Mil News India,Pakistan & Sub Continent Military News

[BravoZulu]

India:
The Indian Air Force (IAF) continued search-and-rescue operations on 4 June for an Antonov An-32 ‘Cline’ transport aircraft carrying 13 service personnel that had gone missing the previous day in India’s mountainous northeastern region.
The Soviet-era IAF aircraft had taken off for a routine maintenance mission from Johrat in Assam State at 12:27 h (local time) on 3 June en route for the 1,829 m-high Advanced Landing Around (ALG) at Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh State, close to the Chinese border.
However, the twin-engine turbo-prop lost contact with ground control and vanished from the radar screens shortly after, according to IAF spokesman Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh.

https://www.janes.com/article/89017...nd-rescue-mission-for-missing-an-32-transport

 

[tomthounaojam]

India:
The Indian Air Force (IAF) continued search-and-rescue operations on 4 June for an Antonov An-32 ‘Cline’ transport aircraft carrying 13 service personnel that had gone missing the previous day in India’s mountainous northeastern region.
The Soviet-era IAF aircraft had taken off for a routine maintenance mission from Johrat in Assam State at 12:27 h (local time) on 3 June en route for the 1,829 m-high Advanced Landing Around (ALG) at Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh State, close to the Chinese border.
However, the twin-engine turbo-prop lost contact with ground control and vanished from the radar screens shortly after, according to IAF spokesman Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh.

https://www.janes.com/article/89017...nd-rescue-mission-for-missing-an-32-transport

more here as why it is not yet found

 

[BravoZulu]

The Sri Lanka Navy officially received a former Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy frigate in a handover ceremony at the Shanghai Dockyard in China on June 5.
The gifted vessel spent 21 years in service as Jiangwei I-class frigate Tongling before being retired in 2015.
After it was designated for handover to Sri Lanka in September 2018, the vessel underwent a refit during which it received a new pennant number – P 625, which indicates that it will be used as a patrol vessel rather than a frigate.
The yet-to-be-named patrol ship measures 112 meters in length and displaces 2300 tons. Crewed by 18 officers and 92 sailors, it will be used in patrol and surveillance missions in the deep seas around Sri Lanka providing the maritime security and assistance to search and rescue operations.
The ship is scheduled to set sail to Sri Lanka on June 14 and expected to reach the island by the end of the month.

https://navaltoday.com/2019/06/10/sri-lanka-receives-gifted-chinese-frigate/

 

[BravoZulu]

India:
The Indian Navy (IN) has postponed by several months the commissioning of the second of six Kalvari (Scorpène)-class diesel-electric attack submarines (SSKs) following the discovery of what appear to be manufacturing defects.
A senior IN officer told Jane's on 16 June that the service has asked government-owned Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), which is licence-building the boats in collaboration with France's Naval Group, to "fix" a total of 36 "observations" or deficiencies found in Khanderi before the submarine is cleared for commissioning.
Speaking on condition of anonymity the officer said that the IN had instructed MDL to deliver a "fully sea- and battle-worthy" submarine, pointing out that it is the shipyard's responsibility to resolve "all outstanding snags and shortcomings".
The officer declined to provide many details about the 'observations' made by the IN to MDL but stated that one of Khanderi's "principal drawbacks" at the moment is its "unacceptably high" engine and propeller noise level: an issue, which, if not rectified, would significantly increase the chances of the submarine being detected by enemy forces at sea.
Khanderi , which began sea trials in mid-2017, is part of the IN's Project 75 programme for six Scorpène-class boats, construction of which was agreed in late 2005 with Armaris: a former Naval Group (then DCN) and Thales joint subsidiary.
Khanderi was initially scheduled to enter service by the end of 2019, but senior IN sources said this will only take place in 2020 as 29 of these 'observations' require testing in Sea State 1, or calm sea conditions, which are unlikely to prevail before the end of the monsoon rains at the end of September.

https://www.janes.com/article/89304...s-induction-of-second-kalvari-class-submarine

 

[BravoZulu]

IAF to curtail An-32 operations

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking to limit the use of its ageing fleet of Antonov An-32 ‘Cline’ transport aircraft after one of them crashed in India’s mountainous northeastern region on 3 June, killing all 13 service personnel on board.
Senior IAF officers said the force plans to “curtail” operations of the IAF’s 105 Soviet-era An-32s in the country’s Himalayan regions and over the Bay of Bengal because of “safety concerns”.
Since 1986, two years after the IAF began inducting An-32s into service, four fatal accidents have taken place involving the twin-engine turboprop transporter, resulting in the deaths of 54 service personnel and civilians.
https://www.janes.com/article/89331/iaf-to-curtail-an-32-operations

Two days after searching the wreckage, the Indian Air Force said there were "no survivors"from the An-32 crash.

 

[BravoZulu]

The Indian Navy has commissioned its sixth landing craft utility (LCU 56) in a milestone for both the navy and shipbuilder Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE).
LCU 56 is the sixth of eight units in the class and the 100th navy ship to be delivered by the shipbuilder since 1961.
The LCU was commissioned at Visakhapatnam by Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain, AVSM, VSM, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command in a ceremony attended by Rear Admiral VK Saxena, IN(Retd), chairman & managing director, GRSE and other senior officials of the Indian Navy and GRSE.
The LCU Mk-IV is an amphibious ship with its primary role being the transportation and deployment of main battle tanks, armored vehicles, troops and equipment from ship to shore. It was developed in-house by GRSE as per requirements specified by Indian Navy.
These ships can be deployed for multirole activities like beaching operations, search and rescue, disaster relief operations, supply and replenishment and evacuation from distant islands.
The LCU is 63 m in length and has a displacement of 830 tons with a low draught of 1.7 m. It is designed to accommodate 216 personnel and is equipped with two indigenous CRN 91 guns to provide artillery fire support during landing operations.

https://navaltoday.com/2019/07/30/indian-navy-commissions-sixth-landing-craft-utility/

 

[BravoZulu]

Sri Lanka commissions ex-Chinese navy frigate. In 2015, Jiangwei I Type 053 H2G class frigate Tongling (542), who served in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), was transferred to the Sri Lanka Navy in September 2018. The vessel, which has been renamed SLNS Parakramabahu (P625), was commissioned on 22 August in Colombo in the presence of the Sri Lankan and Chinese governments and military leaders. The ship will boost the country’s maritime security and conduct search and rescue operations.

http://en.c4defence.com/Agenda/sln-has-commissioned-an-ex-plan-frigate/8584/1

 

[BravoZulu]

Dutch shipbuilder Damen has launched the second of two Pakistan Navy offshore patrol vessels at its shipyard in Galati, Romania.
The two OPVs, referred to as corvettes by the Pakistan Navy, are being built under a contract from June 2017.
The lead ship in the class was launched in May 2019 and is expected to be delivered by the end of the year.
According to specifications shared by the navy, the OPVs are likely based on Damen’s OPV2400 design, displacing 2,300 tons and measuring 90 meters in length.
Pakistan is currently in the process of upgrading and renewing its navy, with contracts in place for the construction of four MILGEM corvettes and four Type 054A frigates.
The navy has recently introduced a new tanker into the fleet and could be expected to welcome a Chinese-built survey ship this year.

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https://navaltoday.com/2019/09/03/pakistan-navys-second-opv-launched-in-romania/

 

[BravoZulu]

India:

The Indian Air Force is expected to resurrect its 'Golden Arrows' 17 Squadron on Tuesday, which will be the first unit to fly the multirole Rafale fighter jets. Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa will resurrect the 17 Squadron at Ambala Air Force Station as it prepares to receive the Rafale jets, sources said.
The 'Golden Arrows' 17 Squadron was commanded by Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa during the Kargil war in 1999.
The squadron, which operated from Bhatinda air base, was disbanded in 2016 after the IAF started gradual phasing out of Russian-origin MiG 21 jets.
The squadron was formed in 1951, and initially it flew de Havilland Vampire F Mk 52 fighters. India is expected to receive the first Rafale jet by the end of this month.
The IAF has already completed preparations, including readying required infrastructure and training of pilots, to welcome the fighter aircraft. The sources said the first squadron of the aircraft will be deployed at Ambala Air Force Station, considered one of the most strategically located bases of the IAF. The border with Pakistan is around 220 km from there.
The second squadron of the Rafale will be stationed at Hasimara base in West Bengal.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/gol...in-kargil-war-to-be-revived-for-rafal-2098199

 

[BravoZulu]

India:
The Indian Navy has taken delivery of INS Khanderi, the second Scorpene-class submarine, from Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL).
The delivery ceremony for the diesel-electric attack submarine took place in Mumbai on September 19, 2019.
Launched at the beginning of 2017, INS Khanderi be commissioned into the Indian Navy at the end of this month. It is the second of six boats being built by MDL in cooperation with French submarine designer Naval Group (former DCNS).
The first submarine from the batch, INS Kalvari, was commissioned in December 2017. The third Scorpene-class submarine, the future INS Karanj, is currently undergoing sea trials, according to the navy.
In addition, the fourth submarine, INS Vela, was launched in May this year and is currently preparing for sea trials. The remaining two newbuilds, the future INS Vagir and Vagsheer, are in various stages of outfitting, the navy informed.
Scorpene-class (also known as Kalvari-class) submarines are 67.5 meters long with a height of about 12.3 meters. They are fitted with 360 battery cells (each weighing 750 kg) powering the permanently magnetised propulsion motor.
Equipped with the submarine tactical integrated combat system (SUBTICS), sea skimming SM 39 Exocet missiles or the heavy weight wire guided Surface and underwater target (SUT) torpedoes, they can undertake multifarious tasks which include anti-surface as well as anti submarine warfare.
The first submarine Khanderi was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1968 and decommissioned in 1989 after more than 20 years of service to the nation.
https://navaltoday.com/2019/09/19/indian-navy-takes-delivery-of-second-scorpene-submarine/

 

[BravoZulu]

Afghanistan:
India on Tuesday handed over the second pair of Mi-24V helicopters to war-torn Afghanistan, boosting the capability of the Afghan forces. The helicopters were officially handed over by Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar to Afghanistan's acting Defence Minister Asadullah Khalid at a ceremony held at the military airport in Kabul.

"Vinay Kumar, Indian Ambassador handed over the 2nd pair of Mi-24V helicopters to Afg MinDef Asadullah Khalid at a ceremony today," the Indian Embassy in Kabul tweeted.

These helicopters are a replacement for the four attack helicopters previously gifted by India to Afghanistan in 2015 and 2016.

The combat performance and offensive firepower that the helicopters provide will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the Afghan Air Force (AAF) in ensuring that the ANDSF maintain an agile and robust Counter-Terrorism capability.

 

[BravoZulu]

Nepal:
Nepal said on Monday that China will give its army about $21 million in unspecified “disaster relief materials” over the next three years, as Beijing strengthens its ties with Kathmandu.

Xi Jinping visited the Himalayan nation, which has traditionally leaned on neighboring India for help, on Oct. 12 in the first such trip by a Chinese president in more than two decades.

Nepal and China signed several agreements during Xi’s visit, including two connectivity projects that the Nepali government hopes will eventually reduce its dependence on India.

China has made rapid inroads into Nepal with aid and investment, amid growing concerns in India which considers the landlocked nation its area of influence.

After a devastating earthquake in 2015, which killed 9,000 people, China was among the first countries to send rescue and relief teams to Nepal.

One of the projects is part of Xi’s high-profile Belt and Road Initiative that seeks to connect Asia with Europe and Africa by roads, railways and sea.

The agreement on disaster relief was signed by Nepali defense minister Ishwar Pokharel, who is on a visit to China, and his counterpart Wei Fenghe over the weekend in Beijing, a government statement said.

“The humanitarian and disaster relief materials will be handed over to Nepal as per our army’s requirement over the next three years,” Ministry of Defence official Santa Bahadur Sunwar told Reuters.

Army spokesman Bigyan Raj Pandey said the list of items had not yet been finalised.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-to-help-future-disaster-relief-idUSKBN1X01FU

 

[ao_sepia]

Pakistan signs for T129 attack helos

According to Turkey’s ruling party, Pakistan recently signed for 30 T129 attack helicopters. Source: TAI
Pakistan has formally signed for 30 TAI T129 attack helicopters from Turkey, it was disclosed on 24 May.

The confirmation of the anticipated sale to Pakistan was made in the political manifesto that Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) has released ahead of the general election scheduled for June. The manifesto states that “a very short while ago a contract for the sale of 30 attack helicopters was signed with Pakistan”. No further details were disclosed and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) had not responded to a request for comment at the time of writing.

Pakistan is known to have evaluated the Turkish-built version of the AgustaWestland A129 Mangusta as part of an ongoing effort to procure a new attack helicopter for the country’s army. With the Pakistan Army having already ordered 12 US-built Bell AH-1Z Vipers, it had since 2014 been trialling the Chinese-built Z-10 and since 2016 the T129.

Speaking earlier in the year to Jane’s and other defence media, Pakistan Army Aviation commander Major General Nasir Shah said only that a number of platform options were being considered to augment its current Bell AH-1 Cobras, the four recently received Mil Mi-35s, and its soon to be delivered AH-1Z Viper platforms.

“Army Aviation has plans to further enhance its attack helicopter fleets, and various options are currently being considered and evaluated,” Gen Shah said on 31 January at the IQPC Military Helicopter conference in London. “The [current 32] AH-1 helicopters have provided effective close support for our ground forces engaged in counterinsurgency [COIN] operations, but they cannot be employed effectively in high-altitude operations above 8,000 ft,” he added.

http://www.janes.com/article/80336/pakistan-signs-for-t129-attack-helos

pakistan more attack helicopter types ah-1,ah-1z,z-10,mi-35,t-129

indian more clash air craft!

 

[BravoZulu]

India:
The Air Force’s MiG-27 strike aircraft would fly into the sunset on the last day of this year, bringing to an end the era of ‘swing-wing’ fighters in the IAF.
IAF sources said the fleet is formally being retired on December 31 and a ceremony is being organised at the Jodhpur airbase, where the last remaining MiG-27 outfit, No.29 Squadron, also called Scorpions, is based. Besides squadron officers, other IAF serving and retired personnel who have been associated with the aircraft are expected to attend the event.
Nicknamed Bahadur in India, the Soviet origin MiG-27 was inducted into the IAF in 1984 and over the years served seven operational squadrons and other combat training and tactics-evaluation establishments. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) built 165 of these aircraft and in 2004, HAL began upgrading some of these aircraft, christened MiG-27 UPG, to enhance their combat capability and extend their service life.
Armed with rockets, bombs and air-to-surface missiles, the aircraft formed an important element of the IAF’s ground attack and tactical close support capability. They had last seen active combat in the sub-continent during the 1999 Kargil conflict when these were used, with limited effect though, to launch aerial attacks on enemy positions along the Line of Control.
While the upgraded version continued in service, the IAF began retiring the earlier ‘M’ and ‘ML’ variants a few years ago. The last ML versions were decommissioned in 2017 at the Hashimara airbase in North-East. Over the past few years the fleet, due to its age, was facing a serious serviceability problem. Like the MiG-21, India is among the last nations to operate the MiG-27. The remaining MiG-21s are expected to serve for another about four years.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/mig-27-aircraft-to-fly-into-sunset-on-dec-31/855013.html

 

[BravoZulu]

Afghanistan:
Arizona-based U.S. defense contractor MD Helicopters, Inc., announced the delivery of another batch of five MD-530F Cayuse Warrior light attack helicopters to the Afghan Air Force (AAF) on November 22. According to a press statement, the light attack helicopters were delivered to Kandahar via a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft on October 27 and reassembled for active service within ten days.
The five MD-530Fs are part of a follow-on batch of 30 helicopters ordered by the U.S. Army under a wider $1.4 billion Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract issued in September 2017.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the 2017 contract entails the “procurement of an estimated quantity of 150 MD 530F aircraft and required production support services to include program management, delivery support, pilot training and maintenance” by September 2022.
With the latest shipment, “MD Helicopters has successfully met all requirements of IDIQ [Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity Contracts] Delivery Order 1, and the number of MD 530F training and combat aircraft delivered to the Afghan Air Force has reached 60,” according to a company press release.
There are currently around 50 MD-530Fs operationally deployed by the AAF in Afghanistan. Some AAF pilots have criticized the size and capabilities of the helicopters in the past.
All MD-530F helicopters currently in service with the AAF are equipped with a so-called Enhanced Mission Equipment Package (EMEP) that includes a ballistic crash worthy fuel system, FN Herstal Weapons Management System, DillonAero Mission Configurable Armament System (MCAS) weapons plank and Fixed-Forward Sighting System, Rohde & Schwarz M3AR Tactical Mission Radio, and FN Herstal .50 caliber HMP 400 Machine Gun Pods and M260 7-shot rocket pods, according to MD Helicopters, Inc.

https://thediplomat.com/2019/11/afghanistans-air-force-receives-five-more-md-530-helicopters/

 

[BravoZulu]

India:
The first night trial of the nuclear-capable Agni-III surface-to-surface ballistic missile was carried out from a mobile launcher at the Integrated Test Range at the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast on Saturday, Defence sources said.
The trajectory of the missile is being monitored and the outcome of the trial is awaited, the sources said. The flight test of the intermediate-range missile, which has a strike range of over 3,500 km, was part of a user trial by the Army, the sourc...
The flight test of the intermediate-range missile, which has a strike range of over 3,500 km, was part of a user trial by the Army, the sources said.

https://www.deccanherald.com/scienc...ht-trial-of-agni-iii-missile-held-781351.html

 

[BravoZulu]

India will not be able to take delivery of its aircraft carrier Vikrant due to delays in securing fighters to operate on board the ship. INS Vikrant is the first aircraft carrier to be built in India.

The Financial Express cited Defense Minister Sripad Naik as saying that “issues with the delivery of aviation equipment from Russia” was the cause.

However, TASS later quoted an anonymous Russia source saying Moscow has yet to receive any order for new MiG-29K carrier-borne fighters.
The ship’s completion and commissioning had been delayed several times. She was originally intended to be delivered in December 2010 and commissioned in 2016.

This however was later postponed, with sea trials to begin in 2017 and commissioning planned for 2018.

 

[BravoZulu]

India:
Amidst the ongoing stand-off with China in eastern Ladakh, India plans to deploy its MiG-29K maritime fighter aircraft at an Indian Air Force base in the northern sector for operational deployment.

It is being planned to deploy the MiG-29K fighter aircraft at an IAF base in the northern sector. They might be used for carrying out operational flying in the eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control,”

India currently has a fleet of more than 40 MiG-29K, purchased from Russia, out of which 18 operate from India’s lone aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, whereas the rest is earmarked for India’s second aircraft carrier, being constructed at Cochin Sh...

The second squadron is based in the Hansa naval station in Goa.

https://www.deccanherald.com/nation...ay-be-moved-to-northern-air-bases-864020.html

 

[BravoZulu]

The Pakistan Army officially inducted into service its first batch of Al-Khalid-I main battle tanks in a ceremony at the facilities of state-owned defence manufacturer Heavy Industries Taxila in the Rawalpindi District of the Pakistan’s Punjab Province.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistani military, said that several units of the tank, which is an improved variant of the in-service Al-Khalid MBT, were handed over to the PA’s Armoured Corps.

The Al-Khalid-I is part of a joint venture between Pakistan, China, and Ukraine, and is believed to be intended to replace approximately 300 Type 85 and 320 T-80UD MBTs.

 

[BravoZulu]

India’s Ministry of Defense inked a $353.5 million contract with two domestic private-sector companies and a public-sector enterprise for the supply of six regiments’ worth of indigenously developed Pinaka Mk I multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) systems to the Indian Army (IA).

The Indian government’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) announced on August 31 that the deal includes procuring 114 launchers with automated gun alignment and positioning systems (AGAPSs) and 45 command posts from Tata Power and Larsen & Toubro.

A total of 330 high-mobility vehicles - worth a combined INR8.42 billion - will be manufactured by BEML Limited at its Palakkad plant in Kerala, with deliveries expected to be completed within three years. The majority of these vehicles, however, will not be fitted with launchers, but will instead be used to carry additional rockets for the Pinaka systems.