India's R&D in Defence DRDO, PSUs and Private Sector

[JE Menon]

Interesting that VS Arunachalam took the time to write it... He must be of advanced years now.

[Sagar G]

punch:zero for DRDO.

Counter punch:In season of blame, a defence

More of like "Lifafa" and "Countering the Lifafa".

Though not related with R&D here is a golden article by BK Brothers-in-arms

A small nugget from the article

Imagine the positive fallout from, say, encouraging the Pakistani defence attachés to observe our “integrated” military exercises, such as Operation Shoorveer now underway in the Punjab plains. It will help them experience at close quarters military formations being marshalled effectively by Indian commanders and to realistically compare their country’s capabilities and stamina with India’s. What’s there to be so secretive about? What new stuff could they possibly learn about our military that they don’t already know, or that departs hugely from how the Pakistani armed forces themselves practise fighting wars?

Any guy who takes BK seriously.............you get the idea

[pentaiah]

The mastermind of Sankhya Vahni vs BK
both have American friends I guess

[JE Menon]

Like many of us who live in America and criticise India. All Indians of course, clean and incorruptible, unlike those fellows in India ...

[SaiK]

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NEWS/news ... wsid=20127

needs FDI or direct intervention to our strategies? we totally lack mission vision directions.

GoI should be aware, just like itself (ourselves), there are other govs especially the firang defence product selling nations, that they have stronger policies and governance in place. why would any firang give away technology? FDI does not give technology, but the providing nations retain it. simple business.. simple banyia logic onlee..

so....

Loot of the exchequer

Just how we have short-changed our defence capabilities and allowed DPSUs to loot the exchequer is brought out by two figures. One reveals that build times for indigenous warships are unconscionably long.

who is looting? whom? some thing basically wrong with every mindset out there.!!!

Does the nation ever realize what is it like building everything from scratch????

[A Sharma]

geopolitics

Has interview of VKS

[ShauryaT]

punch:zero for DRDO.

Counter punch:In season of blame, a defence

Counter to the counter punch!

Bharat Karnad’s response, published in the Asian Age, May 11, 2013:

In the 2-part 1985-86 piece I had written alone , not with Steve Cohen as Mr. Arunachalam mis-remembers, I had said the following: Because of the time-gap between the terminated Marut Mk-II project and the LCA startup, India would have to begin from scratch; that by the time the LCA entered squadron service it would become obsolete, technology-wise and in terms of vulnerability to advanced anti-aircraft missiles; and, if ADA-HAL had to begin from a zero baseline that they skip the combat aircraft stage altogether — the technological trends were clear even then that the era of manned aircraft was ending — and initiate a project for a family of versatile remotely-controlled pilotless vehicles for strike and surveillance missions instead, which would be a future-oriented programme, involving more cost-effective use of scarce manpower and financial resources. I feel particularly proud of my take on RPVs/UAVs/drones 26 years ago.
————
Word-limitations compelled excision of what I also said, namely, that I have been one of the most vocal propoenents of the Tejas LCA and indigenous military products generally in my writings — just look up the categories in this blog — and even pleaded that Rafale be scrapped, and the Mk-II version of Tejas be pushed in mission mode (Scrap Rafale, Viva Tejas!”). It is therefore a strange, even laughable, charge Mr Arunachalam lays against me that I’m prompted by foreign vendors. Obviously, the ex-boss, DRDO, has not been following my writings as avidly as he’d like his readers to believe. The real villain in the LCA case as I have pointed out is HAL, not ADA (within the DRDO ambit) as much.

The response can be understood, only by those, who have an interest in understanding view points and not resort to slander.

[PK Mudiliyar]

Like many of us who live in America and criticise India. All Indians of course, clean and incorruptible, unlike those fellows in India ...

VS Arunacahlam has a vested interest in defending his project, for he is the
CEO of the IUNet venture and benefits monetarily. So is Raj Reddy.


> "You require three main ingredients to be on the top:
>computers, content and communications. We have the former two, but lack
>communication. There is, therefore, a need to establish an exclusive
>optical communication that is not encumbered by legacy (the present
>telecom structure)."


What legacy of Telcom structure is he talking about? The only legacy is that
DOT today has the fibre. And they want to grab it for cheap and monopolize the
data networking market without even working for it. In USA, Intel and MicroSoft
worked their way to having stunning market presence. It is by sheer grit and
determination they accomplished it. But Arunacalam and Raj Reddy want to
accomplish a monopolistic position without any sweat. Of course there are huge
doubts on whether they have the competence for that purpose and expertise.


>He was categoric that Sankhya Vahini did not pose any security threat
>to the nation. "When you send a message today it gets routed through a
>server which is sometimes stationed in the U.S. Is that not a security
>risk?" The Massachusetts Institute of Tech nology (MIT) will be
>spending about $100 million to help Cambridge University in Britain set
>up their network. "Why is it that they are not worried?" he asks.


Arunachalam does not want to really address the Vision2020 document of the
department of defense. The US department of defense is building capabilities
for waging IT wars and data networks are targets for such war. Besides why
should data that is sent from India to a destination in India pass through a
station in USA? Is Arunachalam teaching us routing techniques in data networks?
He better take an elementary text book on routing and route selection; one can
always block specific routes based on message categories.


That MIT set up a $100mil lab for Cambridge University is no concern of an
Indian. USA stationed its nuclear warhead, cruise missliles, etc., on British
soil. The brits live at the mercy of the Americans. No, the Indian nation is
not a slave nation of the USA. The indians may have a lot of appreciation for
USA. That is distinct from nationality.


>Moreover, the network will be designed in collaboration with Indian
>universities. Elaborating o n the advantages of SVIL, he said that the
>network would be "fault tolerable", that is, any fault can be repaired
>within 100 milli-seconds.


Every highspeed optical service provider supports such fault-tolerance. What is
the big deal about IUNet? Today Global Crossing does Tera bit switching. There
are companies, many of the start ups, who work on chipsets for optical
networking. What is it that IUNet brings for the SVIL that these othe
rcompanies cannot bring?


>Emphasising that the entire deal was transparent, he told the media in
>New Delhi that the relevant documents were available with international
>auditors for inspection.


I could not get at their web site.


>Arunachalam, however, says there is nothing in the design of the
>network that will help monitor data.


Arunacalam is bluffing. A switch carries the traffic. Any network manager knows
that operational data can be monitored and recorded while the network is
carrying traffic. There are built-in probes in these switches to accomplish
these task. Once captured the oeprational data becomes an intellectual property
whose ownership accrues equally to IUNet, a foreign concern obeying the laws of
USA.


>CMU will have no role at all in the operation of the network.


But IUNet will acquire intellectual property rights.


>On the
>other hand, the network will ensure that domestic data does not leave
>the country's shores an d the international gateway is isolated from
>the nation-wide network so that it transports only those messages
>routed to or from foreign addresses


Arunachalam ignores sabotage of teh data networks by USA by knowing the
oeprational aspects of the networks. He only talks about routing. Any weakness
in routing which exists today can be addressed in the existing infrastructure
itself. Further the so called security measures that IUNet brings is not
something unique to IUNet. Every other vendor can deliver the same.


Arunachalam wants to digress from the point. The issue is with intellectual
property that accrues, is it not possible for USA to subvert the data network?
If every foreign partner is in an equally bad position, then what is the big
deal about IUNet?


>According to data security experts, even if one assumes that the U.S.
>agencies have access to data, it is physically impossible for them to
>monitor the voluminous data flowing through the network.


The US agencies need not do this in real-time. They can offline the traffic
data, analyse for patterns with powerful computers, fine tune their strategy
and then subvert the network at the crucial moment.


>But then the responsibility of data security lies with the parties
>sending the message; for instance, by encrypting the data sufficiently.
>Software for encryption is freely available over the Internet, they
>point out.
>
Arunachalam is either ignorant of the issues being raised or being naive.
People are not taking of encrypting individual messages. Yes, encryption
techniques go a long way. The security concerns of Sankhya Vahini relate to the
ability of a foreign agency to subvert the data network itself, not just the
bits that the network carries.


>Purkayastha said that in the U.S. and China, where similar networks
>have been set up, the governments have made it clear that they will be
>designed, implemented and controlled by their own efforts. In the case
>of Sankhya Vahini, the CMU will have comple te control over the
>project.
>


And that is my concern too.


>Arunachalam says that there is no need for competitive bidding when the
>focus of the project is on education. But Purkayastha's argument is
>that competitive bidding is a must when commercial gains are involved.
>


Do American Universities choose without asking for quotations from various
suppliers?


> In addition, the agreement ensures that the CMU will
>continue to have "controlling interests" in IUNet even after
>capitalisation for at least five years.


That is the issue.


>"The fibres themselves are only physical assets and have no
>value until the right technology is brought to bear on them. In
>mathematical sense, the fibre is worth only a few million dollars but
>the network with Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) will inc rease
>its enterprise value significantly."


While it is true that DWDM enhances the power of a fibre, without a fibre DWDM
has no value. So the same thing can be turned around. The issue is that there
are Tera bit switching technologies available today in the market place. Today
you can get it from carriers. And what this IUNet is bringing today is GB
switching and after 5 years 40 GB switching. It may be lot from te pathetic
indian firbre networks, but it is no where comparable to what is commercially
available in the international data networks of today.


>With the involvement of Chandrababu Naidu in the project, it is most
>likely that Sankhya Vahini will come through. This hope is based on the
>fact that his Telugu Desam Party is an important component of the
>ruling coalition at the Centre.


This is the fudnamental problem. Subversion of India by Indians situated in
India.


...kt

[Austin]

geopolitics

Has interview of VKS

Nice Interview , The print quality is bad a better print quality is available on Geopolitics website

http://www.geopolitics.in/may2013.aspx

Plus a good archive http://www.geopolitics.in/

[member_23651]

Just tried to reformat PK Mudiliyar's interesting post for better reading:

Like many of us who live in America and criticise India. All Indians of course, clean and incorruptible, unlike those fellows in India ...

VS Arunacahlam has a vested interest in defending his project, for he is the
CEO of the IUNet venture and benefits monetarily. So is Raj Reddy.

> "You require three main ingredients to be on the top:
>computers, content and communications. We have the former two, but lack
>communication. There is, therefore, a need to establish an exclusive
>optical communication that is not encumbered by legacy (the present
>telecom structure)."

What legacy of Telcom structure is he talking about? The only legacy is that
DOT today has the fibre. And they want to grab it for cheap and monopolize the
data networking market without even working for it. In USA, Intel and MicroSoft
worked their way to having stunning market presence. It is by sheer grit and
determination they accomplished it. But Arunacalam and Raj Reddy want to
accomplish a monopolistic position without any sweat. Of course there are huge
doubts on whether they have the competence for that purpose and expertise.

>He was categoric that Sankhya Vahini did not pose any security threat
>to the nation. "When you send a message today it gets routed through a
>server which is sometimes stationed in the U.S. Is that not a security
>risk?" The Massachusetts Institute of Tech nology (MIT) will be
>spending about $100 million to help Cambridge University in Britain set
>up their network. "Why is it that they are not worried?" he asks.

Arunachalam does not want to really address the Vision2020 document of the
department of defense. The US department of defense is building capabilities
for waging IT wars and data networks are targets for such war. Besides why
should data that is sent from India to a destination in India pass through a
station in USA? Is Arunachalam teaching us routing techniques in data networks?
He better take an elementary text book on routing and route selection; one can
always block specific routes based on message categories.


That MIT set up a $100mil lab for Cambridge University is no concern of an
Indian. USA stationed its nuclear warhead, cruise missliles, etc., on British
soil. The brits live at the mercy of the Americans. No, the Indian nation is
not a slave nation of the USA. The indians may have a lot of appreciation for
USA. That is distinct from nationality.

>Moreover, the network will be designed in collaboration with Indian
>universities. Elaborating o n the advantages of SVIL, he said that the
>network would be "fault tolerable", that is, any fault can be repaired
>within 100 milli-seconds.

Every highspeed optical service provider supports such fault-tolerance. What is
the big deal about IUNet? Today Global Crossing does Tera bit switching. There
are companies, many of the start ups, who work on chipsets for optical
networking. What is it that IUNet brings for the SVIL that these othe
rcompanies cannot bring?

>Emphasising that the entire deal was transparent, he told the media in
>New Delhi that the relevant documents were available with international
>auditors for inspection.

I could not get at their web site.

>Arunachalam, however, says there is nothing in the design of the
>network that will help monitor data.

Arunacalam is bluffing. A switch carries the traffic. Any network manager knows
that operational data can be monitored and recorded while the network is
carrying traffic. There are built-in probes in these switches to accomplish
these task. Once captured the oeprational data becomes an intellectual property
whose ownership accrues equally to IUNet, a foreign concern obeying the laws of
USA.

>CMU will have no role at all in the operation of the network.

But IUNet will acquire intellectual property rights.

>On the
>other hand, the network will ensure that domestic data does not leave
>the country's shores an d the international gateway is isolated from
>the nation-wide network so that it transports only those messages
>routed to or from foreign addresses

Arunachalam ignores sabotage of teh data networks by USA by knowing the
oeprational aspects of the networks. He only talks about routing. Any weakness
in routing which exists today can be addressed in the existing infrastructure
itself. Further the so called security measures that IUNet brings is not
something unique to IUNet. Every other vendor can deliver the same.


Arunachalam wants to digress from the point. The issue is with intellectual
property that accrues, is it not possible for USA to subvert the data network?
If every foreign partner is in an equally bad position, then what is the big
deal about IUNet?

>According to data security experts, even if one assumes that the U.S.
>agencies have access to data, it is physically impossible for them to
>monitor the voluminous data flowing through the network.

The US agencies need not do this in real-time. They can offline the traffic
data, analyse for patterns with powerful computers, fine tune their strategy
and then subvert the network at the crucial moment.

>But then the responsibility of data security lies with the parties
>sending the message; for instance, by encrypting the data sufficiently.
>Software for encryption is freely available over the Internet, they
>point out.
>

Arunachalam is either ignorant of the issues being raised or being naive.
People are not taking of encrypting individual messages. Yes, encryption
techniques go a long way. The security concerns of Sankhya Vahini relate to the
ability of a foreign agency to subvert the data network itself, not just the
bits that the network carries.

>Purkayastha said that in the U.S. and China, where similar networks
>have been set up, the governments have made it clear that they will be
>designed, implemented and controlled by their own efforts. In the case
>of Sankhya Vahini, the CMU will have comple te control over the
>project.
>

And that is my concern too.

>Arunachalam says that there is no need for competitive bidding when the
>focus of the project is on education. But Purkayastha's argument is
>that competitive bidding is a must when commercial gains are involved.
>

Do American Universities choose without asking for quotations from various
suppliers?

> In addition, the agreement ensures that the CMU will
>continue to have "controlling interests" in IUNet even after
>capitalisation for at least five years.

That is the issue.

>"The fibres themselves are only physical assets and have no
>value until the right technology is brought to bear on them. In
>mathematical sense, the fibre is worth only a few million dollars but
>the network with Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) will inc rease
>its enterprise value significantly."

While it is true that DWDM enhances the power of a fibre, without a fibre DWDM
has no value. So the same thing can be turned around. The issue is that there
are Tera bit switching technologies available today in the market place. Today
you can get it from carriers. And what this IUNet is bringing today is GB
switching and after 5 years 40 GB switching. It may be lot from te pathetic
indian firbre networks, but it is no where comparable to what is commercially
available in the international data networks of today.

>With the involvement of Chandrababu Naidu in the project, it is most
>likely that Sankhya Vahini will come through. This hope is based on the
>fact that his Telugu Desam Party is an important component of the
>ruling coalition at the Centre.

This is the fudnamental problem. Subversion of India by Indians situated in
India.


...kt

[Nikhil T]

McKinsey: A bright future for Indian defense industry? (pdf)


Taken from McKinsey on Defence

[Nikhil T]

Interesting to see correlation of 'Military Expenditure Growth vs GDP growth' in last 20 years. India is behind the curve in spending.



Taken from : McKinsey Facebook page.

[Brando]

Actually the report is rather pessimistic because as India develops economically, it will get rid of more of its price controls and subsidies that are holding various sectors back - this will free up more space in the finances, not to mention improved tax enforcement. There is even a possibility of FDI being introduced into the defense sector quite soon, changing the landscape radically. Indian private sector defense companies could go public and so could PSU's like HAL etc, opening them up to public scrutiny and greater accountability.

Unlike Brazil, Australia and even Saudi Arabia, India has a genuine and credible reason to spend heavily on the miliary. India is perhaps the only nation on Earth to have two nuclear armed neighbors on either side that are inimical to it.

[member_26622]

They have correctly identified that Indian can serve as a low cost manufacturing base to support shrinking defense budgets elsewhere. Plus, China is not the preferred option for outsourcing defense production.

But, India will have to work hard to make this happen (like IT outsourcing and call centers). We are best in hands of private players to make this vision come true. PSU will not stand a chance unless privatized.

[member_26965]

India can setup military export zones for non lethal defence manufacturing.

[Austin]

Perform or perish: Antony tells DRDO

NEW DELHI: Reflecting frustration over long delays of strategic projects like Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Defence Minister A K Antony today came down hard on DRDO, saying there is a "limit to time slippages" and that it should "perform or perish".

Antony told the country's premier government-run organisation responsible for manufacturing defence equipment that it should adhere to the timelines and satisfy the user.

He specifically referred to the LCA project, which has not fructified even after nearly three decades of inception, and said, "I am waiting that the LCA should become a reality."

The Defence Minister said in military development projects across the globe, it is a "herculean task" to meet timelines and there are time slippages. "But there is limit for slippages," he said, clearly reflecting the frustration.

"In the times of cut-throat competition, the choice is very clear -- perform or perish. In delivery of strategic systems, timelines must be adhered to and the satisfaction of the user is the litmus test," Antony said at a DRDO awards function.

Asking the DRDO to focus on its core competence and "not fritter away its resources and energy", he said, "Do not think that I am criticising you, I am with you in all times but as the Minister of Defence, it is my duty to say some things to you."

On the LCA programme, he said he had been given a particular date by the DRDO. "I hope that it is the final date and the aircraft gets its Initial Operational Clearance II."

The IOC-I of the LCA was held in January 2011 in Bangalore and its IOC-II was scheduled to be held in July but it has now been postponed to be held in November.

Antony asked the team of HAL, DRDO and the IAF to work together on the LCA project and ensure that it achieves the IOC-II and then the Final Operational Clearance by the end of next year.

[vasu raya]

Dr. Avinash Chander saying all the right stuff, from Tarmak site,

The Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) new boss Dr Avinash Chander has put India's fighter jet project Tejas on his radar, with a possible mission to jettison it out of the current turbulence. In an interview to Express on Friday, soon after New Delhi officially handed over the mandate to pilot DRDO for the next three years, Avinash said that completing the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) of Tejas by September this year and attaining the Final Operational Clearance (FOC) by the end of 2014, are two primary targets he has already set.
“After finishing the taking over formalities, I am catching the first available flight to Bangalore to review the project. I am absolutely aware of the issues that are dogging the project and I would now want to see it from close quarters, what the delays are. The Tejas' IOC and FOC cannot be postponed any further,” said Avinash, who will also double up as the Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister. He said the induction of India's long-range ballistic missile Agni-V and development of 155-mm gun are other projects that would get his immediate attention.
Saying that his task is cut out with many projects reeling under time overruns, Avinash promised to turn around DRDO into a delivery-oriented unit. “There are grey areas still, despite our efforts to stick to the deadline. We are lagging behind in directive energy systems such as high-energy electro-magnetic lasers {Does this lay some groundwork for EMALS?}. We also need to gear up on the materials front. We have proven our abilities with multiple missile programmes and we need to emulate the same in other projects as well,” said the 62-and-a-half-year-old missile scientist.
He said DRDO will be restructured to catch up with the challenges of modern times. “I will take everything one step at a time. I am aware that we need to create the 'Brand DRDO' image. It will be a collective team effort. The idea is to take DRDO to the next level. I will ensure that the confidence of users in DRDO will be always high,” Avinash said.
Incidentally, Avinash will be the second man after Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, who will serve as the DRDO chief beyond 65 years.

[merlin]

So Tejas IOC slips yet again from June end to September end!

[NRao]

Dr. Chander should get it done. IMHO there is more than IOC/FOC, there are a few structural issues that also need to be corrected along with meeting goals. seems to me he is after those too. Which would/should contribute to the long term health of DRDO.

[vic]

USA will produce around 500 production F-35s before IOC and around 1000 production F-35 before FOC, thereafter perhaps 3000 F-35s before going for major upgrade. We will do 0 Production LCA before IOC-2, around 20 SP LCA before FOC and 40 SP LCA Mark-1 before upgrading to LCA Mark-2.

We are content to upgrade and use Mig-21s, Mirage 2000s and Mig-29s but ignore the LCA. But I still think that IAF is going in right direction by learning from Indian History. India became a Super Power by importing arms and conquered Great Britain. Now we going to Conquer China & USA by using the same brilliant strategy.

[eklavya]

We are content to upgrade and use Mig-21s, Mirage 2000s and Mig-29s but ignore the LCA.

What has upgrading the MiG-21, MiG-29 and Mirage-2000 got to do with delays in LCA project? You are suggesting that the alternative to upgrading the existing fleet is to induct the pre IOC LCA, with its serious performance limitations. Quite ridiculous.

But I still think that IAF is going in right direction by learning from Indian History. India became a Super Power by importing arms and conquered Great Britain. Now we going to Conquer China & USA by using the same brilliant strategy.

You are suggesting that the IAF can achieve its operational objectives by operating the pre IOC LCA? Maybe your knowledge of history is better than your knowledge of aviation (pretty low bar).

What chance does an IAF pilot in a pre IOC LCA have against a PAF F-16 or a PLAAF Su-30? Just because you are a supporter of indigenous systems does not mean you can write without thinking about the implications of your statements. IAF is keen to induct the LCA, but inducting a sub-par system will not enhance India's security, it will harm it.

[NRao]

USA will produce around 500 production F-35s before IOC and around 1000 production F-35 before FOC, thereafter perhaps 3000 F-35s before going for major upgrade. We will do 0 Production LCA before IOC-2, around 20 SP LCA before FOC and 40 SP LCA Mark-1 before upgrading to LCA Mark-2.

Some of us have made that argument for some time now. The USAF has actually re-writing the books to allow the current version of the F-35 to operational status. I feel it is a path that the IAF should have adopted long back.

We are content to upgrade and use Mig-21s, Mirage 2000s and Mig-29s but ignore the LCA. But I still think that IAF is going in right direction by learning from Indian History. India became a Super Power by importing arms and conquered Great Britain. Now we going to Conquer China & USA by using the same brilliant strategy.

As long as there is an out the services will be tempted to use it. If we look at the options the US has - there are none other than the F-35 (F-18s perhaps for the USN, but really nothing viable/palatable for the other two).

having said that the MoD/IAF seem to be coming to the same realization that importing has its drawbacks. And, I feel that the drawbacks will soon be greater than the risk of adjusting the rules for an IOC/FOC for a domestic product.

I am more interested in seeing how they treat the AMCA.

[eklavya]

As long as there is an out the services will be tempted to use it.

So the idea is the government stops the IAF upgrading the existing fleet or buying any new aircraft from abroad, and that will miraculously turn the pre IOC LCA into a capable aircraft that can take on the PAF F-16 Block 52 and the PLAAF Su-30 MKK. Pigs might fly.

Either that, or you care more about the H&D of the LCA's designers than about the life of IAF pilots, and least of all the country's security.

[Neshant]

buying a ton of stuff from overseas is merely subsidizing overseas military R&D base at great cost.

unless this dependency is somehow broken, the country will forever remain backwards.

Breaking the dependency does not mean a total stop to imports. Critical sub-systems can be purchased but not the whole plane, tank, ship - lock stock and barrel.

Ultimately the argument will always hold true that better stuff is available from over seas if there is a near zero R&D base in the country. There's no end to that line of logic.

[vic]

PAF and PLAAF have hundreds of low tech aircraft and not only F-16s and Su-27s/30s, hence even in present avtaar LCA Mark-1 has adequate role. Kill Rafale Import and go for LCA.

[VinodTK]

India developing robotic soldiers to replace humans in warfare

:
:
:
Under the project being undertaken by DRDO, robots would be developed with very high level of intelligence to enable them to differentiate between a threat and a friend.

These can then be deployed in difficult warfare zones, like the Line of Control (LoC), a step that would help avert the loss of human lives.

"We are going to work for robotic soldiers. We are going to look for very high level of intelligence in it than what we are talking today... It is a new programme and a number of labs are already working in a big way on robotics," DRDO chief Avinash Chander said in an interview.

The newly-appointed DRDO chief listed the project for development of robotic soldiers as one of his "priority thrust areas" saying that "unmanned warfare in land and air is the future of warfare. Initially the robotic soldier may be assisting the man."
:
:

[chetak]

India developing robotic soldiers to replace humans in warfare

:
:
:
Under the project being undertaken by DRDO, robots would be developed with very high level of intelligence to enable them to differentiate between a threat and a friend.

These can then be deployed in difficult warfare zones, like the Line of Control (LoC), a step that would help avert the loss of human lives.

"We are going to work for robotic soldiers. We are going to look for very high level of intelligence in it than what we are talking today... It is a new programme and a number of labs are already working in a big way on robotics," DRDO chief Avinash Chander said in an interview.

The newly-appointed DRDO chief listed the project for development of robotic soldiers as one of his "priority thrust areas" saying that "unmanned warfare in land and air is the future of warfare. Initially the robotic soldier may be assisting the man."
:
:

This should be fairly easy even for DRDO.

We have already developed a robotic prime minister and other ministers

[vasu raya]

Before they go with full fledged robots, they could build exoskeletons so that the trek in mountain regions with full gear is easier on the soldiers. There is a certain startup in Chennai already working on this.

[Vipul]

L&T to bid for coast guard contracts worth Rs.4,000 crore.

Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T) will bid for four Indian coast guard contracts worth Rs.4,000 crore, said M.V. Kotwal, president of the company’s heavy engineering department, on Monday.

L&T also plans to bid for two landing platform docks that will be awarded by the Indian government, Kotwal told reporters.

To foster the growth of Indian defence companies, the government has rolled out a new procurement programme seen as favouring domestic firms and is also looking to partially remove restrictions on foreign companies investing in Indian ones.

L&T, India’s largest engineering and construction company, has tried to expand its defence manufacturing business and recently emerged, in consortium, as the lowest bidder for a contract to make army vehicles.

[A Sharma]

Tech Focus on Radars June 2013

[A Sharma]

DRDO Newsletter June 2013

[Hiten]

DRDO Looks For Partner To Build & Maintain The Indigenous AEW&C Systems

http://www.aame.in/2013/06/drdo-looks-f ... build.html

CABS, the lead organisation in the Defence Research & Development Organisation's [DRDO] efforts to develop India's own airborne surveillance platform, is mandated to produce 3 such systems for use by the Indian Air Force [IAF]. The system has been conceived around the specially modified Embraer ERJ 145I aircraft, being acquired from Brazil. Two of these are said to have reached India, while delivery of the third is expected in December, this year. As with any system, its continued smooth operation in service would depend on being regularly maintained & repaired by authorised entities. Thus, as part of the development process itself, CABS has initiated steps to identify such an organisation within India, capable of providing service support to the AEW&C, once it has been inducted, ideally through its entire expected life-cycle of around 20-30 years.

[SaiK]

^^

Of all the companies that responded, the state-run HAL would appear to have the best chance of winning the contract, given their vast experience, existing infrastructure & a human resource pool quite unmatched by others. But the state-owned Aerospace monopoly also suffers from an already overflowing work order, inordinate delays in meeting prior commitments & other diversification plans that are likely to affect the company's ability to honour this contract, if awarded. Given the relatively small, even if significant, nature of the contract of three aircrafts at this stage, it could be a major leap of faith, with the possibility of rich dividends, if the contract were to be awarded to one of the bidders from the private sector, for whom successful execution of the contract would be as much a matter of prestige, as it would be an invaluable move upward through the value chain. A wonderful opportunity, complementing the Govt's vision of developing a robust indigenous military-industrial setup in the Indian private sector.

Pretty much summing all that we talk about.
This is a big critical area subject.

[Karan M]

Tech Focus on Radars June 2013

Thank you for this.
Page 3 has the indigenous MBA network for the Rohini, 3D TCR and Revathi, as versus the gaseous claims of a self proclaimed defence analyst on a blog who claims these radars were procured off the shelf from Poland. Ditto for the shaped beam former and receive array tech on Page 4. Transmitters and other items on Page 8, DSP on Page 8. A lot of the rest is for AESAs developed inhouse. A wealth of information.

[A Sharma]

Tech Focus April 2013

[Hiten]

any idea what this yellow thing is? From this month's HAL-Connect

https://imageshack.us/a/img802/9696/i1cb.jpg

[member_23651]

^^ Seems some kind of pressurized suit

[chetak]

^^ Seems some kind of pressurized suit

They recently established a sophisticated inert atmosphere welding facility at Koraput.

This suit may be part of that set up.

[member_23651]

^ thanks makes sense now!

[member_26965]

any idea what this yellow thing is? From this month's HAL-Connect

https://imageshack.us/a/img802/9696/i1cb.jpg

It is suit for the new welding chamber for Su-30 MKI engine. You can read the report of the new chamber here http://frontierindia.net/hindustan-aero ... at-koraput

It quotes:

The MCW shop features a Robotic tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding system in argon chamber which is used for welding of complicated assemblies for aero engine in total argon environment to ensure quality and reliability.