Russia has set up manufacturing of the Mango armour-piercing tank round in India, designed to be fired from the guns of T-72 and T-90 Main Battle Tanks and penetrate composite armour. It has also announced the delivery of 35,000 AK203 rifles to the Indian defence ministry, manufactured by the Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited joint venture at Korwa Ordnance Factory in Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.
Rosoboronexport is also featuring the the Ka-226T light utility helicopter, which is planned to be produced by the joint venture, Indo-Russian Helicopters Limited, under the Make in India program.
According to India’s defence ministry, an order worth INR 5,100 crore (around USD 670 million) has been placed for 6,01,427 AK203 rifles to be manufactured at Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. The 7.62 X 39mm calibre AK203 rifle will replace the INSAS rifle that has been in service for three decades.
A wargame conducted last month anticipates higher prices, fewer products and reduced manpower as a result of the corporatisation of process of India’s Ordnance Factory Board that traces its origins to the early 18th century and employs an estimated 80,000-strong workforce.
The training of Indian personnel is underway in Russia, in anticipation of the delivery of the S-400 Triumph air defence missile system that is expected to begin in December without any delays, so far, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Part III of this analysis examines the implications of the single most interesting data point to emerge from the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. This date has never been mentioned in earlier media reports, and what is almost startlingly significant is not only what transpired on this date, but the fact of the date, itself.
Part II of this analysis examines how the defence ministry’s Contract Negotiation Committee (CNC) interpreted an inflated cost analysis of the Eurofighter bid and undervalued the cost of the Rafale bid, five times.
Part I of this three-part analysis is a contextual reading of the February 2019 CAG report and outlines how the IAF’s MMRCA contest was fixed to get the Rafale back into the contest after it was rejected, three times, and how the threats to a Rafale win were removed.
Even after two decades since the acquisition case, the Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) search has seen a system absent from trials and failing trials, being passed as technically compliant and ending up as, apparently, the cheapest. Also problematic is the difficulty its purchase could pose by provoking U.S. sanctions under their CAATSA.
United Shipbuilding Corporation design bureau Rubin is offering the Amur 1650 submarine with AIP in partnership with Larsen & Toubro for the Indian Navy’s P75(I) program for six submarines.
The Indian Navy has extended the deadline for submission of responses to the Project-75(I) submarine RFI to October 16th.
Saab and Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd have announced plans to set up a joint venture for the production of the RBS 70 VSHORAD and Bamse SRSAM systems in India.
HAL will be the Indian partner for the manufacture of Russian Ka-226T helicopters after months of speculation that Indian private company Reliance Defence could be selected as partner to Rostec.
While HAL has 12 such ventures, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has two and Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL), one.
Rosoboronexport wrote to Indian evaluators saying that they did not feel it necessary to conduct a proper summer demonstration of their Igla-S VSHORAD system.
