Aerospace Diary

LAND WARFARE 07th March 2016 - 11:05 by  Neelam Mathews  in Delhi  India's Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) programme has moved a step closer to the starting blocks with industry putting forward an expression of interest (EoI). The US$10 billion  Future Infantry Combat Vehicle  programme has attracted formal EoIs from eight of the initial ten vendors. Shephard  has learned that Rolta and Punj Lloyd have decided not to submit proposals. The government-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has already been down-selected as one manufacturer and the MoD will provide 80% of prototype development costs for two other vendors that will be shortlisted by year’s end. Bets are on Tata Motors to be a frontrunner...more in Shephardmedia

Neelam Mathews Aug 28, 2012 The Ordnance Factory Board has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a Joint Venture with Rosoboronexport , Russia and Splav “SPA”, Russia to manufacture five versions of Smerch Rockets based on the technology received from Russia . The Smerch Rockets have a range of 70-80- km.

Neelam Mathews May 30, 2012 India’s soon-to-be released Defense Procurement Policy 2012 is to have a major addition in its ‘Make’ clause. It will include the active participation of the private industry which was left out earlier. The DPP 2011 ‘Make’ procedure was to cover all capital acquisitions of High Technology Complex Systems and upgrades undertaken by indigenous Research, Design and Development. These would be undertaken by Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), Defense Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and Indian Industry and industries identified as Raksha Udyog Ratna (RUR) / Consortia. In 2010, MoD scrapped its plan to nominate leading defense players from the private sector RURs, leaving the space open only  for the DPSUs. Interestingly, there is soon to be released a pilot project for each of the three services which will be open only to the private sector that will give a boost to the industry. A meeting (the second of its kind) is being held at the MoD next week to...

Neelam Mathews May 2, 2012 With the Tatra-BEML deal under the scanner, the time has come to ask some questions. Who gave Tatra the order and resold at a higher price? Will the government consider blacklisting BEML? If this were to happen, would other defense PSUs shudder? Ofcourse, what about the most obvious candidate- OFB in the case of six companies blacklisted in March? "We need to introspect a bit here and be clear on our policy objectives,"  an official told Aerospace Diary. "We cannot have one rule for government-associated companies and the other for the rest of the world." In March , the Ministry of Defense blacklisted six firms- Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd. (STK), Israel Military Industries Ltd. (IMI), Rheinmetall Air Defence (RAD), Zurich, Corporation Defence, Russia (CDR), TS Kisan., New Delhi and  RK Machine Tools Ltd., Ludhiana - from further business dealings with the Ordnance Factory Board, Department of Defense Production, MoD, for ten ...

Posted by-Neelam Mathews Mar 23, 2012                                                                                                 “ Rheinmetall Air Defense AG of Switzerland (RAD) objects to the decision of the Indian Ministry of Defense announced on 5 March 2012 to exclude it from doing business with India’s Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). This decision was based on allegations against RAD which the company categorically rejects as false and as entirely without merit,” says a statement. It goes on further to say: The Indian aut...

March 5, 2012 Posted by- Neelam Mathews The Ministry of Defense has decided to debar six firms- Singapore Technologies Kinetics, Israel Military Industries (IMI), Rheinmetall Air Defence (RAD), Zurich, Corporation Defence, Russia (CDR), TS Kisan & Co. Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi and RK Machine Tools Ltd., Ludhiana – from further business dealings with the Ordnance Factory Board, Department of Defense Production, MoD, for ten years.   It is not clear if they can deal with other defense companies. The firms were recommended for blacklisting by the CBI on the basis of evidence collected against them. These firms were issued notice to show cause as to why action against them should not be taken consequent to the filing of the chargesheet in the case related to illegal gratification against former Director General of Ordnance Factories Sudipto Ghosh and others.