SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

After being left out of the C-295M deal for the manufacturing of transport aircraft which for the first time went to the Private sector company, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has been trying to drum up support for the development of Medium Category Transport Aircraft after India walked out of the Indo-Russian MTA Program to develop Transport aircraft with an internal cargo capacity of 20 ton.

Indian Air Force (IAF) already has started the procurement process for a Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) that would have a cargo-carrying capacity of between 18 and 30 tonnes and be used for a variety of transport aircraft duties. idrw.org has been told that even though it has been called the An-32 Replacement program, it is expected that additional orders for C-295M will eventually happen that will be replacing the An-32 fleet.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Indian Institute Of Technology–Mandi is working on developing a structure/material that can make any military vehicle into a stealth vehicle that can absorb more than 90% of radar waves in a wide range of frequencies, which the researchers claim can come in handy for covert military operations.

Researchers claim that the material can absorb a wide range of radar frequencies, irrespective of the direction from where signals hit the target and can be even used to cover windows or glass panels of stealth vehicles to make them move invisible to the radars.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Bengaluru-based Data Patterns (India) in collaboration with the Swedish Arms manufacturer SAAB has jointly developed an airborne electronic warfare demo system which the company will be displaying at the upcoming Aero India 20203 Airshow and Exhibition.

The company claims that the electronic warfare demo system is partly developed by them in association with the SAAB but has not revealed more details like its application will be for helicopters or Fighter jets.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

At the Bharat Electronics Limited conference on in their Q3F3 Earning Calls, Bhanu Prakash Srivastava CMD of BEL was asked about the alleged leakage of some details of the Swathi WRL Radar by an Armenian Army Captain to a foreign agency.

Srivastava said that border specifications of the Swathi Weapon Locating Radars that are indigenously developed by the DRDO are already in the public domain and he added that even leakage of some other details of the radar will not have any impact on the export prospects of the radar since the technology of the radar is what is more important design details and other parameters like hardware and software cant be leaked since it is not shared to even the export countries and at the best, they will have operating details that are provided to as border specifications to all countries that are interested in the system.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Bhanu Prakash Srivastava CMD of BEL has confirmed that the Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation has cleared all user trials and BEL expects orders for the same next financial year.

QRSAM was carrying out validation trials from July and September last year that reported had thrown up some issues with the underperformance of the radar system but it was largely due to unachievable low altitude and minimum range benchmark that was set for detection of the Helicopter.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Boeing KC-46 Pegasus, an American military aerial refuelling and strategic military transport aircraft developed by Boeing from its 767 jet airliner will be on static display at Aero India 2023 along with Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft that will be replaced in the United States Air Force fleet in next few years.

KC-46 Pegasus is already on offer to the Indian Air Force (IAF) to meet its requirements for six-next generation aerial refuelling aircraft requirements that is still pending due to non-clearance of the Airbus A330 MRTT due to high cost.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

According to a report in Janes Intel, Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) has completed the production of 5,000 first batch of AK-203 rifles in Korwa Ordnance Factory in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh with delivery to commence soon was confirmed by the Alexander Mikheev, director general of Russian defence export agency Rosoboronexport.

The first 70,000 AK-203 assault rifles will have an indigenous content of up to 70%, after which it will be 100%. Indian Plans to procure nearly 6,00,000 AK-203 assault rifles for Indian Army alone with more orders expected from Indian Paramilitary forces and State commando force units.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) plans to develop a 24-tonne class of vehicle based on an 8×8 chassis that will become both wheeled and tracked variants for which it is seeking Indian industrial partners to develop and manufacture Prototypes.

The RPF states that the Advanced Armoured platform (AAP) wheeled version will be equipped with advanced thermal and optical sights for the crew and fire control systems, making it fully amphibious. It will also have a crewless turret with a 30mm cannon, and run-flat inserts for the tires.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

German-based Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH (RLS) will be responding to the Indian Army’s Future Infantry Combat Vehicles (FICV) with its Lynx infantry fighting vehicles that will come with Transfer of Technology (ToT) to Indian Industrial Partner.

The Lynx vehicle is designed with a sponson-shaped hull that features a lengthy, flat glacis and slanted belly plate. The driver is situated in the front left of the vehicle, the engine in the front right, the fighting compartment in the Centre (when equipped with a turret), and there is a disembarkation compartment located at the rear, accessible through a ramp located at the back of the vehicle.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Bengaluru-based ComAvia Systems Technologies Pvt. Ltd along with State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has carried out the upgradation, re-design and development of a fly-by-wire (FBW) data Acquisition system for the Sukhoi-30MKI aircraft fleet.

FBW DAU LRU was operationally restricted due to obsolete OEM electronic components that was resulting in a very high cost of repair and maintenance of the LRU. HAL decided to carry out plans for redesigning the LRU to match up with the current technology and also included the requirement of the module-level test jig of the FBW DAU LRU.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Defence Research and Development Organisation in its Publication has revealed that it has started the development of 3rd generation Explosive Reactive Armour called Next Generation Explosive Reactive Armour (NGERA) for the Next Generation Main Battle Tank (NGMBT) or Future MBT (FMBT) program.

Under the NGERA program, DRDO will develop ERA capable of defeating anti-tank missiles equipped with tandem-shaped charge warheads in addition to mono-shaped charges and kinetic energy projectiles. NGERA technology is based on a newly developed less sensitive explosive composition, which contains two types of explosives along with other ingredients. The composition and thickness of an explosive sheet
were finalized based on a large number of optimization experiments.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

GE Aviation and India’s premium public sector Aerospace Company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) are likely to settle for Engine Division Bangalore to locally manufacture F414-INS6 engines as talks with both companies are completed and are pending final clearance from the U.S. administration.

HAL will manufacture F414-INS6 engines under a license agreement between both companies for which it will first upgrade the facilities and train its engineers so that 100% ToT of the engine can be absorbed and the entire supply chain of the engine be created in India.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Indian Army has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to procure quantity 850 Nano-Drones (200 Sets of 04 x AV along with HHGCS, base station plus 30 Ni AV and 20 day AV along with complete accessories through Fast Track Procedure under Emergency Procurement under Buy (Indian) Category and seeks participation in the procurement process from prospective Bidders subject to requirements in succeeding paragraphs.

Since Indian Army is mandated to conduct special missions in conventional operations, Counter Insurgency (CI)/ Counter Terrorism (CT) operations, Out Of Area Contingency Operations & Sub Conventional Operations deployed along Northern Borders, Line of Control (LC)/ Line of Actual Control(LAC) & hinterland need enhanced situational awareness about the potential threat as obtained in the intended target area.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

Indian Air Force has issued a Request for Information (RFI ) for a Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) program and has asked vendors who are interested to provide Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost of aircraft and associated equipment etc for 40, 60 and 80 aircraft that the IAF intends to procure.

RFI states that MTA would be used for various roles of transport aircraft between 18 to 30 Tons of cargo carrying capacity. Selected Transport aircraft will be made in India and delivery will commence from the 36th month of the contract being awarded between MoD and the winning bid.

SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG

European multinational developer and manufacturer of missiles, MBDA will be offering its Exocet AM39 an airborne version of the Exocet anti-ship missile to Indian Navy to be equipped on 26 Rafale M fighter jets to be equipped on the Indian Aircraft carrier.

Exocet AM39 is a 670 kg very low altitude over the sea (sea-skimming) anti-ship missile with a range of 70km with Fire and Forget Capabilities. Exocet AM39 also has been offered by MBDA to be equipped on India’s TEDBF, 4.5gen Deck-based fighter jet that is under development and also for the LCA-Navy.