also mark the first of the four global technology export control regimes that India would formally get entry into, even as the second — Nuclear Supplier Group – is now in its final stages. These will make it easier for India to access critical technology for its advanced scientific and defence industries. The MTCR secretariat, chaired by Netherlands, has circulated a proposal for India's membership recently, rather than waiting for the

group's plenary meeting to be held later in the year. At the last plenary in Rotterdam, India's membership application was not accepted because of objection by Italy. While no formal reason was given for Italian objection, it was made clear to New Delhi that the status of the Italian marines detained in India for the 2012 killing of two fishermen off the coast of Kerala was the main roadblock. Italy removed its virtual veto after the second Italian marine returned home following the Indian government's stance of 'no-objection', when the matter came up before the Supreme Court. Last week, India adhered voluntarily to The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation, which ‘complements’ the guidelines of the MTCR regime. The MTCR guidelines, drafted in 1987, enjoin member-states to restrict the export of items that could assist the production of ballistic missiles and other unmanned delivery systems for weapons of mass destruction. For the most sensitive items, also known as 'Category I' – complete missile systems capable of carrying a payload of at least 500 kg over a distance of more than 300 km, and drones or components designed exclusively for use in such systems – the MTCR encourages member-states to deny export licenses altogether, subject to national law. The US, for example, permits certain exports

but with tight restrictions on end-use. Category II items are largely dual use and include components that are needed for civilian space flight. Here, most MTCR states have a less restrictive policy. Though the MTCR does not bar the sale of Category I or II items to nonmembers, India's calculation is that membership of the club would make it easier to acquire critical components and even systems, especially for its space programme. The Indian military is also interested in purchasing US drones – a Category I item. Admission to the MTCR would open the way for India to buy highend missile technology, also making more realistic its aspiration to buy surveillance drones such as the Predator, made by General Atomics. India is now looking to procure hitech armed drones from the US that could change the regional security dynamics vis-a-vis Pakistan and China. During the September 2015 visit of US Deputy Defence Secretary Frank Kendall to India to discuss the growing defence trade and technology cooperation between the two nations, India has expressed interest to procure the Predator-series of drones. The Predator series include the Reaper and Avenger armed drones. These drones, products of American firm General Atomics Aeronautical Systems based in San Diego, can perform land border and maritime surveillance and attack roles.

The high-speed, multi-mission Avenger is a long-endurance, medium-to-high-altitude Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) system

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COVER STORY

Heron TP is an advanced, multi-purpose MALE UAS with an extended performance envelope and a variety of payloads capability

India is said to be interested in buying 40 Predator XP and 100 Avenger drones for its Navy and Air Force respectively, it is understood. However, General Atomics' sale of the Predator-series of drones to India is contingent upon the US government approving the export. Before the US administration even considers the Indian interest for these high end technologies, India would have to acquire the membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which is now just a formality. Predator-series RPAs have been effectively used by American forces in their operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, including targeting and attacking terrorists associated with the al-Qaeda and Taliban. India's army, air force and navy currently have the Israeli Searcher-II and Heron ISR drones, apart from Harop self-destructing combat drones in service. But the Predator-series RPA provide ISR capability that is fully interoperable with the US forces and the US military platforms in the Indian military's aircraft inventory. The aircraft can perform mediumaltitude, wide-area surveillance along India's extensive terrestrial and marine borders. Extremely safe and reliable, Predator-series RPA have been updated with state-of-the-art technologies, including an automatic take off and landing capability, redundant flight control surfaces, enhanced avionics, and triple-redundant flight control computers. GA-ASI is also committed to developing a Detect and Avoid (DAA) capability for its RPA and is seeking Indian industry collaboration. The DAA system for Predator B enables it to successfully detect and avoid cooperative and non-cooperative aircraft. It has most recently accomplished this task during a series of flight tests conducted in conjunction with the FAA and NASA. GA-ASI is very interested in opportunities to work with new international industrial

partners. The company focuses on identifying those opportunities that leverage the strengths and growth capabilities of new partners to enhance the already impressive capabilities delivered by Predator-series RPA. India is already working on armed drones at its defence research and development labs that are currently in design and development stage. But the current Indian interest in the Predator-series RPAs could tilt a delicate balance in India's favour in the region. In September 2015, Indian media outlets reported that the Narendra Modi government has quietly approved the purchase of 10 missile-armed drones from Israel â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a crucial acquisition that will enhance India's cross-border military strike capability. The $400-million proposal for buying the armed Heron TP drones from Israel was cleared in the first week of September 2015, the reports said. These drones will be operated by the Indian Air Force, which has a fleet of reconnaissance drones. IAF also has a fleet of Harpy UAVs from Israel, which are self-

India is already working on armed drones at its defence research and development labs that are currently in design and development stage. But the current Indian interest in the Predator-series RPAs could tilt a delicate balance in India's favour

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July 2016

destructing systems primarily tasked with taking out enemy radar positions. Anonymous senior defence ministry officials were quoted as saying that the project has been accelerated under directions from the highest levels of government and that armed drones may join service within a year. The armed forces had proposed buying the same armed drones in 2012. But the proposal did not get the political backing within the previous Manmohan Singh government, officials reportedly said. The project was revived and fast-tracked by the Modi government in 2015. Israel's armed Heron drones are similar to the Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicles that are capable of reconnaissance, combat and support roles. Heron drones can carry a payload of over 1,000 kg and will be equipped with air-toground missiles that detect, track and take down targets deep inside enemy territory. India already operates a fleet of unarmed Heron and Searcher UAVs for surveillance and intelligence gathering. The addition of armed UAVs will be a big capacity enhancer for India and give it the option of taking out large terrorist camps or individual targets in hostile territory with minimal risk. Another official was quoted as saying that the lack of capability to target terror camps across the border was also felt after the Manipur attack on Indian troopers by insurgent groups in June 2015, which resulted in the death of 18 soldiers. While a cover cross-border raid was carried out in retaliation, the lack of lowrisk, quick-reaction platform to take out cross-border targets was severely felt. While India is pursuing an indigenous drone programme, Rustom-2, being developed by the DRDO, the project is several years away from weaponised induction. Armed flight trials are yet to be carried out. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Geopolitics Bureau

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A BIRD’S EYE VIEW Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become essential “platforms” for security establishments around the world. Geopolitics takes a close look at the few manufacturers who produce these 'birds' that can be used both for military warfare or homeland security THALES

FULMAR UAS is a highly versatile system, with capabilities for a variety of missions such as mountain search and rescue, illegal traffic monitoring, support to ground forces, intelligence missions, etc.

SPY’RANGER is a latest-generation mini-UAS with the only EO/IR imaging system in the world capable of transmitting high-definition electro-optical and infrared imagery in real time. WATCHKEEPER is a high performance Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) with scalable architecture for a wide range of military and homeland security mission requirements. Specifications  Range: 15 km to 30 km  Endurance: > 2 hours 30 minutes  Adjustable ground speed  Operates with wind speeds: in excess of current type standards

AIRBUS DEFENCE & SPACE

TRACKER is a short-range mini unmanned aerial system (UAS) designed to deliver intelligence capabilities for defence forces. Specifications  Wingspan: 3.60m Length: 1.6m  Max altitude (MSL): 3000 m  Operational height (AGL): max 600 m  Max speed: 100 km/h  Operational area: 10-km range  Endurance: 90 minutes at a time  Engine: Two low noise electric engines

Specifications  Length: 19.69 ft  Width: 34.45 ft  Max Speed: 109 mph  Max Range: 124 miles  Service Ceiling: 18,045 ft

Specifications  Length: 1.2 m  Wingspan: 3 m  Height: 0.5 m  Cruising speed: 100 km/h  Altitude: up to 4000 m  Endurance: 6 to 12 h

DVF 2000 VT is a short-range mini UAS/UAV with a low noise electric motor. It is an unmanned aircraft especially suited for maritime and land surveillance.

Specifications  Wingspan: 3.0 m  Length: 1.20 m  Max speed: 100 km/h  Max altitude (ASL): 2500 m  Engine: Low noise electric motor  Range: 40 km  Payload: 1.1 kg  Endurance: 1,5 hr  Weight: 11 kg

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HARFANG is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned air vehicle (UAV) system designed and developed to perform strategic reconnaissance and tracking missions. Specifications  Wingspan: 16.60m  Length: 9.30m  Max speed: 110 ktas (true airspeed in knots)  Height: 2.30m  Payload: 250 kg  Endurance: 24+ at a time  Max altitude (ASL): 25,000 ft (ft)

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TEXTRON SYSTEMS

AEROSONDE is designed for expeditionary land- and sea-based operations and equipped for simultaneous day-and-night full-motion video, communications relay and intelligence in a single flight, the Aerosonde SUAS delivers reliable, multi-mission performance that can be acquired as a system or a service. Specifications  Max Wingspan: 11.9 ft (3.6 m)  Weight: 80 pounds/ 36.4 kg  Engine: Lycoming EL-005  Endurance: 14+ hours  Payload: 20 pounds/ 9.1 kg  Payload Power: Up to 200 watts  Ceiling: 15,000 feet/ 4,572 m

NORTHROP GRUMMAN SHADOW V2 (RQ-7B V2) is an alldigital, modern system, optimised for new multi-mission, single-sortie profiles and manned/unmanned teaming, and paired with our interoperable Universal Ground Control Station (UGCS) and remote products for real-time information delivery across the battlespace. X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) is a fighter-sized unmanned aircraft that can land on and be launched from the flight deck of a Navy aircraft carrier while underway at sea.

Specifications  Wingspan: 20 ft (6 m)  Maximum gross weight: 467 lbs (212 kg)  Maximum payload weight: 80 lbs. (36 kg)  Maximum endurance: 9 hr

Specifications  Wingspan: 62.1 ft  Length: 38.2 ft  Altitude: >40,000 ft  Range: >2,100 nm  Max Gross Takeoff Weight (MGTOW): 44,000 lbs  Top Speed: High Subsonic  Twin Internal Weapons Bay: 4,500 lbs Design Load

BAE SYSTEMS TARANIS is a British demonstrator programme for Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) technology, under development primarily by the defence contractor BAE Systems. Specifications  Wingspan: 10 m (approximate)  Length: 12.43 m  Height: 4 m  Maximum speed: Mach < 1  Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Adour Moderate by-pass ratio turbofan engine, 44 kN (10,000 lbf) thrust (approximate)

MANTIS medium-altitude longendurance unmanned air vehicle (UAV) system has been designed and developed by BAE Systems to perform intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) operations. Specifications  Maximum altitude: 55,000ft  Maximum speed: 200kt (370km/h) and 300kt (555km/h)  Endurance: 30 hours

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GLOBAL HAWK is a high-altitude, longendurance (HALE) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) designed to provide military field commanders with comprehensive, near-real-time ISR, plus detection of moving targets over a large geographical area for battle management, targeting and situation awareness of enemy actions. Specifications  Wingspan: 130.9 ft (39.9 m)  Length: 47.6 ft (14.5m)  Height: 15.4 ft (4.7m)  Maximum Altitude: 60,000 ft (18.3 km)  Payload: 3,000 lbs (1,360 kg)  On-Station Endurance: 24 hrs  Maximum Endurance: 32+ hrs

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BOEING DEFENSE

INSITU PACIFIC SCANEAGLE is an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), part of ScanEagle® Unmanned Aircraft Systems, developed and built by Insitu Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company. The UAV is based on Insitu’s SeaScan miniature robotic aircraft developed for the commercial fishing industry.

Specifications  L ength (EO dome): 5.1 ft / 1.55 m  L ength (EO900/MWIR dome): 5.6 ft / 1.71 m  W ingspan: 10.2 ft / 3.11 m  E mpty structure weight: 30.9-39.68 lb / 14-18 kg  M ax takeoff weight: 48.5 lb / 22 kg  M ax payload weight: 7.5 lb / 3.4 kg

FIRE BEE is an ideal UAV for ‘Over the hill’ realtime visual intelligence. It can be used for border management, special operation forces, search and rescue and environmental monitoring.

INTEGRATOR is a modular, flexible and versatile solution to carry on tasks on land or at sea. The aircraft's payload spaces can be reconfigured with cameras, communication capabilities and other technologies to meet the needs and deliver the information necessary to get the job done. Specifications  L ength: 8.2 ft / 2.5 m  W ingspan: 16 ft / 4.9 m  E mpty structure weight: 80 lb / 36.28 kg  Max takeoff weight: 135 lb / 61.2 kg  Max payload weight: 40 lb / 18 kg

KADET DEFENCE SYSTEMS

Specifications  Wingspan: 150 ft  Altitude: 65,000 ft  Endurance: 4 days  Max Speed: 200 ktas

A160 HUMMINGBIRD long-endurance helicopter UAV is capable of carrying out persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, target acquisition, communications relay and precision resupply missions. Specifications  Length: 35.10 ft  Width: 36.9 ft  Max Speed: 160 mph  Max Range: 1,609 miles

Specifications  Wingspan: 3.2 m  Length: 2.5 m  Endurance: >120 minutes  Altitude: Max >3000 m

SAFRAN

PHANTOM EYE is a liquid hydrogenfuelled, high-altitude and long-endurance unmanned aircraft system for persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and communications missions.

PATROLLER is a tactical drone system used for the discreet surveillance of sensitive zones, coasts and borders, natural disasters (forest fires, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, etc.) or to monitor political meetings, sports events, etc. It is used for both military and homeland security missions. The ground station give operators real time control,

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allowing them to accurately track mission progress, while providing high-precision target location. Specifications  Endurance: 20+ hours  Range: 180 Km  Payload: 250 kg  Ceiling: 6000 meters  Max. Speed: 200 kmph

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DEFENCE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION (DRDO) LAKSHYA is a Pilotless Target Aircraft (PTA). It is a tow target system that makes it cost-effective and versatile. Besides this, it also plays important role in training and assessment of weapon system and operators.

NISHANT is a tactical UAV system for surveillance and was conceived with mobility as an important requirement. It is launched using a hydro pneumatic launcher.

Specifications  Wingspan: 5 m  Length: 2.3 m  Endurance: 45 minutes  Altitude: 9000 m  Speed: 450 kmph  Range: 100 km

Specifications  Wingspan: 7.9 meter  Length: 5.12 m  Endurance: 12-15 hr  Altitude: 25000 ft  Speed: 225 kmph (max.)/ 150kmph(cruise)  Payload: 75 kg

Specifications  W ingspan: 6.57 meter  A ltitude: 3600 m AMSL  Endurance: 4 ½ hr  Speed cruise: 125-150 kmph  R ange: 175 km (160 km)  P ayload data link: 175 km (100 km)

AEROVIRONMENT

PUMA-AE (All-Environment) is a small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) designed for land based and maritime operations.

RUSTOM is an idigenous, all-weather, medium altitude long endurance (MALE) UAV. It can operate at medium-to-long ranges and gather near real-time high quality imagery and signal intelligence (SIGINT).

RAVEN is the most prolific small UAS deployed with the US Armed Forces. The vehicle can be operated manually or programmed for autonomous operation, utilising the system’s advanced avionics and precise GPS navigation. Specifications  Wing Span: 4.5 ft (1.4 m)  Length: 3.0 ft (0.9 m)  Weight: 4.2 lbs (1.9 kg)  R ange: 10 km  Endurance: 60-90 minutes (Rechargeable Battery)  Speed: 32-81 km/h, 17-44 knots

Specifications  Wing Span: 9.2 ft (2.8 m)  Length: 4.6 ft (1.4 m)  Weight: 14 lbs (6.3 kg)  Range: 15 km  Endurance: 3+ Hours  Operating Altitude (Typ.): 500 ft (152 m)

OMNIPRESENT ROBOT TECH

GARUN is a Omnipresent’s next-generation, rugged, fully autonomous data collection robot, with state-of-the-art precision landing, reliable mission planning, and wireless data offload Features  Full HD Video  Gimbal Stabilized Video  Engine Failsafe  High wind Tolerance

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COVER STORY

ISRAEL AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES SUPER HERON is the new and latest Medium Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Aircraft System (MALE UAS) made by IAI/Malat. The Super Heron was added as a link between the Heron and the Heron TP UAV systems.

Specifications  Mission Radius: LOS > 250 km, BLOS > 1,000 km  Endurance: Upto 45 hr  Ceiling: > 30,000 feet  Loiter Speed: 60-80 kTAS  Max speed: > 150 kTAS  Max Takeoff Weight: 1,450 kg  Payload Weight: upto 450 kg  Wingspan: 17 m  Engine: 200 Hp heavy fuel (diesel) engine

ELBIT SYSTEMS

HERMES 900 UAS is equipped with a variety of high performance sensors, allowing it to detect ground or maritime targets over a wide spectral range.

SEARCHER MK III is a multi mission tactical UAS used for surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition, artillery adjustment and damage assessment.

Specifications  Mission Radius: 250 km  Endurance: 18 hrs  Ceiling: 23,000 ft  Loiter Speed: 60 - 80 ktas  Max. Speed: 110 ktas  Max. Takeoff Weight: MTOW 450 kg  Max. Payload Weight: 120 kg  Wingspan: 8.55 m BIRD EYE 400 is an advanced, affordable Mini UAV System providing real-time day/ night imagery data for urban operation and “over the hill” intelligence.The Bird-Eye 400 offers a high-level of operational fexibility with latest generation autonomous fight and mission capabilities. Specifications  Max. takeoff weight: 5.8 kg / 12.76 lb  Payload: Color TV/IR  Max. payload weight: 1.2 kg / 2.64 lb

Specifications  Maximal Takeoff Weight: 5,300 kg / 11,660 lb  Typical Mission Payload: 1,000 kg / 2,200 lb  Wingspan: 26 m / 85.3 ft  Length: 14 m / 45.9 ft  Engine: 1,200 hp Turboprop Engine

     

Engine: Electrical Propulsion Wingspan: 2.2 m / 7.21 ft Operational alt 500-1500 ft AGL Endurance up to 90 min Mission radius: 20 km / 6.25 mi Max. speed: 60 ktas

SKYLARK™ I-LEX is the latest evolution of the battle-proven, high-performance Skylark I system, which has been delivered to over 30 different users worldwide. Specifications  Takeoff weight: 7.5 kg  Payload weight: 1.2 kg  Endurance: up to 3 hours  Service Ceiling: 15,000 feet  Range: 40 Km

HERMES™ 450 is a multi-role high performance tactical UAS used in counter-terror operations. It is a mature and combat proven UAS with over 300,000 operational flight hours. Specifications  Take-off weight: 550 kg  Max Payload: 180 kg  Endurance: 17 hours  Service Ceiling: 18,000 ft  Max Speed: 109 mph  Max Range: 124 miles  Rate-of-Climb: 900 feet-per-minute

Specifications  Takeoff weight: 1,180Kg  Max Payload: 350 Kg  Endurance: Up to 36 hours  Service Ceiling: 30,000 ft

HERON TP is an advanced, multipurpose MALE UAS with an extended performance envelope and a variety of payloads capability.

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COVER STORY

GENERAL ATOMICS AERONAUTICAL GRAY EAGLE Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) is an innovative and technologically advanced derivative of the combat-proven Predator . Gray Eagle offers a reliable, affordable, lowrisk, and compelling next-generation tactical UAS solution to meet challenging service requirements for persistent Reconniassance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA) and attack operations.

PREDATOR XP is an updated version of the flagship Predator RPA updated with state-ofthe-art technologies, including an automatic takeoff and landing capability, redundant flight control surfaces, enhanced avionics, and triple-redundant flight control computers. Predator XP is equipped with both Line-of-Sight (LOS) and Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) data link systems for over-the-horizon operations.

Specifications  Max Altitude: 29,000 ft  Max Endurance: 25 hr  Max Airspeed: 167 KTAS  W ing Span: 56 ft (17m)  L ength: 28 ft (9m)  Max Gross Takeoff Weight: 3,600 lb (1,633 kg)  Fuel Capacity: 575 lb (261 kg)  P ayload Capacity: 575 lb int. (261 kg) 500 lb ext. (227 kg)  Weapons: 4 Hellfire missiles  P ayloads: EO/IR SAR/GMTI Communications relay

PREDATOR B is a highly sophisticated turboprop-powered, multi-mission Remotely Piloted Aircraft built on the experience gained with the company's battle-proven Predator RPA and is a major evolutionary leap forward in overall performance and reliability.

PREDATOR C AVENGER is the highspeed, multi-mission, long-endurance, medium-to-high-altitude Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) system that can perform wide-area surveillance, timesensitive strike missions over land or sea, and a host of other challenging military missions. Specifications  Max Altitude: 50,000 ft  Max Endurance: 18 hr  Max Airspeed: 400 KTAS  Thrust: 4,800 lbs  Speed: 400 KTAS  Max Altitute: 50,000 ft  Endurance: 18 hr  Payload: Multiple sensors  Weapons: 3,500 lbs of precision munitions  Wing Span: 66 ft (20m)  Length: 44 ft (13m)  Payload Capacity: 3,500 lb int. (1588 kg) 6,500 lb Total (2948 kg)  Weapons: Hellfire missiles

Specifications  E ndurance: 27 hours  Speed: 240 KTAS  Max Altitude: 50,000 ft  P ayload Capacity: 1,746 kg  W ing Span: 66 ft (20m)  L ength: 36 ft (11m)  P owerplant: Honeywell TPE331-10  Max Gross Takeoff Weight: 10,500 lb (4763 kg)  Fuel Capacity: 3,900 lb (1769 kg)  P ayload Capacity: 850 lb int. (386 kg) 3,000 lb ext. (1361 kg)

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July 2016

Specifications  Max Altitude: 25,000 ft  Max Endurance: 35 hr  Max Airspeed: 120 KTAS  Wing Span: 55 ft (17m)  Length: 27 ft (8m)  Powerplant: Heavily Modified Rotax 914 Turbo  Max Gross Takeoff Weight: 2,550 lb (1157 kg)  Fuel Capacity: 595 lb (270 kg)  Payload Capacity: 325 lb int. (147 kg)  Power: 4.8 kW (redundant)

IDEAFORGE

NETRA is a man-portable unmanned aerial vehicle which can be launched from a small clearing by the roadside and made to fly over the area of interest up to a height of 400 m and can send continuous real time video of every movement on ground of people, vehicles or any movement without anybody knowing that they are being seen. Specifications  Size: <95cm×95cm  Weight: <3kg (MTOW)  Altitude: 2000 meter  Range: 4 km  Endurance: >40 minutes

COVER STORY

TIME FACTOR: CIVILIAN DRONES IN INDIA TO TAKE OFF SOON A drone used for agricultural purposes

hat was once a military technology will soon be available to civilians. If this was true about the Internet three decades ago, it is now true about robotics. An extension of the robotics science is Unmanned Aerial Vehicles that is now at the threshold of becoming ubiquitous in both the military and the civilian space.

This development in science is all set to bring about an unprecedented change in the way we do things in the future and it portends large scale use of drone technology in almost all spheres of human activity. "Use of drones represents a key milestone in provision of value to every industry. Customised cameras are used to take photos and videos with stunning representations. Digital controls will

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further automate flying, making ease of use and flight stability a reality. New materials and new designs are bringing that transformation forward. By furthering innovation, continued growth is assured," says a research report 'The Drones Market Shares, Strategies, and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2016 to 2022". Drones are being used for lifting cameras above the ground so every person who wants it can use a camera to

COVER STORY

Drone market promises to grow significantly because of the fact that the unmanned aircraft equipped with cameras are able to do things that cannot be done in any other way, analyses NAVEED ANJUM

rise above the earth to look down from above. Each person can choose thousands of vantage points, extending visualization beyond dreams. Drones are set to make every industry more productive with better, more flexible visualisation. Drone uses provide the prospect of trillions of dollars in economic growth. Drones connect seamlessly and securely to the Internet and to each other. Next generation commercial drones

achieve a complete replacement of existing commercial airfreight delivery systems, they are used for 3D mapping, commercial pipeline observation, border patrol, package delivery, photography and agriculture are more energy efficient, last longer and have a significantly lower cost of operation than manned aircraft. Drone market promises to grow significantly because of the more economical visualisation and navigation provided by systems. Visualisation includes mapping, inspection, surveillance and package delivery from the air. The unmanned aircraft equipped with cameras are able to do things that cannot be done in any other way. This bodes well for market development. The useful aspects of civilian drones are well known â&#x20AC;&#x201D; agriculture, wildlife conservation, search and rescue, aerial photography, perimeter security, remote monitoring of utilities such as transmission towers, pipelines, highways, railways, tracking of natural disasters and, lately, doorstep delivery of products. However, drones also hold potential risks. Besides debates about their use for intrusive surveillance, battery failure or loss of navigational control could cause accidents. Given its multifarious applications and damage potential, ownership and operation of drones need to be licensed. Its size, capabilities, aerial route and end-use of collected data need to be monitored. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The benefits of deploying drones for civilian applications are many. They can be used for surveillance in crowded places. It would help in checking untoward incidents of unrest. We do not want to ban them but are looking at ways to define flight paths, height and areas of operation so that UAVs do not pose a hazard in manned air traffic operations," an Indian Civil Aviation Ministry official said. (See box for draft guidelines on civilian use of drones) In the US, the Federal Aviation Administration's proposed rules permit certified operators to fly UAVs weighing up to 55 pounds during the day. Commercial drones will be permitted to fly at a speed of up to 100 miles per hour and at heights of up to 500 feet. Operators will have to renew their permit every two years. But, in a hitch for e-tailers like Amazon planning delivery services, operators are required to keep the drones in their line of sight. In July last year, Spain approved a provisional regulatory framework

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to enable the civilian use of drones depending on their weight. The norms allow use of UAVs weighing up to 150 kg for investigation and development activities, agriculture-related treatments that require spreading substances over the surface or atmosphere, including products for extinguishing fires, aerial surveys, aerial observation and surveillance, including filming and forest fire surveillance activities, aerial advertising, radio and TV emissions, emergency operations, search and rescue, and other special functions. Since banning the use of drones in India in 2014, the DGCA has only recently come up with draft guidelines and this is yet to become the official code for use of commercial UAVs. The drones are also useful for maintaining peace, law and order, crime prevention and traffic management too in the civilian sector. They can be used for surveillance in crowded places and in monitoring high tension or even riot zones. The Delhi Police use of drones during the Trilokpuri riots is an excellent example of its utility. On the other side of the debate, there are legitimate concerns among officials and experts of the aviation industry about the use of drones. Drones pose unique challenges as they can be used for intrusive surveillance and thus violate a person's right to privacy. Further, battery failure or loss of navigational control could cause accidents. Given its multifarious applications and damage potential, ownership and operation of drones need to be licensed. Its size, capabilities, aerial route and end-use of collected data need to be monitored. Carnegie India, in collaboration with the India International Centre, hosted a closed-door roundtable discussion in New Delhi on the key issues surrounding the use of civilian drones in India in March this year. The participants in the discussion, representing civil society organisations, industry, and defence, unanimously agreed that clear regulations were required, as the status quo is not sustainable from the point of view of national security, industrial growth, or social welfare. Already, Indian drone manufacturers and pilot trainers for various civilian operations are preparing themselves for the inevitable use of drones in large numbers in India in sectors such as agriculture. The drones for agriculture use are for spraying of fertilizers and pesticides on standing crops. Use of drones for this

COVER STORY

DRAFT GUIDELINES FOR DEBATE I

n May 2016, the government of India came up with draft guidelines for obtaining of unique identification number (UIN) and operation of civil unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The draft circular, when it becomes official, will have to be followed by all UAS operators in the interest of flight safety. The government has proposed that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will have to register all civil unmanned aircraft (UA) and issue a permit for such operators on a case-to-case basis. The draft circular has provided for different classifications of a civil UA in accordance with its weight. A Micro UA will be less than two kg, a Mini UA will be greater than two kg and less than 20 kg, Small UA will be greater than 20 kg and less than 150 kg, and a Large UA is classified as greater than 150 kg. Interestingly, the draft circular has provided for a vast expanse of activity to be covered under civil UA use. It says, "civilian use of UAS includes damage assessment of

property and life in areas affected with natural calamities, surveys critical infrastructure monitoring including power facilities, ports and pipelines; commercial photography, aerial mapping, etc. They are also increasingly proliferating into recreational field and are likely to be used in many other domains." The last sentence from the above direct quote extracted from the draft circular provides for futuristic possibilities in terms of civil unmanned aircraft use to which the government may extend the guidelines. The draft circular recognises that unmanned aircraft operations present problems to the regulator in terms of ensuring safety of other users of airspace and persons on the ground. "However, in view of technological advancements in UAS over the years and their increased civil applications, it has become necessary to develop guidance material to regulate this activity," it says. The guidelines also aim to involve

the Ministry of Home Affairs, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, Indian Air Force, Airport Authority of India, the Ministry of Defence, Local Administration, and the provincial police forces in the administration of UA operations. Here are the key aspects of the draft circular: * All UA intended to be operated in India will require an UIN issued by the DGCA. * The UIN can be granted only to: a) A citizen of India; or b) A company or a body corporate provided that: i) It is registered and has its principal place of business within India; ii) Its chairman and at least twothirds of its directors are citizens of India; and, iii) Its substantial ownership and effective control is vested in Indian nationals; * The identification plate (made of fire proof material) inscribed with UIN and RF ID tag or SIM shall be

purpose reportedly saves a lot of time, labour and input costs for agriculturalists, with vast tracts of land covered at one go. Looking at the benefits that use of drones bring to the table for farmers, an effort from the industry has been put in place to convince the government that agriculture sector should be exempted from the regulations that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation wants to impose on drones use in the country. Chennai-based Avere Consults is one such Indian company with drone service for agriculture sector and it has come up with its drone 'Airpod' that does the job of sprinkling of pesticides and fertilizers on standing crops at just about 60 per cent of the costs of manual

GARUDA ROBOTICS

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

Garuda Roboticsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mark Yong (left) and Pulkit Jaiswal showing their drones and how they can be controlled centrally through a computer without the need for individual remote controllers

COVER STORY

affixed to the UA, and appropriate makes to identify ownership. * All civil UA operations at or above 200 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) in uncontrolled airspace for any purpose, whatsoever, will require UA Operator Permit (UAOP) from the DGCA. * Operation of civil UA in controlled airspace is restricted. * Following entities will not require UAOP from DGCA a) Civil UA operations below 200 feet AGL in uncontrolled airspace and clear of notified prohibited, restricted and danger areas as well as Temporary Segregated Areas (TSA) and Temporary Reserved Areas (TRA). In addition, the operator shall obtain permission from local administration, the concerned ADC. b) Model aircraft operating below 200 feet AGL in uncontrolled airspace and indoor UA for recreational purposes only. (Aero modelling activities carried out within the premises of educational institutions will be considered as recreational purposes). * All import of UAS will require permission from the DGCA, based

spraying. Their drones are built for carrying pesticide and fertilizer containers and these don't fly higher than 15 feet altitude. The estimate is that a drone can do the spraying job equivalent to three labourers at a time and this could lead to a saving of `5,000 annually for every acre of agricultural land. The drone can also store data of each of its mission and that helps the farmer knowing exactly when the last spray was done, thereby helping him schedule the missions. Interestingly, drone manufacturing start-ups are readying themselves to cater to different civilian sectors such as policing, land-surveys, aerial photography, and real-time videos. That list is only getting bigger by the day. Carving Notions Technologies from Hyderabad, which has a pesticide spraying drone in its 12-product portfolio, also has drones for other types of civilian applications, including delivery of medicines and medical kits to victims at accident sites. The drone can reach a

on which the Directorate General of Foreign Trade shall provide the licence. * The UAS (issued with UIN) shall not be sold or disposed of in any way to any person or firm without permission from DGCA. * The owner/operator shall be responsible for the safe custody, security and access control of the UAS. In case of loss of UA, the operator shall report immediately to local administration/ police, BCAS and DGCA. * Irrespective of weight category, the UAS operator shall intimate Local Administration, ATS unit (for operations at or above 200ft AGL in uncontrolled airspace), BCAS, Aerodrome operator (if applicable) before commencement and after termination of operation. In the event of cancellation of UA operations, the operator shall notify the same to all appropriate authorities as soon as possible. * The operator shall refer to Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) and active NOTAM regarding details of notified prohibited, restricted and danger areas (airspace) including

first-aid kit and some critical medicines to patients much ahead of an ambulance arriving at the spot. Another drone from its stable can be deployed for gas pipeline monitoring for leaks. Thus, it has a portfolio of products that cater to fun activities to serious sectors such as oil and natural gas. Usage of drones in weddings is a trend that is picking up. Drone videography is an experience that couples want as part of their wedding ceremony recordings to capture some impossible shots and moments. Consider this: Omnipresent, a New Delhi-based robotics company, had a rather strange request from a group of professors at a private university in February. Could the company build a drone that would deliver a gold medal on stage at their convocation ceremony? It wasn't such a difficult order for Omnipresent, which had only in 2015 custom-designed drones for the Delhi Police to use during the Trilokpuri riots. That drone helped the police to iden-

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TRA and TSA. The operation shall be restricted to areas outside the boundaries (lateral and vertical) of above mentioned areas in the uncontrolled airspace. * The operator shall carry out safety assessment of the UA operations including the launch/ recovery sites. The UAS operation site (including emergency operation zone and any safety zone for the operations of the UAS) shall be under the operatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s full control. Interestingly, in October 2015, the US government had made it mandatory for all unmanned aircraft to be registered and the rules were rolled out in December, making it mandatory for users with drones over 25 kg to register for a fee. By January 2016, nearly 300,000 drones were already registered in the US. When the guidelines are officially promulgated, India will enter an exclusive club of just five countries worldwide that are now notifying regulations for commercial use of drones. Apart from US, Spain, Australia and New Zealand have notified provisional norms for civilian use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

tify a spot where 70 bags of bricks to be used as projectiles by rioters, apart from large storage of weapons and acid-filled bottles. This was made possible for Omnipresent from its work with India's Defence Research and Development Organisation for developing drones for use in border surveillance. Now it is working with a Delhi medical college to develop drones to deliver medicines to remote locations where no cars or motorcycles can reach. It was imagination of the human mind that led to innovations and it was innovations that led to development of drones, which have not caught the public imagination. In the end of 2013, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos reportedly took CBS correspondent Charlie Rose into a secret room at Amazon's Seattle headquarters and showed him the company's latest plan: 30-minute deliveries using drones. The 'Prime Air' project seemed like science fiction then, but now is a reality. In May 2014, Mumbai-based Fran-

COVER STORY

UAVS NOW IN CUSTOMS BAGGAGE DECLARATION I

t is not easy anymore to bring in drones into India while travelling by air or sea. The newly amended Customs Baggage Declaration regulations mandates those travelling by air or sea into India to declare the drones there are carrying in their customs form. Following such declaration, travellers would need to report to the customs officer at the Red Channel counter and are liable to pay duty on the item. The regulation came into force on April 1, 2016. As more drones take to the skies and their cost continues to drop, India joins a list of several nations that now regulate the import and use of drones within their borders. Carrying drones while travelling into India by air or sea was the last resort of Indian unmanned aircraft enthusiasts to own such an item. In October 2014, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced that until proper rules

cesco's Pizzeria released a YouTube video which showed a drone delivering a pizza to a high-rise in Worli. It turned out later that the video was simply a promotion - no actual pizza was delivered. Still, it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop the Mumbai police from demanding an explanation. They also asked Air Traffic Control at the Mumbai International Airport whether the pizzeria had sought permission for its experiment, according to media reports. In July 2015, two employees of leading real estate portal, Housing.com were arrested by the Mumbai police after they were spotted operating a drone close to the high security nuclear facility, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), triggering fears of an imminent terror attack on critical infrastructure. The police also confiscated the drone, a Phantom manufactured by Chinabased DJI, costing around `80,000. The two employees from the portal had been using the drone for months before their arrest to get video shots of

and regulations are formulated, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are forbidden from taking to Indian airspace for any non-government agency, organisation or individual without prior authorisation. Though there is no ban on the import of drones into India, there are now restrictions on their use and a draft policy on unmanned aircraft use has been issued recently. It is currently illegal for civilians to use drones in India due to security, privacy and safety concerns. The custom office has regularly held back or destroyed drone shipments citing that they are a threat to security and are banned from flying in India. In February 2015, the government cracked down on drone imports in the country. Users were required to possess a Wireless Planning Commission license to have the drone containing parcel clear the customs check.

select residential apartments and property in and around Mumbai to upload on their website to provide a better and different view of the real estate to its customers. At the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, officials had tested the use of drones to keep track of both tigers and poachers. In 2014, even as thousands died in the worst floods in Uttarakhand in five decades, the National Disaster Management Authority had used four unmanned aerial vehicles to scan areas that were impossible for rescue workers to reach. The world has now realised the utility of unmanned aerial vehicles. In a paper published by New Delhibased Observer Research Foundation in February 2015, its senior fellow R. Swaminathan says that the increasing proliferation and integration of drones and UAVs into the Indian civilian sector has not been well-documented and not researched. Swaminathanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lists of various forms of integrations that are taking

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

place at a rapid pace are as follows: Agriculture: UAVs are increasingly being deployed for a variety of agricultural operations - from spraying of pesticides and fertilisers to monitoring soil quality, erosion and maturity of crops. Concerned with the dwindling number of rice farmers, the Japanese agricultural policymakers were the first to apply drone technology to the agriculture sector in a concerted manner almost 20 years ago in 1986. Today, remotely piloted helicopters cover "more than 10 per cent of Japan's rice acreage." This single policy decision promoting the use of drones spawned a sophisticated agricultural drone industry, and currently Japanese giants Fuji Heavy Industries RPH2 and Yamaha's RMAX which are both fully autonomous sprayers - are considered world leaders. There are over 8,000 of these machines being employed by Japanese farmers. In India, as part of the second Green Revolution, especially rice cultivation in the northeastern regions, the government is actively considering seeking Japan's help in deploying drones for farming operations. Forests and Wildlife: General Atomics, an American defence contractor, has collaborated with the US National Space Agency (NASA) and the US Department of Agricultural Forest Service to create a tactical UAV for fighting forest fires. The same platform has been further integrated with thermal infrared imaging technology, data telemetry and algorithms to successfully track wild animals. Such drones are now being manufactured by Indian companies for increasing use by the country's civilian institutions. IdeaForge is one such company. Its multifunctional and multipurpose Netra UAV, developed in collaboration with DRDO, has been used for tracking a killer leopard in Uttarakhand, for the tiger census and for monitoring the communal situation in Saharanpur. Mapping and Monitoring: Garuda Robotics, set up in 2012 by 20-year-old Pulkit Jaiswal from Delhi, sells highend software and algorithms that are integrated with unmanned platforms, customising them for specific tasks like monitoring green cover, 3D mapping, meteorology, ecological audit and soil quality testing. Such customised unmanned platforms are already being deployed by several institutions associated with the Ministry of Earth Sciences and departments of meteorology, urban development, town planning and

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HUFFINGTONPOST.IN

logistics. During the September 2014 Kashmir floods, the National Disaster Management Authority deployed four UAVs to scan affected areas that rescue and relief workers had not been able to reach. Earth Sciences: NASA predicts that unmanned aerial systems (which include the UAVs, pilot and ground control station) will soon integrate themselves with satellite functions, allowing for detailed 3D mapping and providing better data sets for analysis. NASA further predicts that UAVs capabilities will soon include "measurement of geophysical processes associated with natural hazards like earthquakes and volcanoes, aerosols and gas levels in clouds, changes in the stratospheric ozone chemistry, tropospheric pollution and air quality, water vapour, changes in the composition, vegetation, coral reefs and nutrients of coastal zones, emissions from fires and volcanic plumes, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the air, vegetation structure, composition and canopy chemistry, glacier and ice sheet thickness and surface deformation, radiation levels, evolution and landfall and physical oceanography, meteorology and atmospheric chemistry." Law and Order: It may come as a surprise to most analysts that the state of Uttar Pradesh has been one of the more proactive Indian states to deploy drones and UAVs equipped with high-definition cameras and sensors to monitor sensitive communal situations. It now

routinely use drones to monitor large public gatherings in Lucknow such as the Ramadan Procession, which incidentally led to the loss of three lives in 2013 during the aftermath of a sectarian clash. State authorities also deployed networked drones at the Kumbh Mela in 2014. Similarly, Airpix partnered with Mumbai police this year to provide the latter data and feeds of last year's Ganesh Chaturthi processions. The feeds were relayed to traffic police officers over mobile phones to allow for instant diversions, vehicle and crowd control in real time. Inspiration for the increasing adoption of drones by Indian security

NASA predicts that unmanned aerial systems (which include the UAV, pilot and ground control station) will soon integrate themselves with satellite functions, allowing for detailed 3D mapping and providing better data sets for analysis

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AERIAL SURVEILLANCE: Surveillance drone over a crowded market in India

establishment for law and order and internal security purposes, of which the anti-Maoist operations is a prime example, comes from the way homeland security in the US has been revamped in the post-9/11 security environment. A recent study by the Advanced Defence Technologies Incorporated found that India has the fastest growing microand mini-drones market in the world. Drones equipped with infrared and high-resolution imaging are being evaluated by the Indian security establishment for border surveillance, coastal and maritime security, oil and natural gas pipeline monitoring, securing offshore assets (particularly oil rigs and ports) and urban security. Media and News Coverage: During the coverage of the 2014 general elections, several media companies used drones extensively for covering large political rallies and producing camera angles to which Indian audiences had never been exposed before. The rapidly plummeting cost of drones, mainly brought about by Chinese drone manufacturer DJI, allowed several Indian start-ups to offer drone aerial photography and video services. Funaster and Quidich are two Indian start-ups that now extensively provide different kinds of media services based on drones and UAVs. Quidich also had a tie-up with Indian media house Headlines Today to cover election rallies and events in various cities like Varanasi, Muzaffarnagar, Vadnagar and Amethi.

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WB Electronics’ FlyEye UAV. The company has also signed an exclusive teaming agreement with Kadet Defence Systems

INDIAN AND FOREIGN INDUSTRY PARTICIPATION IN INDIAN UAV PLANS INCREASES

WB ELECTRONICS

In the next two years, the preparatory work for procurement of UAVs by India should be over and tendering for acquisition will begin

ndia’s armed forces have reportedly prepared a blueprint to buy over 5,000 unmanned aerial vehicles by 2017, by when the current 15-year perspective plans are supposed to be implemented. This procurement plan is valued to be worth at least $3 billion. Most of these UAVs acquisition will be done through the domestic manufacturers route, according to officials in the Indian Defence Ministry. In the next five-year plan beginning 2017, the Indian Army alone proposes to equip all its infantry battalions with UAVs, while the Indian Air Force wants to have fully operational surveillance UAVs and Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) squadrons, even as the demand for Medium Altitude Long Endurance UAVs and tactical UAVs in the Navy could see an upturn. The three forces plan induction of man-portable mini and micro UAVs for short-range surveillance, target acquisition, intelligence gathering and nuclear, biological, chemical detection in the bat-

tlefield. Their other demand could be for High Altitude Long Endurance UAVs and Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) and Rotary UAVs. In the next two years, the preparatory work for procurement of these UAVs should be over and tendering for acquisition should begin. Meanwhile, India had begun a study on developing bomber UAV and a fighter UAV, according to reports in the recent months. Some of the current demands in the Indian armed forces are as follows: 600 mini and micro UAVs and an unspecified number of HALE UAVs for the Army; 100 numbers of UCAV from foreign sources, 60 micro unmanned aerial systems, and an unspecified number of small VTOL and mini unmanned aerial systems for the Air Force; 35 micro unmanned aerial systems, and unspecified numbers of HALE UAVs for the Navy. Based on its experience and advanced multi-mission capability, Textron Systems believes that the Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (TUAS) is the

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

ideal platform for a number of mission profiles. "Shadow is the only TUAS in the world to have achieved one million flight hours. Building upon this unmatched record of success, today's Shadow Version 2 (RQ-7B V2) is an all-digital, modern system featuring increased endurance and payload capacity over previous versions, as well as an expanded data pipeline for greater information assurance and real-time dissemination," says Textron Systems Unmanned Systems Senior Vice President and General Manager Bill Irby. It is utilised by the US military for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, battle damage assessment, target designation, communications relay and most recently, for manned/unmanned teaming with Apache helicopters. The Shadow TUAS is also utilised by the militaries of Australia, Italy and Sweden. In addition, Textron Systems also offers a smaller, Group 2 system, the Aerosonde™ Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS). "The Aerosonde SUAS offers

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Insitu Pacific’s ScanEagle

INSITU PACIFIC

proven multi-mission performance in both military and civil, land and sea based applications. With more than 140,000 flight hours of experience, the Aerosonde SUAS incorporates Lycoming’s EL-005 engine – the only system in its class with a propulsion system completely supported by a manned aviation engine expert," Irby says. The Aerosonde aircraft is equipped for real-time, full-motion video, intelligence and communications relay within a single flight, and offers dedicated space and power to integrate additional capabilities based on customer requirements. In addition, the Aerosonde SUAS is designed with a small footprint for efficient maritime operations without ship alterations and has completed sea trials to demonstrate this. The Aerosonde SUAS has also been demonstrated with vertical take-off and landing capabilities. Textron Systems is also committed to continuing to engage with the Indian government, together with its military and security agencies to further develop our participation in this country. "Our solution sets address key areas of interest to India and provide proven defense and security capabilities across land, sea and air domains. These are powerful force multipliers to meet both near-term and long-term requirements. We are hopeful we will witness progress over the coming months and years," Irby adds. Indian Army requirement for approximately 600 sets of mini-UAVs is attracting interest from various manufacturers, who must partner with Indian companies to comply with the government’s 'Make in

India' industrial strategy. The Directorate General of Infantry has issued a request for information (RFI) that will be followed by a request for proposals by late 2016. Indian companies will make the bids. The OEMs include two Israeli companies: Aeronautics, maker of the Orbiter mini-UAV, and Elbit Systems, maker of the Skylark. Aeronautics’ partner is not yet known, while Elbit might team with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). AeroVironment will co-develop the Cheel – a version of the Puma – with Dynamatic Technologies. Boeing is with Tata Advanced Systems and might offer the Scan Eagle. Israeli aerospace firms are leading the fray for India’s tender for the acquisition of 95 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). At least two Israeli firms, including Innocon and Blue Bird Aero systems, have expressed their interest in offering their unmanned aerial system for the Indian Air Force and the Navy. India is actively pursuing the planned acquisition of about 95 unmanned aerial systems. Each aerial system will comprise of two air vehicles, four payloads and a ground control station. Each complete system should weigh 15kg. India had indicated that out of the 95 unmanned aerial systems, 60 UAVs will be for the IAF, while the remaining 35 units are meant for use by the Indian Navy. Defence ministry has already placed certain conditions for the future UAV deal, insisting that the weight of the UAV should not be more than 5.50 lb and the entire set, including the operational kit should not weigh more than 33 lb. The Israeli UAV manufacturer Innocon plans to offer its unmanned aerial

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July 2016

system called ‘Spider’ for the Indian UAV tender. Innocon’s 'Spider’ weighs 2.5 kg without its sensor payload and battery installed. The 'Spider’ unmanned aerial system will provide an operating endurance of 30 minutes. Innocon has also teamed with an Indian partner to bid for the deal. Meanwhile, another Israeli firm called Bluebird Aero Systems is offering its 1 kg MicroB air vehicle. Bluebird is involved in the design, development and production of tactical unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Bluebird also has an agreement with Bangalore’s Dynamatic Technologies for manufacturing, assembly and marketing of mini and micro tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in India. The Indian Armed forces have been increasing the use of UAVs and drones for border surveillance and most of them have been provided by Israel. In 1996, New Delhi began operating Searcher and MALE UAVs bought through Israel Aeronautics Industries (IAI). In 2000, India acquired Searcher II and Heron UAVs also designed by IAI. The armed forces now have around 100 Searcher II and 60 Heron UAVs. WB Electronics of Poland has signed an exclusive teaming agreement with Kadet Defence Systems, which has supplied aerial targets to the Indian Army in the past. The team will offer WB’s FlyEye system that is already in service with the Polish Army but also plans to develop and manufacture a range of UAVs in India. To be compliant, mandatory features for each system includes three UAVs; a man-portable ground control station; launch and recovery systems where required; three sets of sensor packages with an all-weather day and night capability; two-way data relay (including beyond-line-of-sight control of the UAV); spare batteries for the UAVs and battery chargers. According to Kadet Defence Systems CEO Avdhesh Khaitan, as reported by the media, Indian manufacturers have previously integrated UAVs, but two-thirds of the parts were imported, including propulsion, gimbals, cameras and batteries. He added that WB Electronics is a vertically integrated company, which will therefore give his company an advantage with a single source access to parts. “There is a provision in our agreement that includes transfer of technology for airframes, electronics, software and gimbals,” he added. The agreement includes WB’s entire product range, which also includes VTOL and larger UAVs, and loitering munitions. The Indian Navy and Coast Guard

COVER STORY

“Insitu Pacific’s immediate focus is on Indian Navy due to the unique and well proven capability our systems have to operate from Naval vessels as small as 50 metre in length. We can provide vessels that don't even have helicopter decks or hangers with a long endurance ISR capability that significantly enhances their search area capabilities,” Andrew Duggan Managing Director, Insitu Pacific

also intend to acquire smaller UAVs. The Directorate of Naval Air Staff has issued an RFI for 50 ship-borne UAVs for ISR, monitoring sea lines of communications, search and rescue and anti-piracy roles. Kadet will offer the FlySAR UAV that WB Electronics developed for a Polish minisynthetic aperture radar test program. The Ministry of Defence intends to augment the fleet by procurement of approximately 50 Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial System (NSUAS) for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), SLOC monitoring and Coastal/EEZ surveillance, anti-piracy and anti-terrorism, assistance in Search and Rescue and assistance in Maritime Domain Awareness using AIS inputs. The NSUAS should be capable of operating from an Indian Naval ships of size of at least 50 metres upwards (with or without helo deck) and be able to perform its roles by day and night. The NSUAS should be an autonomous UAS with small footprint and that provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability in the maritime domain. The NSUAS should be capable of fly-

ing either pre-programmed or operator initiated missions guided by the Global Positioning System and its onboard flight control system. The NSUAS is primarily intended for operations from ship, but should also be capable of operating from ashore. The two platforms Insitu Pacific has to offer India’s Armed Forces are ScanEagle and Integrator. “We see applicability across all arms of the Indian Forces (Navy, Army and Air Force),” says the company’s Managing Director Andrew Duggan. “Insitu Pacific’s immediate focus is on Indian Navy due to the unique and well proven capability our systems have to operate from Naval vessels as small as 50 metre in length. We can provide vessels that don’t even have helicopter decks or hangers with a long endurance ISR capability that significantly enhances their search area capabilities,” Duggan says. Insitu unmanned aircraft systems have amassed over 894,500 operational flight hours and over 111,200 sorties. Their maritime experience has amassed over 42,000 shipboard flight hours and over 5,700 shipboard flight sorties. “Assuming the Indian Navy proceeds with a competitive procurement activity and were Insitu to be successful in winning such a contract, yes we would absolutely look to be making elements of the systems in India in line with the new ‘Make in India’ government policy,” Duggan says. “We would seek to work with local companies to build indigenous capability in areas that have the greatest value potential for India,” he adds. In 2013, the Indian Army sent out RFI to procure Short Range Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with a view to identify probable vendors who can undertake the said project. Last year, the government approved the procurement of ten missile-armed Heron TP (also known as IAI Eitan) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to be operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF). The $400 million procurement program was revived at the beginning of 2015 by the highest levels of government. The Indian military already wanted to purchase armed Heron drones in 2012 but did not get the political backing. The first drones are slated to enter Indian service within a year. Produced by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the Heron TP is a medium-altitude, long endurance UAV with a range of around 7,400 kilometers (4,600 miles) and a maximum flight time of around 36 hours in favourable weather conditions.

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“Shadow is the only TUAS in the world to have achieved one million flight hours. Building upon this unmatched record of success, today's Shadow Version 2 (RQ7B V2) is an all-digital, modern system featuring increased endurance and payload capacity over previous versions, as well as an expanded data pipeline for greater information assurance and realtime dissemination” Bill Irby Senior VP and General Manager Textron Systems Unmanned Systems With DRDO’s Rustom-II MALE UAV still to take to the air, work is currently gathering pace to provide the platform with greater low-observability features. The main function of the landing gear is safe take-off and landing of UAV under various environmental and operational scenarios with the support of external pilot. A tricycle type retractable landing gear system with a steerable nose wheel consists of major subsystems viz., Hydrogas Shock Absorber Strut, Hydraulic Actuation System with Sensors, Wheel and Brake and Nose Wheel Steering System and Mechanical Linkages. Interested development partners need to have expertise and wide experience in the area of high precision manufacturing of systems and components for aerospace application and operate fullfledged manufacturing facilities from medium precision to high precision to cater for manufacture of landing gear systems and components. In addition to this, the firm must have experience to carry out assembly and limited testing. — Geopolitics Bureau

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BREXIT: ITS IMPACT ON EUROPE “The world will not stand still, nor will Europe. I hope the divorce will proceed with a view to minimising economic damage to all impacted by Brexit. Britain will suffer but I’m sure it will focus even more now on the competitiveness of its economy vis-a-vis the EU and the world at large. Of course we will review our UK investment strategy, (as) everybody else will”. Airbus Group Chief Executive Tom Enders

nautics in 12 different locations with nearly 7000 employees

“O

ur companies invest in the UK and employ thousands all over England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, in every walk of life. Today’s jobs and tomorrow’s investment – and hence future jobs – depend on the EU being firmly and lastingly anchored within the single market.” Quoting, Jacques Brel, the popular French singer, the appeal said, “Please don’t leave from your French friends”. It was signed amongst others by Airbus, Air France-KLM, Axa, BNP Paribas, Bouygues, BPCE, Covea, Danone, Dassault, Engie, Eutelsat, Faurecia, Fives, Iliad, Ingenico, International SOS, Ipsen, JCDecaux, Michelin, Orange, Pierre Fabre, Publicis, Radiall, Saint-Gobain, Scor, Société Générale, Solvay, Technicolor, Technip, Thales, Valeo, Vallourec and Vinci and released in major British papers. But it was to no avail. In a historic vote, Brexit happened and the tremors are still being felt by companies across Europe. Many major industries will have to reckon with new customs regulations, new tariffs and the complexity of one border becoming multiple in nature simple

“Unlike a lot of companies, the impact would be very small in terms of sales. We sell very little to Europe, but we have strong partnerships there.” However there could be ‘domino’ effect in Europe (for Brexit like situation) BAE Chairman Roger Carr

because the United Kingdom has walked out of the European Union. There are over 3000 companies that focus on Defence Manufacturing in the UK, some very big in their sphere like BAE, Airbus, Rolls Royce, Thales ,GKN and Safran will have complex issues to look at and resolve. It is going to be a long hard and complex road ahead. Rolls-Royce released a statement following the leave vote, saying it was not the outcome it would have chosen but the referendum would have no immediate impact on the company’s day-to-day business. Europe accounts for a third of revenue and almost a quarter of its order book. In a statement Rolls-Royce said it respected the result and would offer a commitment to UK operations but warned the longer impact of Brexit is as yet unclear. “The medium and long-term effect will depend upon the relationships that are established between the UK, the EU and the rest of the world over the coming years,” it said in a release. Here are a few of the companies that can be impacted by BREXIT: • AIRBUS: 3 factories with 15 000 employees  (Filton for design and engineering  Broughton for production of aircraft wings and  Stevenage for satellites and missiles). The current turnover is £6 billion and the investment in R&D half-billion every year. • SAFRAN: has 9 subsidiaries and operates from 13 locations with nearly 3000 employees • THALES: predominant focus on aero-

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July 2016

The impact on space:

1. ESA European Space Agency: questionable impact because to date ESA also shelters Canada and Norway, nations which are not part of Europe. GALILEO (The European GPS): the European Commission holds the positioning, navigation and synchronization of the European Galileo network. Under what conditions will the EU give access to UK to the Galileo service? Moreover, the British company Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) is the master of work of charging electronics in the Galileo programme. What about orders for new satellites? 2. COPERNICUS (The environmentmonitoring programme): financed by the European Commission… What about the role of United Kingdom in the incoming years? 3. EUTELSAT (satellite operator): what is the future for projects like “Eutelsat’s Quantum flexible-payload satellite programme” and the project for broadband Africa with its partner Facebook The space sector in UK had the ambition to reach 10 per cent of world trade against 6.5 per cent currently. This sector, with $19 billion in 2013 and more than 35,000 jobs, has experienced significant growth. Several countries have invested as the US, France, Germany and Italy by basing their investments on the ESA budgetary projections around $369 million for 2016. Existing decisions are not questioned but the role of EU is more and more important in space programs ... the future so looks complicated.

DEFBIZ

Tejas is now ready to soar I

Major highlights: • The upgraded version of Tejas, with active electrically scanned array radar, unified electronic warfare suite, mid-air refuelling capacity and advanced beyond-the-vision-range missiles, will cost between `275 crore and `300 crore. • Tejas incorporates a distinctive ‘glass cockpit’ in which information is displayed real-time to the pilot. Tejas also has open architecture software for avionics, which can be updated by DRDO as and when required. • It is superior to Pakistan’s JF-17 built jointly with China according to IAF. • As a single engined, multirole supersonic fighter, Tejas weighs 8.5 tonnes and can carry three tonnes of weapons, including air-to-air missiles, laser guided bombs, guns, conventional/retarded bombs and beyond visual range missiles.

t has been a memorable time (past week) for the Indian Air Force. First it was BrahMos supersonic cruise missile being integrated on Su-30 MKI and now after a wait of over three decades, two indigenously developed home-grown Light Combat Aircraft Tejas have been inducted into the air force. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) handed over the first two Tejas aircraft to IAF which will make up the ‘Flying Daggers’ 45, the name of the first squadron of the LCA. LCA is a result of rigorous hard work put in by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and HAL in the design and development of the aircraft. The aircraft is also set to replace the ageing MiG-21 series. Tejas is an indigenously developed aircraft equipped with quadruplex digital fly-by-wire flight control system to ease handling by the pilot. Due to its small size and the extensive usage of carbon composits, its radar cross section is very less compared to other aircrafts like MiG-29, F-16.

MRSAM hits the target

edium Range Surface-toAir Missile (MRSAM) was successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range off Odisha Coast. The MRSAM is jointly developed by DRDO and IAI of Israel for the Indian Air Force. The missile guided by a Radar system and on-board avionics successfully hit a Pilotless target aircraft.

Many Indian industries like BEL, L&T, BDL, TATA group of companies besides other private industries have contributed to the development of a number of subsystems which have been put into use in this flight test. The MRSAM system provides reliable air defence at medium ranges. Both, Indian and Israel teams participated in the launch campaign. The Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar congratulated DRDO and the Industry Partners for successful demonstration of the Air Defence capability. Secretary Deptt of Def R&D and DG DRDO Dr. S Christopher declared the launch as a major milestone for the IAF towards air defence.

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

Basic trainer aircraft touches the skies

ndia’s indigenous HTT 40 (Basic Trainer Aircraft - BTA) made its inaugural flight at HAL airport. The aircraft was flown by Gp. Capt. C.

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thyssenkrupp inks contract with Indian MoD for integration of Harpoons on SSK Submarines

hyssenkrupp Marine Systems has signed a contract worth 35 million Euros (approx. INR 2.5 billion) for the upgrade of Indian Navy’s two Shishumar Class submarines to fire Harpoon Anti-Submarine Counter measure missiles. The retrofit of the new weapon suite will be carried out in two of the four SSK submarines (INS Shishumar, Shankush, Shalki and Shankul) at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai and is backed by a training package to support and operate the system. Emphasizing on its commitment

Subramaniam and Gp. Capt. Venugopal for about 10-15 minutes. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar also witnessed the inaugural flight of HTT 40 (Basic Trainer Aircraft - BTA) designed and developed by HAL. Parrikar congratulated the team HAL and said “the young team has taken a calculated risk and they have flown the aircraft within one year and kept their assurance. The indigenous content on HTT-40 is close to 80 per cent. Almost 50 per cent of the components on HTT40 are manufactured by private players of the Indian aerospace ecosystem. Here, the role of private players and MSMEs has been significant in the production of parts. The IAF is positive in all these developments”. Aimed at being used for the first stage training for all flying cadets of the three services, HTT40 had made its maiden flight after much delay on May 31.

towards India, Dr Gurnad Sodhi, Managing Director of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, said that thyssenkrupp is also ready to integrate any weapon system, including ‘BrahMos’ on to the latest 214 Class Submarines for the upcoming project P75 (I) project. “We fully support the ‘Make and Made in India’ policy which would encompass interalia Transfer of Technology (ToT), training and meeting all offset obligations. We are awaiting the government’s decision on the Strategic Partner chapter of the new DPP 2016, after which we will begin our negotiations with an Indian shipyard for the P75(I)”, he added. Cooperation between Indian Navy and thyssenkrupp dates backs to more than three decades. The existing HDW Class 209/1500 submarines have been performing well, without any inherent problems; and the Indian navy has been satisfied with their performance, despite their vintage. The German submarine manufacturer has been

RM dedicates DCN to the nation

efence Minister Manohar Parrikar dedicated the Defence Communication Network (DCN) to the nation. The DCN is a strategic, exclusive, secure and state-of-the-art communication network. Implementation of DCN is a proof of strength of the Indian industry and has reaffirmed the emphasis of the Government on Make in India, programme. The DCN is a major step towards ensuring Network Centricity across the three Services, Integrated Defence Staff and Strategic Forces Command. The network provides converged voice, data and video services to the three Services based on secured system with adequate redundancy. The event was attended by the Chairman, Chief of Staff Committee and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, Chief of the Army Staff General Dalbir Singh, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba and senior officers from the three Services and Ministry of Defence.

RM hands over Varunastra torpedo to Indian Navy

efence Minister Manohar Parrikar handed over the indigenously developed heavyweight torpedo Varunastrato the Indian Navy. Varunastra was showcased during this year Republic Day Parade for the first time. Also known as underwater missile has been developed by Naval Science and Technological Laboratory of the DRDO. Weighing around 1.25 tonnes, the torpedo carries about 250 kg of explosives at a speed of around 40 nautical miles an hour. Defence Minister congratulated DRDO for the achievement and appreciated its efforts. He asked the DRDO to ensure its participation in the production process and to keep adequate quality control of their products so that it can meet the international standards. The Minister also stated that in these high technology areas, DRDO’s contribution with 95 per cent of indigenous content is an apt example of Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured (IDDM) category. Secretary, DD R&D and DG DRDO Dr. S Christopher commented that the development of submarine launched heavy weight

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torpedo is in advanced stage for user trials. Dr. Christopher mentioned that Varunastra, the shipborne anti-submarine torpedo has got the goodwill of Navy as a user which has decided to produce 73 of them, immediately. He briefly mentioned that last year Mareech – Advance Torpedo Defence System was handed over to Indian Navy. Varunastra, a versatile naval weapon which can be fired from the Rajput class destroyers, Delhi class and all future Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) ships capable of firing heavy weight torpedoes and is capable of targeting quiet and stealthy submarines both in deep and littoral waters even in intense countermeasure atmosphere.

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India’s first women fighter pilots

Boeing, TATA establishes Aerospace Facility in Hyderabad

istory was created as the first three women fighter pilots of the Indian Air Force proudly brandished their stripes and wings, at the Combined Graduation Parade at Air Force Academy, Dundigal. Bhawana Kath, Avani Chatuvedi and Mohana Singh are the first batch of female pilots inducted in an IAF fighter squadron. On completion of successful training at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal on the outskirts of Hyderabad, the trio were formally commissioned into Indian Air Force. The three women are the first batch of female pilots inducted in an IAF fighter squadron. The women, who broke the barriers to etch their names in the history of Indian Air Force, will get to fly fighter jets. They have undergone rigorous training at the Hakempet base over the last six months. The cadets have undergone the mandatory 55 hours of flying on Stage I trainer - the Pilatus PC 7 basic trainer.

Meet the Women Fighter Pilots Avani Chaturvedi hailing from Satna, Madhya Pradesh, comes from a family of army officers. She was inspired by her brother who is also in the army. She always wanted to fly and joined the flying club of her college. Bhawana Kanth hails from Darbhanga in Bihar. As a child, she always dreamt of flying planes. She opted for fighter stream after successfully completing her stage I training. Daughter of an officer in the Indian Oil Corporation, she set the goal of becoming a fighter pilot and serve the nation. Mohana Singh comes from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. Her grandfather was a flight gunner in Aviation Research Centre and father is a warrant officer in the IAF. Mohana is excited to continue the family legacy of serving the nation.

oeing and Tata Advanced Systems laid the foundation of a new facility in Hyderabad for its joint venture named TATA Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL). The joint venture has been established to co-produce Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter fuselages and other aerostructures, as well as to pursue integrated systems in aerospace. The Hyderabad production facility will eventually be the sole producer of AH-64 fuselages globally. The Apache has been flown or selected for acquisition by the United States and 15 other nations, including India. “The joint venture between Tata and Boeing is a significant step in developing India’s capabilities for aerospace & defence manufacturing and becoming a global exporter. This is a clear example of the significant prog-

ress made towards “Make in India for defence,” said Manohar Parrikar, Union Defence Minister. “I am delighted to see Boeing and Tata step forward and

Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos integrated on Su-30MKI

rahMosAerospace successfully demonstrated the integration of world’s most formidable supersonic cruise missile system BrahMos on Su-30MKI frontline strike fighter of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The demonstration flight, carried out at HAL Nasik, involved carriage of BRAHMOS weapon on the long-range Sukhoi-30 fighter, giving a major fillip to the BRAHMOS airlaunched flight test programme. After this successful launch, the Brahmos air version programme is a step closer to the actual test firing wherein a 2.5ton BRAHMOS air-to-ground missile will be fired from the Sukhoi-30. The powerful missile will help the Indian Air Force to strike a deadly blow at the enemy’s vital installations from stand-

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

off ranges. The integration brings a paradigm shift in the capability of the IAF vis-Ã -vis its adversaries.

How will it help the Air Force The Su-30-BrahMos combination will carry out air combat operations within and beyond visibility range. It will also provide the IAF with the capability of attacking targets protected by powerful air defence assets. Integration of BrahMos with the Su-30MKI will render the weapon a multi-platform capability while making the IAF the only Air Force in the world in procession of a supersonic cruise missile system. Today’s flight trial has been keenly observed by several other nations in the world in possession of the Su-30 strike fighter who are looking towards acquiring a lethal weapon system for the Russian-made warplanes.

DEFBIZ

make this substantial investment, in defence FDI.” S. Ramadorai, Chairman of Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), said, “Today’s ground-breaking ceremony is a significant milestone in furthering our commitment to the Indian aerospace sector. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 this partnership could boost the emerging manufacturing sector, contributing to the Prime Minister’s vision of Make in India. I am positive that this joint venture which brings together the core strengths of both companies will help take this strategic relationship to the next level.” “This joint venture is an exciting advancement for Boeing in leveraging our capital and expertise globally,” said Pratyush Kumar, president, Boeing India, and board member of TBAL. “I am delighted that every such step we take is forging the way towards building an indigenous aerospace ecosystem in

BEL wins Dun & Bradstreet Award

avratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has been chosen as one of ‘India’s Top 500 Companies’ at the Dun & Bradstreet Corporate Awards 2016 function held in Mumbai recently. M M Pandey, GM (Navi Mumbai), BEL, received the award for BEL from Dr Bibek Debroy, Member, NITI Aayog, Government of India who was also the chief guest. The occasion also marked the launch of the 16th edition of Dun & Bradstreet India’s publication, ‘India’s Top PSU Awards 2015’ by Dr Bibek Debroy and Anil Swarup, Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Government of India. ‘India’s Top 500 Companies’ are in all respect the driving force of the economy. Dun & Bradstreet, leading provider of business knowledge and insights, in its premier publication, ‘India’s Top 500 Companies’ acknowledges and felicitates these companies, which are torchbearers of the Indian economy.

support of Make in India.” In November 2015, Boeing and Tata announced a joint venture for manufacturing aerostructures and collaboration on integrated systems development opportunities in India. This joint venture will create a manufacturing centre of excellence to produce aerostructures for the AH-64 Apache and provide affordable manufacturing capabilities to the global aerospace industry. “We are proud to partner with Boeing to manufacture complex aerospace aerostructures parts out of India”, said Sukaran Singh, MD & CEO, Tata Advanced Systems, and Board Member of TBAL. “Tata Advanced Systems has developed expertise in manufacturing as well as in large scale systems integration work in the aerospace and defence sector. Our capabilities are further enhanced through collaborations and partnerships with leading global aerospace

majors. We intend to grow this unique joint venture partnership with Boeing, focusing on opportunities to collaborate on development and life cycle management of integrated systems.” Boeing and Tata group companies have established partnerships in India to manufacture aerostructures for Boeing’s commercial and military aircraft. Tata Advanced Materials has delivered composite panels for the power and mission equipment cabinets and auxiliary power unit door fairings for the P-8I long-range maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. TAL Manufacturing Solutions is manufacturing complex floor beams out of composite materials for the Boeing 787-9, the most modern aircraft with exceptional environmental and fuel-efficient capabilities. TAL Manufacturing Solutions has provided ground support equipment for the C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifter.

Rosoboronexport to strengthen Russia’s position in the global market for UAS

osoboronexport will strengthen Russia’s position in the international market for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) by promoting new models. Among them are Takhion and Granat-4E. Along with marketing the Takhion and Granat-4E UAS, Rosoboronexport is promoting the Orlan-10E, Granat-1ZH, Skat Superkam S-100, Skat Superkam S-640, Eleron-3,

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Eleron-10, as well as the mBPV-37 and BPV-500 helicoptertype UAS suitable for law enforcement applications. In particular, Rosoboronexport offers the delivery of advanced Russian UAS in the framework of its new Integrated Security Systems marketing project. “We note the keen interest of foreign partners in the Orlan10E, which has excellently proved itself during Russian Air Force operations against ISIS in Syria. We expect that the new unmanned aircraft systems Takhion and Granat-4E, which are actively used by Russia’s Armed Forces, will also attract the attention of our partners,” said Sergey Goreslavsky.

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1000 ‘Multi Function Lockheed Martin flies first T-50A Upgraded Displays’ for Sukhoi 30 MKI Aircraft for T-X Competition

ockheed Martin successfully completed the initial flight test of its T-50A configured aircraft. The T-50A is the company’s aircraft offering in the US Air Force’s Advanced

Pilot Training competition. The T-50A is low risk and ready now. It builds on the proven heritage of the T-50 with more than 100 T-50s flying today—100,000 flight hours and counting—and more than 1,000 pilots.

The T-50A is the only current offering that meets all APT requirements and can deliver those capabilities on schedule at the lowest risk to the customer. Lockheed Martin teams studied cleansheet alternatives and determined they pose prohibitive risk to APT cost and schedule requirements. The T-50A delivers the performance and capabilities needed to prepare pilots to fly, fight and win with 5th Generation fighter aircraft. Lockheed Martin is currently standing up its T-50A Final Assembly and Checkout site in Greenville, South Carolina. The T-50A was developed jointly by Lockheed Martin and Korea Aerospace Industries. The accompanying T-50A Ground-Based Training System features innovative technologies that deliver an immersive, synchronized ground-based training platform.

Javelin scores a perfect 5

he Javelin™ Joint Venture team, a partnership of Raytheon Company and Lockheed Martin successfully demonstrated Javelin’s ability to engage targets beyond its current 2.5 kilometer range requirement during a series of ground vehicle launch tests. The five tests were conducted for the UK Army at the Salisbury Plain Train-

ing Area in Wiltshire, England. During the UK Army-sponsored tests, the Javelin missiles were mounted on a Spartan armoured fighting vehicle and fired via the Kongsberg M151 Remote Weapon Station. Each missile flew between 1.2 and 4.3 kilometers, hitting the stationary ground target in each test.

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

amtel HAL Display Systems (SHDS), a joint venture between Samtel Avionics and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has delivered about 1,000 units of indigenously manufactured multifunction display (MFD) for installation in India’s frontline Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft. This is seen as a major milestone under Make in India programme. Out of a planned fleet of 272 Sukhoi aircraft with the Indian Air Force, 143 would be flying with India-made MFDs - a critical component of an aircraft cockpit. SHDS is the only company to receive CEMILAC (Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification) Type Approval for manufacturing MFDs. The Samtel-HAL joint venture was set up in 2007 to address the avionics requirements, including test benches and systems for all IAF star platforms - both fixed and rotary wing. After 5-6 years of efforts, Samtel was able to fully develop the technology and it was envisaged by HAL and the Ministry of Defense to create a centre of excellence in the form of JV to nurture this home grown technology. Samtel as a parent company would bring in this technology for lateral deployment on all platforms - Su-30, light combat aircraft (LCA), intermediate jet trainer (IJT), light combat helicopter (LCH) among others and HAL as the other partner would bring in the market for using these displays on all HAL star platforms. PTI SAP 100 multi-function displays for Sukhoi 30 handed over to HAL.

Samtel Thales Avionics JV

The Samtel Thales Avionics JV, which is currently supplying displays for the upgrade of the Mirage 2000, a multirole combat fighter from Dassault Aviation of France, is expected to supply MFDs and head-up displays for the Rafale cockpit. For the Rafale project, ever since the deal has been announced, discussions between Samtel and Thales have been in progress and many possibilities are being explored. Samtel Thales JV is ideally positioned to help meet Thales’s offset obligations.

DEFBIZ

Thales and SCROME join forces to launch CECILE-TS

CROME and Thales announced the commercial launch of CECILE-TS, a new family of thermal weapon sights for snipers and marksmen. The CECILETS is the result of a close partnership between Thales and SCROME. As precise and easy to use as a conventional day weapon sight, CECILE-TS offers unequalled performance, thanks to its latest-generation uncooled infrared sensors packed inside a

lightweight, compact product with excellent ergonomics. Drawing on Thales’s extensive experience in infrared nightvision cameras and SCROME’s expertise in optical and mechanical sights designed to remain combat operational under the most severe conditions (impact, extreme weather and climate, etc.), CECILE-TS is the most advanced thermal weapon sight on the market today.

Thales and Soframe launch MILFLEET services solution

hales and Soframe launched MILFLEET, a set of fleet management services based on predictive maintenance for military vehicles. Designed for land forces in France and around the world, MILFLEET optimises the operational readiness of vehicle fleets, simplifying system and equipment maintenance and reducing operating expenditures for more cost-effective through-life support.

The introduction of latestgeneration digitised vehicles is speeding up the transition to predictive maintenance practices and the transfer of maintenance responsibilities to industry. Thales has teamed with Soframe, a defence

subsidiary of the LOHR group, to form a partnership that leverages their respective areas of expertise to develop a flexible solution for this emerging requirement. With MILFLEET, Thales and Soframe ensure that the right vehicles are available in the right place at the right time and in the best possible configuration for users. The platform-agnostic MILFLEET services solution provides an optimal vehicle support organisation and ensures the operational readiness of vehicle fleets. With individualised management and maintenance of vehicle equipment and systems tailored to the exact requirements of each customer, the services guarantee end-to-end security of vehicle data capture, transfer and analysis. Thales is contributing its expertise in secure information management technologies by implementing and operating a Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS), which collects data from embedded in-vehicle sensors to allow predictive maintenance and ensure that potential faults are detected and rectified before they occur.

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July 2016

Making way for Gripen NG

efence and security company Saab outlined the Gripen NG concept for India during a press seminar in Delhi. Gripen NG is the most advanced multi-role fighter in the world. Gripen is, by design, a true multi-role fighter aircraft, capable of performing an extensive range of airto-air, air-to-surface and reconnaissance missions under all conditions in any environment. Using the latest technology, sensors and weapon systems, it is designed to meet the demands of existing and future threats, while simultaneously balancing strict requirements for mission success, reliability, training efficiency and low operating costs. Saab has also set out a comprehensive plan within India’s Make in India initiative, which will include transfer of state-of-the-art technology; setting up of an aerospace eco-system in India, including a manufacturing facility; creation of a local supplier base; employment of a well-trained Indian workforce in engineering and manufacturing. “Our concept of technology transfer is real as we are willing to give India comprehensive system and software control. In short, Saab is not only looking at setting up a base here, but also helping in the development of aerospace capability for many years to come,” says Jan Widerström, Chairman, Saab India Technologies Pvt Ltd. Saab’s plan also includes a programme for training people to develop skills and knowledge that is critical to creating an aerospace eco-system.

DEFBIZ

Air India retains rights to fly PM

Complete life-cycle support for Su-34 tactical bombers

ukhoi’s Novosibirsk Aircraft Plant will soon ensure complete lifecycle support contracts for Sukhoi

or quite sometime, there was confusion in the air and a tussle between Air India and the India Air Force (IAF) over who would be flying the Prime Minister. Now, it has been decided that the two brand new Boeing 777s being procured for VVIP flying will remain with the national carrier. At present, the Prime Minister flies in Air India’s Boeing 747s on his long haul intercontinental journeys. The rugged and proven aircraft will be fitted with self-protection suites and various classified security features. Boeing will equip the new aircraft as per India’s requirements of completely securing the VVIP from hostile missiles or any other threat posed in the operating environment. These will provide a major stimulus to the security up gradation which the present aircraft lacks in. The aircraft would withstand grenade and rocket attack and also dodge and jam enemy radar. The present Air India One is a regular aircraft used for the Prime Minister or the President’s journeys. Similar to the ‘Air Force One’ carrying the US President, it was earlier decided that the tailor made Boeing 777-300s for VVIP flying would

be operated by the Indian Air Force. However, the new aircraft will remain with Air India but the IAF personnel will only manage the self-protection suite accompanying the aircraft. The proposal was one of the many items on the agenda of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) where Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar finalised the deal of two new Boeing 777-300s on June 25. The IAF has a communication squadron that flies the VVIP. The squadron at present has three Boeing Business Jets (BBJs) purchased around 10 years ago. The BBJs - equipped with self protection suites -- are used for short haul flights because of the range limitations offered by the narrow body aircraft Boeing 737. The squadron also has five Embraer 135 Legacy executive jets that are mostly used by senior cabinet ministers handling key defence, home and external affairs portfolios and the service chiefs. Air India has maintenance lines and expertise to handle the Boeing 777, which seems to be the right choice in an environment where the 747 jets are going out of production. Moreover, their maintenance in the long run will be impractical.

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

F-35 combat aircraft making waves

trio of three British and American F-35 combat aircraft recently landed in the UK, along with their tanker and support aircraft following a successful Trans-Atlantic crossing. The aircraft touched down at RAF Fairford two years after a fleet-wide grounding prompted by an engine fire caused a failure in its plans to start international operations. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a 5th Generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-

DEFBIZ

Su-34 tactical bombers will be made by the industry and military by the year-end. This will facilitate reliability and operability that should stand at 90-95 per cent at the least. The new maintenance format also will allow avoiding components stored for too long or lack of spares. The plant will be able within two to three hours to determine what part is needed and where it can be obtained. Russia’s Defense Ministry has said that the Su-34 would become a pilot project as far as complete life-cycle support is concerned. This implies that the companies will support and maintain the aircraft and weaponry from design to production to disposal. The Su-34 bomber is likely to replace both the Sukhoi Su-24 (Fencer) tactical bomber and Su-25 (Frogfoot) attack aircraft from the RuAF’s aircraft fleet further down the line.

enabled operations and advanced sustainment. Three variants of the F-35 will replace legacy fighters for the US Air Force, the US Navy, the US Marine Corps, and 10 other countries around the world. Reports state that the UK will build a front-line fleet of four F-35 squadrons with each squadron having 12 jets. A fifth unit, an operational conversion unit, will also operate 12 aircraft. In 2015, the UK government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review confirmed a planned order of 138 F-35s, with 23 of them to be available for carrier duties by 2023. Meanwhile, Israeli and US government leaders joined Lockheed Martin to celebrate the rollout of the first Israeli Air Force F-35A Lightning II, marking a major production milestone for the future of Israel’s national defence. “Israel is proud to be the first country in the area to receive and operate it,” said Avigdor Liberman, Israel’s Minister of Defense. “The F-35 is the best aircraft in the world and the choice of all our military leadership at its highest level. It is clear and obvious to us and to the entire region that the new F-35, the Adir, will create real deterrence and enhance our capabilities for a long time.”

Tata Technologies Opens State-Of-The-Art Technical Lab

lobal engineering services provider Tata Technologies has announced the expansion of its Engineering Research and Development Centre, Axia - VAVE Centre of Excellence, at the company’s Hinjewadi campus. The 8,700-square-foot facility will provide Tata Technologies’ clients with end-to-end product development capabilities including product innovation, value engineering, cost

engineering, teardown and benchmarking services. The facility will support multiple fullvehicle and machine development programmes currently underway at Tata Technologies. Such initiatives call for a larger physical space wherein equipment can be dismantled, studied, and compared with the competition to pinpoint areas for design improvement and cost optimisation. The new Engineering Research and Development Centre is equipped with the latest tools, software, and machinery and can be used to perform benchmarking studies for up to four passenger vehicles, two off-road vehicles, or two trucks at a time. Tata Technologies also plans to use the facility for small prototype builds and robotics training.

Autonomous 30-mile flight for Sikorsky S-76 commercial helicopter

sing technology developed for Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) programme, a Sikorsky S-76 commercial helicopter has successfully demonstrated a 30-mile autonomous flight to complete Phase 1. This flight highlighted the ability for an operator to plan and execute every phase of an autonomous mission with a tablet device. During the demonstration, a ground station crew located at the flight initiation field monitored the progress of the ALIAS-enabled Sikorsky Autonomy Research Aircraft (SARA), an S-76 commercial helicopter. The objective of DARPA’s ALIAS programme is to develop and insert new levels of automation into existing military and commercial aircraft to enable those aircraft to operate with reduced onboard crew. ALIAS seeks to leverage advances in autonomy that reduce pilot workload, augment mission performance, and improve aircraft safety and reliability. Sikorsky utilised its Matrix Technology

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July 2016

introduced to develop, test and field hardware and software systems that significantly improve optionally piloted and piloted VTOL aircraft. Sikorsky has installed MATRIX on both SARA and a BLACK HAWK helicopter. “With the advances we’ve made, the capability for safe, unobtrusive optionally piloted flight is here,” said Mark Miller, Vice President of Engineering & Technology at Sikorsky. “ALIAS is expanding the role of optionally piloted helicopters for early entry into established aircraft programs. It has the capability of not only reducing aircrew size, but also changing the type and length of training required for safe operation.”

DEFBIZ

FARBOROUGH 2016

Elbit at Farnborough SPECTROTM-XR SPECTROTM-XR is an ultralong range, day/night, multispectral electro-optical ISTAR system, the latest and most advanced electro-optic payload developed by Elbit Systems for Intelligence, Surveillance, Targeting, Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions.

SKYLENS™

Elbit Systems introduces SupervisIR Systems introduced the EandlbitSupervisIR – an innovative easy to use ™

infrared wide area persistent ISTAR system, enabling 24/7 activities with excellent night capabilities at Eurosatory 2016. Meeting a full range of ISTAR requirements, the new system is highly effective at detecting, tracking, and displaying visual motion imagery of moving air, ground and sea targets, making it ideally suited for border patrol, perimeter security, surveillance and counter-surveillance operations. Through the use of cutting-

edge digital imaging and processing technologies, SupervisIR provides high resolution wide-area (90-degree horizontal and 12.5-degree vertical) infrared surveillance, which is equivalent to approximately 150 thermal imagers placed side by side. The system also includes advanced automatic detection and extracting imagery feeds of targets in multiple regions of Interest. Visual investigation can be done in real time, or using a video on demand control, which can be used for backtracking the target to any point and time.

SMARTSuite Packed in a lightweight, easy-to-install device, as intuitive as a pair of sunglasses, SKYLENS is a revolutionary approach for today’s aviators’ challenges. Operational in all weather conditions, day and night, SKYLENS provides head-up information and minimizes dependency on airport instrumentation.

BrightNite™

A solution that enables utility helicopters to successfully perform Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) missions in more than 90 per cent of the nights and provides them with piloting capabilities of attack helicopters and enables a new level of operational flight.

lbit Systems has harnessed its third-party integration expertise and its track record of tactical solutions deployment to launch SMART Suite, delivering the comprehensive infrastructure required for tactical C4I supremacy. The SMART family of products enables mounted and dismounted forces to maintain the flow of tactical multimedia and data information over heterogeneous tactical networks (legacy, non-IP, IP, etc.), providing the complete application platform for any C4I requirement. Utilizing both standard and TIGER™

routing and data dissemination protocols, the routers generate a unified “Tactical

Internet” for seamless communications across the entire chain of command.

IronVision: A latest offering

ronVision by Elbit Systems is based on the proven sensors and system architecture that is already integrated in thousands of fixed and rotary-wing aircraft HMS being used by most modern air forces worldwide. The new HMS incorporates advanced SeeThrough Armour (STA) technology that lets wearers ‘see through’ the armour of their vehicle in order to obtain full, real time situational awareness through which they can locate, identify and track enemy forces or capabilities.

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

Thales launches Digipack

t Eurosatory 2016, Thales announces the commercial launch of Digipack, a turnkey digitisation solution for protected vehicles, designed to provide combat forces with the information superiority they need. Network-centric operations hinge on the ability to share the right information with the right people at the right time. Digipack meets the requirements of these new forms of engagement to support land forces in their digital transformation. Digipack is a turnkey solution supplied as a ready-to-deploy digitisation kit including a Battlefileld Management System (BMS), tactical radio and internal communication for crews. Digipack is designed as a cost-effective solution for land forces or special forces and is compatible with all platform types. With an intuitive design inspired by smartphone apps to offer rapid access to information, Digipack is easy to use by operational personnel without lengthy training and is ideal for on-the-move combat operations.

DEFBIZ

Ground Master 60 with a search on the move capacity hales has announced the launch of its detection capacity while on-the-move, T compact 3D tactical Ground Master the Ground Master 60 can detect rockets, 60 radar, intended for use with artillery shells and mortars to effectively short and extremely short-range weapon systems. The Ground Master 60 is the only multi-mission radar capable of detecting all types of targets while on-the-move. Due to its compact design, it is perfectly adapted for operational deployment on a vehicle. The Ground Master 60 provides projected forces with better situational awareness of the air picture, thereby giving them increased protection during their missions. In addition to its excellent

complete the protection of deployed forces. An “all-in-one” radar, the Ground Master 60 is equipped with both a generator and an air conditioning system; key factors in ensuring high reliability and increased mobility. The radar can also be installed and removed very quickly in an operation theatre. Whether positioned on the front lines or airlifted to inaccessible areas, thanks to its outstanding detection capabilities, the Ground Master 60 delivers accurate targeting information to associated weapon systems.

IAI Introduces RoBattle

New Sigma 30 artillery navigation and pointing system

afran Electronics & Defence unveiled its new range of Sigma 30 artillery inertial navigation and pointing systems, designed to meet armies’ emerging needs. By offering new versions of its well-known Sigma 30 inertial reference systems, Safran Electronics & Defence has come up with a perfect solution to meet artillery units’ broad range of accuracy requirements. The Sigma 30-200 is an economical version, especially well suited to short- and medium-range artillery pieces, as well as air defence weapons. The Sigma 30-800 is designed for heavy artillery and longand very-long-range radars. All Sigma 30 units guarantee outstanding availability even in environments with signal jamming, countermeasures or a GPS signal loss. Designed to be integrated in tactical command and coordination networks, Sigma 30 units may also be coupled with ballistic computers.

AI introduced the RoBattle - an unmanned, heavy duty, highly manoeuvrable combat and support robotic system, at Eurosatory 2016. The system is designed to be integrated with tactical forces in mobile, dismounted operations and support a wide range of missions including intelligence, surveillance and armed

Drone Guard System

sraeli Aerospace Industries Reveals the innovative Drone Guard System at Eurosatory 2016. The company is viewing a steadily increasing demand for its Drone Guard detection and disruption counter UAV system, for both military and civilian applications. The recently unveiled system has already been purchased by several customers for critical asset and personnel protection. Numerous potential customers have already attended dedicated demonstrations of the system versus various drone threats, with more demonstrations anticipated for the coming months.

reconnaissance; convoy protection, decoy, and ambush and attack. RoBattle, the newest member of the family of unmanned ground robotic systems from IAI, is equipped with a modular & “robotic kit”; comprised of vehicle control, navigation, RT mapping and autonomy, sensors and mission payloads.

BEL showcases Akash

harat Electronics Ltd (BEL) displayed its Akash Air Defence at the Eurosatory along with BEL’s range of radars, including throughwall, battlefield surveillance, ground penetrating, weapon

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July 2016

locating and troop control systems.An array of electronic warfare and airborne products were alsoshowcased, including elements of the Rustom II UAV system being developed in India.

FOCUS

BUY (IDDM)

AN ENIGMA!

What stands out among many new provisions included in the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016 is the introduction of a new procurement category called ‘Buy (Indian Designed, Developed and Manufactured), or ‘Buy (IDDM)’ for short, writes AMIT COWSHISH

he introduction of a new procurement category called ‘Buy (Indian Designed, Developed and Manufactured), or ‘Buy (IDDM)’ has ostensibly been created to promote, as its nomenclature suggests, indigenous design, development and production of equipment. This is somewhat perplexing as it gives the impression that none of the earlier categories were good enough to promote indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence equipment. It may be recalled that there have so far been five procurement categories, arranged hierarchically in a descending order of priority. The list started with

‘Buy (Indian) at the top of the hierarchy, followed by ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’, ‘Make’, ‘Buy and Make’, and ‘Buy (Global)’. While no contract has been signed under the ‘Make’ category till date, all other defence acquisition has been under one or other of the remaining four categories. The new ‘Buy (IDDM)’ category replaces ‘Buy (Indian)’ as the most preferred category and while the ‘Make’ has been retained as a distinct category. It is no more a part of the hierarchy of procurement categories in DPP 2016. The decision to create yet another category surprised many when it was made public in January this year. For

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

sure, this was not among several recommendations made by the Committee of Experts (CoE) set up by MoD in May last year to suggest changes in DPP 2013, which was then in force, to align the procurement procedure with ‘Make in India’ initiative of the government. In its report, submitted in July last year, the committee had clearly said that having considered some suggestions received by it regarding procurement categories it had come to the conclusion that ‘the existing categories for capital procurement have served well and need to be retained as such for the time being’. It appears that MoD had some inputs which the CoE did not have which

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Manohar Parrikar announcing the new DPP during the DefExpo in Goa

HC TIWARI

prompted it to take this step. Whatever be the reason, MoD seems to have overlooked that there is a certain amount of overlap between the new category and the ‘Buy (Indian)’ category which the former now replaces as the most preferred category of procurement. The full text of DPP 2016, which has been released more than five months after the DAC decided to introduce the new category, could have - but does not - provide much clarity on this issue. If anything, the defining attributes of various procurement categories, set out in DPP 2016 for the first time, only end up accentuating the overlap between these categories.

gether, at all stages, including the Field Evaluation Trial (FET) stage. That the product has indeed been indigenously designed and developed is to be verified by a committee comprising scientists from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and representatives of the Services Headquarters (SHQs). The Indian vendors will have to produce ‘necessary documents’ issued by the ‘authorised agencies’ to establish their claim regarding indigenous content in the product. The entire process of verification will need to be completed before initiating a proposal for categorisation and Acceptance of Necessity (AoN). Detailed

What are ‘Buy (IDDM)’ and Buy (Indian) categories?

The ‘Buy (IDDM)’ category refers to procurement, from an Indian vendor, of products that have been indigenously designed, developed and manufactured with a minimum of 40 per cent indigenous content, or, if not designed and developed in India, have indigenous content of 60 per cent. The indigenous content is to be reckoned not only on the basis of the total value of the contract but also with reference to the (a) basic cost of equipment, (b) cost of manufacturers’ recommended list of spares (MRLS), (c) cost of special maintenance tools (SMT), and special test equipment (STE), taken to-

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July 2016

instructions for doing all this will be issued by the Director General (Acquisition). Hopefully, when issued, these instructions will bring about some clarity on what is meant by ‘necessary documents’ and ‘authorised agencies’. Unless this is done, the process of verification of claims of indigenous content could become a nightmare. The ‘Buy (Indian)’ category, on the other hand, also refers to procurement, from Indian vendors, of products with a minimum of 40 per cent indigenous content. As in the case of ‘Buy (IDDM)’, in ‘Buy (Indian)’ cases also, the indigenous content is to be worked out not only with reference to the overall cost of the procurement but also with reference to the basic cost of the product and the cost of MRLS, SMT and STE taken together, at all stages, including FET stage. This is a tall order by any stretch of imagination.

Choosing the right category

The earlier versions of the DPP did not specify the basis on which a particular procurement proposal could be classified under ‘Buy (Indian)’, ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’, or any of the other procurement categories. On CoE’s recommendation, MoD has now included the defining attributes of various categories in the DPP 2016 which is a good thing, except that it makes it all the more difficult to understand the enigma called ‘Buy (IDDM)’.

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DEFINING ATTRIBUTES OF BUY (IDDM) AND BUY (INDIAN) PROCUREMENT CATEGORIES Buy (IDDM)

Buy (Indian)

(a) The equipment/system/platform is already (a) The equipment/system/platform is already in service, having been produced by Indian in service, having been produced by Indian industry based on in-house R&D or through industry. “Make” scheme or developed under Para 72 of Chapter II in the past. OR

(b) The equipment/system/platform is already in service, having been produced by Indian industry based on transfer of technology from a foreign vendor.

XXXX

(b) Though not in service, but is available in Indian industry for some other sector.

(d) Though not in service, equipment/system/ platform can be produced as all key technologies are available and Indian industry has capability to design, develop, manufacture, test and integrate the system.

(c) Though not in service, equipment/system/ platform can be produced as all key technologies are accessible and Indian industry has capability to manufacture, test and integrate the system.

AND

(e) In case of upgrades of in-service equipment/system/platform, Indian industry has the requisite technology and capability to implement the upgrades sought, through one of the means detailed above.

(d) In case of upgrades of in-service equipment/system/platform, technology is available to Indian industry, which has the capability to implement the upgrades sought, through one of the means detailed above.

AND

(f) In each of the above situations, the Indian industry can deliver the equipment/system/ platform with the stipulated indigenous content, firstly for trials and secondly for operational use as per indicated time schedule and in requisite numbers.

(e) In each of the above situations, the Indian industry can deliver the equipment/system/ platform with the stipulated indigenous content, firstly for trials and secondly for operational use as per indicated time schedule and in requisite numbers.

A comparison of the defining attributes of the ‘Buy (IDDM)’ and ‘Buy (Indian)’ categories reveals striking commonality and a few point of subtle difference between the two which seem rather contrived (see box).

Contrived points of difference between the two categories

The first contrived point of difference concerns procurement of equipment that is already in service. According to the defining attributes given in the DPP, proposals for procurement of equipment/systems/platforms already in ser-

vice, having been produced by the Indian industry based on in-house research and development (R&D), through ‘Make’ procedure, or designed and developed in the past by DRDO/Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs)/ Ordnance Factories Board (OFB), can be classified under the ‘Buy (IDDM)’ category. On the other hand, procurement of equipment/system/platforms already in service, having been produced by the Indian industry, could also be procured under the ‘Buy (Indian)’ category, irrespective of all other considerations applicable in the case of ‘Buy (IDDM)’.

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

It would thus be evident that there is hardly any difference between the two categories. There is no reason why products produced by the Indian industry based on in-house R&D, through ‘Make’ procedure, or designed and developed in the past by DRDO, DPSUs or OFB must be classified under the ‘Buy (IDDM)’ category and cannot be procured under the ‘Buy (Indian)’ category. As a matter of fact, as per the provisions of DPP 2013 products made through the ‘Make’ procedure were required to be procured through ‘Buy (Indian) category, which was then the most preferred category. The only reason why the products made through the ‘Make’ procedure are now required to be procured under the ‘Buy (IDDM)’ category seems to be that this is now the most preferred category. Procedurally, there is not much of a difference. All procurements, whether made under ‘Buy (Indian)’ or ‘Buy (IDDM)’ category have to go through the same stages of procurement. The second point of difference concerns the equipment/system/platform already in service, which had been produced in the past by the Indian industry based on transfer of technology from a foreign vendor. Such products can now be procured under the ‘Buy (IDDM)’ category but not under the ‘Buy (Indian)’ category. This is inexplicable. There is no reason why such products cannot be procured under the ‘Buy (Indian)’. Procedurally it makes no difference. Lastly, equipment/systems/platforms, not yet in service,which can be produced in India as all key technologies are available and the Indian industry has the capability to design, develop, manufacture, test and integrate the system that can be procured under the ‘Buy (IDDM)’ category. But equipment/systems/platforms meeting all these conditions, except relating to design, can also be procured under the ‘Buy (Indian)’ category. It is difficult to fathom why the capability to ‘design’ the product should make a difference in relation to the category under which it can be procured.

Complexity arising from requirement of indigenous content

The most contrived dichotomy is in regard to requirement of indigenous content in the products that can be procured under these categories. A product designed, developed and manufactured can be procured under ‘Buy (IDDM)’ provided the indigenous content in that product is 40 per cent but the same product with the same extent of indigenous

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that under the ‘Buy (Indian)’ category, the requirement of indigenous content used to be 30 per cent, which has now been raised to 40 per cent overlooking the fact that very few procurements have actually been made in the past under ‘Buy (Indian)’ category even with a lower threshold of indigenous content requirement. Four, as if achieving overall indigenous content of 40 per cent was not difficult enough, DPP requires the same percentage of indigenous content to be achieved in the basic cost of equipment and the cost of MRLS, SMT and STE, taken together, at all stages, including the FET stage. The Indian industry may find it extremely difficult to achieve this target. It is difficult to understand why the extent of indigenous content should matter so much if the product is designed, developed and manufactured in India.

What then is the takeaway for the industry?

TOWARDS SELF RELIANCE: Union Minister for Defence, Manohar Parrikar releasing a booklet titled ‘Department of Defence Production in Pursuit of Self Reliance’ brought out by the Department of Defence Production

content can also be procured under the ‘Buy (Indian)’ category as there is no restriction under it as regards design and development. On the other hand, a product not designed and developed in India will have to have 60 per cent indigenous content if it is to be procured under the ‘Buy (IDDM)’ category, whereas it will be possible to procure the same product under ‘Buy (Indian)’ category with 40 per cent indigenous content.

Impact on the procurement process

The way these two categories have been designed could seriously impact the processing of the procurement proposals. To begin with, the initial task of determining whether a product has been indigenously designed and developed seems too onerous for an ad hoc committee comprising representatives of the DRDO and SHQ as they will need to wade into an area they may not necessarily always be very familiar with. Two, the tasks of deciding the category for outright purchase of equipment from the Indian vendors will become quite cumbersome. The SHQs are required to suggest the procurement category while initiating a proposal for procurement of equipment, weapon systems and other platforms. The proposed category and other aspects of the procurement proposal are then discussed in the categorisation committees as well as

PIB

the Defence Procurement Board (DPB)/ Defence Acquisition Council (DAC). The thin line that divides the two categories and the overlap/dichotomy between them could make it very difficult for those responsible for initiating a proposal to decide which procurement category would be more appropriate for a particular procurement proposal and for the categorisation committees to take a decision on this issue. Three, requirement of the extent of indigenous content in the products seems quite ambitious at this stage, although is a desirable objective. It may be recalled

Any product that the Indian industry wants to sell must have a minimum indigenous content of 40 per cent for it to stand a chance of being procured under the ‘Buy (Indian)’ category

It is not the first time that instead of simplifying the procurement procedures, MoD has ended up complicating it needlessly. Be that as it may, a few things are clear. One, any product that the Indian industry wants to sell must have a minimum indigenous content of 40 per cent for it to stand a chance of being procured under the ‘Buy (Indian)’ category. Two, since ‘Buy (IDDM)’ is now the most preferred category, the Indian industry will have to focus as much on indigenous design and development of products as on reaching the threshold of 40 per cent as regards the indigenous content. Three, it is evident that MoD recognises the fact that even those products that are designed and developed in India may not be fully indigenous. While entering into technology transfer or other arrangements with foreign original equipment manufacturers, the Indian vendors will do well to keep two objectives in view: one, that they will ultimately need to satisfy MoD that the design and development is indigenous and, two, that all efforts will come to a naught if the indigenous content does not reach a minimum of 40 per cent. If products are made with these factors in view, it will leave MoD with no option but to buy those product whether it is under ‘Buy (IDDM)’, which is now the most preferred category, or ‘Buy (India)’ which will continue to lurk close behind the former for the foreseeable future. The author is a retired Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Defence

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July 2016

SPOTLIGHT

With S-400 systems deployed to cover Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategic assets, it would be impossible for an adversary to launch a decapitating first strike. Such a strike would require a massive salvo that would seriously deplete the attacker's arsenal without guaranteed success, writes VIJAINDER K THAKUR

UNDERSTANDING INDIAS QUEST FOR S-400 TRIUMPH 62

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SPOTLIGHT

gagement envelope extending to 400-km and the ability to engage all types of aerial threats while operating in a dense Electronic Warfare (EW) environment make the Triumph a formidable system. India's interest in acquiring the S-400 system was first reported in the Indian press in October 2015. It's likely that Russia offered the system to India in end 2013 or early 2014. A scale model of the system was displayed during DefExpo in March 2014, and again in February 2015 during Aero India. The Russian offer to India was possibly linked to a planned sale of the system to China, which sought the Triumph from Russia in 2012. President Vladimir Putin green lighted the sale in early 2014. Chinese deployment of the system would disturb the strategic balance between India and China by eroding the effectiveness of India's already very limited nuclear deterrence. The imperative to purchase the S-400 arose not just from China's acquisition of the system, but also from Pakistan's introduction of battlefield (tactical) nuclear weapons.

Analysis of the Nuclear Threat from China & Pakistan

ndia plans to acquire five S-400 Triumph (NATO nomenclature SA-21 Growler) systems from Russia for induction in the Indian Air Force during the 13th plan period (2017-2022). However, a firm contract is yet to be signed and Russia has indicated that it will undertake exports from 2018 onwards, after fulfilling its own requirements. The S-400 is a mobile theatre defence system capable of neutralising both aerodynamic and ballistic threats. A vast en-

The nature of the threat that India faces from its two nuclear armed adversaries China and Pakistan - differs considerably. China is the more powerful of our two adversaries. China's economy and military might substantially outsize those of India. The reverse is the case with India and Pakistan. Yet, the threat to India from China is more muted and manageable than the threat from Pakistan. China is ambitious; inclined to intimidate, but not miscalculate. Pakistan is rabid; inclined to threaten and miscalculate! China is a one party state with both its government and army (PLA) firmly under party control. The Chinese Communist Party's foremost aim is to perpetuate its rule. The Party is loathe to fight wars it cannot win; a military defeat or stalemate would only loosen the party's grip over the nation. In recent history, China has fought wars only when it was assured of victory - against India in 1962 and against Vietnam in 1979. Even when victory is certain, China prefers to subdue, rather than defeat, an adversary. Despite its ludicrous but belligerent claims of sovereignty over South China Sea and the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, China is unlikely to use force in support of its territorial claims, for the simple reason that it would not emerge a clear winner. In contrast to China, which fights only to win, Pakistan has fought three wars, all against India, and lost all

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July 2016

SPECS: S-400 AIR DEFENCE MISSILE SYSTEM The S-400 is a system of systems networked using RF and landline. Its USPs are 1. An open system architecture with a high level of modularity, to facilitate capability growth. 2. Cross spectrum engagement capability spanning aerodynamic and ballistic targets in dense ECM environment. 3. Ability to integrate with legacy IADS (Integrated Air Defence System) technologies. In its anti-ballistic missile role, the S-400 is roughly analogous to the US THAAD system. of them! Pakistan is a crippled democracy with a rogue army that calls the shots in defence and foreign affairs. The Army's agenda is to secure its privileged position in the state. To do so, it raises the spectre of an existential threat from India using the bogus backdrop of forced Indian occupation of Kashmir. A defeat promotes the Army's agenda as well as a victory. Perhaps a defeat promotes the Army's agenda better. Pakistan's proximity, sizeable nuclear arsenal, and a nuclear posture that advocates first use on perceived existential threat give India no latitude to treat threats by its officials as mere bluff.

Pakistan's Proxy War and India's Cold Start In order to maintain its relevance, the Pakistan army has successfully waged a low intensity proxy war against India under the protective umbrellas of an aggressive nuclear posture. The Indian army's Cold Start doctrine, developed to force Pakistan to relent from its proxy war, has been thwarted by Pakistan's reckless low-

SPOTLIGHT

ering of the nuclear threshold through the introduction of tactical nuclear weapons (TNWs). Roughly, the Pakistan's army strategy today is to continue waging its proxy war under a low hanging nuclear umbrella that discourages Indian retaliation through escalatory use of TNWs. Pakistan believes it could project a TNWs attack on Indian army formations that have advanced into Pakistani territory as self defence not warranting Indian nuclear retaliation. Pakistan's strategy harks back to the Cold War thinking that tactical nuclear weapons could be used to escalate a conflict, in order to force deescalation. Limited first use of TNWs by Pakistan in a counter force attack against Indian offensive formations would leave the nuclear arsenals of both the countries intact. Under the circumstances, it would make little sense for India to massively retaliate and start an all out nuclear war, as it is doctrinally committed to do. The loss of an offensive formation from the adversary's use of TNWs, wouldn't justify a subcontinental nuclear holocaust. It would have to be absorbed, just like the innumerable sub conventional warfare cross border attacks that India has endured. It's interesting that the US faces a similar dilemma against adversaries like North Korea. If militarily intimidated by the US, North Korean leadership could threaten to use, or even use, nuclear weapons against South Korea or Japan, on the premise that the US would not retaliate because North Korea would still have a residual nuclear warhead inventory to attack nearby American bases. The US has chosen to address the threat that it faces from weaker nations that have acquired nuclear weapons by deploying a theatre ballistic missile defence. Specifically, the US plans to deploy the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence), a system capable of shooting down short, medium, and intermediate ballistic missiles in their terminal phases. The S-400 has similar terminal defence capabilities and is mobile to boot. It can be quickly positioned to provide Indian offensive formations cover against Pakistan's Nasr tactical nuclear ballistic missile.

Limitations and Advantages of Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) No BMD is perfect; it's possible for an adversary missile to get through a BMD system on account of technical glitches or capacity overload. What is not possible is for the adversary to ignore the

deployment of the BMD system. A BMD system makes the attacker uncertain. Will his missiles get through or not? The uncertainty mandates increased salvo size. The increased salvo size in turn mandates heavier deployment, increasing risk of detection and pre-emptive strike. Increased salvo size also depletes the attackerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s limited nuclear arsenal and reduces his capability to deter a retaliatory attack.

Perhaps a decade or so from now, Pakistan would have the resources to acquire a Chinese S-400 analog, but doing so would not allow Pakistan to intensify its proxy war. The threat it faces from the Indian Cold Start strategy would remain. Pakistan would simply be wasting money acquiring a BMD since India is committed to NFU and its nuclear doctrine is without doubt the most muted.

S-400 BMD as Cold Start Enabler

Other Advantages

In the context of Pakistan's TNWs, to ensure a successful strike on an Indian offensive formation, a larger number of nuclear armed Nasr would have to be fired. This would mean that a large number of Nasr launchers would have to be deployed. The deployment would take time and be prone to detection by Indian ISR assets (satellites, AWACS, MALE UAVs). India could pre-emptively attack the launchers pushing Pakistan back into a corner. Nasr missiles that escape a pre-emptive attack would have to contend with the shield provided by the S-400 system covering the theatre. A BMD system can be countered by developing missiles that make interception difficult (variable trajectory, low altitude hypersonic glide, warhead manoeuvring) but developing such missiles is prohibitively expensive. If Pakistan attempted to develop BMD evading missiles, India would have Pakistan just where it wants - trying to compete with it economically and pushing itself into penury. As Russia is finding out, countering ABM systems is anything but cheap. To summarize, the S-400 system would prove a re-enabler to the Indian Army's Cold Start strategy and force Pakistan to relent with its proxy war.

Deployment of the S-400 systems would have other strategic advantages that would raise the nuclear threshold and diminish the nuclear threat to India.

Reduced Threat of Decapitating First Strike With S-400 systems deployed to cover New Delhi and military regions with strategic assets, it would be impossible for an adversary to launch a decapitating first strike. Such a strike would require a massive salvo size that would seriously deplete the attacker's arsenal without guaranteed success.

Safeguard against Nuclear Blackmail

Deployment of S-400 systems would also protect India from nuclear blackmail, where in an adversary threatens to launch a small nuclear strike, vowing an all out nuclear war in case of any Indian retaliation. India's democratic leadership would likely give in to such blackmail since India would have more to lose from a retaliation than the adversary - in the case of China, because India has a smaller arsenal, and in the case of Pakistan, because Pakistan is smaller and economically less developed nation. With S-400 systems deployed a small nuclear attack is not an option since its success would not be guaranteed.

Safeguard against Rogue Attacks

India plans to acquire five S-400 Triumph (NATO nomenclature SA-21 Growler) systems from Russia for induction in the Indian Air Force during the 13th plan period (2017-2022)

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As things stand today, a nuclear attack from within Pakistan by rogue elements could lead to a rapid deterrence breakdown. A BMD system would reduce, possible eliminate, destruction from such an attack by rogue elements. It would give time for the civil and military leadership to pause and take stock of the situation, before settling on a response.

Reduced Imperative for First Strike

Finally, deployment of BMD systems would reduce the pressure on the Indian leadership to backtrack on its doctrinal NFU commitment and resort to a first strike if faced with complete deterrence erosion.

SPOTLIGHT

Open System Architecture

The S-400 system comprises a Command and Control Centre (C2C) with a target acquisition radar (TAR). The C2C controls and coordinates up to 8 Air Defence Missile Complex (ADMC), each comprising a multi-mode engagement radar (MER) and one or more missile types mounted on mobile launchers. The C2C detects a threat and allocates it to an ADMC for engagement. An ADMC is a complete missile system capable of independent operations, equipped with radar that can track a target and designate its missile firing units to engage it.

Standard S-400 System details

Cross Spectrum AD Capability

The S-400 can engage all types of aerodynamic targets (aircraft, UAVs, cruise missiles) including AWACS, AEW&CS, ISR and EW aircraft. It can engage ballistic targets including theatre ballistic missiles and MRBMs. The completely mobile system functions autonomously, engaging aerodynamic targets at ranges varying from 3 to 380 km at heights varying from 10m to 30km respectively. For ballistic targets, en-

gagement range is 5-60 km and engagement height, 2-25 km. The S-400 C2C can integrate any ADMC, not just an Almaz Antey developed ADMC that comes off the shelf with the S-400 system. ADMCs may be variously equipped, with radars and missiles for long, medium or short range interception. Lockheed Martin’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system

 The standard S-400 comprises the 30K63 C2C featuring the 91N6E TAR. The C2C controls 8 98J6E ADMCs each consisting of a 92N6E MERs.  The 98J6E AMDC can handle up to 12 launchers of the types - 5P85TE2, 5P85TE3 and 51P6E.  Each 5P85TE2 and 5P85TE3 launcher carries up to four 48N6E3, 48N6E2, or 48N6 missiles. (The two launchers differ in the chassis they use.)  The 51P6E launcher carries up to four 40N6E or 16 9M96E2 missiles.  The 48N6E3, 48N6E2 are Long Range surface-to-air missiles (LR SAMs). The missiles are intended for interception of aerodynamic and ballistic targets at great altitude, range and target velocities.  40N6E is a medium range surfaceto-air missile (MR SAM) designed for interception of modern manned and unmanned airborne threats, including precision weapons and their carriers, early warning aircraft, hypersonic cruise missiles, tactical and theatre ballistic missiles and medium range ballistic missiles with speed up to 4800 m/s.  The 9M96E2 is a short range surfaceto-air (SR-SAM) missile. The missile is intended for interception of close range threats such as manned aircraft and unmanned precision weapons.

Leveraging S-400 Modularity and Open Architecture

The S-400's open architecture and modularity would allow the IAF to integrate its extremely capable and medium range MR-SAM system with the S-400. (MR-SAM is the under development mobile, land based analog of Indian Navy's LR-SAM.)

DRDO's BMD

LOCKHEED MARTIN

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DRDO is developing a layered missile defence for long range (exo-atmospheric) and short range (endo-atmospheric) interception of ballistic missile. The system has yet to mature. Once its capability is proven, it would need to be mounted on ruggedize cross country vehicles. The process is likely to take 5 to 10 years more. Once the system is fully developed, it would be possible for India to integrate it with any S-400 systems that it may have acquired. Substituting long range components of the S-400 with home grown systems would reduce cost and increase versatility.

DIPLOMACY

COURSE CORRECTION

NEEDED INDIA-NEPAL TIES

While the common Nepali citizen is facing problems due to the political disturbances in Nepal, India will have to chalk out a clear diplomatic stand to make its good work appreciated. MAYANK SINGH travelled in Nepal to understand the issues which are affecting the relationship

he ordeal of the common Nepalese citizens seems to be stretching beyond their patience. Nepal is stuck in another vortex of political quagmire. The weak Nepalese leadership and unstable political situation, ridden with factionalism and corruption, has not been able to address the issues of the common people. While victims of the earthquake are yet to get rehabilitated, the Madhesis and the Janjatis are up in arms alleging injustice meted out to them. The politics of Nepal is badly divided and this is leading to a lot of problems both within and outside the country. The outlook towards the reconstruction of the areas devastated in the May 2015 earthquake is a good example of the

manner in which such instances are used to inflame the politically motivated atmosphere. A corpus of $4 billion international assistance remains to be put to right use. The National Reconstruction Authority saw a CEO appointed, removed and replaced. What added to the problem was the promulgation of a controversial new Constitution in September 2015 which has resulted in crippling the entire process of the government machinery. The Nepal Parliament instituted the reconstruction of the Earthquake Affected Infrastructure Act, 2015 and established the National Reconstruction Authority in order to promptly complete the reconstruction work of the structures affected due to the earthquake. But, little has happened on the ground.

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The problem was aggravated as the Madhesis, an ethnic group native to the plains of southern Nepal, have staged processions and dharnas in support of their demands. The protests near the India-Nepal border with the Madhesis demanding amendments to the Constitution brought about the border’s closure. Protests continued for 135 days which ended in February but have now shifted to the capital Kathmandu. As per the new Constitution, the 165-member Parliament will have 100 seats for people of the hill and mountain region despite their share in Nepal’s total population is less than 50 per cent. On the other hand, the Terai region with over half of the country’s population has been allo-

COVER

cated only 65 seats. Madhesh Pradesh and Tharuhat are the two provinces out of the seven. These are the two main demands out of the 11-point demands of the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF). The Janjatis and the Madhesis have dug in and have been organising political rallies and processions in Kathmandu. Once the Constitution was framed, it was hoped that Nepal would go back to an improved political climate and improved governance. But the reality is quite the contrary. There has been chaos and disturbance after the Constitution was adopted in September 2015. The Federal Alliance (FA), a conglomeration of Janajatis and Madhesis, has rejected the Government’s offer of peace talks. The important point to note is that this alliance comprises 27 marginalised and Janajati groups and political parties. The disturbance has been aggravated due to the friction between the ruling and opposition parties, the corruption and the process of rehabilitation in the areas badly affected by the 2015 earthquake. As a result, the entire exercise of Constitution-framing seems to be losing the support and faith of a large number of people and the biggest losers in this chaos are the common Nepali citizens and the democracy. Shakti Bahadur Basnet, Minister for Home Affairs, talked about his government’s initiatives to resolve the issues raised by the Madhesi Parties. He said, “We are ready for dialogue. We have framed the mechanism and have made the amendments as well.” Talking about India, he said the two countries were joined by nature and there would be ups and downs. While speaking with Geopolitics he further said, “Respect of sovereignty is the right way.” Shri Upendra Yadav, President, Madhesh Janadhikar Forum and an important Madhesi political leader told Geopolitics that they were not consulted at all about the constitution changes. He said, “Everything is possible only when there is a justified accommodation of our concerns. It is a matter of equal rights and opportunities. We are fighting to remove the injustice and inequality." While the European Union has maintained a silence about the demands of the Janjatis and the Madhesis, India has been facing the ire of innocent Nepalis; that it is also one of the reasons for the current state of affairs. All this, despite India playing a significant role to facilitate Nepal’s experiment with democracy. Added to that is the fact that India has always helped the Nepalese with aid for humanitarian causes. Academic Shiba Datta Gnawali has raised the issue of the flaws within. He has

Protest inside Nepal Parliament on the final day to draft the new constitution in Kathmandu in 2015 IBTIMES

pointed out that “in the absence of a visionary and unswerving national leader, it has been difficult to restructure the country as per the new constitution by skillfully managing to overcome the challenges placed in our path”. He has further pointed out, while airing his views in an editorial, that it was difficult to see things improving if they continued in the present way. He wrote, “It seems that the country has been suffering from a failure of multiple organs and has lost the binding point of stability, unity and prosperity. Indeed, Nepali people are victims of their own mandate. There is always a mad rush to power. As a result, our greedy leaders have lost their credibility. In this milieu, how will the people of Nepal expect their new constitution to be implemented to fulfill their aspirations?” Security Analyst Major General Binoj Basnyat writing about the problems stressed that “rampant corruption in all sections of the government including the security forces is visible and needs to be curbed without delay. Delays will cause irreversible and irrevocable damage to the professionalism, discipline, obedience and values of all the groups as discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments”. Dr. Shekhar Koirala, a veteran politician belonging to the prominent political Koirala family and the Nepali Congress, believes that there are multiple ways to resolve the issues raised by the Madhesh parties. He said, “Nepali Congress considers every Nepali Citizen as equal, whether he is from hills or from the Madhesh. As for the demand of demarcation of the provinces is concerned, it should be based on population and geography – after all, whatever be the number of provinces, they will be inside Nepal.” Dr Koirala admitted that the theatrics and the shortsighted decisions taken by the Oli Government have strained India-Nepal relations. Pashupati Shumsher Jung Rana of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party pointed out that India had lost out on the positive mood that had been generated with the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His visit

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was just after the good work India had done for rescue and relief, post the massive earthquake of May 2015. “There was huge support for India generated with the visit of Narendra Modi but it got frittered away by the blockade along the borders which brought suffering to the common people,” he said. It was India that facilitated Nepal’s experiment with democracy and its continuing aid for humanitarian causes. Even so, India is projected as an interfering neighbour. The issue was fanned after India expressed its reservations on the new Constitution and raised its concerns over the failure to accommodate the demands raised by the marginalised groups. The same issue reappeared during the Nepal Prime Minister’s visit to India; consequently a joint statement was not issued. India has nobody to blame but itself for the growing influence of other countries in Nepal. The poor assessment of the Nepalese political situation and the half-hearted measures to mitigate them since September 2015 have left India with very limited options. When the Nepalese media and ruling party leaders accused India for attempting to overthrow the Oli Government in May 2016, and PM Oli took the unilateral decision to cancel the President’s visit and called its Ambassador back from Delhi, India remained a mute spectator. With the huge difference in approach of the political parties, the situation in Nepal does not appear to improve in the near future and India will not be able to extricate itself from its role as a responsible neighbour and also keeping the humanitarian requirements in consideration. Bigger attraction to Nepalese common people are the news of China coming forward to build infrastructures like the Roads, Rail and airport. India has to realise that it has lots of such projects which were announced or promised but have not seen any beginning. To take the fruits of friendship and to match its words, India is also to develop its infrastructure along the Nepal borders and the places which require the Indian support.

AMBASSADOR’SJOURNAL

‘INDIA IS IMPORTANT FOR MAINTAINING A BALANCE OF POWER IN THE REGION‘ TON SINH THANH, Vietnam Ambassador to India, in conversation with MAYANK SINGH, talks about the India-Vietnam relations, rising escalations in the South China Sea and how India can play a major role in Southeast Asia expect this to rise to more than $2 billion soon with the power project of Tata in the near future.

Which areas both countries require to focus?

What is your assessment of the India-Vietnam Relations?

Vietnam and India at present have very strong relations. The two countries have been interacting with each other for thousands of years. During the Kalinga Empire, the people from Orissa travelled to Southeast Asia and settled down in Central part of Vietnam. Now Hindu relics and culture can be found in many places in Vietnam. During the struggle for independence of both Vietnam and India, the freedom fighters of two countries like Ho Chi Minh and Jawaharlal Nehru had very good friendship. The people of the two countries supported each other during this struggle. People from Kolkata demonstrated in support of Vietnam against the French occupation. Post independence of the two countries, relations have been very good. Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited Vietnam in 1954 and Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh visited India in

1958. During war against the American invasion, Vietnam received precious support from the Government of India and its people. Even after the war we received the very precious political and material assistance from India while we were facing the embargo of Chinese, US and other Western countries. The relations between Vietnam and India were upgraded to strategic partnership in 2007 and since then our cooperation has expanded in many areas including the defence, security, science and technology, education, cultural exchange and economic areas. Trade relations have also expanded very fast, from around 500 million in 2005 to 5.3 billion now according to Vietnam data and 9 billion according to India data. We also received quite a lot of investments from Indian companies in Vietnam. We have more than 100 projects of Indian companies in Vietnam with a total value of 550 million US Dollar. We

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We have a very high potential in the areas of trade, commerce and tourism. As per my assessment the potential is somewhere between 15-20 billion dollar. Both the countries are culturally rich. It will be good for both countries if people travel. Education is another area as India is very good location for higher education but not many in Vietnam know about it. We should promote tourism, there is no direct flight between the two countries which makes even the air travel long and cumbersome. This requires an active promotion. Many Indian tourists visit Thailand and Vietnam is at a short distance from Bangkok. Mmillions of Indian tourists visit South East Asia, they will love to visit Vietnam. Most Vietnam visitors to India are pilgrims visiting Buddhist spots. Once promoted, they will explore other areas.

How is the Defence relationship between India and Vietnam shaping?

We are strategic partners. India has extended 100 million Line of Credit for the Vietnamese defence and it will be used to purchase four patrol boats. Officers from Vietnam have been coming to India for training. We are expecting Indian Prime Minister to visit our country soon. With his visit our strategic partnership will be strengthened further.

AMBASSADORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;SJOURNAL

How do you analyse the current Geopolitical situation around the South East Asia? What are the reasons of this situation and its impact on the security and development in the region?

For many years, South East Asian countries have been fast growing economically and leading in regional cooperation. However, in terms of geopolitics, we are now facing serious imbalance of power in this region with increasing instability and tension which can accidentally become a conflict any time. This dangerous situation is caused by illegal activities of China in South China Sea (SCS), a semi-closed area of more than 3.5 million square kilometers which is rich in oil, gas and fish and more importantly it is a crucial sea route from Pacific to the Indian Ocean. In SCS, there are two groups of islands called Paracels and Spratlys which have been under the peaceful and continuous administration of Vietnam since 17th century. We have full historical evidences and legal foundation to confirm our sovereignty over these islands. China also claimed their sovereignty over these two groups of islands but they have no evidence to vindicate their claim. The telling fact is that all maps printed by China before 1947 stopped short at Hainan Island only and showed no sign of the islands in the SCS. The problem began in 1974 when China sent troops to take control of the Paracel Islands of Vietnam. This dispute widened in 1988 as China again used force to occupy 7 submerged rocks in the Spratly Islands. The problem aggravated with China claiming U Shape area which is about 85 percent of SCS as their historic waters in 2009. This Chinese claim overlaps with the majority of the Exclusive Economic Zone of Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. China is now trying to enforce this U Shape area claim by occupying an area of the Scarborough shoal of Philippines in 2012 and in 2014 they installed a huge oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Vietnam. In the latest action, China is making large scale land reclamation and is constructing artificial islands. China has been building sea ports, airports and is installing long-range missiles and radars on these artificial islands. In fact, China is militarizing and turning these artificial islands into strongholds, from where it can control the whole South China Sea. These illegal activities of China and its build-up not only violated international laws, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the sovereignty and jurisdiction of other countries but also triggered

an arm race. They are threatening not only the freedom of navigation and aviation in SCS but also peace and security in Southeast Asia and beyond.

comply strictly with these requirement and they should early finish the negotiations and reach a binding Code of Conduct in SCS (COC).

What is solution to this problem?

What is the role of External powers in SCS?

We always want to have peaceful and good relations with China. The solution to the problem in SCS depends mainly on how China would behave. First and foremost, the use of force or threat to use force and bullying acts should be strictly ruled out. The only answer to the problem in SCS is peaceful negotiations in accordance with international laws, especially UNCLOS 1982. The issues related to only two parties like the Paracel Islands could be solved through bilateral negotiations, but issues like the dispute in Spratly Islands involves six parties (China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam) must be resolved through multilateral negotiations. All diplomatic and legal solutions to the dispute are welcome and international mediation and arbitration should not be ruled out, if direct negotiations are not possible. Philippines have challenged the occupation of the Scarborough Shoals and the U-Shape claim by the Chinese. They have taken this case to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) of the United Nations. The judgment is expected to be out next month. I think the settlement of maritime dispute between India and Bangladesh through international arbitration is a good example for the claimants in SCS. Pending a long-term solution, all parties concerned should maintain statusquo and refrain from doing anything that complicate the situation. China should stop reclamation and militarizing the islands in SCS. In fact, the Declaration of Code of Conduct (DOC) that ASEAN and China signed in 2002 requires parties to maintain status quo in SCS. They should

SCS is important not only to the littoral states but also for the outside countries as well. The navigation, aviation, access to natural resources, trade, energy and transport requires this area to be secure, stable and peaceful

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SCS is essential not only to the littoral states but also outside countries. SCS is a very important economic and strategic maritime trade route across Pacific Ocean to Indian Ocean. The navigation, aviation, access to natural resources, trade, energy, transport requires this area to be secure, stable and peaceful. You can imagine if China really controls this U shape area, what is the impact on the vessels of other countries like US, Japan and India when they travel across this area. Thus Vietnam welcomes all external powers to have constructive engagement and make contribution to peace, stability and security in the region. In fact, most of the important external powers are already members of regional mechanisms such as East Asian Seas (EAS), Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM), Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting + (ADMM+) etc, that discussed about the security issues in the region, including SCS. US is quite active now in the area.

What role can India play in the SCS?

Indian Ocean and SCS are closely interconnected in terms of peace and security. Southeast Asia in general and SCS in particular are very important to India as 55 percent of total Indian trade passes through SCS. India has been engaging with Southeast Asia for thousand years. India now has very strong bilateral relations with many countries in Southeast Asia encompassing from other areas to bilateral cooperation in economic, defence, tourism, education and science and technology. Trade between India and South East Asian nations is now about more than $70 billion, and investment is of more than $30 billion. So India has a lot of economic interest there. The change from Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Look East Policy to Act east Policy is an important development. India has now become a leading power and security provider in the Indo-Pacific region. India can make a contribution to the peace and security in the South East Asia. If there is peace and security in South East Asia, it will be good for Indian Ocean and India. India is in fact very important factor in maintaining a balance of power in favour of peace and security in the region. India is not only ASEAN dialogue partner but also is member of ARF, EAS, ASEM, ADMM+. We expect India to play more active role in SCS.

PERSPECTIVE

he successful test flight of ISRO’s RLV-TD (Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator) on May 23, 2016 was a milestone event that reiterated the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO’s) standing as a space agency of world renown. An agency that boldly steers its own course to meet unique Indian requirements. ISRO conceived and developed the RLV-TD as a test bed for developing enabling technologies for launch cost reduction using TSTO (Two Stage to Orbit) and SSTO (Single Stage to Orbit) architecture. Broadly speaking, the enabling technologies include: 1. Winged spacecraft manoeuvring during hypersonic flight regime using reaction control system in combination with aerodynamic surfaces such as rudders and elevons. 2. Electromagnetic actuators powered by lithium ion batteries to move elevons and rudders during manoeuvring. 3. Autonomous navigation and flight control using Closed Loop Guidance (CGS) and Flush Air Data System (FADS). 4. Thermal protection of a winged spacecraft during re-entry using ablative tiles and special materials such as carbon-carbon (for nose cap). 5. Recovery of a launcher either through jet engine powered fly back and landing on a runway or through residual thrusting capability, a la SpaceX’s Falcon-9. 6. Scramjet powered launch assist during atmospheric ascent.

ISRO’s RLV-TD Space Shuttle launch

ISRO’S RLV-TD AN OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS

Already acknowledged as one of the few space organisations in the world capable of end to end implementation of space projects, with the RLV-TD ISRO has demonstrated its ability to successfully sail into uncharted waters in search of new solutions, writes VIJAINDER K THAKUR ISRO

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PERSPECTIVE

Reusability in Space Access

Currently space is accessed through single use multiple (2, 3 or 4) stage rocket launchers, which makes the cost of space access prohibitive. Depending on the kind of mission, the cost of launch per kg varies from $15,000 to $25,000. ISRO hopes to bring down the cost by at least 50 per cent, after factoring in recovery costs. Mass wise, a launcher is about 85 per cent propellant, 0.4 to 1 per cent payload, and the remaining 14 odd per cent hardware, comprising rocket motors and casings. Yet, hardware accounts for about 80 per cent of launch cost. The cost of propellants is comparatively negligible! As such, single use launchers make little sense, perhaps as little as single use passenger jets! Yet single use launchers are the norm, because so far the challenges in recovering a space launcher for reuse were considered insurmountable. Technology has now altered the landscape.

Space Shuttle

The concept of Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) to cut down space launch costs is nearly as old as spaceflight itself. However, practical reusability of space hardware has remained elusive. The US Space Shuttle, a reusable launcher cum manned spacecraft, was conceived in 1969 and first flew in 1981. Four fully operational space shuttles were built: Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, and Atlantis. Of these, two were lost in mission accidents: Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003. A fifth operational orbiter, Endeavour, was built in 1991 to replace Challenger. The Space Shuttle last flew on July 21, 2011, its 133rd successful flight. The programme was discontinued on account of high costs. Fourteen astronauts were lost in the two space shuttle accidents. NASA’s decision to combine a launcher and a manned spacecraft into a single vehicle proved to be the Space Shuttle’s undoing. The complexity of the design pushed up post flight checks and refurbishment costs to an extent where they completely negated the cost reduction achieved through reusability.

Reusable Manned Spacecraft

The former Soviet Union developed a manned reusable spacecraft called Buran, which flew a single unmanned test flight in 1988. Though Buran looked like the US Space Shuttle, it differed in concept, being just a reusable spacecraft, not a reusable spacecraft-cumlauncher.

Reusable Unmanned Spacecraft

The USAF currently flies a reusable unmanned spacecraft - Boeing X-37. The winged X-37 is placed into orbit like a satellite atop a launcher enclosed in fairings. On completion of its mission, it de-orbits and lands back on a runway like a conventional aircraft. It’s then refurbished and relaunched. The X-37’s military missions are classified and possibly include space based warfare to protect US satellite assets. A non classified mission is to test electric propulsion concepts and technologies. Conceptually, ISRO’s RLV-TD in its present form is somewhat similar to the X-37.

Reusable Launchers

US Company SpaceX is developing reusable launchers, starting with a reusable first stage, using propulsive return technology, whereby the residual fuel in a stage is used to land it back vertically near the launch site. Russia’s NPO Molniya proposed the Baikal reusable fly back booster for the Angara rocket family based on the Angara Universal Rocket Module. Baikal was to be equipped with an RD-191 semi-cryogenic engine providing approximately 200 tons of thrust. It would feature a folding wing stored parallel to the fuselage of the vehicle during the boost stage of the flight. After separation from the Angara launcher’s second stage at an altitude of about 75 kilometers and a speed of Mach 5.6 (3,600 mph; 5,800 km/h), the Baikal’s wing would rotate 90 degrees and the booster would glide in upside down position reducing speed. On reaching subsonic speeds, the booster would perform a U turn and start an air-breathing RD-33 jet engine in its nose section to fly back to its launching site and make a powered horizontal landing on a runway.

ISRO’s TSTO, SSTO Concepts

The technologies mastered using the RLV may be used by ISRO initially to develop TSTO capability, and later SSTO capability. In TSTO, the first stage would be powered by a semi cryogenic winged booster capable of flying back and landing on a runway near the launch site like a conventional aircraft after burnout, just like the proposed Russian Baikal. The second stage would be cryogenic. It would deliver its payload into orbit, re-enter the atmosphere and return to its launch site using propulsive return.

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RLV-TD Phased Development

ISRO intends to develop Reusable Launch Vehicle technology in phases through a series of experimental flights - hypersonic flight experiment (HEX), landing experiment (LEX), return flight experiment (REX), and scramjet propulsion experiment (SPEX).

HEX

The HEX phase of flight testing would focus on hypersonic flight regime of a winged spacecraft or launcher. It would validate autonomous flight control, manoeuvring and navigation; and thermodynamic protection. For the experiment, a S9 booster rocket (single strap-on solid booster of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) with 9 tonne fuel.) would lift the 1.5 tonne RLV 1/6 scale model to 70-km altitude and release it. The RLV would then start to descend, accelerating to hypersonic speeds. Protective tiles would dissipate frictional heat. An autonomous flight control system would control its descent and slow it down for a splashdown into the sea. The RLV will not be recovered from sea because it will not be cost-effective to do so. ISRO will instead use telemetry data to evaluate re-entry, deceleration and return.

LEX

The LEX phase of testing would involve a similar flight profile as HEX till descent and slowdown. Thereafter RLVTD would perform a range manoeuvre at 15-km altitude, a 2g turn towards its launch site. Once the TD reaches 0.8 M, it will light up a turbofan engine to cruise back to its launch site at 0.6M and make a horizontal landing on a runway.

REX

During REX, the RLV-TD will be launched into orbit and then de-orbited for a landing on a runway.

SPEX

SPEX would involve testing an air breathing scramjet engine, being developed under Air Breathing Propulsion Project (ABPP), on the RLV-TD.

HEX-01

The first HEX series flight test, called HEX-01, was successfully flown on May 23, 2016. A HS9 solid rocket booster carrying RLV-TD lifted off from the First Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota at 07:00 hr IST. After a

PERSPECTIVE

RLV-TD MISSION PROFILE

5. Start of Descent Phase 65 km Peak Altitude

4. Separated Coast Phase Pitch/Roll – AERO/RCS Yaw – RCS

H yp er

s o nic

ch a

rac

t e ri

zat

ion

6. Entry Phase Hypersonic Regime

3. HS9 Separation (Time-111 S)

7. Pitch Elevons/Rudders Roll – Elevons

2. Combined Coast Phase

HS9 Burnout (Time-91.1 S) 8. Simulation of Landing Manoeuvres (Terminal Phase)

1. Ascent Phase

9. Landing on Hypothetical Runway 10 m above sea level

SOURCE:ISRO

successful flight of 91.1 sec, HS9 burned out and the HS9 - RLV-TD stack coasted to a height of about 56 km. The RLV-TD then separated from HS9 booster and further ascended to a height of about 64.8-km. From peak altitude, the RLV-TD descended through the atmosphere accelerating to around Mach 4.78. The vehicle’s Navigation, Guidance and Control system accurately steered the vehicle using thrusters and aerodynamic control surfaces (elevons and rudders) for a controlled and safe descent. After successfully surviving high re-entry temperatures with the help of its Thermal Protection System (TPS), RLV-TD successfully glided down to the defined landing spot over the Bay of Bengal, at a distance of 412km from Sriharikota, fulfilling its mission objectives.

The vehicle was successfully tracked during its flight from ground stations at Sriharikota and a ship borne terminal. A ship at the landing site received telemetry from RLV till it was about 800 m above sea level. Subsequently, ISRO received telemetry right up to the point of impact through INSAT relay till 734sec into flight. Telemetry data pinpoints the actual position of the RLV’s impact on sea, but not the speed and rate of descent at the time of impact. Post-flight analysis (PFA) will reveal the exact speed of impact. The RLV was not designed to survive the impact on sea.

RLV-TD Characteristics

Designed and developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Ahmedabad, RLV-TD is 6.5-m-long, has a wingspan of 9-m, and weighs 1.75

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tons. It is stacked on top of a 10.5 m long S9 booster carrying nine tonnes of slow burning propellant.

RLV-TD HEX-01 Technology Challenges

A winged body atop a launcher complicates flight control because of the aerodynamic forces generated on the winged body during atmospheric ascent. A simple solution is to encase the winged body in fairings, as is done when launching the USAF X-37. ISRO chose not to encase the RLV-TD in fairings in order to study the hypersonic flight characteristics of the vehicle. Consequently, flight control of the RLVTD - S9 stack posed challenges. In addition to the usual Reaction Control System (RCS), elevons and rudders on the RLV-TD were used to control flight trajectory. Use of slow burning propellant facilitated stability during transonic flight.

PERSPECTIVE

that in view of the global developments in launch vehicle technology during the past ten years. All other space faring nations have lost interest in winged launchers and SpaceX has pioneered propulsive return launcher recovery using residual fuel thrusting. ISRO will decide on the way forward after thorough post flight analysis of the HEX-01 mission data received through telemetry. ISRO will then factor in what is happening globally. The HEX mission was to be followed by the LEX mission, which would require the RLV-TD to be structurally modified and fitted with undercarriage. Also a 5-km long runway would have to be built near SHAR. The need for LEX is now up for debate. ISRO could well choose to go the SpaceX way. But ISRO could also persevere with winged launchers, which may well prove to be more economical for smaller payloads. Most likely, ISRO would continue Boeing’s X-37B to pursue winged is also a reuslaunchers for smaller able unmanned payloads and develop spacecraft propulsive return technology launchers for heavier payloads. If ISRO chooses to go ahead with LEX, the next experiment could be to land the vehicle on a 2-km runway after releasing it from an aircraft from a height of about 5-km. The third step would be to take it to a higher altitude and try the ground landing. Later, ISRO would fit an air-breathing engine, which is under development at ISRO, on the RLV-TD. LEX would take at least 5 more years. USAAF

The US space shuttle was also not encased in fairings during launch. However, it was stacked parallel to its two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and one liquid propellant fuel tank, a configuration that is aerodynamically more stable. Placing the reusable winged vehicle on top of the boosters increased the overall stack length significantly, increasing the length-to-diameter (L/D) ratio, adversely impacting the vehicle’s dynamic stability. The configuration is more prone to high shear loads that can cause buckling. The design of the airframe, development of mono propellant thrusters for guidance and control and advanced avionics for mission management were other challenges. The RLV-TD (HEX-01) thermal protection system (TPS) includes 600 heat-resistant silica tiles and a CarbonCarbon nose cap to withstand the high temperature during atmospheric re-

entry. RLV-TD HEX-01 is the first Indian aircraft structure to fly up to Mach 5.

New Technologies Developed for RLV-TD

New technologies developed for RLV-TD include: 1. Composite movable fins 2. FADS to measure the surface pressure on the aircraft 3. Onboard flight computer 4. Lithium ion battery 5. Patch antennas 6. Radar altimeter

RLV-TD Next Step

The Reusable Launch Vehicle development path, detailed earlier, was charted by ISRO in 2006. ISRO may now change

Scramjet Propulsion

ISRO is developing an air breathing scramjet engine under a separate project called Air Breathing Propulsion Project (ABPP). Theoretically, the use of a scramjet on a reusable launcher would reduce launch costs but the concept is not proven. ISRO itself harbours doubts on such use as a launcher traverses through atmospheric heights suited for scramjet propulsion very quickly. Also, a scramjet saves on propellant (oxidizer) cost which, as we have seen earlier,

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July 2016

is less significant than hardware costs. Two major technological challenges posed by scramjet are: 1. Sustaining scramjet propulsion 2. Generating more thrust than the increased drag Both capabilities are yet to be demonstrated. ISRO itself admits that at this stage, the only thing clear about the RLV program is the need to reduce launch costs. In June 2016 ISRO Chairman, A S Kiran, was asked “what the ultimate objective of a winged configuration would be?” “Right now we are clear about one of the objectives: we want to bring down the costs.”

Analysis

The RLV-TD is neither a US space shuttle analog, nor a winged launcher like the Russian Baikal concept, nor a reusable unmanned spacecraft like the X-37. In a way, RLV-TD is all of the above. More precisely and less grandiosely, the RLVTD is a test bed for developing technologies required for any of the above three concepts. ISRO’s aim is to master some critical technologies with the RLV-TD. How it utilises those technologies in the future remains open. One of the most important technologies that ISRO has set out to master with the RLV-TD is hypersonic flight of a winged body.

Hypersonic Glide Vehicle

At a fundamental level, the RLV-TD is a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) that is capable of following a non ballistic trajectory. HGV technology has both civil and military uses. Civil applications of HGV technology include reusable orbital spacecraft and launchers. Military application of HGV technology includes extending the range of a ballistic missile and making its warheads more difficult for an ABM system to detect and engage. China (WU-14), Russia (Yu-71) and the US (several programs) are all working on HGVs; the Russians and the Chinese to evade US ABM systems, and the US to achieve Conventional Prompt Global Strike (CPGS). The RLV programme has been mired by considerable delays. Under pressure to stabilize and augment its satellite launch capability, ISRO did not give the RLV programme the priority that it deserved. The delay in developing the RLV-TD may prove fortuitous for ISRO, as it gives the space agency time to evaluate new reusability concepts under development.

OPTIQUE

HOW WILL JUNE 2016 BE REMEMBERED?

erformance reviews are a good way to see the progress we have made in our stated goals, to make the necessary course corrections in case we have deviated, and to plan for steaming ahead to the endstate we want to achieve. In the attempt to review what happened in June 2016, one wonders what this month will be remembered for. China’s successful bid to halt India getting into the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the Seoul plenary of the elite club will remain a major talking point for those not kind to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But it is not this so-called ‘failure’ that will be remembered for long, as the NSG membership process has just begun and is not yet over for India. However, what’s been achieved on the Defence Business and Military Diplomacy fronts by the Modi government will be remembered by all for a long time to come. On June 27, just three days after the NSG setback, India signed up for the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in New Delhi. India’s entry into the MTCR as the 35th partner-state was a foregone conclusion after there were no objections to it from any of the other 34 partner-nations. Interestingly, the MTCR membership was achieved by the Modi government in its second attempt, after it could not be decided upon at the October 2015 plenary held at Rotterdam in The Netherlands. The membership of the MTCR would mean India cannot access some of the hi-tech military equipment from its defence partner-nations, who are part of the control regime. The MTCR membership does not allow India to ask for and get killer-machines such as the Predator drones and its variants. There is also another dimension to the MTCR membership for India. Due to restrictions imposed by the control regime on missile technology transfers, the joint IndoRussian BrahMos missile was kept under the 300-km-range mark. Could this range get extended now that India is a partner in MTCR? The next big thing that can be credited to the Modi government is the desirable changes in the Defence Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy. The June 20 announcement on the FDI policy was a minor, but a very significant, tweak. While the 2014 change had increased the direct FDI limit to 49 per cent from the then 26 per cent, the policy tweak then had also allowed for up to 100 per cent FDI in defence, if the investment included bringing in modern and state-ofthe-art technology into India. The latest policy now allows for 100 per cent FDI in defence, provided modern technology is brought in or “for other reasons to be recorded”. It is this phrase used in parentheses that is significant in the new FDI policy for the defence sector. This now does away with the hitherto undefined ‘state-of-the-art’ technology condition and allows the government to take an informed decision on technologies and projects that it deems necessary and important for the growth of the sector in

India. Despite the 2014 change in the FDI norms, India could not attract much foreign investment in the defence sector in the last two years, as global arms firms weren’t too keen to sink in that much money without any administrative control over the joint ventures they formed with Indian partners. The third major achievement of the Modi government in the month is the commissioning of three women as combat pilots in the Indian Air Force. Flying Officers Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh have not just made history on June 18, they have made every Indian proud. The fourth good news is about the ‘Tejas’ Light Combat Aircraft. India will get its first combat air squadron that will use the indigenously designed and produced ‘Tejas’ planes. The Indian Air Force will be re-raising the 45 ‘Flying Daggers’ Squadron with two Tejas aircraft. The two planes are in its Initial Operational Clearance configuration. The formal raising will happen on July 1 at Bengaluru, though Sulur near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu will be its ultimate home base. The IAF has placed an order for 40 Tejas planes to make two squadrons. Of these, the first squadron with 20 aircraft will be formed using the IOC-configuration planes, which will be later upgraded to Final Operational Clearance (FOC) configuration. The second lot of 20 aircraft to form the second squadron will come in the FOC configuration. A proposal to place an order for 80 more of the Tejas aircraft is now in its final stages. The 80 planes will come in its next upgraded avatar: the Tejas Mk1A. This plane will have an advanced AESA radar, can be armed with a Beyond Visual Range missile and be much superior in quality and performance than the FOC configuration. The fifth one is for the road. India’s Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) had met on June 25 to decide on exorcising the 30-year Bofors ghost. The DAC decided to go ahead with the purchase of 145 M777 ultra-light howitzers from the BAE Systems stable through a foreign military sales programme of the US Administration. It also revised the delivery schedule for the guns that are to equip India’s Mountain Strike Corps that will be the Army’s sword arm against arch-rival China. All the guns are now to be delivered in India; the Indian government has brought down the cost of transporting the guns from the US to India for delivery. India has not bought a single piece of artillery gun since 1986 when it last bought the Swedish Bofors guns. A political storm over alleged kickbacks in that deal not only brought down the then Congress party government headed by Rajiv Gandhi, but also inflicted irreparable damage to the Indian military procurement procedures. Which of the five will you rate as the best?

July 2016 www.geopolitics.in

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