IAF Mi-25 / Mi-35 Hind - Akbar

IAF currently operates two Mi-25/35 Helicopter Squadrons (No.104 Firebirds and No.125 Gladiators). IAF Mi-25s and 35s have now been painted in a low visibility paint scheme.The wake-up call to Mi-24 export operators (as many as 600 Mi-24/25/35 export types are deemed suitable for various scales of upgrade) came from Israel Aircraft Industries. It's mission 24 Mi-24 upgrade proposal was selected by the Indian Air Force in an order comprising 25 upgrade kits under a $US20 million contract signed in 1998. It proved to be a good advertisement with which to convince potential customers that a cost-effective alternative upgrade proposal exists, and was viewed as highly competitive to those offered by Russian and French companies. With an affordable and rapid integration of observation/sighting, navigation, self-defense and self-protection equipment proven in real-world operational conditions, the helicopter could perform well in the demanding CAS/AA role in the 21'st century battlefield, including at night and in adverse weather.

IAI's Tamam electro-optical division was quick to offer an affordable upgrade package for the Mi-24 that required reduced development time and risk. The Indian Air force contract covered prototype manufacture and testing in Israel, with production conversion to be undertaken at the customer's facilities. No airframe, flight control system, autopilot, power plant, transmission or rotor system changes have been made by Tamam due to the complexity and costs of such rework and any subsequent required qualifications.

The Mission 24 upgrade package as sold to the Indian Air Force is built around a 1553B digital databus. The heart of the upgrade is a single mission computer developed with IAI MLM; it is a derivative of the model used in the US Air Force T-38 upgrade program, in which IAI is the principal subcontractor.

Mission 24 utilizes Tamam's proven helicopter multi-mission optronic stabilized payload HMOSP, which weighs around 30 kg (66 lbs). It is an improved turret ball mounted derivative of the combat proven IAI Tamam night targeting system installed in the US marine corps AH-1W super cobra and Israeli DF/AF Cobra attack helicopters FoV (between 2.4 deg and 29.2 deg on the FLIR).

The HMOSP can incorporate two types of FLIR: a scanning array 4 x 480 Cadmium-mercury-telluride detectors, operating in the low-wavelength band, and a 320x 240- element indium-antimony focal plane array functioning at the middle wavelengths. Monochrome or color CCD TV cameras are included, together with a laser rangefinder, designator and pointer, plus a built in auto-tracking unit that uses centroid and edge-tracking techniques.

The cockpits are NVG compatible, and both crew members have the option to use IAI's advanced NVG set built-in monocular display on which all necessary navigation and targeting information can be presented. Both cockpits feature a single multi-function display (MFD) for TV, FLIR and targeting information, in addition to a keyword and display unit for navigation and communication control. The CPG has control grips borrowed from the AH-1W, with all necessary sensor/weapons control switches and knobs; such devices when combined with the MFD, can dramatically change work practices and reduce workload.

The HMOSP has been integrated with the Shturm-V ATGM SLOC guidance system through an IR goniometer and interface unit designed by IAI Tamam engineers, which has fully replaced the original old and bulky Raduga-F sighting/ATGM optical tracking system. The unit weighs more than 200 kg (440 lb). The Raduga-F 's role for targeting and tracking both the target and missile was taken over by HMOSP, with guidance commands being produced and transmitted to the missiles through the existing equipment. Russian sources indicated in 2002 that Tamam experienced some guidance problems during Shtrum-V test firings using the HMOSP system in place of the Raduga-F. In order to solve the sensitive missile guidance problems, IAI contacted the Russian design authority for the Shtrum, the KBP company of Tula, which provided important technical assistance. The contact was arranged through the Russian arms export agency Rosvoorouzhenie predecessor of Rosoboronexport.



KBP help is believed to have been instrumental in solving the software/hardware, guidance and control problems associated with the HMOSP/Shtrum-V assimilation on India's upgraded Mi-24s. There are other types of ATGMs on offer for the Mission 24 system, such as Rafael's Spike-ER that has a maximum range of 7 km (3.8 nm) and employs 'fire-and-update' fibre optic guidance. However the Indian Air Force, which has ample stocks of Shtrum-V missiles, preferred to limit the guided weapons integration work on it's upgraded choppers to the relatively cheap and well-proven Russian made supersonic ATGM. The Shtrum-V is still considered to be highly effective against older generation MBT's, such as the Chinese made Type-59/69, the chief potential targets for Indian 'Hinds' in a future war with Pakistan. Integration of the Indigenous Nag ATGM is known to have been earmarked for IAF Mission 24 machines at a later stage.

Navigation improvements introduced by IAI include a GPS receiver integrated into the existing DISS-15D Doppler sensor, and a three-dimensional digital map display. Both the HMOSP and YakB-12.7 gun are slaved to the pilot's line of sight through the use of a helmet-mounted sensor; the machine gun can also be slaved to the HMOSP. IAI chaff/flare dispenser units and Elta radar/laser/missile warning systems have provided a self-defense capability. The total weight of these new systems is about 50 kg.

It was reported that the production phase of the Indian Air force mi-35 was successfully running in 2001 or 2002. During the contract implementation phase, the IAF was tight lipped about the upgrade details, and IAI has also been reluctant to disclose the details of the launch customer for its Mission 24 package. The upgraded helicopters, in overall light grey camouflage, were displayed publicly for the first time during the Aero India 2003 air show in Feb 2003 in Bangalore.

In a nutshell, the package includes:

*A day-night sight with TV and FLIR.



*A mission computer.

*NVG-compatible cockpit with MFDs and moving-map display.

*Support for helmet-mounted sights.


The HMOSP and the 12.7mm four-barrel machine gun are slaved to the pilot's line of sight.

*A countermeasures suite.

*Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite navigation network receiver.

*Support for the AT-6 Spiral and Rafael Spike antitank missiles.

Assault rifles of Indian forces

* INSAS ( INdian Small Arms System ) 5.56 Assault Rifle 


* INSAS mark 2


* INSAS Excalibre

* IMI Galil 



* IMI Tavor TAR-21


* Zittara ,an Indian licensed production variant of the Tavor TAR-21


* M-TAR

* AK-7,a licensed Indian variant of the AK-100 series

(Ak-7 with an UN peace keeper)


* AK47 and East German MPi-KM MPi-KMS72 7.62mmx39 mm




* Czech Vz.58 and Vz.58P 

* AK-101


* AK-103

* T91 assault rifle

* M16A2 

*M-4 or CAR-15


^^Indian Army para commondo with M-4 or CAR-15 (Colt Commando)


* FN F2000 and FN P90- In use with SPG 

^^FN P90

^^FN F2000

FN P90 (top) and FN F2000 (bottom)

DRDO Daksh RV

Daksh is a remotely operated vehicle for defusing bombs, is currently under going trials. Developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation it is fully automated. It climbs stairs to reach hazardous materials. Using its robotized arm, it can lift a suspect object and scan it using its portable X-Ray device. If the object is bomb, Daksh can defuse it with its water jet disrupter.Daksh can be armed with a shotgun, if necessary.


Daksh is an electrically powered and remotely controlled robot used for locating, handling and destroying hazardous objects safely. [Daksh speaks for the ingenuity of the R&DE(E).




* It is a battery-operated robot on wheels and its primary role is to recover improvised explosive devices (IEDs). 

* It locates IEDs with an X-ray machine, picks them up with a gripper-arm and defuses them with a jet of water.

* It has a shotgun, which can break open locked doors.

* It can scan cars for explosives.

* Daksh can also climb staircases, negotiate steep slopes, navigate narrow corridors and tow vehicles.

* With a master control station (MCS), it can be remotely controlled over a range of 500 m in line of sight or within buildings.

Ninety per cent of the robot’s components are indigenous.The Indian Army has placed an initial order of 20 Dakshs.

Indian Acquisition of Admiral Gorshkov Aircraft carrier

The price of aircraft carrier Gorshkov has been finally settled at US $2.3 billion.Notwithstanding some bitterness, the Indian side finally agreed to pay this price after being told by the Prime Minister’s Office that the high level of friendship with Russia has to be maintained and an agreement had to be worked out, preferably before Manmohan Singh left for Moscow Dec 6.

That was indeed done on the morning of Dec 4, Navy Day, with a visiting Russian delegation, according to the latest issue of India Strategic defence magazine. Defence ministry officials refused to comment on the development.

The Indian side had asked for some additional onboard equipment at least as part of the increased price, but within that price, which the Russians agreed to. Details of that were still being finalized with the Russians 10 days later in the Indian capital.

The original agreement with the Russians signed in 2004 was for $974 million for the carrier’s refurbishment and upgrade, Gorshkov itself being offered free of cost. The delivery was then set for 2008.

In 2007, Rosoboronexport, the sole Russian agency responsible for selling and exporting weapon systems, indicated a delay in the delivery of the carrier. In 2008, it demanded an additional $1.2 billion in writing saying it had made mistakes in calculations and that it had to many more miles of wiring for instance than it had originally thought.

After that, during the negotiations to settle the dispute arising from this new demand, Rosoboronexport representatives mentioned varying figures asking for still more money, taking the cost of the carrier to $2.9 billion.

Rising prices of oil, which is consumed during the trials, was among the reasons quoted for this second revision of the Gorshkov cost.

The Indian side had agreed to consider the written request for additional $1.2 billion but declined to entertain anything above that.

Well placed sources from Moscow told India Strategic that the Russian government asked Rosoboronexport to come down to $2.4 billion and it also submitted a letter in this regard to the Indian Navy’s negotiating team.

Finally, India agreed to pay a total of $2.3 billion but with a request for some additional equipment, and the Russians agreed to that.

India has also agreed for delivery of the carrier, which the Navy urgently needs, by 2012 without any penalty.

It may be noted that the Russian government paid the Sevmash shipyard, which is doing the repair work on Gorshkov, $250 million as credit to ensure that the work did not stop. India had paid $600 million at the time of the contract, and another $122 million in August this year.

India has already paid more than $600 million for 16 Mig 29K carrier borne aircraft, the first four of which have been delivered at the INS Hansa, the naval base in Goa.

 

 

Mig-29k squadron would be called "black panthers"

The Indian Navy has asked for 29 more Mig 29Ks, the proposal for which has been cleared by the government. An order is likely to be placed soon.

These deals, although related to the Gorshkov, are separate and the Mig 29K aircraft will operate from both the Gorshkov and India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier now under construction at the Kochi shipyard in southern India.

There has been no official confirmation of the price from either side but Russian sources said that the agreed price was “close to what the Indian Navy wanted”.

The Indian prime minister’s delegation did announce though from Moscow that the agreement over the price had been reached.

“We do not know if the two sides shared some vodka over the deal, but there is goodwill between the negotiators on both the sides following the conclusion of the price,” said an informed source.

Indian Army Wants Cornershot Weapon

The Indian Army is looking to procure an undisclosed number of "weapon systems for shooting around the corner without exposing the firer or with minimum exposure to the firer" according to a recent Request for Information (RFI). These are presumably for the Special Forces and some infantry units. The request calls for information on weapons that can engage targets effectively beyond 200-metres. The US-Israeli firm Cornershot LLC is currently the only firm with such weapons in its catalogue that would be open to doing such business with the Indian military (the other is an untested specimen from the Pakistan Ordnance Factory, and a third from Iran). The need for engagement beyond 200-metres means the Army will be looking for a cornershot weapon based at least on a 5.7-mm pistol-based, but this isn't specified in the RFI.CornerShot is priced between $4,000 to $6,000. The National Security Guard (NSG) recently tested a Cornershot pistol weapon and has ordered an undisclosed number for its anti-terror force.The CornerShot generally mounts a normal semi-automatic pistol, Assault Rifle and 40 mm Grenade Launcher,