SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

General Electric officials will be down in India next month to advance talks with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the license production deal for the F414-GE-INS6 engines that will be used to power India’s upcoming Tejas MkII fighter jet. Both companies are working on a licensing agreement that will clear the path not only to manufacturing these GE F414 engines in India but also to carrying out in-house repair and overhaul capabilities of the engine in the country.

General Electric already has delivered some engines to HAL after a deal for 99 F414 GE fighter jet engines to power the Mk II version of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) for the Indian Air Force was selected in 2010.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

Indian Army has started procuring electric vehicles for select units and formations, to be in line with the government’s overall policy of cutting down carbon emissions, Indian Army in a phased manner will replace 25 per cent of light vehicles, 38 per cent of buses and 48 per cent motorcycles with EVs in select units.

Indian Army is also well aware that electric vehicles require massive support infrastructure, including charging points for EVs but that is not possible in remote deployment locations and operational areas. Indian Army is looking at newer greener technology that can be adopted for that it is planning to work with Indian manufacturers that could see the development of Military trucks that are powered by hydrogen internal combustion engines (ICE).

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

Armenia is considering ordering Indian-made medium-range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) system to enforce its mid-tier Surface-to-air missile systems and replace some of the soviet-era short to medium-range Surface-to-air missile systems like S-125 Pechora.

Armenia already operates S-300PS batteries, which come with an interception range of 150km but is lacking quality mid-tier Surface-to-air missile system. idrw.org has been told that some level of inquiries has happened, while India has offered its own indigenous Air Defence System like Akash and Akash-NG and all options are open for further talks.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

India has plans to have a Sea-based Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) and the first components of the elaborate Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) likely will be integrated into first Next Generation Destroyers (NGD) while the Navy plans for the development of dedicated ballistic missile interceptor vessels.

DRDO has commenced trials of the Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) with the test of AD-1, a long-range interceptor missile designed for both “low exo-atmospheric” and “endo-atmospheric” interception of long-range ballistic missiles as well as aircraft.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will hand over the first batch of LCA-Tejas Trainer aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) by end of next month or in early March as per the delivery schedule agreed upon.

Four Tejas Mk1 Trainers are at the advanced stages of flight certification and soon this aircraft will be handed over to the Indian Air Force. The addition of the Tejas Mk1 Trainers will come as a boost to the training schedule of the pilots that are being trained for new Squadrons that are being formed for the intake of 73 Tejas Mk1A fighter jets that are on orders.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev in an interview with local tv channel Azernews on asked about recent purchase of weapons from the Armenia with whom Azerbaijan is having ongoing border conflict singled out India and said that ” Unfortunately, India is now playing a role among them. we consider this as an unfriendly step. because thee weapons, especially offensive weapons have a target, and it is Azerbaijan. Therefore, of course, we are taking necessary measures and cannot allow Armenia to create danger for us, we can never allow that to happen.

Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev also said that he said this to Armenian side several times not to waste money on that (weapons). Because, first of all, it will not help you (Armenia), and secondly, it may create an illusion that you can retaliate.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

According to a report in the ” Hindustan Times”, Indian Navy leadership is considering ordering more of the submarines based on the baseline French Kalvari Class (Scorpene) submarine due to delays in the Project-75I -(India) tender to acquire six more conventional-diesel submarines due to a lack of interest from the International OEMs.

Indian Navy has extended the timeline for the Request For Proposal (RFP) multiple times already for the construction of six advanced submarines and the new deadline is for August this year due to a lack of offers in the tender. It’s not clear at this point if Indian Navy will approve the French offer of procuring three more Kalvari Enhanced Class submarines with DRDO developed Air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems and Lithium-ion batteries with a higher percentage of indigenous content.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

India’s long-range Supersonic Missile Assisted Torpedo (SMART) system developed by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) will not be limited to truck-based Coastal defence batteries as the Indian Navy has plans to also arm them on the frontline warships thus enhancing the country’s anti-submarine warfare capability.

Canister-based SMART is a Hybrid Missile system that carries an Advanced Light Torpedo Shyena, as its payload for the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) role. SMART has a range of 650km after which it drops an Advanced Light Torpedo Shyena using a parachute delivery system and release mechanism in the water.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

According to the “Times of India,” INS Sindhuratna, a Kilo class submarine that was in Russia for a major refit, is stuck in the country due to the lack of a sea lift commercial transport dock ship that could ferry the submarine from Russia to Mumbai.

Commercial transport dock ship operators do not want to operate from Russia due to the Russia-Ukraine war and economic sanctions. The Indian Navy is now planning to send the crew to Russia and sail the submarine to a port in Norway, where it will be ferried back to Mumbai by a commercial transport dock ship.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

DRDO has been given permission to develop an indigenously developed anti-ship missile known as the Naval Anti-ship Missile-Medium range, which is a significant step toward self-reliance in niche missile technology and reaffirms the Indian Navy’s commitment to indigenisation (NASM-MR).

NASM-MR, a Harpoon class anti-ship missile, will have a longer range and will initially be developed as an air launched all-weather, over-the-horizon anti-ship missile for fixed-wing fighter jets and Maritime Patrol Aircraft, but three other variants are also being considered.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

Japanese social media has been buzz after arrival of Russian Su-30MKI fighter jets that came along with Indian Air Force Delegation for joint air force exercise Veer Guardian that will see Su-30MKI having dog fight against American F-15J and F-2 fighter jets.

Russian fighter jets flying over Japanese skies are a rare sight, as the last time a Russian jet landed in the country was 47 years ago, causing quite a diplomatic row and a similar level of frenzy among the local Japanese people.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

Malaysian Defense Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan stated that the previous government’s Cabinet had approved the acquisition of all LCA aircraft in principle and the new government is bond to clear the deal when it is in the power.

The Royal Malaysian Air Force confirmed that it will proceed with its plan to acquire 18 FA-50 Light Combat Aircraft (Light Combat Aircraft) from South Korea, which has been delayed due to allegations of corruption and the filing of an official complaint by local representatives of the Chinese company that had bid its JF-17 fighter jets in the deal.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

The Government of India’s Ministry of Defence intends to purchase 21 (twenty one) New Waterjet fast attack craft (NWJFAC) for the Indian Navy (IN) from registered Indian shipyards. The NWJFAC would be built in stages over the course of four years (2026-2030).

The NWJFAC must be capable of performing local naval defence, as well as seaward defence of defended ports, offshore installations, vital areas, and vital points. In addition, the NWJFAC will intercept high-speed craft and conduct seaward anti-terrorist patrols to ensure the security of coastal installations, naval harbours, and its own coast.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

India will reveal more details about a new Stealth unmanned fighter jet that it is developing in collaboration with public-private sector companies at Aero India 2023, which will be held next month at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru (Karnataka) from February 13 to 17, 2023.

India has been working on developing unmanned-manned autonomous vehicles in order to improve mission effectiveness through improved situational awareness and decision-making capabilities.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.

Dr Girish Shantaram Deodhare, Director of Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), has confirmed that two NP1 and NP2 Naval LCA Prototypes, which were used to establish some of the advanced capabilities for developing a deck-based fighter aircraft, will now be modified to become test beds for the Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) programme.

Harsh Vardhan Thakur, a retired Indian Air Force captain and an experimental test pilot with HAL, has backed the development of CATS OMCA (optically-manned combat aircraft) for the Indian Aircraft Carrier Group.