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| Afghanistan-Pak-India |
| Israeli companies invited to Indian Army rifles tender |
| 2005-11-17 |
| India is considering future infantry models, including Israelâs future model. Israeli defense companies have been invited to bid in an Indian Army tender for the purchase of 50,000 rifles, âDefense Newsâ reports. According to the weekly, the Indian Army is planning to upgrade the equipment of its infantry units. Indian military planners are currently considering future infantry models, including the infantry program of the US Army, an overall technological project for the future soldier; Israelâs future infantry program; and South Africaâs African soldier program. The Indian Army is planning to equip its soldiers with an upgraded 5.56 mm assault rifle, sights and observation equipment installed on helmets, a radio and data communications system, and armor and survival equipment. Within 3-4 months, the Indian Army plans to publish an international tender for the purchase of 50,000 rifles. Companies from Israel, Germany, South Africa, and the US will be eligible. âDefense Newsâ says that all bids must include a program for transferring rifle technologies to India in order to make local production possible. Rifles offered in the tender are likely to include electro-optical components, such as thermal sights, holographic sights, video cameras and still photographs, a digital compass, and a global positioning system (GPS). Other equipment is likely to include a digital map and a battlefield identification system. A fire control computer will coordinate all the elements, and make it possible to use electronically summoned air blast ammunition. Rifles will also be equipped with a grenade launcher. The Indian Army is also planning to buy several thousand light helmets with equipment for distributing data from sensors and other digital information. Battle suits will include ballistic armor and atomic-biological-chemical (ABC) identification kits. The suits, made of infrared-absorbing camouflage materials capable of changing color to match the surroundings, will minimize physical pressure on the body. |
| Posted by:john |
| #4 Or this from Russian sources (babelfish translation) (This is the engine that Russia refused permission for Chinese assembly. They are shipped in from Russia and mounted into the Chinese SU-30 MKK and SU-27 Flankers) The Indian industry successfully masters the license production of engine for the Su-30MKI - genconstructor OF NPO "Saturn" The first deputy of the director general OF NPO "Saturn" Victor chepkin considers that till 2008 the Indian specialists can completely master the license production of engine AL -31F, installed to the multifunctional destroyers Su-30MKI. "we communicated to India very deep license to the production of engine. As a result to 2008 they can make engines themselves. The Indian specialists, with whom I work, are lustrously people. They are capable of completely mastering the production of engines in themselves ", said V.Chepkin. |
| Posted by: john 2005-11-17 14:29 |
| #3 50,000 is probably just an initial order so if a manufacturer can set up a joint venture and sell hundreds of thousands of rifles to the Indian market alone and also export, it would be a lucrative market. Consider what Lockeed Martin is considering for the Indian MRCA order... "If Indiaâs requirements are beyond any existing fighters, we are prepared to make upgraded F-16s to Indiaâs specifications with complete transfer of technology,â Mike Kelly, senior executive of Lockheed Martin recently told mediapersons. The deal projects supply of 18 aircraft in flyaway conditions and the remaining 108 assembled in India under technology transfer. Analysts point out that the US administration has also allowed the sale of the entire array of weapons platform mounted on the aircraft, including beyond visual range air-to-air missiles and 100 km standoff ground target- engaging missiles. |
| Posted by: john 2005-11-17 14:19 |
| #2 all bids must include a program for transferring rifle technologies to India in order to make local production possible. Is this likely to be acceptable to the named bidders? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-11-17 13:52 |
| #1 Meanwhile the Indian Defence Minister is in Russia.. "The work is currently underway on execution of military contracts worth 9 billion dollars, thus consolidating Russia as India's topmost partner in the military-technical cooperation," he said. The Intellectual Property Rights Agreement: Mukherjee and Ivanov have announced that the two sides have agreed to its text. The Russians have been insistent on the agreement to cover all future defence deals. The agreement will be signed during Manmohan Singhâs visit Advanced Technical Vessel (ATV) and naval acquisitions: Mukherjee said the two sides have identified areas for production of certain equipment for the ATV, a euphemism for Indiaâs submarine programme, and the air defence ship. This is probably the first time that collaboration on the ATV has been acknowledged at this level Fifth generation fighter aircraft: Mukherjee said the IAF has committed to actively engage itself with concrete offers from Sukhoi and RAC MiG Corporation. He said the Indian government has made it clear that it will participate in the programme and has conveyed its interest in taking a financial stake in it Medium lift transport aircraft: The project is being taken up for the IAF to acquire aircraft capable of lifting payloads between its AN 32s and IL 76s in the sub-20-tonne category. India has given a draft proposal for a joint venture company. The project is estimated around Rs 7,000 crore Brahmos Supersonic Cruise Missile: Ivanov announced during the meeting of the IGC on MTC (inter governmental commission on military technical cooperation) that Russia and India will jointly make an effort to market the missile to friendly third countries. The first country identified for such an export project is Chile which Mukherjee visited last month and which this month sent its army and naval chiefs to New Delhi. The missile is touted to be more effective than the subsonic Tomahawk used by the US forces. The Russian side also announced that it was preparing to induct the Brahmos into its navy. Moscow also committed a fresh infusion of $ 25.2 million for the enhanced authorised capital of the joint venture project that draws its name from the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers GLONASS: Mukherjee announced that Russia has agreed to India using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) on a request from the Indian department of space. The two countries are to launch 16 more satellites in three years, an agreement that was touched upon during Putinâs visit to New Delhi in 2004 Further joint research and development efforts: Involving the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and several Russian science institutes. Some progress has been recorded in the efforts for the Kaveri engine. The engine is to be used in Indiaâs Light Combat Aircraft project. It is being tried in Russia and is now to enter into a flight bed test. In flight bed tests, the engine will be fired from another aircraft that already runs on at least two other engines. |
| Posted by: john 2005-11-17 11:31 |