The procurement of Intermediate Jet Trainers for the Indian Air Force has once again crashed into the shoal of an inadequate engine, an inherent asymmetry in the superstructure, and the proverbial monopolistic instincts of the sole aircraft manufacturer, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Once again, for the umpteenth time, a foreign engine was acquired to build the urgently required Intermediate Jet Trainer. A French Snecma engine was chosen. It proved to be under-powered. A more powerful… Read More »Trainer aircraft requiremen

Russian military scientists are on the verge of making a new type of undersea weapon, looking like a submarine drone, that can travel undetected underwater and launch strikes in deep sea and at ports as well as coastal targets. This weapon which Russia is building could be a drone submarine to deliver large-scale nuclear weapons against harbors and coastal cities as some Pentagon officials believe is a new concept. The developmental unmanned underwater vehicle, or… Read More »A new submarine

Since the nature and contour of the 21st century battlefield is changing very fast, the rapid introduction of new technologies and state of the art research and development in this segment could alter the present approach by invigorating the soldiers into a superhuman who will fight the war on ground. Soldier modernization programs have often focused on equipping soldiers with new technology in the simple belief that more information and functionality will result in a… Read More »Soldier modernization

The Indian Navy has acquired the laudable distinction of converting itself from a ‘buyer’s Navy’ into a ‘builder’s Navy’ by dint of steady accretion of design capabilities in warship building since the establishment of the Directorate of Naval Constructions in 1954. Today all 46 of a wide mix of different-sized warships from aircraft carrier to submarines to fast attack vessels, are being constructed in Indian shipyards. Its success lies in the culture of commitment to… Read More »Warship construction

New generation radars and Electronic Warfare technologies are changing the face of the battlefield which will witness a massive revolution in military affairs in coming decades that weapons of hitech warfare can be launched without sound, fire and smoke but can be radically destructive in nature. Indeed, in the arena of EW scenario, the evolution of the electromagnetic spectrum is much more agile and complicated than what it used to be 50 years ago, and… Read More »EW technologies

With all the weaponry arraigned against it including, amazingly, an anti-tank rifle it is a wonder that the tank has survived and can still dominate the battlefield. But for how long? That is the question. Will the air-land battle configuration carry the day as it did for the coalition forces in Iraq during the second Gulf War or will the many vulnerabilities spell the demise of the tank on the battlefield. It appears that it… Read More »Tank warfare

With the advent of new technologies, there is a portfolio enhancement for next generation anti tank guided missiles which are most sought after weapon for battlefield commanders when they need to stop the advancement of enemy armored columns from the front. An Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) is a category of rocket-based weapon that is primarily used against armored vehicles. While rockets in warfare were used as early as the 11th century, they were crude… Read More »Anti-tank guided missiles

With six new submarines to be built indigenously India needs to ensure that a deep sea rescue facility is an integral organic component. While India has one submarine rescue vessel in the form of Nishtar any delay in arriving at the scene of an incident can be fraught with danger for the crew. The Indian Navy has a huge area of responsibility stretching from the southern tip of Africa in the west to the East… Read More »Submarine rescue

In a day and age when “Make in India” is the official buzzword one would legitimately expect that a concentrated and sustained effort would be in the scheme of things to upgrade and improve an indigenously developed anti-tank guided missile (the Nag) and the technology demonstrator Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) Trishul missile and perceptibly shift India from overdependence on foreign sources for these requirements. With the recent signing of a contract with the… Read More »Modern ATGMs

Though the A K Antony led DAC had cleared the acquisition of two Deep Sea Rescue Vessels in December, 2013 after the tragedy of the death of 18 naval personnel due to the sinking of INS Sindhurakshak Submarine, the current defence minister Manohar Parrikar led Defence Acquisition Committee again discussed the proposal in October, 2015 and cleared the acquisition of Deep Sea Submarine Rescue Vessels, which are required for the recovery of submarines or personnel… Read More »DSRVs for Indian Navy