ashok321
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In 2010, a report claimed that nearly half of India’s defence equipment is obsolete and requires immediate up-gradation, neither did it move the Defence Ministry, nor did the political class bother about it.
The recent report of Indian army getting bulletproof helmets may have left many people jubilant, but in reality isn’t it a cause for concern that a nation which harbours the ambition to become a superpower one day took 70 years to provide its soldiers with ‘bullet proof helmets’?
Our weaponry and other equipment have become so obsolete that even the ‘Flying Coffins’, an adjective we used to refers Indian Air Forces’ MiG-21s within the late 1990s and early 2000s isn’t in fashion anymore.
Despite several plans being made and many layouts were prepared for the modernisation of Indian armed forces, the subsequent governments haven’t done much except for the giving the lip service.
Here are the weapons and other equipment currently in use, but should have been upgraded or replaced with modern and state of art ones long back.
INSAS Assault Rifles
Many would say that plans have been set in motion to replace this age old rifle Indian soldiers are struggling with. But in India, nothing can be said until it’s done. In 2011 as well, the government had floated tenders to replace INSAS (Indian small arms system), but the process of procuring rifles was scrapped in 2015 after trying and testing many rifles.
INSAS is an indigenous (yeah, it fared way better than Tejas and Arjun), 5.56 mm assault rifle Indian Army has been using since 1996. The DRDO had started working on INSAS in the early 1980s based on some foreign weapon designs including that of Kalashnikov.
The prototype was finally designed in 1986 and the bulk production started in 1994. The rifle was inducted into the army in 1996.
Bofors and Other Artillery Guns
M777 Howitzer
Once again many would say that the process of M777 Howitzers is in place and two of the 145 M-777 ultra-light howitzers from BAE Systems have already been supplied, but the deal too was about to get scrapped in November 2016 when Pentagon has revised the price of 145 M777 from $647 million to $737 millions. But luckily it survived and now India will get 145 M777 ultra-light howitzers.
The Howitzer has a range of 24 km and weighs 4,000 kg. This is India’s first addition to the artillery arsenal since 400 units of Bofors FH-77B 155 mm/39-calibre howitzer were brought in mid-1980s.
105mm Indian Field Gun, 122mm howitzer and others
Both artillery guns are too old to adapt to the new war strategies and therefore, they are required to be replaced. The 130 mm Catapult self-propelled (SP) gun is too old to keep pace with modern armour. The 120 mm mortars have also reached obsolescence.
105 mm Indian Field Gun, Ministry of Defence
As per the army's Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan (FARP) formulated in 1999 post-Kargil war, the Army needs to buy 2,820 artillery guns of various types to replace obsolete guns and equip new units.
Here Dhanush can be the answer
Although ‘Make in India’ hasn’t seen doing much wonders to India’s import of defence equipment, but Dhanush, the 155mm artillery gun which is known as ‘Desi Bofors’ can solve some artillery issues for now. The Army is likely to induct the first batch of 18 Dhanush guns by the end of this year.
The Army had placed an initial order for 114 guns. While the first batch of 18 guns will be inducted in 2017, another 36 guns in 2018 and 60 guns in 2019. Dhanush is an upgraded version Bofors. It is a 155-mm, 45-calibre gun with a maximum range of 40 km in salvo mode, compared to the 39-calibre, 27-km range of the original Bofors guns. Dhanush is 80 percent indigenous and manufactured in ordnance factory Jabalpur.
And Finally, The MiGs
A Mikoyan MiG-29 Air Superiority Fighter
Subsequent Air Chiefs including present IAF chief BS Dhanoa has pointed it out that IAF needs to procure in depleting the number of squadrons.
India at least needs 42 squadrons battle ready all the time for a two front war, but currently, India has only 32 squadrons which too are mostly comprised of age old MiG-21s and 29. The current strength of 32 squadrons of IAF comprises of 245 MiG-21s and 69 MiG-29s. One squadron of upgraded MiG-21 Bisons is retiring by 2017-18 and Remaining 132 aircraft to be retired by 2022, but it's unlikely to be retired as its replacement Tejas' supply to IAF is quite discouraging. Tejas is developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). MIG-29 has been upgraded to MiG 29 UPG, but the up-gradation of all planes would require time.
India’s Euro 7.87 billion deal for 36 Rafale fighter Jets to be procured from its French maker Dassault certainly gives hope. Though this deal too was in jeopardy, government managed to save this Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal, at an inflated price.
Tejas on the other side was supposed to replace the obsolete MiG-21s, but a lot has been written and said about Tejas, which is unlikely to fill the gap left by MiGs anytime soon.
Till date, only three Tejas fighters have been inducted in the Air Force. Though a full squadron of Tejas is said to be inducted in IAF by the end of 2018, we all know the history of Tejas.
In 2010, a report claimed that nearly half of India’s defence equipment is obsolete and requires immediate up-gradation, neither did it move the Defence Ministry, nor did the political class bother about it.
The recent report of Indian army getting bulletproof helmets may have left many people jubilant, but in reality isn’t it a cause for concern that a nation which harbours the ambition to become a superpower one day took 70 years to provide its soldiers with ‘bullet proof helmets’?
Our weaponry and other equipment have become so obsolete that even the ‘Flying Coffins’, an adjective we used to refers Indian Air Forces’ MiG-21s within the late 1990s and early 2000s isn’t in fashion anymore.
Despite several plans being made and many layouts were prepared for the modernisation of Indian armed forces, the subsequent governments haven’t done much except for the giving the lip service.
Here are the weapons and other equipment currently in use, but should have been upgraded or replaced with modern and state of art ones long back.
INSAS Assault Rifles
Many would say that plans have been set in motion to replace this age old rifle Indian soldiers are struggling with. But in India, nothing can be said until it’s done. In 2011 as well, the government had floated tenders to replace INSAS (Indian small arms system), but the process of procuring rifles was scrapped in 2015 after trying and testing many rifles.
INSAS is an indigenous (yeah, it fared way better than Tejas and Arjun), 5.56 mm assault rifle Indian Army has been using since 1996. The DRDO had started working on INSAS in the early 1980s based on some foreign weapon designs including that of Kalashnikov.
The prototype was finally designed in 1986 and the bulk production started in 1994. The rifle was inducted into the army in 1996.
Bofors and Other Artillery Guns
M777 Howitzer
Once again many would say that the process of M777 Howitzers is in place and two of the 145 M-777 ultra-light howitzers from BAE Systems have already been supplied, but the deal too was about to get scrapped in November 2016 when Pentagon has revised the price of 145 M777 from $647 million to $737 millions. But luckily it survived and now India will get 145 M777 ultra-light howitzers.
The Howitzer has a range of 24 km and weighs 4,000 kg. This is India’s first addition to the artillery arsenal since 400 units of Bofors FH-77B 155 mm/39-calibre howitzer were brought in mid-1980s.
105mm Indian Field Gun, 122mm howitzer and others
Both artillery guns are too old to adapt to the new war strategies and therefore, they are required to be replaced. The 130 mm Catapult self-propelled (SP) gun is too old to keep pace with modern armour. The 120 mm mortars have also reached obsolescence.
105 mm Indian Field Gun, Ministry of Defence
As per the army's Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan (FARP) formulated in 1999 post-Kargil war, the Army needs to buy 2,820 artillery guns of various types to replace obsolete guns and equip new units.
Here Dhanush can be the answer
Although ‘Make in India’ hasn’t seen doing much wonders to India’s import of defence equipment, but Dhanush, the 155mm artillery gun which is known as ‘Desi Bofors’ can solve some artillery issues for now. The Army is likely to induct the first batch of 18 Dhanush guns by the end of this year.
The Army had placed an initial order for 114 guns. While the first batch of 18 guns will be inducted in 2017, another 36 guns in 2018 and 60 guns in 2019. Dhanush is an upgraded version Bofors. It is a 155-mm, 45-calibre gun with a maximum range of 40 km in salvo mode, compared to the 39-calibre, 27-km range of the original Bofors guns. Dhanush is 80 percent indigenous and manufactured in ordnance factory Jabalpur.
And Finally, The MiGs
A Mikoyan MiG-29 Air Superiority Fighter
Subsequent Air Chiefs including present IAF chief BS Dhanoa has pointed it out that IAF needs to procure in depleting the number of squadrons.
India at least needs 42 squadrons battle ready all the time for a two front war, but currently, India has only 32 squadrons which too are mostly comprised of age old MiG-21s and 29. The current strength of 32 squadrons of IAF comprises of 245 MiG-21s and 69 MiG-29s. One squadron of upgraded MiG-21 Bisons is retiring by 2017-18 and Remaining 132 aircraft to be retired by 2022, but it's unlikely to be retired as its replacement Tejas' supply to IAF is quite discouraging. Tejas is developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). MIG-29 has been upgraded to MiG 29 UPG, but the up-gradation of all planes would require time.
India’s Euro 7.87 billion deal for 36 Rafale fighter Jets to be procured from its French maker Dassault certainly gives hope. Though this deal too was in jeopardy, government managed to save this Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal, at an inflated price.
Tejas on the other side was supposed to replace the obsolete MiG-21s, but a lot has been written and said about Tejas, which is unlikely to fill the gap left by MiGs anytime soon.
Till date, only three Tejas fighters have been inducted in the Air Force. Though a full squadron of Tejas is said to be inducted in IAF by the end of 2018, we all know the history of Tejas.
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