SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

The US Air Force & Indian Air Forces are to take part in Cope India 2023 which is to begin in April this year in India as a long-running bilateral field training mission conducted by the US Pacific Air Forces to improve US-Indian cooperation. The operation is like to occur in two Indian air force bases in Bengal: Kalaikunda & Panagarh.

The airmen will train in a range of missions, including subject matter expert exchanges, air mobility training, airdrop training and large-force exercises.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

MBDA plans to offer India its AKERON, a unique fifth-generation tactical combat missile, which the company claims are a quantum leap from the third and fourth-generation weapons currently available on the market. AKERON is a Lightweight medium-range munition, Designed for open field operation or Urban warfare with optimal Fire & Forget and Man-On-The-Loop modes with Day and night capability with high-resolution dual mode uncooled IR/TV seeker.

AKERON family of missiles incorporates the latest technologies in terms of high-resolution multi-band imagers, multi-effect warheads (anti-tank, anti-infrastructure, anti-personnel), data links, and multi-mode guidance algorithms based on AI techniques. All ensure robust and precise guidance at any distance, in all conditions.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Not to miss out on the nearly $4-6 billion Super Sukhoi Upgrade Program of the 150 Indian Sukhoi-30MKI fleet, Rosoboronexport sources have confirmed idrw.org that Russia United Aircraft Corporation has come with its own Super Sukhoi Upgrade Program for India that will bring aircraft at par with the Russian level of “SM2”.

Russian Su-30SM2 fighters are getting upgraded with a host of improvements in avionics, engines and different aerodynamics that the company claims will make it par with any 4.5++ Gen fighter jet with near 5th gen performance.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

The United States and India are in talks that will grant India local production rights of its 155mm M982 Excalibur artillery rounds that were procured in 2019 largely for the M777 ultra-light towed artillery howitzers purchased from the United States.

155mm M982 Excalibur can also be used from the K-9 Vajra, Dhanush and Bofors. Indian Army had procured more than 600 rounds of both airburst and ground-burst configuration types in the army’s inventory.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

The Ministry of Defence, Government of India, intends to procure quantity 2748 Rugged Terrain Bike (RTB) with Accessories under emergency procurement through Fast Track Procedure (FTP) under Buy (Indian) category.

Rugged Terrain Bike (RTB) should have a minimum of 02 personnel including the driver, Monoblock seat with not less than 360 CC. Maximum Speed Not less than 80 KMPH on road and not less than 40 KMPH Cross Country in Mountainous terrain and 30 KMPH in Deserts.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Indian Army has confirmed DAC has accorded AoN for procurement of “Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle (Tracked)” ie “FICV(Tr)” for the Mechanised Infantry Arm of the Indian Army with Manned turret (un-manned turret as EPP) with FCS, fire & forget top-attack ATGMs, automatic cannon of at least 30mm calibre, co-axial machine gun and a stabilised RCWS with 12.7mm machine gun.

Modern protection measures should include an Active Protection System and Laser Warning & Protection Measures with a Crew of three and a stick of eight soldiers.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Bosco da Costa Junior, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security said that C-390 is certified to operate from an altitude of 14000ft which fits the operational requirements of the Indian Air Force (IAF) at high altitudes in the Indian Northern Sector.

Junior also pitched KC-390 which is an aerial refuelling variant of the Transporter and claimed that KC-390s offers versatility due to its unique modern design which makes it best suited for the Indian Air Force which operates from different types of terrain and can easily provide aerial refuelling to high-speed fighter jets due its much flexible probe-and-drogue system.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Bengaluru-based Gopalan Aerospace India Private Limited will be showcasing Czech aircraft manufacturer Let Kunovice developed Let L-410 Turbolet, a twin-engine short-range transport aircraft at the Aero India 2023 for the Static display.

L 410 is an all-metal, high-wing turboprop aircraft that is Designed for short take-off and landing (STOL) that can carry 19 passengers with more than 1,200 L 410 aircraft have been manufactured since the 1960s and been operated by more than 60 countries across five continents.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Ministry of Defence (Army), invites Request for Information (RFI) for life extension of SMERCH ammunition for the Indian Army by Private Indian vendors.

300mm SMERCH Rockets of the following four (04) variants are used with the SMERCH Multi Launcher Rocket System (MLRS) of the Indian army, which is proposed to be offered for Life Extension by Private Indian vendors.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

U.S Aerospace Engine Major has applied for clearance of Technology Transfer for the F-414 engine and F-414-EPE [Enhanced Performance Engine] that will clear the path for the company to not only set up a local manufacturing plant jointly in India with India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) but also locally manufacture niche core engine section in the country.

F414-INS6 engine an India-specific engine that will incorporate single-engine safety criteria, higher performance, and greater durability will be the first to be locally manufactured in India under ToT agreements that will allow India’s HAL to manufacture this engine from RAW material stages and also manufacture spares for the engines.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

US administration is considering clearing the Transfer of Technology (ToT) for the Canadian-American eight-wheeled armoured fighting vehicle known as Stryker to India which will not only allow India to manufacture it locally but also allow India to incorporate some of the technology of the armoured fighting vehicle in its own Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) that are in development.

While it is not clear if Indian Army is keen to purchase locally manufactured Striker APCs as a whole or wants Striker APC tech incorporated into locally made APCs that are still under development.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Lockheed Martin India’s vice-president and chief executive William Blair speaking to ” the Print said that Sikorsky S-92, a large, twin-engine helicopter that can be used for both civil and military purposes is an offer to the Indian military.

Tata-made S-92 cabin has been supplied to Lockheed Martin from 2012 onwards and more than 157 cabins made by Tata from its greenfield facility in Hyderabad to Lockheed Martin.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

William Blair, Lockheed Martin’s India vice-president and chief executive, told ThePrint that Lockheed Martin sees the F-21 aircraft as a perfect fit between Indian-made LCA-Tejas fighter jet and Rafale and Su-30MKI as the company is keen to respond to the RFP (Request for Proposal) for MRFA that is likely to be issued later this year by Indian Air Force (IAF)

Lockheed Martin has offered India its F-16V configuration Block 70/72 which in India is called F-21. F-21 has a Maximum take-off weight of 21 tons which makes it below Rafale (24.5-tons) and Sukhoi-30 (34.5tons) but above LCA-Tejas Mk1A (14 tons) and Tejas Mk2 (17.5-tons).

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

The Indian Army, which has recommenced induction of the indigenously upgraded Dhanush 155mmX45 Caliber artillery guns will be raising its Second Dhanush regiment by March this year which will comprise of 18 guns. the first regiment was raised in March 2020 with 18 guns but after the delivery of Six guns, Indian Army refused to take further guns due to some quality control issues with the Guns.

Successful testing of Dhanush guns at the Pokhran field firing range in Jaisalmer last year fired most of the issues flagged by the Indian Army and Two Dhanush guns fired around 90 rounds and hit targets at 38kms. The gun achieved 100% success in second-line firing.

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

India’s first home-grown subsonic cruise missile Nirbhay has been a problem child for the Indian military planners that have been riddled with technical issues but advancement due to the Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM), which is just a Technological demonstrator program for the testing and validating the Manik Engine / Small Turbo Fan Engine (STFE) likely to evolve into new sub-sonic cruise missile by end of this year.

The LRLACM (Long-Range Land Attack Cruise Missile ) program that DRDO is developing with a range of 1000km will have different hardware and equipment developed from different labs after learning from the technical issues that plagued the Nirbhay program.