Rafale deal: French Defence Minister to meet Parrikar today http://ift.tt/1dMsYys

Rafale deal: French Defence Minister to meet Parrikar today | idrw.org

SOURCE: PTI
Published May 6, 2015

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French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will hold talks with his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar here tomorrow to “launch negotiations” for the 36 Rafale fighter jets that India has decided to buy from France.

Drian will arrive here later tonight after his visit to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.The French Minister will meet Parrikar tomorrow during which he will “pursue” discussions on matters that were taken up during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France last month, a French Embassy statement said.

This includes negotiations for the acquisition of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft.

“The aim is to launch negotiations pursuant to the Indo-French Joint Statement of April 10,” it said.

This trip of Drian follows the 14th edition of the “Varuna” exercise between Indian and French Navies, conducted from April 28 to May 2, off India’s western coast with the carrier battle groups of the two countries.

A “powerful symbol” of the strategic partnership between France and India, this exercise enabled the navies of both countries to deepen their mutual knowledge and strengthen their close ties of friendship, the statement said.

“It is also a concrete illustration of the importance that France and India, both regional powers of the Indian Ocean Region, attach to maritime security,” it added.

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The Indian Air Force's Big Problem: Not Enough Pilots! http://ift.tt/1bYGejb

This week, a parliamentary committee attacked the Indian Ministry of Defense (MOD) over the poor state of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in comparison to its Chinese and Pakistani counterparts. The committee’s concern? New Delhi faces a critical shortage of both planes and pilots (for additional background see: “Indian Air Force Still Plagued by Poor Procurement Process”).

The report of the Indian government’s 35-member Standing Committee on Defence noted that “even the slight edge over rival neighboring nations” would be lost if “complacency” remains. The Indian officials particularly lamented that the number of current active fighter squadrons (35) is seven below the sanctioned strength of 42.

However, the number of squadrons may even further decline over the next seven years. “With regard to this, representatives of air force deposed before the committee that a drawdown has already begun and, by 2022, air force will have around just 25 squadrons, thereby losing even the slight edge over rival neighboring nation,” the panel’s report emphasized.

Furthermore, the IAF’s current fighter aircraft to pilot ratio is 1:0.81.”Our sanctioned strength for [combat] pilots is less than that of our adversaries,” the report said, adding that the Pakistan Air Force’s fighter to pilot ratio was 1:2.5, IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly reported. In the U.S. the cockpit to pilot ratio is 1:2. Jane’s further summarized:

This was far less than the authorised figure of 1:1.25 and was responsible for depreciating the force’s operational capabilities, the report stated. The sanctioned cockpit to pilot ratio for the IAF’s transport aircraft is 1:1.5 and 1:1 for its helicopters.

The report of the panel, headed by Major General (retd.) B.C Khanduri, expressed its deep concern over the operational readiness of the IAF:

The committee takes serious view of the fact that our squadron strength is already short of what has been authorised by the Government and moreover, insufficiency in number of available pilots in the Air Force further deteriorates our operational capabilities.

Additionally, the report also highlighted the high number of accidents (83 between May 2007 and January 2015) in the IAF: “From the above information, it is evident that there is either lacuna in training that is being imparted to our pilots and support officials or the systems installed are technically ill equipped.”

India is still pursuing the perspective multi-role fighter (PMF) project (see: “What’s the Status of the Indian-Russian Fifth Generation Fighter Jet?”) and has not entirely abandoned plans for the acquisition of medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), although prospects for its successful completion are slim (see: “India Makes if Offical: ‘The Mother of All Defense Deals’ is Dead”). New Delhi also remains confident in the induction of the indigenous-produced Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas.

Nevertheless, “if all the procurements fructify, IAF is likely to achieve the authorised strength of 42 squadrons only by the end of the 15th Plan, or in 2032,” the panel said, “however, despite all the efforts in this regard, the committee is perturbed to note that no concrete results have so far come from MMRCA negotiations and LCA has certain design/development issues that need a relook.”

In April 2015, while in Paris, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that New Delhi would purchase 36 Dassault Rafale multi-role fighters off-the-shelf in a government-to-government deal (see: “India Will Buy 36 Ready-to-Fly Dassault Rafale Fighters from France”), a stopgap solution to overcome some the critical shortages facing the IAF as highlighted in the parliamentary committee report.


The Indian Air Force’s Big Problem: Not Enough Pilots! | The Diplomat

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Fadnavis to meet Manohar Parrikar to seek aircraft hub in Maharastra http://ift.tt/1D5qMIm

looks like my worst fears are coming true

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Fadnavis to meet Manohar Parrikar to seek aircraft hub in Maharastra


Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is going to hold a meeting with Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to promote the ambitious project of setting up a light combat aircraft manufacturing unit in Maharashtra.

The possibility of setting up the unit in Nagpur is not being ruled out. The orange city is also the home town of Fadnavis. The meeting is likely to take place at month end.

Fadnavis’ proposed project comes in the wake of the decision taken by Parrikar to promote indigenously made aircraft in India. The defence minister has indicated that India would require at least 100 new light combat aircraft within the next five years.

The mandate from PM Narendra Modi to Parrikar is to promote manufacturing hub in defence sector in India. Speaking to Indian Express Fadnavis said, “Maharashtra which is the leading industrial state has proposed setting up of new defence manufacturing unit.”

He said, “It is my endeavour to have an aircraft manufacturing unit in Maharashtra. Since, the subject comes under the ministry of defence, I am going to hold a meeting with Manohar Parrikar to take the matter forward.”

Emphasising he said, “I am looking forward to push Maharashtra’s case for the manufacturing unit.”

The chief minister indicated that Nagpur’s Mihan which already has 100 billion dollar Boeing aircraft maintenance and repair overhaul (MOR) depot is being considered positively.

From all aspects Nagpur is suitable for the aircraft unit. However, final decisions will be arrived after consultations with centre. Fadnavis said, “At this moment my priority is to promote new industrial ventures in Maharashtra which is the destination for global players.

Whether it is Nagpur or Aurangabad or other towns and cities we are determined to transform them into smart cities for overall socio-economic growth of state.” After all, Maharashtra contributes upto 15 percent of the National GDP, he added.

Fadnavis revealed, “During my tour abroad last week I visited the aerospace and defence company SAAB at Linkoping Sweden. It was a great experience as we exchanged knowledge about the advanced technology in making of the combat aircraft.”

The chief minister said, “The centre-state will pursue the matter and we expect the delegations to arrive in state soon.” Maharashtra government will also put in place its detail defence policy after consultations with ministry of defense and PMO.

The decision to chose Nagpur comes in wake of the availability of plenty of land and available infrastructure. The city which is geographically is centrally located in India, has the potential to emerge as the aircraft manufacturing hub in coming years, it was felt.

During his visit abroad last week chief minister hopped Germany, Sweden, Stockholm to promote Make in India with special emphasise on Maharashtra. Fadnavis accompanied Modi to the trade fair at Hannover Messe.

Fadnavis said, “The purpose of the visit was to impress upon the global players the ease of doing business in India and specially in Maharashtra.

And I must concede that global players showed keen interest in Maharashtra. They reckon India is the new destination. And several delegations are expected to visit Maharashtra in next few months.”
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Saab looking to pitch Gripen again http://ift.tt/1EPOQU2

Foreign Fighter jet makers eye Indian riches after scaled-back French deal

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Foreign fighter jet makers see a multi-billion dollar opportunity in India's decision to scale back purchases of high-end aircraft from France, which may free up cash in the world's largest arms importer to buy a new fleet of mid-range planes.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced last week that India would buy 36 French Rafale jets for an estimated $4.3 billion, in effect ending talks on a larger deal for 126 planes that would have sucked up some $20 billion and locked rivals out of the market for a generation.



Sweden's Saab and US Lockheed Martin are set to re-pitch their Gripen and F-16 planes, eliminated in the Rafale tender, as the kind of lighter, single-engine aircraft that Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Monday the air force needed to rebuild its fleet.



"We are here and we are ready," said a source close to Saab. Saab was proposing to establish "fully-fledged production" of the Gripen in India alongside a local partner.



Lockheed Martin may also tout its F-16, one of the most widely used fighter planes in the world, as a replacement for Russian-made MiGs that are a mainstay in India's fleet, industry

sources said. Lockheed Martin declined to comment.



"The light combat aircraft opportunity is going to be there in the near future because the MiGs have to be replaced really fast," said Delhi-based defence commentator and analyst Neelam Mathews.



Russia, traditionally India's largest arms supplier, is hopeful it can sell more of its Sukhoi Su-30s, a plane partly assembled in India, to tide over the air force while it waits two years to receive the first Rafales.



Foreign manufacturers have also welcomed India's decision to negotiate directly with the French government for further Rafales.



"What is positive about the announced Rafale deal is that purchase is supposed to be based on a government-to-government agreement. We have been asking the Indian side for a long time to get back to this practice instead of tenders," said one Russian diplomat.



Moscow wants to speed up the conclusion of talks with India for the joint manufacture of a new generation stealth fighter jet, the diplomat said.



TWO-FRONT CHALLENGE



India needs to replenish an air force fleet that has fallen to 34 operational squadrons, down from 39 earlier this decade and below the government-approved strength of 42 considered necessary to face a two-front challenge from Pakistan and China.



Parrikar said on Monday that India needed 100 new light combat aircraft within five years to replace the MiG-21s, and that the heavier and pricier Rafale was not the plane to do it.



His preference would be for the indigenously-made Tejas to fill the void. But Parrikar himself has admitted the jet, in development for three decades, has limitations while the latest

version still awaits final clearance.



Either way, air force officials and industry sources say India is unlikely to buy anything like the 126 planes agreed in the original deal with France after all-in costs doubled to an estimated $20 billion.



Parrikar said he had not decided how many more Rafales he might buy. Manufacturer Dassault Aviation could also pitch its single-engine Mirage if India opts for something cheaper.



Foreign planemakers may need to join forces with an Indian state-run or private partner to win orders, especially if Modi is to realise his goal of developing a military industrial base.



Under the original deal with Dassault, 108 of the jets were to be produced at a state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) plant. But the two sides could not agree terms.



Such disagreements could open up opportunities for nascent private players to partner foreign manufacturers and build locally, experts said.



"This could be Rafale, or any other aircraft as long as the government is able to address the core issues of tech transfer, joint production and design collaboration," said M. Matheswaran, a former Air Marshal and adviser to Hindustan Aeronautics.

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Saab is beating a dead horse, India would be foolish to buy gripen, when tejas is being developed for a similar role and config.

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Rafale versus Sukhoi 30---what is your favourite ?? http://ift.tt/1Ey3oYm

Now that it seems certain that Rafale is going to be inducted by IAF , it's time to discuss which is your favourite among the two---Rafale and Sukhoi 30 MKI .



To me it seems that the Rafale is more loaded with high tech than the Sukhoi . Possibly it will repeat the Mirage 2000 experience for our air force and become a pilots' favourite .



What's your opinion ??

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Your Dream IAF composition 2025 ! http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/indian-air-force/67579-your-dream-iaf-composition-2025-a.html

As the title suggests: What would be your dream composition of IAF in the year 2025 ?

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Will there be a new MMRCA tender ? http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/indian-air-force/67578-there-new-mmrca-tender.html

@Yusufdfi @Virendra @Kunal_Biswas @sayareakd @sob



Please to give your comments, and tag others.

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India Buys Rafale. More to Come? http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/indian-air-force/67575-india-buys-rafale-more-come.html

1 All the Mig 21 will be replaced by either lca tejas or some other single engine plane(because of limited capability of lca range/load)



2 MMRCA is dead, 36 will be bought GTG then there will be further talk to make in India 90 rafales or directly purchase from France under GTG .If this fails then it will be replaced by lca mk2(if it is able to meet foc in time,or else some other plane will be bought for mmrca.)



3 36 rafale bought under GTG deal will be much cheaper and at better terms than original rfp.

@manohar parikar

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DRDO Annual Report 2014-15 Airforce related news http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/indian-air-force/67562-drdo-annual-report-2014-15-airforce-related-news.html

Annual Report of DRDO for year 2014-2015



The main highlights are(I will keep adding till i complete reading the report,please bear with incomplete post till then)



1) Astra Range is now mentioned at 60 Kms

2) Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet Propulsion - Finalization of missile configuration for testing SFDR technology,Preliminary Design Review (PDR) of propulsion system and avionics system completed. Two tests have been carried out successfully of indigenous nozzle less

booster.

3) New Generation Anti-Radiation Missile (NGARM): DRDO is involved in the design and development of NGARM having a range of 100 km. Major achievements in the year include completion of PDR’s for airframe structures, propulsion system, onboard computer, passive homing head and electrical integration. Interface testing of missile has also been completed. Preliminary design phase is completed, wind tunnel testing is in progress and hardware is under realization.

4) Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV): DRDO is developing HSTDV having speed up to 6.2 Mach.Successful ground test of full scale scramjet combustor carried out with gaseous ethylene fuel for 20 sec in connect pipe mode test facility. Fuel could ignite at extreme combustor entry Mach number of 2.7. Combustor performance meets the mission requirement in terms of thrust generation.Prototype of cruise vehicle bulkheads has been realized. Flight hardware of inter-stage has also been realized for launch vehicle.

5) Directed Energy Laser System: DRDO has initiated a project for the development of 10kW proof-of-concept directed energy system against UAVs like target and establishment of critical technologies of precision tracking/ pointing and laser beam combination.

6) ASB Glide: Non-winged version of guided bomb having a range of 30 km has been named as ‘Garuda’ and winged version of

this weapon having 100 km range is called as ‘Garuthma’. Garuda store has been successfully released from the Su-30 MKI

aircraft during 2013. Transfer alignment and safe separation have been proven as part of development trials of Garuda. Wing kit

realization and wind tunnel tests have been completed as a part of development trials of winged version Garuthma. Garuthma

drop trials were conducted successfully on December 19, 2014 in Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast.

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How Narendra Modi reworked Rafale deal, and why it’s a winner http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/indian-air-force/67546-how-narendra-modi-reworked-rafale-deal-why-s-winner.html

How Narendra Modi reworked Rafale deal, and why it’s a winner






NEW DELHI: Two themes dominated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to do an outright buy of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft from France — national security and cutting through bureaucratic red tape. In the process, India was able to get better terms for the fighters, which has been hanging fire for the past few years.



The Indian Air Force has been raising red flags over the appalling lack of India's defence preparedness for some time. But this time, the Air chief received a sympathetic hearing from the PM. While it was the same shortcoming that had prompted the Rafale deal in the first place, the subsequent tortuous negotiations meant that the deal had less and less chances of going through.



Between the Dassault-HAL mistrust, looming liability issues that Dassault flagged for the 108 aircraft supposed to be built in India, and rising lifecycle costs for the aircraft, it was threatening to become one of those famous defence quagmires that have regularly bedeviled Indian defence procurement.



READ ALSO: Rafale deal is 'oxygen' for IAF, Parrikar says



India was not only in danger of not getting the Rafale, but not getting anything else either because nobody would be able to actually scrap the deal without incurring penalties. It would have been a festering sore that would have impacted India-France relations.



Modi's pact ensured better price for Rafale jets



Late last year, the Indian government decided to look at other options on how to get the necessary aircraft without raising hackles or having the deal questioned. The Modi government decided to cut through the red tape, which included everything from offset rules to pricing. Abandoning the 'Make in India' mantra for 36 planes, Modi was able to do two things.



First get a better price from France for the 36 planes because they are a direct G2G buy and do not involve technology transfer. Secondly, there was also no question of going back to the drawing board to re-issue the RFP (Request for Proposal) which would have added to the delay and could attract unnecessary criticism, political opposition and allegations of corruption, which this government is keen to avoid.







A national security assessment also highlighted the growing uncertainty in India's neighbourhood-- not only with its traditional challenges of China and Pakistan, but the growing instability in India's western neighbourhood. An aggressive China could also be unpredictable and any potential conflict with India's northern neighbour would be all about air power.



China, because of its arms embargo, cannot access the kind of weapons that India can - but in the past few years, Beijing has ramped up its fighter aircraft production with a lot of help from Russia. With its deep pockets and near absent bureaucratic delays on defence production, China would soon have an unbeatable edge over India.



READ ALSO: Direct purchase of 36 fighters will alter original Rafale deal



Meanwhile, Dassault itself was having problems, until they got a shot in the arm with Egypt ordering 24 Rafale jets off the shelf in February for $5.9 billion, a much higher price than negotiated by India for 126 aircraft. This gave them the ability to continue negotiations with India while they worked on the Egypt order. It would mean that India would add several years to its already long waiting period to get the aircraft. In the meantime, Indian Air Force would continue its downward spiral.



French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian visited India in December and in February after India indicated it would seriously relook at overcoming the hurdles for Rafale. India sent a number of teams to France to complete the negotiations in time for the PM's visit. As in the India-US nuclear deal, negotiations went down to the wire, with Indian officials negotiating the minutiae of the deal as late as late last week.





French President Francois Hollande (right) listens to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech (centre) during an official dinner in his honor at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on April 10, 2015. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls (left) is also seen. (AFP photo)



The order for 36 jets, double the original number, was used by the government to drive a harder bargain with France. The government was persuaded to pressure Dassault to fast track delivery, and secure better terms for servicing and maintenance besides spares. The political heavy lifting was spearheaded by the PM, including the internal decision to slice away at the red tape.





Sources said the earlier deal on 108 aircraft to be manufactured in India still stands and would be renegotiated with Dassault incorporating the new terms agreed on. It's not yet clear whether government entity HAL would be the Indian manufacturer or whether with the liberalized defence production norms, it could be someone else. For the moment, India will continue to hold the French feet to the fire for swift delivery of the aircraft.



The government has already announced the two new squadrons would be inducted into the IAF in two years.

The India-France joint statement said the order for the 36 jets would be "on terms that would be better than conveyed by Dassault Aviation as part of a separate process underway".

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$1.4 billion airbus mrtt aircraft purchase put on hold http://ift.tt/1a93Pfl

India’s US$ 1.4 billion (INR 9,000 crore) project to acquire six Airbus-330 mid-air refueling aircraft or tankers has been put on hold after the government referred the deal to the defense ministry’s vigilance department for clearance.



"The work of the contract negotiations committee (CNC) had been stopped till the vigilance wing ascertains the status of the old cases," Times Of India quoted unnamed source as saying.



The contract with Airbus has been delayed due to the pending inquiries against the European consortium dating back to the mid-1970s. The procurement case was sent to the law ministry for an opinion after a member of parliament wrote to the MoD against it. "But at least one of the CBI cases was found to have been closed due to lack of evidence," said a source.



The mid air refueling tanker would double the strike range of fighters and bombers and would bolster IAF’s strategic reach.



Two-engine Airbus-330 MRTT (multi-role tanker transport) aircraft was selected over the four-engine Russian Ilyushin-78 in January 2013. The finance ministry had baulked at the high price of the European aircraft and sought the defence ministry to seek buyers afresh.



A new RFP was released in September 2010. The budget was increased to $2 billion and included lifecycle costs in the price arguing that the Airbus plane would work out cheaper in the long term over its Russian competitor if lifecycle costs were to be considered.



India’s $1.4 Billion Airbus MRTT Aircraft Purchase Put On Hold

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Russia - India Report Unveils Top Five EW Systems http://ift.tt/1Gms6uJ

Russian EW-technologies are among the most advanced in the world



Russia and India Report decided to lift the veil of secrecy and selected five most effective EW systems



Modern military conflicts involve less and less contact fighting. The wars gradually shift into virtual reality, and opponents often compete not in firepower weapons, but in the effective use of radio electronic warfare that can easily deceive the enemy, blind his radars or guide the fired missiles onto the false targets. RIR decided to lift the veil of secrecy and selected five most effective Russian EW (electronic warfare) systems.



Khibiny: Terror of the destroyers



This relatively small container in the shape of a torpedo is mounted on the wingtips of the aircraft and makes the sky machines invulnerable to all modern means of defence and enemy fighters. After the crew receives missile attack alert, Khibiny comes into action and covers the fighter with radio-electronic protective hood, which prevents the missile from reaching the target and makes it deviate from the course. Khibiny increases the survivability of the aircraft by 25-30 times. According to deputy general director of concern KRET (developer and manufacturer of this EW system) Vladimir Mikheev, all the fighters that Russia lost in Georgia were naked, ie. without the installed EW means, and this fact has caused the loss of the Russian military equipment.



By the way, nowadays Khibiny is being installed on Su-30, Su-34 and Su-35, so the famous April attack in the Black sea on USS Donald Cook by Su-24 bomber jet allegedly using Khibiny complex is nothing but a newspaper hoax. The destroyer's buzzing did take place. This EW system can completely neutralise the enemy radar, but Khibiny are not installed on Su-24.



Moskva-1: Passive scout

The modern radar complex, which Russian troops are about to receive, can see and accompany all airborne targets at a distance of 400 km (previous similar radar development Avtobaza could track objects at a maximum distance of only 150 km). Moskva-1 operates on the principle of passive radar. This means that it does not emit any signals, only receives and analyses the outer ones. Therefore, unlike conventional radars, it remains invisible to the enemy. Scanning the airspace, Moskva-1 determines the type of the object and is able to correctly classify it as a missile or an aircraft. The station immediately transmits this valuable information to the command post, and then the operator decides to destroy the object or not. In addition, Moskva-1 can guide air defence system to the target, so that it keeps its radar off, staying invisible to the enemy fire till last.







Krasukha-2: Iskanders' defender

Despite its funny frivolous name, this ground EW complex represents a real terror for AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircrafts. Krasukha’s main task is to protect and to plug the air defence, the ground facilities and to provide security of troops groupings on the march. PTRC Iskander and other similar complexes are quite defenceless on the march. Krasukha enables them to easily reach the given destination and deploy the combat crew. Once Krasukha notices the enemy AWACS, it affects its radar with an interfering radiation within a radius of 250 km. Such jamming radio-electronic suppresion makes precise weapon guidance impossible. Another feature of Krasukha is influencing the brain of the fired missiles and changing the flight task. As a result of Krasukha's intervention, the missile begins to see a false target and hits it without damaging the hardware.



Rtut'-BM: Umbrella against Grads



This EW system is one of the most advanced to date. Rtut' (Mercury) is designed to protect soldiers and equipment from artillery fire, in case the artillery is equipped with proximity fuses.

In order to cause irreparable damage to manpower and weapons, proximity fuse must explode at the height of 3-5 meters. Rtut' affects proximity-fused ammunition making it explode at a safe height, which keeps the troops intact.



It's not only proximity fuses that Rtut'-BM complex is able to counteract. If necessary, it can be used to kill frequencies at which the enemy is radio-communicating.

One complex (similar to an armoured vehicle with a television antenna) is able to protect an area of 50 hectares.

According to the developers, Rtut'-BM has a great export potential and can be supplied to the traditional markets of Asia, Middle East, Africa and Latin America.





President-S: Breaking the Needle:

President-S is a complex of optical-electronic suppression, which can protect from destruction any aircraft that is being attacked by missiles fired from MANPADS, equipped with heat seekers (elements that react to heat produced by the running engine of an aircraft or helicopter). During test firing, the missiles were fired from Igla (Needle) at a Mi-8 helicopter, fixed up on a special rig. Missiles were fired from a distance of 1000 meters, and not a single one reached the target - all the missiles deviated away from the helicopter and disbanded: missile guidance system was simply missing the target due to electronic interference created by the complex.



KRET :: Media :: Russian EW-technologies are among the most advanced in the world

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Ex-defence contractor guilty of sending US data to India http://ift.tt/1GiTqtQ

NEW YORK: A 49-year-old former owner of defence contracting businesses in the US has pleaded guilty to illegally sending sensitive military technical data to India as part of a conspiracy in which she worked with an Indian resident.



Hannah Robert, 49, of New Jersey pleaded guilty before US District Judge Anne Thompson to charges that she conspired to violate the Arms Export Control Act by exporting to India military technical drawings without prior approval from the US Department of State.



According to documents filed in the case, from June 2010 to December 2012, Robert conspired to export to India defence technical drawings of parts used in the torpedo systems for nuclear submarines, military attack helicopters and F-15 fighter aircrafts.



Robert founded One Source USA and Caldwell Components that contracted with the US Department of Defence to supply defence hardware and spare parts.



Along with an Indian resident, identified in the complaint only as 'PR', Robert owned and operated a third firm located in India that manufactured defence hardware and spare parts.



In addition to US' sales, Robert sent export-controlled technical data to PR in India so that the two could submit bids to foreign actors, including those in the UAE and Pakistan, to supply them or their foreign customers with defence hardware and spare parts.



Neither Robert nor PR had obtained approval from the State Department for these businesses.



The complaint cited an August 2012 email from PR to Robert requesting a technical drawing of a particular military item.



PR had also forwarded to Robert a request from an individual purporting to be "an official contractor of the UAE Ministry of Defence."



The UAE e-mail requested quotations for a bid for the "blanket assembly" for the CH-47F Chinook military helicopter and listed the "End User" for the hardware as UAE Armed Forces.



Robert transmitted military drawings for these parts to India by posting the technical data to the password-protected website of a New Jersey church where she was a volunteer web administrator.



Through the course of the scheme, Robert uploaded thousands of technical drawings to the church website for PR to download in India.



The complaint said there were quality issues also with the parts that Robert provided to the Defence Department.



After the department disclosed in 2012 that certain parts used in the wings of the F-15 fighter aircraft, supplied by Robert's company One Source, failed, Robert and PR provided false and misleading material certifications and inspection reports for the parts.



These documents listed only One Source USA's New Jersey address and not the address of the actual manufacturer in India, One Source India.



As a result of the failed wing pins, the Defence Department grounded nearly 47 F-15 fighter aircraft for repair and inspection, at a cost estimated to exceed USD 150,000.



As part of her plea agreement, Robert will have to pay USD 181,000 to the Defence Department, including the cost of repair for the grounded F-15s.



Robert also consented to a forfeiture money judgment of about USD 78,000, which represents the dollar value of Robert's fraudulent contracts with the department.



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Ex-defence contractor guilty of sending US data to India - The Economic Times

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Americans interrogated Indian PoWs in Pakistani jails in 1971 http://ift.tt/1F1FK7p

In a startling revelation in a recently published book authored by former Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Wing Commander (Retired) Dhirendra S. Jafa, American military officers interrogated 1971 Indian Air Force prisoners of war (PoWs) in Pakistan in an attempt get information on Indian Air Force navigational techniques which were used with pinpoint accuracy to target Pakistani air fields.



In chapter seven of his 241-page book titled “Death Wasn’t Painful”, Wing Commander Jafa reveals that a well-known American flyer and test pilot was brought to his prison cell by a Pakistani officer around the 25th of December, 1971, who he saw as a symbol of the US Seventh Fleet, “the coercive, high-handed, self-righteous aggressiveness of the ugly American.”



The American military officer wanted know how the Indian Air pilots were accurately targeting Pakistani airfields at night.



Wing Commander Jafa recalls that the American officer interrogating him was taken aback by his (Jafa’s) initial hostility, but recovered quickly enough to avoid a “slanging match” and begin a “dialogue” (read interrogation).



Wing Commander Jafa mentions that he was taken momentarily aback when the line of questioning shifted to the wreckage of his crashed aircraft, when the American test pilot referred to it as “very interesting, these Russian aeroplanes …, which never depart from the basic concept.”



Deciding to play along with the line of questioning being taken by his American interrogator, Wing Commander Jafa reveals the latter then asked him whether he was following the developments in Russian aviation, and specifically referred to aircraft such as the MiG series, the Sukhois and, of course, their bombers, and in a suggestive sort of way, sought to understand from the Indian PoW whether he was aware or not of whether they were of all of the same make or of different concepts.



Wing Commander Jafa reveals that he did not know precisely what his American interrogator was looking for through his line of questioning, and replied, “I am only a flyer, the end user, so to say. You’d know better, of course, being a test pilot…”



Wing Commander Jafa states in his book that the American test pilot suggested that he (Jafa) and other Indian Air Force fighter pilots were aware that the Sukhois they were flying had been equipped with advanced electronics and pinpointed navigational aids to find targets by day or night, whereas the earlier versions used before the 1971 war did not include them, nor had the Russians developed them.



The American interrogator further suggested that some IAF aircraft had been accommodated with these advanced electronics and navigational aids and given to Jafa and other Indian pilots to operate and “to enable you to find targets …” in Pakistan.



Wing Commander Jafa suggests in his book that the Americans were monitoring the war in real time, but were “even more bothered about the accurate night bombings by the Indian pilots than were the Pakistanis.”



He says that despite telling his American interrogator that he was not aware of any such development, the latter asked, “Then how come your pilots were finding the targets so accurately by night? Not a single failure.”



He suggests that the American test pilot was not daft and adds that he (Jafa) was aware that the Americans could and would have taken all shot down aircraft apart and examined all the bits and pieces “to determine just one piece of equipment that could solve the mystery, and added that the interrogator suggested that Russian provided the Indian pilots with “some kind of beam guidance system” which the Americans were not aware of.



Wing Commander Jafa says he remonstrated with his American interrogator that the simple fact was that the Indian Air Force pilots were trained to be accurate flyers and to use simple gadgets like a compass, a speedometer and a wrist watch to unerringly go wherever they had to go, and pointedly asked the latter what he was actually after.



The American said that he was engaging in a bit of chit-chat among professionals, among fighter pilots, and walked out of his cell with a shrug.



Wing Commander Jafa says that thereafter they were consigned to their cells, got no answers to their questions from the prison guards, and nor were police corporals or their chief available, and he surmised that the American test pilot-cum interrogator was going around extracting information that he could during his meetings with every Indian prisoner individually to possibly complete “some jigsaw puzzle of the American intelligence somewhere…”



He concludes that the superpowers played their own games and were nobody’s friends, and the poorer and less powerful nations more often than not succumbed to their blandishments easily, and did all their dirty work.



He says that the war between India and Pakistan in 1971 could have been prevented had the superpowers – the United States and the Soviet Union – desired so.



Americans interrogated Indian PoWs in Pakistani jails in 1971, reveals former IAF officer | idrw.org

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Sukhoi-30 MKI, Air Force's Most Modern Fighter Jet, Plagued by Engine http://ift.tt/1CsIhaz

NEW DELHI: Sukhoi-30 MKI, the most powerful and modern fighter jets in Indian Air Force's stable, has been hit by mid-air engine failures. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said in Parliament today that as many as 35 instances of engine failures were reported in 2013-14 - that's nearly three a month.



In all, there are 69 instances of engine failure in the last four years, the minister said. Inquiries by the Air Force have revealed that in as many as 33 instances, the engines failed because of impure fuel, in another 11 cases, the problem was caused by excessive vibration and in eight others, engine failures were reported because of low pressure in the lubricant tanks, the Defence Minister said. About five SU-30 MKI have crashed since 2009.



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Like all twin-engine jets, the Russian made Su-30s are capable of landing on a single engine. But to reach its maximum potential of carrying a total eight tones of payload including bombs, missiles and spare fuel tanks, the jet needs both its AL-31FP engines to function.



Engine failures is fast becoming a major concern for Air Force and also puts a question mark on India's ability to defend its skies. Another problem area that senior Air Force officers point out is serviceability. "Serviceability of the aircraft is about 50 per cent only," an officer said. It means at any given time, roughly half out of a fleet of 200 jets are available for operational purposes. This becomes crucial in times of emergencies like war.



Mr Parrikar said that the engines were scheduled to be overhauled after every 1000 hours of flying, but the defects started showing-up after only 500 hours of flying. The minister said that Russia-based NPO Saturn, manufacturers of Su-30 Al-31FP engines, offered to make "nine technological improvements" during overhauls, and added that after the modifications the engines were flying for upto 900 hours.



To address the growing capability gap, especially that created by increasing obsolescence of MiG-21, India is talking to France to buy 126 medium multi-role Rafale fighter jets. But the negotiations have been dragging on for three years. Although the acquisition has got mired on per unit cost and number of man hours required to produce it in India, a resolution of these issue can be expected when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits France in April.



Sukhoi-30 MKI, Air Force's Most Modern Fighter Jet, Plagued by Engine Trouble

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HAL Technician Held for Stealing Sukhoi Blades http://ift.tt/1wVTkGQ

HAL Technician Held for Stealing Sukhoi Blades - The New Indian Express





KORAPUT: A senior technician of Sukhoi division of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Arun Kumar Pradhan, was arrested on Sunday on charges of stealing parts of the fighter aircraft, Sukhoi, from the factory premises at Sunabeda in Koraput district. He was produced in SDJM Court which remanded him in judicial custody.



Sources said HAL security personnel at the main gate caught Pradhan in possession of expensive blades of the aero engine of Sukhoi. Pradhan was later handed over to Sunabeda police.



During investigation, police seized over 198 Sukhoi aero engine blades and other parts from Pradhan’s residence at Semiliguda. During interrogation, police came to know that Pradhan, who has a workshop at Semiliguda, used to supply the blades to a private company.



How could the components meant for Defence sector and manufactured secretly by the company be stolen despite strict surveillance within and outside the HAL premises has baffled the probing team.



Suspecting involvement of top officials in the loot, police have rounded up five senior officers of HAL and are quizzing them. The police have also asked for documents related to supply of blades for Sukhoi and other components from HAL authorities.



Koraput SP CS Meena said, “We have already sought more information from HAL to establish as to how the man could steal the blades and make those outside the factory premises for the aero engines.”



As HAL has its own security, district police have no control over the security of the Defence unit. HAL authority is also looking into the internal and external security of the factory with the help of Defence personnel.





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Su-35 super flanker deal signed http://ift.tt/1Bw9tCX

Russia And India To Work On 5th-gen Upgrade To Su-35 Fighter



Russia and India have signed an agreement to jointly develop a fifth-generation upgrade of the Su-35 Super Flanker multirole fighter, according to a report published March 8 on Virginia-based military affairs website Defense News.




The fighter will be a fifth-generation fighter like the US Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, as opposed to the fourth-generation version of the Su-35 over which Russia and China are currently negotiating a deal, reports Want China Times.


The Su-35 Super Flanker will be unable to compete with other "genuine" fifth-generation fighters and China does not need to get caught up in a game of one-upmanship with India and Russia, said an expert cited by China's nationalistic tabloid Global Times.



Fifth-Generation Su-35S



Defense News cited a Russian military insider as stating that Moscow and New Delhi have signed an agreement to design what Russia is calling the fifth-generation version of the Su-35 in India, which will see an Indian variant of the fighter created called the Su-35S. Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Russian state-run tech export corporation Rostec, was cited by the website as saying, "We have been negotiating and have signed the intention protocol for the Su-35…Now we are working on designing ideas for this contract and on creating a manufacturing platform for the aircraft of the fifth generation."



The shift from the fourth-generation Su-35, currently in service with the Russian Air Force, to the fifth-generation Su-35S will necessitate a large upgrade. The report in Defense News questioned the ability of the Su-35S to bear comparison with the F-35. An Indian Air Force official said Russia has pitched the Su-35S several times over the last six months, stating that it can replace the Indian Air Force's MiG-21 and MiG-27 fighters, set to be retired from service in seven to eight years.



Russia and India have already worked together on the development of a fifth-generation stealth fighter, the PAK FA T-50. The Defense News report suggested that the reason Russia has suddenly announced the development program for the stealth fighter is because they are trying to undercut France following the refusal of Paris to provide Russia with two Mistral-class amphibious assault ships. In 2012, New Delhi decided to buy 126 Dassault Rafale multirole fighters from the French company but they have been unable to reach a final agreement due to the technology transfer involved and the price. A Russian industry source cited in the report said the Su-35S will cost only US$85 million, very competitive when compared with the Rafale, and poses a threat to the deal between France and India. A report in the New Delhi-based Economic Times previously stated that India's air force command considers the Russian fighter and the Rafale to be complementary and that the former does not replace the need for the latter.





China and the Fourth-Generation Su-35



There had previously been a lot of buzz in the media about China becoming the first country to take delivery of an Su-35. According to the previous report on the website, China is set to sign a deal on May 19 to buy 24 Su-35 fighters from Russia. A Russian official has stated that the deal involves the fourth-generation Su-35, not the fifth-generation Su-35S. The official added, however, that China will be the first country in the world to buy the plane.







The Defense News report did not specify the details of the differences between the Su-35 and the Su-35S. However, a Chinese military expert cited by the Global Times stated that the fifth-generation fighter will likely be based on the Su-30MKI that Russia and India developed together and will be equipped with advanced fifth-generation fighter avionics purchased by India, including active electronically scanned array radar, an infrared sensor for longer range targets and a custom tactical data link suited to the needs of the Indian Air Force, along with anti-electrical interference equipment. The source also stated that the fighter likely has limited stealth capabilities, including metal plating on the hood of the cabin and stealth materials coating the air inlets. Stealth capabilities hinge mostly on the exterior design of a fighter, however, he said. The area of the fifth generation F-22 that reflects radar is just 1 square meter and Russian aircraft maker Sukhoi has stated that the area of Su-30 series fighters that reflects radar is around 20 sq m.



As the Su-35S will not involve a total rehaul of the outer structure of the series, it is not possible for the Su-35S to match the stealth capabilities of the F-22. The move to brand the Su-35S a "fifth-generation" fighter, therefore, seems a little more driven by propaganda than reality, according to Global Times. Given that the Su-30MKI went into production in 2002, six years after India and Russia signed the joint development agreement on the aircraft, the Su-35S will likely take a sustained period of time to develop and undergo tests before it can be commissioned or sold.



Can the Fourth- to Fifth-Generation Gap be Bridged?





A Chinese military expert stated that fourth-generation fighters can be upgraded to give them capabilities approaching those of fifth-generation fighters. This is most evident in the area of avionics, if enough investment is made, as with sufficient funds the avionics of the Su-35S could surpass those of the T-50. Through the purchase of fifth-generation directional efflux nozzles with a large thrust to weight ratio, the Su-35S could reach a level of subsonic maneuverability equal to that of the T-50.



In terms of the exterior there is still quite a large gap between fourth- and fifth-generation fighters, however. Especially in terms of supercruise and stealth capability, aspects in which the Su-35S cannot compete with the F-22 or the T-50. The Chinese expert stated that China and India should not bicker over which Su-35 is more advanced, as the Su-35 is simply a complementary aircraft which will play a transient role in China's air fleet. As the development of the Su-35S will also take time, China's domestically developed fifth-generation J-20 stealth fighter will likely already be ready to be commissioned by the time the Su-35S is ready for service.





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50th anniversary of 1965 indo-pak war http://ift.tt/1AmBF6d

A dazzling display of drills by the Indian Air Force at the Gateway of India, Mumbai on 11th March marked the 50th anniversary of the 1965 India-Pakistan war. The event, which was organised by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, was part of various functions organised across the country to commemorate the war anniversary. An Air Warrior Drill Team of 13 people, which has been specially selected for the task, was also part of the event. Photos: Paul Noronha

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Can a perfectly invisible aircraft be made? http://ift.tt/1Ez660x

There are some researches about materials that make things invisible to light. Flame from a aircraft can be cover. Composite materials that absorb radar totally one day will be made. Would this be the perfect invisible aircraft?

Right now invisible aircrafts can be seen on radar by rationally positioning radar in land and air so find the angle in which aircraft reflect radar waves. Linked radars can discover them and long wave radars can too.

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Eurocopter AS350B3 helicopter crash kills French Celebrities http://ift.tt/1B39o4K

Two Airbus / Eurocopter AS 350B3 Écureuil helicopters crashed mid-air during the shooting for the French reality show "Dropped" in Argentina. In the crash, three French celebrities and other seven people were killed. The celebrities included a famous footballer, an Olympian Swimmer and a boxer. The reality show has been postponed indefinitely.



There are many individual links available but a brief summary of the event with links is available at Wikipedia.

Villa Castelli helicopter collision - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Quite a sad event.

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