Rafale fighter jet deal contract with France almost ready: Indian Defence ministry

The much-awaited multi-billion Rafale combat aircraft deal with France has moved a step further with the defence ministry finalizing a 'draft contract', according to top defence ministry officials.

 

Rafale was declared the lowest bidder in Janaury 2012 but the deal has not been inked so far on account of escalation in the cost. The Cost Negotiation Committee, which was set up in February 2012 to work out the modalities for the deal has not reached a conclusion after 30 months of negotiations.

 

The government raised its concerns over this last month, during the visit of French foreign minister Laurent Fabius to New Delhi.

 

"Yes, we are in the process of finalizing the draft contract for the deal. And we also expect the Cost Negotiation Committee to submit its report soon," said a senior defence ministry official, who was privy to the developments.

 

But the official refused to give a time frame for inking the deal. "It is very difficult to predict any date for signing the contract. But, it should happen in the next few months," the officer said, requesting anonymity.

 

The Indian Air Force (IAF), which is coping with a depleted combat strength, claims that even if the deal is signed by the end of the year the first lot of Rafale aircraft would arrive only by 2017, by which time the IAF would have to phase out its MiG-21 squadrons.

 

The likelihood of an early signing is encouraging. Besides, the ruling NDA government has promised to address all the needs of the armed forces to ensure defence preparedness.

 

According to officials privy to the development, the defence ministry has asked representatives of M/s Dassault Aviation – the French manufacturer of Rafale aircraft – to revise the price structure which has gone beyond expected estimates.

 

Officials claim that when the tender was floated in 2007 the cost of the programme was $12 billion (Rs42,000 crore).When the lowest bidder was declared in January 2012, the cost of the deal shot up to $18 billion (Rs90,000 crore). Now with the inclusion of transfer of technology, the life cycle cost and creation of an assembly line, the deal has climbed to a whopping $20 billion.

 

The air force is seeking to replace its aging MiG-21s with a modern fighter and the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) fits between India's high-end Sukhoi-30MKIs and the low-end Tejas LCA lightweight fighter. The IAF has a sanctioned strength of 45 fighter jet squadrons. However, only 30 squadrons are operational as old aircraft have been retired.

 

Eighteen of the 126 new aircraft are to be purchased directly from Dassault and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will manufacture 108 under a licence, at a new facility in Bangalore.

 

Defence minister Arun Jaitley informed parliament last week that "given the complexity of the procurement case, the process of negotiations with Dassault Aviation on various aspects of the commercial proposal and provisions of draft contract is on."

 

Dassault Aviation emerged as L-1 bidder for procurement of the MMRCA based on its quotation.

LCA business partners decide to increase indigenisation

The business partners working on India's prestigious Light Combat Aircraft - a lightweight multirole fighter jet - have decided to ensure the indigenous content of components used in the aircraft touches 80 per cent in the next three years.

At the indigenous strategic partners' meet of LCA organised by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited here, Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister, Avinash Chander said it is possible to achieve such a goal since 165 out of 344 Line Replacement Units (LRUs) are already made in India.

In his address to the vendors on Monday, representing around 50 companies, he pointed out that LCA dream had been achieved in-spite of denial of technology, according to an HAL release.

"It is clear that we have capability and the government will do everything possible to strengthen the knowledge base.

Even funding can be provided and national facilities (such as testing) may be shared with private players to bring down costs to create a vibrant aerospace eco-system", he added.

HAL Chairman R K Tyagi said the production of LCA is on track with the creation of dedicated production division at HAL Bangalore.

"We are aiming to roll-out 16 LCAs every year from the initial target of eight per year. Having specific business partners on such an important project has been of great help", he added.

T Suvarna Raju, Director (Design and Development, HAL) in his address said coming together of stakeholders is necessary to understand and share the knowledge since India is poised to have its own fighter aircraft comparable to the best in the world.

Yet Another 'Failure' for Akash Missile

Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel on Tuesday conducted a user trial of surface-to-air sophisticated missile Akash from a defence base off the Odisha coast. The missile targeted at Mirage aircraft reportedly failed to deliver the desired results.

 

Defence sources said the indigenously developed missile was test fired from the launching complex - III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea. The missile was to hit the Italian aircraft Mirage, flown prior to the weapon’s launch in a simulated coordination.

 

While DRDO officials claimed that the missile met all mission parameters, sources at the test range told this paper that the missile failed to destroy the target due to delay in take off. “There was a slight disturbance in simulation following a few seconds delay in take off for which the missile failed to hit the target,” the source informed.

 

The test was aimed at gauging the flight consistency and effectiveness of the missile. The complete Akash missile system including targets was operated by IAF personnel exploiting the overall capabilities of system in different envelops. The missile has been already inducted into IAF and the system is in continuous production and induction.

 

As reported by ‘The Express’ earlier, the Akash system has a problem with its radar since long for which the Army had been denying to induct it in the forces for years. The launcher did not get required command in time to fire the missile leading to delay in take off in a couple of occasions in the past.

 

The missile has a range of 25 km to 30 km and an effective ceiling of 18 km. Fuelled by solid propellants, the weapon can fly at supersonic speed of around 2.5 Mach. The 5.8 metre long sleek missile has a launch weight of 720 kg and can carry a warhead of 50 kg.

 

Akash missile system has a passive phased array radar, which is capable of tracking 64 targets and controlling upto 12 missiles simultaneously. As claimed by the DRDO, it can be used to counter ballistic and cruise missiles, enemy aircraft and air-to-surface missiles.

Israel Planning for Drone-only Air Force

Israel's air force is on track to developing drones that within four to five decades would carry out nearly every battlefield operation executed today by piloted aircraft, a high-ranking Israeli officer told The Associated Press Sunday.

The officer, who works in the field of unmanned aerial vehicle intelligence, said Israel is speeding up research and development of such unmanned technologies for air, ground and naval forces.

"There is a process happening now of transferring tasks from manned to unmanned vehicles," the officer said, speaking anonymously because of the classified nature of his work. "This trend will continue to become stronger."

Isaac Ben-Israel, a former Israeli air force general, said however there was no way drones could entirely overtake manned airplanes. He said there are just some things drones can't do, like carry heavy payloads needed for major assaults on targets like underground bunkers.

"The direction is drones playing a bigger and bigger role in the air force," he said. "In a decade or two they should be able to carry out a third or half of all missions. But there are still certain things you cannot do without a piloted plane."

Israel is a pioneer in drone technology. Its military was the first to make widespread use of drones in its 1982 invasion of Lebanon and Israeli companies are considered world leaders and export unmanned aircraft to a number of armies, including U.S.-led forces that have used them in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The unmanned aircraft have been a major part of Israel's arsenal in battling Gaza rocket launchers over the years. Drones were seen as crucial by giving soldiers eyes in the air, keeping watch over rooftops and alleyways in congested urban areas and notifying troops of threats or obstacles in their path. Israel insists its drones only perform surveillance missions but Palestinian witnesses have long claimed that Israeli drones fire missiles in Gaza.

The officer claimed Israel is second only to the United States in the range of unmanned aerial systems its produces. He said he was "aware" that American drones are capable of firing missiles, but refused to say whether Israeli drones could do the same.

The officer cited one technology recently unveiled: the unmanned Hermes 900 aircraft, developed by the Israeli military manufacturer Elbit Systems Ltd. and recently rolled out for Israeli military use.

It features double the performance capabilities of the previous generation of the same unmanned aircraft, the Hermes 450. It can carry up to 350 kilograms, features advanced systems of surveillance and reconnaissance and offers support to forces on the ground and at sea, according to a description of the technology on Elbit's website.

Israel is also looking to develop small tactical satellites that warplanes could launch into the earth's orbit, the officer said.

Unlike satellites in permanent orbit which are more easily monitored by other leading armies in the world, the tactical satellites Israel hopes to develop would be cheaper to build and less susceptible to interception because they would be launched during wartime and there would be less time for foreign armies to track their orbit, Israeli military officials said.

 © Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

India planning to procure two more AWACS for IAF: Indian Government

India is planning to procure two more Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) for the Indian Air Force, Submariners World was informed today.

"Three AWACS are already operationalised in the IAF and there is a proposal for procurement of two additional AWACS," Defence Minister A K Antony said in a written reply.

He said the long-term integrated perspective plan seeks to have a mix of large AWACS aircraft and small Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system aircraft.

DRDO is also working towards developing indigenous AEW and C system on the Embraer aircraft and it is expected to be completed within 84 months.

To another query, Antony said, "Due to inclement weather, heavy snow accumulation, avalanches and landslides fencing along the LoC gets damaged."

The government is aware that terrorists attempt infiltration throughout the year including during the winter months when the fence is covered by snow or repair works are in progress, he said.

Antony said additional proactive measures in terms of surveillance and troop deployment are undertaken to foil infiltration attempts.

IAF to Induct First Killer Drones

The Indian Air Force is planning to induct its first self-destructing combat drones from Israel by next year for enhancing its firepower.

The Israeli-made Harop unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) will give IAF the capability of hitting high value targets such as enemy missile and radar sites without sending its manned fighter aircraft.

"The UCAV are expected to join us by next year enhancing our firepower in both conventional and low intensity conflict," a senior IAF official told PTI here.

Harop will be IAF's first combat UAV for offensive strikes, though it already possesses a fleet of Searcher and Heron UAVs to perform surveillance and reconnaissance roles.

Unlike the Predator drones being used by the US against the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan that can fire missiles and return after a mission, the Harop is self-destructing, making them a more expensive option.

Developed by the Israel Aerospace Industries, the Harop UCAVs were bought by India two years ago under a deal expected to be worth over Rs 500 crore.

The UCAV cannot only hit enemy radars by locking on to their radio emissions, but also has an electro-optical sensor that allows the remote operator to select static or moving targets in a battlefield.

Harop, with a 23-kg warhead, is 2.5 metre long with a 3-metre wingspan and has a six-hour endurance.

The DRDO is also working on some projects to develop indigenous combat UAVs but they are at an advanced stage.

IAF to finalise $20b Rafale fighter plane deal this fiscal

The Indian Air Force (IAF) would finalise the multi-billion dollar contract with Dassault Aviation of France during this fiscal (2012-13) for the supply of its 126 Rafale fighters, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne said on Thursday.

“The negotiations are absolutely on. We hope that at least this financial year we should be able to finish the negotiations and finalise the deal,” he said.

“It is a very complex project, as we are discussing various areas like transfer of technology, the offset (clause), what HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd) will do and the cost as well,” Browne told reporters on the margins of an event here.

The 126 Rafale medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) are set to phase out the ageing MiG-21 fleet of the Soviet era and enhance the air force’s strike power.

“Costing is also being discussed. As per the RFP requirement, costing is part of the negotiations going on with Rafale fighter, which was selected through a global bidding,” Browne said.

Earlier, he received the indigenous airborne radar system - Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&C) - developed by the state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and mounted on an Embraer aircraft of Brazil here.

Though the cost price of the Rafale fighters has not been spelt out officially, the deal is estimated to be $20 billion due to inordinate delays in the bidding and selection process.

Of the 126 fighters, Dassault is expected to deliver 18 in fly-away condition and licence the state-run defence behemoth HAL to manufacture the remaining 108 aircraft at its Bangalore complex.

Rafale emerged the lowest of the two bidders that were short-listed, Typhoon of the European consortium EADS Cassidian being the other contender.

When the IAF signs the contract, it will be the first export order for Dassault as Rafale is the frontline combat jet of the French air force.

IAF to unveil radar plane, choppers

India will showcase its latest Air Force acquisitions -- an indigenous airborne radar plane and a Russian-origin cargo helicopter -- at this year's Air Force Day parade that marks its 80th anniversary, a week from now.

"This year, the Indian Air Force (IAF) completes its 80 years. We will showcase our latest acquisitions such as the indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft and the Mi-17V5 cargo chopper at the Air Force Day parade, Oct 8," an IAF officer told a news agency on Sunday.

The Air Force Day parade will be held at Hindon air base in Ghaziabad district on the outskirts of the national capital. IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne will take the salute of the air warriors and address them, he said.

The AEW&C radar, based on a modified Brazilian Embraer plane, will be on static display at the Air Force Day parade, providing the background to the air warriors on parade, while three Mi-17V5 will fly over the parade ground in a Vic formation trooping the national flag and the air force ensign.

This will be the first time the two assets of the IAF will be on public display. The parade will also witness a flying display of other air assets such as the Mi-25 and Mi-35 attack helicopters, C-130J plane for special forces, and MiG-21, MiG-29, Mirage-2000 and Su-30MKI combat jets.

The crowd that gathers for the parade will be deprived of the Surya Kiran aerobatics team display as the unit stands temporarily disbanded after its Kiran MkII planes were diverted for rookie pilot training in 2011.

The AEW&C plane was inducted into the IAF on September 20 at Bangalore, after it was earlier received and flown to India in August this year from Brazil.

The indigenous AEW&C will enable the nation to deploy an alternative electronic eye in the sky to the three IL-76-based Israeli Phalcon radars the IAF currently operates.

This is the first of the three aircraft from Embraer for which a USD 400-million contract was signed in 2008.

The country also plans to have a fleet of 10 indigenous AEW&Cs in future to augment the three IL-76 platforms.

The most-modern Mi-17V5 helicopter is the IAF's latest buy from Russia, to ramp up the ferrying of troops and supplies to remote and mountainous areas.

The helicopters, 80 of which were bought in 2008 for USD 1.34 billion, started arriving in September 2011 and were inducted in February this year at the Palam air base in the national capital. The first lot of helicopters is currently deployed in Bhatinda, Punjab.

The Mi-17V5 falls in the category of an armed helicopter, with substantial and effective firepower. It is an upgraded version of the Mi-17 medium-lift category that the IAF operates.

The Mi-17s can carry troops and supplies to remote helipads close to India's border posts, while the fixed-wing Soviet-era IL-76 and AN-32 transport planes fly only up to airfields.

Russia has till date delivered nearly half of the 80 helicopters that is on order. Once all the 80 helicopters are delivered by 2014, India may order another 59 of these choppers at a cost of $1 billion.

How the USSR revealed its eye in the sky to the Indian Army ((Baljit Singh is a retired Lieutenant General of the Indian Army.)

The Indian AWACS, which is a hybrid manufactured by Israel and mounted on a Russian platform, at the Hindon airbase.

India got a taste of the Russian sense of humour when it made a bid to acquire the Soviet Union’s version of the AWACS

In these times of acrimony and scams, it was a pleasant diversion to read that to our existing fleet of three Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, which keep an eye in the sky over our borders, we will shortly add three more (The Hindu, September 21, 2012). Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne has said that by 2025, this inventory will comprise in all five AWACS and 10 AEW&CS (Airborne Early Warning & Control System); the latter with totally indigenously designed and manufactured electronic sensors and in the event the leanest and meanest machines of its class!

So at last, after 40 long years of striving, the Indian armed forces will have arguably the most potent battlefield, force-multiplier capability conceived and manufactured post-World War II.

The AWACS had caught the fancy of the world first in the early 1970s, when the re-structured Egyptian armed forces had launched the Yom Kippur offensive against Israel and achieved complete tactical and strategic surprise. The seemingly impregnable Bar-Lev defence line along the East Bank of the Suez Canal was breached decisively, and the invincible Israelis were almost routed. This was the moment when the AWACS made its maiden combat appearance to shore up the beleaguered Israelis in the Sinai desert. And the tide of battle was thereafter so decisively reversed that but for international pressure, the Israelis were within a whisker of capturing Cairo! All the post-war analyses were unanimous that all other factors apart, the application of AWACS had contributed decisively to the ultimate outcome of that war. Little wonder then that armed forces the world over were willing to pay any price to acquire these machines. But the Americans would not part with them. The Russians were desperate to close the gap with this military technology advancement made by the Americans but it was not till the 1980s that they inducted into service their first generation AWACS.

It was natural therefore that when in 1986 General K. Sunderji visited the Soviet Union, as it was then, as a state guest, that he would request his hosts for a look at the AWACS. The idea was to either buy a few of these aircraft outright or obtain them on lease on the lines of the nuclear-powered submarine. When the subject was broached with the Russian Defence Minister during the meeting in a glittering hall at the Kremlin, the Soviets used innocence and guile to convince us that they had never heard of AWACS, let alone possess them. At this stage I slipped a sketch of the American AWACS, photocopied from the Jane’s Weapon Systems, to Gen. Sunderji.

That was the beginning of a serious proposition being turned into a hilarious game of bluff. The Defence Minister said with a straight face that in the spirit of the Indo-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, would we let them have the photocopy of the technical profile of the American AWACS. After a lengthy duel of mischievous wordplay, Gen. Sunderji agreed to part with the photocopy on the assurance of the Minister that it would remain a guarded secret! And that India would have the first AWACS produced in the Soviet Union.

Our weeklong visit ended at Tashkent. The penultimate day was taken up watching displays and demonstrations of training simulators of a whole range of weapons and automotives. On the last day, we were to relax watching an exclusive performance by the Bolshoi Ballet Company followed by the Uzbek folk dancers. Before we retired to our rooms, our liaison officer, a two-star general, mentioned that he had arranged a farewell picnic-breakfast the following morning. The picnic site was the 500-hectare State Lemon Farm about 60 km from Tashkent. Try as we might, there was no fathoming the reasons for this unscheduled picnic. And on one pretext or other our host would open yet another bottle of vintage wine, prolonging the breakfast till at last there was heard the approaching drone of an aircraft.

As the aircraft made low and deliberate, repeated passes over us, our host turned to Gen. Sunderji and said, “Sir, doesn’t this resemble the photocopy of the American AWACS you showed us? Had you mentioned that you wanted to see our ASDACS (Acquisition and Strike Directing Aircraft System) we would have gladly flown you in it, all the way back to New Delhi!”

Gen. Sunderji laughed, reached out to a bottle of champagne on the table and raised a toast to the Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation. But what we now have is neither AWACS nor the ASDACS but a hybrid comprising the American Phalcon radar manufactured by the Israelis and mounted by them on Russian IL-76 aircraft provided by us. Such are the games which the superpowers play with their client states.