Aerospace Diary

LandWarfare 26th November 2014 - 10:31 by  Neelam Mathews  in New Delhi  The Indian Army’s  long-delayed  artillery modernisation programme finally got a boost with new defence minister Manohar Parrikar clearing a more than $2 billion procurement for 155mm/52-calibre mounted gun systems.  The decision to procure 814 artillery gun systems comes after three decades of procurement malpractices and as Pakistan and China both induct 155mm/52-calibre artillery guns. The Indian Army’s last major acquisition was in 1987 for 410 39-calibre 155mm FH-77B howitzers from Sweden’s AB Bofors, in a scandal over illegal commissions that contributed to the defeat of the government the following election. The army’s aging artillery presently consists of a mix of 105mm field guns, and 130mm and 155mm howitzers. A request for proposal for the new systems is expected be released in the first quarter of 2015, Shephard understand. One hundred guns are to be bo...

Neelam Mathews May 13, 2013   The government must have its eyes at the back of its head if it cannot recognize that of the 7980 Tatra trucks (including those with DRDO and Brahmos), around 2800 are off the road! That’s a scary figure and I’d hate to be head of ops should there be a national emergency. While around 20-30% parts are available in India, in the absence of purchase of further parts, the number of trucks out of operation are increasing day by day!  It is increasingly clear that the logistics sector of the army is most crippled by the off road trucks. Despite the fact there has been no blacklisting of either BEML or Tatra, it is the fear of the unknown and lack of decision making that has resulted in no action being taken in acquiring Tatra parts. As is the mandate of procurement, repairs are carried out at various Army workshops, though the spares are acquired from BEML only by the Master General of   Ordinance Service ( MGO) Branch. And, yes,...

Neelam Mathews Feb 9, 2013   At an excellent session by G Chandramouli, Scientist G, Proj Dir, AKASH, DRDL , RDO, on Challenges in design, development, system integration, testing, evaluation and production of Surface to Air Tactical Missile system – Akash, at the International seminar in Bangalore held just before Aero India, a query on whether Tatra trucks were being used for launching missiles, was addressed. “We have identified other vehicles and not received the go ahead…The first batch of Tatra, we are integrating. We have no issue. BEML is assuring us we will get more…” Apparently, the scientists seem to understand that work related to security programs cannot afford to be delayed because of a lethargic decision making process. Wonder if we haven't heard ALL about how actually tough the customizing of a truck for a launcher can be?!

Neelam Mathews Jan 13, 2013 Even as concerns on border skirmishes surge and both sides threaten dire consequences, the Indian army is increasingly getting concerned about a subject that is politically incorrect in today’s power corridors, but vital for the health of its soldiers who fight for us and for its own movement- spares for some 8000 Tatra trucks on its inventory. The army understands that when in crisis, it needs to ensure what the country’s priorities are. One’s memory is jogged when during the height of Kargil conflict, the defense ministry withdrew the ban on Bofors, after the army pushed for it arguing that it was running short of spare parts for the 155mm guns. In fact, the army had dismantled several Bofors guns to cannibalise spare parts. Let’s hope this doesn’t happen in the case of the Tatra trucks - many of which are already lying aside because of lack of spares since the army is prevented from dealing with the company even though the investigation is ongoi...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews Aug 28, 2012 Defense Minister replies to questions in Parliament on- TRAINER AIRCRAFT IN IAF The HPT-32 aircraft being used as Basic Trainer Aircraft since 1986 were grounded in July 2009 due to safety reasons. Thereafter, the basic training has been shifted to Kiran Mk 1/1A aircraft earlier utilized for Intermediate training A contract for procurement of 75 Basic Trainer Aircraft was signed with Pilatus Aircraft Ltd, Switzerland on 24 th  May 2012. The procurement of the Basic Trainer Aircraft was processed through a multi-vendor procurement as per DPP-2008 and the Swiss company, Pilatus Aircraft Ltd, emerged as the L1 vendor. The delivery of these 75 aircraft is scheduled from February 2013 to August 2015 TATRA TRUCKS DEAL The matter is under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). It has also registered a regular case, on 30.3.2012, against one of the owners and unknown persons of a UK based company, unknown of...

Neelam Mathews May 4, 2012 The government has cancelled the security clearance of Ravi Rishi-owned Global Vectra Helicorp, says the electronic media. Interestingly, calls to the Global Vectra office were met with surprise and the fact they were answering phones, said it all! They had no idea! Yet, we had Ajit Singh, minister of civil aviation, informing the press that following a Minister of Home Affairs directive, security clearance was cancelled and licenses of the company’s helicopters would be pulled out by the DGCA. Nobody knows, nor is there any statement to say this has happened. “With great surprise we have seen today’s news on a TV ‐ channel regarding GVHL’s security clearance. We wish to state that GVHL has not received any information or communication from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA nor Ministry of Home Affairs, nor from any other Authority, that the security clearance of this company has been withdrawn. We are presently investigating this new...

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 ...

Neelam Mathews March 29, 2012 In a candid exclusive interview to Aerospace Diary at the Defexpo today, Ravi Rishi , Chairman of Vectra Group, the largest shareholder of Tatra trucks, said: “We will sell to our not so friendly neighbors who have been knocking at our door for over six months now.” Rishi was reacting to the recent controversy in which Army Chief General VK Singh claimed he was offered a bribe to clear the purchase of Tatra trucks two years ago. “We had written to the secretary of defense (To ask for permission to export) when a request came from a Czech company to supply a neighboring unfriendly country (we read that as Pakistan). He threatened to blacklist us,” added Rishi. Tatra has supplied around 7000 trucks to India of different models. “Hundred percent of trucks on the borders are Tatras,” Rishi adds. Having passed out of IIT Delhi, Rishi designed the 12 x12 Tatra vehicles for mobile launchers of the BrahMos. Fifty are on order. “They are customized and nobod...