The Great Cover up?-Scorpene and the Scorpion Sting

Former Defence Minister George Fernandes rushed to France and struck the deal for six Scorpene submarines under the name Project 75. Extremely stealthy and lethal, the first Scorpene was supposed to roll out of Mazagon Dock in Mumbai in 2012 and one Scorpene would be launched every year from 2010 through 2017. These plans were made in 2005. Now, fast forward to 2010 and the Project 75 is running 2-3 years late which means the first Scorpene can't be expected before 2015-2020. By the time we get all the six sometime in early 2020s the Scorpenes would not be as valuable as they would be now as technology would have advanced significantly. But more importantly, India is going to retire all of its existing submarines this decade, including the Kilo class Submarines which form the backbone of India's current Submarine fleet! Which means, this decade Indian Navy will be MORE VULNERABLE THAN EVER.


So, Why was the delay?

• The official line of Ministry of Defence is that France increased the price of some critical components and the adamant bureaucrats who handle the payments refused to pay, causing the delay.
• Is there an unseen angle to these happenings? Would India really take a cost hike so seriously that our National Security be compromised? Unlike Gorshkov, the Russian Aircraft Carrier which in the end cost India three-four fold the initial agreement, the Scorpenes are state-of-the-art. Let us peep back into the past and find out what exactly went wrong..........................................................

The Naval War Room Leak Case(2004/05/06)

When Outlook broke the story linking the naval war room leak case and the Rs 18,798-crore Scorpene submarine deal, the defence ministry as well as naval HQ were quick to go into denial mode. The then Union minister of defence, Pranab Mukherjee, was dismissive when he told a TV interviewer that the civilian recipients of the secrets—arms dealer Abhishek Verma, his associates Ravi Shankaran (a relative of the recently-retired naval chief Admiral Arun Prakash) and Kulbhushan Parashar—would not be acted against. Reason: "Why does action have to be taken against them? This is commercial information," he said. Verma and Shankaran, reiterating their innocence, also issued similar denials. Thales, the French manufacturers of the Scorpene, denied any "contractual" relationship with Verma or the Atlas Group that he co-founded. But the CBI's second chargesheet filed in October demolishes many lies. The files recovered by the CBI from Verma and his associates—Kulbhushan Parashar and Commander Vijender Rana—covers a range of defence secrets pertaining to acquisitions by the army, air force and navy, including submarines. These were sourced by Rana and passed on to Verma and Shankaran via Parashar and then to foreign armament companies. The CBI chargesheet is categoric that the information leaked was "top secret" and not merely commercial. Crucially, it reveals that the Thales group did have links with Verma. As many as 369 pages of sensitive documents appended to the chargesheet and handed to the magistrate says it all about Verma, the Atlas Group and Thales. On February 14, 2006, Jean-Paul Perrier, executive vice president, Thales, sent a fax to Admiral Arun Prakash, claiming that "the Thales group has no contractual relationship with Atlas Defence Systems. The possibility of working with this company was examined on several occasions, but no partnership has ever materialised." The CBI chargesheet tells a different story. On page 22 it is specific: "A document recovered from the Jet Flash pen drive (of Rana) is part of a proposal of M/s Thales Communications with respect to the Aerostat Project, which is related to unmanned aerial surveillance mainly in border areas to keep a watch on the activities of enemy countries. It appears to have been generated in February 2004.

Such was the clout of Verma that he "could charter private aircraft" for his foreign clients.

The pen drive also contains a scanned copy of a letter (No. ARDE/BEG/GEM dated November 2004) from K.K. Thaper, scientist with the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), and addressed to Atlas Defence Systems, 407, Tower B, Global Business Park, MG Road, Gurgaon, regarding the subject 'Aerostat Presentation'. It is thus proved that Kulbhushan Parashar was the contact person with regard to the Aerostat Presentation made by Atlas Defence Systems. The hard copy of this document has also been recovered independently from the residential premises of Kulbhushan Parashar during the various searches. This also establishes the link of Abhishek Verma with M/s Atlas Defence Systems and the Jet Flash pen drive recovered from Rana which contains sensitive information pertaining to national security." Further linkages with the Scorpene deal emerge as documents relating to procurements of submarine equipment have also been recovered. Listed as item 21 in the chargesheet is a note (SA/3098) regarding submarine equipment "to be procured as enclosed in the note dated December 2004". The CBI has also recovered a confidential draft relating to naval staff requirements for underwater communication and sensors. Sources in the CBI also confirmed that when Thales' Jean-Paul Perrier visited India in January this year, he spent a considerable amount of time at Verma's farmhouse on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road. "There is enough evidence to show that the Atlas group of companies had some ongoing discussions and dealing with the Thales group. The Thales proposal recovered by us of February 2004 is an indication that they must have shared a deeper business relationship," a senior CBI official told Outlook. Such was the clout of Verma and his colleagues that the CBI chargesheet notes they "could charter private aircraft" for their foreign clients and put them up at five-star hotels. What's more, the CBI chargesheet alleges that "Abhishek Verma has received pecuniary benefits from foreign companies in the form of cash remittances. These companies had interest in various defence procurements by the government of India." The CBI has also managed to zero in on huge unexplained remittances into the Atlas' group companies like Atlas Interactive. Could these have been meant as kickbacks? Incidentally, Atlas had also entered into a contract with the Chinese telecom major ZTE to enter "the Indian defence market". A year ago, naval HQ issued two press releases insisting that the leaked information pertained to minor items such as patrol boats, electronic chart displays and breathing air compressors. It also insisted that no operational information was leaked and the government stubbornly refused to take any action. Now, as skeletons start to tumble out, it's becoming certain that there's more to the war room leak than the MoD and naval headquarters wanted everyone to believe.

From the above report it becomes clear that critical information regarding the Scorpene deal was leaked by the traitors. The most vital information about any modern day weapon syatem is about its communication system and that was what the unscrupulous agents sold to foreign players. With that Scorpene deal also slowed down. We can presume that Indian Navy wanted significant modifications in the Scorpene’s communications and that led the French to hike the price more than ever. This is not the first time that espionage has threatened our National Security nor will this be the last such instance. The incident just goes on to prove that it is not just machines but also the people that fight and win wars.

India & Russia- Great Scope of Improvement

India's relation with erstwhile Soviet Union was unparalleled in many ways. But the same cannot be said of India's relations with Russia today. To most observers the relations have been on wane for some time now especially since the U.S-India Nuclear Deal. But for all we know we need a very trustworthy friend at the very top i.e the United Nations Security Council and Russia is the only option. So, what are the problems plaguing our relations with Russia? What are the solutions? Here is all that at a glance.........

The Obstacles:

Wane in Defence Sector: India has diversified its defence procuremebts greatly. What was once a Soviet [or Russian] monopoly is now a stiff market with Israel and Russia slugging it out. France and the U.S are also emerging in a big way. What needs to be done here...............?

• Russian Weapons to China: Russia has been treating India and China on an equal basis on the Defence front, a departure from the Soviet era. Generally what is available to India is also available to China these days. These greatly affects India's National Security as China is the greatest threat to India. So India has been easing up to the West whose technology China will never have. If Russia wants to win India's trust, there should be some exclusive zone for India.
• Divergent Interests: India's bilateral trade with the U.S very high when compared to that with Russia. India's trade with E.U is also high. But Russian and the West's interests are divergent. Hence India is torn between both because India's sphere of interest is, ironically, not outside ASIA.

What has India gained from Russia?

1. India has received uninterrupted supply of Uranium from Russia.
2. Russia (or Soviet Union) always backed India on Kashmir and shielded India from U.N Sanctions.
3. During the 1971 Indo-Pak war, India was practically saved from the U.S by Soviet Union. The U.S President Richard Nixon sent an Aircraft Carrier into the Bay of Bengal to threaten India. India's cry for help was heeded by Soviets and they sent a nuclear submarine to hunt down the aircraft carrier. The Americans beat a hasty retreat and India won the war,splitting Pakistan into two.
4. India's indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant , which was launched earlier this year was completely designed by Russian with Indian modifications..
5. Throughout our independent history we have had only one real friend:Russia.

What about our immediate future?

• India needs nuclear triad to realise its dreams of being a Super Power. We need to negotiate for 40-50 Tu-160 Blackjacks which is the world's heaviest military aircraft. It would be the perfect platform for India's Nirbhay cruise missile and also Shourya if there is an air launched version of the latter. If you doubt Tu-160s credentials just click on the link here. It will boost India's Nuclear Deterrence and immediately make India more important on the global scene.
• MiG-21s are dedad birds flying. Replace them with Su-30/Su-35. India would need Supercruising engines,better airframe for reduced RCS etc. In short India can integrate optimum technology from the PAK-FA project into the Sukhoi fleet.
• India would need to develop Carrier Strike Group for Indian Navy which would need more Frigates, Submarines e.t.c. We can procure the best from Russia with the best of the rest.

In short, India and Russia have a very good future together. When most of the world will be torn between the slug fest of China and the U.S, India and Russia can negate all their influence on a common platform; thereby realising a truly multi-polar world.

If India selects F-18 Super Hornet

If India selects an American fighter which should it be: F-18 E/F [Super Hornet/Rhino] or F-16 IN [Super Viper] ?

The general public opinion on Rhino is very bad in the U.S because of its aerobatic cripples. In case India selects F-18 and they come face to face with Pakistan's F-16s; what would happen?

Ten F-16s take off from Karachi to attack targets in Mumbai. Four Rhinos are on patrol flying over Gujarat and they detect the F-16s first because of their superior Radars. Rhinos call for back up and decide to engage the the Pakistani squadron. Each Rhino has four meteors and six AIM-9xs. Since the F-16s were to attack Mumbai six of them have only air to ground munitions and four F-16s had the same missiles as the Rhinos.

The F-18s with their data links decide to act in coherence. Each Rhino fires two meteors at the incoming Squadron of F-16s. Meteor is very advanced missile and F-16s smaller RADAR does not detect them until too late. Of eight missiles fired four hit the targets. The other F-16s being agile and armed with Sidewinders have a close escape . One F-16 meant for air superiority and three meant to attack ground level targets have been lost.

Pakistani Pilots decide not to turn back and get extra aware.They scan the skies effectively using their datalinks and Radars.They spot the Rhinos as the distance has reduced greatly.The Pakistani F-16s fire eight meteors in all two at each rhino.

The Rhino much closer now uses its RADAR to scan the F-16s and sorts out the three F-16s meant for air superiority. They fire two meteors each at the three F-16s. The Pakistani Meteors close in on the Rhinos. The Rhinos better sensors pick up the missiles and initiates countermeasures. But two Rhinos go down as meteors are pretty hard to jam.

The Indian missiles close in on the F-16s. They try to escape but two meteors per an F-16 proves too much. All the three F-16s go down. the remaining F-16s decide to turn back as they have only two Sidewinders each to defend themselves.

Final Score:

F-18 E/F [Super Hornet/Rhino]: 7

F-16 IN [Super Viper]: 2

Conclusions:

F-18 has better sensors than F-16 and hence can pick up targets at a much longer range.

F-18 has better jammers and countermeasures and hence better chance to survive a missile attack.

F-18 has better RCS and hence is harder to detect than F-16s.

MMRCA-The White Elephant?

MMRCA or Medium Muti-Role Combat Aircraft is the largest Indian Military Project today. The Indian Air Force[IAF] plans to buy 126 fighter aircraft to keep the falling numbers of fighters In IAF. The Government invited global tenders and now six aiecrafe from various nations are competing for the Project.
Six aircraft: F-16IN & F-18E/F from the US; MiG-35 from Russia; Eurofighter from European Consortium; JAS-39 from Sweden and Rafale from France are now competing to win the Indian order of 126 fighter aircraft.
We will analyse what each fighter has to offer in detail.
F-16 IN Super Viper Block 70:

Advantages:

>F-16 is probably the most sold aircraft in modern history.
>F-16 has never been shot down in combat. Its combat record is 72-0.
>The version offered to India called; F-16 IN Block 70; will be the most advanced F-16 ever according to the manufacturer: Lockheed Martin.
>It is quite affordable around $ 50 million per aircraft.
Disadvantages:

>Pakistan operates F-16 Block 52 and knows the strengths and weaknesses of the aircraft.
>F-16 has been in service since 1978. Though the fighter has been upgraded thoroughly, all the F-16s in the U.S Air Force will be replaced by the advanced F-35 gradually 2013 onwards.
>So if we order F-16 now we will get all 126 only around 2020 and we then it will be an old fighter.
>Spares will be very expensive and future upgrades will be impossible because USAF will phase out the fighter.
Rank among the MMRCA Contenders: 6
F-18 E/F Super Hornet: The F-18 Super Hornet is the main fighter of the U.S Navy.

Advantages:
>F-18 E/F is highly durable.
>It is very easy and affordable to maintain.
>It has the most mature AESA RADAR: The AN/APG-79; operational in the world. The only better RADAR on a fighter is the APG-77 on the F-22.
>It is undergoing a number of upgrades. A stealthy Block III variant is being developed. Also, its RADAR is being upgraded into an "advanced capability" APG-79 and the engine performance is also being enhanced.
>The Super Hornet can be used in many roles like an AWACS and Electronic Warfare. It has a dedicated variant called E-18 Growler for the latter purpose.
Disadvantages:
>F-18 is not very fast or aerobatic when compared to modern fighters. This could be a huge disadvantage when dodging enemy missiles and in close combat with other fighters [called dogfights].
>Transfer of Technology and other restrictive agreements demanded by the U.S. would be a real downer . India would end up with a weapon which it has paid for but cannot use as per its requirements.
Rank among the MMRCA contenders: 2

MiG-35 Fulcrum-F:

Advantages:

>MiG-35 has many commonalities with MiG-29 which IAF already operates. Hence India can induct it spending the least amount of money, effort and time.

>Russia has offered complete Tranfer of Technology. Russia has also offerd to help India make its own advanced RADAR.

>It also has an AESA RADAR.

>India need not fear western sanctions to affect its national security as Russia is a time tested partner of India.

Diadvantages:

>It is just an upgraded MiG-29 and hence not a very wise option.

>It will keep India dependent on Russia. Indian Military will become Russian monopoly.

>It is outdone on all major factors like range,payload,RADAR capability e.t.c by India's Su-30 MKI [Flanker-H] which also costs approximately the same.

Rank among MMRCA contenders: 3

Eurofighter Typhoon:

Eurofighter Typhoon is the best fighter in contention atleast in its near future avatar. It is highly manouverable and has excellent sensors and capabilities. Its salient features are:

• It has excellent aerobatics and vectored thrust engines which means it is the hands down winner in a dogfight or close range fighting.
• An AESA RADAR called CAESAR is being developed for the fighter. It is claimed that it would be the best in business when it gets ready.
  
• It can deliver every weapon in NATO inventory including the Precision Guided Munition[PGM], AMRAAM, AIM-9x Sidewinder, ASRAAM and a whole range of new weapons like Meteor, Storm Shadow .............. The list just goes on.
• It can have any of the latest targeting pods including LITENING G4.

Its most remarkable feature is the protective suit for the pilots which enable the pilot make 9g manouvers consistently without passing out.

Disadvantages:

• It is very expensive.
• Some of the technology is reliant on the U.S and hence transfer of technology could be a problem.
• It is not a battle proven platform.

General Bravado: Would-be Fiasco

Both Feet in the Food Pipe [mouth is long past]:

General Bravado: Would-be Fiasco

♦One fine morning Gen. Deepak Kapoor startled the world atleast our part of Asia like Moses stunned the Egyptians. He claimed that Indian Army could defeat Pakistan and China in a war, simultaneously!.

♦There was a furore in Pakistan over this and many "experts" gave interviews about this statement. Pakistan , though weaker, is certainly no pushover.

♦China, the mature power that it is, made no fuss. Their policy seemed : Never correct your enemy when he is making a mistake. China is all substance and no nonsense. Neverthless, China expressed its concern too.

♦Indian Diplomats worked overtime to ease out the foot in the mouth scenario! Gen.Kapoor needs to read the Ramayana, the Mahabharatha and Kautilya. All of them state one thing : Respect the enemy and his strengths, know his weaknesses.

A Comparison of the Armies the three Nuclear powers :

Equipment	China	India	Pakistan
Nuclear Bombs	500+	70-100	70-100
Tanks	8200	~4000	~2500
Multiple Rocket Launch Systems	2,400	150	52
Towed Artillery	17000	4125	3195
Armored Personnel Carriers	5,000	317	1,146

(Source: http://www.globalfirepower.com/ )

The table above clearly demonstrates that China enjoys a huge numerical superirority. They also have the qualitative advantage because they spend more on their military. Anyone in their right mind would wonder how India can wage war on both fronts simultaneously & win!

India's Bofors II

I have been reading a lot about the Indian Military and our defence preparedness lately. From what I read and deduced , a few things about the Indian Army caught me by surprise. It is these facts that I would like to share with all of you.
What makes the Indian Army a phenomenon that will perplex even Sherlock Holmes? Let’s find out a few things which can make Bermuda Triangle look silly!!
Indian Government is going to spend around $2.5 billion {i.e. Rs.10000 crores} on self propelled artillery this year or the next. That is taxpayers' money: yours and mine. We have the right to know a few things here.
♦The undisputed best self-propelled Artillery on the planet ; PzH-2000 of Germany, mysteriously does not figure on the Indian list. And it is not out of scope of our budget! The accepted second best like AS-90 of Britain is also conspicuous by its absence. Both of them are 155 mm 52 calibre; the standard set by the Army. So, why are these weapons not being considered? PzH-2000 is battle-proven in all terrains including Afghanistan. Isn't it outright fishy that the best don't figure in the list? The Indian Army needs to come forth clean as to why these systems are not in the race despite being superior and affordable. The media needs to push for this! Else another Bofors seems inevitable!
♦India is going to upgrade its archaic fleet of 2000 odd T-72 tanks. This will be done at a great deal of cost. But the fact is the best tank in the Indian armoury is Arjun MBT which allegedly left the “frontline” T-90’s hanging high and dry in recent trials. And surprisingly the Indian Army will not retire the old T-72s which were proven sitting ducks in Desert Storm. Indian Army could instead order 2000 Arjun MBT’s . Then we would not only have a highly effective tank and but also breathe life into the Indian defence industry. T-72 can be wielded till Arjun is inducted in sufficient numbers. Then the T-72s can be converted to MRAVs or APCs which Indian Army has in very few numbers. But the Indian Army will not.” We will waste time about how best we can reach operational ineffectiveness and squander the nation’s resources.” seems to be the motto.
♦For reasons inexplicable, India ordered T-90 tanks without Shtora Active Protection Systems. This means the IndianT-90 is vulnerable to Anti tank Guided Missiles. Indian Army could incorporate the highly rated Israeli “Trophy” into both T-90s and Arjun. It provides protection against not only missiles but also HEAT, HESH and APFSDS rounds. But we won’t do it, even though we have excellent relations with Israel.
Is the Indian Army answerable to the people at all? Well, I hope the media can get the answers to just three of these questions. Instead of passing silly comments of fighting China and Pakistan simultaneously, Indian Army needs to pull up its socks and focus on real issues.
♦The Bofors Scandal engulfed the Indian Army for nearly 2 decades! This kind of murky competition will only add to the speculation over the credibility of the ongoing selection procedures. Are vested interests driving the on going circus? The Government and the Army would need to come clean on why PzH-2000 is not participating!