Indian Defense Industry General News and Updates

This is Tonbo Imaging's latest offering. This is what I like about them they keep investing in R&D with or without orders.
This is called VOODOO. This is what they have to say about it :
"VOODOO is based on a shutterless HawkVision thermal imaging core with a 640×480 micro bolometer array on a latest gen 12-micron pitch and advanced thermal image processing.

It is offered with a flip in / out Picatinny mount allowing the gunner to quickly switch between day scope and TI scope in CLIP ON mode. The mount also allows the gunner to quickly detach the sight with a single lever and snap fit it on the helmet with the same mount interface, without the need for any extra tools.
Salient Features :
  • Integrated NIR / VIS pointer
  • No Re zeroing required
  • Aircraft grade aluminum construction
  • Easy and Intuitive user interface
  • Weapon compatibility upto 0.308 cal semi automatic
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This is TUVE. It is a compact, lightweight and low power uncooled imaging platform for full frame rate PAL/NTSC QVGA/VGA/XGA thermal sensors enabling outstanding sensitivity and excellent image quality. TUVE supports multiple color palettes and can provide output in raw 14bit digital video, processed 8 bit BT656 video or composite video output format (NTSC/PAL system). Shutterless operation provides a stable, crystal-clear video stream without loss of frames.
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Vision Image Processor (VIP) is a video processor designed for platforms with limited real estate and computational resources. It is capable of ingesting video feeds from analog sources and performs real-time electronic image stabilization and target tracking on HD and SD videos. It is optimized to work in real time with day camera or IR camera video feeds.
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They also have airborne gimballed EOTS. Avenger-S is a family of multi axis stabilised electro optical sight for aerial surveillance and reconnaissance. It is designed as a modular but and integrated system with a cooled MWIR thermal imager, short wave infrared imager, color HD imager, low light TV and spotter, IR pointer, IR illuminator, Laser Range Finder and GPS and compass for very long range surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting applications.
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Excellent article from DDR.:D

Establishing An Indian Value Chain In Critical Non-Ferrous Metals For Strategic Use

By Sriram Thiagarajan - May 8, 2019

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In Mid-April 2019, the Bombay Chapter of the Indian Institute of Metals (IIM) and the Mechanical Engineering Department of IIT Bombay jointly conducted a two-day symposium on Critical Non-Ferrous Metals: Establishing a Value Chain. Speakers from a number of Indian organizations involved in strategic sector activities, including the Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO), the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) were invited to this symposium, during which they deliberated on various pathways for India to attain security of supply in a variety of non-ferrous metals of critical importance.

In general, metals are classified as ‘critical’ based on rarity of source, as well as level of use importance in strategically vital sectors such as defence, nuclear, besides others. A lack of substitutes for certain applications may also lead to a metal being deemed critical. Apart from rare earth-metals (REMs), elements such as Lithium, Niobium, Hafnium, Tantalum, Germanium, Cerium, Antimony, Titanium, Tungsten, Zirconium, Cobalt, Nickel, Tin were all listed as critical during the symposium. Incidentally, the listed non-ferrous metals find uses in everything from electric vehicles to hypersonic demonstrators.

As the proceedings revealed, India does not have primary sources for some metals like Tungsten and Cobalt. Therefore cultivation of multiple reliable sources was deemed important. Now, given that these metals are used in various electronic goods & machine tools, recycling of e-waste and discarded industrial machinery was proposed as a potentially important secondary source for the same. At present, only about 1.5 percent of e-waste is recycled in India, even though this can serve as an important source for a whole range of critical metals beyond just Tungsten and Cobalt. The cost of recycling can easily be justified in light of the huge foreign exchange outgo involved in importing these metals, as of today. As it turns out, indigenous technology to recycle such e-waste is currently available at lab scale, and multiple speakers bemoaned the fact that efforts to scale up the same were still not being pursued seriously. India, currently does not have any e-waste recycling companies using homegrown technology, even though almost 9,500 research & development (R&D) papers related to the topic have already been published by domestic institutes, yet again bringing to the fore the need to build bridges between industry and academia in the country.

In the above context, some speakers highlighted the need for the government to mobilize extant lab scale technology, at the earliest. In their view, this could be done by supporting pilot plant projects and setting up eco-parks using a public-private partnership model. Such eco-parks would contain end-to-end processing facilities to collect, segregate, dismantle and process e-waste as well as certain types of industrial waste. It was revealed that the NITI Ayog is in talks with the Government of Karnataka to setup a pilot plant on these lines.

Participants also felt that the Geological Survey of India (GSI) should expend greater resources in order to map the occurrence of a longer list of metals and minerals across India than before. For instance, though India is poor in some REM categories such as heavy lanthanides, it is nonetheless blessed with rich deposits of several other REMs in the form of beach sands along its long coastline. Various speakers emphasized the need to safeguard and better utilize these sources. Moreover, it was put forth that such data gathered by GSI should be made available to all researchers in the country. This would encourage extraction and refinement efforts either by public or private industry leading to research as well as product development. This would also help cut down imports and aid the cause of strategic autonomy in critical sectors.

Beyond surveys, the lack of critical infrastructure to exploit already identified resources was also posited as a major hurdle in scaling up the ore to product chain. Many speakers actually mentioned that a lack of infrastructure was hindering their own efforts. This, they said, had led to months of avoidable delays that could have been avoided with better procurement and planning. Diligent planning for end-to-end processing and ensuring the adequate provision of infrastructure were identified as prerequisites for attaining security of supply in critical metals. A national mineral policy that identifies critical materials as well as routinely updates a list of such materials was also raised as being long overdue. Indeed, speakers across the board felt that a lack of government interest was being sorely felt, despite many of the listed non-ferrous metals having become critical for Indian strategic sector development for quite some time now. The symposium consensus seemed to be that India needs to constantly revise its materials policy, in order to ensure that commercial exploitation of critical non-ferrous metals are not blocked due to bureaucratic concerns.

At the end of the day, merely reacting to global trends in non-ferrous metals use and applicability, and not having a role in setting them was seen as a weakness. Presently, there is no significant domestic industry to extract and process non-ferrous metals in the country. The symposium therefore reiterated the need for the government to give an immediate push to activities in this arena, since it in is any case characterized by a long gestation period. Speakers felt that projects in critical non-ferrous metals should be considered a long-term strategic play given the unreliable nature of primary sources for many such metals and the tremendous need for them. In fact, it was proposed that the government set up a body that analyses material requirements and seeks to secure them via various means. Since, security of supply in critical non-ferrous metals was going to become as important was said, should be considered as important as one dedicated to pursuing energy security. As such, the deliberations of the symposium will inform an approach paper authored by IIT Bombay which will be submitted to both the NITI Aayog as well as the Prime Minister’s Office.

Sriram Thiagarajan is a Senior Editor at Delhi Defence Review. Follow him on Twitter @sriramthg


© Delhi Defence Review. Reproducing this content in full without permission is prohibited.


Establishing An Indian Value Chain In Critical Non-Ferrous Metals For Strategic Use
 
DRDO weapon systems worth Rs 2.75 lakh crore to be inducted in defence forces

ANI | Jan 03, 2019, 11.11 AM IST

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In this file picture from July 2017, a Bridge Layer Tank by DRDO can be seen in Chennai. (Representative image)

NEW DELHI: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has said that its weapon systems and platforms worth over Rs 2.75 lakh crore have either been inducted into the services or would be joining them soon.

Speaking exclusively to ANI, DRDO Chief G Satheesh Reddy said their recent successes in the field of radars and missile technologies has further enhanced the trust levels of the services in his organisation and they are inducting its platforms in bigger numbers.

“We have lot of strength in the area of missiles. We are strong in radars, and torpedo technologies and then we are very good in airborne early warning systems and electronic warfare domain," he said.

He further added that Defence Acquisition Council has granted its approval for DRDO technology-based products worth Rs 2.75 lakh crore.

"A lot more products are also in the process which would be worth much more. Some of them are already inducted in the services while some would be joining in future,” he said.

The DRDO chairman listed the Advanced Towed Artillery Guns, Nag anti-tank guided missiles for the Army, SONAR and heavy-weight torpedoes for the Navy along with the Akash air defence missile systems which would be used by both the Air Force and the Army for protecting the Indian air space.

As per estimates, the Army has a requirement of more than 50,000 anti-tank guided missiles for its different forces. Reddy said that if the requirement of the force is urgent and required to be completed in short time, the DRDO can also engage the private sector to do the needful.

DRDO weapon systems worth Rs 2.75 lakh crore to be inducted in defence forces
 
India set to export first batch of missiles to South East Asian, Gulf countries: Official

PTI | May 15, 2019, 01.33 PM IST

Indian defence sector sees good opportunities for exports to the South East Asian and the Gulf countries where slower economic growths have put budgetary pressure on acquiring viable, cost-effective and reliable solutions.


SINGAPORE: India will export its first batch of missiles this year to the South East Asian and the Gulf countries after receiving "increasing interests" from them, a top defence official said here Wednesday.

Speaking at the IMDEX Asia 2019 exhibition, Commodore S K Iyer, Chief General Manager for HR at BrahMos Aerospace, said the first missile export contract awaits a government to government approval.

"A number of South East Asian countries are ready to buy our missiles," he said.

"It will be our first export and we have received increasing interests in the missiles form the Gulf countries," Iyer said at the the three-day international maritime conference and exhibition which began here on Tuesday.

Indian defence sector sees good opportunities for exports to the South East Asian and the Gulf countries where slower economic growths have put budgetary pressure on acquiring viable, cost-effective and reliable solutions.

India-Russia joint venture BrahMos and defence company L&T Defence of Larsen & Toubro Ltd are showcasing a wide range of defence equipment at the IMDEX for the South East Asian markets.

Noting a significant change in market trends, industry observers said developing economies in the Middle East, South East Asia and South America were looking for viable, cost effective and reliable solutions.

They said that some of these small economies are looking for renewals of older assets through platform upgrades with latest technologies.

Budgetary constraints on defence procurement means life-span extension of older assets, said Martyn Allen, regional director for Asia at QinetiQ, a UK-based defence company with partners in India and a recently-opened regional office in Kuala Lumpur.

Export opportunities through collaboration with Indian defence industry were underlined by Captain Nick Macdonald-Robinson, a senior naval advisor at the Defence and Security Organisation of the UK Department of International Trade.

British companies are already establishing relationship with Indian shipyards which have a vast number of architects and huge amount of experience, Robinson said.

He pointed out that the large-scale expertise in Indian yards were not only involved in building indigenous designs, but also taking products from India-Russia joint venture into the export markets.

More than 236 defence companies are participating in the IMDEX 2019 exhibition.

Over 10,500 delegates and trade visitors are also attending the event where 23 warships from 30 countries are on display after conducting regional maritime exercises.

Over 400 delegates from the naval defence sector are attending the International Maritime Security Conference on "Safe and Secure Seas: Promoting Mutual Securities in our Maritime Commons".

India set to export first batch of missiles to South East Asian, Gulf countries: Official

Which country, what missile ? What the hell kind of reporting is this ? All important details are ambiguous. Well at least we got a name/organisation, and not some "top sources".

Best guess : Brahmos to Vietnam.
 
India set to export first batch of missiles to South East Asian, Gulf countries: Official

PTI | May 15, 2019, 01.33 PM IST

Indian defence sector sees good opportunities for exports to the South East Asian and the Gulf countries where slower economic growths have put budgetary pressure on acquiring viable, cost-effective and reliable solutions.


SINGAPORE: India will export its first batch of missiles this year to the South East Asian and the Gulf countries after receiving "increasing interests" from them, a top defence official said here Wednesday.

Speaking at the IMDEX Asia 2019 exhibition, Commodore S K Iyer, Chief General Manager for HR at BrahMos Aerospace, said the first missile export contract awaits a government to government approval.

"A number of South East Asian countries are ready to buy our missiles," he said.

"It will be our first export and we have received increasing interests in the missiles form the Gulf countries," Iyer said at the the three-day international maritime conference and exhibition which began here on Tuesday.

Indian defence sector sees good opportunities for exports to the South East Asian and the Gulf countries where slower economic growths have put budgetary pressure on acquiring viable, cost-effective and reliable solutions.

India-Russia joint venture BrahMos and defence company L&T Defence of Larsen & Toubro Ltd are showcasing a wide range of defence equipment at the IMDEX for the South East Asian markets.

Noting a significant change in market trends, industry observers said developing economies in the Middle East, South East Asia and South America were looking for viable, cost effective and reliable solutions.

They said that some of these small economies are looking for renewals of older assets through platform upgrades with latest technologies.

Budgetary constraints on defence procurement means life-span extension of older assets, said Martyn Allen, regional director for Asia at QinetiQ, a UK-based defence company with partners in India and a recently-opened regional office in Kuala Lumpur.

Export opportunities through collaboration with Indian defence industry were underlined by Captain Nick Macdonald-Robinson, a senior naval advisor at the Defence and Security Organisation of the UK Department of International Trade.

British companies are already establishing relationship with Indian shipyards which have a vast number of architects and huge amount of experience, Robinson said.

He pointed out that the large-scale expertise in Indian yards were not only involved in building indigenous designs, but also taking products from India-Russia joint venture into the export markets.

More than 236 defence companies are participating in the IMDEX 2019 exhibition.

Over 10,500 delegates and trade visitors are also attending the event where 23 warships from 30 countries are on display after conducting regional maritime exercises.

Over 400 delegates from the naval defence sector are attending the International Maritime Security Conference on "Safe and Secure Seas: Promoting Mutual Securities in our Maritime Commons".

India set to export first batch of missiles to South East Asian, Gulf countries: Official

Which country, what missile ? What the hell kind of reporting is this ? All important details are ambiguous. Well at least we got a name/organisation, and not some "top sources".

Best guess : Brahmos to Vietnam.

There's both Brahmos and Akash. There's also Prahaar.

But your guess would be the closest. Either Vietnam. Or even Brahmos-A to Malaysia, although this is less likely. There's Indonesia also.
 
I am starting to think those wings are actually rotors(like helo rotors). How is this supposed to be ground launched ? Rocket assisted ? Catapult assisted ?
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PKS on his blog :

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Certification-related testing of the DRDO/DEAL-developed High Frequency (HF), Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) software-defined radio (SDR-NC), covering a waveband of 3 megaHertz to 3 gigaHertz, has been completed, thereby paving the way for Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) to commence series-production of the SDR-NC units for all now Indian Navy principal surface combatants and submarines.



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The SDR-NC accommodates 10 waveforms for carrying voice and data traffic with proprietary encryption and frequency-hopping communications security. In terms of data rates, rates of 9.6 kiloBits-per-second (kBps) are achievable when using the HF radio, although this increases to 200kBps when using the VHF radio. The SDR-NC comprises a single HF radio and two VHF transceivers. Given the size of the programme, BEL expects deliveries of the SDR-NCs to continue until around 2025. In the airborne domain, BEL is moving towards the third phase of testing of the airborne version of the SDR-NC.

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The SDR-NC is also used as the transmitting/receiving platform for the Indian Navy’s Link-2 family of secure tactical/strategic data-link network that allows for seamless transmission and reception of data/imagery/voice inputs in real-time not only between different platforms, but also
between different fleets—indigenous and multinational.

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In other words, the SDR-NC/Link-2 combination is the Indian Navy’s answer to the US Navy’s Combined Enterprise Regional Information Exchange System (CENTRIXS), with the latter existing as long ago as the mid-1980s!

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The SDR-NC/Link-2 combination was operationally tested as recently as two days ago when the Barak-8 LR-SAMs fired by two Project 15A guided-missile destroyers were provided fire-control guidance by just one Project 15A DDG, i.e. the tactical air situation picture and target engagement was provided by only one warship, while the weapons were concurrently launched by two warships. This capability now also enables an airborne platform (like shipborne NMRHs and LRMR/ASW platforms) to acquire its target far beyond the warship’s horizon and relay the tactical surface situation picture to a warship, which will enable the latter to launch its long-range anti-ship cruise missiles without the warship’s Garpun Bal-E target acquisition radar ever acquiring and illuminating its surface targets.

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Be it for warships, submarines or airborne platforms, the secondary transmitting/receiving systems for the SDR-NC/LINK-2 combination (apart from the VHF/UHF transceivers) are ORBIT-supplied OceanTRx (Rukmani) stabilised VSAT antennae that operate in the C, Ka, Ku and X bands.

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The V/UHF transceiver has been undergoing testing on an Indian Navy-owned and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd-built (HAL) Dornier Do-228-101/201 turboprop. The third test phase is expected to commence by the end of this July, prior to the commencement of additional testing. Tentatively, BEL expects to commence production of the airborne SDR-NCs in 2020.

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For the Indian Air Force (IAF), the combat aircraft-type to incorporate SDR will be the Jaguar IS/DARIN-3, which is expected to enter squadron service by this August. The SDR used is the HAL-developed SOFTNET SDR-2010.

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Orbit Comms System is an American SatCom system maker that was selected by the coast guards and the navy to supply SatCom systems to as many as 150 ships. This is what they have to say about it :

" A large Navy and Coast Guard in Asia
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The Asian Navy was looking to provide high-speed network connectivity to all its fleet incorporating: internet, voice, data, fax & video and TV reception onboard all their ships. Total of 150 ships. ORBIT’s VSAT antenna systems were selected after a long testing and live evaluation processes including Sea Trial. ORBIT delivered 150 SatCom antenna systems within one year. The systems were installed on all Navy and Coast Guard ships with the assistance of ORBIT’s Technical team. ORBIT still provides maintenance and onsite support to the Navy. "

This is one of picture from the testing phase of the tendering process :
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Tech Mahindra inks defence contract worth Rs 300 crore

By PTI |New Delhi | Updated: May 21, 2019 8:21:57 pm

Tech Mahindra President, India Business and Corporate Affairs Sujit Baksi said the order further cements the company's role as one of the leading system integrators globally.
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IT major Tech Mahindra Tuesday said it has signed a defence contract worth Rs 300 crore, its biggest till date As part of the ‘Armed Forces Secure Access Card’ (AFSAC) Project, Tech Mahindra will implement RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) based access control system across all naval bases and ships, a statement said.

The new AFSAC card will replace the existing paper based identity card for all Navy personnel, including dependents and ex-servicemen, it added The Mumbai-based company will develop a secure application to manage the access control devices, network devices and the AFSAC card through a data centre, it said.

“Scheduled to be implemented over the next two years, the project will ensure smooth issuance, handling, administration, management and life cycle support of AFSAC Cards on turnkey basis,” it added.

Tech Mahindra President, India Business and Corporate Affairs Sujit Baksi said the order further cements the company’s role as one of the leading system integrators globally.

“With our proven expertise in tech enablement and digital transformation, we look forward to collaborating with the Indian Navy in ramping up the national security infrastructure,” he added Tech Mahindra is already working with entities like Coal India, India Ports Association, Kanpur Smart City and others. Commodore Atul Kumar, Project Director, Indian Navy, said, “The security of Indian Naval establishments against unauthorized access, is a thrust area and the AFSAC Project will be an important step towards achieving this aim.”

Tech Mahindra inks defence contract worth Rs 300 crore
 
From Defexpo or Aero India I'm not sure.
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What are those ? Two TATA 4X4 land mobility army standard trucks. I can see a generator on the right side one and some weird structures. What is it for ? Electronic warfare ? SIGNINT ? COMINT ?
 
India launches policy to improve quality of local defence products

Jon Grevatt, Bangkok - Jane's Defence Weekly

20 May 2019

The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a new policy to allow domestic defence companies to self-certify the quality of products that it supplies to the Indian armed forces.

The move is an apparent response from the MoD to address growing concerns about the quality of indigenously produced defence equipment.

The MoD’s Department of Defence Production (DDP) said in a recent notice on its website that the ‘scheme for self-certification’ is intended to stimulate higher levels of defence product quality and reliability.

“When suppliers with self-evident quality systems that meet requisite standards [are] awarded the status of self-certification, it encourages them to assume direct responsibility to sustain and improve the standards of quality,” the policy states

India launches policy to improve quality of local defence products | Jane's 360

If you want to read more on it. Here is a good read from local outlet, it comes with the usual anion politics drama.

Defence companies can self-certify product quality: Ministry of defence | India News - Times of India
 
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