India to conduct Ballistic Missile Defence tests

India is preparing to conduct is third Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) tests. Test in February will be the first test after the Mumbai attack. Test will involve testing the indigenously developed with help from Israel “Swordfish" long-range tracking radar. Earlier two tests were successfully held in November 2006 and December 2007 involving the use of Prithvi Air Defence (PAD Exo-Atmospheric) and the Advanced Air Defence (AAD Endo-Atmospheric) interceptor systems. It appears that the main purpose...

Read More

BrahMos cruise missile failure: Is it the first one?Why DRDO wants to hide the failure?

Latest test of Indo-Russian BrahMos supersonic cruise missile has failed, though initially test was declared as a success by the Defense Ministry and Defence Research and Development Organisation. BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is basically a soviet era supersonic antiship cruise missile designed to sink heavily defended naval warships like destroyers and aircraft carries, but due to lack of options in land attack cruise missile India is trying to adopt the BrahMos antiship missile for land attack...

Read More

ROKETSAN : T-122 Sakarya rocket system

Agreement for cooperation between MKEK and TUBITAK - SAGE to develop the 122mm medium range artillery rocket was signed in the early 1990's and by using solid propellant technology of MKEK, SAGE developed a 122mm artillery rocket which was designated as Mizrak (Spear). For the launcher system two proposals were made by the TUBITAK - SAGE with MKEK offered the Bora design, which very much resembled Yugoslavian M-77 Oganj MBRLS. ROKETSAN with KaleKalip offered the Sakarya design.ROKETSAN & KaleKalip's...

Read More

Pakistan Navy will get AEW&C and UAV soon

Chief of Naval Staff. Noman Bashir has said that Pakistan Navy will shortly acquire Airborne Early Warning (AEW) Aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to further strengthen its air fleet.He said this while talking to the press while addressing the induction ceremony of a Fokker aircraft and commissioning of T 56 Engine Test Bench, held at Pakistan Navy Aviation base PNS Mehran on Thursday. He said that with the introduction of Z-9 helicopter from china, new AEW&C UAVs for maritime patrolling role and more P-3C Orion - maritime surveillance...

Read More

Tactical Uqab UAV detailed

There are two versions of Uqab UAV. One is tactical version of UAV with the flying range of 150km onwards while other one will be a strategic version of the UAV which can go up to 350km onwards. Both tactical and strategic versions of UAV systems can undertake a pre-programmed mission or can be piloted by the Air Vehicle Controller. The strategic version of the UAV has the capability to adapt to the change of mission during the flight. It can transmit information and data through ground control...

Read More

US to sell Cobras to Turkey

Amidst reports that Turkey has been negotiating with Russia for the purchase of around 32 Mi-28 attack helicopters as a stop-gap measure to meet its urgent needs in the fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the Pentagon has developed a formula that will allow it to sell four or five Cobra attack helicopters to Ankara.Under this new formula, the US-based Bell Helicopter firm will interrupt the Cobra production currently under way for the US Marine Corps and instead use the production...

Read More

Arjun Tank Disaster Part IV: Final words

There are several questions that arise in mind when someone reads the history and news reporting about the Arjun tank project and first one is always, who is responsible for this mess? Is it DRDO or Ministry of Defence or Indian Army? Different experts from Indian media, Indian army, DRDO and Indian government are trying to put blame every one but themselves.Golden question is who should be making the choices that which tank should be bought? Should it beStanding Committee on Defence/ Indian parliamentDRDOMinistry...

Read More

Arjun Tank Disaster Part III: Present situation

In mid-November, DRDO chief A.P.J. Abdul Kalam told to a closed-door meeting of his ministry's Parliamentary Consultative Committee that the Arjun had been tested for 20,000 km and cleared for 'limited series production'. But before a crowd at the National Defence Academy in early December, the Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ved Prakash Malik denied that Arjun's induction into the army was being delayed and added that some unspecified tests and improvements had to be carried out before the army could...

Read More

Submarine repair takes forever

Submarine repair takes foreverNew Delhi: Over-emphasis on indigenous work is hurting India's readiness for war.As India's vital submarine arm struggles with dangerously low numbers, a top-end submarine has been taken out of the fleet for a repair programme.The shocking part is that the repair schedule will last 10 years. Such upgrades have previously been done overseas in two years. One could compare this to a submarine being laid comatose, at least in the case of the INS Sindhukirti, a frontline...

Read More

India Issues RFP for Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance Aircrafts

Indian Ministry of Defence issued a request for proposals (RFPs) for six medium-range maritime reconnaissance (MRMR) aircraft. India has already inked a $2.1 billion deal with Boeing for the supply of 8 customized P-8A Poseidon Maritime Multimission Aircraft (MMA), designated P-8I, for use by the Indian Navy. This was the biggest deal defence ever between India and the US, surpassing the 2007 $962 million deal for the supply of six C-130J `Super Hercules' aircraft for Indian special forces. India...

Read More

China hands over jet trainers to Pakistan Islamabad

China today handed over to Pakistan eight advanced jet trainers that will be used to train pilots for transition to fourth generation combat aircraft.The eight Karakoram K-8P jets were handed over at a ceremony at a PAF base that was attended by the Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Operations) and a Chinese delegation, said an official statement.The JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft and K-8P trainer jets have been jointly developed by Pakistan and China, which have close defence ties. The K-8P is an advanced...

Read More

How Secure Are Indian Nukes?

By Adnan GillLos Angeles, CA India already enjoys the dubious distinction of running the most unsafe nuclear program, now it can hold the crown for running the most insecure one too. The Indian nuclear program has become a serious threat to world security. By and large, the security threats posed to its nuclear reactors stem from within. It is a ticking time bomb waiting to be tripped by the numerous insurgencies and separatist movements plaguing India, or by natural disasters. Well over half of India is virtually controlled by insurgent groups,...

Read More

Arjun Tank Disaster Part II: Development years and Arjun’s first fight

Arjun Tank Disaster Part II: Development years and Arjun’s first fight On 9 January 1996, in a ceremony which was attended by then Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao, Arjun tank was formally unveiled and declared ready for mass production. Scientific Adviser to the Defense Minister, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the Indians consider the Arjun comparable to the M1A2 Abrams, Leopard 2 and Leclerc. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Shankar Roy chowdhury pointed out that while some of the tank's parameters needed to...

Read More

Comparison of military power, Pak-India

Air Marshal Ayaz A Khan (R) Unfortunately India and Pakistan had adversarial relations since sixty years. After the Mumbai carnage Pakistan is under threat of pre-emptive strikes. Fourth Indo-Pakistan war could be triggered by another terrorist attack anywhere in India. This is a dangerous scenario. India and Pakistan have fought three wars, and war drums for the fourth war are getting louder. It is in order therefore to comprehend Indian military capabilities, and Pakistan's ability to defend itself. Defense capability is an interplay of economic...

Read More