ARMY AIR DEFENCE- NEED FOR ENHANCEMENTS

The AAD is at present a very formidable force. But, there are capability gaps and equipment shortfalls that need to be addressed immediately, explains SANJAY BADRI MAHARAJ

Indian Navy: Challenges Ahead

VENUGOPAL MENON points out the impediments for India to be a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region and suggests how these can be overcome

India Needs To Step Up Shipbuilding Programmes

Going by the Indian Navy’s Maritime Capability Perspective Plan (2012-2027) which envisions a force of 200 warships and 500 aircraft to guard the Indian Ocean Region, there is work for everyone and the government should get away from the preferential model of handing out projects to PSUs, explains R CHANDRAKANTH

THE INDIAN NAVY: STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES IN INDIGENOUS SHIPBUILDING

India has not yet reached the stage where its warships can be fitted with entirely indigenous weapon systems and sensors. Significant strides have been made in this respect. But the development of a self-sufficient warship industry remains somewhat distant, writes SANJAY BADRI-MAHARAJ

‘NAVANTIA IS A SUPPORTER OF ‘MAKE IN INDIA' INITIATIVE'

Navantia’s openness to activities that contribute to the creation of new industries, develop capacities, and the progressive acquisition of industrial skills is well known, and has taken different forms depending on the Client requirements and local capacity, explains SOFIA HONRUBIA, Commercial Vice President, Navantia in this one-on-one with GEOPOLITICS

“THE INDIAN NAVY IS FULLY COMMITTED TOWARDS ‘JOINTMANSHIP' WITH OTHER FORCES AS THAT IS THE WAY FOR THE FUTURE”

ADMIRAL KARAMBIR SINGH assumed command of the Indian Navy on May 31, 2019 as the 24th Chief of the Naval Staff. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, he was commissioned into the Indian Navy in July 1980. He earned his wings as a helicopter pilot in 1981 and has flown extensively on the Chetak (Alouette) and Kamov helicopters. In his career spanning over 39 years, he has commanded Indian Coast Guard Ship Chandbibi, Missile Corvette INS Vijaydurg, as well as two Guided Missile Destroyers, INS Rana and INS Delhi. He has also served as the Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet. He was the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command at Visakhapatnam, prior taking over helm as the Chief of the Naval Staff. Confident that the Indian Navy can face any challenge, Admiral Singh, in conversation with PRAKASH NANDA, points out how India is playing a stabilising role in the Indo-Pacific with its presence across the region, enabling rapid responses to emerging security challenges; why the Indian Navy has established a persistent footprint in India’s areas of interest, including at various choke points in the Indian Ocean; and how naval deployments also serve as a deterrent to inimical interests, clearly signalling the Navy’s reach, capability and intent.:

FLYING INTO ACTION WITH THE BLOCK III SUPER HORNET

Pilots swear by it, ground crews love working on it and naval commanders consider it one of the most capable assets at their disposal. Did you know that the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet is the world's most lethal, advanced, combat-proven, multirole frontline fighter jet?

MBDA AND THE INDIAN NAVY EXCELLENCE IN MARITIME SUPERIORITY

MBDA has an excellent record of accomplishment providing both operational and industrial capabilities in partnership with the Indian armed forces and Indian defence industry. The strength of these two pillars makes it a long-term true partnership, and one that should only get stronger

THE INDIAN NAVY- STRENGTHS AND SHORTCOMINGS VS CHINA

While build quality of vessels is adequate and indigenisation levels impressive, the excessively long time period between laying down hulls and commissioning has to be addressed as a matter of urgency, argues SANJAY BADRI-MAHARAJ

BUILDING A POWERFUL BUT COST-EFFECTIVE NAVAL FORCE

AMIT GUPTA suggests ways how India can have a navy with a punch that doesn’t break the budget

ANDAMAN & NICOBAR COMMAND: INDIA'S SPRINGBOARD FOR SEA DOMINANCE

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have the potential to be a unique commercial and strategic hub that secures India’s eastern seaboard by controlling key chokepoints. The Andaman and Nicobar Tri-Command holds the key to unlocking this potential, writes RAKESH KRISHNAN SIMHA

Indian Missile Tests Show Urgency

By test-firing as many as 12 missiles in last two months, India is now matching China missile by missile and is closing the technology gap, argues NINAD D SHETH

SHOOT TO KILL: RAPID INFANTRY MODERNISATION IS NEED OF THE HOUR

Starting right from automatic rifles, shoulder-fired rocket launchers, sniper rifles, pistols, carbines, under-barrel grenade launchers and ending with light machine guns, the Indian Army requires brand new assault weapons for defending the nation, argues AMARTYA SINHA

WATER ON THE MOON

No water, no colony ! This had been the one piece in the jigsaw puzzle that scientists believed was the `deal breaker` between simply visiting the planet closest to Earth and colonising it. Now with news of the discovery of water the equation changes

THE QUAD IS FINALLY FLEXING ITS MUSCLE

India, Australia, Japan and the United States have come together in a joint military exercise in the Bay of Bengal. All four countries are wary of what they perceive as China’s ‘expansionist’ mindset

THE FUTURE OF INDIAN ARMS PRODUCTION

AMIT GUPTA explains why with the “mantra” of giving up what is desirable and opting for what is achievable, joint ventures are the future of Indian arms production

MORE HEFT AND FIZZ

Will India’s latest Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 speed up military capability - building through indigenous efforts, help in achieving the turnover of ₹1,75,000 crore and exports of ₹35,000 crore by 2020- 25 as per the targets enunciated in the draft Defence Production Policy 2020? AMIT COWSHISH answers

DELHI'S OUTREACH TO NAYPYIDAW

Myanmar is now receiving new attention in India’s Act East Policy, writes BALADAS GHOSHAL

FORWARD MOMENTUM

With the ongoing border tensions with China showing no signs of cooling off and a diplomatic thaw seeming too far as a mirage, Indian military is preparing for the long-haul in Ladakh

BUILDING THE ORDER BOOK

The orderbooks for LCA, LCH, HTT-40 and LUH are poised for robust growth at HAL, with the DPSU also getting ready to come up with a whole gamut of world-class products in the new decade, explains DHIRENDER JAMWAL

12 MISSILE SYSTEMS IN 2 MONTHS, DRDO IS ON ROCKET FUEL

With a flurry of back-to-back weapon tests successfully validating new and indigenous technologies, DRDO is all set to play a pivotal role in fulfilling the ultimate dream of Atmanirbhar Bharat in the new decade, explains R CHANDRAKANTH

“WE ENDEAVOUR TO MAINTAIN OUR EDGE THROUGH MODERNIZATION AND ACQUISITION OF NEW SYSTEMS”

Commissioned into the Indian Air Force on June 15, 1980, AIR CHIEF MARSHAL RAKESH KUMAR SINGH BHADAURIA PVSM AVSM VM ADC took over as the 26th air chief Chief of the Air Staff on 30 September 2019. An alumnus of the prestigious National Defence Academy, he graduated with the coveted ‘Sword of Honour’. He has over 4270 hours of experience on 27 types of fighters as well as transport aircraft and holds the unique distinction of being an Experimental Test Pilot, a Cat 'A' Qualified Flying Instructor and a Pilot Attack Instructor. He completed his Masters in Defence Studies from Command and Staff College, Bangladesh. In a career, spanning almost four decades, the Air Chief Marshal has held a number of significant field and staff appointments which include Command of a front line Jaguar Squadron, Command of a premier Air Force Station in South-Western sector, Commanding Officer of Flight Test Squadron at Aircraft & System Testing Establishment and Chief Test Pilot as well as Project Director of National Flight Test Centre on Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project. He was extensively involved in the initial prototype flight testing on the LCA. He has flown the Rafale while preparations were on to induct it into the IAF. While acknowledging that the IAF faces many challenges and that its procurement schemes are being prioritised within the budgetary resources to ensure that urgent and critical capabilities are acquired first, he assured PRAKASH NANDA that the Indian Air-Warriors are best in the business. Excerpts of the interview:

‘THE MRSAM PROGRAMME IS PROGRESSING AS PLANNED'

The development of the MRSAM system is reflected in the innovation, creativity and remarkable personal dedication of all those involved in the project, says ELI ALFASSI, EVP Marketing of IAI, in this one-on-one with GEOPOLITICS

‘GRIPEN-E DESIGN ENABLES IAF TO MAKE CHANGES IN TACTICAL FUNCTIONS IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME'

Saab’s plans for technology transfer programme is more of a capability transfer, going well beyond just the mechanics of transferring technology, including supporting current and future indigenous fighter programmes, explains OLA RIGNELL, Chairman and Managing Director, Saab India, in this interview with GEOPOLITICS

‘AR-1500 OFFERS SATURN WAVEFORM AND L-BAND OPERATION'

Since no one else operates V/UHF radios in L-band, transmissions are less likely to be intercepted leading to more secure communications, explains DES BAXTER, Director (Business Development-Asia Pacific), Mission Systems, Collins Aerospace, in this interaction with GEOPOLITICS

THE IMPORTANCE OF A SPACE FORCE

Looking at the role played by the US Air Force in space-related activities in the past decades, HARINI MADHUSUDAN finds out its relevance for the Indian Air Force in the Indian Space domain

SHAPING THE IAF'S PROCUREMENT EFFORTS

AMIT GUPTA discusses what the IAF needs to procure from other countries and what it can produce domestically to counter a two-front threat

IAF IN A TWO-FRONT WAR

Though the Indian Air Force now has credible “strategic reach” from the Persian Gulf to the Straits of Malacca, it needs more fighter planes, more air defence systems and more missiles to manage a possible joint threat from China and Pakistan, argues Air Marshal ANIL CHOPRA

GA-ASI HAS PRODUCED MORE THAN 20 VARIANTS SINCE IT INTRODUCED ITS FIRST RPAS IN 1990

GA-ASI’s new MQ-9B is available as the SkyGuardian and the SeaGuardian for maritime operations. The UK is the launch customer and they requested a special variant, based on MQ-9B SkyGuardian, called the Protector, points out VIVEK LALL, Chief Executive, General Atomics Global Corporation, in this one-on-one with GEOPOLITICS

BEING A POTENT AIR FORCE

IAF’s new force structure emphasises on cutting-edge foreign acquired quality and ‘Make in India’ quantity, writes NINAD D SHETH