SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

AK-630M based Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) mounted on Tatra High Mobility 6×6 Vehicle specifically developed for the Indian Army is ready for developmental trials said industrial sources close to idrw.org. First Truck-mounted AK-630M CIWS has carried out internal trials by Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and will ready for further trials by the Indian Army.

In June 2019, idrw.org was first to break the story of the Indian Army asking OFB to develop the CIWS system to secure its Border Post and Troops stationed there. AK-630 which is manufactured locally in India by OFB has 95.6 % level of indigenization by OFB and is a proven, reliable and tested weapon system and can fire nearly 5,000 rounds per minute Continue reading →

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

In an Interview, Venkat Raju, Managing Director of VEM Technologies has said the company aims to be Lockheed Martin of India and plans to build a completely company-designed aircraft by 2027 to move into aerospace manufacturing after providing Avionics & Software, Electro-Optics & Rf & Microwave Connectors for both BrahMos and Akash missile system in India.

Hyderabad-based VEM Technologies that provide Aerospace, Defence and Homeland Security systems solutions are also working with DRDO on the development of the MPATGM Anti-Tank Missile system and recently also showcased Ajita Short Range Air Defense system concept in lines of NASAMS at recently concluded DefExpo 2020. Continue reading →

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Project Director Mr. D Seshagiri (LRDE) in charge of the UTTAM Active electronically scanned array (AESA) Fire Control Radar (FCR)program has confirmed that Three Indigenously developed UTTAM FCR is going thorough its phase by phase demonstration of all its operational modes and the radar will clear all required node demonstration by end of this year and will be cleared for production in 2021.

UTTAM FCR mounted on a leased Business jet, Dornier Do 228 and LCA-Tejas LSP aircraft are carrying out regular sorties and the radar will demonstrate all the nodes by end of this year. Basic Air to Air nodes have been cleared but more advance nodes are still to be tested including some in the air to ground nodes. Continue reading →

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Hyderabad-based VEM Technologies that provides Aerospace, Defence and Homeland Security systems solutions has showcased a concept of its Ajita Short Range Ground Based Air Defense system which seems to be working on the same principle of US-Norwegian Air and Missile Defense to Protect for deployed personnel and against key vital installations in the Urban environment against Aerial threats of all nature.

As can be seen in the picture, the Ajita Air Defense system will feature a Mobile 4D AESA radar system that will be used to alert and queue a Short-range surface to air missile to the locations of hostile targets before they approach any vital installations. 360-degree coverage of the AESA air defense radar will be able to track multiple hostile targets at each scan. Continue reading →

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

The Defence Research and Development Organisation for the first time has confirmed at DefExpo 2020 that it will be in charge of the development of 4 indigenously developed Intelligence, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition Radar (ISTAR ) to be mounted on a Gulfstream or Bombardier platform for the Indian Air Force and National Technical Research Organization (NTRO).

IAF to meet its immediate requirement will be ordering Two Raytheon ISTAR aircraft under a government-to-government deal with US Government at an estimated cost of $1 billion. IAF has an initial requirement for 3 DRDO developed ISTAR and 1 for NTRO. Continue reading →

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Sylvain Defer, head of P-75I Project at Naval Group has confirmed that the French Naval Group formerly known as DCNS will offer its SMX 3.0 submarine to India under its Project-75I under which India plans to acquire Six Next Generation Attack Class Non-nuclear Submarine for its Navy for which it has recently shortlisted State-owned Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Privately owned L&T as its preferred Shipyard partners for the construction of the submarines after winning bid is declared.

idrw.org was first to report the moves made by Naval Group last year of taking back its initial offer of Super Scorpene which was an enlarged Scorpene-class submarine already inducted by Indian Navy under Project-75, but the offer was to be likely between Shortfin Barracuda and SMX 3.0 concept was showcased in 2016 for the first time. Continue reading →

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

India’s upcoming Tejas Mk2 aka Medium Weight Fighter (MWF) fighter jet will feature 5 New additional capabilities which the scale model of the mock-up displayed at Aero India 2019 could not reveal at that point of time but now has been confirmed by ADA that indeed this features will be first to be introduced in the Mk2 variant which will not be seen in the Tejas Mk1 and Mk1A variant.

We all know that MWF-Tejas Mk2 will come with new additional design features like compound delta wing with close-coupled canards, infrared search-and-track (IRST) sensor, a missile approach warning system (MAWS), and an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Continue reading →

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Indian Army’s Rs 60,000-crore FICV project will get new entry after Ordnance Factory Medak introduced a New ICV for Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) project. According to OFB, New FICV is designed and developed by OFB Medak which has already gone through internal developmental trials including weapons trials of its main gun along with ATGM firing.

New FICV comes with Gun control system with a thermal imager fire control system with an advanced gunner and commander sights and comes with NATO STANAG Level 4 protection against Heavy Machine Gunfire at sides and enhanced mobility enables speeds of 80km per hour. Continue reading →

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

RudraM-III is the name given for the upcoming precision-guided operational-tactical air-launched cruise missile which DRDO is developing and was spotted for the first time when Scale model of Tejas Mk2 aka Medium Weight Fighter (MWF) was revealed last year at Aero India 2019. The angular stealth missile showcased was then nameless and many wondered if it was just showcased to highlight wide weapons payload arsenal capacity of the upcoming Tejas Mk2 fighter jet.

But idrw.org can now confirm that the missile is called RudraM-III which was approved in 2018 and RudraM-II in 2016 at the cost of 489.06 Cr. RudraM are family of Tactical Air to Surface Missile in development for needs of next-generation aircraft. The unusual-looking angular square section of RudraM-III is designed to be low-observable when in flight and difficult to be engaged by Air Defence Systems. Continue reading →

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will be awarding Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) Certification to the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) at the upcoming DefExpo2020 after it completed all trials marked for IOC Certification. HAL had predicted will be achieved by September last year which it did after completion of its hot and high altitude trials.

Sea trial in 2018 in Chennai was followed up with Sea Trials in 2019 in Puducherry which was the last of trials of the LUH. The LUH is a 3-ton class new generation single-engine helicopter indigenously designed and developed by Rotary Wing Research and Design Center (RWR&DC) of HAL which is set to replace HAL Cheetah and HAL Chetak helicopters in service with the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force. Continue reading →

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Kalyani Group will for the first time will be showcasing at DefExpo2020 it’s latest Artillery Systems called Mountain Artillery Gun (MArG) Extended Range Ultra-Light Howitzer with 155 mm / 52 caliber long-range ULH in towed version. New MArG will be up-gunned from its 155 mm / 39 caliber sibling which also be on display. MArG comes in two variants – Steel and Titanium. The steel version weighs about 6.8 tons and the Titanium version weighs less than 5 tons.

On the recommendation of then, Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat who now is Chief of Defence Staff, Kalyani Group also has developed a Truck-mounted all steal MArG 155 mm / 39 caliber ULH which also will be displayed for the first time at the DefExpo2020. Continue reading →

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

According to sources close to idrw.org, Kalyani Group also has manufactured 5 Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) 155 mm/52 howitzer ordered by the Indian Army to continue its User Trials and they will likely be delivered soon to the Army. New Guns have minor modifications after taking feedback from the Indian Army hinting that the new guns will be lighter than the older Prototypes manufactured in 2017-18.

ATAGS weighs in at 17-18 tonnes which is higher then what the Indian Army could like to have but ATAGS offers a longer range than its contemporaries due to a six-round magazine chamber of 25 liters instead of a standard three-round magazine of 23 liters due to which the gun weighs slightly more than normal due to the larger chamber size. Kalyani Group has offered to use lighter metal like special alloys and Titanium components in some sections to reduce the weight but it is also expected that the price of the gun will also shoot up. Continue reading →

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

According to Vayu Aerospace Review, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) developed HTFE-25 Core engine has successfully concluded its Sea Level Trials Successfully at Tambaram Air Force Station, Chennai. The core engine of HTFE-25 was tested for various phases including starting trials with indigenously designed and developed Air Producer (AP) and Air Turbine Starter (ATS). Light-up trials with different fuel flow settings/air inlet temperature conditions were carried out.

HTFE-25 engine has been developed for India’s IJT program and idrw.org was first to report that HAL has now started work on the development of an afterburning technology for the HTFE-25 Dry engine which will have a wet thrust level of higher than 25kN. Continue reading →

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Hyderabad-based MIDHANI will be showcasing its Light Bullet Proof Vehicles (LBPVs) and Medium Bullet Proof Vehicles (MBPVs) for troop movement in counter-insurgency operations at DefExpo2020. LBPV Bus protects against 7.62 x 39m MSC and the complete bus is armored with a combination of steel and composites and comes with Bullet resistant window glasses.

According to MIDHANI, the weight of armoring is 3.3tons and already 15 such buses have been supplied to Central Armed Police Force (CAPF). Continue reading →

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Ukraine Defence Industry which will be participating at DEFEXPO-2020 starting this month has confirmed to idrw.org that it’s State Company ” Antonov” will be promoting its most recent projects An-132 and An-188 Air-lifter projects to Indian Air Force (IAF) with local production rights to meet transporter requirements of the IAF.

An-132, which is a light multi-purpose turboprop transport aircraft developed by Antonov has been described as an ideal replacement for the fleet of An-32 Transport aircraft operated by IAF. Spetstechno Export says that like An-32, An-132 retains its unique operating capabilities in high temperature/high altitude environments with cargo carrying capabilities of 9.2 tons and is an ideal option for IAF to replace the aircraft park of well known work-horse An-32. Continue reading →