DSI April/May 2014

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FRIGATES, OPVs AND CORVETTES NAVAL WARSHIP

The ever widening scope of maritime conflict spectrum has increasingly focussed on OPVs and corvettes I ANIL JAI SINGH

UAV & UCAV: FORCE MULTIPLIERS AERIAL SYSTEM

UAS are fulfilling multiple missions like strike, suppression of enemy, search & rescue and electronic warfare I ANIL CHOPRA

EVOLUTION OF

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DEFENCE and SECURITY of INDIA

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www.defencesecurityindia.com

MILSATCOM IN INDIA THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD ARE DEVELOPING COMPREHENSIVE COMBAT POWER AND SPACE HAS EMERGED AS THE NEW STRATEGIC GROUND I DAVINDER KUMAR

VOLUME 6

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LETTER FROM THE

APRIL 2014

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editor

ven by a great sleight of hand, the Congress-led UPA returns to power in New Delhi, Arackaparambil Kurien Antony won’t return to the defence minister’s office in South Block ever again. India’s longest serving defence minister has made it clear as much in March last, the day the Central Election Commission (CEC) declared the poll schedule and the model code of conduct for the Union government kicked in. So what is his legacy? What have been the memorable moments that Antony, the man of high integrity has left behind. For a man who is such a careful politician that he will not ever cause a controversy to erupt, Antony’s eight-year long stint has come for quite a lot of heat and dust. He has been called a dithering minister; a minister who caused delays in decision-making especially in terms of critical items that the services have been beseeching for years - in case of 155 mm artillery guns, for decades. Yet the fact that must have cut him to the quick the most was his inability to eliminate or even cut down corruption. Antony is not known to be a particularly religious man; if he was he would have told his god, that he tried, and tried hard to stop the corrupt practices attached to defence deals. He codified the procurement process; made it amenable to changes from the lessons gleaned over every year, but he failed to stop an AgustaWestland from happening. In fact, because of his hawk-like oversight and his penchant for quickly black-listing shortchanging vendors, the system earned him some searing opprobrium for eventually listing out three-fourths of the global suppliers of armaments and other defence equipments proscribed, thus severely limiting the choice for the services to access materiel. But their have been moments of great pride too: when the home-grown main battle tank Arjun Mark I beat the Russian T-90 on straight, one on one trial; when the indigenous light combat aircraft Tejas, took to the skies with the completion of more than two-decade long manufacturing process reaching a moment culmination; or even when the Cochin Shipyard put to water the basic platform of an indigenous aircraft carrier of 44,000 tonne the largest ever vessel ever constructed in India. Once the election is over, if he has the time to kick-back his slippers and stretch out on a couch, and he decides to pick his triumphs and losses, he would have these in his mind. In fact, Antony will be doing a great service to the country if he writes down the record of these phenomenal eight years - when the air force and the navy modernised at an admirable pace, and army too underwent some changes falteringly - in a memoir of his time at South Block. It will be an object lesson of how to survive the explosive-laden path of defence ministership; while dealing with various powerful lobbies on the level.

Pinaki Bhattacharya

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Antony will be doing a great service to the country if he writes down the record of these phenomenal eight years - when the air force and the navy modernised at an admirable pace, and army too underwent some changes falteringly’ in a memoir of his time at South Block.


CONTENTS

EVOLUTION OF MILSATCOM IN INDIA COMMUNICATIONS

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The nations of the world are concentrating on nuclear, space and information domain for developing comprehensive combat power and Space has emerged as the new strategic ground for positioning assets like satellites and space stations for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and communications

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APRIL 2014

FRIGATES, OPVs AND CORVETTES NAVALWARSHIP

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Frigates, OPV and Corvettes constitute the workhorses of medium sized navies like the Indian Navy. While frigates constitute the major frontline surface element of many smaller ocean going navies, the ever widening scope of the maritime conflict spectrum has increasingly focussed the spotlight on OPVs and corvettes in recent times.

UAV & UCAV: FORCE MULTIPLIERS AERIAL SYSTEM

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With advanced technologies adding more capabilities for the Unmanned Aerial Systems, these today are fulfilling a host of missions like strike mission, suppression of enemy defence, search and rescue and electronic warfare

SHORT RANGE MISSILE SYSTEMS MISSILES

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A missile system normally has four components to include warhead, propulsion system, flight system and guidance system and can be of various types, based on their employment like surface-to-surface and air-to-surface missiles, surface-to-air missiles, air-toair missiles, and anti-satellite missiles.

NETWORK CENTRICITY AND BMS DIGITISATON OF ARMY

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With the baby steps taken through the 70s and 80s the efforts by the Indian Army in the field of NCW has resulted in New Generation Network which enable forces to obtain precise target information in real time leading to quick response

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CBRN: WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION CHEMICAL WEAPONS

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Although chemical weapons are banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, their use by nation states have not been uncommon- recent examples being the use of such weapons by Iraq under Sadam Hussain in Kurdistan and in Syria recently

TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS COUNTERTERRORISM

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Our existing approach to counter terrorism is apparently insufficient and we need to renew efforts in order to enhance surveillance, monitoring and synergizing national effort to beat the terrorists.


CONTRIBUTORS

LT GENERAL (RETD) DAVINDER KUMAR

COMMODORE (RETD) ANIL JAI SINGH

AIR MARSHAL (RETD) ANIL CHOPRA

LT GENERAL (RETD) NARESH CHAND

Davinder Kumar superannuated in September 2011 as the CEO & Managing Director ofTata Advanced Systems Ltd. He has been on the Board of Directors of a number of Private and Public sector companies. Earlier, he was the Signal Officer-in-Chief of the Indian Army responsible for conception, planning and execution of communication networks, electronic warfare and information security projects.

Commissioned in Jan 1981, Commodore Anil Jai Singh joined the submarine arm in Mar 1982 and had five afloat commands and a wide array of appointments ashore. He was also the Indian Naval Adviser in London and part of the perspective planning and force development process in HQ IDS. He takes keen interest in matters maritime and has written and spoken on the subject in India and abroad. He is alsoVice President of Indian Maritime Foundation.

Air Marshal Anil Chopra is an ex NDA Air Force officer who was a fighter pilot in the IAF. He is a Qualified Flying Instructor andTest Pilot who was among the initial lot to train on Mirage 2000 in France. He commanded a Mirage Squadron, two operational air bases and the IAF’s FlightTest Centre ASTE. He was theTeam Leader of MiG 21 Upgrade program in Russia for over 4 years. He is currently a member of Armed Forces Tribunal. He is also a member of Executive council of Jawahar Lal University, New Delhi.

Naresh Chand is a Former Director General of Army Air Defence and Former Member Secretary National Radar. He is also an ex officio member of Apex Board for monitoring the 'Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme' and served with DRDO (Electronics and Radar Development Establishment). He also worked as a consultant with Bharat Electronics Limited.


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DEFENCE and SECURITY of INDIA APRIL 2014 G BALACHANDRAN

Major General (retd) P.K. Chakrovarty,VSM, has commanded a Medium Regiment and a Composite Artillery Brigade during Operation Parakram. He was posted as Additional Director-General Artillery ‘A’ in Army Headquarters and as Defence Attaché to Embassy of India, Hanoi, Vietnam. Post-retirement he has been actively involved in the activities of the Centre for LandWarfare Studies, New Delhi.

Balachandran is currently a Consulting Fellow at the Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis (IDSA). A professional engineer and economist by training, he held several esteemed positions including of a visiting professor at Carnegie Mellon University where he conducted a number of studies on Indian and Pakistani defence expenditure, industry and trade and other studies. He has been a consultant on country risk analysis for some international management associates.

EDITOR Pinaki Bhattacharya CREATIVE DIRECTOR Bipin Kumar DESIGNER Ajay Kumar (Asst. Art Director), JR. FEATURESWRITER Anandita Bhardwaj SENIOR MANAGER INTERNATIONAL MARKETING Vishal Mehta (E-Mail: vishalmehta@mtil.biz) MANAGER MARKETING Jakhongir Djalmetov (E-Mail: joha@mtil.biz) AD SALES Prateek Singh (E-Mail: prateeksingh@mtil.biz) Pulkit Rawal (E-Mail: pulkit@mtil.biz) SALES & MARKETING COORDINATOR Atul Bali (E-Mail: atul@mtil.biz) CIRCULATION & DISTRIBUTION Vipul Jain PRODUCTION & PRE-PRESS Sunil Dubey, Ritesh Roy, Devender Pandey MTC PUBLISHING LIMITED 323, UdyogVihar, Ph-IV, Gurgaon 122016 Ph: +91 0124-4759500 Fax: +91 0124-4759550 CHAIRMAN J. S. Uberoi PRESIDENT Xavier Collaco FINANCIAL CONTROLLER Puneet Nanda GLOBAL SALES REPRESENTATIVES Benelux Cornelius W. Bontje Tel: (41) 79 635 2621 Email: cbontje@ymail.com France/Spain Stephane de Remusat, REM International Tel: (33) 5 3427 0130 Email: rem-media@sfr.fr Germany/Austria/Switzerland/Italy/UK Sam Baird, Whitehill Media Tel: (44-1883) 715 697 Mobile: (44-7770) 237 646 E-Mail: sam@whitehillmedia.com Israel Liat Heiblum, Oreet - International Media Tel: (97 2) 3 570 6527 Email: liat@oreet-marcom.com Russia Alla Butova, NOVO-Media Latd, Tel/Fax : (7 3832) 180 885 Mobile : (7 960) 783 6653 Email :alla@mediatransasia.com Scandinavia/SouthAfrica Emanuela Castagnetti-Gillberg Tel: +46 31 799 9028 E-Mail:egillberg@glocalnet.net South Korea Young Seoh Chinn, Jes Media Inc. Tel: (82-2) 481 3411/13 E-Mail: jesmedia@unitel.co.kr East-Central Europe/Greece/Turkey Zena Coupé Tel: (44) 1923 852537 Email: zena@expomedia.biz USA (East/South East)/Canada Margie Brown, BLESSALL Media LLC. Tel : (+1 540) 341 7581 Email :margiespub@rcn.com USA (West/SouthWest)/Brazil Diane Obright, Blackrock Media Inc. Tel: +1 (858) 759 3557 Email: blackrockmediainc@icloud.com Defence and Security of India is published and printed by Xavier Collaco on behalf of MTC Publishing Limited. Published at 323, UdyogVihar, Ph- IV, Gurgaon 122016 and printed at Nutech Photolithographers B-240, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-I,New Delhi-110020, India. Entire contents Copyright © 2008. All rights reserved. Reproduction and translation in any language in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Requests for permission should be directed to MTC Publishing Limited. Opinions carried in the magazine are those of the writers’ and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors or publishers. While the editors do their utmost to verify information published they do not accept responsibility for its absolute accuracy. The publisher assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited material or for material lost or damaged in transit. All correspondence should be addressed to MTC Publishing Limited. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION DefenceandSecurity of India is obtained by subscription. For subscription enquiries, please contact: dsisubscriptions@mtil.biz AFP

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EVOLUTION OF MILSATCOM IN INDIA COMMUNICATIONS

The nations of the world are concentrating on nuclear, space and information domain for developing comprehensive combat power and Space has emerged as the new strategic ground for positioning assets like satellites and space stations for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and communications

DAVINDER KUMAR

First Indian military satellite was launched successfully on 30th August 2013


APRIL 2014

A satellite systems has two components, a space segment and a ground segment. Space segment comprises of satellite and the launch vehicle, ground segment of earth station and tele-command systems. Military Satellite Communications needs are diverse and have additional specific requirements.

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he modern day battlefield sees a short, intense battle with very high mobility, long range, lethal and precision weapons with significant battlefield transparency in an information rich environment. In this digital battlefield, the side which dominates space, electromagnetic environment and cyber space will be the winner. Consequently, nations, the world over are concentrating on nuclear, space and information domains and their integration as critical areas for developing comprehensive combat power. Space has emerged as the new strategic high ground for positioning assets like satellites and space stations for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), communications, navigation, weather forecasting, broadcast services for entertainment, education, disaster management and so on. India has performed well in designing, manufacturing and launching satellites to provide these capabilities, concentrating primarily on the social sphere - earth observation, education, meteorology, broadcast services and communications. Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) adopted a twin approach wherein communications, broadcast services and meteorology were provided by INSAT series of satellites and Earth observation services were engineered on Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites. A satellite system consists of two major components: a space segment comprising the satellite and the launch vehicle and a ground segment consisting of the earth station and the telemetry and tele-command (TT&C) systems. To ensure technological sovereignty, a nation must not only have inherent capabilities in all these spheres but international agreements for TT&C and deep space communications. Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) needs are diverse and have

industry for its exploitation or procure foreign satellite terminals. Directorate of Satellite Applications (DSA), under the Directorate General of Signals was formed sometime in the late eighties to act as a nodal agency for all matters related to satellites and to interact with ISRO and DRDO with operational inputs being ratified by the Directorate General of Military Operations. Indian Navy provided inputs related to search & rescue requirements and the Indian Air Force for surveillance. The Armed Forces used a graduated and multi prong approach to provide satellite communications. While systems like INMARSAT and Iridium were used to meet unclassified communication requirements and to meet international obligations in case of Navy, Very Small Aperture Satellite (V-SAT) Terminals were used for communications with far flung places using transponder capacity hired from ISRO. Later, when it was possible to hire complete transponders, a combination of wide bandwidth connectivity and VSATs were provided. These were integrated with the terrestrial networks in a secure mode to provide connectivity, technically, from a piquet in the forward area to the highest headquarters. Since the transponder capacity was available gradually, as more communication satellites became available, a project oriented approach was followed based on the operational

AFP

KEY POINTS

additional specific requirements for security and availability of communications. These may include placing of satellites in different orbits, spot beams and beam switching capabilities; emergency launch of satellites; encryption and reduced probability of intercept; ruggedized ground terminals; antijamming capabilities; and reduced susceptibility to physical damage to satellites. These capabilities would require very high technological and financial inputs and will have to be developed through indigenous research and development and have a long gestation period. Hence, the universal approach is to use a mixture of commercial and military satellite communications integrated suitably with the terrestrial networks to provide assured and survivable communications. Evolution of MILSATCOM in India has been in accordance with this approach and in support of the strategic imperative that robust satellite communications are absolutely essential to fight and win on the modern day digital battlefield. Space assets are being used by our defence forces since the nineties for communications primarily to provide redundancy to terrestrial networks as also to reach inhospitable areas where our forces operate. The approach has been to hire the transponder capacity and develop corresponding ground segment with the

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ISRO scientists and engineers work on recently launched Mars Orbiter vehicle in Bengaluru

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COMMUNICATIONS requirement. Concurrently, a concerted drive was launched to train requisite man power to operate and manage these systems. A number of officers did their MTech at the IITs specializing in SATCOM and they formed the nucleus for MILSATCOM in India. Some more were trained at the Space Application Centre. Infrastructure for training by way of satellite communication laboratories and live systems were established at the training institutions.

Large satellite dishes scan the skies at the Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN)

Dhruva Satellite Network for J&K

A wide band secure mesh satellite network, Dhruva was commissioned in J&K in November, 2004 to connect the Corps Headquarters with each other, Command Headquarters and the Army Headquarters. This network was further integrated with the VSAT network of Northern Command. The unique and innovative feature of this network is the high density pipeline and mesh connectivity using satellite transponders, a concept inducted for the first time in the country. A state of the art secure communication network, it supports voice, data and video conference facilities in most operational locations in the state. The network also boasts of the world’s highest V-SAT terminal located at an altitude of 18631 feet. This network was later integrated with the Eastern Theatre Satellite Network to provide one of the densest satellite communication networks in the country. The network has been fully integrated with the army’s terrestrial network to increase its range and efficacy with a view to meet the challenges of the digital battlefield of tomorrow.

Project Mercury Flash

A broad band satellite network for the Eastern theatre, Mercury Flash was commissioned in August 2005. The network is integrated with the satellite network of Northern Theatre and links all operational areas of the north east with each other and with army headquarters. It is also integrated with the terrestrial network of the Eastern Theatre and has a very complex and responsive Network Management System.

Project Rohini

Rohini is a static Large Very Small Aperture Terminal (LVSAT) network based on indigenous satellite and secrecy, capable of providing Demand Assigned

Multiple Access (DAMA) connectivity for voice, data and video. Commissioned in August 2006, the network is centrally managed and controlled by a powerful Network Management System which helps in exercising control over all remote stations. The availability of this technology-intensive broadband satellite network has not only augmented the communications of the Indian Army but has also enhanced the reliability, robustness and response of our communication infrastructure. This network can be expanded to meet the emerging operational requirement and has interconnectivity with other networks to ensure its optimum exploitation. Successful implementation of Project Rohini with its extensive reach by the Indian Army, Corps of Signals along with Ms HCL Comnet and MS ITI Ltd is a pointer towards effective Public Private Partnership (PPP) for development of communication

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infrastructure for the defence forces. The Project was named Rohini in concert with the philosophy adopted by the Indian Army of naming their satellite projects on various mythological celestial bodies, constellations and stars like Dhruva, Sapta Rishi, Akash Ganga and so on.

Indian Navy Satellite Communications

Satellite-based communications have been carried out in the Indian Navy, in a somewhat piecemeal and incremental manner so far. Many of its warships, like the Rajput-class Destroyers, Brahmaputra-class Frigates, Sukanya-class Patrol Vessels, are known to carry INMARSAT-C communication equipment on board, implementation of which was carried by the Tata Communications Ltd & Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL). However, slow data transfer speeds and rising security concerns related to foreign ownership of the satellites were


APRIL 2014

major impediments for further expansion. Exploitation of these was, therefore, restricted to specific narrow band applications, like communications for antipiracy patrols off the coast of Africa. Many of the ships also use Ku-band VSAT terminals, built by BEL & Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL), using ISRO’s fleet of GSAT-series civilian satellites, a stop-gap arrangement engineered as part of ongoing Project Rukmani. However, due to the predominantly civilian nature of the end-use of these satellites, transponder allocation to the armed forces is limited - shortage of required number of transponders being a problem faced in the civilian domain itself, in India.

Indian Air Force

Indian Air Force mainly depended on their ADGES network based on troposcatter communications. These used very high

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India has performed well in designing, manufacturing and launching satellites Indian Space and Research Organisation adopted a twin approach wherein communications, broadcast services and meteorology were provided by INSAT series of satellites and Earth observation services were engineered on Indian Remote Sensing satellites.

power and were spectrum inefficient. While most of these have been replaced by high capacity optical fiber network engineered under AFNET project, satellite communications are being used as overlay or to reach far flung areas and to provide redundancy. With the induction of sophisticated platforms like AWACS and air to air refueling aircrafts, there was an urgent necessity to integrate these with other assets in the air, on the ground and at sea. Special satellite communications were engineered in support of this requirement as high capacity and responsive data links. With the fielding of these networks, DSA and the Services had gained sufficient experience and confidence. Concurrently, the developing strategic scenario, induction of strategic platforms like AWACS, nuclear powered submarines and the need for synergy both within the Services and at the national level, spurred the demand for an integrated Defence Communication Network (DCN) and dedicated defence satellites.

Defence Communication Network

Defence Communication Network (DCN)

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was conceptualized by a student at the National Defence College in 1995 as a study project in response to the emerging and futuristic strategic scenario which demanded synergy and ‘jointmanship’ amongst the three Services and other national entities. The same was pursued thereafter for government sanction by the Directorate General of Signals. The Project was awarded to HCL Infosys in early 2013 for development. It is a very complex, pan-India, strategic, hitech communication project to be executed indigenously. It is an exclusive network which will facilitate effective command and control at the national level. The Project involves setting up of a test bed jointly with the defence forces and thereafter implementing the same in two years’ time. It has a high capacity overlay of satellite communications connecting the strategic locations, Headquarters Integrated Defense Staff (IDS), Strategic Command and the island territories. It will provide redundancy to the fiber optic based terrestrial component of DCN, and support high speed data, voice and video services; it will be fully secure with high grade encryption; and be managed in real time through a very sophisticated Network Management System. It is also planned to be integrated with the ‘Network for Spectrum’ of the Services when available. The facilities will be operated by manpower drawn from the three Services under a joint organization initially under the Project Management Organization for DCN.

Transportable Satellite Terminals

With the fielding of all these satellite communication projects, the defence forces had gained sufficient experience in the designing, operation and management of fixed ground terminals/earth stations. There was, however, an operational requirement to have satellite communications for our strike formations as also for our Special Forces, high altitude patrols and for disaster management. Accordingly, satellite ground terminals based on SUVs and trucks were developed jointly by our PSUs and the Army and fielded successfully. Concurrently, a man pack satellite ground terminal was developed by Ms BEL and fielded to provide single channel, secure voice, facsimile and data services. This came to be known as, ‘suitcase satellite terminal’ - a pointer to the fact that it was housed in a briefcase! In pursuance of attaining Network Centric


COMMUNICATIONS INS Rajput class destroyers have INMARSAT-C equipment onboard

Warfare capabilities, the demand for satellite communications in the armed forces is enormous. It is not possible to meet this through hiring of transponders since the civilian requirement has also increased exponentially. Further, due to the anti satellite capabilities with our likely adversaries, it is imperative that our MILSATCOM requirements are met through robust and survivable military satellites. This strategic requirement was accepted by the government and work started in earnest for a defense communication satellite.

GSAT-7/INSAT 4F Indian Military Communication Satellite

GSAT- 7, an Indian military satellite, built specially to meet the strategic and operational requirements of the Indian Navy, was launched on board the French launch vehicle Ariane 5 of the European space transportation company on 30 August, 2013 and was placed in its geosynchronous orbit slot at 74 degree East longitude on 14 September, giving a boost to the Indian Navy’s modernisation push to improve space-based communications and intelligence gathering over a wide oceanic region including the country’s landmass and tracking the movements of the enemy across our borders. Built by ISRO, GSAT 7 is the most advanced communication satellite capable of providing a wide range of service spectrum from low bit rate, voice to video and high bit rate data transfer. It has greater potential of integrating the warships, submarines, aircrafts and shore based installations through a highly encrypted data network. With this launch, India has joined the club of the top five countries—US, Britain, Russia, China and France—which have a satellite customized for defence communications.

GSAT- 7 weighs 2550 kgs, has a designed life span of ten years and has four Ku band transponders, one S- band transponder and three UHF/C Band transponders. The secure and reliable communication channels provided by GSAT-7 satellite, will help the Indian Navy strengthen its blue water combat capabilities in all its manifestations. With its 2000 nautical miles footprint over the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), GSAT -7 will help Indian Navy network all its 140 warships, 13 (?) submarines and 200 aircraft along with its ground based ‘resources and assets.’ Specifically, GSAT-7 will serve as a force

multiplier by sharpening Indian Navy’s edge in terms of network centric operations. It will provide the Indian Navy the necessary level of expertise for its seamless integration of communications with other Services and National Command Post. More importantly, the robust communications link up facilitated by GSAT-7 will substantially enhance India’s maritime security over a wide swath of eastern and western flanks of IOR. GSAT-7 provided integrated communication support to both the Eastern and Western Fleets and other naval assets in air, at sea and land during the recently concluded Exercise TROPEX- 2014. GSAT7 communications space platform is well equipped to serve as a ‘sensitive command post’ in space over IOR and help transform the entire maritime domain awareness of the Indian Navy. Though built specifically for the Navy, the GSAT-7’s capabilities can be tapped into by the Army and Airforce, as required. The IAF is likely to get its own dedicated satellite, GSAT 7A by next year and that will be followed by an Indian Army dedicated satellite. A notable aspect of building GSAT 7 is the contribution made by the private industry. While Astra Microwave Products Ltd is reported to have supplied the UHF-VHF pay load, the Haryana based company; SM GSAT-7 provided integrated communication support during Exercise TROPEX-2014

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Creative Electronics Ltd has supplied the coaxial resonators.

Integrated Space Cell

The armed forces are increasingly depending on satellites for communications, aircraft and missile guidance, reconnaissance, surveillance, weather forecasting, disaster management and so on. Most of these capabilities are provided by civilian, dual use and dedicated military assets. This demands a single point authority to synergize the capabilities as also to institute necessary measures to protect our space based assets.

The Government of India has thus established a nodal agency by way of an Integrated Space Cell to Oversee the security of its space based military and civilian assets Utilize more effectively the country’s spacebased assets for military purposes and Look into threats to these assets. It functions under the Integrated Defence Services Headquarters and will be jointly operated by all three Services, the Department of Space and ISRO. It will leverage space technology including satellites, and envisages cooperation and

Rockwell Collins India Pvt. Ltd., MKR (Ram) Prasad, Managing Director, details the Indian experience: Q: Can you summarise Rockwell Collins’ 75 years plus experience in aerospace and communications and how does that impact India? A: Rockwell Collins is a pioneer in the development and deployment of innovative communication and aviation electronic solutions for both commercial and government applications. Our expertise in flight deck avionics, cabin electronics, mission communications, information management, and simulation and training is delivered by nearly 19,000 employees, and a global service and support network that crosses 27 countries. In India, we are entrenched in the commercial aviation market, providing a wide array of avionics, communications, electronics and services to commercial and business aircraft OEMs and airlines. We provide communication and navigation sets for IAF’s C-130s and C-17s and various helos. Q: What is the overall strategy behind initiating a design centre in Hyderabad in 2008 with respect to India? The ongoing excellent performance of the India Design Center is enabling Rockwell Collins to continue to grow the center and our investment in India. Opened in 2008, the India Design Center represents one example of Rockwell Collins’ commitment to expanding our local presence in India. It employs about 600 people, which is up from 400 a couple of years ago. We plan to continue to grow our design center. The India Design Center supports many programs of interest for Rockwell Collins.

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coordination between the three services as well as civilian agencies dealing with space. With the availability of space based communication assets, the defence forces have acquired sufficient experience in the operation and management of these systems. However, in view of the importance of space based systems and their vulnerability, it is time that defense personnel are involved in the launch and TT&C activities to gain sufficient experience to undertake these in hostile conditions. The Integrated Space Cell will do well to look into this aspect with the urgency it deserves. our strategy to bring quality products and services to our customers in India.

Recent examples include: the Airbus A350 on-board Information Management System; cockpit displays for military helicopters; and next-generation Flight Management System platforms. Q: What is Rockwell Collins’s stance with regard to co-development of such strategic technologies like Software Defined Radios like ARC-210, in India? A: We have had a long term relationship with HCL and plan to continue that relationship at the same time we are growing our India Design Center. The IDC is a channel for us in the India market and was started to support specific programs in India and from across the globe. We will continue to tap HCL and its talent base to help manage the ebb and flow of projects and programs we have to help manage high volumes of work. We also formed partnership with AirWorks in India. Air Works is Rockwell Collins’ first Indian authorized reseller and maintenance, repair and overhaul service provider for Rockwell Collins products. As a provider to commercial and business aircraft OEMs and airlines in India, this relationship is a part of

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Q: What role can Rockwell Collins play to support the “indigenisation” drive in the light of procedures stipulated by the Indian Government and restrictions imposed by the USA in sharing of technology? A: We value India and have set up facilities and expanded our presence here contributing to technology transfer and the economy. Related to the DPP, we are seeing similar ‘indigenization’ trends in other high growth global markets. Complete focus on building strong partnerships is how we are approaching business opportunities in other areas of the world as well and it seems to be paying off for Rockwell Collins, our partners and the end customers. Our US government also values India. However, there are still some challenges with bringing some of our products to India. While we plan to win defense business in India working through partners, and are continuing to develop exportable products, we’re also hopeful that India and the US will ultimately come to an agreement regarding communications and information security. Q: Major communication projects have been approved under “Make India” category. What is your strategy and what role you see for Rockwell Collins in this environment? A: We fully expect many of the future programs in India to be “make India” programs, so teaming with Indian partners has been and will continue to be a key element in our strategy. During Aero India 2013, we announced our teaming with the TATA Strategic Electronics Division (SED) on an SDR pursuit with the IAF.


FRIGATES, OFFSHORE

PATROL VESSELS AND CORVETTES NAVAL WARSHIP

Frigates, Offshore PatrolVessels (OPV) and Corvettes constitute the workhorses of medium sized navies like the Indian Navy (IN). While frigates have always been important elements of fleet formations and infact constitute the major frontline surface element of many smaller ocean going navies, the ever widening scope of the maritime conflict spectrum has increasingly focussed the spotlight on OPVs and corvettes in recent times.

ANIL JAI SINGH

KEY POINTS

Indian warship building came of age with the commissioning of INS Nilgiri, a Leander class frigate in 1972. In this millennium the navy has indigenously added the three Shivalik class stealth frigates to its inventory. Presently a class of six OPVs for the Navy is under construction at the Goa Shipyard, of which three have been commissioned.

Frigates

Frigates have been an integral part of the IN’s force structure since Independence. Successive classes of frigates have been qualitatively enhanced in their capability to reflect the growing strength of the Indian Navy and deliver an appropriate punch. The versatility of a frigate is an asset to any fleet

and therefore it is not surprising that they form the core strength in many navies including some in our vicinity. Although larger surface combatants like destroyers possess more firepower they are that much more expensive and may not be affordable or even required by many navies. Modern frigates on the other hand have grown larger and with their multipurpose capability against a range of threats almost possess the same capability as destroyers. The difference between the two is getting fuzzier and their nomenclature is now more determined now by size rather than role and capability. Indian warship building came of age with the commissioning of INS Nilgiri, a Leander class frigate in 1972. It was the realisation of a vision that the Indian navy could only become a force to reckon with if we could build our ships indigenously. This is more than amply borne out by the fact that we are now able to build everything from aircraft carriers to nuclear submarines in the country. Similarly the Coast guard also sources all its ships from Indian shipyards. The Leander programme comprised six ships, Each ship was an improvement over the previous one with Taragiri and Vindhyagiri being able to accommodate a

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Seaking helicopter on board instead of the smaller Chetak thus greatly enhancing their range of operation, Since then the navy has commissioned three Project 16 frigates-the Godavari class, which though built on a basic leander hull form was designed indigenously to include four SSM launchers and could carry two Seaking helicopters on board - a


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unique design achievement for a ship of that size. Commissioned in the 1980s, these ships remain in fine fettle due to periodic equipment upgrades. The Godavari class was followed in the 1990s by the Brahmaputra class, also comprising three frigates. These were the first frigates constructed at the Garden Reach

Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) Kolkata. In this millennium the navy has indigenously added the three Shivalik class stealth frigates to its inventory which have been built at MDL, Mumbai. To tide over the reduction in force levels and the capacity constraints in the Indian shipyards, the navy resorted to procuring six modified Krivak

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class stealth frigates in two tranches of three each ( the Talwar class and the Teg class respectively). The navy currently has 15 frigates, of which the three Godavari class would soon be reaching the end of their commissioned life. The next frigate project is the Project 17A, a follow-on to the Shivalik class which will comprise seven frigates; four

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Indian Naval Ship ‘INS Delhi’ moors at the dock in Mumbai


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NAVAL WARSHIP

The Anti Submarine Warfare Corvette at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) yard in Kolkata of these are planned to be built in MDL, Mumbai and three at GRSE, Kolkata. Work on these is yet to commence.

Offshore Patrol Vessels

The importance of OPVs has grown manifold in the recent past due to the changing nature of the maritime threat. While frigates form the bedrock of a fleet and are the principal surface combatants in many small to medium navies, OPVs have carved out their own niche because of the range of options they provide which makes them extremely cost effective force multipliers for a range of operations. The Indian Navy acquired its first modern OPVs from South Korea in the early ‘80s. Called the Sukanya class, the later ships of this class were built in India with considerable success. Although they were initially procured for defending India’s considerable offshore assets they proved to be worthy workhorses and were subsequently deployed for a variety of roles. The first seaborne Prithvi missile launcher was also retrofitted on one of these

platforms to validate its effectiveness. OPVs have also become the mainstay of the Indian Coast Guard and their usefulness is underlined by the procurement programmes underway in the navy as well as the Coast Guard. Presently a class of six OPVs for the Navy is under construction at the Goa Shipyard, of which three have been commissioned. A programme of another five, being built to a different design, is underway at the Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering Co Ltd shipyard at Pipavav in Gujarat. This is in fact a landmark order as the first ever warships being built at a private shipyard in India. The Coast Guard is also at an advanced stage of discussion for a new class of OPVs

Corvettes

Corvettes can be defined as small lightly armed warships which in World War II were used as anti-submarine escorts to merchant convoys. Corvettes have been a part of small navies and possess a very potent offensive capability relative to their size and

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displacement. In the late 1960s, the Indian Navy acquired 10 Petya class ASW ships from the erstwhile Soviet Union. They were classified as light frigates in the Soviet Union and had a multipurpose capability but were akin to modern day corvettes. Extremely well equipped and well armed for their size, they delivered yeoman service to the IN for close to three decades. In the 1970s, the navy also got three powerful high speed guided missile corvettes - Hosdurg, Sindhudurg and Vijaydurg, which had the dual advantage of high speeds and powerful weaponry. The old missile boats of the navy were replaced by the Veer class missile craft in the 1980s and early 1990s. These ships bridged the thin line between missile boats and corvettes and are classified as the latter in the IN’s inventory. Similarly, the Abhay class ASW ships are also classified as ASW corvettes. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, the IN also built a class of eight missile corvettes in two tranches of four each – the Khukri class and


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the Kora class armed with SSMs and with the additional ability to stage a helicopter thus giving them an over-the-horizon targeting capability and greater manoeuvrability of operations. GRSE Kolkata is currently building the Project 28 ASW corvettes, christened the Kamorta class which would greatly bolster our undersea warfare capability – an important requirement in the prevailing littoral scenario.

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A ship in construction at ABG Shipyard

Public Sector Indian warship construction, till the beginning of this decade was restricted to the three Public sector shipyards under the Ministry of Defence viz., MDL, Mumbai which is considered the premier shipyard and builds destroyers, frigates and submarines; GRSE at Kolkata which builds frigates, Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs), corvettes, inshore patrol craft and Seaward Defence Boats amongst others. The navy’s only indigenously built tanker, INS Aditya was also built here. The third yard, Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) at Goa is in the forefront of building OPVs for the navy and the Coast Guard, survey vessels for the navy’s Hydrographic branch and is the nominated yard for the forthcoming Mine Counter Measure Vessel (MCMV) programme. Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL) at Visakhapatnam, which was earlier under the Ministry of Shipping has also been taken over by the MoD to meet the future capacity requirements. Presently HSL does not have any shipbuilding orders but has been nominated to build two of the four Landing Platform Docks, the RFP for which has already been issued. HSL has also been nominated to build one of the future Project 75(I) submarines though that project is still some distance away. Cochin Shipyard Ltd, the fifth of the country’s public sector shipyards and also under the Ministry of Shipping is building the navy’s first indigenous aircraft carrier. Private Sector. The last few years have also seen the emergence of large, modern state–of-the-art shipyards in the private sector which have the capability to participate in the country’s warship building programme. The biggest and most modern amongst these is the Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering Co Ltd facility at Pipavav. Boasting of the second largest drydock in the world of length 660 metres and a facility spread over 250 acres, this must

The Indian Navy has currently ordered 40 odd ships with another 49 having been approved by the DefenceAcquisition Council. It is therefore an opportune moment for the MoD to enhance the national warship building capability and capacity by integrating the private shipyards into the selection process.

rank amongst the most modern shipyards in the world. In addition to its other orders in the commercial and offshore sector, its primary focus is on providing the capacity for the navy to meet its future warship requirements on time, within cost and with global best practices in efficiency and quality. Pipavav is the first Indian private shipyard building warships for the IN. Presently five 2000 ton OPVs are at various stages of

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Shipbuilding Capability

construction. The yard is also bidding for the future OPV programme of the Coast Guard. Other private shipyards who have also invested considerable sums of money to create capability and capacity are ABG, Bharti and Larsen and Toubro. The last named is on the east coast of India. ABG is building a cadet training ship for the navy. The Indian Navy has currently ordered 40 odd ships with another 49 having been approved by the Defence Acquisition Council. Frigates, OPVs and corvettes would form a substantial number as the maritime threat scenario encompasses a wider range of contingencies such as anti-piracy, offshore defence , coastal security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, escorting merchant vessels etc. It is therefore an opportune moment for the MoD to enhance the national warship building capability and capacity by integrating the private shipyards into the selection process. This would not only create a level playing field and encourage a competitive environment but also accelerate the shipbuilding programme and remove much of the endemic inefficiency prevalent in the DPSU shipyards due to the absence of any accountability or penalties for inordinate delays and cost overruns. It is a matter of grave concern that while the public sector shipyards have a confirmed order book in the region of Rs 180000 crores and an annual output of less than 10% of that amount, the total value of the order book with the private shipyards is less than Rs 6000 crores, a fact that in itself tells the whole


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NAVAL WARSHIP

Prince Charles interacts with the employees of Cochin Shipyard Limited during 2013 visit story. A conservative guesstimate would therefore indicate that the PSU shipyards current order book itself would take about 15 years to complete. Factor in the delays, the cost overruns, design modifications necessitated by obsolescence caused by these delays, inbuilt inefficiencies and this figure could increase exponentially. The need for replacement of legacy platforms, the factoring of mid-life updates of existing platforms to offset these delays and longer refit durations due to ageing of platforms would further exacerbate the situation, resulting in a cascading backlog which would become increasingly difficult to address besides placing a tremendous strain on the navy’s financial planning as unspent money in the capital budget reverts back to the Consolidated Fund of India with no guarantee of it being reallocated in the following financial year. This is a major lacuna in the defence planning process because ships and submarines are long lead-time items where a certain degree of financial flexibility is essential to facilitate planned implementation of projects. However this is not getting its due attention because maybe the mandarins in the Ministry of Finance are not convinced by this argument, the bureaucrats in the MoD are perhaps not convincing enough or are just plain indifferent and the reversion of unspent

funds contributes to the reduction of the national fiscal deficit. The lack of meaningful political discourse on matters of national security in parliament also does not adequately question this systemic inefficiency. Frigates, OPVs and corvettes can form the perfect building blocks for the private shipyards to hone their shipbuilding skills and ascend the learning curve towards becoming not only shipbuilders but lead integrators of ever more sophisticated weapon platforms such as destroyers, cruisers and aircraft carriers. It is upto the Ministry of Defence to look at the larger picture and take a long term perspective of national security. For the Indian Navy to be the principal maritime element of the country’s national power it is imperative to develop fully indigenous capacity by giving the private shipyards tangible and quantifiable milestones to achieve the level of capability desired of them by the Mod/Navy/Coast Guard ,both, for construction as well as for providing lifecycle maintenance and support. In 2012, the MoD issued guidelines to facilitate the creation of Joint Ventures between the PSU’s and private industry. The purpose of doing so was to enhance selfreliance in the defence sector and also complement the capability of the PSUs with

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the additional capacity offered by the private sector to address the equipment modernisation of the Armed forces and thereby broadening the nation’s defence industrial capability through various PPP models. The first JV to be formed was between Mazagon Docks Ltd and Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering Co Ltd for warship construction. Another JV between MDL and L&T was formed to address submarine construction. In the last two years these JVs have been mired in procedural issues and despite being cleared by the MoD have made no headway because it is understood that some of the conditions being put forth defeat the very purpose they were meant to achieve. MDL has a large order book of high-end ships which it is unable to deliver to the navy on time whereas Pipavav has a huge shipyard and spare capacity. The Project 17A frigate programme , four ships of which were to be built in MDL would have been the ideal platform to kick start the JV through a mutually agreed work-share agreement but not much progress has been made so far. A golden opportunity to address a critical shortfall in our shipbuilding programme is being squandered. As India progresses on its avowed path of self-reliance in warship construction, one of the major challenges it will face is the lack of adequate design capability. So far all indigenous warships have been designed by the Directorate General of Naval Design with the shipyards implementing that design. However with this industry maturing, self-reliance becoming the focus and private players emerging, the need to develop design indigenously will be central to remain relevant in a competitive shipbuilding environment. OPVs are relatively simple to design and therefore can be ideal platforms to move up the curve with corvettes and frigates to follow. In the classic triptych of a warship being able ‘to float’,’ to move’ and ‘to fight’, the approximate levels of indigenisation are in the region of 90%, 60 % and 30%. Weapons and sensors remain a weak area and we still have to resort to imports to arm and equip our ships. OPVs are relatively lightly armed with perhaps a medium calibre gun , and rudimentary ASW capability in the form of decoys etc. Hence these are relatively easy to build because the complexity of high end weapon and system integration is not of the same magnitude as that of larger frontline platforms.


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roles. For example, a growing number of navies are dispensing with specialised platforms such as mine hunters and are utilising OPVs equipped with Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and AUVs to combat the mine and underwater threat. Corvettes. The advent of technology and the cost of military hardware is going to ensure a requirement for corvettes in small and medium navies. The thinning line between frigates and corvettes with the latter being equipped with better weaponry has made these ideal offensive platforms, Recently at least three navies in the Indo -Pacific have placed an order for missile corvettes and the emergence of the omnipresent underwater threat from submarines will also highlight the importance of ASW corvettes.

Export Potential Commissioning ceremony of the Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘Abhinav’ at Kochi

The Future

Frigates. Frigates will form the core of our Fleet formation for the foreseeable future. The IN has clearly articulated a three Carrier Battle Group force structure. Frigates would therefore be required in considerable numbers. The forthcoming Project 17A and perhaps a future follow on class will form the nucleus of our shipbuilding endeavour as existing capacity will clearly be inadequate to meet the demand. These frigates would have a mix of equipment and armament to provide them multipurpose and multidimensional capability across a wide spectrum of roles. Presently since only 30% of our weapon and sensor requirement is met indigenously, the Defence Procurement Procedure has clearly indicated that foreign OEMs would need to produce and develop technology in India in the future in a calibrated manner. This augurs well not only for Indian industry but also for foreign industry as the forging of long term industrial relationships are much more beneficial in the long run. Offshore Patrol Vessels. The IN and the CG are going to have a recurring requirement of OPVs as they align themselves to combat the low intensity threat. OPVs by virtue of their flexibility are effective multi mission platforms . This versatility is an asset in these times of strained budgets and with the advancement in technology has led to OPV platforms being configured for different

In 2012, the MoD issued guidelines to facilitate the creation of Joint Ventures between the PSU’s and private industry.The purpose was to enhance self-reliance in the defence sector and also complement the capability of the PSUs with the additional capacity offered by the private sector and thereby broadening the nation’s defence industrial capability through various PPP models.

There is tremendous potential in India to utilise our expertise in building OPVs not only to meet our domestic requirement but also to offer these vessels for export to other countries in the region as the numbers of these vessels proliferate amongst navies of the Indo-Pacific. India is building an OPV for Mauritius but that is not on a competitive basis. Once we are able to establish our credibility in the international arena with our expertise in OPVs, we could graduate to exporting corvettes and frigates where the biggest challenge presently is our dependence on foreign OEMs for weapons and sensors. A focussed government policy on indigenisation and self –reliance in this critical area could address this shortcoming. Our shipyards, and indeed our entire defence industry should be encouraged to compete for such projects and should be supported by the Govt as no country can sustain its defence industrial base by supplying only to its own security forces. Additionally, warship export is not only an important source of foreign exchange but also provides diplomatic and economic leverage in the region. It is time for all stakeholders to synergise their efforts towards attaining and consolidating this core national capability by not only meeting the national requirement but also focussing their efforts on making India a global exporter of warships, particularly frigates, OPVs and corvettes. The requirement for these types of ships is going to grow exponentially in this region given the dynamics of the emerging regional maritime security scenario. Disclosure: Cmde (Retd) Anil Jai Singh works with the Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering Co Ltd.

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Club-N missile system

COUNTERING THE HIDDEN THREAT WHAT ARE THE MEANS OF COMBATTING THE NEWEST SUBMARINES?

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odern submarines are rightfully considered the most effective naval armaments.They are covert, well-armed and have great endurance. It is extremely difficult to detect and destroy them, especially as they inherently have a number of advantages over surface ships, primarily in detection range, which enables them to deliver a decisive preemptive strike. However, antisubmarine warfare (ASW) capabilities and sustainability of surface ships grow significantly when ship- or shore-based ASW helicopters are used and when they are equipped with modern ASW weapons, primarily presentday missiles and torpedoes. In combat conditions, once a submarine is detected, it must be assuredly and immediately destroyed because a contact established may be lost at any moment and then the surface ship will quickly turn from a predator into a victim. Russian manufacturers have long been

leading the world in ASW weapon development.Their interests in the international market are represented by Rosoboronexport, a state intermediary agency.The Company offers a variety of missiles and torpedoes, both separately and as part of surface combatants of different classes (Project 11356, 22356 and Gepard 3.9 frigates, Project 20382, 1124M corvettes, etc.) delivered for export. The Club-N missile system, capable of engaging all types of submarines with its 91RTE2 two-stage missile across the entire envelope of their diving depths (up to 800 m), at range of 5 to 40 km, still remains one of the most formidable and largely unique ASW weapons. It consists of a transport/launch container, a solid rocket booster, a guided passive second stage and a separable warhead, which is the APR3ME antisubmarine underwater missile. The Club-N prelaunch procedure takes a mere 10 seconds. After launch, the missile flies autonomously along a ballistic

trajectory to deliver an underwater missile and release it in a given area, whose coordinates are entered into the onboard control system from the target designation data before launch. In the expected target area, the underwater missile is separated and descends by parachute into water. Once the missile is under water, it turns on its homing system, detects and locks-on the target and its solid motor is fired.The missile closes in the target within minimum time and destroys it. According to leading experts, the Club-N is the best ASW system in its class offered on the international market. Its main operators are now Russia and India, where it has proved to operate excellently during various exercises and tests. A similar Club-S system is deployed on submarines (Project 636, Amur-1650) and is one of the key factors giving Russian submarines an edge over their rivals. The Paket-E/NK small-sized torpedo ASW system is an effective ship’s last-ditch


RPK-8E ASW rocket system

weapon against submarines and attacking torpedoes. It can be used independently or as part of a ship’s ASW barrier. The Paket-E/NK includes the Paket-E control system, launchers, dedicated Paket-AE sonar, and weapon modules with 324mm small thermal torpedoes and anti-torpedoes. The Paket-E/NK provides the following functions in automatic or automated modes: generates firing data for thermal torpedoes from the ship’s sonar data;

detects, classifies and determines the motion parameters of torpedoes attacking the ship, generates firing data for anti-torpedoes; provides control of launchers; provides prelaunch preparation of weapon modules and firing data entry; fires anti-torpedoes or small thermal torpedoes Paket-E/NK’s effective ASW zone is up to 10 km and torpedo defense zone is 100 to 800 m. Being one of the newest

ASW weapons in the international market, the system can improve, in particular, torpedo defense capabilities of ships 3 - 3.5 times. The UGST versatile deep-water homing torpedo is another effective ASW weapon offered by Rosoboronexport. In addition to submarines, it can also engage surface ships and stationary targets at ranges up to 50 km and a depth of up to 500 m, both in autonomous and remote control modes.The torpedo is fired from

Paket-E/NK small termal torpedo and anti-torpedo DSI Marketing Promotion


control and autonomous modes) at a range of up to 25 km and at depths of up to 450 m.The torpedo can be used in ocean conditions with seawater salinity of 30-35 % and a temperature of 0 to 25 °C. The TE-2 torpedo versions vary depending on the type of data entry on the carrier’s torpedo tube (mechanical type – TE-2-1, electrical – TE-2-2). This torpedo is distinguished by a powerful power plant, an automated builtin testing system, a long life and low operating costs. Its homing system is capable of operating in a difficult countermeasures environment. The RPK-8E ASW rocket system, designed to protect surface ships against

UGST versatile deep-water homing torpedo

TE-2 versatile torpedo

533mm torpedo tubes. Moreover, several variants have been developed for both Russian standard and NATO torpedo tubes.The compatibility between the torpedo’s onboard systems and the carrier’s foreign-made systems is achieved through project-specific system software customization. As the UGTS torpedo has a modular design, it can be modified to meet requirements stemming from employment specifics.This applies to all torpedo components – from reprogramming the baseline model electronics to replacing the engine and/or tank compartment. Several warheads have been developed for the UGTS, differing in explosive composition and weight. The torpedo is equipped with a lownoise propulsion unit, which is directly

connected to the engine without a reduction gear unit and accelerates it to 50 knots in speed mode 1 and 35 knots in speed mode 2. Its hydrodynamic scheme features twin control surfaces, which are extended beyond the caliber of the torpedo once it leaves the torpedo tube. UGST’s electronics module, comprising homing, remote control and other systems, operates on the principle of a single reprogrammable compute kernel that combines the information parts of the on-board systems into a single information space using integrated control system technology. Another Russian-made torpedo is the TE-2 versatile torpedo, which can also be adapted to NATO standard torpedo tubes. The TE-2 is designed to destroy enemy submarines and stationary targets from on board surface ships (in autonomous mode) and from submarines (in remote

DSI Marketing Promotion

submarines, engage torpedoes attacking the ship and destroy underwater saboteurs, also has great potential in the global arms market. The RPK-8E includes, inter alia, the 12barrelled RBU-6000 rocket launcher, 212mm 90R ASW rockets with gravitational homing underwater projectiles, upgraded MG-94ME sonar countermeasures projectiles to protect the ship from active/passive homing torpedoes. The MG-94ME projectile is equipped with a separable drifting sonar countermeasures module, which either jams the required frequency bands or operates in simulation emission mode. Firing range of ASW rockets and MG94ME projectiles is 600 to 4300 m All the above systems have been developed around weapon models that are in service with the Russian Navy and many other navies and have proven themselves during numerous tests and exercises. Certainly, countering modern submarines requires a package approach, however really deadly and reliable weapons are needed to deliver a decisive strike. It is for this reason that Russian antisubmarine torpedoes and missiles are in strong demand on the international market.


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UAV & UCAV: FORCE MULTIPLIERS AERIAL SYSTEM

With advanced technologies adding more capabilities for the Unmanned Aerial Systems, these today are fulfilling a host of missions like strike mission, suppression of enemy defence, search and rescue and electronic warfare

ANIL CHOPRA

KEY POINTS

UAVs are today used by over sixty nations, US being the leader with more than 75000 UAV systems operational. According to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, approximately 600 models of UAS, are produced worldwide by 195 companies. As a potent part of any Air Force, UAVs have become an indispensible weapon in the global war on terror.

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econd World War’s German V-bombs were the first among the unmanned weapon delivery systems. Many pilotless variants were developed during the war but they had no operational missions.The earliest concept of the combat drone was by Dr LD Forest, an American inventor of radio devices. The idea was mooted in an article in the magazine Popular Mechanics in 1940. The modern military drone was the brainchild of John Stuart Foster Jr., a nuclear physicist, whose plans were used by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in 1971to build two prototypes. Advent of modern autopilot, better navigation technology, and flawless communication links brought unmanned systems into real action. High risk

to manned spy planes accelerated full scale development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) program. UAVs saw brief action in Vietnam. Israel was the first to demonstrate the use of UAVs for real-time surveillance, electronic warfare, and decoys in the Bekaa valley operation of 1982. In late 1980s IranIraq war, Iran became the first ever to deploy an armed drone in war firing air-to-surface rockets. American UAVs saw action in Bosnia. US and Israeli Aerospace Industry’s Mallat Division jointly developed the ‘Pioneer’ UAV deployed by US Navy in 1991 Gulf war. UAVs became a household name during Iraq war and their successful operational employment in Afghanistan gave them a permanent place in the sky. Their use for Intelligence, Reconnaissance, and Surveillance (ISR) has resulted in the addition of sophisticated payloads. Combined with command and control capability and a means for transmitting large quantities of data, the vehicle became a potent platform. Varying in size from a few ounce micro-UAV to that of an airliner, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are today fulfilling a host of missions. With the pilot out of the cockpit, there was no need of airborne human support and interface systems, and also the human risk element vanished. The attendant employability dynamics, the weight and the overall cost reduced accordingly. It also allowed phenomenal increase in endurance. Soon terms such as ‘Drone’, Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV), Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) or even UAS were in use. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and International Civil Aviation Organisation preferred

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retention of the word ‘Aircraft’ so that same regulations could be applicable.

UAVs Evolve

UAV system consists basically of the air vehicle (controlled autonomously or by a remote controller), sensors/payloads, command and control data links, the operator station, and the ground support equipment required for


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India is looking forward to more sophisticated system like Northrop’s Grumman RQ-4

launch/recovery. Till now, deployed mostly for military and special operations, they are gradually having more civil applications. Armed UAVs or Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs) such as the U.S. General Atomics Predator and Reaper carrying AGM114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles have great combat abilities. The Predator is remotely piloted using satellites data links by pilots

located as far as 12,000 km away. On the other hand, the Northrop Grumman Global Hawk operates virtually autonomously giving live feedback and only needs a command to ‘Takeoff and Land’. Advances in technology have enabled more capabilities and Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS) are being deployed on the battlefield. UAV roles have thus expanded to include strike missions,

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suppression and/or destruction of enemy air defence, electronic warfare,network node or communications relay, combat search and rescue, and combinations of these.

Proliferation of UAVs

UAVs are today used by more than 60 countries, with a few making their own. USA is the leader with over 7500 operational


AERIAL SYSTEM Caption

DRDO’s Rustam UAV is meant to replace Israeli Heron UAVs which is more than the combined strength of the rest of the world. UAVs already outnumber the manned aircraft in US Armed Forces. During theatre level operations in Afghanistan UAVs flew nearly 200,000 hours a year. USA is also the lead manufacturer with Israel a close second.General Atomics, Northrop Grumman, Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Elbit Systems are leading manufacturers.IAI’s Harpy, Harop, Searcher and Heron are flying world over in large numbers, including in India. Elbit’s Hermes 450 assault UAV carries two missiles. MiniatureUAVs as small as a few millimeters in size are being used for visual and audio snooping operating in small confines like rooms or bunkers. UAVs currently operate at altitudes of 65,000 feet, ranges of 5,600 km and endurance of up to a few days-on-station. Most UAVs are fixed-wing aircraft, but rotary winged UAVs (RUAV) such as Northrop Grumman MQ-8B Fire Scouts are also in use. More and more civil applications such as remote sensing, forestry and land management, coastal policing, use for logistic operations by FedEx and UPS, environment monitoring etc. are becoming popular. There is already a registered association of civilian UAV operators.

Technologically, UAVs are still more accident prone and are bandwidth hogs. Global Hawks require nearly 500 megabytes per second. USA will have over a 100 Global hawks by 2020. The USAF UAS vision 2030 document predicts every conceivable aircraft role could be handled by the UAS fleet including that of Airlift, AWACS and Counter Air Strikes. Even though manned aircraft still get over 90 percent of the funding, UAS is where the future is and they will continue to increase in numbers.

Contest Between Manned and Unmanned

With unmanned technologies starting to prove themselves, the debate between manned and unmanned dominates fighter crew rooms and aviation seminars. The proliferation and success of UAVs have caused some to question the future relevance of manned aircraft. This has been more so due defence budget cuts and competing demands for scarce resources. In 2010, for the first time ever, the Pentagon bought more unmanned aircraft than manned. Unmanned aerial vehicles have become a potent part ofany Air Force’s inventory and an indispensable weapon in the global war on terror. Individual strengths of manned and unmanned systems

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can be harnessed. Manned are best in contested environments where commandand-control is limited, autonomy is required, and policy restrictions exist. Everywhere else the RPAs will dominate.

Pilots prefer Status Quo

“UAVs have a great future, increasing popularity and usefulness, but no machine can replicate the human gift of discovery and situational awareness” said Air Marshal Vinod Patney former Vice Chief of IAF and current Director Centre for Air Power Studies. Today’s technology is insufficient to allow unmanned aircraft to make independent, complex judgments in an unknown environment and so must be linked to human judgment, albeit on the ground. The data links can be denied or deceived. Threat of cyber-attack today is more potent than Al Qaeda. Delays in commanded guidance could be crucial if not lethal. All UAV data is analysed and interpreted by a human. As it stands, till date unmanned aircraft have flown only in uncontested airspace. As U.S. military focus shifts to AsiaPacific, the Air Force could be confronted by enemy fighters in unfriendly skies, a mission some feel UAVs aren’t yet designed to handle. USAF UAV accident rate at 0.9 per 10,000


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With UAV technologies starting to prove themselves, the debate between manned and unmanned vehicle goes on. Success of UAVs poses questions about the future of manned vehicles which are best in contested environment where command and control is limited and autonomy is required.

DRDO is developing stealth UCAV AURA, similar in design to Northrop Grumman’s B-2 Spirit hours is still much worse than 0.2 per 10,000 for manned aircraft. UAVs are lsot most during landing phase or due loss of data link. But UAV safety records are improving quickly. Auto landing and more secure data links and will soon make them safer. At approximately $75 million, the Global Hawk, a Class III HALE UAV, is costlier than many a modern fighters. Collateral damage from UAV attacks continues to be high at 32%. USA nearly lost a friend in Pakistan when a large number of civilians got killed in one such attack. UAVs have reportedly killed in Pakistan 50 civilians for every militant killed a hit rate of 2 percent.

Operational Roles and Strategies

Unmanned aircraft are already taking-off and landing by themselves including on a moving aircraft carrier (Northrop GrummanX-47B). Autonomous air refuelling would leave UAVs on station for months and allow them all roles from Combat to Cargo handling says analyst Dan Parsons. U.S. has already modified F-4s and F-16s to fly them remotely.In France,Dassault leads a multi nation delta wing Neuron UCAV of the size of Mirage 2000.UK’s Strategic Unmanned Air Vehicle (SUAVE) program ‘Taranis’ is headed by BAE Systems and is partnered by GE Aviation, Rolls Royce and QinetiQ. This will be a

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supersonic autonomous stealth bomber with intercontinental range. US DoD is also working on Hypersonic (Mach 6 to 20) air devices to strike a targets within 1 hour from detection. The USAF’s new Long Range Strike Bomber is likely to be optionally manned. Lockheed Martin and Boeing are likely to team up for this project. Northrop Grumman will be the second bidder. RFP responses would be in by later 2014.The U.S. army’s dramatic shift to a nearly all-unmanned flight over the next three decades is embedded in the UAS roadmap. USAF’s vision document ‘Air Force UAS Flight Plan System 20092047’says that by year 2047 every mission including heavy lift would be unmanned.Former Deputy Chief of IAF Air Marshal NV Tyagi feels “There is a clear shift in favour of unmanned systems. Only U.S. and Israel have been able to allocate resources for R&D due to budget constraints. Since the machines will continue to perform the same basic functions, it will only mean replacing man with the processor. This changeover could be simple and smooth.” UAVs have become too attractive and potent military asset for any significant power to ignore. The turning point is now. USAF had 255 active Global Hawk, Predator and Reaper drones in its inventory in fiscal year 2011. That number is expected to grow to 420 by fiscal 2017. For the first time in its history, in 2011 USAF


AERIAL SYSTEM

Boeing’s Phantom Ray UAV before first flight trained more UAV pilots than fighter and bomber pilots combined. Lockheed Martin’s UCLASS drone ‘Sea Ghost’ looks rather like a stealth bomber and is expected to carry a brace of 1,000-pound class weapons. Boeings Phantom Eye is used as an eye in the sky in battle zones. It is a high altitude long endurance (HALE) vehicle that can spend over four days in continuous flight. At any given time about three dozen USAF UAVs and much larger number of smaller Army variants were flying over Afghanistan.Half a dozen missile-armed UAVs of CIA are flying over Pakistan. UAVs are known to be best for “Dull (Long endurance), Dirty (chemical and nuclear sampling) and Dangerous (strikes on heavily defended targets)” missions. UAVs have much lower training costs and can best concentrate on ISR, close air support and take on some strike missions while air superiority could be handled by manned fighters. Manned aircraft are certainly better in dynamic environment. UAVs continue to be less glamorous than a fighter aircraft.While there are genuine fears to allow the computer to take a decision to shoot to kill, “UAVs are an expected advancement in the continuing RMA (Revolution in Military Affairs). The change must be preceded by requisite doctrinal enunciation. I do not think it will replace the manned strike force and I am

prepared to counter the arm-chair strategists’ glib panacea for preventing human losses. But some thinning of fighter cockpits will take place,” says former IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal AY Tipnis.

Mixed Formations: The Way Forward

“For the U.S. Air Force (USAF), the biggest challenge is figuring out how UAV procurement affects the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program”, said Peter Singer, senior fellow for foreign policy at the Brookings Institution. “While the F-35 has been in development, the Air Force has added more than 300 strike-capable Reaper drones to its inventory” he added. General Norton A Schwartz, former Chief of the USAF, sees future UAVs operating under the control of manned aircraft to make “buddy attacks”. UCAV is a “first day of the war” force enabler which complements a strike package by performing the SEAD mission and preemptive destruction of sophisticated enemy integrated air defences in advance of the strike package. It operates at afraction of the total Life Cycle Costs (LCC) of current manned systems. That day is not far when there will be mixed manned and unmanned formations, with aircrew in the air controlling a swarm of UAVs and giving them clear directions including controlling their attack and weapon release. US Navy recently

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formed its first mixed force squadron with manned and Fire Scout unmanned helicopter.As UAVs prove their indisputable worth saving lives every day in current operations, they are also challenging traditional air power concepts and stimulating necessary debate on how air power might best be delivered in the future.

Civil Applications

Obama has cleared a law that requires full integration of UAS into the national regulatory framework by Sept. 30, 2015. International civil aviation authorities are working out procedures for unmanned systems to use air-routes co-cruising with their manned brethren. Policing functions are expected to be greatly enhanced by the eye in the sky. Game reserves in Africa are being managed through UAV picture. Society for prevention of cruelty to animals have been using ‘Octocopter’ (Radio controlled quad copter) to gather evidence against illegal hunting. Americans are using UAVs for license plate scanning, thermal imaging contents in the vehicle, customs and coastal surveillance, border enforcement, cattle raiding safe guards, monitoring routine daily movements of suspects among others. Rich farmers are monitoring their farms and using UAVs for crop spraying and seeding. FBI Director Robert Mueller testified before the


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India’s Options India’s UAV Nishant in flight

Senate Judiciary Committee in June 2013 that FBI extensively owns and uses UAVs for surveillance. In America alone there are thousands of civilian operators of UAVs working on contract. The biggest civil drone users in the U.S. aren’t law enforcement agencies, but universities. Some worry that as war becomes safer and easier, and soldiers are removed from the horrors of war and see the enemy not as humans but as blips on a screen, there is very real danger of losing the deterrent that such horrors provide against war. The vision of a future where drones are not spies, weaponry or scary agents of evil; they can be trusted aids that assist humans tasked with doing some of the most dangerous work.

“Unmanned technology will be the focus of future warfare which would require multi-functionality and there is a scope for developing unattended sensors, micro UAVs, robot sentry and autonomous underwater vehicle,” says DRDO Chief Avinash Chander

Future is Unmanned

UAS have more than proven their value in the military world. According to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, approximately 600 models of UAS are produced worldwide by 195 companies. Solar Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle will be one of the major technological advances in the near future. Dual use interchangeable aircraft are under development that could be quickly modified from manned to unmanned. AeroVironment Company’s Raven, Puma AE and Wasp systems set the standard for what SUAS can accomplish in the most challenging conditions. SUAS can be launched quickly, day or night, to provide precise situational awareness.They also monitor borders, protect citizens, monitor utility assets or find those who are lost and in distress. DARPA is developing a fleet of naval vessels capable of launching and retrieving combat drones without needing an aircraft carrier.UAVs also ensure no ‘public opinion sensitive’ body bags come back. This could also mean that

seemingly clean and safe strikes could allow America to perpetually be at war beyond Congressional scrutiny with no-boots-onthe-ground.“NATO logisticians hit a major milestone in Afghanistan, reaching out and touching one of the holy grails of robotic warfare when an unmanned K-Max helicopter successfully delivered a sling-load of beans, bullets, and Band-Aids to an unspecified base for the first time” says Clay Dillow, a strategic writer. UAVs will also perform the role of Low-Cost Test Platform for Future Aircraft.They will serve as a “bridge between wind tunnel and manned flight testing of a wide array of high risk technologies.UAVswarms will dominate the future sky. Coordinated swarms of drones could pollinate crops, monitor traffic, or fly a saturation strike.

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Missile Technology Control Regime also applies to UCAVs. Each country thus has to fend for itself. “Unmanned technology will be the focus of future warfare which would require multi functionality. There is scope for developing unattended sensors, micro UAVs, robot sentry and autonomous underwater vehicles” says Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Director General Avinash Chander. UAVs are already operating in insurgency prone Jammu and Kashmir to sanitise the border. UAV operations in remote regions of Ladakh are helping incursion management. Indian Navy is already covering part of the coastline. Indian Air Force uses them for target lasing, Battle Damage Assessment in addition to ISR functions. In Naxal prone areas UAVs are tracking possible movements and also directing security forces to the targets. India is looking at more sophisticated systems like RQ-4 Global hawks that will help it monitor millions of square miles in a two front scenario. The numbers have to increase significantly. In the meantime, the Indian Ministry of Defence has issued a global Request for Proposal for procuring 95 miniunmanned UAVs for IAF and Indian Navy. On the other hand, various Chinese UCAV designs are taking shape. WZ-2000is a long endurance version Global hawk class UAV. Shenyang’s ‘Dark Sword’ is the stealth forward swept wing UCAV of Boeing X-45 class. Developed in Pakistan, ‘Burraq’ (Chinese UCAV design) and ‘Shahpar’ surveillance UAVs were inducted late 2013.USA is considering an international drone alliance to neutralise the Chinese activities in the Asia-Pacific region. India’s indigenous capability has to be built through a leap frog by joining up with Israel which is a world leader in the game. India’s DRDO is developing stealth UCAV similar in design to Northrop Grumman ‘B-2 Spirit’ capable of releasing missiles and Precision bombs for Indian Air Force named AURA. This 15 ton UAV will be powered by Kaveri engine and would cruise at 30,000 ft. altitude. DRDO’s ‘Rustam’ UAV is meant to replace the Israeli ‘Heron’ in all three services one day. It is derived from India’s National Aeronautics Laboratory’s light canard research aircraft design. A new chapter on airpower history is being written. We are at the inflection point. Undoubtedly, UAS technology will continue to evolve and become a greater asset.


SHORT RANGE M MISSILES

A missile system normally has four components to include warhead, propulsion system, flight system and guidance system and can be of various types, based on their employment like surface-to-surface and air-tosurface missiles, surface-to-air missiles, air-to-air missiles, and anti-satellite missiles.

NARESH CHAND

KEY POINTS

All missiles need a flight system which uses the data from guidance or the targeting system to manoeuvre. There are many methods to guide and aim the missile onto the target with some common methods like Radiated waves like infrared, laser or radio waves. Missiles use a rocket or jet engine for propulsion normally using solid fuel but some of the missiles use liquid fuel.

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n English language usage, a missile is any object hurled at a target but in military terms, a missile has its own propulsion and guidance system which is used to destroy targets on land, sea and air. Missiles can be launched from multiple platforms like land, sea and aerospace. A missile system normally has four components to include warhead, propulsion system, flight system and guidance system. Missiles can be of various types, based on their employment like surface-to-surface and air-to-surface missiles (ballistic, cruise, anti-ship, anti-tank, etc.), surface-to-air missiles (anti-aircraft and antiballistic), air-to-air missiles, and anti-satellite missiles. A ballistic missile is a missile that has a ballistic trajectory over most of its flight

path, is of longer range and normally carries a nuclear warhead. US classifies ballistic missiles as follows: Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) over 5500 km Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile(IRBM) 3000 to 5500 km Medium-Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM) 1000 to 3000 km Short-Range Ballistic missile (SRBM ) up to 1000 km Countries like Russia, China or India have their own method of classifying ballistic missiles but generally follow the above pattern. In this paper tactical missiles including SRBMs and shorter range land based missiles are covered. Strategic ballistic missiles, ballistic missile defence, sea based missiles and missiles launched from aerial platforms need separate studies.

A brief overview of the missile sub-systems

Guidance systems Flight system: All missiles need a flight system which uses the data from guidance or the targeting system to manoeuvre. The flight system uses the data from the targeting or guidance system to manoeuvre the missile in flight to cater for the inaccuracies in the missile or to follow a moving target. Propulsion System: Missiles use a rocket or jet engine for propulsion. Rocket engine normally uses solid fuel but some of the long range missiles use liquid fuel. Cruise missiles normally use jet engine, turbo jet being the most common. Other types of jet engines include turbo fans and ram jets. Surface based missiles may use multiple

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engines like the cruise missile which may have a rocket booster for launching and a jet engine for flight. Targeting systems: There are many methods to guide and aim the missile onto the target. Radiated waves like infrared, laser or radio waves are one of the common methods. Radiation can be from the engine heat (normally for heat-seeking air defence missiles) or the emission of a radar (for antiradiation missiles). A TV camera can also be


ISSILE SYSTEMS APRIL 2014

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Succesful trails for Akash Surface to Air Missile was conducted recently

used which will form the target image through natural light or infra-red. This image is then used by an operator or a computer to guide the missile onto the target. Another method is to know the location of the missile vis-a-vis the target, to work out the correct interception trajectory. This can be done by Inertial Navigation System, Terrain Contour Matching or GPS-enabled. Many missile systems use a combination of two or more of the above methods to improve accuracy.

Warhead: High explosive is the most common warhead with shaped charge for hard targets. The kinetic energy of the missile and its residual fuel can also add to the warheads destructive power. Other warheads could be chemical, biological, nuclear, incendiary etc. Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) IGMDP was launched by the Defense Research and Development Organisation

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(DRDO) under Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, on July 26, 1983 to launch India into the missile age by achieving self sufficiency in terms of technology. It had the following projects under it: Short Range surface-to-surface Ballistic Missile - Prithvi Intermediate Range surface-to-surface Ballistic Missile – Agni Short range surface to air missile(SAM) – Trishul


MISSILES Medium Range SAM – Akash

Third generation anti- tank missile - Nag IGMDP was formally closed on January

08, 2008. Brief update on the above projects is given in succeeding paragraphs. Agni is not included as it is outside the purview of this paper.

Short range ballistic missile system

Prithvi: Prithvi is India’s first indigenously developed short range ballistic missile (SRBM), which is based on mobile launchers and thus can easily be transported by road. Development of the Prithvi began in 1983 and it was first tested on February 25, 1988. Since then it has been tested many times. It is powered by a single stage, two engined, and liquid-fuel propulsion. Guidance is a combination of inertial and terminal guidance. It has three versions from Prithvi I to III with ranges from 150 km to 350 km. Prithvi III is considered the naval version and is called Dhanush. Its payload varies from 500 kg to 1000 kg with a choice of nuclear/high explosive/ sub-munitions etc. It was inducted into the Strategic Forces Command in 2002. The latest test firing of Prithvi II took place on January 7, from the test range at Chandipur. The test was carried out as part of a user trial by the Indian Army. The missile was test fired from a mobile launcher in salvo mode. Prithvi-II missile is capable of carrying 500 kg to 1,000 kg of warheads and has a strike range of 350 km.

Air Defence Systems

Trishul: Trishul (means Trident in Hindi) was conceived as a short range SAM (SRSAM) to succeed the current OSA -AK of Russian origin. OSA- AK is a highly mobile SR- SAM to provide air defence to mechanised forces. It has a range of about 9 km and was also being designed for taking on sea skimmers, while based on naval vessels. The missiles, surveillance and fire control radars were to be co-mounted on a suitable platform which should be mobile enough to match the mechanised forces. The major problem during trials was that the missile could not lock-on and engage a fast moving target. Active seeker technology was not available to DRDO. The project was foreclosed around 2002 but DRDO continued to improve upon it (the DRDO jargon is ‘competence building’). It was finally closed in February 2008. Meanwhile DRDO started a joint development venture with MBDA to develop SR- SAM and called

it Maitri (for ‘friendship’ in Hindi). SR-SAM Maitri: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on December 18, 2007 between DRDO, Department of Defence Production and MBDA, France to undertake development of SR-SAM jointly by DRDO & MBDA and production by Bharat Dynamics Limited. Maitri has a range of 15 km with seeker based-guidance system. The system is meant for the Army, Navy and the Air Force. The complete requirement of the defence forces is estimated to be about $ 6 billion. It is analysed that DRDO will build upon their experience with Trishul and MBDA will use its VL-MICA SAM. Critical technologies like active seeker etc. are now likely to be available

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to DRDO through this MoU. Akash: Akash is a medium-range SAM (MR-SAM) with a range of 25 km and an altitude of 18 km. The missile is completely guided by a radar, has a digital proximity fuse with a 55 kg pre-fragmented warhead. Akash system can take on multiple targets with multiple missiles. Akash is supported by a phased-array, fire-control radar called ‘Rajendra‘. Akash is designed to succeed Kvadrat MR- SAM of Russian origin. Kvadrat was inducted to provide air defence and has been in service for more than three decades. The Army’s self-propelled version is based on a T-72 chassis and the Air Force’s transportable version is on a truck. The first test flight of Akash missile was conducted in


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An inside view of Nag anti tank missile

High explosive is the most common warhead with shaped charge for hard targets.The kinetic energy of the missile and its residual fuel can also add to the warheads destructive power. Other warheads could be chemical, biological, nuclear, incendiary etc. World’s fastest cruise missile BrahMos on display 1990 and the latest trial took place on February 24,2014. As per DRDO, the trial was successful and the system is ready for induction. The total production value of Akash air defence systems cleared for induction by Indian Army and Indian Air force is more than Rs 23,000 crore (about $ 3.7 billion). It is understood that the Army will use it in semi-static role and have taken up with DRDO for a mobile MR- SAM. MR-SAM and LR-SAM: The DRDO has joined hands with Israel Aerospace Industries to develop MR-SAM as an extension of Barak - Next Generation with a range of 70 km. There is also a Long Range SAM(LR-SAM) for the Navy and may also be used by the Air Force. In between it is

assumed that these projects were under shadow due to the earlier Barak deal coming under suspicion of bribery at the procurement stage, which has been now been cleared with additional orders for 262 missiles for about Rs 880 crores (about $150 million) placed on Israel. LR-SAM is likely to be ready by 2015 and MR-SAM by 2016. Man Portable Air Defence Systems Man Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS): The MANPADS do not come under the category of short-range missiles or under IGMDP but they have been included as their RFP is still current. The existing system is Igla of Russian origin and held by all the three services. There is a successor to

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Igla called Igla-M. It is understood that comparative trials were held during the summer of 2012 in which SAAB’s RBS 70 Next Generation (NG), MBDA’s Mistral and a system from Russia (a successor to Igla) were tried out but no decision were taken. It is also learnt that decision on RBS 70 NG is held up as the system is within the overall laid down weight but one of the sub-systems exceeds the requisite weight restrictions. Thus the decision making process has become a victim of bureaucratic approach to avoid blame in case allegations of malpractice fly later on. The combined order could be quite large, amounting to more than $ 5 billion. Anti-tank Guided Missile Systems Nag Anti-tank Guided Missile (ATGM) System: Nag (meaning a cobra) is another project of IGMDP which has been continuously running into difficulties during trials thus there have been cost overruns and delay in the project. Nag is a third generation ‘fire and forget’ with a range of 3-7km. Its High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead is capable of defeating modern armour like Explosive Reactive and Composite Armour. The system uses Imaging Infra-Red guidance with day and night capability of ‘Lock on Before Launch’. A helicopter version of Nag (called Helina) is also being developed with a range of 7 kms. The land version is based on a modified BMP-2 called Namica (Nag missile carrier) with a thermal imager for target acquisition. The land version has a range of 4 kms which is likely to be increased to 7 kms by a mast mounted missile launcher. The seeker is being further improved and user trials are expected in 2014. Indian Army is also looking at other options for anti-tank missile system at


MISSILES Trials for MBDA Mistral were held in India in 2012

infantry battalion level. Javelin of Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, US is one such system which has been short listed at the government level. Javelin ATGM System: The US has made an offer for a joint development of the next generation of Javelin and advance negotiations were held by both sides during Defexpo 2014. At present the Indian Army has on its inventory second generation, French made Milan and Russian made Konkurs ATGMs. The FGM-148 Javelin is a man-portable guided missile used by the US military, which is a ‘fire and forget’ system. Although the Javelin is primarily anti-tank missile but it can also be used against low flying helicopters or other aerial platforms. The Javelin missile is portable and can easily be operated by a crew of two personnel. The missiles use an imaging infrared seeker guidance system. The warhead consists of two charges, one to detonate the explosives and the other to penetrate armor of tanks and armored personnel carriers. The missiles have been used effectively in Iraq since 2003. It follows a top attack trajectory which gives a better view of the target and then strikes where the armor is weakest. To engage the

target, the layer places the cursor over it. The Javelin command launch unit then sends a lock-on-before-launch signal to the missile. The Javelin system consists of a missile in a disposable launch tube and a reusable Command Launch Unit with a trigger mechanism and the integrated day/night sighting device for surveillance, and target acquisition. The Javelin night vision sight is a passive IR system. It receives and measures IR light emitted by the environment. The NVS converts the IR light into an image for the gunner. The IR image also allows the gunner to identify enemy armor targets. Missile range is 2,000 metres and the systems weigh about 28 kg. During joint training between the Indian Army and US Army in the US, Indian crews were trained and made to fire Javelin with favorable results. Rafael’s Spike Family: Rafael of Israel has developed a family of Spike missiles, which include Spike-SR with a range of 800 metres, Spike-MR (Gill) with range of 2,500 metres, Spike-LR with 4,000 metres range, Spike-ER with a range of 8,000 metres and Spike NLOS (Non-Line Of Sight) with a claimed maximum range of up to 25 km. Spike-LR and Spike-ER can also be fitted on light combat vehicles and

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a package for mounting Spike-ER on helicopters is also available. The Spike missile family is in service with many countries. The ATGM version has been offered to the Indian Army. The Spike Family of missiles are suited for several platforms and multiple roles. The missiles have sophisticated electro-optic CCD or IR sensors for operation by day and night and in adverse weather conditions. The SpikeExtended Range(ER) is a stand-alone antiarmor weapon system that is designed for mounting on various platforms, including helicopters, fast boats and combat vehicles. It can also be dismounted to a ground position and fitted onto a tripod. The compact system includes the Spike-ER missile in its canister, the Command Launch Unit, a thermal sight and the Spike-ER launcher. It can defeat tanks at a range of up to 8 km. Spike-ER uses a day seeker or day/night seeker, tandem warhead, and retains the dual operation modes of Spike- Fire-and-Forget and FireObserve and Update. It has a high kill probability and pinpoint accuracy.

Cruise missiles

Simply put, a cruise missile is an UAV which can range from the Chinese Silkworm that


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Javeline ATGM System

has a range of less than 105 km, to the US Advanced Cruise Missile, which can fly to ranges of up to 3,000 km. It has four major subsystems – airframe, propulsion, guidance, control, navigation and weapon integration. The cruise missile is suited for the delivery of chemical or biological agents if it does not fly at supersonic or transonic speeds. Many countries like the US, the UK , China, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Taiwan and India have developed cruise missiles. Some examples are the British Sea-Eagle, the Chinese Seersucker and Silkworm, the French Exocet, the German Kormoran, the Israeli Gabriel, the Soviet SSN-2C and its derivatives, the Swedish RBS-15, the Taiwanese Hsiung Feng 2, and the US Harpoon. Cruise missiles that can deliver nuclear, chemical, and biological include the US Tomahawk and AGM-129 ACM( Advanced Cruise missile), the Russian SSN-21, the AS-15, and the French Apache. Many type of systems like Inertial Guidance System, Terrain Contour Matching, Global Positioning System and Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation, provide navigation.

Prithvi is India's first indigenously developed short range ballistic missile. It is powered by a single stage, two engined, and liquid-fuel propulsion. Guidance is a combination of inertial and terminal guidance. It has three versions from Prithvi I to III with ranges from 150 km to 350 km. Prithvi III is considered the naval version and is called Dhanush.

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BrahMos: BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile which can be launched from multiple platforms including submarines. It is a jointventure between India‘s DRDO and Russian Federation‘s NPO Mashinostroeyenia who have jointly formed BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited. BrahMos is derived from the Russian made P-800 Oniks / Yakhont supersonic anti-ship cruise missile with the propulsion system being based on the Oniks, while its guidance system has been developed by BrahMos Aerospace. The ship and landbased BrahMos missiles can carry a conventional semi-armour-piercing warhead of 200kg, while the aerial variant can carry a 300 kg warhead. These missiles can intercept surface targets as low as 10 metres in altitude. It has operational range of 300-500 km and a speed of Mach 2.8 - 3.0. Guidance system is mid-course guidance by INS, terminal guidance by a homing radar seeker which can be augmented by GPS/GLONASS ( Russian Global Navigation Satellite System), and has an accuracy of 1 metre. The system has been inducted in Indian Army and Navy. Air and submarine version is under development. A hypersonic version is under development to be ready for testing by 2017.


PUTIN’S ARMS TRADER EXPANDS EMPIRE WITH PHONES, PILLS, CARS Rostec, previously known as Russian Technologies, will book more than 1 trillion rubles ($27.5 billion) in revenue for last year, up from 931 billion rubles in 2012, according to Chemezov. About 60 percent of that is still defense-related.

Pentagon Contracts

f you need a genuine Kalashnikov rifle, Sergey Chemezov is your man. He’d also be happy to sell you a dual-screen smartphone, neonatal incubators, heavyduty trucks or a few tons of titanium. As head of Rostec, the Russian stateowned holding company formed around arms exporter Rosoboronexport, Chemezov is branching out. His $9 billion in planned investments through next year will include ventures working on biotechnology, drugs, gadgets and medical devices. “Our target is to have at least 50 percent of our combined revenue coming from civilian goods by 2015, so we’re not so dependent on military orders,” Chemezov, 61, said in an interview in Moscow. Finding new markets and customers may be more important than ever for Rostec after leaders in the U.S. and Europe threatened Russia with sanctions for sending troops into Ukraine’s Crimea region. It would also bolster President Vladimir Putin, who began his third term by ordering the government to create 25 million quality jobs through a modernization of the commodities-driven economy. Chemezov, who was born in the Siberian region of Irkutsk and got his start as an engineer there, is a trusted ally. He’s known Putin since the 1980s, when they lived in the same apartment complex in Dresden, Germany, during the future president’s stint as a KGB officer.

Selling Stakes

Eventually, Rostec wants to sell stakes in its successful holdings. Chemezov sold control of OAO VSMPO-Avisma, the world’s largest titanium producer, in 2012 while retaining 25 percent. Rostec sold

Cars, Trucks

Rostec may increase its stake in KamAZ, part owned by Daimler AG, from 49.9 percent now, according to Chemezov. A group of investors who used to own Russian investment bank Troika Dialog haven’t been able to agree with Daimler

AFP

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Sergey Chemezov, Chief Executive Officer of Rostec Corp.

The U.S., which awarded Rosoboronexport a $572 million helicopter contract last year, said last week that it was putting on hold joint military engagements with Russia. Elon Musk, the billionaire chief executive officer of Tesla Motors Inc., said last week the U.S. shouldn’t award Russia a “huge contract for rocket engines” after the actions in Ukraine. Rostec has significant industrial cooperation with Ukraine, so the situation “certainly causes concern,” Chemezov said. “We hope that the lack of a unified approach among governments on certain issues won’t influence relations among our countries, and that earlier agreements with our international partners will be successfully realized,” he said.

the stake for about $970 million. Most of the companies aren’t there yet. Rostec was saddled with hundreds of businesses in varying states of financial disarray after its creation in late 2007. The initial 437 had a loss of 61 billion rubles in 2009, when Russia’s economy contracted 7.8 percent. About 100 were nearly broke when handed to Chemezov and 28 were already in bankruptcy, he told Putin in a meeting in 2012. Twenty-three more weren’t even operating, he said at the time. Rostec holds stakes in 663 companies and counting. It’s been profitable since at least 2012, allowing Chemezov to shift from rescuing Soviet-era enterprises to investing in modernization. About 116 billion rubles, or more than a third of Rostec’s three-year, 332.6 billionruble investment program, will go toward overhauling truck producer OAO KamAZ and OAO AvtoVAZ, Russia’s biggest automaker, in which Renault-Nissan bought a controlling stake last year.

(From left) Russian carmaker Avtovaz President Igor Komarov, Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov, Renault-Nissan chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn and the co-chairman of Russia’s Sberbank Ruben Vardanian creating a joint venture


AFP

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, meets with Director General of Rostec State Corporation Sergey Chemezov on a price for their 23.5 percent, he said. Chemezov is also pushing into health care. Rostec owns OAO Schvabe, which makes everything from optical devices to baby incubators, and Rostec now plans to start accumulating stakes in state-owned biotech firms and drugmakers. The corporation signed an agreement with Russia’s Health Ministry to set up a holding that will develop and produce immunobiological medicines, Rostec said in a statement today. Last year, Chemezov ventured into consumer goods with the Yotaphone, which he dubbed a “100 percent Russian invention.” The smartphone, sporting an LCD on one side and electronic-ink reader on the other, won awards at shows in Las Vegas and Cannes, he told Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in December.

Apple ‘Nervous’

“Apple got nervous, you’re saying, after our smartphone,” said Medvedev, who uses the Cupertino-based company’s gadgets, while inspecting the device. “That’s absolutely right,” Chemezov said, after conceding that the components were foreign and the phone was assembled in Singapore. “The main thing is that all the intellectual property belongs to Russia.”

While expanding elsewhere, Chemezov isn’t letting go of the arms trade. Rosoboronexport’s revenue reached a record $13 billion last year, Kommersant reported in January. The arms exporter is looking to boost sales in Latin America and Africa while maintaining its presence in India, China and Southeast Asia, according to Chemezov. “We probably won’t catch up with the Americans, since their sales are $20 billion or more,” he said. Russian sales will probably hold at about $15 billion, enough to prevent the Chinese from winning the No. 2 spot.

which delayed a London $500 million initial public offering in 2011, saying investors undervalued the asset. “Russia is the world’s largest producer of military helicopters,” he said in the interview. “They’re cheaper than European or American helicopters, and the quality is no worse.” Russian Helicopters may try to sell

Kalashnikov Investors

Private investors Andrey Bokarev and Alexey Krivoruchko agreed last year to take a 49 percent stake in Izhevsk-based Kalashnikov, best known for the AK-47 rifle, whose inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov died in December. The company lacked “good marketing and distribution,” Chemezov said. Rostec plans to have Kalashnikov at least break even within two years and may open an assembly plant in India. Of the defense sales, 30 percent to 35 percent are from jets and helicopters. Rostec owns OAO Russian Helicopters,

Kalashnikov assault rifles shares again once the market is favorable, while holdings Schvabe and Radioelectronic Technologies are also preparing, Chemezov said. “We made a mistake at the time, as we were seeking a listing in London,” he said. “We needed to do it in Asia, where our main clients are and where we’re well known.” —Courtesy: Bloomberg


NETWORK CENT DIGITISATON OF ARMY

38


RICITY AND BMS APRIL 2014

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With the baby steps taken through the 70s and 80s the efforts by the Indian Army in the field of NCW has resulted in New Generation Network which enable forces to obtain precise target information in real time leading to quick response

P K CHAKRAVORTY

KEY POINTS

The term Network Centric Warfare came in vogue after the first Gulf War, which established its sensor-shooter chain Battlefield Management System is a project-in-the-making with the MoD seeking Expression of Interest from Indian companies with their foreign partners. The Chinese expect to fight in ‘war zones,’ which have the full complement of NCW paraphernalia.

T

Thales provided Combat Management Systems for a variety of surface vessels, including its TACTICOS product

he Indian Army is currently modernising their equipment to deal with threats from our adversaries. Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) is the term used to revolutionise the Army in aspects pertaining to integrated communications, state of the art weaponry and smart lethal ammunitions, which can enable a force to engage targets. An important area of modernisation is Network Centric Warfare (NCW). The NCW as a term gained importance in the US in 1996 and primarily has three elements, the sensor, commander (or decision maker ) and the shooter. Broadly there are four important aspects in the field of NCW. These are Information Sharing, Improved Situation Awareness, Speed of Command and Enhanced Mission Effectiveness. The NCW is characterised by the aspects of Reconnaissance, Surveillance,

39

Target Acquisition, Decision to engage, Engagement, Post Strike Damage Assessment and Reengagement to ensure that the Mission has been achieved. There have been many defence analysts who have been involved but two Colonels of the United States (US) Air Force who need to be mentioned Colonel John Boyd and Colonel Warden. Both of them were strategic contributors prior to the First Gulf War.Colonel John Boyd is famous for the OODA Loop. This consists of Observe, Orient, Decide and Act. Nothing could simplistically explain the operational process. Colonel Warden formulated the process of identifying the Centre of Gravity while undertaking Engagement of Targets. Five concentric rings around the Centre of Gravity described the nuanced approach to targeting. The inner most Concentric Circle pertains to enemy leadership and command elements, the second circle pertains to organic essentials. The third circle pertains to Infrastructure, the fourth to population and the fifth to field military forces. This method was applied in Gulf War I, polished during the Kosovo conflict and perfected in Gulf War II, Libya and Afghanistan. It is pertinent to note that our Armed Forces have optimised at the theatre level and the process was logical and paid extremely rich dividends during practical application. The integration of the process from the sensor to the shooter to include all elements from a soldier to the Supreme Commander would be known as the management of the battle would be needed in current operating environment.

NCW in Operations

The introduction of NCW can be traced to the Vietnam War. Possibly all new concepts


DIGITISATON OF ARMY originated in the battles at Khe Sanh, Hue, Hamburger Hill, Pleiku and not to forget the destruction of the famous Thanh Hoa bridge with Laser Guided Bombs. This was followed by the famous Israeli offensive launched on 06 June 1982. Late retired Air Commodore Jasjit Singh a former Director of Institute For Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) in a special address at a CENJOWS Seminar on 12 June 2013, called it the beginning of modern warfare where Israeli Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) deceived the complete Syrian Air Defence and shot 86 Syrian jet fighters with practically no losses, thereafter paralysing the entire Syrian Armoured Division destroying 85 T-72 and T-55. This enabled the new Merkava tank to exploit and push the Syrian forces away from the Sea of Galilee. They were all working in harmony from Ariel Sharon as the Defence Minister to the pilots of the UAV, fighter pilots in the Air and the Merkava tank commanders on ground. This was followed by Gulf War I, the Kosovo Conflict where targets were changed while the B2B stealth bombers were briefed to change their targets and six of these aircrafts caused more than 45% of the estimated damage. The digitisation of the battle field was further enhanced in the Second Gulf War, the Libyan conflict and Afghanistan. The piece de resistance was the digitised Operation “Neptune Spear� launched on 02 May 2011 resulting in the killing of Al Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden. The operation involved the CIA, Navy Seals, four satellites, possibly three aircraft carriers and was witnessed at the White House by the President who is the Commander-in-Chief as also the Secretary of State. Surprise was the essence of the entire operation where the communication was between the Commander-In- Chief (the US president) and the Seal team Six. Currently the US, NATO forces, China, Russia and Israel have been digitising their Armies to ensure enhanced mission capabilities.

Indian Perspective

The Indian Army has been taking baby steps towards the process of digitisation. The entire transformation which was aptly described as systems technology in 1970 to system of systems in 1980 onward to a family of systems in the 21st century has resulted in a New Generation Network which enables forces to obtain precise target information in real time leading to quick responsive

engagements causing effective destruction of designated targets. As far as the Indian Army is concerned the digitisation is handled by the Directorate General of Information Systems which deals with this important element of Non-Contact Warfare. The heart of the system is Command Information Decision Support System (CIDSS) which comprises Tactical Command Control Communications and Information System (Tac C3I), the Artillery Combat Command and Control System (ACCCS), Battlefield Surveillance System (BSS), Air Defence Control & Reporting System (ADC&RS), Electronic Warfare System (EWS) and Electronic Intelligence System (ELINT). The Tac C3 I is to provide

40

state of the art connectivity from the Corps HQ and below. Upward connectivity from Corps HQ to Army HQ is to be provided by the Army Strategic Operational Information Dissemination System (ASTROIDS). However, there is a lacuna as no connectivity exists at unit and sub unit level. Accordingly there is a requirement to provide an automated Battle Management System (BMS) for the sub units to enable them to have sensors, platforms, weapon systems integrated with individual soldiers, to enable them to exploit their assets and translate plans into synergised operations at the lowest level. The BMS as applicable to the Indian Army is a command and control system providing


Battlefield Surveillance System

�

Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs) is a major component of the modern ammunition matrix of which the Indian Army holds the laser designated Krasnopol in limited numbers which can be fired from the 155mm Bofors up to a range of 20 km.

integrated through data enabled communication networks. Further the BMS will produce COP by Geographic Information System (GIS) reference frame work and provide Blue Force Tracking (BFT) using satellite navigation systems. The aim is to have the shortest OODA loop for the soldiers as also a flexible system architecture facilitating quick attachments and detachments. Further the systems must be capable of quick deployment and have the capability to disseminate position reports in a GPS disabled environment relying on alternative Inertial Navigation Systems with GLONASS in loop.

Current Status real/near real time situational awareness as also information exchange for unit commanders and below, down to individual soldiers/platforms to enable optimal management of resources within the Tactical Battle Area (TBA). The BMS will be mobile and integrated with sensors, weapon platforms and decision making tools. The system will provide Common Operating Picture (COP), Situational Awareness to all entities in the TBA networked with secure, robust and reliable communication system supporting voice, data and real time video services. It will comprise of hand held information system with individual soldiers as well as man portable and vehicle mounted information system. All these would be

While the Information systems are being networked steps are being undertaken to provide sensors as also modern platforms comprising tanks, guns, rockets and missiles. Phase 1 of ACCCS has been completed and practically 33 percent of Artillery units are equipped with state of the art networks. Tac C3I and BSS are in the test bed. EWS, ELINT and ADC&RS are in the process of development. The main Defence Public Sector Unit (DPSU) involved is Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and the main Defence and Research laboratory is Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR). It would take about three to four years to see full induction of these systems. The BMS has been cleared as a Make project by the Defence Acquisition Council in

41

APRIL 2014

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2011. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has ordered constitution of an Integrated Project Management Team (IPMT) to undertake a study. This was followed by an Expression of Interest (EOI) which has been issued by the Ministry of Defence to the industry Raksha Udyog Ratnas (RURs). EOIs have been sent to more than a dozen Indian defence companies, private and state owned to participate in the project. The EOIs have been possibly sent to BEL, Electronics Corporation of India, Computer Maintenance Corporation, ITI, Tata Power SED, Rolta India, Wipro. L&T. HCL, Punj Lloyd, Bharat Forge, Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys and Tech Mahindra.While only domestic defence companies will be allowed to compete, these companies are likely to forge ties with overseas defence majors to acquire advanced technologies. The overseas defence companies expected to compete include Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael, Elbit, Thales, Nexter, Rode, Schwartz, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, General Dynamics and Selex. The Government expects to select two bidders after the evaluation of EOIs by end of 2013. Each of these two companies will be asked to develop four BMS prototypes for mountain, jungle, plains and desert operations. The development of the prototypes is projected to cost about $67 million with the MoD covering 80 percent of the expense and the shortlisted domestic company 20 percent. The establishment of the test bed and the field trials are due by about 2015 and the selected defence company will be asked to produce more than 500 defence systems in India for an estimated $ 5 billion. The production would possibly begin by 2016. However, delay and slippages would be normal possibly commencing induction by about 2020. As regards sensors we have currently acquired UAVs, Battle Field Surveillance Radars, Weapon Locating Radars, Long Range Reconnaissance and Observation System (LORROS), Thermal Imaging Intensification Observation Equipment (TIIOE), N Cross night vision equipment, Hand Held Thermal Imaging (HHTI) equipment, night vision binoculars and Unattended Ground Sensors. The quantities held are minimal and greater numbers are needed for improved Battle Field Transparency. Apart from these the Indian Army needs satellites as also Aerostats for wider coverage of its Area of Influence. The platforms needed for engagement of


DIGITISATON OF ARMY

Elbit Enhanced Tactical Computer’s a target designated need to be state of art for quick response, longer ranges and greater accuracy as well as consistency to ensure effective destruction. We are presently in the process of obtaining modern Small Arms as also the T-90 tanks and BMP-2 Armoured Personnel Carrier for our infantry and mechanised forces. In as much as our Artillery Guns are concerned, the 105 mm, 130 mm and 155 mm Bofors along with the 120 mm Mortars have been in service for more than 25 years and need to be replaced with state of the art equipment. We are fortunate to have inducted three regiments of Smerch Rockets which range 90 km, two regiments of indigenously manufactured Pinaka rockets which range 37 Km and obtained the Extended Range Rocket Ammunition of Grad BM 21 which attains a range of 40 km. The Indian Army has also inducted two regiments of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile with a range of 300 km. The third regiment is being raised and would possibly be inducted in the short term. Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs) is a major component of the modern ammunition matrix of which the Indian

The platforms needed for engagement of a target designated need to be state of art for quick response, longer ranges and greater accuracy as well as consistency to ensure destruction. We are in the process of obtaining modern SmallArms as also theT-90 tanks and BMP-2 Armoured Personnel Carrier for our infantry and mechanised forces.

42

Army holds the laser designated Krasnopol in limited numbers which can be fired from the 155mm Bofors up to a range of 20 km. To win wars in the 21st century the US Army has decided that 60 percent of its ammunition inventory would be PGMs. Our holding of this crucial variety is on a smaller scale and needs to be enhanced. Comparison with China and Pakistan Operational issues need to be deliberated while digitising our Army towards NCW. China is currently adopting the War Zone concept where the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is preparing to fight wars under high- tech conditions. Information Domination is the primary aim of Chinese modernisation and to this end they are leaving no stone unturned to focus on four areas. First, to ensure the PLA is capable of fighting NCW effectively, second to develop disruptive technologies to create theatre blind spots, cyber warfare, anti satellite weapons, under water warfare, direct energy weapons and space controlled weapons. The third aspect pertains to fight


APRIL 2014

DSI

wars which are non contact, with missiles, submarines and space weapons. The fourth issue is in the realms of cognitive and social domain which leads to fighting asymmetric wars under high technology conditions. The PLA started its modernisation after the First Gulf War in 1991 with its focus on ISTAR (Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance). Currently the force is speedily moving to high degree of digitisation. It is pertinent to note that China has developed its own navigation system based on the Beidou satellite system which would be fully operationalised by 2020. China is supplying Pakistan with all issues concerning technology and this makes the situation extremely serious for the Indian Army. The Indian Army has to be prepared for a collusive threat from China and Pakistan which entails fighting a war on two fronts. As both these countries are progressing towards digitisation with speed, the Indian Army has no option but to accelerate the digitisation process.

Way Ahead

The Indian Army has to be prepared for a collusive threat from China and Pakistan. As both these countries are marching in quick time towards NCW, there is an urgent need to expedite the process to ensure our capabilities match with our adversaries. This needs a detailed examination of the issues which merit attention. The NCW deals primarily with the sensor, the decision maker and the shooter. Synergy in modernisation of all these aspects would enhance our capabilities to meet our strategic, operational and tactical challenges. The first aspect is to enhance our sensor capability. Currently the Indian Army does not have a dedicated satellite and has to depend on Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for its needs. The Naval satellite GSAT-7 would also provide assistance once it is operationalised. Despite these there is the need for a satellite for tasks applicable to the Indian Army. In addition there is a need for aerostats as also additional UAVs along with Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAV). Further the quantity of sensors must be scaled to meet operational needs. As regards decision making the test beds pertaining to Tac C3I and BSS needs to be finalised to enable procurement and induction. ACCCS has made a good beginning and its phase 2 must be upgraded and

The Thales “Theatre Box� cloud-ready deployable C4I packs in a single Dell server approved for induction. The EWS, ELINT and ADC&RS needs to be finalised and bought to the test bed. The EOIs of BMS needs to be examined and the bidders be selected to develop prototypes expeditiously. Similar actions need to be taken with regard to the third component comprising the Shooter. Guns in 155 mm calibre be selected with capability to shoot PGMs. Our Guns should be able to cater for the mountain strike corps which has been approved by the Government. It is in this context that the trial evaluated 155mm Ultra Light Howitzer be procured to meet our requirements. Further

43

the BrahMos steep dive version be inducted for usage in the mountains. PGMs play a vital role in a digitised battlefield; there is an urgent need to procure these for the Indian Army to ensure accurate destruction of targets. Viewing modernisation by China and India our authorities must make dedicated efforts to speed up procurement of these items. Digitisation of army leading to Network Centricity must be accorded priority in view of modernisation of the Chinese PLA and the Pakistan Army. Deliberate efforts by the Ministry of Defence and army headquarters will pave the way for expeditious development and induction of these critical items.


CBRN: WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION WEAPONS

Although chemical weapons are banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, their use by nation states have not been uncommonrecent examples being the use of such weapons by Iraq under Sadam Hussain in Kurdistan and in Syria recently

G BALACHANDRAN

KEY POINTS

Radiological materials can be threat to society if not handled properly with adequate safeguards. Current international regimes and the enforcement of various treaties and agreements is not sufficient to guarantee the prevention of terrorist actions. Commercial opportunities exist for Indian industry to design and develop new weapons to counter terrorist threats.

C

BRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) is term usually associated with issues pertaining to these subjects whether it be materials, technologies, uses or dangers. The uses and benefits of these to mankind is evident from the extensive usage of these materials and technologies in common day-to-day life whether be it chemicals (life would be unthinkable in current days without these given their major presence in industrial and chemical and employment environment), Biological (with major presence in medical and health fields),

Radiological (health and industrial diagnostic environment) and Nuclear (in generating electric power and producing radiological materials). However, these materials are also extremely hazardous capable of causing extreme damage to environment and human life. Three of these, CB and N, are classified as WMDs- Weapons of Mass Destruction. Although chemical weapons are today banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), their use by nation states have not been uncommon- recent examples being the use of

44

such weapons by Iraq under Sadam Hussain in Kurdistan and in Syria recently as brought out by the OPCW. In normal peace environment too, chemicals can pose extreme danger-as was witnessed during the Bhopal gas tragedy in December 1984 when more than 10000 persons lost their lives due to leakage of the chemical Methyl-IsoCyanate (MIC). The damage caused by nuclear materials is best exemplified by the use of nuclear explosives in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in war and the Chernobyl accident in peaceful uses.


MASS DESTRUCTION APRIL 2014

The Avon FM12 mask is used by United Nations inspectors in Syria and by the United States and other militaries, and by first responder services worldwide

While radiological materials do not pose threats on the same scale as the WMDs, they too can be threat to society if not handled properly with adequate safeguards. Since their use is more prevalent in medical diagnostics their use is widespread. In India, the incident at Delhi’s Mayapuri of March 2010 is well known. A gamma unit containing Cobalt-60 pencils was improperly disposed of by a research institution in violation of national regulations for radiation protection and safety of radioactive sources. Subsequent events resulted in the most severe radiation

accident reported in India to date, resulting in seven radiation injuries and one death. A much earlier similar incident that took place in Brazil was one of the most serious radiological accidents to have occurred to date. At about the end of 1985 a private radiotherapy institute in Goiania, Brazil, moved to new premises, taking with it a cobalt-60 teletherapy unit and leaving in place a caesium-137 teletherapy unit without notifying the licensing authority as required under the terms of the institute’s licence leaving the caesium-137 teletherapy unit totally insecure. Two people entered the premises and, not knowing what the unit was but thinking it might have some scrap value, removed the source assembly from the radiation head of the machine. This they took home and tried to dismantle. In the attempt the source capsule was ruptured and remnants of the source assembly sold for scrap to a junkyard owner who noticed that the source material glowed blue in the dark. Several persons were fascinated by this and over a period of days fragments of the source the size of rice grains were distributed to several families. This proceeded for five days, by which time a number of people were showing gastrointestinal symptoms arising from their exposure to radiation from the source. Many individuals incurred external and internal exposure. In total, some 112,000 persons were monitored, of whom 249 were contaminated either internally or externally. The accident resulted in the death of four persons and the injury by radiation of many others; it also led to the radioactive contamination of parts of the city. An investigation of the accident suggested that its consequences could have been much more serious had those engaged in the response to it not discharged their responsibilities with skill, courage and determination.

Statutory Provisions:

Fortunately the use of WMD by nation states has been outlawed by a number of international conventions/treaties and agreements. The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) was the first multilateral

45

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disarmament treaty banning the development, production and stockpiling of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction. It was opened for signature on 10 April 1972 and entered into force on 26 March 1975. Currently it has 165 State Parties as members. 12 countries have signed the Convention but are yet to ratify it. Another 19 countries have neither signed nor ratified the treaty. The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) aims to eliminate another entire category of weapons of mass destruction by prohibiting the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention, transfer or use of chemical weapons by States Parties. States Parties, in turn, must take the steps necessary to enforce that prohibition in respect of persons (natural or legal) within their jurisdiction. It was opened for signature on January 13, 1993 and entered into force on April 29, 1997. Currently 190 countries have CWC in force in their territory. There are 6 non-member states, of which two have signed but not ratified the convention (Israel and Myanmar) and 4 have neither signed nor ratified the treaty (Angola, Egypt, North Korea and South Sudan). At the end of 2012, there were only four State Parties with declared chemical weapons (Iraq, Libya, the Russian federation and the United States of America) and they are committed to destroy their remaining stock of chemicals in a timebound framework under the supervision of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Syria which became a State Party to the Treaty in late 2013 declared possession of chemical weapons which are in the process of destruction under the direction and supervision of OPCW to be completed by middle 0f 2014. The last of the treaties in respect of WMDs is the Treaty on the NonProliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). It is a landmark international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament. Opened for signature in 1968, the Treaty entered into force in 1970. On 11 May 1995, the Treaty


MASS DESTRUCTION WEAPONS Dual-Fluid decontamination being carried out on a Land Rover vehicle and soldiers

PURSUIT DYNAMICS PLC

was extended indefinitely. A total of 190 parties have joined the Treaty, including the five nuclear-weapon States. All the other 185 State parties have made a binding commitment to the international community� not to receive the transfer from any transferor whatsoever of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices or of control over such weapons or explosive devices directly, or indirectly; not to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices; and not to seek or receive any assistance in the manufacture of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.� Four states are not members of the NPT(India, Israel, North Korea and Pakistan) who all possess nuclear weapons and hence cannot become members of the NPT under the terms of NPT as nuclear weapon states. Thus as far as CBRN is concerned the current international agreements in force ensure that almost all nation states are prohibited from the use of these materials as weapons. As for radiological materials, their use and disposal is governed by the rules set by the regulatory agencies of the respective states. Thus, by and large, there is a robust system of international rules and regulations, and treaties and conventions to assure the international community of their safety from the use of these materials and weapons by nation states and to guarantee international security. However, with the rise in international terrorism, and malafide intentions and actions by non-state actors, the current international regimes and the enforcement of various treaties and agreements is not sufficient to guarantee the prevention of terrorist actions, affecting public order and health, through the use of CBRN materials and technology and there have been examples of such actions. In March 1995, three Tokyo subway lines were simultaneously permeated by a lethal gas called sarin. The gas had been placed on trains in liquid form, in bottles disguised as drink bottles, and in other similarly disguised packaging. Gas was released when the packages leaked. The effects of the attacks, which were launched from a number of points along the three lines, were felt immediately by the morning rush hour travelers. Nearly 5,000 people were treated for the attack, which injured hundreds and killed eight. There have been numerous

instances of explosives using common chemicals such as fertlisers being used in terrorist attacks. Since by their very nature, by and large, most of the CBRN are dual-use materials, in the sense of being commonly used for legal and otherwise necessary purposes, it requires special efforts by nation-states to ensure that these are not used for illicit purposes. While efficient law enforcement is a necessity for ensuring that such actions do not take place, the law agencies themselves need to be provided with adequate legal and technical means to carry out their mission. While the legal mechanisms will be dictated by prevailing national legal structures, the technical means need to be properly developed with international cooperation if necessary and given the intricacies of the science involved and the high degree of technological capacity needed to develop instruments and counter measures necessary to detect and deter such terrorist acts, international cooperation is almost a must for all nations, including the most developed. India is no exception in this regard.

Commercial Opportunities:

It is here that opportunities exist for Indian industry and R&D establishments to cooperate both in developing technologies and modifying/using existing technologies

46

to design and develop new instruments and equipments to counter terrorist threats. In the area of CBRNE (CBRN and explosives) since use of explosive devices is essential to carry out CBRN attacks, there is a whole range of subjects that require attention. These include for instance such areas as: i) Threat Characterisation and Attribution Investigation of the unique physical and chemical characteristics of threat materials, develop tools to determine the origin of a piece of CBRNE evidence, evaluate clandestine methods of CBRNE production, and assess the effects of decontamination on CBRNE evidence. ii) CB Indicators and Warnings Developing information about general indicators and warnings, production setups, and end products that are representative of plausible improvised production methods of chemical and biological agents following methods found in openly available improvised production literature. iii) Trace detection Develop enabling technologies to detect threat materials and their precursors at trace levels. Emergency response teams carry a variety of pieces of equipment to measure chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals. In an effort to streamline operations and reduce overall cost, teams require a single detector to meet the varied


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detection needs. It is, therefore necessary to develop detector system for the detection, identification, and quantification of chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals at imminent danger to life and health concentrations or lower. iv) Bulk detection Develop enabling technologies to detect threat materials and their precursors at bulk levels. Clearly terrorists need to develop some sort of in-house factories/production establishments to stock CBRNE materials for use in terrorist related activities. A need, therefore, exists for efficient methods for the detection, identification, and neutralisation/ desensitisation of the improvised explosive laboratories, with minimal collateral damage and minimal interference with troop operations. v) Proximity and Standoff Detection To reduce collateral damage and decrease the risk to the personnel who attempt to neutralise the improvised device it is necessary to develop enabling technologies to detect threat materials and their precursors at proximity and standoff distances. These devices must be capable of defeating a broad spectrum of improvised terrorist devices that include IEDs, vehicleborne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs), person-borne IEDs (PBIEDs), and enhanced hazard devices containing chemical, biological, or radiological materials. Therefore, there is a need to develop innovative, cost-effective disruption and precision render-safe solutions that increase standoff distance. These and many more requirements for effective counter terrorism operations do not require ab-initio development of technologies or extensive and costly research and development efforts. But they do require access to the latest or reasonable latest components, systems and subsystems to design novel equipment and also possible international cooperation in technology cooperation and transfers. According to press reports India has sought cooperation from the US in providing technical assistance in countering threats from Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) weapons during a recent meeting between security officials of the two countries. According to these reports the Indian side had raised the issue of sharing technical know-how of countering the threats emerging from CBRN weapons. The Indian industry is keen on entering

APRIL 2014

DSI

US ARMY

MASS DESTRUCTION WEAPONS

Soldiers from US Army conduct a joint training session on CBRN equipment the area of defence production. Many of these systems form part of defence systems. The financial outlay in developing many of these systems is in the range of crores of rupees not hundreds of crores. The United States has a well structured program of developing counterterrorism technologies at the Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO) which funds specific action programs. THE CTTSO seeks to increase the United States’ ability to defeat terrorism by maximizing interagency

India has sought cooperation from the US in providing technical assistance in countering threats from Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear weapons during a recent meeting between security officials of the two countries.

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and international resources to satisfy common requirements. CTTSO already has many international partners spread across seven countries-Australia, Canada, Ghana, Israel, Singapore, Switzerland and United Kingdom- with the participation of nearly 50 small and medium institutions in these countries. While it is true that many of the technologies needed for these programs are controlled technologies and need US government approval before any US institutions can cooperate with any foreign country, fortunately for India, it is exempt from many of the licensing requirements for items controlled for reasons of terrorism. The CTTSO makes regular announcements for bids to develop many of the aforementioned technologies from both US and international partners. With the strong India-US strategic partnership, it should not be difficult for US to extend the partnership status to India and in such a case India with its (i) strong S&T research base and personnel, (ii) the well established Indian industrial and defence industrial base should be able to attract US and other international partners to offer cost effective solutions to the problems posed by CTTSO. That would also assist the Indian industry in undertaking major defence projects in the future and building their industrial R&D capabilities - an essential requirement for any effective role in defence production.


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EMERGING CHALLENGES IN COMBATING TERRORISM: TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS

COUNTER TERRORISM

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APRIL 2014

Our existing approach to CT is apparently insufficient and we need to renew efforts in order to enhance surveillance, monitoring and synergizing national effort to beat the terrorists. The bottom-line is that we should be able to ‘prevent’ terrorist attacks and react swiftly should an attack happen.

DSI

DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTOR, DSI

KEY POINTS

While one man’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter, increasingly global terrorism is becoming a tense game of counter-terrorism. Both sides of terrorism is becoming adept at adopting advanced technology for their ends. If Amazon.com can have drones to deliver Christmas gifts, can they be used to deliver explosives to accomplices too?

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errorism has no universal definition especially in an environment where one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. No country is safe from terror, not even the US. Post 9/11, it is not the Boston Bombing alone that hit the US, the country has been plagued with hate crimes, now being termed “Lone Wolf” attacks. Then is the ambiguity about the shades of terror. Institutionalised radicalisation in Pakistan was described in Daily Times of Pakistan dated 11 May 2009 as “a monstrous experiment in brainwashing and it is on a par with, if not worse than, Nazi Germany’s eugenics.” Adoption of terror as state policy has a “force multiplying” effect on ordinary terrorist groups. Advancements in technology empower terrorist to cause severe damage through cyber, financial, kinetic attacks, acquisition of WMDs being a major concern.

AFP

An armed Indian policeman stands atop a special bullet and bombproof armoured personnel carrier during counter terrorism review

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Other than modern arms (including handheld precision-guided munitions that could be used against civilian and/or military aircraft, and automatic weapons that facilitate a wide array of terrorist operations, communications, GPS equipment etc, some of the technology-terror manifestations are as under: Internet: Internet has been a boon for radicalisation, messaging and coordinating terrorist actions. Increase in networks implies rise of ‘net-war’ with power transferred to terrorists. Cyber Terrorism: The 9/11 terrorist attack

AFP

Role of Technology


COUNTER TERRORISM

also knocked out critical financial transaction networks and caused an overload of the telecommunications grid. Dan Verton said in 2002, “While Osama bin Laden may have his finger on the trigger, his grandson may have his finger on the mouse” but cyber terrorism is not new. The first major attack caused the Siberian pipeline explosion in 1982. Over the years, dams, communications and power at airports, pipelines, sewage system, nuclear monitoring systems, train signaling system, automobile plants, hospital systems, all have been attacked. Bomb Implants and Body Cavity Bomb (BCB): In August 2009, Al Qaeda terrorist Abdullah-al-Asin, tried to assassinate a Saudi prince with bomb inserted in his rectum but the prince suffered minor injuries. The fact that bomb implants may be a reality soon was brought home in a fictional article on Mail Online by Michael Burleigh on 8th August; a man carrying a diabetic kit with the syringe injects ‘insulin’ (actually chemical explosive Triacetone Triperoxide) into his stomach during flight, the liquid combined with explosives implanted inside him blowing up. Last year, Asadullah Khalid, head of Afghan intelligence was targeted by a human bomber. Khalid survived with severe injuries but it remains unclear where the bomb was concealed. 12 British nationals killed and wounded in the 7/7 London Tube bombings in 2005 had bone shrapnel injuries, including one man blinded by a bone fragment from the bomber himself. US intelligence believes Al Qaeda has devised a way to conceal explosives inside the body that can avoid detection by sophisticated scanners. They also claim Al Qaeda has developed an undetectable liquid explosive that can be soaked into clothing and ignited when dry. 3D Weapon Printing: Texas firm, ‘Solid Concepts’ has made the first metal gun

Vulnerability to terror as during 26/11 implies the measures adopted are inadequate.Technology by itself is not everything but we must optimise CT technology, seeking technologies that help us remain a step ahead of terrorists, building national system that addresses all the challenges of terrorism from intelligence and early warning to CT and response.

using a 3D printer. 50 bullets were fired from this gun. Earlier, The Mail had printed the first plastic gun in UK, capable of firing a live round, using a 3D printer costing £1,700 and then took it on board a fully packed Eurostar train on 10th May 2013 without being stopped through security. Blueprints of the weapon (‘Liberator’) were reportedly downloaded more than 100,000 times before it could be removed from the web. The ‘Liberator’ costs just $25 if you have the 3D printer. Explosives: Explosives like Semtex, liquids and non-detectable type developed by Al Qaeda are on the scene. In February

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2012, media reported ‘new type’ of explosive that a man on a motorbike attached to the car of an Israeli diplomat in New Delhi, but then Limpet mines that attach to metal have been in existence for decades. Terrorists generally rely on explosive material (chemicals, fertilizers) available in open market. WMDs: WMD has two connotations; Weapons of Mass Destruction and Weapons of Mass Disturbance. If the Sarin gas attack in Syria has shaken the world, the Aum Shinrikyo cult also used Sarin Gas for multiple bombings of Tokyo Subway in 1995 killing 13, injuring 50 and caused temporary loss of vision to 1000. The Cult actually had enough Sarin Gas to kill one million people. Terrorists today are developing NBC capabilities, assisted by fissile material available in the black market. Toxic radioactive agents can be paired with conventional explosives and turned into a radiological weapon. The recent theft of a truck full of Cobalt-60 in Mexico is an example of the inherent dangers. Recovery of a 1.5 kg Uranium mine by the Army in Assam during January 2013 is significant since intakes of uranium can lead to cancer risk, liver and kidney damage, and cause widespread public panic. Aerial Delivery: With reference to the Tokyo Subway bombing of 1995, the Aum Shinrikyo cult had two remote controlled helicopters but luckily, both remote controlled crashed during trials. Had they used aerial spraying, the damage would have been catastrophic. The LTTE had owned aircraft, the USWA has its own helicopters presently, 9/11 terrorists commandeered US commercial aircraft. The threat from air has multiplied greatly with proliferation of UAVs. If Amazon.com can use autonomous winged robots to deliver your orders on your doorstep, so can terrorists deliver bombs and chemicals:

AFP

An Indian Navy "Heron", an Israeli-made unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV,) lands at the Porbandar airfield



COUNTER TERRORISM

AFP

Indian members of a special tactical unit skilled for anti naxal operations during a demonstration

Counter Terrorism Technologies

Multiple Counter Terrorism (CT) technologies are available off the shelf and research is ongoing. These include: Aids to assist intelligence and surveillance against terrorists. In the US, the PRISM program of NSA is criticized for invasion of privacy but has provided intelligence agencies tools for locating terrorists and thwarting attacks. The concept of data mining also holds considerable promise in CT. Surveillance programs have also developed. In India, the Central Monitoring System (CMS) is similar to PRISM but a balance needs to be struck between intelligence needs and privacy rights of individuals. IT for collaborative efforts to best utilize available intelligence, its analysis and dissemination. Assisting border control, visas, and airline security; improved scanners, hand, facial, iris recognition systems etc. Border and coastal surveillance and security. IED detection and destruction. Detection of NBC materials, protection and antidotes.

Drones, stealth technologies and PGMs.

Many global firms are offering varied CT technologies, salient features of some of which are: Thales: Thales offers a comprehensive offer combining security and defence solutions; a set of dual, modular and interoperable solutions designed to detect and neutralize terrorist threat based on: surveillance and intelligence (sensors, data fusion and analysis, cyber surveillance); protection (sensitive site and frontier protection, security of Information Systems) and: intervention (soldier communication systems, UAVs, tracking systems). Raytheon: Raytheon offers technologies for CT including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Northrop Grumman: Offers vast range of CT technologies having won awards for: CBRNe Detection and Protection; Communication Systems; Cyber Security and Electronic Security and IED Disposal through its next generation UAV. The firm also proposes Skyguard High-Energy Laser System for Layered Commercial Aircraft Counter-MANPADs Protection. Lockheed Martin: Lockheed Martin has

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developed four TRACER systems for deployment on manned or unmanned platforms to detect vehicles, buildings, and large metallic objects in broad areas of dense foliage, forested areas and wooded terrain. Its dual band (UHF/VHF) SAR can peer through foliage, rain, darkness, dust storms or atmospheric haze to provide realtime, high-quality tactical ground imagery by day and night. General Dynamics: General dynamics offers information systems and technologies to provide solutions that support a wide range of networked communications, cyber security and information sharing needs, including tactical communications systems. Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI): IAI has provided UAVs to India – both Searcher and Heron are deployed with the Indian military. Elbit Systems, Israel: Elbit Systems offers system integration and a range of CT products. The Artillery, Command, Control and Communications System (ACCCS), the first operational information system fielded in the Indian Army though ostensibly developed by BEL has bulk hardware and technology from Elbit Systems.


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COUNTER TERRORISM

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Indian soldiers take cover during a military operation at the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai on November 29, 2008 Rolta: Rolta offers a variety of solutions for Emergency Response Management, Command and Control Solutions, Maritime Security solution, Intelligence Data Fusion, Crime Analytics, Integrated 2D & 3D GIS, Optronics, Mobile Surveillance Vehicle, Border Surveillance including solutions for securing sensitive information at places like Airports, Refineries, Dockyards, Metros, CAPF outpost, etc. Mahindra & Mahindra and BAE Systems JV: The Mine Protected Vehicle India (MPVI) is the first product designed and manufactured by Defence Land Systems India, the then joint venture between Mahindra & Mahindra and BAE Systems. Designed specifically to meet CT challenges, it provided protection from small arms fire, can withstand 21kg of TNT under the center of any wheel and 14kg under the crew compartment. DRDO’s UAVs: DRDO has developed ‘Nishant’ tactical UAV and ‘Lakshya’ pilotless target aircraft (PTA), latter ordered by Services for their gunnery training. Nishant

completed confirmatory trials in February 2011. With endurance of four and a half hours, Nishant is designed for intelligence gathering, reconnaissance, training, surveillance, target designation, artillery fire correction, damage assessment, ELINT and SIGINT. DRDO is developing UAVs under HALE (High Altitude Long Endurance) and MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) designations. MALE UAV ‘Rustom’ carries a range of payloads. The HALE UAV has features such as SATCOM links. Converting LCA into a UCAV and weaponising UAVs are also on the cards.

India’s CT Scene

Our CT scene leaves much to be desired. Recent arrest of US vessel Seaman Guard Ohio on 12th October, 10 nautical miles off Tuticorin indicates we continue to remain porous to 26/11 type attacks. Hundreds of fishing vessels are yet to be fitted with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Similarly, fitting GPS devices on all boats and fishing

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vessels plying on high seas, protocol for registration of routes of each vessel, surveillance and radar system to identify illegal entrants and monitoring movement are yet to be established. The satellite-based vessel tracking and warning system sanctioned in 2008 has not been implemented. The Multi Agency Centre (MAC) for setting up a national database for terrorism and crime has progressed somewhat but the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) is yet to take off. Similarly, the NATGRID is meandering slowly while the NCTC has not even been approved. Lack of indigenous focus has forced DAC to approve Army’s demand for importing 66,000 assault rifles and a 43,000 new generation carbines. Under consideration weapons were Heckler & Koch G 36, assault rifle (German), Beretta 70/90 (Italy), SAR 21 (Singapore), XM8 (USA) also originally designed by Heckler & Koch, Steyer A3 (Austria), Tavor TAR 21 and IMI Galil 5.56


APRIL 2014

having developed Phase 1 of both these programs. Similarly, military has made no progress in developing an enterprise GIS. Development of common standard protocols between Services has also not taken off and no common software and security algorithms are being developed.

Focus Needed

NSG commandos re-enact counterterrorism operations

Terrorists today are developing NBC capabilities, assisted by fissile material available in the black market.Toxic radioactive agents can be paired with conventional explosives and turned into a radiological weapon.

and Decision Support System (CIDSS) and Battlefield Surveillance System (BSS) are stalled despite contracts signed for their fielding with BEL in March 2011 for Rupees 1,035 crores for the equipping CIDSS along with a second contract of Rupees 2,635 crores for the BSS. But these contracts have not progressed because of differences in perception, debate over hardware configuration and insistence on having common GIS application in both despite BEL

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AFP

and 7.62 (Israel) both developed by Israeli Military Industries, Arsenal AK-74 (Bulgaria), Herstal F-2000 (Belgium), and SIG SG 551(Switzerland) of Swiss Arms AG among others. The tender also calls for licence production of over 100,000 rifles in Indian ordnance factories, taking the deal to over $1 billion (Rs.5,500 crore). New bullet proof jackets, ballistic helmets, and boots anti-mine are also being procured. Additionally, man portable third generation ATGMs, UBGL, 60mm mortars, enhanced range 81mm mortars and thermal imaging night sights for assault rifles are being looked at. Multimode grenades have been indented with OFB while RFP has been issued for ammunition of Rocket Launcher Mark III. Tenders are also being issued for LMG and sniper rifles, qualitative requirements for which are being worked out, thus completing the basic infantry quartet of small arms. Bureaucratic red tape continues to be the main hurdle in modernising the infantry. One reason also is that such deals are considered small compared to bigger weapon systems and evoke little interest. The CAPF who do not have the luxury of larger weapon systems and consequently don’t need comparisons are going ahead with modernization plans. The CRPF personal armed with the Israeli X-95 carbines from Israeli Military Industries are visible on duty in J&K. The BSF has signed a contract with Italy’s Beretta for buying 68,000 submachine guns worth over Rupees 400 crores. Earlier, the CRPF had signed an order for the purchase of 12,000 X-95 Tavor carbines from Israeli Military Industries costing over Rupees 1 lakh apiece. Force One of the Maharashtra Police created post 26/11, has been armed with the Colt M-4 carbines from Colt Defense, USA, Brugger and Thomet submachine guns from Switzerland, MP-5 submachine guns from Heckler & Koch, Germany and AK-47 variants from eastern Europe. Army’s Future Infantry Soldier System (FINSAS) program and Battlefield Management System (BMS) are being developed concurrently. EoI for the latter was issued on 11th November 2013 to 14 firms; BEL, Electronics Corporation of India, Computer Maintenance Corporation, ITI, Tata Power SED, Rolta India, Wipro, Larsen & Toubro, HCL, Punj Lloyd, Bharat Forge, Tata Consultancy, Info Systems and Tech Mahindra. Army’s Command Information

DSI

Admission by the political hierarchy that we remain as vulnerable to terror as during 26/11 implies the measures adopted are inadequate. If catastrophic terrorism is a threat to the US, prospects for us are even more daunting. Technology by itself is not everything but we must optimise CT technology, seeking technologies that help us remain a step ahead of terrorists, building national system that addresses all the challenges of terrorism from intelligence and early warning to CT and response. We must invest in technologies that best leverage all the existing capabilities that are available by integrating them into a cohesive system. Breaking the cycle of innovation and countermeasures between terrorism and CT requires high degree innovations and our R&D must be geared towards this. We need system integration technologies including for accelerating NATGRID, CCTNS, and ushering in network centric capabilities. Many of these technologies are commercially available. Then are the requirements of data mining and link analysis technologies, decision support systems, biometrics, RFID, non-lethal weapons, improved ISR, directed energy weapons etc. Nanotechnology as a CT tool is still developing but these technologies have immense potential by way of sensors, nanoscale semiconductor chips, biomolecular devices, molecular electronics, integrated microsystems, micro-electrical-mechanical systems, smart systems-on-a-chip and micro-and-nanoscale instrumentation, measurement technologies etc. In terms of intelligence and surveillance in CT, nanosensors provide the most promising offerings, as can be seen from the following: Our existing approach to CT is apparently in sufficient. We need to renew efforts in order to enhance surveillance, monitoring and synergizing national effort to beat the terrorists at their game. The bottom-line is that we should be able to ‘prevent’ terrorist attacks and react swiftly should an attack happen. Technology plays an important role in all this and we must capitalize on it.


Mi-17V5

TIES TO RUSSIA ARMS SUPPLIER SNARL US SANCTIONS EFFORTS

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ROSOBORONEXPORT PLAYS CENTRAL ROLE IN AMERICAN PLAN TO BUILD UP AFGHAN MILITARY lose American ties with Russia’s largest arms-exporting firm are complicating efforts to punish President Vladimir Putin and his generals for the annexation of Crimea, current and former U.S. officials said. The Russian company, JSC Rosoboronexport, has become central to American efforts to build up Afghanistan’s military as U.S. forces prepare to depart that country. Since 2011, the Pentagon has contracted with Rosoboronexport to purchase 63 attack helicopters—with a value of more than $1 billion—for use by Afghanistan’s air force. The Pentagon also is reliant on the

Russian state-controlled company to supply spare parts to Afghanistan, particularly after the U.S. withdraws its forces later this year, according to defense officials. Major U.S. defense contractors, such as Boeing Co., also have strong business ties to Russian companies affiliated with Rosoboronexport. Boeing currently operates a jointmanufacturing facility to produce titanium in Russia with VSMPO-Avisma Corp., in which Rosoboronexport’s parent company, Rostec Corp. is a major shareholder, according to Boeing. General Electric Co. launched two joint ventures with units of Rostec in 2011 to manufacture gas-fired

power turbines and a range of medical devices in Russia, part of a foray by the U.S. company into a country it says is a growth market. President Barack Obama issued an executive order this month providing him the legal authority to begin sanctioning Russian military suppliers and their top executives, but he hasn’t acted on that authority yet. Now some lawmakers are pressuring the White House to cut ties to Rosoboronexport and use American-made helicopters— specifically Boeing-made Chinooks. “We call on you to cancel all existing [Pentagon] contracts with Rosoboronexport…and


impose sanctions to ban contracts with any company that cooperates with Rosoboronexport on military matters,” John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, wrote Mr. Obama on Thursday. Congress is considering legislation that would require the banning of any American business with the firm. The Pentagon, though, is balking at targeting Rosoboronexport because of its role in supporting U.S. efforts in Afghanistan, according to current and former U.S. officials. “We do understand the concern,” the Pentagon’s spokesman, Rear Adm. John Kirby, said about the Rosoboronexport contract. “But I do think it’s important to remember the original intent of the contract was to…deliver to the Afghan National Security Forces a helicopter that is wellsuited to the missions they need to fly and will need to continue to fly post-2014.” A Boeing official said that the company was monitoring the debate in Washington on Russia sanctions to gauge what impact there might be “to our business and partnerships in the region.” A spokesman for GE said on Friday it also was monitoring the situation closely. The worries about Rosoboronexport are part of a broader concern about the role Russia has played in supplying forces in Afghanistan, and the risk that cooperation may be imperiled because of Ukraine. U.S. defense officials worry that severing the contract with Rosoboronexport and switching to an alternative supplier would lead to significant delays—and could undercut Afghanistan’s ability to maintain

Mi-17V5

and operate its helicopter fleet, which will be used to combat the Taliban and al Qaeda. The U.S. and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have at times moved significant amounts of supplies into Afghanistan through Russia and former Soviet states, such as Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan—a route called the Northern Distribution Network. Rosoboronexport’s chief executive, Anatoly Isaikin, warned Tuesday that sanctions on his company would harm the U.S. as much as Russia. “I think the U.S. has some experience of interaction with Russia, both positive and negative, and I believe reason will triumph,” he told Russian state media. The State Department sanctioned Rosoboronexport in 2006 because of allegations that it was helping Iran develop weapons of mass destruction. The company contracted with Tehran to provide Russia’s most sophisticated antiaircraft missile system, the S-300, which U.S. and Israeli officials worry could be used to thwart military strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities. The Obama administration, however, lifted sanctions on Rosoboronexport in 2010 as the U.S. sought to reset relations with the Kremlin. The White House praised then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for backing United Nations sanctions on Iran and for withholding the delivery of the S-300s. To date, Moscow still hasn’t provided the missile system to Tehran, though U.S. officials worry Russia could if relations with Washington further deteriorate over Ukraine.

U.S. officials also have been infuriated by Russia’s and Rosoboronexport’s role in arming Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since he set out to crush a political rebellion that broke out against his rule in 2011. The Kremlin, along with Iran, has provided the Syrian government with the bulk of the tanks, fighter aircraft, missiles and helicopters used in a civil war that has claimed more than 130,000 lives. Rosoboronexport, which oversees around 80% of Russia’s total arms exports, is believed to supply the majority of the weapons that Moscow provides to the Damascus regime, according to U.S. and Arab officials. The flow of these arms has increased in recent months as Mr. Assad has pushed back rebel militias and reclaimed key strategic territories in Syria’s east and north.A spokesman for Rosoboronexport in Moscow confirmed his company’s arms sales to Syria on Friday but said they didn’t violate U.N. sanctions. U.S. law requires the White House to sanction foreign firms transferring arms to Syria, Iran and North Korea or provide explanations to lawmakers why the U.S. isn’t doing so. The White House hasn’t sanctioned any Russian company for aiding the Assad regime, though it has penalized dozens of Iranian companies. State Department officials deny they have been lax in enforcing sanctions on Russian arms companies and defend attempts to work with Moscow on Syria. They said progress has been made in removing Mr. Assad’s chemical weapons, though they acknowledged an initiative launched in Geneva to end the war diplomatically has so far failed. “We’ve done next to nothing to stop Russia’s arming of Assad,” said Oubai Shahbandar, a former Pentagon official who currently advises Syria’s political opposition. The White House declined to discuss its internal deliberations on whether to sanction Rosoboronexport and other Russian defense companies. A National Security Council spokeswoman stressed that Mr. Obama hasn’t ruled out punishing any Russian firm. “Executive Order 13661 authorizes sanctions on any individuals or entities that operate in the arms and related materiel sector in the Russian Federation,” Laura Lucas Magnuson said. “We aren’t going to comment on potential future designations—except to say that we are actively considering sanctions on additional individuals and entities as appropriate.

—Courtesy: Wall Street Journal


DEFENCE BUZZ

APRIL 2014

DSI

DEFENCE BUZZ An Update on Defence News

Cochin shipyard delivers FPV Abhiraaj to ICG

Successful trials of Akash Surface to Air Missile System Akash the indigenously designed developed and produced Surface to Air missile for the Indian Army was once again successfully flight tested at the IntegratedTest Range (ITR), Chandipur.These were part of a series of trials being conducted in various engagement modes from the first of Production Model system. “Development and production of Akash weapon system with the active participation of DRDO labs,

Public Sector Units (PSUs), Ordnance Factories, National R&D Laboratories, academic Institutions and about 200 private industries is yet another symbol of India’s strength in making indigenous weapon systems”, stated Avinash Chander, Scientific Advisor to RakshaMantri and Secretary Deptt of Defence R&D. “The successful trials show the continuing excellence of Indian weapon systems. Akash is India’s first indigenously designed, and produced air defence system Surface to Air missile capable of engaging aerial threats upto a distance of approximately 25 kms.

Cochin Shipyard Limited delivered the fourth of the series of 20 Fast PatrolVessels being built for the Indian Coast Guard.The first reading of D 448 (protocol of delivery) was signed by Ravi Kumar Roddam, Director (Finance), on behalf of CSL and commandant designate of BY 504 Cmdt Ashok Kumar of Indian Coast Guard.Vinayakumar P, Director (Technical), CSL, DIGVivek Vajpayee, Principal Director (Materials), Indian Coast Guard and DIGTP Sadanandan, CGRPS (Kochi) were present on the occasion. The vessel is named “ABHIRAJ” and will be operated by the Coast Guard. Cochin Shipyard had signed the contract for the construction of the 20 Fast PatrolVessels for the Indian Coast Guard on 20th October 2010.The yard has earlier delivered three vessels viz ICGS “Abheek”, “ICGS Aadesh” and “ICGS Abhinav”. The first and secondvessel was commissioned in December

2013, and the third in January 2014. “ABHIRAJ” can move very fast at a speed of 33 knots and will be very effective in supporting the Indian Coast Guard in its anti smuggling, anti piracy operations, fisheries protection and monitoring. Since speed of the vessel will be very crucial in coastal security operations, the superstructure of these ships are made of aluminum. A considerable amount of innovation in welding and fabrication techniques were undertaken by CSL to achieve a very high quality product. The ship is propelled by water jets powered by three Main Engines, each of capacity-2720 KW and built to the dual classification requirements of ABS and IRS.

South Asia, the Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean region were discussed. Both sides agreed that strengthening of strategic consultation

and communication would facilitate sharing of perspectives and mutual understanding in the evolving regional security situation. The two sides noted that 2014 has been designated as the ‘Year of Friendly Exchanges’ between both sides and agreed to continue to expand the exchanges between the Armed Forces of both sides so as to foster mutual trust and understanding.

6th India-China Defence and Security Dialogue Held The 6th Annual Defence and Security Dialogue between India and China was held in New Delhi.The meeting was co-chaired by the Defence Secretary, Shri RK Mathur and the Deputy Chief of General Staff of the PLA, Lt Gen Wang Guanzhong. During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on

a number of regional and global security issues of mutual concern. In particular, issues concerning the security situation in

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DEFENCE BUZZ

APRIL 2014

100 days for ISRO Mars Orbiter Spacecraft

Indian Navy engages in Exercise TROPEX 2014

The Indian Navy’s major annual exercise ‘TROPEX’ (Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise) concluded on 28 Feb 14.The exercise involved large scale naval manoeuvres in all three dimensions viz. surface, air and underwater, across the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Admiral DK Joshi, Chief of the Naval Staff andVice Admiral Anil Chopra, Flag Officer Commanding-in-chief, Eastern Naval Command, embarked the combined Fleets at sea off the East coast on 13 th February . The month long exercise was aimed to assess the operational readiness of naval units, validate the Navy’s war fighting doctrine and

integrate newly included capabilities in its 'Concept of Operations'. Around 60 ships and submarines, and 75 aircraft took part in this exercise, along with participation of units from Indian Air Force and Indian Coast Guard.The exercise also saw the 'maiden' participation by the newly acquired P 8I Long Range Maritime Patrol aircraft and the nuclear submarine, Chakra. The exercise also provided the Indian Navy with an opportunity to validate its network centric warfare capabilities, with effective utilisation of the recently launched Indian Navy’s Satellite, GSAT 7 in August 2013.

Mars Orbiter Spacecraft, India’s first interplanetary probe, was launched by PSLV-C25 at 1438 hours on November 5, 2013 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. In its voyage towards Mars, the mission has successfully completed 100 days in space on February 12, 2014. Subsequent to six orbit raising manoeuvres around the Earth following the launch, theTrans Mars Injection(TMI) Manoeuvre on December 01, 2013 gave necessary thrust to the spacecraft to escape from Earth and to initiate the journey towards Mars, in a helio-centric Orbit.This journey, of course, is long wherein the spacecraft has to travel 680 million km out of which a travel of 190 million km is completed so far. The FirstTrajectory Correction Manoeuvre (TCM) was conducted on December 11, 2013.The trajectory of the spacecraft, has been as expected.Three moreTCM operations are planned around April 2014, August 2014 and September 2014. The spacecraft health is normal.The spacecraft is

continuously monitored by the ground station of ISRO Telemetry,Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), located at Byalalu, near Bangalore. Except for a 40 minute break in the Telemetry data received from the spacecraft to the ground station, data has been continuously available for all the 100 days. The propulsion system of the spacecraft is configured forTCMs and the Mars Orbit Insertion (MOI) Operation. On February 6, 2014, all the five payloads on Mars Orbiter spacecraft were switched ‘ON’ to check their health. Presently, the spacecraft is at a radio distance of 16 million km and after travelling the remaining distance of a the spacecraft would be inserted into the Martian Orbit on September 24, 2014.

between the Kalyani group and Saab will leverage our strong innovation-based manufacturing capability, coupled with Saab’s technical expertise and leadership in air defence systems, to deliver state-of-the-art, world leading solutions to the Indian Army’s

air defence programmes.” Håkan Bushke, President and CEO of Saab again expressed his continuing support for India’s ambitions noting that, “Saab has made a long-term commitment to India and is keen to support India’s efforts to create an indigenous defence industry.This tie-up with Kalyani Group marks a significant step in that direction, where the two parties will serve India’s air defence missile system requirements through indigenous production and transfer of technology.”

DEFEXPO INDIA: SAAB and Kalyani partners Saab, defence and security company and the Kalyani Group which is one of India’s leading high-technology multinationals, have entered into a strategic alliance to partner and address key Indian Army air defence projects, including theVSHORAD and SRSAM requirements. The teaming combines Saab’s many decades as a leading developer and supplier of proven high-technology radar and missile systems, with the rich engineering and

DSI

manufacturing capabilities of Kalyani. The agreement was signed by Saab’s CEO and President Håkan Buskhe and Baba Kalyani, Chairman of the Kalyani Group during the Defexpo exhibition in India. Baba Kalyani, Chairman of the Kalyani Group stated “this coming together of the Kalyani Group and Saab is a very important step in our journey to address the indigenisation efforts of the Indian defence sector.The partnership

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DEFENCE BUZZ

APRIL 2014

HAL delivers crew module for Human Spaceflight Program to ISRO

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has handed over the first “Crew Module Structural Assembly” for the“Human Spaceflight Program” toVikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram of ISRO in Bangalore, recently.

The first Crew Module will be further equipped with systems necessary for crew support, navigation, guidance and control systems by ISRO for experimentation in the forthcoming GSLV-MK3 launch. “HAL takes pride in the India’s space

programmes and our Aerospace Division has produced this Crew Module in a record time to meet the requirements of ISRO”, said Dr. R.K.Tyagi, Chairman, HAL. Earlier also HAL has contributed in the India’s space programmes such as “ISRO’s Mars Mission” by providing Satellite Structure, PropellantTankages and supplied thirteen types of riveted structural assemblies, seven types of welded propellant tankages which include the cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen tanks and cryogenic stage structures for GSLV D5.

as the most advanced light single engine helicopter on the market,” said C.M. Hwang, Bell Helicopter’s regional sales director in Asia Pacific. “Customers are discovering that it is an ideal aircraft across mission needs providing superior performance with trusted reliability.We are pleased that SpanAir continues to place their trust in Bell Helicopter. It is yet another endorsement of the value of the 407GX.” The 407GX delivers power and speed with a smooth, quiet ride and a spacious cabin that accommodates six passengers. Built on the proven

performance and reliability of the Bell 407 platform, the 407GX features the Garmin G1000H™ flight deck, providing critical flight information at a glance for greater situational awareness and increased safety.The flight deck’s high resolution LCD screens host primary flight and multi-function display information, including HelicopterTerrainAvoidance Warning System, Helicopter SyntheticVisionTechnology™, Traffic Information Systems and more.The 407GX also features a tail rotor camera, allowing the pilot a clear view of the tail during take-offs and landings.

Bell Helicopter delivers first 407GX to India Bell Helicopter announced the first delivery of a Bell 407GX in India to SpanAir, the country’s leading air charter company. Specializing in customized travel options, SpanAir offers a fleet of aircraft fully equipped with the latest in aviation and safety technology, including all weather and IFR facilities.With the addition of the 407GX, featuring the first integrated Garmin G1000H™ flight deck, SpanAir now has one of the most modern and advanced fleets operating in India. “The Bell 407GX is the most revolutionary single-engine aircraft in the country with ample information and technological assistance to avoid CFIT (controlled flight into terrain) accidents,” said Captain S.K. Mallik of SpanAir. Bell and SpanAir have enjoyed a long relationship starting with the delivery of their first aircraft, a Bell 407, in 1996; one year after SpanAir was established. Since then, the company has also added a Bell 429. “The Bell 407GX is gaining momentum all over the world

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DEFEXPO INDIA: BEL and Textron signs MoU for MicroObserverR

Navratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Textron Systems Corporation, aTextron Inc. company, as a first step toward providing theTextron Systems MicroObserver® Unattended Ground Sensor (UGS) system to Indian security agencies. The MicroObserver UGS system brings a new level of covertness, ease of use and performance for border security, surveillance and critical infrastructure protection missions.Textron Systems reports that its MicroObserver system has been fielded around the world in support of these applications. “We’re looking forward to working with BEL to bring this critical surveillance system to Indian government agencies that will benefit from its wide range of proven capabilities,” explained Ian Walsh,Textron Defense Systems’ senior vice president and general manager. “Bharat Electronics Limited expects the benefits of this system to filter down to various agencies responsible for the management of the Indian borders, thus fulfilling our overall objective of bringing in cutting-edge technologies to India,” said BEL Director of Marketing P. C. Jain.



DEFENCE BUZZ Deakin University and India’s DIAT in strong new partnership Deakin University, Australia, deepened its research links with India through a new partnership with the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT). A range of exciting new collaborative research projects building on the strengths of both institutions will be explored under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by DeakinVice-Chancellor Ms Jane den Hollander and DIAT Vice Chancellor Dr.Prahlada. Professor den Hollander said the new partnership would drive greater understanding and cooperation not only between the two institutions, but also between Australia and India. “Deakin was the first university in the world to set up an office in India, and today’s announcement is a clear sign that our engagement across education and industry is stronger than ever,” Professor den Hollander said. “Our University is delighted to be celebrating this partnership with DIAT, which is renowned for its education, training and research in advanced technologies that strengthen national security. Dr.Prahlada said India and Australia, two large Commonwealth countries, share a lot of common interests and complementary strengths. “Apart from that, Just like Deakin University has a national presence in India, DIAT being the only Defence University in the country has a national presence interacting with all the entities of Ministry of Defence,” Dr.Prahlada said.

APRIL 2014

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Multinational naval event MILAN 2014 concludes successfully

The first week of February witnessed Port Blair hosting a multinational mega event, MILAN 2014. MILAN is a congregation of littoral navies conducted biennially by the Indian Navy at the the Andaman and Nicobar Command in Port Blair. Besides fostering co-operation through naval exercises and professional interactions, MILAN provided

an excellent opportunity for participating navies to come together in a spirit of collaboration and to enhance mutual understanding. 15 ships manoeuvered in perfect harmony in the clear Andaman Sea on a balmy morning making for a grand culmination of the MILAN 2014 biennial exercise of Navies at Port Blair. After a few manouvers at sea, the ships

formed up in a column and steamed past the Flag ship with men manning the side of the ship and presenting a traditional salute in the form of “man and cheer ship” to the presiding officer,The Commander-in-Chief Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN), Air Marshal PK Roy. 17 nations, including India, had come together in MILAN 2014 making it the biggest edition since its inception in 1995.The six day event started on 04th Feb and subsequent days saw the maritime forces of these nations come closer professionally and culturally cementing friendship and building confidence in interoperability. It was the first time that countries from the western IOR participated including two African nations viz Kenya andTanzania; island nations of Mauritius, Maldives and Seychelles. It was also the first time that Philippines and Cambodia participated.

equipment, air defense systems and aircraft models at DEFEXPO India. Moreover, in almost all cases the upcoming talks are directly related to setting up joint ventures, establishing licensed production, and transfer of technology – precisely such cooperation is the mainstream of our bilateral relations,” – said Ivan Goncharenko, First Deputy General Director of Rosoboronexport, who heads the Company’s delegation at the exhibition.

As to army weaponry, Rosoboronexport will hold talks with Indian partners on current and future projects, including upgrading of previously delivered equipment, including the BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles,T-72 and theT-90S tanks. The Company looked to discuss the progress of the tender to supply self-propelled artillery systems. Among its contenders is the Russian upgraded Msta-S 155mm self-propelled howitzer, which is undergoing trials in India.The howitzer’s chassis has a high level of commonality for components and units with the chassis of theT-90S MBT, whose licensed production has already been mastered at India’s HeavyVehicles Factory in Avadi.

DEFEXPO INDIA: Rosoboronexport will discuss industrial cooperation with India Expanding joint development and production efforts on weaponry and military equipment will be among the key topics during talks between Rosoboronexport (part of the Rostec State Corporation) and Indian partners at the Land, Naval & Internal Homeland Security Systems Exhibition DEFEXPO India 2014 was held from 6 to 9 February in New Delhi. “This is India’s biggest arms exhibition and therefore Russia will be presented here on a large scale. Clearly, we’re planning to promote a large number of army and naval

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