India eyes Russia to overcome ammunition shortage

[shree835]

Facing a critical shortage of ammunition for Army’s fleet of T-90 and T-72 tanks after the blacklisting of an Israeli firm, the Defence Ministry is now looking to procure these shells from Russia.

The severe shortage of tank ammunition was first highlighted by then Army chief Gen VK Singh in a top secret letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in March this year which later found its way to the media.
After the blacklisting of supplier of the FSAPDS (Fin Stabilized Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot) used by T-90 and T-72 tanks, Russia has now been approached for supplying these tank shells, Defence Ministry sources said here.

A contract negotiation team under a Joint Secretary-level official had also gone to Moscow recently to discuss the price of FSAPDS ammunition but further parleys will have to be held to decide on the cost issue, they said.

To avoid such shortages in future, the Defence Ministry is also seeking a transfer of technology from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to produce the ammunition indigenously.

Gen Singh had pointed out in his letter that only three to four days of this particular ammunition was left in the inventory of the armoured regiments. Later on, the Army had also informed the Standing Committee on Defence about the shortage and how the situation had worsened by the recent blacklisting of its supplier Israeli Military Industry (IMI).

Recently, the Army Headquarters had initiated the process to procure within 12 to 18 months around 75,000 to one lakh rounds of FSAPDS ammunition from global sources but apparently not much progress has been made so far.

After the issues were brought out by the then Army Chief, Defence Minister A K Antony had taken urgent steps to address them and has held several rounds of meetings with Army and Defence Ministry officials to review preparedness and do away with the stumbling blocks in the modernisation process.

Gen Singh’s letter had highlighted the obsolescence of the air defence systems in the Army and to address the issue, the Defence Minister has cleared the procurement of quick reaction surface-to-air missile systems for eight new regiments that are to come up.

Likewise, the procurement for 145 Ultra-Light Howitzers (ULH) from the US has also been cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC).

India eyes Russia to overcome ammunition shortage | idrw.org

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

India cant even produce ammo?

 

[Hulk]

Blacklisting everyone to the point that there is nobody left to supply is insanity of Mr Anthony that I dislike. Now Russia can demand whatever they want on their terms.

 

[Omega007]

@PN
India CAN.But Indian Army would never compromise with quality for the sake of indigenous unlike your PA which uses such outdated and incompetent FSAPDS T rounds that can penetrate only 460mm of mild steel at 2000 meter.I wonder what the hell they gonna crack our T 90S and Arjuns with??Heck,even their Naiza DU can penetrate just 550mm which is worse the 3BM 44 Mango and M 771 Tungsten rounds!!
NOW WHAT THE HELL was you saying??

 

[GORKHALI]

India cant even produce ammo?

Yep!we are poorest country of all,don't you know that ??

 

[SpArK]

Russia is drawing up plans to claw its way back to the top of the Indian defense market, which is supplemented by the U.S. and other European suppliers.

Russia was at one time the biggest arms supplier to India and has been a reliable vendor since the Cold War era. But due to several commercial issues including overpricing, Russia rapidly lost the defense pie in the South Asian nation. In 2011, India was the world’s largest recipient of arms, accounting for 10% of global arms imports.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, during his visit to New Delhi on July 17, advocated for the joint development of defense equipment with India that could be sold to other countries.

“We wants to move from basic trade to joint development projects with India in defense,” Rogozin says.

During his talk with India authorities in New Delhi, Rogozin expressed keen interest in joint ventures for the production of cargo and passenger aircraft.

“The BrahMos missile system is a shining example of this type of cooperation. Joint development of the Fifth-Generation Fighter and the Multirole Transport Aircraft, as well as the licensed production in India of Su-30 aircraft and T-90 tanks, are other examples of flagship cooperation programs that are currently under way in this area,” an Indian defense ministry official says.

India has also asked Russia to start inducting the 290-km-range BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles into its naval fleet. The two sides formed a joint venture to produce the supersonic cruise missile in 1998, and since then all three wings of the Indian armed forces have ordered BrahMos for their inventory. But the Russian side has yet to do so.

“Several issues . . . continue to affect the India-Russia defense relationship,” the official says. “There have been repeated delays in Russia implementing major weapon orders, including for the aircraft carrier, Admiral Gorshkov. Russia has also tended to raise costs midway through the execution of agreed-upon commitments. Roadblocks have also emerged for the transfer of technology and the uninterrupted supply of defense spares.”

Over the past 12 months, Russian arms manufacturers have faced a string of setbacks in India. Last year, Russia’s MiG-35 fighter lost India’s Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition to Dassault’s Rafale. The $15 billion program is replacing the aging Russian MiG-21 fighter jets currently used by the Indian air force.

Other losers in the competition were the Lockheed Martin F-16IN Super Viper and Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Saab JAS-39NG Gripen.

Defense Minister A.K. Antony said after the winner was declared that the country’s defense acquisition policy was guided by professional and not political considerations. “India’s defense purchases are not propelled by political considerations and all vendors will get a level playing field,” Antony said.

The Russian Mi-28N Night Hunter also lost a tender for 22 attack helicopters for the Indian military to Boeing’s AH-64D Apache.

Nonetheless, analysts say that given the two countries’ legacy of defense cooperation and ongoing projects, Russia will remain India’s major defense partner for the foreseeable future. However, in view of the increased competition for the Indian defense market, joint development and production of new weapon systems is likely to become a crucial factor in sustaining Indo-Russian cooperation in the coming years.

Russia Tries To Arrest Losses In Indian Defense Market | Avaition Week

 

[Peaceful Civilian]

Gen Singh had pointed out in his letter that only three to four days of this particular ammunition was left in the inventory of the armoured regiments
Where the ammo suddenly disappeared??
CORRUPTION??

 

[Kyusuibu Honbu]

Gen Singh had pointed out in his letter that only three to four days of this particular ammunition was left in the inventory of the armoured regiments
Where the ammo suddenly disappeared??
CORRUPTION??

Every kind of Ammo has a shelf-life of maybe 2-3 years

 

[ptltejas]

bull s@@t again they will sell junk yard like anti aircraft, crasnopol.

why we do not built inside India Indigenously? Garbage Government and political leaders..........

 

[INDIAISM]

I think its high time Indian Govt should encourage Private players to invest in the R&D of these products.....To be frank if you dream to be a super power then you can't rely on Foreign vendors for your Arms and Ammunation.....and India can't do that without Private players as most of its Psu's are filled with lazy bums and incompetent people.....

 

[Luffy 500]

What about all the "indigenous" advanced weapon system that their DRDO brings out every
now and then?

 

[GR!FF!N]

bull s@@t again they will sell junk yard like anti aircraft, crasnopol.

why we do not built inside India Indigenously? Garbage Government and political leaders..........

i'm with you..dump crasnopol..go for excalibur..

 

[Darth Vader]

INDIANS are very wise they thught Instead of wasting 20 30 years like tejas and arjun just buy else agn it will gone take 20 30 years and wht if china attack INdia =))) then they wont be able to use their ( russian) tanks

 

[Speeder 2]

What about all the "indigenous" advanced weapon system that their DRDO brings out every
now and then?

DR"DO", the only offspring of DR"BRAG" and DR"TROLL" , is, or more precisely in Indian context "WILL" be, busy at futuristic bullets and can not be bothered with very basic issues such as WW2 level bullets on which it has no much clue in the first place.

 

[Abhishek_]

What about all the "indigenous" advanced weapon system that their DRDO brings out every
now and then?

mostly aimed at our beloved pole vaulters, from the sound of it they work pretty well