Thales To Supply Indian AF Transportable Radars

Thales has won a contract to supply the Indian Air Force 19 low-level transportable radar systems based on the Ground Smarter (GS) 100 sensor, the defense company announced at the air show here.

Thales will build six of the 19 radars at its Limours facility, southwest of Paris. Under a technology transfer agreement, its local partner Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) will build the remaining 13 units in India, the French defense company said. No financial details were given.
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Each low-level transportable radar system comprises the GS 100 radar, operational and communications shelters, an energy subsystem, mobility subsystem and quarters for personnel.

"This contract reinforces our position in the Indian region as a major supplier of air defense radars," said Richard Deakin, Thales senior vice president and head of the air systems division. "BEL is a leading supplier of defense electronics systems and subsystems and plays a leading role in a number of major Indian defense programs."

The GS 100, based on the SR3D radar platform, is a mobile, modular and multifunctional sensor designed to track complex target maneuvers at very low altitudes, Thales said.

The sensor can detect and track targets up to a range of 180 kilometers. The SR3D platform is also used in the Ground Master 400 long-range radar, launched into the market in 2007.The international competition for the radar began in 2003.

 

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4386376&c=ASI&s=AIR 

Centre okay with Boeing aircraft to replace ageing IL-76 fleet

New Delhi: Keen on replacing the ageing Russian IL-76 transport aircraft in the Indian Air Force (IAF), the ministry of defence has approved in principle the purchase of the US-based Boeing's C-17 heavy-lift Globemaster III. The deal is worth over $2 billion. 

"The C-17s have been short listed after IAF carried out a thorough study on its capability to take-off and land on short runways with heavy loads. The defency ministry has sent a letter to the US administration seeking a formal offer for these machines," highly placed sources on conditions of anonymity told FE. This development comes ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the US. 

Sources said the C-17 deal was discussed and cleared at a recent meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council chaired by defence minister AK Antony. The deal, likely to be inked in few months, will be discussed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the US. 

Initially, the IAF will place an order for 10 C-17s through the US government's foreign military sales (FMS) route, and may later go in for a follow-on order, sources said. "For an FMS contract, the US administration, after receiving a letter of request from the MoD, will seek Congressional approval before making a formal offer." 

"If accepted, the aircraft should be inducted in about three years after the contract is signed," sources added. 

Most of IAF's transport aircraft were acquired in the 1980s and the air force is keen to acquire new generation aircraft to replace and augment its fleet. 

The US ambassador in New Delhi, while pitching for robust India-US military ties, has reportedly said, "America is ready to support India's drive to modernise its armed forces." 

India has ordered for six C-130J aircraft (from Lockheed Martin) for its special forces operations and these aircraft will be based at the Hindan air base in Ghaziabad. 

C-130J Super Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft made by Lockheed Martin capable of carrying 20 tonne or 92 fully armed airborne troops.

C-17 Globemaster is a larger Boeing-made military transport aircraft capable of carrying 75 tonne or 135 troops. 

With Asia becoming a global economic engine, India's interests have surpassed her own boundaries to regions stretching from the Straits of Hormuz to the Straits of Malacca, the northern Indian Ocean Region, and to central Asia. The IAF plans to replace and augment nearly 100% of its fighter, transport, and helicopter fleets due to age and performance deficiencies."Demands on the airlift fleet are growing due to enhanced national and international commitments that will only increase in the future," said a senior IAF officer. 

According to the former Air Chief Fali Homi Major, "… with India emerging as a global economic power, it is necessary that the IAF enhance its capabilities to fulfill new responsibilities. And, to meet these new security challenges, the IAF needs strategic reach, there is a necessity to build up our strategic assets …"

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Centre-okay-with-Boeing-aircraft-to-replace-ageing-IL-76-fleet/544262/

Are women officers any inferior than men?

I WONDER : BHASMASUR !!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Anshuman G Dutta Date: 2009-11-20 Place: Delhi
 

As women officers of the Indian Army seek to know from Delhi High Court why they are discriminated against in service, the court asks the government to submit a performance chart of men and women in uniform

Here comes a hope for women officers of the Indian Army fighting "gender bias". Pulling up the central government for not being prepared to argue the issue of granting permanent commission to serving woman army officers, Delhi High Court asked the government to submit a performance chart of men and women while on duty by Dec 14.




Fighting for equality: 20 women officers have filed a public interest petition challenging the government's proposal to bypass them for future grant of permanent commission. Representative photo

While on Thursday 20 women officers of the Indian Army sought to know from the court why they were discriminated in service against the men when both got similar training, the government was not ready with its reply. The court had asked the solicitor general to present government of India's point of view in the next hearing of the case (November 19).

"Two months ago, the date was fixed and the hearing cannot be adjourned", the bench headed by Justice S K Kaul said while refusing to adjourn the matter as the government pleaded that the Solicitor General was busy in another case.

Advocate Rekha Palli, counsel for the women officers, submitted before a division bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and MC Garg that despite having a large number of vacancies, the women officers are not being considered for the post. "There are 35 per cent vacancies in various departments. These women officers at par with men when comes to training and they have been doing the same job for 14 years. But the armed forces do not want them any more,"she said.

Earlier, on September 18 the Centre had rejected the serving officers' plea for permanent commission as they had already completed 14 years in service.

The court was hearing the plea of the women officers who have filed a public interest petition challenging the government's proposal of Sep 29, 2008 to bypass them for future grant of permanent commission. Currently, women are inducted into the army as officers under the Short Service Commission for a maximum period of 14 years. Their male colleagues are eligible to receive permanent commission after five years.

All men force?

Vice Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal PK Barbora's statement that women IAF officers must delay pregnancy if they want to become fighter pilots created another controversy.

Some of the petitioners condemned the statement. "Some of the senior officers don't want to lose their male-dominated bastion of the uniformed forces. Even though we give 14 years to the service at the cost of our family, we are thrown out," said a petitioner.

http://www.mid-day.com/news/2009/nov/201109-indian-army-women-officers.htm

Pak Army facilitating infiltration across LoC: BSF DG

 I WONDER : GOD BLESS THE DEPARTED SOUL.SENIOR OFFR DOING COMBING OPS. SEE THE SEQUENCE OF WREATH LAYING.

Accusing the Pakistani Army and the Rangers of facilitating infiltration, BSF chief Raman Srivastava said on Tuesday that the Indian Army and BSF have been alerted along the border to foil attempts by a large number of militants waiting at different launching pads to cross over.

"We have inputs from various sources that a large number of militants are waiting at different points along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) at different launching pads in Pakistan to enter this side," he told reporters at BSF headquarters here after placing a wreath on the body of DIG O P Tanwar.

52-year-old Tanwar was killed on Monday in a blast triggered by militants near the Indo-Pak border in Samba district's Ballad post where he had gone to conduct a combing operation after the area came under fire from across border.

Srivastava said the entire border has been alerted. "The Army has been alerted along LoC. We are alert on IB," he said.

"We are trying to prevent infiltration. We expect a surge in infiltration before snow closes the passes. We know they (militants) are going to try. They have tried in past. We have repulsed them at many places."

Asked if Pakistani Rangers were involved in facilitating infiltration, the BSF DG said the Pakistani Rangers and the Army have "always" facilitated infiltration. "You see that it is not an old thing. It is also nothing new".

To repeated questions on direct involvement of Pakistan elements in triggering the blast in which the DIG was killed and also in facilitating infiltration, he said, "We cannot say it was done by the Pakistani rangers or ISI. We cannot pin point who is directly responsible".

Srivastava said infiltrators were not allowed to cross the border in the Ballard-Samba sector. "They were sent back, but they left behind an IED which claimed the life of the DIG. They will keep making attempts. It is our job to see that their attempts do not succeed," he said.

Asked about increase in infiltration attempts along the IB, he said the militants are getting frustrated. "When you strengthen one area, they go for a weaker area. But we are trying to see that no area is weak."

Terming the killing of the DIG as very unfortunate, he said, "It was a tragic incident. The incident has happened. We will have to check who did it. We have to find out and what we should do about it."

Srivastava said, "We are taking it (killing of DIG BSF) very seriously. We will see that appropriate action is taken and appropriate responses are lodged (with Pakistan). We have already lodged a protest with Pakistan and, as usual, they said we do not know anything. A DIG-level meeting was held yesterday in which Brigadier Masood took part from Pakistan side."

On whether a group of militants had infiltrated through the Ballard-Samba sector yesterday, he said, "We have foiled the infiltration bid as militants escaped when we retaliated".

The first to lay wreath on his body was wife of the deceased officer Devyani Tanwar and his two children, followed by DG BSF, Director General of Police J&K Kuldeep Khoda, General Officer Commanding of 9 corps Lt Gen G M Nair and Special DG BSF West P P Sandhu. The body was later flown to his native place in Haryana.

Indian Soldiers Injured in Grenade Blast

On Thursday suspected militants threw a grenade at an Indian army convoy in Manipur state, injuring two soldiers.

The attack took place at a market in Imphal at around 5:30 in the evening.

The convoy of four vehicles was traveling from Imphal to Thoubal when the attack took place near the busy market.

Officials say the two soldiers belong to the Assam Rifles, one of the country's oldest anti-insurgency paramilitary forces.

One of the injured was taken to a local hospital and the other to an army hospital.

[I. Hemochandra Singh, State Legislator, Manipur]:

"I am told that he (the injured) belongs to Assam Rifles. One rifleman is here. I am told that the other army man who has been injured has been rushed to an army hospital, which we are trying to confirm."

Two civilians also received minor injuries in the attack.

"Around 5:30 p.m. the bomb blast took place. At that time I was on a rickshaw. I saw a convoy of army was also there. Then suddenly there was a blast and I got injured. They were coming from the northern side and heading toward the southern side."

Security forces have launched a massive manhunt to nab the culprits.

No militant groups have taken responsibility for the attack.

More than 20 militant groups operate in the state, some demanding independence or greater autonomy.

Thousands have been killed in the prolonged insurgency in Manipur in the past few decades.

 http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/ns_asia/2009-11-20/168858937098.html