Army Howitzers

The Indian Army is looking at inducting several types of howitzers through inter-governmental pacts and global tenders. It has plans of starting trials for the guns this year and enable their induction by the end of next year.

India is already in an advanced stage of negotiations with the US for procuring over 145 M777 Ultra-Light Howitzers for their deployment in mountainous region. Trials for the 155 mm 52 calibre towed artillery guns are also expected to commence soon involving the BAE Systems and Singapore Technologies. As per COAS, the Indian Army is going through a transformation to emerge as a “lethal, agile and networked” force capable of meeting challenges on both the western and eastern fronts.

Arty upgrade plan may cost up to INR 20,000 Crore. As per reports, RFP for Howitzers has already been issued last week.

Full Report:

Army to Induct Howitzers and Other Arty Arsenal

Indian Private Sector in Defence Contracts

Approvals in-principle given by the MoD for purchase of equipment by the Armed Forces between Mar 2007 and Sep 2010, could generate business worth as much as Rs.87,356 Crore for domestic non-state companies. The DAC has approved the “acceptance of necessity” (AoN) for orders worth Rs.40, 368 Crore in 2010 alone. Private Indian defence equipment makers will be allowed to tender for these projects.

Out of this, equipment worth Rs 30,330 Crore is to be under the “buy (Indian)” Category, Rs 33,814 Crore under the “make” Category, and Rs 8,000 Crore under “buy and make (Indian)” Category. These orders are at various stages of procurement—expression of interest, request for information / request for proposal, technical evaluation, field trials, opening of bids, contract negotiation, financial approval, signing of contract and stage-wise progress for deliveries. In addition, Indian Private Sector companies get orders for subsystems/components etc., from OFs, DRDO and DPSUs.

The total value of defence orders given to private sector companies, between March 2007 and September 2010, is worth Rs 21,193 Crore.

Private Sector A & D Companies have also participated in 51 offset proposals, which are at various stages of processes/implementation.

Click for Report:

Indian Private Sector in Defence Contracts

DRDO to Test Upgraded Ballistic Missile Defence Next Month

After carrying out major upgrades, India will testfire an advanced version of its indigenous Ballistic Missile Defence(BMD) System in February allowing it to destroy enemy rockets at a much higher altitude. As part of its efforts to protect itself from enemy missiles, India is developing a two-tier BMD which can intercept enemy missiles at exo-atmospheric (outside the Earth’s atmosphere) altitudes of 80 km and endo-atmospheric (inside the Earth’s atmosphere) heights of 30 km.

Under the improved system, the DRDO-developed missile shield will intercept missiles at exo-atmospheric altitudes of 150 km and endo-atmospheric height of 80 km, DRDO sources told PTI here. The system is being upgraded after DRDO felt that a capability to intercept enemy projectiles at higher altitudes would give it more response time in case the first attempt is a miss and the second layer of the system can be put into action.

Sources said with India facing a theatre-based threat and not a global one from an Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), such a capability would also give it an advantage in terms of the area covered by the missile defence system.

The system was first test-fired in November 2006 elevating India into the elite club of four countries to have successfully developed an Anti-ballistic missile system, after United States, Russia and Israel. Last year, DRDO conducted the fourth in a row successful test of the endo-atmospheric interceptor missile at an altitude of 15 km. Sources said if the tests prove successful, the DRDO will go ahead with the deployment of the BMD by 2015.

Courtesy: Colonel (Retired) PN Khera, ADNI News Agency.

DPP 2011 , Revised Offsets Policy, Defence Production Policy 2011, and Supplement 2010 to DPM 2009

Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP 2011) including Revised Offsets Policy, Defence Production Policy, and Supplement to Defence Procurement Manual 2009 has been released by the MOD, India.

The scope of the offset Policy Guidelines has been expanded to include Civil Aerospace, Internal Security and Training within the ambit of eligible products and services. The List of the Eligible Offsets includes most aspects of the Civil Aerospace, including ac, both fixed wing and rotary, air frames, air engines, ac components, avionics, ac design & engg services, ac material and technical publications, flying and technical training institutions. And a wide range of weapons and services for counter-terrorism for ‘internal security’.

All this will provide wider range of offset opportunities to Obligors, and help build the indigenous capability.

Please read the Docus on http://mod.nic.in/dpm/welcome.html

Svipja Technologies