Bharat Rakshak

rohitvats

Posting some exchanges from Twitter on the aspect of Naval ALH and the saga of folding blades: (1) From: Admiral Arun Prakash - ex Chief of Naval Staff Not factual. IN issued LoI for purchase of 120 ALH fr ship ASW/SAR early 1990's provided HAL could install blade-folding kit. Since hyd/elect wz not...

rohitvats

Cain Marko wrote: <SNIP>
Interesting. Can this be mitigated by using a layered ADS including the s400 + mrsam + Akash + Spyder?

These are defensive system which will act as deterrent against PAF and PA helicopter gunships. But completely useless against any ground campaign by PA in this sector.

rohitvats

Unfortunately for Pakis there is no land to playwith as Lahore, Sialkot and rest Shakargarh area is critical for them<SNIP> This holds for India as well. - Pathankot is 25 km from international border. - The critical Pathankot - Kathua - Sambha road which connects rest of the country with Jammu and...

rohitvats

There is an error in my post above Akhnoor - A RAPID has 2 x Armored Regiments + 2 x Mechanized Regiments. Plus, 1 x Recce & Support (R&S) Regiment. These R&S can be tracked or wheeled, depending on terrain and requirement. The link below shows 17th Battalion, The Brigade of Guards. It i...

rohitvats

Katare wrote:
Vivek K wrote:Four apaches!!!! OOOOOh! The Chinese are making Indian Dhotis to shiver in!
Wtf is that suppose to mean?

Drivel like this is supposed to be some deep insight into defense matters worthy of posting and sharing on BRF....you should've learned it by now.

rohitvats

I think that IAF should phase out Mig-29s and Jaguars. The cost of these upgrades are probably every bit as costly as a new LCA. If a BRF Oldie, who's spent years on this forum, makes statements like these, and there is actually a discussion around the topic - well, it simply highlights the decline...

rohitvats

Indian Army is strengthening the 180 degree arc around the Shakargarh bulge. Consider these two developments: 1. Akhnoor based 10 Division has been converted into a RAPID. Which means 10 Division now has 2 x Armored Regiments + 1 x Mechanized Regiments. Akhnoor as we know, features prominently in al...

rohitvats

Thanks for the link Rohit, and for your excellent compilation. I made a comment on your blog but it’s not visible yet probably because you need to review it. If you don’t see it either and it’s lost in the ether then I will resubmit by logging in I've seen your comment and published it as well. Wha...

rohitvats

To get the full picture on IBGs it will be necessary to look at the units used to raise them. Apparently they will be raised out of existing formations. One indicator so far is that 14 RAPIDS lost its armoured brigade to an IBG, and will now be deployed in Uttarakhand/HP. 14 RAPIDS is from 2 Corps ...

rohitvats

To understand what capability S-400 adds to IAF and air defense scenario, please re-read the interview of Air Chief linked somewhere on the forum. The keyword is - Layered Air Defense. IAF is going from Point Air Defense to Layered Air Defense. Earlier, the best missile based AD that IAF had were SA...

rohitvats

- Does Akash-1S also have active seeker or are we looking at active RF seeker on Akash NG? - Also, if Akahs-1S does have active seeker, does mid-course guidance still happens through Command Guidance mode with missile seeker becoming active in terminal phase. - Why do we have Command Guidance model ...

rohitvats

^^^I'm already working on something with respect to IBG. Will take a weeks time on higher side.

rohitvats

Actually, in 1965 war, it was the AHQ in Rawalpindi which was controlling multiple divisions directly. Pakistan Army had only one Corps i.e - 1 Corps. This was also very big in size and commanded a total of 8 Divisions. IV Corps was raised post-haste in 1965 itself because 1 Corps, with such large n...

rohitvats

I think we need to wait for more literature to come out before commenting on the proposed Integrated Battle Groups (IBG). Having said that, the concept of battle groups is nothing new and has existed in one form or another from before WW2. At its most basic level, a battle group consists of a core g...

rohitvats

This article in The Tribune, while on ASAT test and program, has some interesting details about the seeker-tech on NAG. Posting relevant parts: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/decoding-the-anti-satellite-weapon-test/751313.html Infrared seekers use what is called Focal Plane Array (FPA) of...

rohitvats

Why those two? For accuracy we have to evaluate the cost of their delivery mechanisms too. Personally, I don't see the need for the Excalibur. We have rockets with pinpoint accuracy and higher range now. I don't know the exact costs, But I can't see how they will be very dissimilar. Indranil, few p...

rohitvats

As per my conversation with Nitin Gokhale, not all Division HQ will be done away with. Only some. Having said that, the concept of having a Major General command an IBG, which basis the information available, seems like a strengthened brigade, seems bizarre to me as well. For comparison, a Brigade C...

rohitvats

For LCH Helina is completing development provide services don't ask for a missile to hit a tank hiding in a cave! New dispensation is going to question unreasonable requirements on DRDO weapons only. Its not only about the missile but the guidance system as well. If you want Mi-35 to fire HELINA (w...

rohitvats

is HAL and ASTE pushing ahead with qualifying the hawks for a2g uses ? I saw two of them circling repeatedly over HAL apt today making touch & go. They're already qualified for this role. If you remember, there was news of one of the three women fighter pilots being posted to Hawks squadron at ...

rohitvats

I think rohitji you need to re-read what I posted and not use your intuitive bias to respond. You talking about bias is mother of all ironies. Someone who's only contribution of this forum is to pour scorn on IAF and Services with respect to almost anything is talking about bias. Someone who's stan...

rohitvats

Think of where we would have been if we had persisted with HF24 MK1R. Perhaps we could then have paid attention to fuzes also! Sigh! For that, you need to question HAL. Go back to what you posted and re-read the bit about area rule being vitiated. GTRE developed an engine with reheat and HAL simply...

rohitvats

I'm posting content from my Tweets on NASAM-2 purchase. It baffles me, to say the least. Link to Tweet (it has pictures as well): https://twitter.com/KesariDhwaj/status/1138105674779389952 (1) Thoughts on NASAM missile system is this thread: NASAM initially stood for Norwegian Advanced Surface to Ai...

rohitvats

Karan - With seeker, Akash 1S moves from Command Guidance to SARH mode, right? Or, is this new active seeker we're talking about here? Thanks.

rohitvats

Well, if its six batteries, than the DRDO poster is wrong. Troop and batteries are not interchangeable terms.

rohitvats

First, if AFSOD is to work on similar lines as JSOC, both Indian Army and Indian Navy will have to create another set of special forces on lines of Delta and ST6. The business of having a single Tier 1 SF unit under AFSOD, with combined manpower from all three services, seems a bit stretched for me....

rohitvats

My comments in color. Rohit - three quick notes: 1. An old R&DE article clearly mentions Army has 24 launchers per regiment, IMHO that rules out the 2x troops per battery possibility [ AD artillery generally has 24 units in each regiment. For example, L-70 Regiment has 04 batteries of 6 guns eac...

rohitvats

Karan - We need to understand the nomenclature the way army uses it. For example: (1) Artillery: Troops ----> Battery--->Regiment (2) Armored: Troops --->Squadron---->Regiment (3) Infantry: Section ----> Platoon--->Company--->Battalion This organizational structure has impact on employment and usage...

rohitvats

I'm sure of the 6 batteries, 12 troops part.

rohitvats

The SOD is not SOCOM. Its our JSOC - i.e a Tier 1 Counter Terrorism Unit. Current SOF structures will remain and they are providing the initial feeding stock to the SOD. Basis the information available so far, AFSOD is actually more like SOCOM than JSOC. Even under SOCOM, each organization has its ...

rohitvats

Are you sure IA did not purchase 3D CAR at Troop level? Because there is this bit of intriguing information. https://tarmak007.blogspot.com/2011/12/happy-hours-2500-missiles-112-launchers.html HAPPY HOURS: 2,500 missiles, 112 launchers, 28 MPARs & 100 3-D CARs | Massive Akash SAM system orders ...

rohitvats

So, I was reading-up on the capabilities of Korean K-30 Biho, Tugushka and Pantsir systems to under why IA went with the first one and rejected the Russian products. Especially, when on paper, the Russians systems appear far more capable and versatile. However, the capability needs to be seen from u...

rohitvats

Two things are wrong above - no of batteries are 06, so total number of troops are 12. And it shows 3D-CAR at Troop level, which is not the case. However, as I said, I won't be surprised if there are 2 x 3D-CAR to have two independent sub-groups with 2 x Batteries (04 Troops) each. **Correction made...

rohitvats

I'd be glad to be proved wrong on this Tungushka issue but whatever evidence I've seen, speaks otherwise: (1) Inducted in 1996, White Tiger of Rewa (formation sigh of 31st Armored Division), 334 TAC Number https://i.imgur.com/qwbdiPB.jpg (2) Same as above but inducted in 1999: https://i.imgur.com/ey...

rohitvats

Karan M - (1) IAF AD Assets: - The IAF AD assets are organized primarily around the Base Defense Zone (BDZ) concept. So, you've SA-3 as the main SAM, followed by SA-10 and MANPADS. SPYDER has now been added to the matrix, to be followed by QRSAM. *** One more point, the concept of BDZ has mentioned ...

rohitvats

Some pointers on Indian AD assets. Plus, correction on some points mentioned by Karan M earlier: (1) Most numerous AD missile assets are with IAF. Of these, SA-3 are used for AD of IAF bases and important cities. Other short-range SAMs are used for Vulnerable Areas/Vulnerable Points. (2) Indian Army...

rohitvats

A great article by a former Helicopter Test Pilot from IN. https://www.thequint.com/voices/opinion/indian-air-force-apache-attack-helicopters-true-guardians-indigenous-weaponry The Apaches come as a vital shot in the arm for attack helicopter capability, that has been greatly diminished over years. ...

rohitvats

Indian Army has two amphibious brigades in its order of battle. While one is dedicated to A&N, other is more of a reserve, to be used as desired. Exercises with Indian Navy in TROPEX exercise. If we're to be serious player in IOR, and also give teeth for operations against Pakistan, such LPDs, w...

rohitvats

https://defence-blog.com/army/russia-looking-for-replacement-for-troubled-pantsir-air-defense-system.html Russia looking for replacement for “troubled” Pantsir air defense system And the Russians were complaining against Indian Army's decision to go for the South Korean K-30 BIHO Gun/Missile Self P...

rohitvats

BTW - where can I read more about Shilka upgrade and what all it involves? Thanks.

rohitvats

This is what Wikipedia says about the radar on K-30: The TPS-830K radar of K30 is an X-band (8 to 12.5 GHz) surveillance and fire-control pulse-Doppler radar, specialized for use against low-flying aircraft. Its features include real-time early warning, multiple target detection, an integral L-band ...

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