India Armed Forces Gallery and Discussion

HangPC2

India Builds the Largest Tank Force in Eurasia


December 10, 2007: India has bought another 347 Russian T-90S tanks, at a cost of $3.5 million each. India is also building another thousand T-90S tanks under license, and using many parts imported from Russia.

Last year, India adopted the Russian T-90 as its new main battle tank. There will be local production of about a thousand T-90s over the next 14 years. India already has imported 310 T-90s. Under this plan, by 2020, India will have 2,000 upgraded T-72s, over 1,500 T90s, and few hundred other tanks. This will be the most powerful armored force in Eurasia, unless China moves ahead with upgrades to its tank force. The border between China and India is high in the Himalayan mountains, which is not good tank country. India's tank force is mainly for use against Pakistan.



The T-90 is a highly evolved T-72. Originally, the T-190 was done as a fall-back design. The T-80 was supposed to be the successor to the T-72. But like the T-62 and T-64 before it, the T-80 didn't quite work out as planned. So the T-72, with a much improved turret and all manner of gadgets, was trotted out as the T-90. Weighting 47 tons, it's 23 feet long, 11 feet wide and 7.5 feet high. Same package, better contents. And with well trained crews, it could be deadly.



India doesn't have to worry about facing M-1s. The main enemy is Pakistan, which has T-72s, a few T-80s and many older T-55s (the Chinese version.) Training remains a problem for the Indian army, because of rising fuel costs. Again, it's all relative, for the Pakistanis are even less able to pay for the vast quantities of fuel needed to move a tank around for training.



Currently, fuel alone costs the Indian army about a dollar per kilometer traveled by each for T-72s, and a little more for T-90s. So if you want to take a hundred T-72s out for several days of training, each vehicle is going to travel, say, 200 kilometers. That's $20,000 just for the fuel. Do that four times a year, for the entire 4,000 tank force, and you're out nearly $3 million. That's for minimal training, and many countries cannot afford even that. You can more than double the fuel cost to take care of replacement parts and repairs for accidents.



American armored vehicles cost from $15-$25 per kilometer to operate, largely because of higher personnel costs. This is why, even when poor nations get first rate tanks, they often do poorly in combat. Buying the tank, for a few million dollars each, is only a small part of the total cost of creating a competent crew to get the most out of that high tech tank.



Sources : http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htproc/articles/20071210.aspx

HangPC2

India and Malaysia seek closer ties



Mon Jan 7, 7:09 AM ET



KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - India is training Malaysian pilots to fly Russian fighter jets as part of a pact to upgrade defence cooperation, ministers from both sides said, as the two nations seek closer ties.

Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony said after talks with Malaysian Defence Minister Najib Razak that they also agreed to hold joint military exercises and strengthen efforts to combat regional terrorism.

Malaysia said it is also looking at having India help train its naval personnel to operate its two new French submarines.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said that Antony's visit -- part of India's campaign to cement relations with Southeast Asian allies -- did not touch on the contentious issue of a crackdown on ethnic Indian activists here.

"India wants to broaden ties and on the political side, there is no problem," he told reporters, despite Indian premier Manmohan Singh voicing concern over heavy-handed treatment of ethnic Indian protesters.

"(Antony) did not raise the issue of ethnic Indians in Malaysia. They understand the situation better," Syed Hamid said.

Malaysia's ethnic Indians, who make up eight percent of the population, held unprecedented protests in November to complain about discrimination at the hands of Muslim Malays, who dominate the population and the government.

Syed Hamid said that Indian companies were also keen to play a greater role in Malaysia and that last year two-way trade reached eight billion US dollars.

He added that the two nations' leaders were keen to complete a fledgling free-trade agreement, which is due to begin being negotiated this month, as soon as possible.

"Both the ministers hoped that this understanding will act as an important catalyst toward expanded cooperation between the two countries in the field of defence," the Indian embassy said in a statement referring to the airforce training of Malaysian pilots.

Antony, who is on a three-day visit to Malaysia, said that India and Malaysia had a shared interest in countering terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and in protecting maritime traffic.

In recent years India and Malaysia have developed a strong bilateral relationship encompassing trade, education, diplomacy and defence.


- Yahoo.com -

yaminz

Xla sebijik sm, dier nyer hull mcm T-72 n turret likely assemble early Leopard II turret... Kira nnyer hybrid la... Lgpon, diorg guna kpakaran German...

HangPC2

India refuses upgraded submarines from Russia: Report




January 11, 2008 21:34 IST

Last Updated: January 11, 2008 21:57 IST


On the heels of the deadlock over the pricing of Russian aircraft carrier Gorshkov, India has refused to take delivery of the latest submarine INS Sindhuvijay from Russia, saying its cruise missile had not performed up to parameters.

The Navy refused to take delivery of the Sindhuvijay, which completed refit at a shipyard near St Petersburg, after its missiles failed to find their targets in six consecutive test firings, the India Today reported.

The pre-delivery test firings were carried out between September and November.

"The 50-man crew sent to Russia to sail back with the submarine is set to return to India, with the Naval brass taking a stern line by asking the shipyard to rectify the problem, before it takes delivery of the sub," the magazine said.

The land attack cruise missile flies over 300 km and delivers a 400 kg warhead to its target with pinpoint accuracy.

Naval officials said it would take another year to rectify the defects and prove it in firing trials.

In a contract signed in 2001, India had sent ten Kilo class submarines to Russia for upgradation to make them capable of firing the Klub class land attack cruise missiles.

Sindhuvijay was only the second Indian submarine to be fitted with land attack variants of the missiles. India had purchased 28 Klub class missiles, worth Rs 844 crores, from Russia in 2006. Anti-ship variants of the missiles failed in repeated test firings in Indian waters.

Defence Minister A K Antony had said on Wednesday that though negotiations were on, the deadlock over the delivery of the Gorshkov still remained to be resolved.

Citing time and costs overruns, Russia had asked for a whooping extra US $ 1.2 billion for the warship, which was scheduled to be delivered in August this year. The delivery of the carrier has already been pushed back to 2012-13.

India and Russia had a similar spat, over the delivery of the upgraded IL-38 maritime reconissance aircraft, when the Navy complained that its dragon suites were not working up to the parameters.

The deliveries were only taken after Russia rectified the suites.


Sources : http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/jan/11sub.htm  

HangPC2

Mahindra AXE




2008 New Delhi Auto Expo


M&M Axe, custom-made for the Indian army is the local answer to the iconic Hummer It mean. It muscular. And it capable of navigating just about any terrain. The all-terrain vehicle custom-created for the Indian Army.

HangPC2

Ashok Chakra's brave recipients



NDTV Correspondent

Saturday, January 26, 2008 (New Delhu)



Three Army personnel have been awarded with the Ashok Chakra this year on the occasion of Republic Day, this is the highest peacetime award for gallantry.

The Ashok Chakra is awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. It is the peace time equivalent to the Param Vir Chakra and is awarded for the ''most conspicuous bravery.''

Col Vasant Venugopal was a commanding officer of 9 Marathas. Under his command, the battalion killed nine foreign terrorists in Uri Sector of Jammu and Kashmir on July 31, 2007. He left behind his wife Subhashini, and daughters Rukmini, and Yashoda.

Captain R Harshan of 2 Paras (special forces), at 25 is the youngest Ashok Chakra winner in India's history, he had packed his bag to go home on a leave when he received information about terrorist movement in north Kashmir, March last year. He killed two of them before succumbing to his injuries.

Naib Subedar Chunni Lal, had already won a sena medal and a Vir Chakra for gallantry before he was awarded India's highest peace time gallantry award, the Ashok Chakra for killing three terrorists in the Kupwara sector in June last year.


Source - http://www.ndtv.com

HangPC2

India to offer one-bln-dollar aircraft deal to Lockheed Martin: official




NEW DELHI (AFP) - India is set to award a one-billion dollar contract to Lockheed Martin for six Hercules transport planes in the biggest military aircraft deal with the US in five decades, an official said Monday.

A formal contract is likely to be issued next month to US-based Lockheed which is also in the race for a 10-billion dollar contract to sell 126 fighter jets to the Indian air force, a defence ministry official said.

"The reserved RFP (request for proposal) will be issued anytime now," a top ministry source told AFP on condition that he was not identified by name or rank.

A meeting of India's security cabinet led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week cleared the deal for six C-130J planes for special forces operations and left options open for further purchases, the source said.

The clearance comes ahead of an official trip to India next month by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates.

"The contract will be the most capital-intensive military aircraft deal awarded to a US firm since the early 1950s when we acquired American Fairchild C-119s," the official said.

He said the contract would include life-time maintenance support guarantees for the four-engined turboprop transport aircraft which will be used as the "main tactical" plane for special operations.

Lockheed Martin has offered to configure the six Hercules according to India's needs and equip the 30-metre-long (99-foot) planes with missile and radar warning systems, other ministry officials said.

"The Indian version will be configured for special operations and is different from any of the C-130Js being manufactured for international customers," Jim Grant, Lockheed's vice president for air mobility and special operations, told the Indian Express newspaper.

The technology-starved Indian air force currently operates Soviet-era 10- and 40-tonne capacity transport aircraft and the officials said the Hercules which can haul 20 tonnes would be able to "fill the gap."

"These are versatile units which can easily land and take off from short, makeshift strips and we are looking at them to fill the gap with their medium-lift capacity," one official said.

The Hercules, which can be used on humanitarian missions, is part of a 2004 multi-billion-dollar Indian programme to raise world-standard special forces units, other officials said.

The offer came less than a week after India handed a 1.5-billion euro (2.2-billion dollar) contract to France's Dassault to upgrade 51 Mirage-2000 fighter jets that the Indian air force bought in 1985.

Ties with India's main arms supplier Russia, which accounts 70 percent of the country's military inventory, now face rough weather over delays by Moscow over the refurbishing of a Soviet-era aircraft carrier for the Indian navy and other deals.

Analysts say India, the largest buyer of armaments among emerging nations, is likely to spend 50 billion dollars between now and 2018 to modernise its 1.23-million-strong military, the world's fourth largest.



Source - http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5juf2PyuWRASm9_wXRm5h3Lwpk_Vg

HangPC2

Russia, India edge closer to major nuclear deal


Posted online: Tuesday , February 12, 2008 at 04:41:15
Updated: Tuesday , February 12, 2008 at 04:59:31


New Delhi, February 12: Russia and India on Tuesday edged closer to a multi-billion dollar nuclear deal to build four more reactors that has been delayed because of international restrictions against New Delhi.

The two states have been working for more than a year on a deal that will allow Russia build the reactors at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu.

"An agreement on building additional reactors at the Kudankulam atomic station has been initialised," Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov said in New Delhi.

Zhukov said the initialisation -- which means officials signed a preliminary deal -- had taken place just before a visit to India by Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov.

The deal cannot be finalised because of restrictions on India imposed by the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and the limits are unlikely to be lifted until a US-India deal on civilian nuclear cooperation is ratified.

Russia is competing with the United States for influence in India, a Cold War ally of Moscow which the Kremlin sees as a growing partner in Asia.

Russia is building two 1,000 megawatt reactors at Kudankulam as part of a deal signed in 1988. Russia agreed in January that it intended to build four more reactors at the site.


- Reuters -

HangPC2

India to test submarine-launched missile



Friday, 15 February , 2008, 18:40



Balasore (Orissa): Buoyed by the success of the ballistic missile defence (BMD) programme, India's defence scientists will test-fire an indigenously-developed submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) later this month, an official source said Friday.

However, since the Indian Navy does not have a submarine capable of firing an SLBM, the test firing of the Sagarika missile Feb 24-25 will be conducted from an underwater launcher positioned in the Bay of Bengal.

"For the test, an underwater launcher will be positioned 50 metres deep in the sea, eight km off the coast," a source at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) told IANS.

Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the missile has twice been test-fired but without success as its trajectory deviated while in flight on both occasions.

"Scientists are more cautious this time and are leaving no stone unturned for its successful launch," the source said.

The success achieved last year with exo-atmospheric (outside the atmosphere) and endo-atmospheric (within the atmosphere) anti-ballistic missiles, as also and the surface-to-air Akash missile had encouraged DRDO scientists to test the 700-km range Sagarika nuclear-capable missile that has been developed with Israeli assistance, the source added.

Powered by a turbojet, the missile can carry a 500 kg payload. It is 8.5 metres long and about one metre in diameter.

"This missile is a variant of the Dhanush and an advanced clone of Prithvi's naval version. The difference is that it can only be launched from a submarine," the source said.

However, a test-firing in actual conditions is still a while away as Russia is yet to respond to the Indian Navy's request for loaning an Akula-class submarine that is capable of launching SLBMs. The navy's Russian-made Kilo-class submarines and the German-designed HDW submarines do not have the capability to fire such missiles.

The Sagarika is said to be comparable with the US Tomahawk missile.



Sources:  http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14605617

HangPC2

Defence Expo kicks off in Pragati Maidan



Nitin Gokhale

Saturday, February 16, 2008 (New Delhi)



Defence Minister A K Antony inaugurated the fifth DefExpo-2008 in New Delhi on Saturday.

Organised by the Department of Defence Production, the four-day land and naval system exhibition would see the participation of around 273 companies from more than 30 countries.

As many as 202 companies from India would also display their products at the expo to be held at Pragati Maidan in Delhi.

This year, the United States would have the largest participants with 46 exhibitors displaying weapon system for the Army and the Navy.

The US would be followed by Russia with 43 exhibitors. For the first time, telecom and IT companies have been invited to the biennial event to showcase their product and services.



Sources: http://www.ndtv.com

lofar

New Delhi, Feb 17: The Scorpene submarine could be fitted with the underwater

version of the BrahMos cruise missiles, which could enhance the Indian Navy's

strategic firepower capability, French company DCNS announced on sunday.

"if India wants, Brahmos cruise missiles can be fitted on the Scorpene being built

under technology transfer at Mazagon docks," DCNS Project Director Xavier Marchal

told newspaper.

If New Delhi gives the go-ahead, it would increase the potential of

the Navy, giving it a second option of firing missiles from submarines. The Navy

recently upgraded Russian Kilo Class submarines are armed with shore strike missiles.

DCN Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Bernard Planchais also

announced that teething problems in effecting technology transfer have been taken

care of and the first of the Navy's six scorpene wil roll out in 2012.

asked wheather Scorpenes were better than Agosta, the submarines which are

being constructed by the DCNS for Pakistan Navy, Xavier Marchal said: "of course,

Agostas are inferior than Scorpenes".

Sources: The New Indian Express, Feb 18 2008

kahmadz

By Ken Fireman

Feb. 19 (Bloomberg) -- When India went shopping for military transport planes and helicopters last month, the South Asian nation, which once bought most of its arms from Russia, placed the order with Lockheed Martin Corp. instead.

The $2 billion deal with Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed is the latest product of an Indian-U.S. relationship that moved from chilly co-existence to the closest rapport since India achieved independence in 1947.

Annual trade has tripled since 2000 to more than $41 billion last year. As Defense Secretary Robert Gates plans to visit New Delhi next week, Lockheed or Boeing Co. may add to that trade as they compete for a $10 billion contract to sell 126 fighter jets. The two nations are working to counter terrorism and limit nuclear proliferation, and the U.S. has become the destination of choice for Indians studying abroad.

``This is an across-the-board improvement in relations that began under President Clinton and has been continued by President Bush,'' says Karl Inderfurth, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for South Asian affairs.

The U.S. is deepening its involvement with the world's fastest-growing major economy after China as its relations with its traditional partner in the region, Pakistan, have become unsettled. The U.S. is pressing Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to strike harder at Islamic radicals and restore democratic rule.

Nuclear Accord

India's purchase of warplanes and the unfinished U.S.-India nuclear-power agreement are likely to be prominent on Gates's agenda during a visit that will ``reinforce the growing strength of our relationship, especially on the defense side,'' Inderfurth says.

The momentum for broader strategic ties is likely to extend into the next U.S. presidency. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Senator John McCain of Arizona, and both Democratic contenders, Senators Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois, are all on record favoring close U.S.- India relations.

The connections are sufficiently strong that they would survive even the possible unraveling of the nuclear accord, says former Indian diplomat Kanwal Sibal.

``The message is clear, not only to India but the rest of the international community, that the U.S. is not looking at India with the same eye,'' Sibal says.

The nuclear deal, signed by President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2006, is stalled because of domestic Indian politics. The deal would open the way for American companies to sell India nuclear fuel and technology for electricity-generating reactors, and allow India to maintain a nuclear-weapons arsenal and still remain outside the Non- Proliferation Treaty.

`Message' Received

While there will be disappointment if the accord remains in limbo, the relationship will prosper because ``already the message has gotten through that the United States does not see India's nuclear capability as a problem,'' Sibal says.

Indian parties that oppose closer U.S. ties are resisting the accord. They also are fighting approval of a logistical- support agreement that would allow the two nations' militaries to use each other's refueling and basing facilities for naval vessels and aircraft.

The U.S. and India have held or scheduled several joint military exercises, and arms sales are rising. In addition to the deal for transport planes and helicopters, which was announced Jan. 29, India last year bought the transport vessel USS Trenton for $48.4 million and renamed it INS Jalashva.

Fighter Jets

This cooperation would jump substantially if Lockheed and its F-16 or Chicago-based Boeing and its F-18 beat out four non- U.S. bidders in the competition to supply fighter jets.

It would also put the U.S. in the position of providing sophisticated arms to both sides of a bitter divide in South Asia. Lockheed has won a $498 million order to supply F-16 fighters to Pakistan.

While Gates, 64, is likely to discuss the potential fighter sale, he won't be ``heavy-handed'' in doing so, says former Defense Secretary William Cohen, whose Washington-based consulting firm, the Cohen Group, does work for Lockheed.

``Any time a secretary goes, all you do is say, `We understand you've got a major purchase coming up here, we think we're quite competitive,''' Cohen said in an interview. ``What you do is put the imprimatur of the United States on it.''

`Next Level'

Gates is also likely to remind Indian officials that buying U.S. jets would allow the two countries' defense relationship ``to move up to the next level,'' says Inderfurth, who is now a professor at George Washington University.

In addition to the hard numbers of military and software sales, the warmer relationship is reflected in less tangible things like cultural and educational ties.

More Indian college students going abroad for their education head for the U.S. than any other country, according to the New York-based Institute of International Education, a non- profit organization that promotes global educational exchanges.

Last year, 83,833 Indians studied in the U.S., while 67,723 went to China and 62,392 went to South Korea, according to the institute. The U.K., once favored because of links dating from the colonial era, was 11th with 8,438.

``The U.S. has a global impact on the middle class,'' says Sibal, the former Indian diplomat. ``Middle-class aspirations all over the world are being defined by the U.S. because of the soft power that they have.''

American consumers have become accustomed to getting customer-service help from Indian workers. India's top two software-services companies, Mumbai-based Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. and Bangalore-based Infosys Technologies Ltd., count on the U.S. for more than half their sales.

Pivotal Moment

Gates will arrive at a potentially pivotal moment for the nuclear deal. It also must win approval from the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Suppliers Group, an informal alliance of 45 countries.

Time is growing short for completing the accord because it must come back to the U.S. Congress for approval once all other hurdles are cleared. Lawmakers may not have enough time to take up the measure in an election year, and the next administration may not push for approval, Cohen says.

``The ball has been in their court and time is running out,'' Cohen says.

Inderfurth says that while Gates will likely discuss the nuclear deal in private, it would be counterproductive for him to raise it publicly because that would inflame domestic opposition.

In any event, Inderfurth says, Gates won't have to go public. ``Everybody knows the clock is ticking,'' he says. ``Simply by virtue of the fact that Gates is there talking about the relationship, it will remind everyone without him saying a word about it.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Ken Fireman in Washington at [email protected]
Last Updated: February 18, 2008 13:47 EST

HangPC2

The U.S. tries to shut Russia out of India's defense market.





by Reuben F. Johnson
02/22/2008 12:00:00 AM




If current rumors in India are true, the United States could end up providing India what its traditional Russian arms supplier has long promised to provide, but so far failed to deliver. In the process the United States could deliver a severe blow to Russia's defense industry, adding another item to the long list of grievances Russian officialdom has lodged against the United States.

During the Cold War, India was famously the largest and most powerful of the "non-aligned" nations that stayed out of the East v. West confrontation. At the same time, however, India enjoyed close relations with the then-Soviet Union that went beyond just the bonds of political convenience and trade ties between the two nations.

Former Indian PM Indira Ghandi was one of Soviet Party Secretary Leonid Brezhnev's favorite foreign leaders, and he loved to make a show of that affection when she traveled to the USSR. Residents in sections of Moscow that straddle the main road leading from Vnukovo airport to the centre of the city can still recount how in those times they were dragooned by their local party officials to line the streets and wave Indian flags (if during the day) or flashlights (if at night) to greet Mrs. Ghandi's motorcade on official state visits.

India took advantage of their favored but non-allied nation status by purchasing from the USSR some of the most advanced weaponry
available at the time. In the 1970s and 80s, India's fledgling defense industry benefited from Soviet specialists providing them with numerous current-day weapons platforms and the establishment of production lines to license-build Soviet hardware, such as the Mikoyan MiG-27s that were assembled at the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) plant in Nasik.

The collapse of the Soviet empire only augmented Moscow's weapons trade with India. Russia needed export revenues to keep its defense sector alive, and New Delhi was only too happy to provide them. By the 1990s, Moscow was selling India some of the most advanced weaponry in its arsenal, including the high-powered Sukhoi Su-30MKI, a specialized variant of the heavyweight fighter than was optimized for aerodynamic performance and upgraded with a new-generation radar set, the NIIP N011M Bars model, that not even the Russian Air Force has in service.

In 2004 Russia and India signed a deal to provide the Indian Navy with an aircraft carrier and a navalized version of the MiG-29, designated the MiG-29K, in order to give New Delhi the power projection capability in the Indian Ocean that it had sought for some time.

On the face of it this seemed like the perfect deal for both sides. India was to be given an older-generation aircraft carrier, the Admiral Gorshkov, for free, but would have to pay $700 million for a refit of the vessel, plus they would have to purchase the MiG-29Ks and eight naval helicopters for another $800 million. India was also offered options to purchase an additional 30 MiG-29Ks and upgrades to Indian port facilities in order to dock and service the Gorshkov for a total of another $1.5 billion. But, the program has proven to be overly ambitious and has run into a number of snags that threaten to derail a decades-long symbiotic relationship.



Sources : http://www.weeklystandard.com/Co ... 4/772agroh.asp?pg=1

HangPC2

Aircraft carrier deal with India stands: Russia



February 23rd, 2008 - 8:20 pm ICT by admin - Email This Post


Moscow, Feb 23 (RIA Novosti) The deal with India for selling the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov stands, a spokesman for the Russian shipyard that is refurbishing the ship says, refuting reports that the deal could be scrapped. Sevmash spokesman Mikhail Starozhilov said that India is not interested in severing its contract with Rosoboronexport, Russia sole state-run arms exporter, although it will have to pay an extra billion roubles for the ship.

The two sides are currently actively involved in top-level negotiations. The Indian Navy chief will come in March to settle the differences. In Russia, this question is supervised by the ministry of defence. These facts prove that neither side wants to annul the contract, Starozhilov said.

Director of the foreign ministry second department of Asia Alexander Maryasov said that the problems associated with the reconstruction of the ship were being discussed by high-ranking officials and experts.

The sides are discussing a number of technical, legal and financial issues. In the near future, they will establish a working group to consider proposals on resolving this problem with a concerted effort. This is a solvable problem, the diplomat said.

Rosoboronexport and the Indian Navy signed the contract for the ship in 2004. The project provides for the vessel repairs and modernisation. It will be equipped with the latest arms systems and ship-based MiG-29K fighters and anti-submarine early-warning Ka-27 and Ka-31 helicopters.

Currently, modernisation at Sevmash has slowed down.

Its general-director Nikolai Kalistratov explained that It one time the Russian experts made a mistake in assessing the costs of the work, and their mistake was worth billions of roubles.


- RIA Novosti -

HangPC2

India, Russia make progress on Gorshkov deal




MOSCOW, FEB 23 (PTI)



India and Russia are reported to have made substantial progress on the vexed issue of cost escalation of aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov during the visit of a high-level Indian defence delegation here.

According to the Russian industry sources, although both sides made progress on the issue, discussions on cost overruns are expected to continue next month.

Defence Secretary Vijay Singh led the delegation to carry out physical verification of additional refit work needed to be done on the carrier as claimed by Moscow.

During the five day visit of the delegation, which concluded yesterday, Singh held talks with Russian Energy and Industries Minister Viktor Khristenko and other senior officials who assured him that Moscow is making hectic efforts to ease the situation.

In the course of upgradation of Soviet-built Kiev Class aircraft carrier, lot of extra work and resources were required by the Sevmash Shipyard and the Indian team led by Singh had agreed that the new technical parameters don't fit into the initial USD 700 million allocation on the upgradation of the aircraft carrier.

The 45,000 tonne displacement carrier was to delivered by August this year as per a contract signed in 2004 but Russia stunned India in November by demanding USD 1.2 billion more for refitting and other works.

The Defence Secretary was accompanied by new Defence Production Secretary Pradeep Kumar, Vice Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Nirmal Verma and heads of premier defence PSUs including HAL.

After Russia's insistence on upward revision of price for the Gorshkov, the Indian side recently indicated willingness to pay more.

Russian sources said both the sides also discussed co-production and development of a fifth generation fighter aircraft.

Speedy completion of groundwork to launch the concrete implementation of joint projects for the development of fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) and MTA multirole transport aircraft were among the issues discussed by the two sides, they said.

According to Sukhoi sources, which is developing the FGFA on the basis of its PAKFA secret project, Indian Air Force has identified its requirements and the two technical teams are expected to evolve the mechanisms for interaction by the middle of this year.

The new condition by Russia meant a delay of upto four years.



Sources : http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=547774

atan

Originally posted by HangPC2 at 22-1-2008 04:07 PM
Mahindra AXE




2008 New Delhi Auto Expo


M&M Axe, custom-made for the Indian army is the local answer to the iconic Hummer It抯 mean. It抯 muscular. And it抯 capable of navigating just ...

Betul ker DRB-HICOM nak pasang dimalaysia model ni

HangPC2

[quote]Originally posted by HangPC2 at 23-6-2007 09:57 PM
HAL LCA Tejas Navy


Naval Prototypes (NP):

    * NP-1 - Two-seat Naval variant for carrier operations.
    * NP-2 - Single-seat Naval variant for carrier operations.



Planned Production Variants

Tejas Navy

BeachBoys

versi navy pulak......banyak duit btul india ni................

malberi8

pasal tulah rakyat depa ramai yang miskin...govt dok spend kat pertahanan banyak sangat.

escortburuk

Indian naval ships on goodwill visit

KUALA LUMPUR: The Indian Navy ships INS Kora and INS Kirpan are docked at the Lumut naval base on a goodwill visit until tomorrow.

The Indian High Commission said the ships arrived on April 29 as part of a traditional diplomatic exchange between Malaysia and India.

"The visit is aimed at strengthening the bonds between the two countries and the two navies in particular.

"The two countries are maritime neighbours and the exchange of visits by naval ships are voyages of friendship which help to strengthen the relationship," said the High Commission in a statement.

It added that at a cocktail reception on Tuesday, attended by officers of the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Indian High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha recalled the traditional historical, cultural and political links between the two countries.

"Kantha expressed his happiness over the substantial enhancement in the defence exchanges between Malaysia and India since the June 2006 visit of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak," the statement said.

Perak state assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar attended the reception on behalf of Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaludin.

Tomorrow, the Kora and Kirpan will take part in a joint exercise with two RMN ships before departing for India.