Currently, the service is using 30% of the communications capabilities provided by the GSAT 7A, a satellite designed for the Air Force.

A Defence Ministry statement issued March 29 said the government awarded the satellite contract to state-run NewSpace India Ltd., a commercial arm of the national space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation.

The launch of the 5-ton geostationary satellite is to take place in three and a half years.

As prime contractor, NewSpace India is to source numerous parts, subassemblies and systems from domestic small- and medium-scale enterprises as well as startup companies to promote the country’s private space industry.

The satellite will considerably enhance the Army’s capabilities by providing mission-critical, beyond-line-of-sight communication for troops and materiel, the ministry said. The satellite will operate at both X band and Ku band frequencies, and is meant to improve communication connectivity to provide network-centric warfare capabilities.

The GSAT 7B will also help the Army enhance its surveillance of contested border areas with China and Pakistan.

The satellite is also expected to provide integrated communication for the Navy and Air Force. It will comprise two units, one of which will operate in space and the other on the ground.

The Indian military currently buys the majority of materiel from state-run defense companies on a single-vendor nomination basis, while the share of private defense contractors constitutes barely 15%.

The ministry on March 24 announced it signed a contract worth about 30 billion rupees with BEL for Himshakti integrated electronic warfare systems. The government’s Defence Research and Development Organisation, which designed and developed the Himshakti, said the technology will help the Army in mountainous terrain.

The system features several new-generation technologies such as ultraviolet very high-frequency directional finders and jammers.

The government ordered two Himshakti systems from BEL on a nominated single-vendor basis, despite private defense contractor Tata Power SED having previously won a $115.37 million deal for the supply of two similar systems in a multivendor competition.

The ministry maintains its Project Himshakti will bolster the local economy and provide employment opportunities.

And on March 23, two separate contracts were awarded to BEL for the supply of locally made Arudhra ground-based, medium-power radars and DR-118 radar warning receivers to enhance the electronic warfare capabilities of Su-30 MKI fighter jets in service with the Air Force. The DR-118 deal is worth about 9.5 billion rupees.

The ministry noted that the majority of subassemblies and parts will be sourced from domestic manufacturers.

“The Su-30MKI fighters were earlier integrated with R-118 [radar warning receivers], which employed analog technology, which has inherent limitations; whereas DR-118 has adopted digital technology in processing the inputs,” said Daljit Singh, an independent defense analyst and retired officer in the Air Force, “and it would be a significant improvement over the previous model, and it is indeed a positive development toward self-reliance.”

The eight Arudhra systems are the first indigenous, multifunction, rotating active phased array radars with digital beam-forming technology. They are to replace legacy TRS-2215 and PSM-33 radars supplied by the French company Thales. The deal is worth about 28 billion rupees.

BEL said the Arudhra is locally developed and manufactures the technology based on the a DRDO design. The system is expected to enhance the Air Force’s surveillance capability.

India’s annual budget for that financial year, released Feb. 1, envisages a total outlay of 45.03 trillion rupees. The government has allocated 5.93 trillion rupees for defense, which is about 13% of the total budget. This includes 1.38 trillion rupees for defense-related pensions.

The total defense budget is an increase over the previous financial year by 683.71 billion rupees, or about 13%.

“This increase is a reflection of the Government’s commitment towards sustainable augmentation in the area of modernisation & infrastructure development of the Defence Services,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

During this financial year — which runs April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024 — the money set aside for procuring new weapons is 1.62 trillion rupees, while funds for stores, spares, repairs and the like is 2.70 trillion rupees.

The allocation of funds for non-salary, operational purposes (such as repairs, food supplies, clothing, transportation costs, etc.) gets a boost of 275.7 billion rupees, to about 900 billion rupees in this financial year, compared to 624.31 billion rupees last financial year.

“This will cater to sustenance of Weapon Systems, Platforms including Ships/Aircrafts & their logistics; boost fleet serviceability; emergency procurement of critical ammunition and spares; procuring/hiring of niche capabilities to mitigate capability gaps wherever required; progress stocking of military reserves, strengthening forward defences, amongst others,” the Defence Ministry said.

The MoD added that during the midterm review, the government added 260 billion rupees for making outstanding payments toward previously committed liabilities.

Amit Cowshish, a former financial adviser for the ministry, told Defense News that, amid efforts to boost the economy, the government has done its best to raise the defense budget. Now it’s up to the armed forces to make the best use of their respective funds, he said.

The capital expenditure or outlay is meant for the procurement of new weapons and platforms as well as to pay off outstanding committed liabilities for past defense contracts.

The capital outlay for the Indian Army has increased to 372.41 billion rupees for the 2023-2024 time frame, compared to 320.15 billion rupees in the last financial year. The service plans to buy drones, loitering munitions, small arms and light tanks, as well as upgrade existing tanks and armored personnel carriers.

The capital outlay for the Navy increased to 528.04 billion rupees, from 475.90 billion rupees. The service wants to spend this money on ship-borne drones, loitering munitions, missiles, satellites and new small ships.

The capital outlay for the Air Force saw only a marginal increase to 571.37 billion rupees, from 555.86 billion rupees. The service plans to buy new air defense systems, missiles, UAVs, anti-drone systems, satellites and combat helicopters.

The capital outlay for defense-related research and development is 232.64 billion rupees, which will help with the indigenous development of new military technologies.

The budget for the Border Roads Organisation, which falls under the purview of the MoD, will particularly help the force operating along the border with China. The funding increased by about 43% to 50 billion rupees, from 35 billion rupees.

As part of the agreement made on Monday between Naval Materials Research Laboratory and Naval Group, the latter will certify the AIP design. The AIP system, which the lab has already developed, will improve the endurance of India’s diesel-electric submarines, the India Defence Ministry said in a statement.

AIP technology is known to enhance the endurance of conventional, or non-nuclear, submarines from about 24 hours to 14-21 days. The Indian Navy has decided to equip all six Kalvari-class submarines with the lab-designed AIP system when the boats undergo their first major refits, with the first planned for two years from now.

The lab, which is part of the government’s Defence Research and Development Organisation, is currently conducting research on strategic materials for the Navy. According to DRDO, efforts involve developing an optimized design for a phosphoric acid fuel cell system, hydrogen generators, power conditioners, control systems, heat exchangers, a demineralization water system, and auxiliaries for the AIP system.

India’s largest private defense contractor, Larsen & Toubro, will serve as prime contractor for the AIP systems, while another private company, Thermax, will supply fuel cells. The Navy has not previously ordered AIP systems from domestic prime contractors.

DRDO declined to comment on the cost of developing the technology.

To date, the Indian government has only tested AIP prototypes, which have successfully met design requirements.

The prototype designs are advanced because the system onboard the submarine uses the chemical sodium borohydride, which mitigates risk since hydrogen is not carried or stored, which is the case with other AIP systems, according to retired Indian Navy Commodore Mukesh Bhargava. The storage of hydrogen — a flammable element — onboard a submarine carries with it the risk of an explosion.

Also on Monday, the Indian Navy commissioned its fifth Kalvari-class submarine INS Vagir. The service said this submarine type features advanced stealth technology and is equipped with long-range guided torpedoes and anti-ship missiles.

The state-run Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. in India builds the subs in collaboration with Naval Group.

The new tenders are for:

• 163 high-altitude logistics drones.
• 200 medium-altitude logistics drones.
• 1,000 unmanned surveillance helicopters.
• 750 remotely piloted aerial vehicles.
• 80 mini-remotely piloted aircraft systems.
• 10 runway-independent remotely piloted aircraft systems.

According to the Defence Ministry, orders are to be fulfilled within one year after contract signing.

On Oct 16, the Army issued two tenders to procure 363 drones in keeping with its commitment to fight future wars with indigenous solutions. That planned order includes 163 drones that can operate at high altitudes, while the remaining 200 are meant for medium altitudes. The Army requires 60% of each system includes indigenous material.

Each drone system should include one UAV, one man-portable ground control station, one color video camera for daytime and one monochromatic nighttime thermal sensor. The system should weigh 100 kilograms (220 pounds) and be able to withstand strong winds at high altitudes. The drone should have a mission range of 10 kilometers (6 miles), an endurance of 40 minutes and a shelf life of 1,000 landings.

On Oct. 18, another tender was issued for the procurement of 1,000 surveillance copters. Each surveillance system should come with one aerial vehicle, one man-potable ground control station, one remote video terminal, one color video camera for daytime, one monochromatic nighttime thermal sensor and two sets of spare batteries.

Each surveillance copter should weigh 10 kilograms, have a mission range of 5 kilometers and operate at an altitude of 5,000 meters with a one-hour endurance. The system must have a shelf life of 1,000 landings.

The tender for 750 remotely piloted aerial vehicles, issued Oct. 21, said the Army wants each system to weigh 2 kilograms and have an endurance of 30 minutes. The government also said it should only take one person 10 minutes to launch the drone, which should be able to operate in the day and night as well as autonomously generate and execute a flight plan based on a 3D scan of an area as defined by the user using augmented reality or coordinates.

The call for 80 mini-remotely piloted aircraft systems, issued Oct. 20, requires the ability to perform tactical surveillance to locate adversaries as well as their equipment and weapons systems in a particular area. Each system is to include two aerial vehicles, two man-portable ground control stations, one launch and recovery system, two remote video terminals, two color video cameras for daytime, two monochromatic nighttime thermal sensors, and two training payloads.

The systems should have a mission range of 15 kilometers, have an endurance of 90 minutes and be able to operate at an altitude of 4,500 meters. The remote vehicles should have a shelf life of 500 landings, or about seven years. The systems should also be suitable to withstand strong wind currents.

The open tender for the purchase of 10 runway-independent drones, issued Oct. 28, also calls for four ground control stations, four remote video terminals, and eight sensor packages/payloads for use in the day and night, with inter- and intra-communications systems as well as the facility to transmit imagery in real-time. The drones are to have a service and shelf life of 10 years.

“The system will provide high-resolution imagery to enable target detection, recognition, identification and accurate location of adversary’s location/build-up, location of mortars/guns, movement to troops and vehicles during border management tasks and active operations. It will also facilitate accurate engagement and direction of artillery fire,” the tender read.

Based on experience and prior industrial activities, it’s possible these state-run domestic companies could compete for one or more contracts: Bharat Electronics Ltd., Bharat Dynamics Ltd. and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. Those in the local private sector likely to bid are: Bharat Forge, Alpha Design Technologies, Adani Defence, Larsen & Turbo, Mahindra Defence Systems, Paras Aerospace, Kadet Defence Systems, ideaForge, Newspace Research and Technologies, VOTL Aviation India, and Tata Advanced Systems.

The agreement was signed between the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which is part of the Defense Department, and the Indian Ministry of Defence during the third 2+2 dialogue between the defense and foreign ministers of the two counties.

India and the U.S. negotiated the terms of the agreement for more than a decade, according to an MoD official.

“BECA will permit the U.S. armed forces to provide advanced navigational aids and avionics and share geospatial intelligence to India that will help boost the accuracy of the Indian military’s automated hardware systems and weapons such as drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles,” the official explained.

The third round of the bilateral 2+2 meeting was held in India on Oct. 27 against the backdrop of a tense border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh.

In a joint statement the ministers — Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of External Affairs Subramanyam Jaishankar, with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper — described the pact as a significant step in bilateral relations. The Defense Technology and Trade Initiative, meant to bolster the joint production of weapon systems, was also discussed, and a bilateral summit is planned later this year to strengthen defense industrial cooperation, the joint statement noted.

“We have identified priority near-term projects for joint development between respective agencies, which need to be fast-tracked under the DTTI and resolved to work together in defense [research and development] more efficiently,” Singh said.

India wants co-development and co-production of defense technologies in areas related to cybersecurity; military space; air-launched small unmanned systems; lightweight small arms; ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance) aircraft; unmanned aerial systems; advanced artillery ammunition; and mortar and rocket systems, according to another MoD official.

The two countries will also hold the inaugural Industrial Security Annex summit later this year to further strengthen defense industrial cooperation, the joint statement read. The annex, signed in December 2019, enables greater industry-to-industry collaboration for co-production and co-development in the defense sector. The deal is part of the General Security of Military Information Agreement signed between the two countries in 2002, and ultimately allows American companies bidding for big-ticket Indian defense deals to partner with private Indian firms.

The two countries are also signatories of the 2016 Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement and the 2018 Communications, Compatibility and Security Arrangement.

A limited tender was issued last week to only domestic companies for the production of close-in weapon systems, or CIWS, under the “Buy & Make (Indian)” procurement category. The local firms would team up with overseas original equipment manufacturers.

Under the proposed CIWS program, the Air Force plans to induct 244 air defense guns, 228 fire control and search radars, and 204,000 programmable bullets.

This is the first air defense program issued to domestic companies for in-country manufacturing, a Ministry of Defence official said.

The CIWS units will be service-specific, with India fielding four air defense guns, two fire control radars, a search radar, a command-and-control unit, four electro-optical fire control systems, communication systems, and a simulator system, according to a senior Air Force official.

The CIWS units will have a short-range, and its air defense guns will have a range of 3.5 kilometers and be capable of firing 200 rounds of ammunition per minute.

Another service official said the Air Force will use CIWS to target fighters, helicopters, UAVs and cruise missiles.

The domestic companies that will bid in the CIWS program are Bharat Forge Limited, Punj Lloyd, Tata Power SED, Larsen & Toubro, Reliance Defence, and Mahindra Defence Systems, as well as state-controlled Bharat Electronics Limited and Ordnance Factory Board.

No domestic company is yet to team up any overseas OEM for CIWS.

The Air Force aims to induct homemade CIWS units within the next seven years and will integrate the systems with air command-and-control systems that perform air traffic and surveillance management functions.

The two companies are demanding an annual maintenance fee of around $15 million from state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, the prime contractor on the upgrade, to extend the tooling & test machinery and equipment warranty that expired last month. HAL is refusing to pay, instead asking Indian Air Force to make the payments; IAF argues however that the annual maintenance fee is part the upgrade contract with HAL.

HAL executives refused to comment officially on the subject, but a company source said the company is pursuing the issue with the service. HAL is currently undertaking upgradation of 47 Mirage fighters independently — an effort that kicked off in 2015. Seven aircraft have been delivered to the IAF thus far.

HAL is currently undertaking upgradation of 47 Mirage fighters independently, under a contract awarded in 2015. Seven aircraft have been delivered to the IAF under that deal. India signed $2.1 billion with Thales and Dassault Aviation in July 2011 for upgradation of 51 Mirage 2000H upgraded to Mirage 2000-5 version. Under this deal, four aircraft were upgraded. Two french companies are also supplying new sub-sustems that are being incorporated into modified Mirage 2000-H aircraft.

A separate $900 million agreement was also singed with HAL in 2011 to carryout upgradation of the 47 Mirage aircraft in India. Thales is the lead integrator for the upgrade program, whereas Dassault Aviation is the OEM and weapons support is provided by MBDA of France.

The upgrade program involves installation of new mission computers, pulse doppler radars, advanced navigation and electronic warfare systems, advanced communication systems and identification systems. In addition, cockpits of Mirage 2000-H are incorporated with two lateral displays, advanced head down display systems and glass cockpits.

The modification of electronic warfare units involves installation of new radar warning receiver, missile approach warning receivers, jammers to track multiple threats simultaneously, counter measure dispensing systems and escort jammers for jamming surveillance acquisition radars. The modified aircraft will also be equipped with digital video recorder; data transfer system and real time simulation management system.

The upgrade of Mirage fleet is aimed at enhancement of performance and incorporates new weapons, which will provide an expected increase in total technical life to 40 years from original 25 years. Another IAF official said the cost of upgrade does not include HAL’s man-hour costs to upgrade 47 aircraft, which it would undertake with technical assistance from the French suppliers.

A formal letter of request was sent to the U.S. Defense Department earlier this month expressing intent to procure two intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance aircraft via the Foreign Military Sales program, a Ministry of Defense official said.

“This is a priority program, as many of the [Indian Air Force’s] surveillance programs have been delayed,” the MoD official said.

The ISTAR aircraft is a critical requirement and will be operated by the Air Force, the official noted, adding that the deal is estimated to cost $1 billion.

ISTAR aircraft will be supplied by Raytheon of the U.S. on a Gulfstream platform.

The MoD also constituted a joint committee comprising of scientists from the Defence Research and Development Organization, officials from the Air Force, and MoD officials. The aircraft acquisition is expected to be expedited. The committee will finalize the mission software and critical equipment for the ISTAR aircraft.

Raytheon has provided a classified briefing on the ISTAR aircraft program to related agencies in India. Raytheon executives in India were unavailable for comment.

An MoD source told Defense News the ISTAR program is delayed by more than a year “due to dispute between DRDO and IAF over the issue of being designated as prime evaluating authority. IAF had said DRDO is incapable and does not have expertise to evaluate the aircraft; therefore, the service should be the technical evaluator as the aircraft will be operated by them.”

The source added that this matter is now settled and that technical evaluation will take place under the purview of a joint MoD committee, which was set up in August this year.

Commenting on the requirement for ISTAR aircraft, a senior Air Force official said: “It will be a game-changer and very vital in India’s operational and technologically networked environment.”

India-specific ISTAR aircraft for the Air Force will be equipped with active electronically scanned array radar that can scan more than a 30,000-kilometer area in a minute, and analyze data and identify the target in 10 to 15 minutes.

The service intends to operate ISTAR aircraft as its central airborne platform for analytical, communications and sensor-related tasks to achieve real-time targeting capability in the battlefield. The aircraft will eventually be networked with the service’s indigenous air command-and-control system, or IACCS, the Air Force official noted.

Another service official said the aircraft ”will be used against ground targets and for battlefield management, whereas the airborne warning and control system, or AWACS, used by the service are meant for air defense and aerial targets. The service also used aerostat radar systems, which are mini versions of the AWACS and do not help in ground target acquisition. The capabilities of unmanned aerial vehicles used by IAF for surveillance and reconnaissance are limited.”

The IACCS is designed and built on the lines of NATO’s air command-and-control system, which handles air traffic control, surveillance, air mission control, airspace management and force management functions.

The Air Force also floated a restricted global request for information for the acquisition of ISTAR-capable aircraft in 2013 to Thales of France, Raytheon and Boeing of the U.S., Elta of Israel, and BAE Systems of the United Kingdom; but the case did not progress further, as it was only an expression of interest.

In 2015, the Indian Air Force submitted a formal request to acquire ISTAR aircraft, which was approved by the MoD that same year.

NEW DELHI — Aimed at countering a perceived threat from China, India is seeking to acquire seven aircraft with signals intelligence and communication-jamming capabilities with a budget of about $570 million.

“The requirement is for aircraft to carry out a unique list of missions centered around a two-front threat from China and Pakistan,” said Daljit Sigh, a defense analyst and retired Indian Air Force air marshal.

India’s global hunt is for twin-engine jets, and preference will be given to overseas companies able to provide custom, Indian-built electronic warfare equipment, a senior Indian Air Force official said.

”We need more airborne electronic intelligence (ELINT) assets, particularly to meet the Chinese threat as they are likely to extensively use electronic warfare and spoofing during any hostilities, and the IAF needs to get her act together,” said Vijainder K. Thakur, a defense analyst and retired Air force squadron leader.

The seven sigint aircraft will be operated by the Indian Air Force.

A request for information was sent to various foreign original equipment manufacturers seeking details of the aircraft and the signals-intelligence and commutations-jamming systems available, according to an official at India’s Ministry of Defence.

After responses to the RFI, a formal request for proposal will likely follow in mid-2018, with the expectation for a tentative product delivery in 24 months from the date a contract is signed, the MoD official explained.

The main competitors for the program are likely to be Israel Aerospace Industries; Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Raytheon, Gulfstream, Textron of the United States; Dornier of Germany; Bombardier of Canada; Dassault Aviation of France; and Embraer of Brazil.

“The main mission of these aircraft would be to map and update the electronic order of battle of the adversary at regular intervals during peacetime and in addition, degrade or disrupt the communication network of the adversary during hostilities. These aircraft are required to be networked with ground stations and other airborne platform for secure exchange of information,” Singh said.

The electronic warfare database fed from a ground station with the help of airborne an ELINT system is considered a key capability for the Air Force.

“Airborne ELINT has the advantage of being able to pick up radio frequency emissions from deep within adversary territory. Also, airborne ELINT can eavesdrop over mountain ranges such as along the Line of Actual Control on the Chinese border,” Thakur noted.

“Typically, if your database is good, the EW equipment on a fighter aircraft like Su-30MKI multirole aircraft used by IAF would be able to not only passively detect an adversary fighter but also identify the fighter type and thereby more effectively counter the threat. It’s even possible to identify the missile that has been fired at you,” he added.

The latest RFI would be the third of its kind. The first was issued in 2006; and the second in 2012 for nine aircraft. The latest RFI, however, involves additional requirements, according to the MoD official.