StratPost was invited to the annual Airbus Military Trade Media Briefing in Spain last week and, as it turned out, ended up getting a ride on the A400M. Read about the experience and check out all the pictures.
Riding the Atlas
by •
Category: Analysis
Reform of Indian Military Justice
by •
A lecturer at Yale Law School gives perspective on the administration of military justice in India and the role and impact of the Armed Forces Tribunal, suggesting interesting new measures to improve the justice delivery system.
Graphic: Defense Budget 2013
by •
Here’s a look at the pattern of the defense budget in the past two years and the changes in priorities for expenditure in the year 2013-14.
MEA’s planned outlay doubles
by •
This is the central plan segment of the MEA’s total expenditure, which is budgeted to be INR 11719 crore after last weeks budget announcement. Bhutan remains far ahead of Afghanistan as India’s largest beneficiary of foreign aid.
Why blacklisting doesn’t work
by •
Blacklisting is the politician’s response to cop out of responsibility for ensuring a corruption free defense acquisition process, that serves no purpose for either the Indian armed forces or the taxpayer, and is effectively the application of rules that govern the PWD (Public Works Department).
Airbus A-330 MRTT for the IAF
by •
StratPost was invited to visited Airbus Military facilities at Getafe in Spain last week to get a sense of the aircraft acquisition under consideration by the IAF, after the A-330 MRTT was announced as the preferred bid in the refueler competition. Here’s a look at what goes into the aircraft.
Why fighter operating costs matter
by •
The IAF evaluation of the six competing aircraft for the MMRCA contest took into account the issue of life-cycle cost, which could be loosely understood to mean cost of ownership over the period of operation of the aircraft. This was because it was felt that the true cost of owning a fleet of aircraft was not reflected in the purchase price alone.
French drive hard bargain on Indian MMRCA: Report
by •
A recent French media report offers insight into the French position in the negotiations with the Indian defense ministry on the MMRCA fighter aircraft purchase by the IAF. Here’s an edited translation of the report and an analysis of what it could mean.
An alternate theory of the MMRCA process – II
by •
This is the second and concluding installment of the two-part analysis of the process of acquisition of 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
An alternate theory of the MMRCA process – I
by •
This, first of a two-part analysis, examines the MMRCA process and invites you to draw your conclusions as to the veracity of the claims of transparency and adherence to the rule book.
44 facts about the MMRCA
by •
StratPost tweeted facts about the Indian Air Force (IAF) tender for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) and the participating aircraft last week. Here they are on a single page, for easy reference. And please feel free to add any more in the comments. They will be updated on this page.
Rafale wins MMRCA: The Cost
by •
A cost escalation of 50 percent (INR 63,000 crore, in this case) or more, requires approval again from the Ministry of Finance, before the Defense Acquisitions Council (DAC) can proceed with it. With the cost of the tender for India safely ranging from INR 83,000 crore to 1,25,000 crore, the revision of the estimated expenditure on the MMRCA would require the approval of the finance ministry.
Army’s artillery buy in a confused mess
by •
In the background of these challenges and the defence ministry’s inaction on a decision to blacklist the Singapore-based company, the OFB mandate should not become an excuse for lack of movement on the procurement of artillery by the army. Already, the ministry has been reported to have indicated it cannot move on the procurement as the matter is sub judice. At the same time, it has not decided the issue either, as is evident from the observations of the court. This has held up the acquisition of crucial types of artillery again, after the multiple cancellation of tenders since the Bofors buy.
Reality Check: US F-35 offer report
by •
The US offer of information on the F-35 to India in a report made to the country’s Senate Armed Services Committee comes curiously on the eve of the opening of the commercial bids of the IAF’s MMRCA competition.
Why Myanmar president’s visit to India matters
by •
The pivotal issue is whether Indian and Myanmar leaders would consider according a higher priority to political and strategic dimensions of the relationship.
