Military Acquisitions, Partnerships & Developments

[Vips]

Defence Ministry approves acquisition of military hardware worth Rs 28,000 crore.

The defence ministry on Thursday approved procurement of weapons and military equipment worth Rs 28,000 crore for the three services, officials said.

The procurement proposals were cleared at a time when India and China are locked in a bitter border standoff in eastern Ladakh. Officials said almost all the weapons and military hardware approved for procurement will be acquired from domestic industry.

"The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh approved proposals to procure equipment worth Rs 27,000 crore from domestic industry," the defence ministry said in a statement.

Officials said a total of seven acquisition proposals were approved by the DAC, the defence ministry's highest decision-making body on procurement.
"Six of the seven proposals, that is, Rs 27,000 crore out of Rs 28,000 crore for which AoNs (Acceptance of Necessity) were granted will be sourced from the Indian industry to give a boost to the 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiatives," the ministry said.

Acquisition proposals approved include procurement of the DRDO-designed and developed airborne early warning and control systems for the Indian Air Force, next generation offshore patrol vessels for the Indian Navy and modular bridges for the Indian Army

[jamwal]

What is this Akash Teer by BEL?

[sum]

^^ I believe the air defence components networking project (Air Defence Control and Reporting System (ADCRS) 'Akash Teer'.)

[Kakkaji]

Defence minister Rajnath Singh hands over 3 DRDO systems to chiefs of armed forces

Singh handed over the Indian maritime situational awareness system (IMSAS) to Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh at an event here, the Defence Ministry's statement said.

The IMSAS is a software system that provides global maritime situational picture, marine planning tools and analytical capabilities to the Indian Navy, the statement noted.

The minister handed over the Astra Mk-1 missile system to Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria, the statement said.

This missile is the first indigenously developed beyond visual range (BVR) missile that can be launched from Sukhoi-30 and other fighter aircraft.

Singh handed over the Border Surveillance System (BOSS), which is an all-weather electronic surveillance system, to Army Chief General M M Naravane at the event here.

All three systems--IMSAS, Astra Mk-1 and BOSS-- have been designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) only, the statement said.

[Bharadwaj]

BEML bags ₹758-crore orders for high-mobility vehicles for Indian Army

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ne ... 503348.ece

I hate screwdriver giri but in this case it is excused. Even the most modern Leyland and Tata products despite other advantages lose out to the Tatra architecture in the roughest terrain. This seems to be a limited order and I am guessing most will pull tanks up in the mountains.

[Kakkaji]

Lockheed Martin inks pact with HAL to explore industrial opportunities

BENGALURU: US defence major Lockheed Martin on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited NSE 3.79 % (HAL)to explore industrial opportunities. "We are excited to explore potential opportunities with HAL, one of the largest aerospace companies in Asia," said Vice President of Business Development Integrated Fighter Group, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, J R McDonald.

HAL CMD R Madhavan said his company was looking forward to working with Lockheed Martin to continue addressing domestic and international market needs in the aerospace and defence sector.

[Kakkaji]

Government's endeavour is to bring down defence imports by USD 2 billion by next year: Rajnath Singh

BENGALURU: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said with an aim of encouraging the manufacture of defence related items in the country, the government's endeavour is also to bring down its defence imports by at least USD two billion by 2022.

"We have signed 128 MoUs, 19 ToTs, 4 Handing Overs, 18 Product Launches and 32 Major Announcements, totaling a grand figure of 201 feats. Further, 45 MSMEs participating in Aero India 21 have already bagged orders worth Rs 203 crore. This is a major achievement," he said.

[Kakkaji]

Behind the paywall but:

Boeing to manufacture 737 vertical fin structures in India

NEW DELHI: Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL), a joint venture between the Tata Group and Boeing, will manufacture complex vertical fin structures for the 737 family of airplanes, Boeing announced today.

The vertical fin is a complex structural part and the new production line will utilize cutting-edge robotics and automation in manufacturing, the company said.

[Kakkaji]

HAL signs agreement with Elbit Systems for supply of Digital Overhead Head Up Display Systems

BENGALURU: State-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd NSE 2.11 % (HAL) on Monday said it has entered into an agreement with Elbit Systems Electro Optics Elop Ltd., Israel, for supply of Digital Overhead Head Up Display Systems (DOHS) during the recently concluded Aero India-2021. The Digital Overhead HUDs will be initially manufactured in the existing facility of HAL's Division at Korwa

It said a dedicated facility will be augmented progressively in proportion to manufacturing volume.

HAL said the company and Elbit Systems have envisaged a mutual co-operation to upgrade its technological base and acquire high end technology on Digital Overhead HUD System which is primarily used in transport aircraft worldwide.

Earlier, HAL's Korwa Division entered into a licensed Transfer of Technology agreement with ELOP Electro-Optics Industries Ltd, Israel for setting up the D-level maintenance and manufacturing facilities of CRT based HUD (front) in 2000 and 2003 respectively.

More than 500 HUDs have been supplied for various Indian platforms such as Su-30MKI, Jaguar and MiG-27M upgrade, it added.

[kit]

The HRG is a very high-tech device which requires sophisticated manufacturing tools and process. The control electronics required to sense and drive the standing waves, is somewhat sophisticated. This high level of sophistication strongly limits the dissemination of this technology and only few companies were able to develop it. Up to now, only three companies are manufacturing HRG in series: Northrop Grumman Corporation, Safran and Raytheon Anschutz

DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat (RCI) has progressed steadily in the field of interferometry.The first HRG for tactical applications is actually set to be delivered this year.

Northrop Grumman’s HRG provides reliable inertial technology on the Space-Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit satellite

HEARTY CONGRATS RCI !!

[Kakkaji]

Indian Army in process of acquiring 556 Augmented Reality Head Mounted Display systems

The Indian Army is in the process of acquiring 556 Augmented Reality Head Mounted Display (ARHMD) systems, the defence ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

ARHMD is conceived as capability enhancement to Land Based Air Defence Weapon Systems such as the IGLA shoulder-fired Infrared Homing Air Defence Missile System and the ZU 23mm 2B AD Gun System, which will provide the operator with radar and thermal imaging (TI) sight outputs as overlays.

"Indian Army is in the process of acquiring niche technology by procuring quantity 556 Augmented Reality Head Mounted Display (ARHMD) systems under Make-II category," the statement said.

After a successful evaluation of vendor responses, a project sanction order (PSO) was issued to six vendors on February 22 to start developing the prototype.

In another statement, the ministry said a contract for the construction of eight Missile-cum-Ammunition (MCA) barges has been concluded with M/s SECON, Visakhapatnam on February 19.

The delivery of the barges is scheduled to commence from July 2022. The MCA barges will be inducted in the Indian Navy to undertake the mission needs for embarking or disembarking missile, gunnery and ASW ammunition, the statement added.

[jaysimha]

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1700215
Ministry of Defence
DAC approves proposals worth Rs 13,700 crore
Posted On: 23 FEB 2021 5:03PM by PIB Delhi

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https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/mod-clears-defence-buys-worth-rs-13-700-cr-including-118-arjun-mk-1a-tanks-101614091988608.html

● 118 Arjun Mk-1A main battle
● protection systems for the army’s fleet of more than 3,000 AFVs
● The proposals cleared by the DAC include 293 Nag anti-tank missiles developed by DRDO
● 13 modified ICVs (called the Nag missile carrier or Namica),
● eight medium power radars called Arudra
● practice ammunition for T-90 and T-72 tanks


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Meanwhile, Bharat Forge on Tuesday announced that it received a ₹178-crore order from the army for its M4 vehicles under the emergency procurement route.

[Vips]

Engine development for AMCA. Per a Defence AV:

-Rolls Royce has submitted a "financial cost report" to the Indian government and it is a $3 Billion "Co-development program" for developing the 110 KN engine with "Full transfer of technology and Intellectual Property Rights".
-"Majority of the testing" will be done at the new engine complex of HAL/DRDO which will be ready by end of 2021.
-New engine will be a "clean slate design" and will have a "new core section" but will use some of the technologies that have already been developed by India for the Kaveri program like new fan section and FADEC.
-The engine will have potential for 20% increased thrust generation (132 KN) with "minor changes" in the core section.