India to stay in Afghanistan despite Pak objections

During an hour-long bilateral meeting held between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President Obama held at Blair house in Washington on Sunday, the Indian PM has made it clear that there was no question of withdrawing from Afghanistan despite Pakistan’s objection.

The uncompromising posture on Afghanistan is based on the efforts India has made in the war-torn country, where many Indians have also been killed. In 2008, India’s Military Attaché Brig R.D. Mehta and IFS officer Venkat Rao were killed in a suicide bombing. This year six Indians, including two Indian army Majors were killed when Taliban terrorists attacked the hotel where they were staying.

India, which did not send troops to Afghanistan to support the US-led global war on terror (GWOT), is involved in large scale humanitarian relief work. As part of the relief work, India has pledged US$1.3 billion in aid to the Afghan government, making it the biggest regional contributor. It is also constructing power stations, schools, hospitals, and training the Afghan national army apart from gifting buses to setup a public transport system and providing aircrafts to Afghanistan’s national carrier.

The meeting that took place on the side-lines of the ongoing nuclear security summit was significant to both countries, since diplomatic relations were strained due to several recent issues like India not getting access to 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind, David Headley, who is under US custody and the US' decision to supply more weapons (F-16s, frigates etc) to Pakistan despite India's concerns.

On its part, the US response was positive on both the important issues. OneIndia reports that Obama has assured India will get access to Headley. However, no time, date or place has yet been finalised. Another important outcome of the meeting was President Obama applauding the Indian role in Afghanistan and expressing desire that India continue the good work in Kabul, as well as promising to monitor the US arms aid to Pakistan reports Hindustan Times.

As a consequence of the tough stand taken by PM Manmohan Singh, PTI reports that Obama has prevailed upon the Pakistani PM Yousuf Raza Gilani, in a bilateral meeting, to reign in the terror groups like LeT operating against India from its soil.

1962 War Hero: Major Shaitan Singh

Son of Lieutenant Colonel Hem Singh Bhati, Maj Shaitan Singh was born on 01 Dec, 1924 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan and comissioned on 01 Aug 1949 into the 13th battalion of the Kumaon regiment.

During the 1962 Indo-Sino war, Major Shaitan Singh was commanding a company of an infantry battalion deployed at Rezang La in the Chushul sector at a height of about 17,000 feet. The locality was isolated from the main defended sector and consisted of five platoon- defended position. On 18 November 1962, the Chinese forces subjected the company position to heavy artillery, mortar and small arms fire and attacked it in overwhelming strength in several successive waves. Against heavy odds, our troops beat back successive waves of enemy attack. During the action, Major Shaitan singh dominated the scene of operations and moved at great personal risk from one platoon post to another sustaining the morale of his hard-pressed platoon posts. While doing so he was seriously wounded but continued to encourage and lead his men, who, following his brave example fought gallantly and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. For every man lost to us, the enemy lost four or five. When major Shaitan Singh fell disabled by wounds in his arms and abdomen, his men tried to evacuate him but they came under heavy machine-gun fire. Major Shaitan Singh then ordered his men to leave him to his fate in order to save their lives.

Major Shaitan Singh’s supreme courage, leadership and exemplary devotion to duty inspired his company to fight almost to the last man. After the war was over, the body of Major Shaitan Singh was found at the same place, dead from the bullet wound and the freezing cold. It was flown to Jodhpur and cremated with full military honours. Major Shaitan Singh was awarded Param Vir Chakra, the highest wartime gallantry medal, posthumously, for his leadership and devotion to duty.

RFP for trainers after consistent IAF pressure

the manufacturers have submitted the bids to sell 75 trainer aircrafts a unit to India and once a decision is made, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) will float a bid for the design of 104 aircrafts.

The Ministry of Defence had issued the Request for Proposal (RFP) to acquire 75 basic aircrafts for the IAF to a dozen global aircraft manufacturers. The manufacturers include global turboprop aircraft manufacturers such as Embraer, Pilatus, Raytheon, Finmeccanica, Grob, EADS PZL and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and a pre-bid meeting was held on 02 February. Top brass of the IAF told 8ak that even though the bids have been submitted it would take a year for the entire process to materialise if all goes per plan, since the entire tender process will have to be carried out, which was a very cumbersome process involving decision makers who have no knowledge of equipment or the needs of the IAF.

According to the RFP the manufacturer will have to deliver the first 12 aircraft within 24 months of the contract. The remaining trainers will follow in batches. The 75 aircraft are part of the government’s go- ahead to the IAF for the acquisition of 181 basic trainers. Sources told 8ak that it was a very difficult task to convince the government to buy new trainer aircrafts for the IAF and the process could only be initiated after playing hardball with the government. The urgency to acquire new trainers was felt after grounding of the 125-strong Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) designed and manufactured Hindustan Piston

Trainer-32 (HPT-32) fleet, on which the initial training of flight cadets is conducted was grounded after one of these aircraft crashed killing two instructors during a flight from the Air Force Academy (AFA) at Dundigal.

The crash triggered major resentment amongst the instructors who refused to fly the ageing aircraft. As a make shift arrangement the initial training of pilots, since then, is being done on another HAL manufactured aircraft - Kirans. The HPT-32 fleet since then remains grounded and is expected to be phased out by 2013-14. The induction of new trainer aircraft will enhance the training standards of the IAF pilots, which has come under severe criticism due to increasing pilot deaths in the past two decades, resulting due to a combination of ageing Soviet era fleet and poor training. The IAF also inducted BAE systems manufactured Hawk advanced jet trainers (AJTs) in 2008 to impart superior training to pilots-under-training. The induction of the Hawk AJTs is significant because it fulfilled a long-standing demand of the IAF that will effectively bridge the gap between the slow jet trainer such as Kiran and the advanced fighter aircrafts in the Air Force.

The Korean submission in this bid is a result of their successful offset policy from which India has a lot to learn. However, last year there was bad blood between the offset partner Lockheed Martin and KAI over losing a trainer tender in the UAE. As per this article, KAI apparently accused Lockheed of not providing it the support required during the bidding process.

Taliban Take Over Former U.S. Base in Korengal Valley

An Al Jazeera video, that will get a lot of play in radical-Islamic circles, shows the Taliban taking over a based evacuated by U.S. soldiers. U.S. says that they it was a strategic move to focus troops in urban areas but the local Taliban commander who took over says that it was demonstration of their power

War Heroes: Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, Param Vir Chakra

26 Apr 2010 8ak: Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon was a pilot of a Folland Gnat detachment based at Srinagar for the air defence of the valley against Pakistani air attacks. In accordance with the international agreement dating back to 1948, no air defence aircraft were based at Sirinagar, until the outbreak of hostilities with Pakistan. Flying Officer Sekhon was, therefore, unfamiliar with the terrain and was not acclimatised to the altitude of Srinagar, especially with the bitter cold and biting winds of the Kashmir winter. Nevertheless, from the outset of the war, he and his colleagues fought successive waves of intruding Pakistani aircraft with valour and determination, maintaining the high reputation of the Folland Gnat aircraft.

On 14 December 1971, Srinagar Airfield was attacked by a wave of six enemy Sabre aircraft. Flying Officer Sekhon was on readiness duty at the time. However, he could not take off at once because of the clouds of dust raised by another aircraft which had just taken off. By the time the runway was fit for take-off, no fewer than six enemy aircraft were overhead, and strafing of the airfield was in progress. Nevertheless, in spite of the mortal danger of attempting to take off during an attack, and in spite of the odds against him. Flying Officer Sekhon took off and immediately engaged a pair of the attacking Sabres. In the fight that followed, at tree top height, he all but held his own, but was eventually overcome by sheer weight of numbers. His aircraft crashed and he was killed. In thus, sacrificing himself for the defence of Srinagar, Flying Officer Sekhon achieved his object, for the enemy aircraft fled from the scene of the battle without pressing home their attack against the town and the airfield.

The sublime heroism, supreme gallantry, flying skill and determination, above and beyond the call of duty, displayed by Flying Officer Sekhon in the face of certain death, set new heights to Air Force traditions and the gallant Sikh was awarded the nations highest gallantry award, Param Vir Chakra. He is also the only IAF officer to be honoured with PVC. In a rare gesture, the bravery and skills of Sekhon were praised by Salim Baig Mirza, the pilot who shot him down.

Son of Warrant Officer Hon. Flight Lieutenant Trilok Singh Sekhon, Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon was born on July 17, 1943 in the village of Rurka in Ludhiana District, Punjab and after completing his flying training, was subsequently commissioned into the Indian Air Force on June 4, 1967.

2 pilots killed in HJT plane crash during Hyderabad Air Show

03 March 2010 8ak: One Kiran MkII aircraft belonging to Indian navy’s aerobatics team, Sagar Pawan crashed at Hyderabad, while performing during the ongoing commercial air exhibition killing two pilots.

The pilots killed in the fatal crash have been identified as Commander S.K. Maurya and Lieutenant Commander Rahul. A court of inquiry is being ordered to ascertain the exact cause of the crash. Even though it is very early to comment on the exact cause of the crash, experienced naval aviators told 8ak that by looking at the aircraft footage it seems to be a case of engine flame out, loss of control effectiveness or loss of power. Interestingly, the same aircrafts are operated by Indian Air Force’s aerobatics team, the Surya Kiran. In Oct 2009, it was reported that IAF's Surya Kiran team would be disbanded.

India, France set to ink US$2.2 billion Mirage upgrade deal

02 March 2010 8ak: Indian Express reports that India is set to ink a US$2.2 billion deal with France for the upgrade of 52 Mirage-2000 aircrafts (other sources say 51 and ToI puts the number between 54 & 56) ahead of President Sarkozy’s visit later this year.

The deal for the aircraft upgrade, which the IAF has been operating since the 1980s, was stuck for over two years primarily due to the difference in opinion on the price quoted by the French manufacturers Dassault Aviation, Thales and MBDA (consortium). It is believed that the original price quoted by the companies for the upgrade was US$58 million per aircraft but after tough negotiations the price has been reduced to US$43 million a unit. Sources say that the Israelis were very keen to do the upgrades at a lower cost but obviously this would not go down well with either the original equipment manufacturer, Dassault Aviation, nor the French government.

The upgrade will include new avionics including an advanced navigation system, new mission computers with increased capacity and processing speed, helmet-mounted displays, glass cockpits, internal electronic warfare suites and, better armaments & weapon systems making the aircraft battle-worthy for another 15 years.

Earlier, 8ak had reported that the French President Sarkozy had personally thrown his weight behind the deal and sent French defence minister Hervé Morin to New Delhi in December 2009 to push the deal, before his Indian visit.

Defence Ministry sources say that the deal is important from strategic and diplomatic point of view as well. After the cancellation of the A330 mid-air-refueller deal and the US$1 billion deal for purchase of 197 helicopters from Eurocopter, the European partner countries including France were unhappy with the decision making process.

Navy to upgrade Dabolim airport with a Shore Based Test Facility

In order to cater to the induction of new combat aircrafts taking place in the Indian navy, the multi-role force has decided to press ahead with its long-delayed expansion plan of the Dabolim airport, situated 30 kilometres from the Goa’s capital Panaji.

Times of India reports that the naval authorities are making preparations to build a Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) which will be used by its Light Combat Aircrafts (LCAs) and MiG 29K fighter jets.

Commanding Officer of the Naval station INS Hansa, Captain Surendra Ahuja informed the media persons that the SBTF being built at INS Hansa, would be only the second of its kind in the world and would be used to train the fighter before they attempt take-off and landing on aircraft carriers.

To complement the new SBFT facility, the navy is also constructing a 1,255metre strip with a ski jump facing the sea. The ski jump is on the similar lines of the one available on aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, which the navy would be inducting, after its refit at Sevmash shipyard in Russia is concluded.

Amongst the other new facilities planned at Dabolim, the Indian navy intends to construct three new hangers and set up two new simulators. The latest upgrade plan is a conscious ploy of the Indian government to upgrade training facilities within the military establishment with an aim of reducing accidents in the future. The government has also inducted new Hawk AJTs from United Kingdom to enhance training for IAF pilots. In addition to this, the IAF is also in the process of acquiring new turboprop training aircrafts in order to phase out the vintage era HPT-32, which it used before grounding them.

Kamov-226 to spearhead Russia’s campaign for US$600 million chopper contract

08 Mar 2009 8ak: Spearheading Russia’s campaign in the ongoing trials for the US$600 million contract for procurement of 197 light utility helicopters (LUH) is the Kamov-226 'Sergei'.

Three Kamov-226 choppers have already arrived in India to participate in trials to be conducted in the high altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir. The twin engine Kamov-226, powered by Rolls-Royce Allison 250-C20R/2 turboshaft engines, is based on the development of the proven "flying chassis" Ka-26 general purpose helicopter. The Ka-226 has interchangeable mission pods rather than a conventional cabin within the main fuselage.

The main 770-litre capacity fuel tanks provide a flight endurance of 4.24hr. With the 320-litre auxiliary tanks this is increased to 6.45hr. A performance advantage of the helicopter, when working from bases at altitudes high above sea level and in mountainous terrain, is the high dynamic ceiling of 5,000m and static ceiling at 2,000m. The helicopter has an 18,000hr life with a schedule service life of 25 years. The instruments, displays, controls and night vision equipment allow night time flight. The helicopter is equipped with weather reconnaissance radar and thermal imaging systems for night patrol, reconnaissance and search operations. The chopper has a maximum speed of 205 km/hr and cruising speed of 195 km/hr and can carry up to 1,400kg cargo.

As part of the contract, the selected bidder will supply 60 choppers to India in a “fly-away” condition, while the remaining 137 will be assembled by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). The bidders for the US$600 million contract are Eurocopter, Russian Mil and Kamov, American Sikorsky & Bell and Italian Agusta Westland. The initial tender for procurement of LUHs was cancelled by the government due to alleged irregularities in the process. It is believed that Eurocopter had fielded its civilian variant for field trials whereas another company had offered its military version. However, the RFP for the ongoing trial was once again issued in 2009 and will take another one and half year before any decision is reached by the government pertaining to the procurement of these choppers.

The choppers are the main stay of logistical operations of the three wings of the armed forces. They have multiple utilities ranging from rescue operations, carrying relief material, ferrying soldiers and combat, as seen during the Kargil war, when Mi-17 was deployed. India is also looking to speed up its acquisition of a multi-role helicopter. In addition to this, the IAF has projected a requirement of another 350 Medium-Lift Helicopters.

Sikorsky considers moving Black Hawk production to India, leasing helicopters to Coast Guard

Stephen Estill, VP - Strategic Partnerships, Sikorsky spoke to Manu Sood, Editor, 8ak on their Indian plans and their tie up with the Tata Group in India. Estill revealed that the company had divided their strategy into short term goals, medium term goals and long term goals. As per the immediate plans, he said that the company was excited about the ongoing program with the Indian Navy for anti- submarine helicopters for which 2 helicopters have been proposed. One is the S-70B, which is sold under commercial contract basis, fully capable in anti-submarine operations. While the other one is MH-60R currently, in service with the US navy, for which Sikorsky has teamed up with Lockheed Martin in the US. As per the agreement between the two companies, Sikorsky provided airframe, dynamic components and rotor systems whereas Lockheed Martin provided anti-submarine equipment. He said that the program was progressing very rapidly and the flight test evaluations would begin in US during the early summers and they company expected to seal the official contract in early 2011.

Elaborating on Sikorsky’s second program, Estill said that the program was with Coast Guard and termed it ‘unique’. As part of the program, the company would dry lease about eight helicopters and wet lease another eight to ten. The helicopter would solve the purpose of coastal defence and patrol missions undertaken by the force. Sikorsky is the only technically qualified helicopter vendor for this program. Talking about the long term plans, he said that the company aimed to equip TATAs to manufacture all helicopters and fixed wing parts in the future and said that co-development of helicopters was indeed a reality in the future. As of now, TATAs will manufacture the cabins for the helicopters, which Sikorsky has to deliver to the UK coast guard.

Sikorsky is also planning to start producing the highly successful and lethal Black Hawk helicopters to increase its presence in India as it gears up to bid for defence contracts up to US$12 billion, a move that could push others to follow. Some people feel that ith HAL's producing entire helicopters, India has the potential to become a global helicopter production hub but are held back by outdated government policies and lack of vision.

Stephen Estill also said that Sikorsky intended to manufacture and develop special mission equipment packages with DRDO and other local technology companies in the long run. On another note, Shiv Aroor reports that the company has decided to formally protest the loss of lucrative tender of 12 VVIP helicopters.