Tag: defexpo 2012

Russia is pitching its top-of-the-line air defense system at DefExpo 2012 in India, this week, promoting the S-400 Triumph air and missile defense system. The S-400 causes much concern among western air forces, as none of the existing 4++ generation fighter aircraft, nor the F-35 JSF, are designed to penetrate areas defended by the Triumf.

The Indian Army has a fleet of more than 150,000 vehicles. The services buy around 7,000 new trucks every year, a volume attracting commercial vehicle manufacturers to invest in meeting peculiar military standards. This year at DefExpo 2012, traditional truck manufacturers Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland were joined by the new competitor Asia Motor Works, each taking aim at specific segments of this huge market.

The centerpiece of the Russian display at Defexpo 2012 is undoubtedly the T-90MS upgrade program developed by the Russian Uralvagonzavod corporation. The T-90MS upgrade was unveiled August 2011 at Nizhni Tagil, Russia and is making its international debut here in New Delhi.

Defexpo India 2012, the country’s biggest-ever land, naval and homeland security systems exhibition, will open today in New Delhi. The biennial event has grown since 2010 and will host 567 exhibitors, 232 of them coming from abroad. Some of the exhibitors have released details about what they intend to display here.

New types of ammunition are positioned to enhance the combat capabilities and survivability of the Indian T-90S and T-72M Main Battle Tanks, improving their armor penetration capability as well as efficiency against anti-tank teams and fortified targets.

The introduction of the "Buy and Make (Indian)" category in the defense acquisition process aims to increase participation by the Indian Industry for meeting India’s requirements for state-of-the-art defense systems and platforms. The procedure will enable Indian defense sector firms to get into tie-ups with technology providers through the mode of technology transfer and joint ventures.

India needs to leverage its current and future defense aerospace purchases to create an indigenous high-technology aerospace industrial base that will underpin its national security and economic strength. For this to happen, the need for structural and regulatory reforms of this sector cannot be exaggerated.

Through the years India has established an impressive infrastructure of aerospace and defense research, development and manufacturing base, yet – except of strategic programs, for which India could depend only on itself, the defense sector failed to provide modern, effective military hardware that would par with the systems and technologies the Indian military deserve.